My API Story: Streamlining supplier integration

Tell us about yourself and your job

With over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector, I have frequently encountered a fundamental lack of support for labor-intensive and repetitive activities that many consider tedious. Frustrated by this ongoing oversight, I transitioned to a new role that has helped me learn about the solid foundations that have been established in the industry and numerous initiatives aiming to keep pace with (and even anticipate) the evolving demands of the telecommunications and IT landscape.

What TM Forum Open API is most valuable to your company?

Comarch specializes in providing management support software to clients across various industries. While our core expertise lies in the Telco and IT sectors, our solutions extend across a wide range of domains. Due to our holistic approach to support, we treat all API’s with equal importance.

My primary focus has been on maintenance, an area that resonates deeply with me. I strongly believe that the TMF642 Alarm Management API plays a critical role in Assurance, particularly in today's landscape where autonomous and highly automated systems are becoming the norm. In such environments, relying on human operators for error correction is no longer feasible.

Why did you choose to highlight that Open API?

Network infrastructure systems have always been unique, with local extensions limiting communication. The rise of Open RAN and MEC brought new providers, but despite following protocols, differences remained. With few dominant vendors and no agreed Open API, integration was complex. As telecom evolves rapidly, maintaining service quality while ensuring flexible, standardized access is crucial to staying competitive.

How do you use this Open API?

We strive to quickly implement API refinements while keeping development aligned with standards. When our client needs exceed the standard’s scope, we focus on incorporating essential changes while ensuring future compatibility. If a client requires early adoption of an upcoming standard, we may accelerate implementation, balancing efficiency with potential future adjustments.

How have you benefited from using this API?

Using a standard and Open API offers both expected and unexpected advantages. One notable benefit is the ability to streamline arrangements with suppliers relying on non-standard or highly customized interfaces. For example, the Open API TMF642 Alarm Management API serves as a widely recognized framework. This eliminates the need for a time-consuming analysis of the entire interface structure, allowing us to focus directly on the differences between the standard and any necessary extensions.

Another key advantage is the ease of identifying required adaptations. By clearly outlining the work that needs to be done, the evaluation process can be accelerated, simplifying and expediting negotiations. A standardized interface version enhances the solution’s appeal, making it more readily accepted in the market.

Where do you use it?

For more than 30 years, Comarch has been delivering its solutions to a diverse range of customers. Since Assurance is at the heart of Comarch OSS solutions, the TMF642 Alarm Management API Open API is extensively used across our implementations. While our journey began in Poland and Europe—regions where we continue to adopt and implement industry standards successfully—our reach has since expanded globally.

Beyond Europe, we have significantly expanded our operations in Asia, thanks to two major Assurance contracts: first in South Korea, followed by Japan. These projects have strengthened our presence on the continent, further allowing us to integrate TM Forum certified Open APIs across the region.

We are also active in the North American market, with projects that include implementing Open APIs in the United States.

Why do you believe in TM Forum’s Open API program?

Thanks to initiatives such as the Open API program and the collaborative discussions within TM Forum, the effort to build new systems has shifted away from mundane tasks, .e.g., connecting systems from different vendors without an accepted or implemented standard. Instead, we can focus on more creative areas, like adding new functionalities, enhancing communication, and accelerating processes.

Now, our minds are free to dream bigger. With new architectures and automation reducing repetitive tasks, we can lift our gaze and focus on the possibilities that lie far ahead.