Comarch Technology Review magazine

www.comarch.com
The Magazine of Comarch
Telecommunications
Business Unit
no2/2010
[12]
In this issue:
OSS/BSS Features
M2M Market Trends: Overview
Of The M2M Value Chain
How Exactly Will You Benefit From Automating
Field Services In Your Company
Customer Spotlight
Bouygues Telecom Achieves the Right Balance
Thanks to Comarch BSS Suite
Technology & Innovation
Comarch Tests at the IBM Innovation
Center

Personalize your customer
experience
Transform seamlessly to new
business models
Ensure the highest quality of
delivered services
Take full control of your network
Meet with Comarch experts face to face at the MobileWorldCongress2011
14 – 17 Februaryat Fira de Barcelona, in Barcelona, Spain – 1F20, Hall 1

Preface 3
piotr machnik
Comarch SA
Vice President, Product
Management & Marketing
Telecommunications
Business Unit
Editor-in-Chief: Katarzyna Gajewska
katarzyna.gajewska@comarch.com
Layout & DTP: Jakub Malicki
Photos: www.fotolia.com
Proofreader: Martin Jones
Publisher: Comarch SA
Al. Jana Pawła II 39a, 31-864 Kraków
Tel. +48 12 64 61 000, Fax: +48 12 64 61 100
www.comarch.com
Print: Skleniarz Printing House
ul. J. Lea 118, 31-033 Kraków
Circulation: 1 500
Technology Review is a free publication available
by subscription. The articles published here can be
copied and reproduced only with the knowledge and
consent of the editors. The names of products and
companies mentioned are trade marks and trade
names of their producers.
To receive your subscription to the electronic
version or see the previous issues, please visit:
tr.comarch.com
Comarch’s offices in Poland: Krakow
(HQ), Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Poznan,
Katowice, Lodz, Lublin
Worldwide Offices:
Americas
Panama | Panamá
United States of America | Chicago
Europe
Austria | Wien
Belgium | Brussels
Finland | Espoo
France | Lille, Grenoble
Lithuania | Vilnius
Germany | Dresden, Frankfurt/Main,
Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Muenster,
Duesseldorf, Bremen
Russia | Moscow
Slovakia | Bratislava
Ukraine | Kyiv, Lviv
Middle East
United Arab Emirates | Dubai
Asia
China | Shanghai
Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City
Comarch Technology Review is a publication created by Comarch experts and specialists. It is created
to assist our customers and partners in obtaining in-depth information about market trends and
developments, and the technological possibilities of addressing the most important issues.
ne of the world’s most renowned inventors,
Sir Faraday, was asked by the Minister of the
Treasury who was visiting Faraday’s lab „What
benefits would people have from these experiments with
electricity?” „I don’t know,” he said, “but I’m sure your
government will be collecting taxes from these results in
the future”. The same answer can probably be given to us
today by this year’s Nobel Prize laureate in Physics. Many
interesting and revolutionary technologies are waiting for
business opportunity to make them profitable and begin
entirely new revenue streams. Market innovation combines
technology with business modeling and extensive work
from engineers and marketing specialists.
Gartner’s report, Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies
2010, published in October, points out that almost all the
analyzed IT technologies are related to user experience, new
interfaces or user interaction methods.
The Web phenomenon has been moving from PC’s to
other devices such as smart phones, TV’s, flat panels in
automobiles, public transport and retail. New interaction
styles based on accelerometers and location services,
which made no sense for PC’s, are boosting the sales
of intelligent terminals. User experience as well as new
interaction styles, such as gesture recognition and tangible
user interfaces, simplify communication between the
application and the user and make our handsets more
intelligent and more personal.
Location based services, previously forecasted as a trigger
for location based ads, has become very popular because of
applications from iPhone Android using our position to define
a context for smart applications.Users are becoming more
accustomed to positioning information required by applications
and will be more open for mobile ads in the future.
Cloud computing is growing in the context of the expansion
of mobile application shops which has to find storage and
resources to support relatively small and smart applications
on smart phones with which the user is still moving from
place to place with.
Web cloud computing, location services and multi-screen
interfaces in the connected world are good examples of the
adoption of new business and revenue models, rather than
simply the adoption of the newest technology.
From the perspective of communication service providers, one
of the most important challenges in the Connected World is
how to ready infrastructure and business processes for new
interaction methods, new business models like revenue and
infrastructure sharing, direct and indirect sales models, quality
driven by customer experience and multi-technology service
fulfillment and assurance.This edition of Technology Review
demonstrates how Comarch analysts, solution managers and
developers approach the Connected World trend.
Enjoy reading.
What will surprise us
in the near future?
O

