ISSN 1745-1736

April / May 2014 Will CSPs maximise Volume 16 Issue 2 their potential in the cloud?

How to win by playing to your strengths

BIG DATA ANALYTICS CEM POLICY BILL & CHARGE 5G Can CSP data transform Does quality awareness Does it deliver business Why CSPs alone can Why it’s here and what performance? set CSPs apart? model flexibility? keep control of billing. it means for CSPs. VanillaPlus Insight VanillaPlus Insight VanillaPlus Insight VanillaPlus Insight VanillaPlus Insight out June 2014 out July 2014 out October 2014 out December 2014 out February 2015

PLUS: Astellia buys Ingenia Telecom • Cerillion survey heralds cloud billing • Openet and OpenCloud launch joint service definition system • Amdocs announces policy control for LTE • Hadoop can cut licencing costs by 70%, says cVidya • TeliaSonera chooses Ericsson for customer experience assurance • CSG International launches convergent billing into space with Inmarsat • Inside Vodacom’s Digital Route deployment • Read the latest news at www.vanillaplus.com technological enabler OF DEUTSCHE BÖRSE CLOUD EXCHANGE CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE

TALKING HEADS Thomas Vasen explains Will CSPs maximise why software in the cloud, 4 EDITOR’S COMMENT their potential in the for the cloud and enabling George Malim wonders when moving too slowly means you’ve reached the cloud? the cloud opens up end of the line opportunities for CSPs 5 INDUSTRY NEWS Astellia acquires Ingenia Telecom, Bytesphere element polling assets 22 bought by Exfo 6 MARKET NEWS Cerillion survey heralds cloud billing, Syniverse teams up with Mastercard 36 to beat card fraud, Openet and OpenCloud launch joint solution CLOUD ENABLEMENT 7 PRODUCT NEWS cVidya says Hadoop can cut costs, Amdocs brings out policy for VoLTE, Allot Commuunications launches Service Gateway Tera

9 CONTRACT NEWS TeliaSonera selects Ericsson customer experience assurance, Camtel expands convergent billing with FTS, CSG International to support Inmarsat

10 THE HOT LIST The latest vendor deals listed

43 11 PEOPLE NEWS VIRTUALISATION Ex-BT executive joins Synchronoss, Paul van Elk joins Orga Systems to lead AMER region, MDS attracts former Intec chief to join board

12 EXPERT OPINION Tony Jackson says policy control and charging can bring CSPs agility in a virtualised world

14 INTERVIEW Inside Vodacom’s mediation system replacement project

16 EXPERT OPINION Cyril Dolan explains why CSPs still want to work with specialised software providers and how partnership programmes can enable that for them

CLOCKING OFF! 19 VANILLAPLUS CLOUD INSIGHT Our latest VanillaPlus Insight starts here with 26 pages exploring what cloud means to CSPs and how they can use it in two ways – internally and externally. The internal opportunity is to save money through greater 52 efficiency and the external opportunity is to make money by providing more services to customers and enabling the businesses of partners.

The Insight contains a specially-commissioned report written by Bob Brace, senior analyst at Telco 2.0/STL Partners. As a former head of cloud services for Vodafone Business Services, he has participated in and observed how CSPs can create success in cloud.

47 DIARY Where to go and who to see

52 CLOCKING OFF! Nick Booth says reports of death of mainframe computing were over-stated

VanillaPlus 3 COMMENT

Is it time to call time on traditional telecoms?

CSPs have been vilified for their slow pace of change. They’ve been clumsy in their attempts to respond to new services, new competition and new customer demands. However, that doesn’t mean the game is up for them – yet. Telecoms is still a trillion dollar industry and EDITORIAL ADVISORS people aren’t stopping communicating Dan Baker, owever, there has been an supported or sponsored capacity from Research Director, attitude among CSPs which media and other players. SMS and Technology suggests that the crisis point international calling are already moving to Research can always be put back by a third party players at a frightening rate Institute couple of years. Their cash and, while voice minutes, particularly on H position supports that and mobile, still generate substantial cash, it recent years have seen CSPs pummelled is possible to foresee a time quite soon by the general economic crisis. Viable when they do not. Andreas Freund, VP businesses such as OTE in Greece and Marketing, Orga eircom in Ireland reached that crisis point The time to call time on traditional Systems GmbH George Malim, when lenders refused to continue to telecoms is therefore approaching fast editor, VanillaPlus support them during the recession but but do all CSPs recognise that they subsequently have bounced back to the won’t be able to request another stay of extent that eircom is considering an IPO execution indefinitely? It’s a question of Louis Hall, and OTE is in rude financial health. cash and when that starts to decrease, chief executive, Cerillion CSPs’ ability to innovate and transform Technologies It was their ability to generate large diminishes. Depending on the market amounts of cash that saved them in a they operate in, their stage on the path to

period of only a couple of years. Cash transformation and the services they David Heaps, buys a certain amount of flexibility that offer, CSPs are approaching the point of senior vice companies like Kodak couldn’t rely on no return, where their ability to innovate president, strategy, CSG and consequently failed. When people will be hampered by their access to International stopped buying film cameras – Kodak’s resources to do so. income dried up and it couldn’t fund itself to innovate and catch up in the digital Once they cross that line, there is no way Gabriel camera market. Arguably CSPs played a back. The only good news is that there Matsliach, general role in bundling cameras in the phones are still a few more years of significant manager, BSS they sold. cash revenue to be had. For some that Product Line, might provide just enough firepower to Comverse However, CSPs will ultimately face a transform and succeed. similar challenge as their service Pat McCarthy, revenues change from being composed Enjoy the magazine! VP of Global Marketing, of cash generated from metered services Service Delivery to being flat rate subscriptions and George Malim Solutions, Ericsson

Simon Muderack, EDITOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DISTRIBUTION DESIGN senior vice George Malim MANAGER UK Postings Ltd Jason Appleby president for Tel: +44 (0) 1225 319 566 Mark Bridges Tel: +44 (0) 8456 444137 Ark Design Consultancy Ltd marketing and [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1732 807412 Tel: +44 (0) 1787 881623 alliances, [email protected] CIRCULATION Sigma Systems DIGITAL EDITOR Circdata Nathalie Bisnar OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Tel: +44 (0) 1635 869868 Tel: +44 (0) 1732 808690 Charlie Bisnar [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1732 807411 PUBLISHED BY [email protected] Prestige Media Ltd. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Suite 138, Chris Yeadon, DIRECTOR PUBLISHER 70 Churchill Square Cherisse Jameson Jeremy Cowan Kings Hill, West Malling director of Product Tel: +44 (0) 1732 807410 Tel: +44 (0) 1420 588638 Kent ME19 4YU, UK Marketing, [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1732 807412 Ericsson

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4 VanillaPlus INDUSTRY NEWS

Astellia acquires Ingenia Telecom for probeless optimisation

Astellia has announced The acquisition was financed with a bank Domingo Muñoz, the chief executive of the acquisition of Ingenia loan and cash. It also includes an earn-out Ingenia, said: “We believe this is an Telecom, a provider of subordinated to revenue targets payable opportunity to work with a partner that has Christian network analysis and radio annually at the end 2014 to 2016. In 2013, the right experience to develop the market Queffelec: optimisation for mobile revenues of Ingenia Telecom represented presence of our advanced offer and keep Company cultures operators. With the less than 10% of Astellia’s revenues and the strong value of our company. Astellia is are very similar purchase, Astellia operations were close to breakeven. an excellent choice for our team” reinforces its end-to-end offering with a probeless solution adding With a team of 70 people, mainly in R&D, Christian Queffelec, the chief executive of new capabilities of RAN and SON analysis. Ingenia Telecom and Astellia also share Astellia, added: “We quickly identified a common values, said the companies. The strategic interest for Astellia but the turning Founded in 2007 and based in Valencia, integration maintains the legal entity in point was the fact that our company Spain, Ingenia Telecom has developed Spain and brings together teams within cultures are very similar. This will allow us technologies to optimise 2G, 3G and 4G the service, products and sales business to move quickly towards the essential, networks and has a customer base in the units of Astellia. Technological and namely the availability of an enriched and Spanish and Latin American market. commercial synergies will quickly be highly anticipated end-to-end solution to Astellia said the deal completes its portfolio implemented and initial customer contacts offer a high performance and high quality with Ingenia Telecom’s probeless RAN and offering the complementary solutions are mobile internet.” SON optimisation solution. already underway.

EXFO buys ByteSphere assets for device and element polling

EXFO has acquired the assets of intellectual property rights of ByteSphere as with our total solutions ByteSphere, a privately held software a complement to its BrixWorx line of offering in service company in the Boston area that service assurance solutions, creating a assurance and network specialises in global IT management and combination of network and service performance network monitoring solutions. performance monitoring for mobile and management, especially in fixed telecommunications. The combination critical areas like small This transaction extends EXFO's of these capabilities provides real-time cells, wireless backhaul capabilities in network performance correlation between network element and metro ethernet," said Germain management for infrastructure monitoring performance metrics and probe-based Germain Lamonde, Lamonde: through highly scalable device and network service performance metrics, positioning EXFO's chairman, ByteSphere’s element polling. ByteSphere's solutions EXFO to drive the value of this raw data president and chief technology adds feature patented techniques for into correlated and actionable events for executive. "ByteSphere's expanded network infrastructure performance management, customers through advanced analytics and leading-edge technology visibility to EXFO's service assurance including network element polling and fault visualisation. adds expanded network systems management. ByteSphere's products and visibility to EXFO's active tools are used by some of the world's Terms of the transaction were not IP/ethernet service largest tier one CSPs and Fortune Global disclosed. assurance solutions, which will allow 500 companies. customers to dramatically streamline "EXFO is thrilled with the acquisition of network operations and improve overall EXFO has acquired all the assets and ByteSphere's assets as it is very synergistic network quality."

Sponsored by: www.csgi.com VanillaPlus 5 MARKET NEWS

Cerillion survey heralds cloud billing as catalyst of subscription revolution

A new survey by Cerillion usage. One-off pricing models are currently sophisticated enough to handle this Technologies, polling the used by 84% of organisations but the transition and manual processes cannot views of more than 200 research shows that this proportion is set scale. That’s why these new business senior IT professionals to fall to 51% in the future. In contrast, new models are perfectly complemented by the across a broad range of pricing initiatives built around an on-going rise of enterprise cloud billing solutions.” industry verticals, has service relationship are growing steadily, revealed that more than including subscriptions, pay-per-use and In line with this, the survey results paint a half of all businesses freemium pricing models. picture of a cloud billing market about to Louis Hall: today (53%) are still using undergo rapid growth. It is currently Fundamental either an in-house- “Today, we are experiencing a shift in the relatively small in the UK, with just 4% of change in pricing developed system or way consumers purchase goods and survey respondents using a cloud billing models manual processes to bill services as part of the subscription system or software-as-a-service (SaaS) their customers. revolution. This is a fundamental change in approach today. However, a further 11% the kinds of pricing models businesses are say they are using a managed service – At the same time, the results highlight a using in order to monetise service offerings and with cloud penetration generally on the clear shift in the way products and services and drive recurring revenue,” said Louis rise – Cerillion foresees dynamic growth in are sold: away from traditional one-off Hall, the chief executive of Cerillion the cloud billing market as businesses product sales towards a more flexible Technologies. “Unfortunately, in-house strive to meet the demands of the new pricing model based on subscriptions and systems are typically not agile or subscription-based economy.

MasterCard and Syniverse use geolocation to combat card fraud

MasterCard and Syniverse have joined knowledge or having their own transactions ecosystem allows us to forces to deliver a number of mobile and unnecessarily declined when trying to serve as the mobile payment services to enhance the peace of make purchases in another country. bridge. We continue to mind of mobile users when they travel Financial institutions will also have an grow our long tradition of abroad. The two companies are currently in additional tool that will help them make commitment to mobile pilot-phase for an opt-in service that will more effective decisions when approving or operators, and this Jeff Gordon: Next enable card transactions for users only declining a transaction on behalf of their collaboration with the phase of mobile is when they have their mobile device customers. world’s leading brands will the expansion of the diverse players switched on in a specific geolocation build new opportunities, within the abroad. Jeff Gordon, the president and CEO, resulting in more powerful ecosystem Syniverse, said: “The next growth phase of mobile experiences for This service aims to reduce consumers’ mobile is through the expansion of the end users, new revenue opportunities for frustrations associated with having their diverse players within the ecosystem, and mobile operators and strengthened brand payment cards used without their Syniverse’s unique position in the loyalty for all.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Openet and OpenCloud real time charging, rating and policy control. "As operators offer a more diverse and personalised mix of voice, messaging and launch joint solution Legacy IN replacement is being driven by data services, they require high performance Openet and OpenCloud have announced the need to replace end-of-life products; the real-time charging and rating systems that the successful integration of Openet Evolved high cost of maintaining aging products; and provide convergent functionality across all Charging with OpenCloud's Rhino Sentinel operator frustration at the inflexibility of services," said Cyril Dolan, global vice service layer. The integrated solution enables traditional telecoms equipment. president of alliances at Openet. "We're CSPs to migrate from outdated legacy excited to work with OpenCloud on a joint IN intelligent networks service control points Driving out costs and enabling more efficient replacement solution that leads the industry (SCPs) to a modern best-of-breed change are essential survival strategies in the in functionality and performance." combination for flexible service definition, increasingly competitive telecoms.

