ITU to promote interoperability of ICT products

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 12:32

Business IT - Technology

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is to set up a global database that will log products' declaring conformity to ITU standards. The move is part of a wider ITU initiative designed to give purchasers of ICT equipment a much clearer picture of that equipment's ability to interoperate with other ICT devices.

According to the ITU, "The programme will support much more informed purchasing decisions for end users - be they companies or consumers - and has the potential to widen markets, increase competition and decrease costs. It will allow purchasers to freely consult a comprehensive global database to check whether a product conforms to ITU standards, or will work with other network elements."

Conformity to ITU telecoms standards - correctly known as ITU Telecommunications Sector (ITU-T) Recommendations - will be declared only via accredited laboratories or certifiers; testing will not carried out by ITU itself. Once accepted and entered into the new database, products will be given a unique identifier that can be referenced by the manufacturing company.

As part of the new programme the ITU says it will also organise a series of interoperability events that will allow two or more vendors to get together to verify that their equipment interoperates satisfactorily. An interoperability declaration can then be added to the database.

ITU-T Study Groups (the bodies responsible for developing ITU telecommunications standards are developing standards for conformity and interoperability testing that can be used by external certifiers.

ITU will also hold regional workshops and tutorials on conformity assessment and interoperability. Such multivendor testing events, known as 'plugfests' have been widely used by other standards organisations such as ETSI, the WiMAX Forum, the IMS/NGN Forum and others.

The ITU says that lack of conformity and interoperability of ICT equipment is a major concern, especially in developing countries and another aspect of the programme will be a focus on skills training and the creation of regional testing centres for developing countries.