AIAG Signs Letter of Intent for Bellcore to Become The Automotive Network eXchange(SM) (ANX(SM)) Overseer
26 August 1997
AIAG Signs Letter of Intent for Bellcore to Become The Automotive Network eXchange(SM) (ANX(SM)) Overseer
DETROIT, Aug. 26 -- The Automotive Industry Action Group
(AIAG) today announced that it has signed a letter of intent to name Bellcore
as the Automotive Network eXchange (ANX) Overseer. A final contract between
AIAG and Bellcore -- covering ANX pilot and production roll-out -- is expected
to be completed by mid-September. The announcement was made at the AUTO-TECH
'97 Conference and Exposition here at Cobo Center.
Upon completion of contract negotiations, Bellcore will serve as the ANX
Overseer for AIAG's ANX pilot -- announced yesterday -- and for the production
roll-out of the ANX scheduled for early 1998. As the ANX Overseer, Bellcore
will operate a certification program for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and
Exchange Point Operators to meet the Service Quality requirements of the
automotive industry trading partner subscribers in the areas of (1) network
services; (2) interoperability; (3) performance; (4) reliability; (5) business
continuity and disaster recovery; (6) security; (7) customer care; and (8)
trouble handling. Bellcore will act as an escalation point for inter-service
provider administration and management.
Bellcore worked in conjunction with the AIAG's Telecommunications Project
Team to develop the specific requirements for service provider certification
and service quality metrics, published this past June and available through
the AIAG.
"Bellcore has played a key role in helping the AIAG move ANX from vision
to reality," said Richard T. Simmons, AIAG associate director on loan from
Ford Motor Company. "The company's past track record and proven experience
will be crucial to the ANX initiative as we move forward with the pilot and
production roll-out."
"We are pleased to be working with such a major automotive player as the
AIAG," said Bryan Whittle, Bellcore director of Advanced Internetworking.
"This is a leading example of how making networks work properly is critical to
business success. The automotive industry trading partners will be better
positioned to reduce costs and cycle time for their business communications.
ANX has been designed to meet the trading partner operational requirements.
The ANX Overseer certification program will help ensure that multiple
certified service providers collectively deliver the required consistent and
predictable high Service Quality."
Bellcore's in-depth consulting and technical expertise helped to define
the nation's post-divestiture telecommunications infrastructure for local
telecommunications carriers, contributing to Bellcore's extensive experience
with large, robust networks. The company also pioneered associated network
technologies such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode and has been a leader in
industry forums on TCP/IP and networking technologies.
ANX is a TCP/IP network comprised of automotive trading partner
subscribers, certified (Internet) service providers and network exchange
points allowing for efficient and secure electronic communications among
subscribers.
Bellcore, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., is a leading provider of
telecommunications software, engineering and consulting services based on
world-class research. Bellcore creates business solutions that make
information technology work for telecommunication carriers, businesses and
governments worldwide. Bellcore has sales offices throughout the U.S., as
well as international offices in Europe, Central and South America, and Asia
Pacific. On November 21, 1996, Science Applications International Corporation
(SAIC) announced that is has agreed to purchase Bellcore once requisite
regulatory approvals have been obtained. More information about Bellcore
products, solutions and services can be found on Bellcore's web site at
http://www.bellcore.com, or by calling 1-800-521-CORE.
Founded in 1982, AIAG is a not-for-profit trade association of more than
1,300 North American auto and truck manufacturers and their suppliers.
Originally recognized for its efforts to standardize electronic data
interchange and bar code standards to assist Tier One suppliers, AIAG's
mission has expanded to cover all levels of the automotive OEM supply chain,
as well as to include numerous programs and initiatives aimed at improving its
members' productivity and quality. More information about AIAG and the annual
AUTO-TECH Conference and Exposition can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.aiag.org.
SOURCE Automotive Industry Action Group