Contractor to integrate TelstraSaturn networks

By ADAM GIFFORD

TelstraSaturn has given systems integrator Datacraft the $700,000 contract to design and build a management system for its national IP (internet protocol) network.

Network and technology director Tony Baird said TelstraSaturn was rapidly expanding its network infrastructure, and needed more powerful management tools.

Datacraft, part of the Datacraft Asia group, has already implemented the first phase of the project, an event management solution which used the Micromuse Netcool tool to amalgamate management of several existing IP networks.

The tool gives administrators a digital dashboard from which they can manage networks even if they are built with different technologies from different vendors.

Network status can be seen in real time, and faults identified and addressed before they lead to service outages.

Datacraft spokesman Craig Belcher said TelstraSaturn provided data, phone, mobile, internet and cable television services, for which it had multiple networks.

"This brings their networks under one umbrella so they're able to consolidate and not have multiple people handling multiple networks."

TelstraSaturn was aggressively targeting the business sector and was trying to improve the levels of service and the reach of its networks.

"The foundation of that is network management so it can provide high levels of service, security, fault management and performance management," said Mr Belcher.

Micromuse Netcool is one of a number of technologies that Datacraft has bundled under the banner iBOSS (Business & Operation Support Systems Solutions) - part of a framework designed to allow service providers to deliver next generation voice and data services over any infrastructure.

Mr Belcher said: "It means they can have their billing systems and network management in place so they can drive the new world of services."