Sponsored by: www.csgi.com 6 VanillaPlus PRODUCT NEWS

Amdocs announces policy control for VoLTE

Amdocs has announced the availability of PCRF systems, which can continue to to meet and exceed those Amdocs VoLTE Controller, a standards- support basic policy needs such as fair usage expectations with VoLTE,” based, virtualised policy control and control. With VoLTE features already proven said Rebecca charging rule function (PCRF) solution in tier one networks, and further enhanced Prudhomme, vice Rebecca specifically designed to support the stringent to include additional services, the Amdocs president of product and Prudhomme: A feature requirements that enable a high VoLTE Controller supports key IP voice solutions marketing at specialised PCRF definition (HD) quality and differentiated requirements that go beyond guaranteed Amdocs. “This solution solution is vital to differentiate next- VoLTE experience. Already supporting quality of service (QoS), to encompass extends policy control for generation voice VoLTE services at a tier one North emergency call prioritisation, voice roaming VoLTE with its extensive services over LTE American CSP, Amdocs has also been with QoS assurance, voice call reliability with support for emergency call selected for policy control support of VoLTE session geo-redundancy, and differentiated services, voice roaming by a European tier one service provider. IP voice services for flexible service plan and other critical voice service attributes; bundling and customer-specific services. having a specialised PCRF solution, By using the Amdocs VoLTE Controller as a designed with the rigours of VoLTE in mind, dedicated PCRF solution for VoLTE, service “Landline services have set the bar for is vital for operators seeking to differentiate providers can deploy it alongside legacy voice and service providers are challenged next-generation voice services over LTE.”

cVidya says Hadoop can cut hardware licencing costs by 70%

cVidya is to support the conventional data warehouses, cVidya detect fraud, prevent revenue leakage and Hadoop platform, which estimates that Hadoop could enable identify opportunities to cross-sell and up- enables cost-effective customers to cut their hardware licencing sell products and services. processing of very large costs by approximately 70%. Alon Aginsky: data sets in a distributed “We see the distributed computing The distributed computing environment. cVidya’s support for Hadoop means it will capabilities of Hadoop as a game changer computing capabilities of be feasible for CSPs to process and for fraud management, revenue assurance Hadoop are a By harnessing the analyse both structured and unstructured and marketing analytics,” said Alon game changer increasingly mature data going back several years, rather than Aginsky, the president and chief executive Hadoop technology, just a few months, enabling them to gain a of cVidya. “By making it cost-effective to cVidya is making it viable better understanding of the behaviour of analyse data from many different sources for new and existing customers to expand customers. Hadoop can also enable data on a massive scale, we are essentially their fraud management, revenue analysis at a very granular level in real-time, enabling digital and communications assurance and marketing analytics yielding more insights and sophisticated service providers to do more for less, capabilities. By reducing the need for new algorithms that can be applied to thereby boosting profitability.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Allot Communications unveils charging and security services such as portable test platforms and the newest parental control and anti-DDoS. member of the EXFO platform family. Service Gateway Tera Allot Communications has announced the “Our modular platform architecture is The FTB-2 Pro delivers the most compact launch of Allot Service Gateway Tera, a DPI- specially designed for the Tera Era, allowing solution for high speed and multi-service based platform built to power the service providers to expand connectivity, testing as well as the power to handle the deployment of Digital Lifestyle Services in throughput and capacity on demand in a rigors of the field. The platform boasts a 10" fixed and mobile data networks on the path pay-as-you-grow model,” said Andrei high-resolution widescreen display and to software-defined networking (SDN) and Elefant, the vice president of product abundant connectivity via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cloud-based network services (NFV). Allot management and marketing at Allot gigabit ethernet and multiple USB ports, Service Gateway Tera has received orders Communications. “This reduces the initial making it accessible in any testing from four CSPs worldwide, including a $4m capital investment and offers service environment. By using the latest Microsoft deal announced earlier this year and a providers a smooth migration path toward Windows 8.1 Pro operating system, the $5m deal announced earlier this month. SDN and virtualisation.” FTB-2 Pro offers the unique ability to run many third-party applications. Allot Service Gateway Tera provides a unified EXFO launches next generation framework for both physical and virtual TB-2 Pro is compatible with EXFO Connect, service deployment across any access multimodule platform a cloud-hosted solution which allows network, serving as a single point of EXFO has announced the launch of the FTB- network operators to optimise field test integration for network and cloud based 2 Pro Compact Platform, which it claims is workflow and tackle major operational services. The new offering includes real-time the industry's smallest platform for high barriers with automated asset management traffic management, video optimisation, speed, multi-technology and optical testing. and test data management. policy enforcement, application-based This is the next generation in the FTB line of

Sponsored by: www.csgi.com VanillaPlus 7

CONTRACT NEWS

TeliaSonera selects Ericsson for enhanced customer experience

TeliaSonera has selected an Ericsson of experience from CSPs. Ericsson studies proactively enhancing the Customer Experience Management (CEM) reveal that consumers judge CSPs quality in our customer system based on its Customer Experience according to their standards of service and support." Assurance (CEA) offering. With the new support, loyalty-building initiatives, and solution, TeliaSonera will address billing and payment services. Improved Robert Puskaric, the head Robert Puskaric: subscribers' demands for high levels of network performance is vital for ensuring of Ericsson Region TeliaSonera will be able to take service quality and user experience by subscriber loyalty among smartphone Northern Europe and targeted actions proactively and more efficiently resolving users, and provides CSPs with a significant Central Asia, added: customer experience issues with regards to competitive advantage. "Addressing customers' network quality and customer support. needs and ensuring proactive customer "Delivering the highest quality to our care is one of the key business priorities for In addition, Ericsson's consultants and customers when using our services and operators today. A satisfied user is systems integrators will support the support is the heart of our operation," said generally less likely to switch CSP, adding implementation with services such as Carl-Magnus Hallberg, the head of Mobility considerable competitive advantage and business process refinement and systems Technology Solutions at TeliaSonera. "We eventually leading to higher operator integration. are proud to become one of the first CSPs revenue. TeliaSonera will be able to take to deploy this solution which provides an targeted actions to improve network quality A considerable share of subscriber churn innovative tool for improving the quality of and enhance customer experience." can be attributed to perceived poor levels our services and networks as well as

CSG International to support Inmarsat Global Xpress FTS and Camtel expand convergent Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite network. Our commercial success requires communications services, and CSG robust revenue management and billing billing relationship International, have joined forces to support solutions that enable us to take the Inmarsat’s new Global Xpress service. complexity out of global high-speed connectivity and allow us to support the Global Xpress is the first globally available growing needs of our partners and customers.” FTS has extended its relationship with Ka-band, high-speed, broadband satellite national CSP Cameroon network for mobile and fixed consumers. It CSG will help deliver those robust solutions Telecommunications (Camtel). Camtel has is designed to enable seamless global with CSG Singleview, CSG’s next- signed a significant licensing expansion coverage from a single CSP and to support generation convergent billing platform, and contract and renewed its agreement with consistently higher performance – up to the CSG Intermediate offline and online FTS for convergent charging and billing 50Mbps – delivered with the network network mediation platform. support. FTS is also due to implement a reliability for which Inmarsat is known. major hardware upgrade project on behalf “Our holistic billing and mediation solution of the provider, which offers a wide range of “Global Xpress is a game-changer," said will allow Inmarsat Global Xpress to evolve, voice, data, VSAT and internet services to Leo Mondale, the managing director for adapt and adjust to changing market its residential and business customers in growth management and support at needs while staying far ahead of the Cameroon. Inmarsat. “It offers airborne as well as land- competition,” said George Fraser, vice based and maritime connectivity across a president of Europe, the Middle East, and Camtel first deployed FTS’ Leap Billing in secure, global, high-speed broadband Africa at CSG International. 2007 to support its charging, billing, customer care and interconnect operations across its fixed, mobile and internet Orga Systems implements voucher services. Since then, FTS’ Leap Billing has enabled Camtel to develop revenue upgrade at TIM Brasil opportunities via an enhanced subscriber experience and effective customer support, Orga Systems has upgraded its Virtual The new release of Orga Systems’ Virtual leading to improved customer satisfaction. Voucher System (VVS), a sales and Voucher System which is completely server distribution product for prepaid recharge of based provides greater flexibility for “From day one, Leap Billing’s flexibility gave mobile airtime, at TIM Brasil. The innovative distributors and retailer users. The new Camtel huge opportunities to deliver Brazilian mobile network operator, streamlined sales process contains a dedicated customer service,” said David belonging to the Telecom Italia Group, and reduced number of necessary steps to Nkoto Emane, Camtel's director general. Orga Systems have been partners for more complete any recharge operation leading to “In addition to new services, Leap Billing than 15 years. The project was tremendous cost savings and recharge substantially helped us improve our successfully carried out in order to manage service improvements for customers and subscriber-facing activities, providing prepaid top-ups in a faster and more distribution partners. Every level of the unified bills and state-of-the-art customer sophisticated way providing outstanding distribution network is extended with management. When the time came to ROI, additional business intelligence and additional attributes simplifying the extend our capabilities, FTS once again sales statistics as well as enhanced management of all system data. exceeded our expectations in providing subscriber acceptance and satisfaction. advice and assistance.”

Sponsored by: www.csgi.com VanillaPlus 9 HOT LIST

VanillaPlus Hot List: April/May 2014

The Hot List below shows the companies informing us of recent contract wins or product deployments. If your contract is not listed here email the details to us now marked "Hot List"

Vendor(s) Client Country Product/Service Awarded Axiros Vodacom, South Africa Axiros selected for device management across CSP’s business customer base 2.14 Axiros Liberty Global, Europe Cable provider to deploy Axiros Axess.ACS in its SOHO division to remotely provision and manage customer premise equipment 3.14 Cerillion Technologies Menatelecom, Bahrain Cerillion Interconnect Manager 4G LTE interconnect system deployed at WiMAX and 4G CSP in Bahrain 3.14 Ericsson CenturyLink, USA Ericsson delivers Service Agility based on Service Innovation Framework, catalogue-driven, OSS/BSS suite 3.14 Ericsson TeliaSonera CSP selects CEM and customer experience assurance offerings to address users’ service quality demands and reduce churn 2.14 FTS Camtel, Cameroon Extension of converged billing relationship with national CSP to cover renewal and expansion of licence 3.14 Matrixx Software Swisscom, Switzerland Matrixx Charging put into production as strategic convergent charging platform 2.14 Mycom Wind Hellas, Greece Greek CSP becomes reference customer for Mycom OSS transformation system NIMS-PrOptima 3.14 Netcracker Cricket CSP to collaborate with NEC and Netcracker on customised trial of SDN and network virtualisation 2.14 Technology Communications, USA Netcracker RCN, USA Long-term contract extension for Netcracker BSS systems including next generation converged rating and billing 3.14 Technology Nokia Solutions Tele2, Sweden NSN ServeatOnce Traffica deployed to obtain network insight and deliver superior subscriber experience 3.14 and Networks Openet Orange, Slovakia Deployment of Openet Policy and Charging Control to enable roll-out of advanced, shared data bundles 2.14 Redknee Vipnet, Croatia Mobile operator upgrades to latest version of Redknee real-time charging system 2.14 Redknee Telekom Austria Multi-year global framework deal worth more than US$6m across group properties in Europe 2.14 Group, Austria Sigma Systems Mobistar, Belgium Selection of Enterprise Product Management and Configure Price Quote products to support mobile operator’s eShop 2.14 sales channel Syniverse MasterCard, global Formation of partnership to deliver mobile and payment services to users when they travel abroad 2.14 Syniverse Andorra Telecom, Deployment of Syniverse interconnect services to enable operator to redesign interconnect billing business as a service 4.14 Andorra Tech Mahindra Nawras, Oman Upgrade of Infinys postpaid billing system to ensure transparent billing 3.14 TEOCO Rostelecom, Russia TEOCO selected to deliver Netrac network fault and performance management system 2.14

Wind Hellas selects OSS transformation from MYCOM

MYCOM has announced triple play adapt the systems to support the required are able to rapidly and cost-effectively provider Wind Hellas as a reference changes. Each new change is time-consuming, manage the network quality across all our customer for its OSS transformation difficult and expensive to implement. networks and domains within a single solution: the NIMS-PrOptima converged system,” said Nikos Babalis, the chief Fixed/IP/Mobile network performance Wind Hellas, the third largest CSP in network officer of Wind Hellas. “Even today management platform. Greece, embarked on an OSS after many years of being a happy transformation project for its network customer we are still impressed by the Traditionally CSPs have added new OSS performance management systems in capability of MYCOM’s NIMS-PrOptima for systems within each network domain and 2010 across its fixed and mobile networks example through our current radio access for each new technology roll-out as a and chose MYCOM’s NIMS-PrOptima as network modernisation programme where practical solution for launching projects the platform. Wind Hellas considered it is proving very easy to manage the roll- quickly. However, over time the many NIMS-PrOptima as its network out of new network equipment.” hundreds – or even thousands – of performance management system across systems that result cause complexity and its mobile networks covering all RAN Payam Taaghol, EMEA managing inefficiency across organisation siloes with technologies, core network, IP network and director at MYCOM, added: “Wind Hellas non-integrated processes and data, all its value added services platform, but soon has been a satisfied customer of MYCOM resulting in higher operational costs and chose to extend the solution to include the for many years and we are very happy reduced agility and time to market. In fixed network. that they agreed to be cited as a addition, introduction of new services and successful reference of our converged technology or changes to business “With our converged OSS system for network performance management processes are significantly hampered by network performance management solution and part of their successful OSS the inability to rapidly and cost-effectively provided by MYCOM’s NIMS-PrOptima we transformation project.”

