Eftia Increases its Role in the OSS Through Java^TM Initiative
Company Joins Forces with Market Leaders to Build Inventory API

(May 1, 2002 Ottawa, Canada) Eftia a leading provider of operational support system (OSS) solutions for wireless and wireline service providers, today announced that it has met the criteria to become a Focus member in the OSS through Java^TM Initiative. The initiative supports efforts to define, develop and implement Java technology-based Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that speed the delivery of innovative OSS and telecommunications business support solutions.

"Eftia agreed to participate in the initiative at the Focus member level because we have long recognized the strategic importance of easing service providers' integration efforts in their aim to build the best possible end-to-end OSS solutions," said Christopher Dean, Eftia's Chief Technology Officer. "Not only are we ready to bring our experience to the forefront of a ground-breaking industry initiative, but we are also eager to take what we learn in the process and incorporate that knowledge into our products. On every level, the benefits of our involvement will be passed on to our customers."

Eftia became an Expert member of the OSS through Java^TM Initiative in August 2001, joining more than a dozen other major industry players to define the specification for the Inventory API. The resulting specification addresses the need to provide standardization conventions that allow for both the interoperability of OSS components and the reduction of integration costs associated with building an end-to-end solution. The next step will be the creation of a reference implementation and technology compatibility kit necessary for the implementation and self-certification of the OSS through Java^TM Initiative Inventory API. These mission-critical tasks will be the responsibility of the Focus Team. In addition to Eftia, the team includes MetaSolv, Motorola and Excelon.

Philippe Lalande, of Sun, the Program Manager of the OSS through Java^TM Initiative, added: "The anticipated widespread adoption of the Inventory API hinges on the success of this next stage. We have every confidence that Eftia will play a significant role in developing the best reference implementation and technology compatibility kit possible for the Inventory API. Based on their past performance and their active contribution to the information model specified by the Expert team, we look forward to Eftia's participation at the Focus level".

The primary goals of this API are to substantially reduce integration costs and efforts and to allow navigation across the boundaries of various inventory components. Inventory functions are central to the overall OSS solution because they provide the storage of physical equipment data and configurations, network topology, logical resource definitions and instances, service and product definitions, and so on. Inventory is a highly complex module in an end-to-end system and therefore requires a complex API—one that will be leveraged by other APIs that are currently under development or have recently been released, such as the Service Activation API.

The OSS through Java^TM Initiative was founded to accelerate the development of innovative OSS and Business Support Systems (BSS) solutions. The benefits to service providers include faster deployment of new services, simple procurement of OSS through Java-compliant products, and easier maintenance of service software. The OSS through Java technology API specifications will be demonstrated at TeleManagement World (Booth 16) in Nice, France, May 13-16, 2002. Alain Lemoine, Eftia's Focus member team lead, and Philippe Goujard of Sun, will also co-present a paper at the conference entitled "NGOSS Compliance Certification - A Winning Strategy." A full demo of the Inventory API is scheduled for TeleManagement World in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 29-31, 2002, explaining as a use case how NGOSS compliance can be tested using OSS through Java^TM compliant products.

About the OSS through Java^TM Initiative
Building on the success of Java2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) technology in enterprise applications and e-commerce, the OSS through Java^TM Initiative is chartered to develop APIs that accelerate the development of innovative OSS/BSS solutions where all applications function together. The Initiative's APIs are standardized under the latest Java Community ProcessSM^TM (JCP) program. JCP deliverables for each application area consist of a specification, a reference implementation, and a technology compatibility kit - all of which, including source code, are made available to the industry free of charge. The Initiative's APIs help Service Providers jumpstart the deployment of end-to-end services on next-generation wireless networks and leverage the convergence of telecommunications and Internet-based solutions. For more information on the OSS through Java Initiative, visit: java.sun.com/products/oss.

About Eftia
Eftia is a leading provider of operations management software and services for Tier 1, wireless and next-generation network service providers. Eftia delivers significant operational efficiencies and maximized profitability through its adaptable and scalable solutions. Eftia is a significant contributor to the New Generation Operations Systems and Software (NGOSS) led by TeleManagement FORUM, and is a focus member of the OSS through Java^TM Initiative. The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Java, J2EE, Java Community Process and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Farrah Jinha, Principal
Techknow Communications
Tel. 604-980-2448
farrah@techknowcommunications.com

Vanessa Simmons
Eftia OSS Solutions Inc.
Manager, Marketing Programs & Communications
Phone: (613) 368-3845
Email: vsimmons@eftia.com

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