| ITU-T Focus Groups |
| Introduction |
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Focus Groups are an instrument created by ITU-T that augment the Study Group work programme by
providing an alternative working environment for the quick development of specifications in their
chosen areas. Focus Groups are now widely used to address industry needs as they emerge, and when
they are not covered within an existing Study Group. The key difference between Study Groups and
Focus Groups is the freedom that they have to organize and finance themselves. Focus Groups can
be created very quickly, are usually short-lived and can choose their own working methods,
leadership, financing, and types of deliverables.
ITU-T Focus Groups and Recommendation A.7
Focus Groups are an instrument created by ITU–T to provide an additional working environment
for the quick development of standards in specific areas. The procedure in ITU-T Rec. A.7
defines how an "arms-length" entity (called a "Focus Group" in ITU-T parlance) can be created
to work with an ITU–T Study Group as a parent body while at the same time maintaining a high
degree of independence, in particular concerning working methods, types of outputs, membership,
financing, and administration. more... |
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Active Focus Groups |
- Focus Group "From/In/To Cars Communication"
(In operation since 2006-06)
A new focus group on From/In/To Cars Communication was established by SG 12 at its 5 - 13 June 2006 meeting.
The objective of the Focus Group is to develop a new set of requirements and specifications to help advance
the work of the ITU-T SG12, mainly Questions 4/12 and 12/12 and to encourage participation in this activity
of members of other standards organizations involved in car and Telecommunications/ICT industries, including
experts and individuals who may not be members of ITU.
- IPTV Focus Group
(In operation since 2006-04)
As a result of the TSB Director's open consultation meeting with ITU-T Members on IPTV service
and its standardization held in Geneva, 4-5 April 2006, the new Focus Group in IPTV (FG-IPTV) has
been established. The mission of the FG-IPTV is to coordinate and promote the development of global IPTV
standards taking into account the existing work of the ITU study groups as well as Standards Developing
Organizations, Fora and Consortia.
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NGN Management Focus Group
(In operation since 2004-09)
The goal of the NGN Management Focus Group established by SG4 is
to organize and undertake a centralized approach regarding
specification of NGN-related Fault, Configuration, Accounting,
Performance, and Security Management interfaces. A key element
in the operation of the FG is that it engages key individuals from
various organizations with management expertise and specifications
applicable to NGN to collaborate in and contribute to this activity.
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Open Communications Architecture Forum (OCAF) Focus Group
(In operation since 2004-05)
The objective of Study Group 13's OCAF Focus Group is to agree on
specifications for a set of components for a new carrier grade open
platforms that will accelerate deployment of NGN infrastructure
and services. The specifications will encourage development of
and availability of low cost standardized Commercial Off-the-Shelf
(COTS) components to be integrated in the platform.
Focus Groups that concluded activities
- Focus Group on Identity Management (FG IdM)
(Established 2006-12; Terminated 2007-09)
A new Focus Group on Identity Management was established by Study Group 17 at
its 6-15 December 2006 meeting. The objective of the Focus Group is to
facilitate the development of a generic Identity Management framework, by
fostering participation of all telecommunications and ICT experts on Identity
Management. The FG IdM is open to ITU Member States, Sector Members and
Associates as well as any individual from a country which is a member of ITU
willing to contribute to the work; this includes individuals who are also
members or representatives of interested Standards Development Organizations.
The FG IdM will report to SG 17.
- Security Baseline for Network
Operators Focus Group
(Established 2005-10; Terminated 2007-09)
The FG "Security Baseline for Network Operators" was established
by SG 17 at its 5-14 October 2005 meeting. Participation is open
to any individual from a country which is a member of ITU.
The objective of the FG is to help advance the work of the ITU-T
SG17 in (a) defining security baseline against which network
operators can assess their network and information security
posture in terms of what security recommendations and standards
are available, which of these standards should be used to meet
particular issues, when they should be used, and how they should
be applied, and (b) identifying security recommendations and
standards to support evaluation of security baseline
implementation. The FG will develop a security baseline that will
provide meaningful criteria against which each network operator
can be assessed if required.
- Telecommunication Management
Collaboration – Multi-Technology Network Management (MTNM) Focus Group
(Established 2005-02; Terminated 2006-06)
The MTNM FG has been created by Study Group 4
in February 2005 in response to the request from the TeleManagement Forum (TMF) to
publish ITU-T Recommendations that reference the MTNM v3.0
interface specifications. Its overall goal was to provide the
necessary foundation by which the MTNM specifications can be
aligned with and/or adapted to the ITU-T Study Group 4
management architecture and frameworks.
- Focus Group on Next Generation Networks (FGNGN)
(Established 2004-05; terminated 2005-12)
The NGN Focus Group was created under Study Group 13
to address the emerging needs for global standards for Next Generation Networks (NGN)
regarding service requirements, functional architecture and mobility, security, QoS,
control and signalling capability, evolution and future packet-based bearer network.
Further information of FGNGN activities can be found in its website. Its work is being
continued under the umbrella of the NGN Global
Standardization Initiative (NGN-GSI).
- Full-Service VDSL (FS-VDSL) Focus Group
(Established 2002-05; terminated 2003-05)
The Full Service – VDSL (FS-VDSL) Focus Group was a Focus Group created
under ITU-T Study Group 16 to produce specifications enabling
"triple-play" over VDSL. This was the first case in which and existing
industry forum — the FS-VDSL Committee — was fully merged into an
"affiliated" ITU-T organization as an ITU-T/A.7 Focus Group. ( see here for more info on A.7)
- Focus Group on Accounting Rate Reform
(Established and terminated in 1998)
In 1998, Study Group 3 agreed the creation of the first-ever ITU-T
Focus Group, tasked to study a possible scheduled reduction of
accounting rate. The Focus Group’s task was to propose transitional
arrangements towards cost orientation beyond 1998. The work of Focus
Group has been completed but its web page has been regularly updated
and provide the most recent "target rates".
- Telecom Management Collaboration - for Enhanced Telecom Operations Map
(eTOM) Focus Group
(Established 2003-11; terminated 2005-02)
This is one of the two three Focus Groups created between
ITU-T Study Group 4 and the TeleManagement Forum (TMF)
and hads as objectives to develop draft ITU-T Recommendations
and to document of the linkages between eTOM business processes
and ITU-T M.3400 functional groups for Enhanced Telecom Operations Map.
- Telecom Management Collaboration - for Human Machine Interface
(HMI) Focus Group
(Established 2004-05; terminated 2005-02)
This is one of the two three Focus Groups created between ITU-T Study Group 4
and the TMF and has had as objectives the development of draft ITU-T
Recommendations and instantiating a HMI Road Map (or reference guide)
for developers of telecom management products and service providers.
- User Requirements Notation (URN) Focus Group
(In operation since 2000-11; terminated 2005-04)
The URN Focus Group was created by Study Group 10 and renewed by Study Group 17 to progress the work on the Z.150-series of Recommendations between SG meetings. It collected requirements, suggestions, and contributions, and produced reports to SG 17. In effect, the URN Focus Group led most of the technical development behind URN, in accordance with the SG 17 work programme.
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