Data management of telecommunications power systems the case for an open standard

Currently, there is no global, open data or network management standard in the telecommunications power sector. There is a growing awareness that this represents a significant cost to telcos and asset managers. This cost may be measured both in capital, deployment and operating costs as well as indirect future costs. The cost-effective management of real time monitoring and asset information is a universal problem impacting all telcos. The paper will outline the kinds of information flow in telepower energy systems and how an open standard could provide cost savings and encourage wider adoption. It discusses what should be standardized and the process by which this might be achieved. The paper discusses common open protocols and data standards (e.g. SNMP, XML) and their application to a telepower standard. An outline of current initiatives towards an open standard is presented. The paper presents a case for an open standard in the area of information (data) management, remote (protocol) monitoring and configuration of telepower systems.