If the 5G-era network is to be more than a superfast radio upgrade, operators also have to rethink the whole architecture that surrounds it. On its own, the new RAN will not deliver the fully flexible, programmable, resource-efficient and automated network that advanced MNOs have in their sights. One of the casualties, along with a lot of jobs in manual planning and optimization, will be the traditional OSS/BSS. Current OSS/BSS platforms will not be fit for purpose for a fully virtualized and automated world, and the TM Forum has been putting a series of frameworks in place over recent years, to try to ensure that the new approaches are based on open, interoperable foundations. Its latest contribution is the Open…