Sponsored by: www.csgi.com 10 VanillaPlus PEOPLE NEWS

Chris Halbard joins Synchronoss to lead international business, Rosenberger becomes CFO

Synchronoss Global Services where he oversaw the to create a sustainable and significant Technologies, a provider global operations and finances for the presence on the international stage.” of cloud solutions and division, and was a senior advisor to the software-based activation Telecoms, Media & Technology practice of The company has also promoted Karen for connected devices The Boston Consulting Group. Rosenberger to chief financial officer, across the globe, has executive vice president and treasurer. In appointed Chris Halbard "Our international business is growing this role, Rosenberger will oversee all Chris Halbard: as executive vice rapidly, especially with the recent addition financial and business operations activities Aiming for president and president, of Vodafone, Telefónica and Telstra to our for the company. sustained international. In this role, customer roster,” said Bob Garcia, the international Halbard will lead the president and chief operating officer of Prior to taking this position, Rosenberger expansion direction and execution of Synchronoss. "Chris is a welcome addition served as the senior vice president and the company’s to our executive management team and we chief accounting officer of Synchronoss international business development are looking forward to working with him to since January 2012. Preceding this role, initiatives and operations. Specifically, he identify international market opportunities Rosenberger held various senior level will be responsible for driving global growth and expand our global footprint.” positions within the cmpany’s finance and international sales initiatives. organisation from December of 2000. Halbard added: “I am thrilled to join Before joining Synchronoss, Rosenberger Prior to joining Synchronoss, Halbard was Synchronoss at such a pivotal time in its held management positions with Medical the chief operating officer and chief international expansion. I am looking forward Broadcasting Company and CoreTech financial officer for British Telecom to working with an extremely talented team Consulting Group.

MDS welcomes former Intec CEO to board

MDS has announced that Andrew Taylor named regional CEO at Digicel, a provider and very strong customer relationships, has joined the MDS board as a non- of fixed and wireless telecoms across the and a world class team focused on executive director, to support the company’s Caribbean, with overall responsibility for its designing, implementing and managing growth plans. Northern Caribbean operations and solutions,” said Taylor. “The managed groupwide responsibility for Digicel's service capability resonates strongly with Formerly CEO of Intec Telecom Business Solutions and ICT activities. operators, providing an alternative to in- Systems, a supplier of billing and house customer management and operations support systems that is now Prior to this and from January 2008, enabling them to develop their digital part of CSG International, Taylor brings Andrew was group CEO at Intec, a publicly services portfolio quickly and compete substantial telecoms experience to the listed software and services business with more favourably in the market." board. He is currently group CEO of operations in over 45 countries. He led the Nomad Digital, a provider of wireless transformation of Intec into a major global Mark Edwards, the chief executive of MDS, services for trains and buses. player, delivering significant stakeholder added: “We are delighted that Andrew value through the sale of the business to Taylor is joining us. Andrew’s broad Taylor’s career spans over 23 years, holding CSG Systems for $380m. experience in the industry and his direct executive positions in Alcatel Lucent, connections with wireless providers will British Telecom and O2 Germany (Viag “MDS has excellent product and bring invaluable support to MDS's growth.” Interkom). In November 2011, he was technology credentials, well established

Orga Systems appoints Paul van Elk

Orga Systems has relationships and establishing new ones. the AMER region for so many years it is my appointed Paul van Elk aim to take on the regional business as vice president for the “In the past year we have gone through a ownership,” said van Elk. “With direct AMER region. A very positive transformation including a responsibility for the company’s regional multinational executive, focused product approach. With Paul sales organisation my goal is to enhance van Elk brings almost two joining us, we are taking the next step to Orga Systems’ footprint and support it in decades of knowledge further underline the execution of our creating long-term and trusted customer and experience having customer-centric strategy in the Americas relationships. The telco landscape and Paul van Elk: Will worked with both CSPs region where our strong and important overall digital economy is changing rapidly lead Americas and suppliers. In his new customers lead the field of innovative and Orga Systems is responding to these region function van Elk will players,” said Wolfgang Kroh, the chief developments and challenges in a very support Orga Systems in executive and chairman of Orga Systems. intriguing way.” strengthening its existing customer "With Orga Systems being a major player in

Sponsored by: www.csgi.com VanillaPlus 11 Policy control and charging can bring CSPs agility in a virtualised world Tony Jackson explores whether innovative approaches to policy control and charging, combined with network functions virtualisation, can give digital service providers the agility they need to meet customer expectations

etwork Functions Virtualisation (NFV) and takes us only 15-20 minutes on average to configure, Software Defined Networks (SDN) are test and launch.” expected to drive operator agility and cost savings. But technologists and service For most CSPs this kind of agility and responsiveness is providers alike need to carefully consider fantasy – but some are demonstrating this is achievable. The author, Tony N the implications of virtualisation. One Agility, perhaps 2014’s buzzword of the year, is the Jackson, is senior candidate for a deeper look is policy control and measure of a company’s quickness and its ability to product manager, charging systems (PCC). As communication service respond flexibly to a volatile market. Policy control and Policy Control & providers (CSPs) transform into digital service providers real-time charging is typically central to this agility. Charging at CSG (DSPs), and explore the possibilities engendered by Tightly integrated policy control and charging allows International NFV, what’s next for policy control and charging? CSPs to quickly configure new service packages, First, it’s important to recognise policy control and enhanced with intelligent personalisation, and enables charging has evolved dramatically from a defensive the two-sided business models that are gaining function utilised to control scarce network resources, momentum and are expected to typify the digital to a more dynamic application aimed at monetising service portfolio. emergent data services. The days of crude bandwidth A provider’s policy control ecosystem is defined by the throttling have been overtaken by a more positive different use cases that it must support. Some require approach focused on retaining – and even delighting – simple integration between policy control and charging customers, who can now enjoy on-demand elements while others require interaction with other bandwidth boosts for video, social networking usage service components and functions, such as subscriber included in base subscriber packages, bill shock and traffic analytics, video optimisation and network prevention through roaming notifications and many congestion tools in a more complex environment. more policy-driven applications designed to improve their experience and increase their loyalty to the CSP. Virtualisation for real cost savings We expect this trend to continue as LTE, mobile Recent research by Telecoms.com Intelligence shows broadband and the internet of things become more that nearly 25% of CSPs are trialling virtualised BSS widespread, creating opportunities for innovative operations and roughly 15% have begun to, or plan service providers to develop new revenue streams and to, deploy virtualised BSS this year. Virtualisation and business models, individualised for their customers. cloud-like approaches to deployment offer CSPs With VoLTE finally coming of age, policy control and significant savings across the board. Operational and charging will be extended to help monetise HD voice, capital savings include shared computing resources, as well as promote enterprise plans and control QoS. more efficient energy consumption, reduced carbon Tightly integrated policy control and charging will be emissions, a widely available skilled resource base and essential tools for DSPs in the age of the customer. COTS hardware. When this is added to the likelihood of greater service agility and easier innovation, the Innovation and agility argument appears to be overwhelmingly in favour of When did you last hear your marketing team say: NFV and SDN. “This month, we launched 18 new packages – 14 for smartphones and four for Wi-Fi – across post-paid, But simply being able to deploy in a virtualised pre-paid and hybrid payment types. Next month, infrastructure is only the first step. To truly realise the L we’ve planned more than a dozen more, because it benefits promoted by NFV, CSPs will need to use the

12 VanillaPlus Policy control and charging has a direct impact on the subscriber’s end user experience, but virtualisation can impact the underlying infrastructure’s ability to meet real-time requirements

automation capabilities that are fundamental to any throughput that these databases require and virtualisation and cloud strategy. PCC vendors will traditional databases may not support an elastic need to support this by tightly integrating their scaling model consistent with a cloud-based applications with the orchestration layer of the approach. Finally, the software licensing model of the virtualised environment. Vendors with proprietary or database vendor may prevent a cost-effective heavily customised, closed application stacks will approach when deploying in virtualised environments, struggle to adapt to this new paradigm. with some vendors trying to enforce specific hardware platforms with restrictive licensing practices. Virtualisation: A brave new world Policy control and charging has a direct impact on the A new class of in-memory database is emerging that subscriber’s end user experience, but virtualisation can is better aligned with the capabilities of virtualisation impact the underlying infrastructure’s ability to meet and cloud, but CSPs need to be aware this a complex real-time requirements. If multiple virtualised functions area. Some databases sacrifice transactional safety or share physical hardware with policy control and functionality in favour of distributed scale, an approach charging, for example, it can introduce unacceptable which may not be suitable for true charging systems latency – a critical performance factor which will where the customer balance is sacrosanct. CSPs will directly impact the subscriber’s experience. If the need to make choices about what level of network element has to communicate with software transactional safety they require across their that has moved to the public cloud, this can result in application stack and where they may be able to the replacement of LAN-like performance with slower compromise. In addition, CSPs must also consider the WAN-like performance. In addition, the infrastructure end-to-end effect, as selectively virtualising available in some emerging markets may not provide applications can have consequences across the entire sufficiently reliable or numerous connections to the stack that will need to be factored into any decision public cloud to make such an approach even viable. making process. One size fits all will not apply.

Security can also be a concern. Many PCC systems Policy control and charging: What’s next? have access to subscriber-sensitive data that is Policy control and charging has matured rapidly from a subject to close legislative control. In the EU, for stand-alone network control mechanism to a fully example, privacy laws apply to all member states but integrated revenue-generating tool, helping CSPs to each individual state can pass overriding laws. This will not only manage and optimise network resources but influence corporate policy concerning where data is held to encourage service take-up and usage. At CSG, and accessed, and may in some cases prevent a full when we think about what’s next for policy control and adoption of virtualisation and cloud-based processing. charging, we believe the next evolution will see more agility, innovation and cost-savings as digital service From a performance perspective it is generally providers undertake network virtualisation. preferable that real-time processing is co-located with the data it needs to access. This can be difficult to The case for switching to a virtualised environment will ensure in fully virtualised environments, particularly if depend on many factors, including investment in and the volume of data is significant. Also, traditional status of the current platform, customer expectations RDBMS (relational database management systems) and security concerns. In the longer term, however, may not always lend themselves well to virtualisation – cost and efficiency benefits make it seem unavoidable virtualised storage must be able to deliver the that what can be virtualised will be virtualised. www.csgi.com

VanillaPlus 13 INTERVIEW

Vodacom replaces mediation system with no room for error

Although satisfied with its functionality, South African tier one Vodacom was spurred to replace its mediation system because it had reached processing capacity and the cost of hardware to extend was prohibitive

odacom’s requirements for the replacement align with the group’s preferred mediation strategy, were extensive: operational control and which was a plus. metadata reporting, dashboard functionality for operational system monitoring and It also quickly became apparent that replacement was capabilities for tracking system statistics. a cost-effective option. We calculated that if aligned V Configuration of business rules ideally via a with the group strategy, IT savings as represented in fifth generation GUI and application interfaces that Year 5 Total Cost of Ownership would be around would support functionality extensions that Vodacom R125 million for an estimated upfront spend of around felt it might want in future were also needed. 20% of that sum from the current year budget in which the decision to go ahead was made. These and other implementation features were tightly managed via an exhaustive Universal Requirements Ferouzah Van Der Schyff: We went through an list. It ensured that the functionality in the old system extensive selection process and to be honest, both would be mirrored in the new one. The replacement platforms met our requirements. They weren’t radically system would be responsible for processing around dissimilar. We made sure the exercise was extremely 1.1 billion usage records a day to be used for rating open, which we thought was important to project and billing which on a monthly basis Vodacom success. Everyone who might touch the eventual We looked at re- calculates have a value of R4.6 billion in revenue. system was involved; operations guys, technical guys, Problems in the project were not an option. development guys, business teams. purposing an ETL tool that we had which Vanilla Plus caught up with Vodacom’s Keith Kriel, VP: What fuelled your final choice? Two manager – Mediation Applications Development – products, both functionally adequate and proven contained some and Ferouzah Van Der Schyff, manager – Mediation elsewhere in the group… mediation-like Applications Support – in Cape Town recently to learn more. KK: The chosen vendor’s focus on and knowledge of functionality, but this mediation. This aligned with our own vision of how VanillaPlus: Can you give us some more detail mediation should be viewed and addressed within the was a non-starter for the starting point of the transformation project? broader stack. On top of that, the clear technical a lot of reasons expertise of our choice’s team; the product we chose Keith Kriel: For over a decade, we’d used the same – MediationZone from DigitalRoute – was more or less [mediation] product. Its functionality was good but it sold by technical people where with the other product, was fast reaching its processing capacity. Spending the sales process was marketing-led. This made a around 100 million rand (€6.8m) on hardware to significant difference to our level of comfort. extend wasn’t a viable option. VP: How complex were the transformation We looked at re-purposing an ETL tool that we had project requirements? which contained some mediation-like functionality, but this was a non-starter for a lot of reasons; issues of KK: We drew up an extensive Universal Requirements latency, benchmarking, resourcing management and list to ensure that the functionality in the new system error correction presented significant challenges. We would mirror what we’d had before. The new platform also realised that developing a mediation system really would be responsible for processing around 1.1 billion wasn’t our core skill set. usage records a day to be used for rating and billing which on a monthly basis Vodacom calculates have a VP: So you looked to the vendor market? value of R4.6 billion in revenue so we weren’t going to leave anything to chance. KK: Yes. We quickly identified two alternatives which had both been implemented at operating companies Given the urgency of the capacity issue with legacy, elsewhere within the Vodafone Group. This record we decided on a two step migration process with data elsewhere wasn’t critical to our decision but if the lines of business in phase one and all other lines in L products proved satisfactory then it would allow us to phase two. We chose packet-switched data first

14 VanillaPlus because in spite of its complexity, we were very confident it could migrate quickly and successfully to the new platform. This would give us major gains quickly and buy time for the other streams.