table ofcontents4
Comarch Technology Review 02/2010
16 Business Cases ForPolicy Management
Some years ago, policy management did not
constitute a hot topic. Today, policy management
is becoming an essential tool for operators in
managing network traffic, based on policies
and improving service offerings simultaneously.
Operators can adjust their service offerings using
various parameters, such as service type, time of
day, customer location and data volumes.
19 M2M Market Trends
Overview Of The M2M Value Chain
The Machine-to-Machine (M2M) business,
related to the communication between machines
and other traditionally non-computing remote
devices or sensors, is attaining a global presence.
According to The European Telecommunications
Standards Institute (ETSI), the M2M market has
the potential to connect up to 50 billion machines
today, and even more in the near future.
23 From Circuit To Soft (Packet)-Switching
Not so long ago, as the traditional Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN) evolved from analog to
digital (thanks to digital Time-Division Multiplexing
technology), we entered the era of NGN networks,
based on Internet protocols such as IP (Internet
Protocol) and MPLSs (Multi-protocol Label
Switching). Therefore, next generation networks
are often named “all-IP” networks, to emphasize
the transformation towards IP protocol.
26 Knowledge TransferOrChange
Announcement?
Every company requires an ongoing
communications and training program. They should
be designed to ensure that all employees, full time
and temporary, as well as contractors understand
the enterprise’s policies, processes and software
and know how to follow and use them properly.
28 Boosting Service Innovation
Getting Through The Jungle Of Buzzwords:
SDP, Service Broker, Orchestration, SOA,
Service Composition…
Communication Service Providers (CSP) strive
to boost service innovation to augment basic
connectivity services. They are aware that they
may need new tools to realize this goal, but are
bombarded with buzzwords, by many claiming
they have the right solution. This article suggests
taking the problem-centric approach, to avoid
being drawn into the flood of new buzzwords.
news
5 What’s New
Customer Spotlight
6 Case Study:
Bouygues Telecom Achieves the
Right Balance between Flexibility and
Maintainability Thanks to Comarch BSS Suite
Bouygues Telecom required a platform to support
the company’s business development strategy of
supplying additional mobile services to end users
through SMS, Voice, MMS, WAP and I-Mode™, in
collaboration with a growing number of content
and service providers. This approach demanded a
sophisticated billing system capable of handling
the complex accounting processes between the
French mobile operator and its partners.
8 Case Study:
How Cablevisión de Saltillo Entered a New
Market while Minimizing Costs
Comarch offered a pre-integrated billing, customer
care and network management solution that
supported all of Cablevisión’s business lines,
including telephony. Additionally, the solution
included a prepaid module that allowed
Cablevisión to offer prepaid services and an
interpartner billing module to efficiently handle the
company’s agreements with other carriers.
OSS/BSS Features
10 How Cablecos Can Get Ahead Of Their
Competition
The Critical Role Of Next Generation BSS/OSS
In Cable Providers’ Business
On today’s cable market, there is an ongoing
race among operators towards the valued goal
of becoming an MSsO (Multi-Sservice Operator).
Although TV services still remain the main and
most stable revenue stream, significant income
growth originates from high-speed Internet and
telephony services, and the importance of these
will continue to increase.
13 How Exactly Will You Benefit From
Automating Field Services In YourCompany
Field Service Management tools are solutions that
are primarily deployed by companies in order to
achieve certain business improvement goals. The
most popular and commonly requested client
goals in FSM systems include decreasing costs,
minimizing risks, and maximizing the profitability
of their services.
30 Bright Future ForIPTV – Are You Ready?
By the end of 2010, Vodafone will present its
proprietary IPTV offer, named Vodafone TV, at IFA.
Based on a hybrid approach, satellite and cable
signals are processed via a platform developed
by Vodafone Germany. Following Telekom and
Alice, Vodafone will now be the third provider of IP
television in Germany.
34 Why Use Plain Old Inventory Management
If You No LongerSell Plain Old Telephone
Services?
If we look to the future of Communications Service
Providers, we will see LTE technologies emerging
with constantly increasing power.Among others, the
new technologies were designed to make networks
more flexible, adaptable and cheaper to deploy. The
time required for enabling new services shrinks from
weeks to days, and maybe even hours.
Telcosphere blog
38 Unlimited Data Plans – Disappearing Into
Extinction
39 Murphy’s Law In 21st Century
Telecommunications
40Why Doing YourLaundry Can Be A Lot Like
Talking On The Phone
Technology & Innovation
42 Performance In Action
Customers require a better quality of software.
They also need improved performance of
business processes. High availability is a standard
requirement. It calls for more and more testing.
How do you perform increased testing in a more
diversified test environment?
44 Improving The Scalability Of Modern Web-
Based Software System
Nowadays, the scalability of software systems,
considered as their ability to handle growing
amounts of work, is of great importance. Modern,
web-based applications should often handle
thousands of requests per second, and it’s
impossible to achieve this throughput without
rapidly-operating hardware and well-designed
systems with the ability to be enlarged.
Commentary
46Relation afterComarch BSS/CRM/OSS
Workshops in Stockholm

NEWS 5
For more information, go to:
www.press.comarch.com
What’s New
Recent Product Launches:
05 | 08 | 10
Comarch introduces a new product to its
offerfortelecom operators – Comarch Bill
Shock Prevention
The growing usage of data services among
mobile subscribers has led to the surfacing of
a brand new problem that operators worldwide
have to face – the so called ‘bill shock’.
Comarch’s response is an addition to the broad
scope of its offer for telecom operators – the
Comarch Bill Shock Prevention solution.
29 | 07 | 10
Comarch launches new end-to-end solution
forCloud Service Management and Billing
As Cloud Computing and Cloud
Services increase in popularity on the
telecommunications market, Comarch
responds with a comprehensive solution for
managing and billing cloud services.
Comarch is Building its own
Data Center Abroad:
17 | 05 | 10
In 2010, Comarch plans to open a Data
Centerin Lille, France, with the next one
planned forGermany
Currently, Comarch has two modern Comarch
Data Centers in both Cracow and Warsaw,
with an additional facility in Cracow currently
under construction.
Recent Contracts:
15 | 09 | 10
KPN optimizes multinational corporate
customermanagement with a Comarch
solution
Comarch delivers a comprehensive set of BSS
modules to help KPN lower operational costs,
improve customer satisfaction and launch
new services faster.
18 | 08 | 10
The E-Plus Group selects Comarch as
a strategic partner forNext Generation
Network Planning
Comarch provides a solution supporting
planning and configuration of Radio Access,
Transport and Core Networks. This innovative
platform, delivered in the Managed Service
model, improves the efficiency of network
planning and, in particular, supports the
accelerated roll-out of the high-speed E-Plus
data network.
14 | 07 | 10
Comarch implements an innovative class
5 service platform at Telefonia DIALOG,
Poland
Comarch has signed a comprehensive
contract with Telefonia DIALOG, one of
the biggest independent telecom service
providers in Poland for the provisioning,
installation and implementation of a service
platform based on class 5 Soft Switches.
Latest Award:
01 | 07 | 10
Comarch NGNP receives 2010 Next
Generation Network Leadership Award
Comarch Next Generation Network
Planning was awarded by NGN Magazine
in the category of Network Technology, in
recognition of its outstanding innovation.

