atform. These people must not only understand the new systems and processes coming in, but also the legacy base that might be installed, the network technologies the IIC employs, and the processes they need to do business. IICs often make the mistake of choosing an integrator by name and reputation only, instead of by its specific experience with the challenges and technologies the IIC faces. In some cases, IICs have chosen the wrong integrator, or taken on too much development in-house, and have wasted millions of dollars on unsuccessful integration projects. One method for evaluating an integrator and making sure it has the necessary experience is to look not only at its customer base and the types of packages it has worked with, but also at other demonstrations of its familiarity and expertise working with specific applications and vendors. The integrator should display an ability to innovate with package systems to create competitive advantages for Chapter 9 - The Future of OSS clients. BusinessEdge Solutions' velOSSity initiative is one example of a collaborative program in which integrators, IICs and vendors work together to develop solutions to specific client problems or general industry challenges, such as product catalog integration and optical auto-provisioning. VELOSSITY velOSSity is a specialized research and development facility composed of several laboratories across the country that focuses on enabling eBusiness transactions across an integrated eOSS enterprise. velOSSity was created to promote research and knowledge exchange among the eOSS community by providing a controlled, neutral and collaborative setting for vendors and IICs to explore solutions. velOSSity's primary goal is to compress and refine the eOSS integration and implementation process while constantly testing the limits of possibilities and vendor claims. This is done through developing pre-integrated solutions and through the expertise developed while working to integrate leading eOSS applications. These pre-integrated solutions ca