FVDS: We also decided that we would standardise data formats across all upstream and downstream systems to be fed by the new platform, which would require buy-in from a number of other departments within the company. We knew this would be particularly important to the smooth running of the business long- term and remove unnecessary steps from the existing process when new lines of business were introduced in future as well as driving downstream system development. Other departments, once exposed to happening; the status of the project was always clear. the gains of such an approach, proved willing to buy We had the room we needed to succeed, and when in. This was a critical boost. we did need help or input or support, it was there.

Also, with big data in mind, we decided that as part of FVDS: At completion, we were already feeding some the migration we wanted to take greater advantage of 240 million Packet Data Network gateway events and the information held in our usage streams. In legacy, up to 1.1 billion CDRs a day into the new system, mediation had only decoded the fields necessary for sourced from 25 data streams pulled from elements rating and billing. Now, we decided it to decode all across our entire network. The magnitude of the fields to gain a wider view of the trends held in our data. MediationZone Solution transformation project was significant, not only in terms of on-boarding or VP: Can you summarise the outcomes? What’s migration of all data streams from the legacy the perception of the project looking back in the Mediation Applications to MediationZone, but also in rear-view mirror? terms of the decoding and business processing rules that had accumulated over a decade. The KK: Well, it’s really been a major success. Phase one performance benefits resulting from the new solution went live early; Phase 2 was minimally delayed largely architecture were immediately apparent, allowing for due to User Acceptance Testing related to new, LTE ease of tuning with the quick introduction of parallel data streams that had been introduced since the collection, processing and distribution workflows. original requirements had been defined. Additionally, the passionate collaboration between both Vodacom and DigitalRoute resources to resolve Of course, there were challenges. Correlated logic initial performance bottlenecks was invaluable.” from certain switches provided difficult to address but these were typical implementation challenges and they KK: We like to say that if replacing a billing system can were quickly resolved. For me, the big takeaway was be likened to replacing the engine of an F1 car while teamwork. We involved everyone who might be it’s out on the track, replacing the mediation platform impacted by the new system in the transformation is akin to replacing the chassis. We think that we project; our executives supported us and encouraged accomplished this tricky transplant without having the to do our jobs, and we made sure we did everything in car veer off track, without spilling any fuel or oil and a very transparent way. Everyone knew what was without the driver even noticing.

VanillaPlus 15 CSPs want the best of both worlds, solution partner programmes can provide them with it

Effective partnering between specialist vendors offers CSPs the best opportunity to build an agile BSS environment, writes Cyril Dolan

n telecoms everything used to be an intense has the ability to provide service diversity and faster competition. CSPs fought to grab land – or time to market. customers – while technology vendors focused on becoming preferred or lead vendors, hoping Significantly, half of respondents identified that BSS to sell entire portfolios of systems to CSPs and solutions from specialist vendors make it easier to I freezing out their competitors. Neither the CSPs deliver changes or customisations, while only 22.6% nor the vendors have had total success in their said that was true of BSS solutions from network The author, competitive efforts. The industry has moved too far, equipment providers. A similar proportion (50.8%) Cyril Dolan, is group too fast and the game has changed to the extent that found solutions from specialist BSS vendors easy to vice president of most players recognise that disparate players have integrate with other vendors demonstrating there is an business development something to add and some forms of collaboration appetite for systems from specialists. and strategic alliances enable greater value to be generated for many. at Openet However, the concept of stitching together an array of Research firm Telecoms.com Intelligence was recently best of breed systems from a range of specialist commissioned by Openet and found an appetite vendors today holds little appeal for CSPs. In less among CSPs to build increasingly agile systems and financially constrained times that would have been they aren’t necessarily looking for systems from the their preferred approach but now, when the name of big stack houses to achieve this. The survey found that the game is maximised efficiency, minimised time to 85% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that market and accelerated integration, CSPs are less market conditions require increasingly agile BSS that willing to entertain such concepts.

Which option is best? That doesn’t mean specialised vendors should surrender the market to the BSS propositions of the network equipment providers. Instead, they should work together to collaborate, partner and pre-integrate logically selected adjacent systems. Openet believes that by working together specialised BSS providers can sell more systems, build their businesses and product lines for the future, support their customers more effectively and address the key business problems CSPs are encountering.

Openet is a leading provider of OSS/BSS to CSPs and has a strong position in policy management, charging and mediation. That in itself is an attractive set of capabilities to CSPs and the company is looking to build on that by expanding its Partner Programme further.

Market analysts forcast that Openet’s addressable market is set to increase in value to more than $7bn 0102030405060708002005010 3040 6070 80 by 2017 as its three core product lines gain demand. Openet believes its integrated policy, charging and L

Source: Telecoms.com Intelligence BSS Strategies March 2014 Telecoms.com Source: mediation products position it well for gaining market

16 VanillaPlus share but it also sees potential opportunities for global companies. They have chosen Openet because Openet will work with horizontal growth into new markets and industries that its Partner Programme offers the opportunity to: could provide strong opportunities for partners to use each of its partners to Openet’s technology. Increase revenue and profitability through resell margin, upsell, third party revenue and cross-sell complete a bespoke Openet’s Partner Programme therefore has been opportunities constructed on four key principles: Empower, Excite, value proposition Use a modular platform for business agility that Expand and Evolve. Empower involves partners document in which receiving business development training and support enables partners to access a large library of use cases to enable them to sell Openet solutions to their Close deals faster because the rules of engagement key roles and customer base. Excite encompasses elevating a are clearly defined as part of the comprehensive partner’s exposure through effective joint marketing partner programme responsibilities will be campaigns and promotions to communicate to target customers about the joint business value that is being Access pioneering technology in the newest defined created. Expand covers extending and growing the markets such as Openet’s virtualisation and real-time partner business through win-win strategies that make charging solutions use of Openet and its partners’ complementary Openet offers a strong position in the policy, charging solutions. Finally, Evolve brings together the means by and mediation market which underpins so many CSP which relationships are nurtured and enriched through business cases. And, with the business software continuous training and business development. industry expected to grow rapidly, it sees room to expand its business further and more rapidly by Openet will work with each of its partners to complete developing and supporting a network of partners that, a bespoke value proposition document in which key in turn, will serve CSP customer more effectively. roles and responsibilities will be defined. That encompasses many factors including: territory For the partner a wider market can be accessed while definition, target customers, revenue projections, for the CSP a range of specialised systems can be marketing support and access to the Openet delivered in a fully integrated manner via a single leadership team. provider. Openet’s experience, expertise and support through its Partner Programme can be the basis of a Openet has fostered partnerships with a wide array of win-win situation. www.openet.com/partners

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TTeelcos need to get their servicv es such as cloud-based platform enables companies Come and meet us at Cloud World M2M and Voip to market faster than ever to provideovido their offerings quickly and easily. Forum, Booth: D642, 17–18 June, before to meet market demands. However, Aria’s platform is adaptable to even the Olympia National Hall, London, UK, or most legacy systems just aren’t built for most complex billing requirements. contact at [email protected]. agility and speed. See Aria’s flexible billing platform at the There’s a reason Fortune 500 companies Cloud World Forum or schedule an online are selecting Aria Systems for their billing demo with our sales team. You’ll quickly solution. Unlike other billing options, Aria’s see why customers prefer Aria. wwww.ariasystariasystems.com

Copyright © 2014, Aria Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Aria Systems and the Aria logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Aria Systems, Inc. All other trademarks shown are property of their respective owners. TALKING HEADS

Software in the cloud, for the cloud and enabling the cloud opens up opportunities for CSPs

homas Vasen is vice president of product management and marketing at DigitalRoute. Here he explains how CSPs can migrate their systems to reap the internal efficiency advantages of virtualisation. At the same time, however, he sees software in the cloud T provided locally and with guaranteed availability as the area of greatest attraction for CSPs seeking to offer cloud propositions to their customers Using cloud externally VanillaPlus: Ideas of telco cloud have the thing in the network. These measurement points are potential to revolutionise CSP operations in two then metered and mediated to come up with accurate is a much more directions – internally and externally. Which is charging. most important and which are CSPs most likely interesting subject to succeed in, or do both go hand-in-hand? VP: How do you see operators maximising because CSPs have a opportunities to become providers of services in Thomas Vasen: The internal cloud infrastructure the cloud to their customers? How can they huge opportunity at question for the CSP is really just a matter of finding a avoid this becoming just another missed way to become more efficient and agile, in the opportunity? their feet process separating software and hardware assets. It’s valuable, but it’s not revolutionary! Any large data TV: The majority of service providers already have centre should be able to address this area. As a result, hosted offerings built around their capacity services so internal cloud for CSPs is driven by savings and it is very natural for them to extend these into the possibly also enabling new technologies to be cloud. Some CSPs are already successfully doing this deployed quicker than before. but you only typically see traditional PTTs pursuing the opportunity. As an example in Holland you would see Using cloud externally is a much more interesting KPN do this for sure, but you wouldn’t generally subject because CSPs have a huge opportunity at expect to see tier two and tier three operators offer their feet. That is, offering access to a secure, end-to- these sorts of services although there are exceptions. end cloud service locally. This involves packaging cloud access with quality of service and security plus For CSPs to maximise the opportunity, they need to a guaranteed working connection. With a local brand focus on their strengths. This means packaging you can guarantee that customer data stays local and bandwidth together with a service and then you can guarantee both customers and authorities guaranteeing the availability of both. If I was a CSP, I’d that data will not cross a border. These facts allay work together with a company like Cisco and build a important market concerns about the cloud, service offering based around on that. That would let particularly in countries where data protection and me focus on my strengths I’d use my brand to focus sensitivity are a big issue. This means enterprises on securing the local enterprise customers. don’t have to send everything to an Amazon cloud that gives no such guarantee. That’s a big USP for VP: With virtualisation becoming more the CSP. recognised as a means to generate operational and cost efficiencies, are CSPs really practicing CSPs can start to offer this sort of service easily. For what they are preaching and showing greater example, a customer of ours is offering cloud as-a- willingness to run their operations – or parts of service propositions and uses our MediationZone them – in the cloud? platform to do metering to measure the resources L used in the service platform just as we do the same TV: I think all of them want to do this but are much

22 VanillaPlus slower getting there than they’d probably like to admit. The majority of CSPs have definitely run virtualisation underneath and the vast majority are using VMware-like technologies in deployments but I would be cautious of stating that they run their BSS on virtualised systems. There’s a long road to go and most CSPs haven’t really migrated to truly virtual environments yet. Of course, this doesn’t mean they won’t.

At DigitalRoute, we see this on the network side as well as in IT. We have a Routing Control solution, which focuses on signalling routing and that runs in virtualised mode as well. More and more operators are interested in a virtualised layer like this sitting between hardware and software. It helps them scale and reduces the maintenance cost.

VP: What role do you see DigitalRoute taking in supporting CSPs in cloud?

TV: We need to address this in three different ways in my view. First, software needs to run in the cloud and we have run software in the cloud for some time. And one needs to be Amazon-compatible in doing this if we want to compete, which we are.

Second, we have to do this efficiently. To that end, we have a clear route mapped out to enable our software to become multi-tenant so it is more efficient and we don’t end up with 100 virtual machines in the cloud. An important point here is to enable local CSPs to monetise cloud strategies by offering cloud to local consumers and to do that efficiently.