Customer Spotlight6
Customer Spotlight6
he advent of newly developed accounting models
and the introduction of an extensive number of
novel mobile services prompted Bouygues Telecom,
in 2004, to replace its partner billing tool with a systematic
and rule-based system capable of managing the consequent
growth of increasingly complex revenue-sharing agreements
with content providers.
The Business Need
Bouygues Telecom required a platform to support the
company’s business development strategy of supplying
additional mobile services to end users through SMS, Voice,
MMS, WAP and I-Mode™, in collaboration with a growing
number of content and service providers. This approach
demanded a sophisticated billing system capable of
handling the complex accounting processes between the
French mobile operator and its partners.
The Approach
Comarch provided Bouygues Telecom with a convergent and
agnostic billing and rating solution for postpaid and prepaid
services, including discounting and threshold charging.
Acquiring separate modules from different vendors would
have been an extremely complicated process, involving
signing and maintaining a number of contracts. Additionally,
the integration of these modules could have been extremely
difficult, adding to ongoing implementation risks.
The Approach
Comarch offered a pre-integrated billing, customer care
and network management solution that supported all of
Bouygues business lines, including telephony.
Bouygues Telecom, with over 10 million subscribers (March
2010), manages numerous products such as voice, SMS,
MMS, data, internet, etc. and has to manage content and
service provider billing for various products and services
(premium SMS, WAP, vote+ etc.).The solution is interfaced
with their own central Partner DB, backup and many other
interfaces within their information system.
Why Comarch?
In addition to Gartner assessments of the performance of
Comarch BSS, Bouygues Telecom conducted a detailed
T
Bouygues Telecom achieves the right balance
between flexibility and maintainability
thanks to Comarch BSS Suite
“We were looking
for a billing system
that was able to
keep up with the
frantic pace at
which we were
expanding, while
ensuring increased
revenues for
content providers
and Bouygues
Telecom”
stated Emmanuel
Micol, Access
and Interconnect
Director, Bouygues
Telecom.

Customer Spotlight 7
Comarch
product:
InterPartner Billing
The industrialization and integration aspect of
this project plays a prominent role. As an example,
Bouygues Telecom’s CRM is interfaced with
Comarch Partner Care for automatic provisioning
of subscriptions. In addition, the system has been
adapted to all maintenance and usability constraints
imposed on any application in production at Bouygues
Telecom. In particular, the InterPartner Billing system
can be monitored using remote central monitoring,
and billing-specific processes can be initiated from
Bouygues Telecom’s central scheduling system. This
enables streamlining operating tasks, optimizing costs
and efficiency, as well as increasing the reliability of the
solution.
“Our solution for partnership management offers far
more than simply sharing money among companies.
We created a business solution based on a thorough
understanding of the nature of relationship building. We
are confident that our system will enable our client to
concentrate exclusively on their core business activities
and strengthen their competitive advantage”, explained
Tymoteusz Wrona, Head of BSS Solution Management.
“The system has been up and running for several years,
and it allows us to respond effectively and rapidly to
emerging market demands”, stated Emmanuel Micol,
Access and Interconnect Director, Bouygues Telecom.
study of various solutions on the market supported by
a POC (Proof of Concept). The billing and partner relationship
modules stood out due to their ability to elaborate and
handle reconciliation and mass processing, as well as their
capability to manage the complex partnership between
Bouygues Telecom and its partners responsible for content
and service provision.
“We chose Comarch InterPartner Billing over several other
rating engines as it enabled us to achieve the right balance
between flexibility and maintainability. This allows Comarch
to provide superior service and content delivery to mobile
customers, as well as revenue sharing in a highly dynamic
market where innovations arising every few months is
paramount”, explained Emmanuel Micol, Access and
Interconnect Director, Bouygues Telecom.
The Result
Comarch deployed a specially designed IT solution
for gathering information related to customer service
usage and computing the complicated revenue-sharing
rules that arise between Bouygues Telecom and its
partners. The system generates all the necessary
financial documentation and statistical reports, which
are then loaded into a dedicated data-mart and
transferred to SAP financial applications for further
processing.
Figure 1.
Content -based
services
Content
partners
Payment &
Charging
Requests
Revenue
Sharing
Products & Prices
Management
Partner
Management
Usage Data
Adapters
Partner
Self Care
Invoicing
Payment &
Charging
Gateway
Revenue
Sharing
Partner’s
administrator
Service
Usage
Data
Invoices
Premium
services,
VAS
Telco
Partners
Customer
Bouygues
Telecom
Industry
Communications
Founded in 1994,
Bouygues Telecom
has 10,352,000 mobile
subscribers, 311,000
fixed customers
and employs 9000
members of staff.
The company aims to
“become the preferred
brand of mobile and
fixed communication
services as well as
of TV and Internet
provision”, and looks
to provide users
with more freedom
when using their
mobile phones - with
an emphasis on
hospitality, service
and support for its
customers.

Customer Spotlight8
Customer Spotlight8
Figure 1.Target IT infrastructure diagram
ablevisión de Saltillo, a cable TV operator in
Coahuila, Mexico, had ambitious expansion plans
that included entering the telephony market and
the acquisition of several smaller operators. Changes in
anti-monopoly laws allowed the company to execute its
plans, but heavy investments were necessary to guarantee
proper scalability and support telephony. Comarch helped
Cablevisión de Saltillo make the leap with a cost-effective
end-to-end integrated BSS solution.
The Business Need
In order to offer voice services, an operator needs to
significantly modify its IT infrastructure to support the new
technology. Cablevisión de Saltillo’s existing IT systems did
not support telephony, and when analyzing BSS vendors,
the company found that very few offered an end-to-end
integrated platform. The target infrastructure is depicted in
the following diagram:
How Cablevisión de Saltillo entered
a new market while minimizing costs
C
Customer
Cablevisión de
Saltillo
Industry
Communications
Cablevisión de Saltillo
is the flagship operator
of Grupo RCG.Today,
Cablevisión de Saltillo
is the largest Multi-
Service Operator (MSO)
in the state of Coahuila,
Mexico’s third-largest.
The capital of Coahuila is
the city of Saltillo, where
Cablevisión holds an
overwhelming share of
the triple-play market.
Internet
Telephony
Television
Controllers
Service Delivery
Platform
Billing System
& Customer
ManagementPayment Management
HFC Network
Help Desk
Call Center

