| What is the TM Forum? | The TM Forum (Forum) is an industry association focused on transforming business processes, operations and systems for managing and monetizing the emerging market for on-line Information, Communications and Entertainment services. The Forum has over 700 global members from across the converging industries of telecom, cable, media and the Internet. The Forum has been contributing to the Information and Communications Services (ICS) Industry for over 20 years. The Forum has liaison partnerships with all key standards and industry groups.
| | What Does the TM Forum Offer the Industry? | TThe Forum provides strategic leadership, business guidance, best practices, and pragmatic standards that empower companies to reduce costs, reduce time to market and improve service quality.
The Forum develops these solutions by bringing together the best and brightest technical minds who focus their skills on how best to automate the key end-to-end processes along with the underlying systems and software to enable seamless management across the service delivery chain.
The Forum also provides a range of information, networking and marketing services via conferences and events, a Transformation Research Center, Training and Education and other programs
| | What is the Catalyst Program? | | | What are the benefits of participating in a Catalyst? | | | Virtual R&D | - Learn how your solution works with others in the industry in a hands-on environment
- Collaborate on best practices
| | Rapid and Cost Effective Results | - Catalyst projects take place over a set amount of time, so results are typically guaranteed in less than 6 months
- Service providers get the results they want without the constraints of an RFP process and huge budgetary investments in their labs
- As a result, Service Providers gain invaluable knowledge as to where they should make key investments
| | Develop working relationships | - Service providers gain exposure to a variety of vendors and can directly influence product development
- Vendors get real requirements first hand from service providers
- Formal business relationships and partnerships frequently develop due to trust built up over the project lifecycle
| | Marketing Exposure | - Substantial TMW exposure via dedicated presentation times, show guide, signage
- Extensive marketing opportunities (web, News Central, press interviews, press releases, etc.)
| | | What level of resource commitment is required to participate? | The actual commitment required from a participant in a specific project varies and is unique to each project. Commitment is agreed upon by all of the project members. However, in addition to fulfilling technical duties (definition, design, implementation and testing), participants are expected to be involved in the team marketing and showcase efforts and may be asked to support one of the key project roles. Participating companies must be TM Forum members in good standing with payment of membership dues.
The project must have resources to fill the mandatory roles of:
- Team Leader, responsible for project management
- Service Provider Sponsor, responsible for providing requirements and monitoring to ensure the requirements are filled
- Logistics Manager, responsible for integration & staging testing, and ensuring the equipment is shipped to the location on time
- Marketing Manager, responsible for creating & executing the team’s marketing communication plan, creating the team’s datasheet and press releases, and making sure the team takes advantage of the marketing opportunities offered by the TM Forum
- Document Editor, responsible for the creation and content of the catalyst documentation.
| | How do members commit to participating in a catalyst project? | Any company that expects to demonstrate a product or solution component and publicly acknowledged in the Management World marketing material must make a legal commitment by contract with the TM Forum. Participation contracts are specific to the role identified in the project charter.
The Catalyst Contract is sent to participating companies that intend to demonstrate a product or solution component and to be publicly acknowledged in the Management World marketing material.
The Catalyst Champion Contract is sent to Content Providers, Service Providers (including application service provider, traditional wire line or wireless operator, internet service provider, cable service provider and/or government service provider) that intends to provide the business requirements, validate the work of the solution providers, and be publicly acknowledged in the Management World marketing material.
| | What are the TM Forum Catalyst Participation Fees? | The Service Provider and content provider "champions" are not charged participation fees. Participation fees for all other project participants is $3000 usd for each catalyst project showing in North America. The fee amount will be converted to Euros and a Value Added Tax (French TVA) will be added for each project showing in Europe.
| | What do the participation fees cover? | The participation fees over the collective venue costs for each company participating in the project. Collective venue costs include individual project booth space, basic furniture and minimum presentation equipment.
| | What are other costs associated with project participation? | The guiding principle with regard to catalyst project costs is that each member company bears its own costs. Each company’s “Own Costs” may include:
- Equipment costs (shipping, testing, integration and demonstrating)
- Human resources (marketing, development, implementation, testing, demonstrating, project management, logistics)
- Transportation and hotel costs
- Meeting participation costs (TM Forum Action Weeks, as well as other team meetings as agreed to by the team.)
- Marketing costs incurred promoting individual company’s participation in the Showcase.
The team is responsible for the total cost of any additional items including Audio/Video, team shirts, plants, furniture, datasheet printing and signage. Rather than divide the amount between companies, many teams decide to ask for participants to accept responsibility for specific items. For example, one company may pay the cost of developing graphics and printing cost for the team poster. Another might choose to bear the cost of additional video screens, and so on.
| | Is there a way to acknowledge non-contracted teams or individual contributors to the project? | Yes, but limitations apply to the of Non-contracted contributors. They may not present or otherwise participate in the actual demonstration on the show floor. The team may verbally recognize any person, team, or organization that contributed to the overall success of your project during the live demonstration.
The display of company names and logos may not be displayed or included in the key-participant listing on datasheets, TM Forum signage, web page or event marketing material. A special section of the datasheet can be used to publicly express gratitude for their contribution. Two common scenarios are:
- Collaboration with another industry body, without a formal liaison agreement in place: The datasheet and poster displayed in the show floor may state something like, In collaboration with DSL Forum.
- Hardware or software donated by non-participating company: The World Ordering Catalyst team would like to thank Sun for the donation of vital hardware and operating software to the project.
| | How can I get involved? | - Visit a Catalyst Showcase demonstration at Management World.
- Meet the team and team leader and discuss the possible extension of the project.
- Attend a TM Forum Open Call for Participation session presented by a catalyst team.
- Visit the TM Forum’s web site for more information about Catalyst projects
- Check for open calls for participation for new project proposal
- Contact Jim Warner jwarner@tmforum.org
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