The third aspect is to enable cloud deployments for IT applications such as analytics that require a lot of hardware. In these cases it can be highly desirable to go to a provider like Amazon to buy capability for data management but really that would be much better handled by a direct application the CSP controls. DigitalRoute has a solution here. We can facilitate the on loading process and an encrypted version of the data can follow a cloud domain. As a result, you can’t see whom the customer/user is when the data is brought on board. This is a major issue from a security perspective, as I said earlier. So our software is in the cloud, for the cloud and L enabling the cloud.

VanillaPlus 23 TALKING HEADS

VP: How significant is your Online Control VP: To what extent are you seeing CSPs prepare capability for addressing the service to virtualise their operations and embrace cloud management needs of CSPs? opportunities? Are they truly committing to cloud concepts yet? TV: Very, very significant. Why? Because the biggest problem that CSPs have today – and you can see the TV: I think that on the internal IT side, CSPs are frustration at an executive level – is not how to definitely committed to running their infrastructures innovate but how to innovate quickly. How do I get a virtually. There’s no question about it, it’s just a matter new idea out to customers asap? The problem CSPs of time. They won’t rush to migrate something that’s have isn’t “what” or “why”, but “when?” already working satisfactorily in another way but its Thomas Vasen: eventual replacement will definitely be virtualised when CSPs need flexible Virtualisation is one way of enabling quick deployment the time comes. control to support of new infrastructure but quick deployment of new cloud innovation business logic can best be achieved with a flexible Externally – and personally – I’d like to see a larger integration layer. Our solution sits on the border of push from CSPs on Cloud concepts. I see too little network and infrastructure. We’re network-grade, from them in terms of clear service offerings and handling all the BSS/OSS event data but at the same playing to their inherent strengths. I’m not saying time we have the flexibility from the IT side to enable nothing is happening already, but I would like to see rapid deployment of new use cases in a way that quicker progress in this direction. BSS/OSS alone can’t and network systems alone can’t do either. The question is what are the OTT players going to do? They will probably focus more on applications, such So our Online Control solutions are veryThe well author, suited John to as becoming a provider of the world’s leading CRM meeting this particular need and given thatGiere CSPs, is chief are system, for example. But how are they going to get extremely focused on launching new use executivecases, andyou that secured in terms of guaranteed bandwidth and can probably work out why we see Online Controlpresident of as delivery? That’s a variation of the debate about Openwave Mobility being a highly significant innovation in the market. For whether a content provider like Netflix should pay for instance, it’s clear to a growing number of people that its users bandwidth. not all of the cost of transport should be charged to the end user. In certain instances it makes perfect sense VP: How has DigitalRoute developed as a having OTT service providers sponsor the transport of company to address the changed needs of the certain data. CSPs need the kind of flexible control market and how do you see CSPs and their that can support this sort of innovation in place. cloud activities maturing in the next few years?

I think OSS, or service VP: How important does OSS and billing mediation TV: DigitalRoute is adjusting and adapting its become in making cloud approaches a reality? technology to ensure we’re compatible with how the assurance mediation market is evolving. We’ve had an early start and feel as we call it, is the TV: I think OSS, or service assurance mediation as we very much on top of what’s trending, as our Online call it, is the challenge to processing a lot of records Control solutions and the recent launch of Service challenge to so you can measure what the service delivered looks Control suggest. As far as a business model, we’ve like, in real-time. That involves grabbing the right types been working with various partners such as NSN, processing a lot of of records from the right sources, often new ones. Logica and SAP on a hosted analytics solution for records so you can Historically service assurance was seen as a luxury CSP data. It’s through these partnerships that we add-on and you could launch operations without enable their apps by providing the required access to measure what the control but that’s not acceptable anymore in a real- the CSP networks and data that we think represent time, online world. the best way forward for growth. We have over 300 service delivered customers deployed whether direct or through looks like, in real-time To illustrate this point, Amazon video-on-demand partners and we think this base will stand us in good services will, if the users experiences packet loss, re- stead into the future. We’re growing with their needs, imburse them. And the customer doesn’t even have if you like. to initiate this process. That’s the way CSPs need to start acting towards their customers. It is the way for So to summarise, I see CSPs taking virtualisation for operators to start to differentiate themselves from granted when they do a gradual migration of IP each other. They can’t differentiate anymore when systems and I see at least the tier ones, which are many offerings are commoditised and if they continue used to providing a large variety of services, investing to compete on price that will just be driven down to more in cloud offerings. In the latter case, as I’ve said, www.digitalroute.com nothing. The margins aren’t viable any longer. I think building on a unique, local position will be key.

24 VanillaPlus CSPs’ heads aren’t in the clouds when it comes to cloud and cloud billing Flexibility, accelerated time to market and cost savings can all be achieved if CSPs take the right approach to cloud and cloud billing, writes Ric Vicari

ria Systems envisions a connected society. The advantages A world in which there will be billions of By using the cloud for billing, for example, CSPs can networked devices – and cloud computing, realise flexibility and faster time-to-market as well as along with mobility and ubiquitous operational and cost efficiencies just as any large A broadband, plays an instrumental role. enterprise would. Heralding a change in the way we use and provision More importantly, cloud billing in emerging segments, ICT resources, cloud computing is attractive to provides CSPs with a nimble vehicle to enter a new consumers and businesses because of its efficiencies, market, such as M2M. CSPs can offer low-cost per- The author, convenience and pay-per-use pricing models. subscription M2M offerings with user activation, Ric Vicari, is vice Communications service providers have recognised configuration, management and billing. On a larger president EMEA of this as a source of new revenues and efficiencies, with scale, the convergence of the telecoms and utilities Aria Systems global investments in cloud services projected grow. markets, the growing M2M market and the explosion in IoT (Internet of Things) demands a complicated web CSPs can greatly benefit as users of cloud technology of network transactions, which, combined with as many of their business operations can be tailoring products and packages for customer streamlined through clouds to realise flexibility, faster segments, requires operational systems which can time to market and cost savings. They can also adapt and change to any new ’Thing’ that is added. choose to simultaneously commercialise those cloud According to Gartner, there will be nearly 26 billion applications to open up opportunities in traditional devices on the Internet of Things by 2020. How will markets such as outsourced billing for over-the-top these 26 billion devices be monetised without a (OTT) players, or as a vehicle to enter emerging flexible, affordable cloud billing system? segments like cloud-based machine-to-machine (M2M) platforms for vertical industries. The benefits of a cloud billing solution for operational efficiencies include: CSPs run their businesses in a complex operational • A reduction in data centre energy consumption environment, heavily dependent on technologies to • A more affordable cost of purchase and implementation run their networks and support the delivery of their • A more affordable cost of on-going maintenance services. Just as they are promoting cloud as a • Faster time to market for new service lines and change agency for business, they too can benefit from products its adoption. With CSPs seeking to transform themselves from their legacy environments, adoption In addition to this, a cloud billing solution can be integrated of cloud services, like cloud billing, can lead to and feed back into the customer experience loop, an efficiency gains, operational flexibility, and substantial increasing focus for service providers, as customer cost savings. Cloud-based services are also highly segmentation and retention grow increasingly important. suitable for product prototyping and launching new products and services encouraging innovation and The benefits of cloud billing for customer experience L new revenue streams. include:

VanillaPlus 34 CSPs run their businesses in a complex operational environment, heavily dependent on technologies to run their networks and support the delivery of their services

• The ability to quickly adapt bills to incorporate degree, to move to a model where network functions promotions based on customer usage or habits. and support systems will no longer reside physically Or their value as high spenders, or low spenders within the service provider’s domain. Rather, • Enabling charging and billing customer information, geographically-spread access networks will be built to feed back into the CRM system in order to and parts of the network functionality and service identify high value customers intelligence could be consumed on a pay-per-use or pay-as-you-grow basis.

The future The cloud opportunity, combined with telecom The recent economic recession and continuing networks, is providing a synergistic platform for volatility will be an added impetus for cloud adoption operators to realise new revenue and improve bottom as consumers and businesses alike continue to keep lines. By transferring selected business functions to a close watch on expenditures while in a continual the cloud, they can become their own customers for search of innovative and cost-effective operational cost efficiently and speed to market. More importantly solutions. CSPs can simultaneously commercialise those cloud- based services, leading to new opportunities in both In the future, CSP operations are expected, to some traditional and emerging segments. www.ariasystems.com

VanillaPlus 35 CLOUD ENABLEMENT

Creating clear differentiation is CSPs main chance in cloud Jonny Evans examines what the prospects are for CSPs as cloud service brokers. To what extent can their capabilities in partnering, CEM, billing, security and assurance be brought to bear to enable the cloud services of others?

oice and text revenues are shrinking, based models. "CSPs need to be better at both prompting CSPs to ponder new business identifying suitable partners and making themselves sectors in which they can apply their existing attractive as partners for developers and other cloud strengths and networks to drive new providers," says Rawling. revenue opportunities. Can cloud services V be part of their future, and if they are, can CSPs should also be wary their core expertise doesn't they deliver? do detriment to their cloud plans, cloud services are not merely a different flavour with the same needs as "They can and they must,” says Gordon Rawling, the existing services, says Vasen. "CSPs who assume director of EMEA marketing at Oracle otherwise will struggle to make use of their existing Chris Halbard: Communications. "The continued growth in cloud skills fully," he adds, warning. "There will be those who If CSPs develop their adoption in both consumer and enterprise markets launch cloud services with the wrong infrastructure own cloud services, provides a great opportunity for CSPs to become and they will not be commercially successful." they will also enhance more than just legacy communications providers." their brand Part of the challenge CSPs face is scale: Microsoft, Should CSPs solely work with existing cloud providers Google, Amazon and many others already offer cloud on a partnership basis, or should they bring their own services. "The challenge is working out how to models to market? differentiate their offerings from competitors," Rawling adds. "CSPs will be best served by partnering for compute services to offer their extensive customer bases a Thomas Vasen, the vice president of Digital Route, range of services and price points addressing both sees CSPs having value to add. "Where issues of technical and business services," says Ric Vicari, the scale, privacy and security are concerned, there are vice president of Aria Systems. solutions available to address them. [Our] MediationZone [product] for example contains On-demand service provision models already exist tokenization functionality that has proven effective in notes Jelle Frank Van Der Zwet at Interxion. These allaying the latter two challenges in cloud contexts." include locations such as the Deutche Boerse Cloud or 6Fusion/Chicago Mercantile exchanges, where Thomas Vasen: CSPs bring specific and relevant skills: billing, security, cloud providers sell unused capacity. Providers such Those who launch cloud service assurance and CEM, should all help create as OnApp use these services to buy in infrastructure services with the wrong distinctive services for high value customers. These as required in order to provide its own services. There infrastructure will not be skills may also attract cloud services seeking partners are opportunities then for CSPs to put together L commercially successful despite that CSPs struggle to master partnership- services using existing components.

36 VanillaPlus "There’s certainly an opportunity for in-country CSPs To avoid this, should CSPs confine themselves to to upsell proprietary cloud services to their existing partnerships? Not according to Halbard: "CSPs are in consumer or SME customers who may be taking their the unique position of being able to build the first steps towards the cloud, but if they want to focus supporting cloud infrastructure themselves as well as on larger enterprises with more complex needs then being able to offer content and services,” he explains. partnership with an established cloud provider is “In the future hybrid environment in which clouds essential," says Rawling. begin to link, CSPs need to position themselves as full partners, both providing and enabling cloud services." "If CSPs develop their own cloud services, they will not only build on existing levels of customer trust, they OpenCloud's Mark Windle notes the need to remain will also enhance their brand," says Synchronoss flexible: "In the cloud model, new services are deployed Gordon Rawling: Cloud adoption Technologies’ international president, Chris Halbard. as software within a virtualised environment, which spans provides a great an array of standard servers,” he says. “This model opportunity for CSPs CSPs also have a strong security story to match enables network operators to launch new services on to become more than growing recognition that "encryption and strong key a small scale, at a low initial cost. As service up-take just legacy management are essential to illustrate control and increases, the service can be scaled up simply and communications compliance for high value information in the cloud," cost-effectively. Therefore, the reduction of the upfront providers notes SafeNet security vice president, Jason Hart. investment that the cloud provides de-risks the "Service providers will need to partner with security business case. This allows CSPs to get on with adapting companies to ensure encryption and key management to their ever-changing environment rather than being solutions are integrated into their consolidations burdened with high upfront investment costs." solutions. Customers want security, but also need it to be seamless and user friendly." The most likely way in which CSPs can provide cloud services will require that they: "Offer a clear differentiating So how might CSPs enable cloud? "They need to service from that offered by the public cloud define their strategies early and commit to them," says companies, such as through data security and QoS Rawling, adding: "It's clear they must play a proactive offerings, and secure that there is a demand for those role in the ecosystem or risk being marginalised." in the segments where they are offered," says Vasen.