Customer Spotlight 9
Figure 2.Detailed infrastructure diagram after Comarch implementation
Acquiring separate modules from different vendors would
have been an extremely complicated process, involving
signing and maintaining a number of contracts. Additionally,
the integration of these modules could be very difficult,
adding to ongoing implementation risks.
The Approach
Comarch offered a pre-integrated billing, customer care
and network management solution that supported all of
Cablevisión’s business lines, including telephony.
Additionally, the solution included a prepaid module
that allowed Cablevisión to offer prepaid services and
an interpartner billing module to efficiently handle the
company’s agreements with other carriers. Figure 2
describes the final IT infrastructure.
The Result
With the help of Comarch, Cablevisión de Saltillo completed
a breakthrough project that allowed the operator to enter
a new market, while minimizing costs. Key features of the
pre-integrated solution include:
Comprehensive solution supporting all services in
a convergent manner
Multi-language system and documentation (Spanish
supported)
Pay-as-you-grow model supporting the following out-
of-the-box:
Up to 100,000 post-paid subscribers
Up to 20,000 pre-paid subscribers
Unlimited system users
Unlimited telephone traffic
Highly scalable system able to support many additional
subscribers by gradually improving hardware capacity,
as compared to other systems that require exponential
investments in hardware
Standards-based solution that facilitates the future
implementation and integration of additional modules
and 3rd party systems
Comarch
products
& Services:
Comarch
Convergent Billing
Comarch
Customer
Management
Comarch
Workforce
Management
Comarch
Business Process
Management
Comarch Self Care
Comarch Service
Activation
Comarch Billing
Mediation
Comarch 3arts
Comarch
InterPartner
Billing
Comarch Analyzer
Comarch Fraud
Detection
In the words of Carlos Casas, IT Director at Cablevisión de Saltillo, “Comarch is a true
partner that helped us modernize our IT infrastructure and continues to support us in
our day-to-day activities.We look forward to continuing our relationship with Comarch
for years to come”.
Internet
Telephony
Set Top Box
TVWI-FI
Firewall
ACC
Controller
Internal
Network
Motorola
DAC 6000
Cedar Point C3
Safari Softswitch
CMTS
Decoders
Multiplexers
TV Content
Internet and
Telephony
Comarch
Data Processing
Server
Comarch
Billing System
Data base
Intraway Service
Delivery Platform
Comarch Customer
Management
Comarch Self
Care
Comarch
3Arts
Comarch
Mediation
Cable Modem
EMTA
HFC NETWORK (DOCSIS – PACKET CABLE – SET TOP BOX PROVISIONING)

OSS/BSS Features10
OSS/BSS Features10
Why do Cablecos and Telcos Compete?
On today’s cable market, there is an ongoing race among
operators towards the valued goal of becoming an MSO
(Multi-Service Operator).Although TV services still remain the
main and most stable revenue stream, significant income
growth originates from high-speed Internet and telephony
services, and the importance of these will continue to
increase.
In fact, the strongest competition cable operators’ face
derives from telecommunication service providers, rather
than from other cable operators. Customers can turn to a
telecommunication service provider to provide a similar
service, and without difficulty. This results in operators
seeking to improve their offers, and it is this type of
competition which can be highly beneficial for customers.
Both cablecos and telcos offer multi-play services which
consist of video, high-speed Internet, voice and wireless
services. There are numerous differences in technologies
and quality of services offered, yet telcos and cablecos are
heading in a similar direction with their offers to such an
extent that the customer may not even notice the difference
between them.
However, differences in service delivery technologies
provide tools for differentiation. Many telcos and cablecos
are still transforming their networks to allow for appropriate
business model transformation. Networks are transformed,
business models are adjusted. Both types of providers
strive to offer faster Internet, voice and wireless services.
Cablecos have been upgrading their networks to DOCSIS
3.0 to make this possible. Telcos are now using fiber-optic
networks to compete with cable companies through delivery
of TV services. Such technologies are powerful arms on the
battlefield, but what about long-range weapons?
Leading the Way to Multi-Service
Transformation
In order to benefit from the transformation momentum,
cable operators require robust support from systems that
understand the specifics of the market and which enable an
increase in competitiveness, delivery of high quality services
Krzysztof
Kwiatkowski
Comarch SA
BSS Product Manager,
Telecommunications
Business Unit
How cablecos can get ahead of their competition:
The critical role of next generation BSS/OSS in
Cable Providers’ business

OSS/BSS Features 11
Ideas in brief:
Why cablecos
and telcos have
to compete
Why do
operators need
to transform
their business
towards multi-
service
What to
consider when
looking for a
perfect solution
to support your
cable business
How does
Comarch
respond to the
needs of Cable
providers
and rises in revenue per subscriber. Furthermore, there must
also be a continuous focus on the customer.
BSS and OSS systems can be the key factors in an operator’s
successful business model transformation or lack thereof,
and constitute the long-range weapon in the battle between
cablecos and telcos. These systems must be focused on
increasing competitiveness, raising revenue per subscriber
and should be prepared for the future expansion of the
operator. To facilitate excelling at customer orientation
strategy, it must allow for creating personalized offers
according to the individual preferences of customers, and
ensure the high quality of delivered services. To shorten the
time-to-market and increase profitability, the solution should
provide multi-level convergence through the entire BSS and
OSS, as well as automation of field forces.
What to Look for in a Solution for Cable
TV Operators
Unlimited marketing creativity and customer
orientation
A product catalog with flexible definition of novel products,
services and bundles creation, personalized price plans and
discounts is the key factor for providing the differentiation
tool for marketing departments.
The usage of best-practices and pre-configured processes
dedicated to multi-service and traditional cable TV operators,
enables achieving this goal.
Market transformation
Readiness for the transformation means being well-prepared
for such mergers and acquisitions, as well as adapting to the
different characteristics of operations in various regions.
Transformation creates a set of requirements for BSS
such as multi-tenancy with support for multiple billing,
product, network and payment providers, and also sales
partners. In the BSS sphere, it requires the consolidation of
customer information resulting from multiple billing and CRM
systems. Additionally, a modern multi-service operator has
to cooperate with various partners and content providers,
and this must be supported by the BSS platform with, at a
minimum, B2B connectivity, multi-party billing and revenue
sharing.
Complete control and security of financial
operations
Bundles, personalized offers and discounts require the
complete control and security of financial operations. This is
even more pertinent in the case of Multi-Service Operators
in comparison to traditional operators. This area should
Cable TV operators
often comprise
of various
acquisitions and
mergers, and some
carry such an
approach forward
in combination
with the multi-
service strategy.
Readiness for the
transformation
means being
well-prepared for
such mergers and
acquisitions, as
well as adapting
to the different
characteristics
of operations in
various regions.
be fully managed by BSS, with an integrated sub-ledger
interfacing with G/L, comprehensive payment collection with
support for numerous payment methods, managing and
clearing financial documents, and bad debt collection and
configurable dunning scenarios. Furthermore, this should all
be carried out whilst supporting Sarbanes-Oxley, SAS-70 and
PCI compliance.
Successful business model transformation
BSS and OSS solutions must also provide flexibility and
stability for IT departments. These departments implement all
ideas and business requirements as ready-to-sell products,
integrate and manage networks and provide efficient
maintenance processes. Multi-Service Operators require
robust support for the creation and maintenance of a vast
number of individual price plans and discounts.
Network integration and management
The network integration challenge of Multi-Service Operators
is connected to simultaneous multi-network integration with
cross-network mediation and provisioning. It also touches
on service-agnostic billing and active mediation capabilities
with data format independence, high configurability and
support for industry standard interfaces and file formats.
There is a requirement for cable-TV-specific inventory with
the usage of HFC Network Hierarchy data models and
mechanisms of serviceability checking, with the possibility to
maintain precise information related to equipment at remote
sites and cable layouts needed to support technicians
working in the field.
Fault management capabilities should allow planned
outages and detect service interruptions. The new element
for cable TV operators can be connected with service quality
management which, together with managing congestion
issues via early detection of network problems and
identification of the impact on services, must be handled in
order to acquire heightened customer experience.
Convergence requires real-time processing of network
events via mediation and a billing system. This is why all
modules used in the real-time processing chain must have
the capabilities for upgrade without impacting service
continuity.
Process management
MSO complexity requires efficient business process
management, integrated with the entire multi-domain IT
ecosystem. Such integration and process management
has to be handled by BSS and OSS domains with built-in,
configurable order management, business process
execution monitoring and advanced task scheduling that are
open for integration.

