Development of new network equipment that supports more and more revenue generating services for network operators is a continuous challenge for telecommunications equipment manufacturers. Use of highly integrated Application Specific Standard Product (ASSP) silicon at the heart of this equipment allows the manufacturers to take advantage of state-of-the-art performance and economies of scale. To ensure efficient integration of these ASSPs into the end products, a new solution based approach to delivery is required that allows central investment in silicon, software and verification.

Value-add services are key to being successful and should be the focus of the platform software development. However, before implementation of these services can begin, a software interface to the ASSP must be developed.

ASSP software needs to manage many low level issues such as: thousands of interrupts, hundreds of logical entities and many different services simultaneously. Meeting all these requirements demands extensive design effort and an in-depth understanding of all functionality and detailed control interfaces.

Traditionally, framers were developed as ASICs in-house which gave the software team access to the hardware team's knowledge of design intent. This no longer applies and the contact between the software team and the hardware teams is only through documentation and support.

Design cycles measured in years are no longer acceptable and the market is pushing for ever shorter design cycles. A new approach to the delivery of functionality is required to ensure the successful delivery of new products.