GSMA and TM Forum Partner to Boost API Economy

GSMA and TM Forum struck a deal to combine efforts around APIs. Industry associations want to promote APIs through a unified conformance certification program, a move designed to remove complexity, lower costs, and accelerate monetization for CSPs.

The pair explained the unified program would be applicable for all APIs within the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, spearheaded by the two associations and the open-source CAMARA project. CAMARA defines, develops, and publishes APIs for developers and is driven by the Linux Foundation in collaboration with the GSMA. Through a single process, CSPs can now certify conformance for TM Forum Operate APIs and CAMARA Service APIs, guaranteeing interoperability with the Open Gateway ecosystem, the associations noted.

The collaboration is expected to deliver industry-wide benefits, including giving CSPs faster, and simpler, integration across partners and marketplaces and streamlining delivery for vendors. The GSMA launched the Open Gateway initiative at MWC Barcelona 2023, with 73 mobile operator groups representing 284 mobile networks now part of the program. Meanwhile, the Operate APIs program, developed by TM Forum, is designed to enable CSPs to monetize network APIs through aggregation platforms and global marketplaces.

The associations explained there had been no single means to verify TM Forum Operate APIs and CAMARA Service APIs conform with Open Gateway standards and different CSP implementations, adding undue complexity across the ecosystem. Telefonica is already a key partner, playing a role in testing the certification process, while Ericsson-led API supergroup Aduna also joined up as a member.

Henry Calvert, head of the network at GSMA, said the work with TM Forum ensures that telecom operators and developers alike can benefit from seamless integration and standardized frameworks, paving the way for a more connected and efficient API-driven ecosystem. TM Forum CEO Nik Willetts added that his association and the GSMA have a shared commitment to building an open, vibrant API economy.