OSS/BSS Features12
Comprehensive customer service
Minimizing costs and maintaining comprehensive customer
service, requires the automation of field forces. Intelligent
scheduling and dispatching of technicians, automated task-
resource matching based on technician availability, skills and
location, and leveraging data stored in the network inventory
in order to support technicians working in the field, may
provide significant cost savings and increased customer
satisfaction. The latter is especially important during
primary contact with the operator, occurring when the first
technicians visit the customer’s home.
Summary
The multi-service approach changes the way in which
customers perceive their communication service providers.
Today, Multi-Service Operators represent a major gateway
to entertainment and communication services. Creating
positive relations with customers is the task of the marketing
department, but improving their overall experience requires
the collaboration of other departments, such as network,
billing, customer service, and even field technicians.
The advantage of the Comarch solution for cable TV
operators is that it transforms the broad communication
experience into a multi-service business and provides next
generation BSS and OSS tools to enable maximum efficiency
of operations and business model transformation.
The full article can be found at:
http://cable.comarch.com
The Comarch
Solution for Multi-
Service Operators
provides: unlimited
marketing
creativity, customer
orientation,
openness to
cable TV market
transformation,
field force
automation and
more…
The characteristics
of Multi-Service
Operators mean
they require
robust support
for the creation
and maintenance
of a vast number
of individual
price plans and
discounts.
Figure 1.Comarch’s comprehensive solution for Multi-Service Operators
external
systems
Marketing and
Sales Managers
Operation
Managers
Technicians
Local resellers CSR End users
Billing
Managers
SOAIntegration
DATAIntegration
Interfaces
Field Service
Management
Revenue Sharing
Billing
Mediation
Active
Mediation
Service
Activation
Connectivity
Network & Service
Inventory Management
Service Quality
Management
Fault Management
Convergent Billing Interconnect Billing DMS/Archive
MNP
Payments
GL
DWH
Printhouse
Product Catalog
CRM Self ServicePoint of Sale
Business
Process
Management
TV / IPTV DOCSIS
TV, high-speed Internet, voice, content
End users
Multi-play
HFC
Fixed & Mobile
Telephony
Content

OSS/BSS Features 13
ield Service Management tools are solutions that
are primarily deployed by companies in orderto
achieve certain business improvement goals. The
most popularand commonly requested client goals in FSM
systems include decreasing costs, minimizing risks, and
maximizing the profitability of theirservices.
In most cases the main goal of the project is achieved
(FSM projects are less risky in comparison with other
telecommunication projects) and the influence of these
improvements in the organization of technicians’ work is
visible throughout the entire company.
In this article I will discuss several job functions in
a telecommunications company and will demonstrate that
each and every employee benefits from an investment such
as the Field Service Management system.
Customer Technical Support and
Network Maintenance
If you are a FS Dispatcher/Scheduler
As a dispatcher/scheduler in the Customer Technical Support
or Network Maintenance department, your scope of duties
involves numerous important activities within the order
fulfillment process.
If your company does not deploy any tool for improving
your job, you are probably the busiest person and at
the end of the day you are being blamed for all the
organizational problems in your department. This is
not a normal situation. Field Service Management may
make your job easier and will certainly increase your
effectiveness. Why? A number of FSM modules align to
help you carry out your responsibilities, they include:
F
OSS/BSS Features 13
How exactly will you benefit from automating
field services in your company
Szymon Uczciwek
Comarch SA
BSS/OSS Solutions
Consultant
and Product Manager,
Telecommunications
Business Unit

OSS/BSS Features14
Scheduling tools
This FSM module gives you a 360º view of your team’s
situation. If you have a new work order to fulfill, a graphical
timeline tool helps you schedule it for the proper technician
and allocate the required technical equipment. You will have
the following information:
the SLA connected with the order
a sequence of tasks required to complete the order
available resources (human and technical) with skills
suitable for completing the order
a list of tasks currently being completed by technicians
resources in the nearest location for completing the
order
Location-Based Services
If you are responsible for dispatching 20 technicians, do
you know exactly where they are at all times? If you have
a GIS-based FSM tool you are able to check every location
on a digital map, find any technician, order or vehicle. If
technicians have mobile handsets with GPS or vehicle
tracking equipment, any time you are faced with a critical
situation you are able to locate resources in the nearest
location and assign them to resolving the problem.
If you are a Technician
In the end, all the work falls on your shoulders. The strategy
of the company always requires you to be more productive –
to do more and spend less time doing it. But it’s impossible to
divide yourself in two. Field Service Management tools allow
you to follow the company’s strategy while at the same time,
making your job better and more interesting. How?
Mobile Access
Imagine that whenever you need to, you are able to check
what work you have to do. Mobile Field Service Management
tools allow you to do almost everything on site. A mobile
handset will be the most important piece of equipment you
have with you in the field. Let’s go through your usual work
day. You start by picking up your list of tasks. No need to do
this – it’s already on your mobile. Next you plan your route
from task to task – no, no! Just use your mobile application
to navigate you to the customer. Once on site you have to
verify through documentation or by telephone what work
Figure.Different users of field service management tools
Ideas in brief:
What are
the newest
solutions in the
Field Service
Management
domains
What are
the benefits
of using
Field Service
Management
tools
How can FSM
tools have
a direct impact
on you and
your position in
a telecommuni-
cation company
What are the
actual cases of
applying FSM
tools in your
daily activities
How can FSM
tools improve
communication
between
departments
Network Inventory CRM Network monitoring
FSM system Field Work Orders
Orders and
Tasks
Resources
Time
Management
Automatic
Dispatcher
Maps FSM Mobile Reporting
ManagementField TechniciansDispatchers
Network objects Orders OrdersAppointments
No matter
where you are
in the company,
Field Service
Management
solutions can
positively impact
on your work