VanillaPlus 37 INTERVIEW

Small investments in cloud won’t move the needle – CSPs need to understand who they are and what value they can bring

Ayan Mukerji is chief executive and global head of media and telecom at Wipro. Here he tells George Malim how he sees the telecoms and media industries developing and how partnerships and increased collaboration will become still more critical as the telco-media value chain matures

ommunications service providers have If Mukerji seems more positive than many it’s been constrained because their core because Wipro is a provider of research and offerings have remained relatively development, consulting and systems integration unchanged over the last decade. “There services to CSPs and network equipment providers Ayan Mukerji: Care four basic catalogues for CSPs – across the world. That means the company sees NFV is a mobile and fixed and voice and data,” confirms the industry’s development happening in multiple fundamental Mukerji, who warns that while voice revenue is directions and dimensions. technical shift that declining data volume is increasing, meaning the will alter business need for CSPs to find new sources of revenue The new telecoms value chain will move away from relationships and becomes ever more important. flat rate, capacity-based propositions towards a equations model in which users pay for the value they receive “The more that CSPs can work closely on the from a wide array of service providers. “You’ll see content side with OTT providers is to their different packages being rolled out by CSPs for advantage, so we’ll see new relationships forming,” home users, for example,” he explains. “We’ll see he says. “Many have already formed and, with the different [classes of] quality of service and you will concept of net neutrality in the U.S. changing, I pay for what you get so there will be different think we’ll see some of the imbalance in terms of policies, different user experiences and more tariffs going away.” dynamic provisioning, all of which will become more content sensitive.” What Mukerji is hinting at is the concept of CSPs being more fairly recompensed for the value they The idea that a cosy collaboration between web deliver, rather than being relegated to being companies, OTT players and CSPs is set to remunerated on a flat rate, commoditised basis for emerge is something that Mukerji refutes. “OTT the data packets they ship. The value is in the players, no matter what they say, are fundamentally experience delivered not the bits and bytes. The competitors with CSPs,” he adds. “There is also a creation of fast lanes as a concept allows scope for technological shift happening that is going to drive

CSPs to generate profit from supporting the some of the new telecomsL value chain, it’s not just delivery of digital services. a business model play.”

38 VanillaPlus Mukerji singles out network functions virtualisation Interfaces that allow third parties to interact with (NFV) as one key shift. “NFV is a fundamental the network. Providing a network API runs counter technical shift that will alter business relationships to the way in which CSPs have jealously guarded and equations,” he says. “Just as apps and hosting their networks but, with the proliferation of service are getting virtualised, the network is as well. At a providers looking to utilise the network, the high level, a lot of the functions and control and concept of enabling easy integration and management that was in the network equipment automated provisioning of a service makes sense. box will move to the cloud. You can then make a box look like a content server in the night and in Mukerji adds that Wipro thinks technologies like the morning it could be a router.” WebRTC provide the basis for development of a large range of managed applications. “We want to “Think of what that means to CND providers like put a bet on that and work with CSPs to make it Akamai because their business is to provide a happen,” he says. “We’re a consulting and systems good user experience and quality of service at the integration shop so if we can build a managed point of usage,” explains Mukerji. “The data plane service platform that resides over the network API, and the control plane are getting separated and the through middleware and allows CSPs to monetise evolved packet core will move out of the box and this platform by enabling service creation, we think into the cloud.” that’s going to be the best course over the next three to five years.” Large CSPs recognise this and are building future networking accordingly. Mukerji adds that although However, the telecoms industry has not had a it’s early days Wipro is involved in many proof of great track record at moving to new models concepts for this transformed approach to the quickly. “The core telecoms industry has been used network. to generating easy money so the ability to innovate goes down,” says Mukerji. “I’m not saying the commoditisation of network equipment is happening in a hurry but the second “They have to deal with that and that means large opportunity is in what we call network APIs,” he substantial investment and time but I haven’t seen L says. By that he means Applications Programming them make acquisitions to accelerate

VanillaPlus 39 INTERVIEW

transformation,” he adds. “They understand core be in bits and pockets. It’s no good saying I’ll networking, IT and billing and how to roll-out spend a few million here and roll-out cloud or M2M services but you can’t fight a battle with tanks because that won’t move the needle. They need to when the enemy is fighting with guided missiles work out how they will hold $3-5 billion revenues from a great distance away.” over the next five years.”

Mukerji bemoans CSPs’ hesitancy and unwillingness Mukerji acknowledges this is radical new territory to make investments. He cites Google’s recent for some CSPs. “Their ability to get a large slice of investments in companies like Nest, which it paid SMB and large enterprise IT will be key,” he says. $3.2 billion for. “Why pay so much?” he asks. “It’s a “I’ve been involved with many top CSPs across the simple smoke alarm but Google bought it because world which are figuring out how to build their next the devices will be omnipresent and will gather generation services by working together.” millions of terabits of data each day and Google will make money from data.” That’s a valid aim, says Mukerji, since cost saving alone won’t deliver transformation. On the cost “The CSP could have moved that way,” he points savings front Wipro sees its breadth of out. “Do you ever see them do big acquisitions like understanding of the issues as a critical enabler for that to enter a new market?” the telecoms industry. “We understand both CSPs and network equipment providers. That gives us a Perhaps they’re just too set in their ways and privileged position,” he says. “We know how to unwieldy to sidestep and take advantage of new establish networks and how to take them apart opportunities. “They are who they are so it’s not a and how to virtualise them. Obviously, we also question of learning from past mistakes, it’s a know how to reduce cost. We have the experience question of identifying where revenues will come to take out 30% of annual capex cost through tool from ten years down the line,” he says. standardisation, process standardisation and legacy shutdown – those are three big buckets Mukerji has seen network equipment where a lot of dollars are stuck.” manufacturers already recognise that’s where they need to focus their thinking. “I see this change in “It’s not rocket science, it’s about execution,” he the telecoms equipment providers,” he says. adds, pointing out that CSPs seem to be “They’re dropping their legacy and focusing on segmenting their investments to keep abreast of wireless and IP and shedding non-productive industry development. “If I look at our deal flow, assets. NSN is doing that, Alcatel-Lucent has been 50-60% is transformation related, 20% is customer struggling to restructure and Ericsson is ahead. experience focused and 20% is devoted to Cisco is different because it doesn’t have legacy generating cost savings.” engineering in the same way that the others do.” “That 20:20:60 mix is indicative of the fact that “It is about CSPs knowing who they are, who the Wipro is getting more consultative, more proactive competition is and how to transform organically in and more end-to-end in terms of getting our www.wipro.com order to compete,” says Mukerji. “That shouldn’t customers to be more efficient,” he concludes.

40 VanillaPlus

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Virtualisation can be justified on opex savings alone but even greater opportunities exist Philip Bridge: Business models are Software defined networks and data centres have massive potential to save money for CSPs in their infancy provided they’re not simply virtualising their siloes, writes Nick Booth

f virtualisation specialist Nicira was worth providers (CSPs) can expect even greater returns $1.26 billion to VMware, when it bought it in on the virtualisation of their infrastructure in the 2012, the returns on investments that it must years to come. anticipate from software defined data centres should be several times as large. Logically, Expect the industry and its ecosystems to look I L VMware’s clients, such as communications service profoundly different in five years time, says Philip

VanillaPlus 43 VIRTUALISATION

Bridge, senior network architect at EE. “The process,” says Brody. This could eliminate the risks technology and the surrounding business models are that threaten data centre owners whose data has in their infancy and still in a state of flux.” he adds. to cross borders.

As an amalgamation of Orange and TMobile, EE If successful virtualisation can be realised, the cost exemplifies the challenges faced by CSPs as they base comes down and the CSPs can offer seek to, as Dirk Trossen, principal scientist at dynamic network services to their corporate clients, InterDigital, puts it: “Simplify the creation of says Brody. But those new revenue streams will alternative network architectures.” remain elusive for now because, as Brody says, virtualisation is “definitely not the magic pill solution So what are the hidden complexities we can to compensate all revenue decline on its own.” expect as software defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualisation (NFV) are installed The challenge is to handle virtualisation itself and tested? efficiently, and this is definitely a powerful double- edged weapon. It only takes seconds to spin up Ric Vicari, Aria Systems’ vice president for EMEA, hundreds of servers, the flip side of which is that says that the “ever changing environment” could zombie servers can multiply in the IT infrastructure complicate the job of simplifying CSP like Japanese knotweed. infrastructure. Of all the different types of industry sectors that have attempted to virtualise their IT “The key here is efficiently managing VM density infrastructure, the telecoms industry has the most and multi-tenancy to minimise the per-instance fluid. It’s a moveable feast of devices and software cost of any virtualisation,” says Andrew Hillier, Ric Vicari: systems and business processes. “Access founder of virtualisation management company Billing becomes an technology, consumer devices, services, payment CiRBA. There is a cost involved in meeting opportunity for upsell plans and methods, applications and content are availability and compliance requirements. evolving at an ever-increasing pace,” says Vicari. Don’t expect the cost benchmark to be the same Cloud services exemplify the old maxim about as in the generic cloud provider model, he warns. computing. If you have a chaotic business process, “A sustainable level for CSPs may be different than then IT only automates that chaos. Virtualisation for other industries,” says Hillier. The ability to meet has the potential to increase the complexity, if the the needs of users comes from careful planning project is not handled correctly. and matching future capacity supply with anticipated application demand. “This is not However, virtualisation could create the foundation possible when simply reacting to individual for cloud services to be used properly, which will requests and in telco environments, where large bring all kids of benefits to the CSPs. Cloud billing demands can arise from product launches and systems, says Vicari, will finally give CSPs the end- other events, it is absolutely critical,” adds Hillier. Dirk Trossen: to-end converged billing and customer care that Creating alternative have eluded them. From there they can progress to Virtualisation can massively simplify the processes networks must be the promised land of innovative data offerings, at a CSP as well as the cost of the IT infrastructure. simplified messaging and voice services. Historically, CSPs have written their own reports, spending days creating management reports in With virtualisation a CSP can quickly change standard office tools and accessing many data service and price points, while their billing process sources – none of which the non-technical is tightly meshed with their customer experience stakeholders could digest. Virtualisation changes management system. With CSPs running a much that, says Chris Mathews, founder of SysMech, a tighter ship, they will be able to go places they never big data applications company. “A user cannot went before. At that point: “The touch point of billing interpret 20 billion records a day, but their brain will becomes an opportunity for upsell,” says Vicari. understand anomalies shown in a picture. CSPss can now create the same knowledge automatically, Virtualised computing power is a new service that in real-time, and make it available to everyone who is very interesting for CSPs to offer their clients, needs it through the internet,” says Matthews. Andrew Hillier: says Keith Brody, director of global marketing at A sustainable cost level for CSPs may be Digital Route. “CSPs can combine network and Virtualisation, which can be justified on different than for other computing resources to create a unique offer and consolidation and opex reduction alone, will have industries guarantee the local-ness of the solution in the many extra benefits – if handled correctly.

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Legacies aren’t so bad Did somebody mention virtualisation in the data centre? Efficiency? Don’t say it too loud, or you’ll awaken the mainframe. Oh no, too late, here comes big iron, making a comeback, writes Nick Booth

n the technology industry, legacy is a dirty word. systems. So they’re greener and leaner. According to Any entity, be they a person or platform, is IBM sources – who admittedly might be biased – the treated with disdain if their contribution can be latest model of its mainframes has half the physical taken for granted. Familiarity breeds contempt footprint and uses half the power of a rack of server and all that. blades with the same processing power. The old time I architecture is cooler too, so it needs fewer resources The best prices are always strictly reserved for new to be spent lowering its temperature. customers only. Existing subscribers are rewarded for their loyalty with grade offers, for things they never How can this be? This will horrify some people, but knew they wanted. In these circumstances, having a it’s the proprietorial nature of IBM’s engineering that is The author, loyalty card is like volunteering to carry an electronic proving its strongpoint. Since IBM owns the software Nick Booth, tag around in your wallet. and the processing hardware, a lot more of the is a contributor to decisions that have to be made can be enshrined VanillaPlus and a The prejudice is even worse against machines – which in silicon. This integration makes the systems run technology journalist is dangerous as it’s only a matter of time before they more efficiently. develop feelings. Once they discover they can sue for the hurting of those feelings, we’re all in deep legal Today’s web-obsessed, search-engine-believing cyber trouble. We need to take a good hard look at ourselves experts might not agree, but modern IT does not have and think about the way we treat legacy systems. a copyright on virtualisation either. It turns out that mainframes had virtualisation five decades ago. Half a Legacy systems are treated with deep suspicion, as century before today’s goatee bearded IT revolutionaries if they might be harbouring one of those mythical started squatting in Shoreditch and issuing edicts siloes about their body. Anything new is hailed as about social upheaval, big iron was dishing out its revolutionary and disruptive, as if all revolutions and CPU and disk resources from each WAN according to disruptions are joyful experiences. Meanwhile, the old its (availa)ability, to each man according to his needs. fashioned ways of the legacy community are despised. Today’s generation of communications service And there’s nothing more legacy than a mainframe. As providers all have to dance to the tune of the content if that was not despicable enough, they are also providers. It was ever thus but the beat is much slower proprietary. If there’s one species that embodies than it was in big iron’s hey day. You think that 6,900 Legacy systems are everything that offends modern sensibilities, in today’s tweets, 30,000 Facebook likes and 60,000 Google virtualised, hosted, data centric world, it would be an searches per second is a frenetic pace? Ha! IBM treated with deep IBM mainframe. They were fifty years old in April, and mainframes had to dance at 1.1 million transactions a suspicion, as if they being old is unforgivable – especially in this industry. second. Big iron could show these uppity content might be harbouring providers a thing or two about number crunching. one of those Oddly enough, sales of IBM mainframes are actually picking up. They’re especially popular in data centres, Coming to a data centre near you: Big Iron II – the mythical siloes as it turns out, where the latest models take up less virtualiser. It’s going to be throwing some shapes and about their body space and need less electricity than Intel based slaughtering the siloes of the LANs.

