Operations Systems (OS) Network Elements (NE) and other systems will occasionally be subject to software changes. These changes may include program code, such as a new version of some call processing related programme or revised routeing tables. The need within a network is to be able to manage software that can be changed or modified by some remote OS. In this context management can include: control over the downloading process for transfer of a software product from an OS to another system such as an OS or NE; control of installing downloaded software into the suite existing at the system; and the ability to check the version of software installed in a system. This Recommendation | International Standard provides a standard X.700 message based means to mange this software process to meet these needs. The method of software transfer between an OS and another system is not specified or constrained in any way by this Recommendation | International Standard but practically could include file transfer, electronic mail or postal services with floppy disks. The role of this Recommendation | International Standard in this transfer is to mange the start of delivery to another system by maintaining information about the start of a software delivery and relating this to actual receipt, resulting from a notification by the receiving system of successful delivery.