OSS/BSS Features 15
you have to carry out – but with your mobile you already
have all this information on the screen, along with the
procedure of how to accomplish it and with remote network
measurement tools. What’s next? Usually you have to fill out
some paperwork with the customer, but now you enter all
this data into the mobile handset and capture the customer’s
signature.
Optimization tools
“Optimization” sounds like a nice, but very often it means that
your limits of petrol per mile are cut again and again.But this
is not the kind of optimization that Field Service Management
tools carry out.FSM optimization tools try to find the most
optimal organization of your work, minimizing route distances
between task sites.This is possible thanks to information from
GIS systems like Google Maps.
Spare Parts Management
There are cables, modems, set top boxes and many other tools
you have to carry in your vehicle.And even if you have tons of
stuff in the truck, there always seems to be a problem with a
certain piece of equipment that wasn’t taken.What do you do
in such a situation? One solution is to go to the warehouse and
come back with the spare part for the customer.However this
is not only problematic for you, but also creates measurable
additional costs for the company, not to mention the effect it
has on the KPIs in your department.But even this problematic
situation can be resolved thanks to Field Service Optimization
tools.With information about your daily tasks you have precise
data about what you need to take with you in order to complete
all your daily tasks.
Knowledge Base
When a network element or customer is not in a standard
location (multi-story buildings, mountains or underground
locations) having every available piece of additional
information shown in the order context is particularly useful.
The Knowledge Base in FSM tools will add a description and
pictures to your order’s details and thus shorten your time
spent on that difficult order.
Customer Service
The impact of deploying Field Service Management tools
is not only limited to the main beneficiaries such as field
service departments. It has a much broader influence on the
entire telecommunication department environment.
If you are a CSR
You are responsible for resolving customer problems as
quickly as possible and the optimal situation is when
the problem can be resolved from the first attempt. But what
if it is not possible to give the customer actual information
about a technician’s visit? What if you have to call the
customer after some discussions with the field service team
or maybe even worse, leave it to them to call the customer
to make an appointment? Such a situation is confusing not
only for you, but probably even more so for your customer.
Field Service Management tools are able to provide you with
instant information about free resources and about available
time slots for technical service on a customer’s site.
Sales
According to Gartner research in the area of Field Service
Management (e.g. Magic Quadrant for Field Service
Management from 17th July 2010) one of the critical elements
of the Field Service Management Life Cycle that has to
be supported by FSM tools is customer management
capabilities including accountancy and sales.
If you are a salesperson
Typically the worst part of a sales specialist’s work is
unsuccessful interaction with customers, as well as
gathering all the required sales process documents. It is
problematic to hold a customer’s attention while going
through all the procedures with him needed for completing
a sale. The second thing is collecting all the required
documents from the customer, such as signed contracts,
updates etc. FSM functionalities allow transferring certain
sales activities to technicians. They can play a significant role
in customer contact by delivering documents and collecting
required signatures. This may even include preparing
invoices for the customer, and executing sales, thanks to the
cross- and up-selling functions of the mobile application. The
sales process will be fully aligned with market expectations.
Now, your sales team will be supported by valuable
representatives, and no opportunity will be wasted.
Summary
Synergy is still one of the leading optimization strategies.
Improvements are made by unifying and synchronizing
the entire company to achieve the same business goals.
Consider Field Service Management systems as the next
element of a department’s synergy and communication
improvement. It is an element which leaves behind the
traditional method of managing technical resources and
puts into practice a customer-centric strategy, using
improvements in customer service processes, service
convergence (the system allows managing all field service
activities not limited to special domains and services)
and cost savings by optimization as well as benefits from
outsourcing field services.
The full article can be found at:
http://field-service.comarch.com
Glossary:
FSM – Field
Service
Management
KPI – Key
Performance
Indicator
GIS - Geographic
Information
System
SLA – Service
Level Agreement
When you are
a new employee
at a company.
Usually, at the
beginning, it takes
a significant
amount of
your time to
understand all
the procedures
and tools used by
your department.
The Mobile FSM
application with
all its details
about orders,
order sites, routes
and additional
descriptions from
the knowledge
base allows you to
start your normal
job right from the
very first day.

OSS/BSS Features16
OSS/BSS Features16
S
ome years ago, policy management did
not constitute a hot topic. One of the first
cases in which the issue received extensive
publicity, was in accordance with when P2P file sharing
applications were considered problematic – not only from
the legal perspective (copyright issues), but also because
of network congestion. Today, policy management is
becoming an essential tool for operators in managing
network traffic, based on policies and improving service
offerings simultaneously. Operators can adjust their
service offerings using various parameters, such as
service type, time of day, customer location and data
volumes. Policy management combines a mixture of
underlying network, subscriber data and service delivery
into a single entity.
Figure 1.Comparison of network economics in existing and LTE networks
Policy management
entails various
benefits for the
operator: increased
customer
satisfaction, higher
ARPU and reduced
costs.
Evolution of Policy Management
Following the operator’s struggle with P2P file sharing,
video streaming from services such as YouTube became
the next bandwidth-hungry service. Here, the role of third
parties (outside of the operator-customer relationship)
has increased – content providers and other 3rd parties
can provide data-hungry services to end customers, and
operators may not attain additional revenues from this
business.
The popularity of mobile data services has made the “bit
pipe” problem for operators even more challenging. One
contributor towards this issue has been the reducing prices
of smartphones and mobile data offerings. Subscribers have
Ideas in brief:
How and why
did policy
management
issues emerge?
What does the
customer expect?
How does policy
management
affect customer
experience?
Business cases
for policy management
Dominated by voice Dominated by data
Time
Traffic volume
Network cost
(existing network)
Cost of new network
(e.g. shared network)
Revenue
Profit
Loss