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April / May 2014 Volume 16 Issue 2

It’s time for CSPs to change or be changed

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Welcome to Nice! It’s a week later and it has a different name but that is not all that has changed even though our morning commute will still be a stroll along the palm-treed boulevards of Nice, France. Management World is no more and its organisers the TM Forum have renamed it TM Forum Live! The thinking behind the change is to make the event less of a tradeshow and more of an event to showcase and reinforce the work of the Forum throughout the year

here’s also an element of redefining the terminology to At the heart of the re-invigourated event will be the Hub which was first reflect the Forum’s efforts to engage with a wider array of piloted last year and replaced the Forumville area of the show. The companies from across the digital value chain – not just Forum wants to demonstrate its projects and work in the hub using it communications service providers (CSPs). In this guide, as a springboard to the conference and exhibition space, which Keith Willetts, the chairman of the Forum explains how the appears likely to be smaller in area and emphasis this year. T scope of the organisation is widening in order to try and create a framework for all those enterprises that are becoming As CSPs continue their transformations it’s clear they need a wrapped up in the digital services value chain. transformed event and it will be fascinating to see the extent to which the Forum manages to pull the disparate strands of the digital services Some will be willing participants, some will not and Willetts believes market together in a coherent manner. the Forum could play a central role in demystifying the complexities of digital delivery and becoming a bridge between multiple industries. It’s Enjoy your visit to the show! an ambitious plan and in the meantime, the Forum will continue its work among CSPs in developing standards and frameworks for transformation. George Malim IN THIS ISSUE C4 TALKING HEADS TALKING HEADS Keith Willetts, the chairman of TM Forum, explains the challenges Keith Willetts facing CSPs as they transform their businesses and looks forward to a more integrated digital services value chain

C7 REDKNEE AT 15 Chief executive Lucas Skoczkowski looks back on the growth of the company and explains his vision following last year’s acquisition C4 of the BSS unit of the former Nokia Siemens Networks C11 EXPERT OPINION Jennifer Kyriakakis asks where, in a digital world, is the value of the EXPERT BSS stack? OPINION C13 CSPs build their bridges to digital services George Malim previews TM Forum Live! and finds it less likely to be about back office challenges and more focused on CSPs’ role in the digital world C11

VanillaPlus CEO Supplement C3 TALKING HEADS

For CSPs it’s time to change – or be changed

Keith Willetts is chairman and founder of TM Forum, which works across multiple industries to enable the digital services chain. Originally established as an organisation to set best practices and standardisation for the back offices of telecoms operators, the Forum is now addressing the demands of an increasingly complex digital value chain - and the relationships of all the parties involved. Here, Willetts tells VanillaPlus how the Forum is working to help companies transform to a digital business through its upcoming TM Forum Live! events and new How To Guides

The digital world is anillaPlus: With transformation ongoing, These are: How To Transform to a Digital Business aimed both in terms of network technologies at CEOs and business leaders and How To Create an the biggest rock in and also enabling technologies such Agile Business, which looks at how to transform as network functions virtualisation and operations to create very flexible, fast moving and low the pond that any software defined networks, what cost operational infrastructure using advanced IT. V shape do you see the industry formerly business will face known as telecoms taking? VP: Is publication of these guides symptomatic of a zeal within the Forum to educate not just the Keith Willetts: The digital world is the biggest rock in telecoms industry but all those in the digital the pond that any business will face - the paradox for services industry? telecoms operators is that they are simultaneously a key enabler of the digital world but also being KW: Yes. The telecoms industry is a key enabler of the impacted by it. But transforming to a digital business digital world that is allowing the creation of huge is much more fundamental than absorbing new numbers of new types of service provider in numerous technologies - it’s about really putting the customer at industry sectors around the world. They may provide the heart of your business; about being very agile; very very different services but all share many of the same innovative and using technologies such as big data operational challenges and all need to cooperate in a analytics - not just to support your existing business broad ecosystem. The Forum has the structure, but putting IT at the centre of your operations. expertise and tools to help both our existing members and a growing range of new service providers. At our TM Forum Live! event on 2-5 June 2014 in Nice, France we’ll be focusing on these kinds of VP: How far outside their comfort zones are all topics as well as the operational implications of the new dynamics of digital services taking your advances such as virtualisation. traditional CSP membership?

We’ll also be launching the first two in our series of KW: Well they are certainly being stretched in multiple L How To Transform guides. ways. We initially saw a focus on cost reduction, then

C4 VanillaPlus CEO Supplement The degree of change needed depends on where their current competencies are and what their “ market focus is going to be”

a growing interest in improving the customer VP: Is it still valid for CSPs to set themselves experience. Now we are seeing a realisation that’s not apart from other organisations in the digital nearly enough and becoming much more agile, world or should they recognise their role as a moving rapidly, becoming much more innovative, constituent part of a far wider value chain? learning how to partner in a value chain, being easier to do business with; creating value from data KW: Communications are a fundamental enabler of engagement are all vital success factors in the the digital world and of course they are a critical digital world. component of that wider value chain. But really understanding that means that people who use your The degree of change needed depends on where their infrastructure are partners and customers, not the current competencies are and what their market focus enemy as many still see over-the-top providers. is going to be - for example whether they are going to be an infrastructure-based player; how are they going Transformation to a digital world is inevitable for every to go to market? Are they going to go into the apps business on the planet – all businesses are affected in space themselves, or go out through other some shape or form and CSP’s need to be very clear companies’ routes to market? about which part, or parts of the value chain they choose to play in. Are they focused in being a key There’s opportunity in enterprise applications that enabler of other people’s applications or content has to have a quality of service and support, and services or are they the provider of applications and that’s something CSPs can provide. The internet of content as well? There’s a conflict between those two things and the multi-billions of connected devices positions and that clouds decision making. offer real opportunities but you have to be in shape to grab these, not just watch others take market To broaden some of the thinking, TM Forum Live! is leadership. In a digital world, where competitors are welcoming a number of non-telecom keynotes and just a click away, you have to change the way your speakers such as Michael Harte, group executive, business works and move quickly without having all enterprise services and CIO, Commonwealth Bank of L of the answers. Australia, and Albert Hitchcock, the CIO at Pearson;

VanillaPlus CEO Supplement C5 TALKING HEADS

There are lots of The real heart of the Forum with over 900 member industry consolidation where the strong consume companies and tens of thousands of individual the laggards. examples of companies professionals from across the world is the ability to tap who left it too late to into their collective knowledge and experience to offer There are lots of examples of companies who left it that pragmatic advice on how to transform. That too late to transform and who hit a point of no return transform and who hit a where our How To Guides come into play. when you are leaking so much revenue that you don’t point of no return when have resources to transform anymore. You keep VP: Is your message that the TM Forum pedalling faster and faster doing the same thing but in you are leaking so encompasses the entire digital services arena effect you’re already dead. Transforming quickly is the much revenue that you getting through to your traditional CSP key to survival and growth. membership and is it a welcome message? don’t have resources to VP: It’s not just CSPs that face the KW: Yes, I think we are largely pushing on an open transformation challenges of the digital world, transform anymore door. People are very rapidly realising that topics such though, is it? as being customer centric; becoming more agile, virtualisation, big data, partnering, APIs and so on are KW: Absolutely. The focus of the Forum, TM Forum not just issues for the telecoms industry. In fact, in Live! and our How To Guides reflect that challenge. many cases, telecoms has a lot to learn from other The telecoms industry is still a very big and very industry sectors as well as a lot to give. profitable market but we’re feeling the winds of change. And although we’re only in the foothills of the VP: Do you think you can bring the traditionalists digital world, already major industries such as music, with you? video and publishing have changed beyond recognition and companies from retailers to insurance, KW: Of course many people inside telecoms to manufacturers to farming, education and transport operators are still doing fairly traditional network, are all being disrupted by revolutions in the digital service and revenue management jobs and want to do world. Some will get it and emerge stronger and them better, faster and cheaper and we will continue bigger, some will leave it too late and disappear. to provide them with first rate support. But their jobs and their companies are changing fast and we need Nevertheless a window of opportunity to change to broaden and deepen the range of topics we cover exists, but it takes strong and inspired leadership to and at the same time embrace the broadening drive a company in a new direction. Our aim is to help ecosystem that’s rapidly developing. To be brutally and support the transformation process for any type honest, those that don’t come on the journey into the of service provider and we have geared up our digital world are probably not going to be around in a resources like our events and publications to help with www.tmforum.org few years - they’ll be eaten up in a Pac-Man like the transformation.

C6 VanillaPlus CEO Supplement How a start-up became the world's largest independent provider of converged billing and customer care systems

Chief executive reveals what’s coming up next for Redknee INTERVIEW

How Redknee is helping to monetise today’s new digital economy

Redknee, the vendor of specialised back office software for communications service providers founded by chief executive Lucas Skoczkowski in 1999 is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Here he tells VanillaPlus about the company’s development and how now, with last year’s acquisition of the BSS assets of the former Nokia Siemens Networks, it is poised for further growth

anillaPlus: The telecoms industry has become more savvy and cost-conscious as they look seen a lot of changes during the for ways to delay capital investments and focus on lifespan of Redknee. Which have been keeping their customers. For Redknee, this was a time the greatest and to what extent did you when we introduced solutions that enabled our foresee them happening when you customers to succeed by helping them on both of V established the company? these fronts. With the demand for data and new services continuing to grow in spite of the economic Lucas Skoczkowski: You're right - if you consider downturn, CSPs needed a way to update their billing what has happened over the past fifteen years, I think systems while keeping costs in line. Redknee’s it would be hard to find another industry that has seen modular approach to billing and customer care meant such tremendous change and that has impacted the CSPs could transform their back office in a step-wise world so dramatically. When Redknee was founded, approach, focusing on the areas of the greatest one of the things we realised from the beginning was priority. We were also one of the first to introduce the need for speed; the need for service providers to cloud-based billing, which eliminates the need for be able to charge and rate transactions – any large hardware investments. At Redknee we are transaction – in real-time. Of course with the focused on innovation that responds to industry tremendous growth in data and the move towards LTE demands, and this is a strategy that works regardless and machine to machine communications, real-time of the economic picture. capabilities, which were once considered nice to have when we founded Redknee, are now a necessity. This VP: Last year's acquisition of the BSS business real-time focus has gone beyond our software and has of Nokia Siemens Networks has been one of the really set the tone for our company since the very greatest milestones of Redknee's history. How beginning; it’s part of our DNA and how we think have you been able to integrate the companies about the industry and our customers. We are and manage the hugely increased scale of the committed to helping our customers to be faster – to combined company? be more responsive to their subscribers and first to market with new offers, new pricing models and new LS: The acquisition happened just over one year ago services. and it has made us a stronger company at every level. Quadrupling in size overnight is not an easy task, but VanillaPlus: Around the time of Redknee's we went into it with a comprehensive integration plan inception many vendors made the error of in place even before the acquisition was even finalised. thinking the market would develop far faster than Thanks to the hard work and efforts of the entire it did. The bursting of the internet bubble and the combined team, we have executed on that plan global economic meltdown of 2008 both played effectively. The integration is now fully complete, their part in holding things up but the last few culminating with the introduction of our updated years have seen the theories espoused at the product portfolio this month. Employee engagement is turn of the millennium coming to fruition. How at an all-time high. Today we have 1,700 employees difficult has it been to grow an innovation based across 80 countries, and our software processes two company against that backdrop? billion transactions every hour. We have a customer base of 200 service providers in more than 90 LS: When there is an economic downturn, like the one countries, and I’m proud and encouraged by the L we had in 2008, demand doesn't go away - CSPs just positive feedback we have received both from our

