Concepts for a network maturity model

Introduces the concept of a process model for network engineering and operation, which addresses the quality, process and maturity of the network engineering process. Currently, the state of the art in network engineering may be classified as less than formal. The need for a well planned and exercised network engineering process model is essential for the proper growth of network engineering practices. The current state of the network engineering process is akin to the software process of more than a decade ago. The network process model proposed in this paper demonstrates steps that are modeled as a well-defined process, much like the process notion of software engineering, however utilizing its own set of processes areas and key practices. In this work, the "quality" of the network engineering process is introduced through the use of a network maturity model (NNM), from which an organization's maturity (i.e. level of advancement) in the design, development and deployment of networks can be evaluated and quantified. The objective is similar to the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), which is used world-wide by governments and industries to evaluate the level of maturity and quality in the software engineering capabilities of different organizations.