Dear SMDA Scheme Members

We are writing with a mid-month update due to some good news regarding the SMDA scheme.

Test House News

Following our update at the end February that we had reached final agreement with the SMDA Test House we can now confirm that the Test House, NMi, has officially rescinded its termination notice.

This is good news for the SMDA scheme as we now have a stable pathway for testing. With the potential uncertainty removed, we now want to encourage the submission of devices for testing.

As Members will be aware, device submissions are essential for the viability of the SMDA scheme and we hope that this news will provide confidence to those that have previously been uncertain about submitting their devices for testing.

To request a quote for device testing please contact smdalab@nmi.nl.

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information in this update, otherwise we will issue the next full update at end March.

Best Wishes

Catherine Cousins, Interim Head of SMDA Scheme

Dear SMDA Scheme Members

This is our second monthly update, which provides an overview of the latest scheme news and activities. If there is anything additional you would like to see in future updates then please do let us know.

Path to Partial Assurance – Progress Update

Following three weeks of intensive testing and triaging by both the SMDA SO and Test House, we have now managed to overcome device joining issues that were hindering progress and have completed credit interchangeability testing for the majority of device combinations.  This is a big step forward from where we were last month. We are still encountering interchangeability issues, for example incorrect tariff pricing and historic consumption issues, but have developed an initial approach for partial assurance subject to the remaining issues being resolved, which has been presented to the SMDA Management Panel today.

We will continue with internal triage, liaising with manufacturers and liaising with the DCC to resolve these issues and to confirm the first baseline for partial assurance. We are holding an interchangeability session with the DCC and Early Mover Model manufacturers in the second week of March and intend to release a further update in mid-March.

Other Activity 

• Website – Changes to the SMDA Website will shortly be made live. These changes aim to make access to information easier and ensure information available is useful. If you have any feedback regarding the website please contact smdaso@gemserv.com
• Membership – Two new scheme membership applications have recently been successfully completed, meaning there are now 43 SMDA Scheme Members

Test House News

• Following successful completion and validation of all HCALCS test scripts, subject to final SO verification, the Test House will have now completed all test development for the full scope of SMDA under both CSP networks, which is good news.

• We have reached final agreement with the SMDA Test House to ensure they can remain in the scheme, despite commercial pressures due to lower device numbers than expected being submitted for testing. We are in the process of finalising documentation and once this is complete will issue an update.

Recent and Forthcoming Meetings

• SMDA Management Panel meetings were held on 11^th and 28^th February
• The SMDA SO presented at the EUA Members meeting on 19^th February to provide a scheme update
• The SMDA Co Board will be meeting on 4th March

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information in this update, otherwise we will issue the next update at end March.

Best Wishes

Catherine Cousins, Interim Head of SMDA Scheme

Dear SMDA Scheme Members

As part of our commitment to communication, we will now be providing monthly email updates to all SMDA Scheme Members rather than the previous quarterly newsletter. This is our first monthly update, so if there is anything additional you would like to see in future updates then please do let us know.

Path to Partial Assurance – Progress Update

We had hoped by this point that following the recent round of firmware upgrades we would have made significant progress with interchangeability tests to allow a baseline for partial assurance to be developed or, failing that, remaining issues could be put to an interchangeability session to be worked through with manufacturers (and subsequently a baseline for partial assurance set). However, certain dependencies essential for this time plan to be achieved have not been met. Unfortunately there are still issues with devices which have prevented interchangeability testing for a significant proportion of device combinations, and the process for pinpointing issues and resolution has delayed the testing process and impacted delivery plans despite best endeavors.

We have developed a new plan with the SMDA Test House to address the issues being encountered, and subject to device and interchangeability issues being resolved, our current plan is to be able to present a baseline for partial assurance for wider review in early March.

Other Activity

• Consultations – SMDA responded to the DCC’s Communications Hub Firmware Management Consultation at the end of 2018 – our response can be found on our website here. Our response proposed that the DCC makes use of the SMDA Scheme to independently verify Communications Hubs operations to ensure they do not introduce interoperability or interchangeability issues. This potentially could reduce the overall cost to industry of testing. 

• Website – We are in the process of reviewing the SMDA Website to make access to information easier and the information available more useful. If you have any feedback regarding the website please contact smdaso@gemserv.com

Test House News

We have been working with the SMDA Test House to finalise the agreement to ensure they can remain in the scheme, despite commercial pressures due to lower device numbers than expected being submitted for testing. We hope to be able to provide a further update on this shortly.

Recent and Forthcoming Meetings

• The SMDA SO presented at the CMAP meeting on 22^nd January, providing an overview of the scheme’s current status and future
• The SMDA Management Panel will be meeting on 11^th February
• The SMDA SO will be presenting at the EUA Members meeting on 19^th February to provide a scheme update

Please contact smdaso@gemserv.com if you have any questions on the information in this update, otherwise we will issue the next update at end February.

Best Wishes

Catherine Cousins, Interim Head of SMDA Scheme

The SMDA Scheme has responded to the DCC’s consultation on Communications Hub Firmware Management processes.

The full response can be accessed here:

However the key points in our response were:

1. We consider that use of real Devices in DCC testing is appropriate; however, the DCC Licensee should take great care not to compromise commercially-available testing schemes;

2. We consider that the DCC could make use of the SMDA Scheme to independently verify that Communications Hubs operate correctly and do not introduce interoperability or interchangeability issues and that this could reduce the overall cost to industry of testing.

The original consultation can be accessed here