OSS/BSS Features 17
OSS/BSS Features 17
been able to purchase unlimited data plans for a fixed fee
per month. However, the problem is that the revenues from
mobile data services do not cover the costs of network
investments. Many operators have already announced that
they will stop offering unlimited data plans for mobile users,
and will instead provide various tariff plans with different
monthly data quotas.
The introduction of LTE improves mobile network efficiency,
and data traffic growth does not increase CAPEX to the
same level as it does in 3G networks. Thus, operators
are more able to increase their revenues without the
continuous need to upgrade network capacity. Figure 1
[source: Analysys Mason, 2010] presents the effect of
network maintenance costs on the operator’s bottom-line
results, between legacy and LTE networks. Notice how traffic
volume growth in existing networks correlates with network
costs. After LTE, operators still require tools for managing
the policies, in order to take full advantage of the revenue
opportunities.
Policy Management from the Customer
Perspective
A typical customer wants to pay as little as possible for the
services he is using.Similarly, he also wants to receive as
much value as possible for his money – this means that
he wants to attain the maximum amount of minutes and
megabytes.From the operator’s perspective, this becomes a
dilemma – the operator wants to acquire as much money from
the customer as possible, and simultaneously, the customer
should consume as few network resources as possible.
The customer can reap the benefits of the personalized
services offered by the operator. Fundamentally, each
customer has their own service usage habits, such as
web browsing, viewing video (e.g. YouTube) and gaming.
For each type of end customer, the operator can tailor
individual pricing plans and customize the service level. For
example, a customer who likes to play multiplayer games
on the Internet would appreciate higher service levels for
this particular type of service, in this case meaning lower
latencies for the game data traffic.
Customers may be interested in purchasing value-added
services (such as better QoS levels) for an additional fee.
An example case can be a business customer who needs
high bandwidth for the corporate VPN services he is using.
Another example can be a private customer who would like
to watch a football match with guaranteed bandwidth and
reduced latency. This type of user can buy e.g. a temporary
4-hour “bandwidth boost” from the operator for an additional
fee, using the self service portal for the subscription.
It can be summarized that customer experience is
heightened with policy management – network congestion
is reduced, customers receive more individualized tariff
plans and customers feel that they are getting more value
for their money. Thus, moving from the flat rate, unlimited
tariff plans to more individual types, can actually become an
advantage for the customer.
Why operators should invest in Policy
Management
From the operator’s perspective, policy management is not
only about throttling the bandwidth from high bandwidth
consumers. Policy management entails various benefits for
the operator: increased customer satisfaction, higher ARPU
and reduced costs.
The typical
customer wants
to attain the
maximum amount
of minutes and
megabytes for
as little money
as possible. The
operator, on the
other hand, would
like to acquire
as much money
from the customer
as he can, and
simultaneously
have the customer
consume as few
network resources
as possible.
Pekka Valitalo
Comarch SA
BSS Market Analyst,
Telecommunications
Business Unit

OSS/BSS Features18
Figure 2.Comarch Policy Management solution
With more individual tariff plans, the operator can up-sell
and cross-sell more for existing customers, and increase
ARPU in this way. An additional advantage is, of course,
the lower costs for network investments and maintenance
– due to restricting heavy bandwidth consumers. Network
congestion can be controlled, for example, by dynamically
allowing only specific types of services on the network
(e.g. web surfing is allowed, but video streaming or P2P
file sharing is not), in temporary situations where network
bandwidth is reducing.
The operator is able to increase the segmentation of
customers, basing on their individual habits. Various
parameters can be used for this segmentation, such as
service type, location, subscriber status (e.g. basing on
ARPU), device type and age. The policy management engine
can make dynamic decisions basing on the parameters, and
this extends the operator’s role from a mere bit pipe, towards
a more customer-focused service provider.
The policies can be applied dynamically and without
individual configuration for each customer, by the policy
management engine. The information about individual
subscribers can be used for allocating customers between
various tiers. For example, customers with high ARPU from
the previous two months may be automatically allocated to
a higher tier for the ensuing month. Individual tiers can have
different service allowances and quality of service levels.
The customer can be informed of the new service tier e.g. by
The figure presents a general
architecture of the Comarch
Policy Management solution,
situated between the billing/
CRM and network layer.The
solution is integrated with the
underlying network elements
to enforce the policies, and
can also be integrated with
the external billing and CRM
systems, instead of using its
own online/offline charging
functionalities and the
subscription profile repository.
The supported interfaces not
only follow 3GPP standards
(Gx, Gy), but also provide
additional interfaces and
APIs for integration with
the network environment
and external systems, making
it usable for multiple types
of Communication Service
Providers.
SMS, and it is also possible for him to purchase an increased
tier for the ensuing months, for an additional fee, in the case
that the conditions (such as specific level of ARPU) from the
previous months are not met.
The self service portal of the operator can be used in various
business scenarios for policy management – from defining
the service limits (e.g. service type or specific URL/domain)
in parental control scenarios, to defining consumption
restrictions, and time-of-day limits. This reduces the risk of
bill shocks and also provides more choice for end customers
to define the appropriate service allowance.
Conclusions
The scope of policy management is extending from
traditional usage of network throttling towards value-added
services, by using subscriber and service data available
for the decisions that have an effect on the services that
the subscriber is using. Operators are able to use policy
management for the offering of personalized services and
tariffs to their customers.
The Comarch Policy Management solution enables
Communication Service Providers to control their
network, service sessions and subscriber access, and
simultaneously provide subscribers with differentiated
services and improved customer experience.
The policy
management
engine can make
dynamic decisions
basing on the
parameters, and
this extends the
operator’s role from
a mere bit pipe,
towards a more
customer-focused
service provider.
CRM
Partners
Content
Billing
Online and Offline
Charging System
Comarch Policy Management
Application
Function
Subscribe Profile
Repository
Online and Offline
Charging System
Service Control
Policy and Charging
Rules Function
Web Services
Gx, Gy Diameter, RADIUS API Provisioning
Web Services
HTTP
Various network types
IP, IMS, NGNFixed, Cable Mobile

