12 top OSS/BSS trends for 2012

January 10, 2012 Written by Peter Dykes

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2012 promises to be an exciting year in the OSS an !SS sectors as the in ustry mo"es into the next phase o# support so#t$are eployment% Despite the economic gloom $hich still hangs o"er many o# the $orl &s ma'or economies, there is room #or optimism in most o# the geographical regions as operators in the mature markets begin to explore the possibilities o# policy(base on( line charging )O*+,% -n the emerging markets the gro$ing re.uirement #or more complex rating an billing #unctionality also promises rich pickings #or those "en ors $ith the right pro ucts% /eeting these challenges is not a matter o# choice #or most operators ho$e"er, particularly #or those $ho ha"e or inten to embrace *0E, because ha"ing the ban $i th necessary to o##er mobile broa ban ata ser"ices is not enough $ithout the support systems to #ully exploit the technology% -n all cases, the marriage o# high(spee -P(base net$ork in#rastructure an the ne$ generation o# -0 support systems $ill ultimately lea to a greater #ocus on areas such as customer experience, business intelligence an inno"ati"e $ays o# ealing $ith net$ork congestion% 1% One o# the most exciting e"elopments in 2012 $ill be -ncrease in eman #or policy( base O*+ as operators begin to exploit some o# the opportunities #or inno"ati"e ser"ice e"elopment o##ere by the technology% 0here is a anger ho$e"er that the spee o# this e"elopment $ill be hampere by operators& apparent inability to get their net$ork an ser"ice creation sta## $orking together cohesi"ely an resol"e issues such as $ho o$ns the ser"ice mo el% 2% 0here $ill be #urther e"elopment o# tiere ser"ices base on spee , "olume an time o# ay as a e#ensi"e strategy against net$ork congestion% 1% Operators in mature markets $ill #ocus more closely on the moneti2ation o# mobile broa ban ata ser"ices, $hich in turn $ill ri"e other areas o# gro$th, such as 3acebook an other social net$orking(base plans, hybri accounts an customer sel#(pro"isioning% 4% 5s the year progresses, there $ill also be an increase in eman #or Diameter(base routing as signaling becomes a problem, particularly in the 6a io 5ccess 7et$ork )657, because unlike their pre ecessors, *0E net$orks are sub'ect to 1008 smartphone penetration #rom ay one% 9% 5n intriguing e"elopment is the tren to$ar s the use o# SaaS in the OSS:!SS sector, ri"en by the eman #or more complex ser"ice support an the re.uirement to s.uee2e the last bit o# in"estment #rom legacy systems% -t is possible that the percei"e +5PE; an OPE; sa"ings gaine #rom using clou (base systems coul a #urther momentum

to this tren , gi"en the current economic climate< ho$e"er issues aroun latency an security $ill nee to be a resse % =% >en ors o# net$ork optimi2ation so#t$are coul see a rise in eman #or their pro ucts, in particular those relating to 657 congestion as #emtocells an other small(cell technologies are increasingly use in a tra##ic management role% ?% 2012 is also likely to bring the beginnings o# an o"erall impro"ement in some areas o# the o"erall customer experience as increasingly larger "olumes o# more granular ata becomes a"ailable #or use in call centers an pro(acti"e +6/% @% Deman #or analytical so#t$are #or business intelligence $ill be slo$er to e"elop than at #irst thought, as operators concentrate on more e#ensi"e strategies< ho$e"er the threat o# increasing churn $ill ensure the topic oesn&t #all completely o## the ra ar% 5s more net$ork, ser"ice an 657 ata becomes a"ailable, operators $ill begin to un erstan the signi#icance o# it an begin to exploit it more than at present% A% -t $ill be more important than e"er that "en ors are able to emonstrate beyon all oubt that their pro ucts $ill integrate .uickly an easily $ith those o# other "en ors, e"en $hen o##ering en (to(en solutions o# their o$n% Operators are beginning to #eel that although they may source systems #rom a single "en or, they $ant the option o# being able to incorporate in i"i ual plat#orm elements #rom other "en ors as an $hen they see #it $ithout incurring high integration costs% 10% 0he year $ill see a rise in eman #or support systems speci#ically tailore #or /2/ ser"ices% 0he nature o# the support re.uire #or /2/ ser"ice implementation is still largely un e#ine as the sector has the potential to re.uire many i##erent billing an charging mo els as $ell as "arying tra##ic re.uirements% 11% 0he continuing nee to integrate ne$ -0 in#rastructures $ith legacy systems $ill maintain a strong eman #or me iation pro ucts, as $ill the esire to maintain high le"els o# re"enue assurance in the #ace o# increasingly complex ser"ice mo els% 12% *ooking at regional markets, 5#rica coul be a strong gro$th area #or billing an rating systems, as many o# the smaller operators reach market saturation an begin looking #or something more complex than an Excel sprea sheet% *atin 5merica, though still essentially an emerging market, is perhaps more e"elope than most, as e"i ence by the success o# companies such as San "ine in that region% Some o# the ne$er charging an billing plat#orms might seem like a big in"estment to emerging operators, but they coul pro"e to be cost(e##ecti"e in the long run, particularly #or start(ups $ithout legacy systems as there are #e$er integration issues to be a resse %