October 2010

strongg[Author: Antonis Valakas
Published: October 2010
Pages: 41
Pricing:

Single-user License: $ 795 USD
Company-wide License: $ 1,495 USD
Team License (Up to 5 Users): $ 985 USD]

Keywords: OSS, eTOM, ITIL, Fault management, Performance management, Network operations, project management, lifecycle, solution integrators, service providers, solution suppliers

Overview:

As digital services and communication networks circle the globe, carriers and service providers face decisive challenges in managing their infrastructure which is expanding with exponential growth rates. Investing on advanced, next generation OSS platforms in the only way to deal with these challenges, however the value of deploying and running complex operating and business support systems depends not only by the owner and end user, the service provider, but equally from the solution integrator and the supplier.

This report evaluates the combined role of service providers, solution integrators and platform vendors in terms of contributing to the final value of an OSS/BSS solution. It analyzes the lifecycle of OSS solutions, elaborate on the role each of the stakeholders play in this lifecycle and present some real world cases and challenges. The report evaluates leading OSS solutions and predicts future perspectives and directions. Finally, it proposes rules of thumb and evaluation metrics to improve the value of OSS projects from the perspective of the service provider, the integrator and the OSS supplier.

This report also compares and contrasts large vendors across: OSS portfolio, strong and weak points and ISV's across OSS specialization and strong points.

Key Benefits:

• Short presentation of leading OSS solution suppliers

• Evaluation matrices for service providers, integrators and vendors

• Conclusions and rules of thumb from deploying and running OSS solutions, analysis of real world challenges

• Analysis of success factors in the deployment of OSS solutions from the perspective of:

• Service provider

• Solution integrator

• Solution supplier

Key Findings:

The success of an OSS project depends on three stakeholders: The service provider, the integrator and the platform vendor form a value chain, affecting the lifecycle of the project. Stakeholders' business goals, company mentality, technical expertise, experience, resource management and communication skills, all play their part, influencing the value of an OSS solution. At the end of the day, an OSS deployment is not just a technology project, but the result of a combined effort and partnership of groups of people with different mentality and skills.

Companies Evaluated in Report:

• Amdocs
• Computer Associates
• Dorado Software
• EMC
• HP
• IBM
• InfoVista
• Mycom
• Telcordia
• TTI Telecom
• WANDL

Note: This report compares and contrasts large vendors across: OSS portfolio, strong and weak points. This report compares and contrasts ISV's across OSS specialization and strong points.

Audience:

• Decision makers
• OSS consultants and engineers
• OSS Integrators and solution suppliers
• Service Providers implementing OSS platforms

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction. 5
2. The OSS and BSS lifecycle. 5
2.1. The need for OSS/BSS. 6
2.2. Inception and birth. 6
2.3. Childhood. 7
2.4. Maturing. 8
2.5. Aging. 9
3. The Service Provider/Integrator/Vendor value chain. 9
3.1. Service provider9
3.1.1. Profile and mentality. 10
3.1.2. Project generation. 11
3.1.3. Selection and implementation. 11
3.2. Integrator12
3.2.1. Starting a project13
3.2.2. Project delivery. 13
3.2.3. Ongoing support14
3.2.4. Adding value. 14
3.3. Vendor14
3.3.1. Business development15
3.3.2. Service delivery. 15
3.3.3. Support16
4. Gears in motion. 16
4.1. The whole picture. 16
4.2. Streamlining and formalization. 18
4.2.1. Requirements specification. 18
4.2.2. Proposal evaluation. 19
4.2.3. Project management19
4.2.4. Rollout and commissioning. 19
4.2.5. Day to day operation. 19
4.2.6. Upgrades and fixes. 20
4.2.7. Ongoing customization. 20
4.2.8. Major customization (integration/spinoff project)20
4.2.9. Migration and major upgrades. 21
4.3. Business process value analysis. 21
4.3.1. Requirements specification. 21
4.3.2. Proposal evaluation. 22
4.3.3. Project management23
4.3.4. Rollout and commissioning. 23
4.3.5. Day to day operation, upgrades and fixes. 24
4.3.6. Ongoing customization. 25
4.3.7. Migration and major upgrades. 25
4.4. Adherence to Frameworks and Practices. 25
5. The real world. 26
5.1. Balance (and the lack of)26
5.2. Agility vs Governance. 27
5.3. The Holy Grail27
5.4. Vendor agnostic vs Vendor monolithic. 28
5.5. Out of steam.. 29
5.6. Upgrading by downgrading. 29
5.7. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 30
6. The future of OSS. 30
6.1. Market consolidation. 30
6.2. Open systems. 30
6.3. Carriers and providers in the cloud. 31
7. Rules of thumb. 32
7.1. Invest in communication. 32
7.2. Mark the ballpark. 32
7.3. Allow overruns. 33
7.4. Long term vs Short term.. 33
8. A cursory view of the OSS management systems landscape. 33
8.1. Tier-1 vendors. 33
8.2. ISVs. 34
9. Comparison matrices. 36
9.3. Large vendors. 36
9.4. ISVs. 37
10. Evaluation matrices. 39
10.1. Service providers. 39
10.1.1. Evaluating an integrator39
10.1.2. Evaluating a vendor39
10.1.3. OSS value generation. 40
10.2. Integrators. 40
10.3. Vendors. 41
11. Conclusion. 41

List of Figures

Figure 1: OSS at the north of a service provider technology stack. 6
Figure 2: The position of OSS in a service provider ecosystem.. 7
Figure 3: The eTOM business process framework. 10
Figure 4: A view of the internals of a service provider11
Figure 5: An integrator general view showing two silos relevant to the lifecycle of OSS projects. 13
Figure 6: A solution supplier internal organization. 15
Figure 7: Engagement level of service providers, integrators and vendors during the lifecycle of an OSS project16
Figure 8: Annotated Engagement level of service providers, integrators and vendors. 18
Figure 9: Introducing governance to business agility. 27
Figure 10: Vertical scaling. 29
Figure 11: Service providers as we know them.. 31
Figure 12: Service providers as they may seem in the near future