 difficult to find experienced, skilled integration teams. There are also issues concerning how well the vendor works with other vendors. Have they worked with the IIC's other vendors before? Do they have a track record of being difficult to work with? Are their APIs easy to use? All of these factors can contribute to an integration project's success or failure. Earlier we discussed the importance of an application's configurability and flexibility. Some applications just cannot flex to support new business requirements. Others can, but it takes too much time and effort to make it happen. An inflexible application is exposed to future unknowns. It might work for today and be simple to implement, but it will quickly prove a dinosaur if it cannot be adapted constantly to changing requirements. It is relatively easy for an IIC, rushing to market, to select a package that will work today, but will not be The Ultimate Guide to Building and Delivering OSS/BSS adaptable or scalable to support intended direction of the IIC. Once again, it is critical to be sure the vendor's future plans align with the IIC's. EVALUATING THE APPLICATIONS Looking at each application and functional area, it is possible to quantify the key capabilities and configurable components an IIC should expect from a vendor product. The following table will look at each major application area and provide a functionality checklist. These checklists can serve as guides for evaluating an application's capabilities and for asking vendors the right questions about their products. Table 3. Billing APPLICATION KEY REQUIREMENTS DETAILS Billing Handle complex customer Detail and consolidation at hierarchies various levels Support international and multi- national accounts Handle complex pricing and e.g. per minute; Mb per various units of time and usage hour; users per application measurements per month; per packet; etc. Support complex contract e.g. ramps, tiers, thresholds, structures overage penalties such as bursting premiums, etc. Bill services in advance 