C8 VanillaPlus CEO Supplement existing and acquired customer base. It is VP: How do you think the the passion and dedication of our employees business model changes as – which I believe is the best team in the network equipment becomes industry – that is responsible for this increasingly virtualised. Is success. everything software-focused and is that to the detriment of the VP: What have been the advantages of hardware vendors and the benefit that? Your deal flow encompasses more of software providers? CSP group deals – most recently with Telekom Austria, than before. Is that LS: Virtualisation is absolutely a reality. symptomatic of your greater scale or The change is not happening overnight – more to do with CSP groups looking to but it is happening across every level of the streamline their sourcing? industry. Even some of the worlds’ largest service providers are moving to the cloud LS: Redknee has always had large CSP as the focus moves towards groups as customers; our real-time software and away from capex- monetisation software suits them well and heavy hardware investments. addresses their needs better than other Computing capacity is solutions on the market. Vodafone, becoming a commodity that Vodacom, Digicel and T-Mobile are just a few will need to go up or down examples of CSP groups that use our depending on demand. solutions. With some of our group Operators don’t want to pay customers, Redknee Unified, Redknee’s for what they don’t need – real-time monetisation platform, is managing and today’s software needs multiple locations across the world with one to be able to accommodate installation, thanks to its scalability and multi- this change. At Redknee, tenant capabilities. This is enabling these we were one of the first to CSPs to streamline their operations as well recognise this shift by as providing a consistent experience to their introducing our cloud subscribers. Our success with these based billing solution over customers continues to grow, and with our three years ago. expanded footprint and strength of our combined solution portfolio, we now simply VP: What has been the have the scale to do more, to be in more highlight of Redknee's “At Redknee we are places at once. development for you? focused on VP: As the telecoms sector continues to LS: I am incredibly innovation that transform, how do you see the role of a proud of the Redknee specialised provider of back office team and it is an honour responds to industry software like Redknee changing? What for me to work with opportunities do you see for your some of the best and demands, and this is software and services to support the brightest in the industry. a strategy that works internet of things and the operations of Their dedication to our companies in other verticals? customers’ success is regardless of the what inspires me every economic picture” LS: Our customers are happy to have a day. One of my favourite billing provider that remains focused on this things to do is to visit our – Lucas Skoczkowski space. Today we are the world’s largest customers and witness independent provider of converged billing first-hand how we have and customer care, and we are constantly been part of their making significant investments in our growth over the products and roadmap, technology and years. These innovation as we continue to evolve with the travels have taken industry. Service providers are looking for me to some new revenue streams – moving beyond amazing places telecoms and into the internet of things and and have shown machine to machine communications. how Redknee has Redknee is helping to monetise this new actually changed the digital economy. Today we are engaged in lives of people for the real-time monetisation for smart homes and better, in some of the transportation. We see this as an exciting new most remote regions of the direction for the industry and for Redknee, world. I can’t imagine a and we are investing heavily in this area. better job. www.redknee.com

VanillaPlus CEO Supplement C9 At Redknee, we look to a world where there are no limits to how service providers launch and support new markets, new offerings and new ideas. The world is becoming more interconnected - and Redknee is at the forefront of this innovation, with our focus on real-time monetization software for communications, smart utilities, railways, and beyond. Our real-time converged billing, charging, policy management and customer care solutions enable service providers to increase profitability and support and new product or business model. Contact us today to learn more, and start Looking Beyond. www.redknee.com The author, Jennifer Kyriakakis, is founder and vice president of marketing at MATRIXX Software

In a digital world where’s the strategic value of the BSS stack? BSS transformation as we know it is over, it’s time to get strategic and plan for a fully digital future, writes Jennifer Kyriakakis

he case for transformation of the BSS stack before meaningful transformation can occur. The IT Over the last six – if it’s an exercise in cutting and pasting infrastructure of the CSP must also change, not just years there have legacy components with newer versions – is the applications in the stack. disingenuous. That’s primarily because the been major advances classic BSS stack – pushed by classic BSS The pressure on CSPs to find a solution on this is extreme. T vendors – contains very little that is now That’s because their competitors are getting to market in device technology strategic to communications service providers (CSPs) very quickly with less complex, streamlined, modern IT that have been as they adapt their businesses for the digital economy. infrastructures, enabling them to launch new features, Arguments for continuing with archaic and complex propositions and services remarkably quickly, and instrumental in voice mediation, rating and billing systems in a world consequently grabbing millions of customers per month. driving similarly that is becoming fully data- and IP-based are a waste of everyone’s time. These competitors are not burdened with the major advances in complexity of traditional CSP BSS environments, and network technology Does it make economic sense to replicate what we recognise that they don’t need, or even want, to put a already have with some hybrid systems that have traditional BSS stack in place. They have dramatically been re-tooled to manage the new digital services? lower operational overhead and can offer their own Or is it time to get strategic and plan for a fully digital products along with third party margin-based products future – and a radical rethink of the way business through online channels and integrated service support systems need to work? platforms. The basic app-store model is a prime example of this new world thinking. Over the last six years there have been major advances in device technology that have been instrumental in In our view, there are a set of strategic functions that driving similarly major advances in network technology. digital service providers should focus on building out over time to create the agile IT infrastructure they need These step changes have put in place two of the to bring their businesses online. We call it the three pieces required for digital service providers to Interactive Digital Ecosystem (IDE). thrive and avoid becoming brand-less, faceless What does IDE look like access-only providers. The third piece is IT and what It is a set of real-time functions and applications that from an IT standpoint? we still call BSS. will be strategic for the shift to digital services. It’s not big bang, it’s incremental. These functions are tightly Visit us at stand #34 at Introducing the Interactive Digital Ecosystem integrated but not necessarily from a single vendor. TMForum Live!, and We’ve virtualised and put things in the cloud – Modern, open architectures that don’t depend on we’ll explain our vision. important optimisations for sure, but not step- customisation, use standards, and have web service Hear more from us at changes; there must be innovation at the IT layer integration layers will dominate. blog.matrixx.com

VanillaPlus CEO Supplement C11 EVENT PREVIEW

Digital migration goes beyond IT systems transformation

This year’s TM Forum Live! brings together all the elements driving the successful transformation of service providers and enterprises to help them succeed in the digital world. By combining the knowledge and experience of more than 3,000 executives from across the digital ecosystem, TM Forum Live! is set to help businesses overcome common challenges. Here, VanillaPlus previews the event

ecoming a digital business goes far beyond profit enabler, embracing an open approach with digital replacing IT systems or trying out new partnerships and being fiercely customer-centric. marketing tactics. For TM Forum, the organisers of TM Forum Live! to be held on TM Forum Live! has replaced the Forum’s 2-5 June, 2014 in Nice, France, the scope Management World event and the rebranding reflects B has widened and means changing the way a change in emphasis. The Forum says the renewed a company thinks. That has impacts on its culture, event will bring together a diverse group of people processes, approaches to investment and attitudes from a variety of companies to focus on the business toward innovation and partnerships. Being a digital and operational issues of transforming in the digital business demands rethinking how your business age. While most conferences focus on the L operates, redesigning an agile business where IT is a underpinning technologies, TM Forum Live! will

C12 VanillaPlus CEO Supplement examine the business issues relating to how advanced group chief commercial officer of Ooredoo, operates IT can help businesses innovate more effectively, in some of the richest and poorest countries in adapt more rapidly, deliver more for less and exploit the world and examines the need for understanding major new opportunities. local markets.

The conference The conference will also feature The Live Crossfire At this year’s event, the conference programme is Debate, which will see experts discuss what can be organised into six forums: learnt from those who are already along the path to • Internet of Things becoming a digital business. Participants include: • Agile IT and Business Transformation Michael Harte, group executive, enterprise services and chief information officer at the Commonwealth Anne Bouverot: • Big Data and Customer Engagement will share mobile vision Bank of Australia; Albert Hitchcock, group chief • The Virtualisation of Everything: Cloud, SDN & NFV for internet of things • Revenue Management information officer at Pearson; Khalifa Al Shamsi, chief • Security and Privacy digital services officer at Etisalat Group; and Phil • One-day Cable Summit on 2 June Jordan, group CIO, Telefónica.

Each forum is chaired by a seasoned industry veteran The conference will also feature a debate entitled who is not only a proven leader but is also well- Discontent which will explore how, with over-the-top connected in their field. Their insight and collaboration players like Netflix and Hulu transforming digital help form valuable content applicable to a wide range content, the established media giants are changing. of professionals from many industries. The discussion will involve: Dean Walters, group chief information officer, Liberty Global; Mike LaJoie, The event’s keynote agenda and line-up brings executive vice president and chief technology and together key players and innovators in the digital. network operations officer, TimeWarner Cable and Speakers include: Andrew Feinberg, the CEO of NetCracker.

JP Rangaswami, the chief scientist at The Networking Expo Salesforce.com who will give his insights into what TM Forum Live! isn’t just about the conference makes the digital world tick and the success formula sessions, there will also be a Networking Expo to of digital native giant Salesforce. What do today’s suits connect visitors with more than 3,000 new partners, need to learn – quickly? clients and colleagues, along with TM Forum thought leaders who live and breathe the business challenges Serial entrepreneur Fay Arjomandi, the chief of today’s service providers. executive of Vodafone Xone and endurance cyclist David Moffatt, former CFO at Telstra and CEO of Workshops, session and demos Lebara Group lay out a manifesto for success today A key theme this year will be managing virtualised – innovating faster; really understanding your networks and services and the event will feature five customers and creating more ‘smile moments’. NFV-related catalyst project demonstrations to showcase practical solutions and implementations. Anne Bouverot, the director general of the GSMA and non-executive Director at Cap Gemini talks about Virtualisation has the power to simplify processes, her vision of the mobile internet of things - what’s next accelerate innovation, decrease time-to-market and in global mobile transformation? reduce cost and risk. However debate continues with complexity, quality of service and security concerns, New business models, changing customer particularly around network functions virtualisation perceptions, virtualisation of everything in the internet (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN). TM of things: Adrian Cockcroft, technology fellow at Forum is focusing on these issues at TM Forum Live! Battery Ventures via Netflix and eBay joins Cristobal Virtualising Everything: Cloud, SDN and NFV, is a Alonso CIO at Telenor to define the radical new centerpiece two-day forum on the Tuesday and platforms that are need to enable the digital economy. Wednesday of the event and will address all the issues Multiple opportunities and challenges are opening up and opportunities surrounding virtualisation with a globally as different countries and cultures react to the packed agenda featuring speakers from: Alcatel- L digital world in different ways. Cynthia Gordon, Lucent, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, European

VanillaPlus CEO Supplement C13 EVENT PREVIEW

Virtualisation is Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), HP, • CloudNFV: Adaptive Management Built on Huawei, Telefónica, Telstra, Time Warner Telecom Frameworx – In partnership with CloudNFV, this taking the and others. project shows how the Information Framework communications and (SID) and Business Services Suite can be Virtualisation-focused topics covered throughout TM enhanced to make processes dynamic and event- digital services Forum Live! include: driven to enable zero-touch orchestration and unified management. industry by storm, • Influencing the future of the digital industry with • NFV Management Ecosystem – This project and it’s no different virtualisation • Managing a virtualised environment uses an implementation of management and at TM Forum Live! • Looking beyond capital expenditure to find the orchestration (MANO) as defined by the ETSI NFV return on investment for SDN and NFV Industry Specification Group as the platform to • Discovering what the enterprise buyer wants from demonstrate real-time, dynamic management of the virtual world capacity, performance, quality of service and SLAs, • Keeping virtualised environments safe as well as enabling real-time billing and compensation. • Overcoming the implementation challenges • Closing The Loop: Data-Driven Network • Managing complexity and ensuring quality Performance Optimisation for Self-optimising • ZOOMing into the future with TM Forum’s new Networks (SON) and NFV – This catalyst uses programme for managing and operating a TM Forum’s Performance Management Interface virtualised infrastructure and ETSI’s NFV orchestration and Third Generation Partnership Project SON scenarios to build a In addition, on Wednesday, 4 June, NFV is the focus closed loop using network key performance of a special Un-Conference Open House, Open Mic indicators, such as customer experience, Night at the Jam jazz bar in Nice. This will feature five- performance and service quality data, to enable minute, stand-up talks from audience participants. network changes, optimisation and self-healing. Hosted by Chris Lewis, principal consultant at Lewis Insight, this event is open to All-Access Gold, Summit, • Service Bundling in a B2B2X Marketplace – Platinum and Speaker pass holders. This catalyst uses established ebXML interfaces and newly-added REST APIs to show how a buyer can bundle a collection of services sourced from NFV in Action different suppliers, such as traditional network access products, as well as NFV and infrastructure TM Forum’s members have been working on the as a service products, and deliver them seamlessly following five NFV-related, rapid-development catalyst to a customer. project demonstrations slated for TM Forum Live! as a way to validate proposed solutions and verify the “Virtualisation is taking the communications and digital practical aspects of NFV implementations. These services industry by storm, and it’s no different at TM catalysts will be showcased in The Hub at TM Forum Forum Live!,” said Keith Willetts, the chairman of TM Live! and include: Forum. “Our events are known for being a showcase for innovative and practical answers for game- • Managing Virtual Machines through Service changing operations concepts that can enable agility, Level Agreements (SLAs) – This catalyst new digital service revenues and reduced cost. Our demonstrates how virtual machines can be virtualisation-focused sessions and catalysts managed by monitoring SLA information. In demonstrate how the Forum’s members work partnership with the Open Data Center Alliance together to deliver an extensive set of best practices (ODCA), this project serves as a proof of concept of and advice that can dramatically and positively impact ODCA’s Master Usage Model which was recently service personalisation, speed, flexibility, automation www.tmforum.org revised to include NFV. and customer centricity.”

C14 VanillaPlus CEO Supplement Tomorrow’s world demands Service Control today

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Find out more at www.coraltreesystems.com [email protected] / +44 (0)1489 883306