"Open standards will allow Service Providers to improve flexibility to create and deliver new services, reduce costs, understand their customer base better and differentiate levels of service. Open standards have been a long-term priority for IBM and IBM continues their commitment by becoming a promoter of the Service Availability Forum. The efforts of the Service Availability Forum will bring to a technical domain today fragmented among incompatible proprietary implementations the same advantages demonstrated by standards in other areas, those of lowered costs, faster innovation, interoperability and improved function."
— Richard Stomp, vice president of solutions, Global Telecom Industry, IBM