OSS/BSS Features 19
he Machine-to-Machine (M2M) business, related
to the communication between machines and
othertraditionally non-computing remote devices
or sensors, is attaining a global presence. According to The
European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI),
the M2M market has the potential to connect up to 50 billion
machines today, and even more in the nearfuture. Mobile
network operators, seeking new revenue sources when
faced with reduced voice revenues, have developed an
interest in the M2M segment.
Devices with embedded connectivity are used in the
various sectors: energy, automotive, logistics, infrastructure,
security, healthcare, merchandising, payment, monitoring,
industry etc. We can encounter machines with SIM cards
installed in both our professional and private lives. Their
application can be wide, from the monitoring of energy
usage, through car connectivity to entertainment.
Thanks to this connectivity, all machines and devices with
M2M cards installed can be efficiently monitored, updated and
diagnosed remotely, without human intervention.Errors can be
detected automatically and alerts can be sent immediately.
An example of the application of M2M cards in the
automotive sector is presented in Figure 1. In this case,
drivers can benefit from faster passage through a road
toll, due to the automatic charging of cars and the top-up
possibility in the prepaid model. Moreover, logistics and
insurance companies can attain accurate information about
the routes’ their employees and customers’ take.
The schema for healthcare monitoring is presented in
Figure 2. The remote diagnosis of the patient is one of
the advantages of this M2M application. Besides a rapid
diagnosis, M2M monitoring reduces the cost of treatment
and guarantees more freedom for patients who can go home,
while still receiving care.
T
OSS/BSS Features 19
M2M market trends
Overview of the M2M value chain
Agnieszka Czulak
Comarch SA
BSS Solution Manager,
Telecommunications
Business Unit
Figure 1.M2M application in the road tolls business
Pekka Valitalo
Comarch SA
BSS Market Analyst,
Telecommunications
Business Unit
Road Toll Company
IT Systems
M2M solution
Internet
EXIT
EXIT
EXIT

OSS/BSS Features20
Overview of the M2M ecosystem
Figure 3 presents the different actors of the M2M market:
Device manufacturer, system integrator, M2M enabler,
network operator and end user. Each has different needs and
roles related to their activity.
Device manufacturers
Device manufactures who provide hardware and firmware
to M2M partners are equipping devices that were originally
designed to operate without reference to mobile technology,
with hardware that enables M2M communication.
The M2M enabler
can be different to
that of a network
operator, although
in some cases the
solution provider
and network
operator are
actually the same
company.
Ideas in brief:
Why the M2M
business is
becoming
more and more
attractive
Which actors are
present in the M2M
value chain
The dilemma
network operators
face
Which trends are
present on the
M2M market
Figure 2.M2M application in the healthcare industry
Figure 3.Actors of the M2M ecosystem
Comarch
Self Care
System
Integrator
M2M
Enabler
MNO
End User
Telco Operator IT Systems
Hospital
IT Systems
M2M Platform
Internet
Mobile
Network
Monitored
Patient
Monitored
Patient
Monitored
Patient

OSS/BSS Features 21
Certification requirements are high. Devices have to be
compliant with various standards. The performance
assurance of devices should be confirmed by detailed tests.
For example, the M2M-dedicated SIM cards must be able to
operate in certain environments. Thus, device manufactures
work constantly on the improvement of their wireless
hardware & firmware, in order to satisfy their customers:
MNOs, system integrators, M2M enablers, and also end
customers of the M2M business.
System integrators
The M2M solution needs to be customized depending on the
target M2M segment. Attaching a SIM card to an electricity
meter does not automatically enable the automatic meter
reading scenario; additional effort is still required. System
integrators are in charge of development & maintenance
of hardware, embedded & server software, bug tracking,
and also updates for the M2M solutions. System integrators
assume customer risks and guarantee the efficient
functioning of hardware & software.
Because M2M applications can be complex to set up, the role
of system integrators in the M2M value chain is important.
The typical end users of M2M services are not focused on
technical issues, so it is the system integrator that develops
the solution, regarding the hardware and applications. In
comparison to device manufacturers, the system integrator
may need specific applications from external companies to
compose the required M2M solution.
M2M enablers
The main role of an M2M enabler is offering the end-to-
end M2M solution. They provide the complete product,
connectivity, support, SIM logistics and applications updates.
The end users usually prefer to purchase an “all-in-one” solution
from the M2M enabler, instead of purchasing the individual
elements of the M2M solutions from various different vendors.
The M2M enabler can also provide dedicated applications
for specific types of M2M segment. For example, the fleet
management industry may be interested in applications that
provide all necessary data for transportation management
purposes. These applications can be run on the M2M
enabler’s M2M platform. From the fleet management
company’s perspective, the availability of transportation
management applications, as a hosted service, reduces the
initial investments in the proprietary IT platform.
Network operators
Network operators provide the connectivity (network &
support) to M2M partners and end users. They are interested
in the simplification of internal business operations and
optimization of network utilization, in order to provide flexible
and efficient services to their customers.
Some MNOs have created distinct units responsible for
M2M business, which work solely on the rapid development
& implementation of new M2M services. In addition to
a dedicated organization, MNOs amplify the cooperation with
device and application providers in order to create common
M2M functionalities. The amount of network elements
dedicated to the M2M business is increasing. Many MNOs are
deploying their own network elements for this purpose.
End users
Even if the global interest towards the M2M business is
high, knowledge of required technology and implementation
experience in this area are still rare. Only some end users
(enterprises) have already entered the M2M business.
But there are also numerous end users conscious of possible
M2M opportunities, and who are willing to integrate M2M
technology into their existing portfolio, although they do
not know how to launch it. Furthermore, a large group of
end users exists who are unaware of the existing M2M
opportunities within their industries. And many potential
end users have also considered the M2M business, but the
possible costs have been a barrier. However, the reducing
costs of M2M-related hardware and connectivity services are
making more M2M-related business cases viable.
End-to-end solutions and high levels of support are necessary
for organizations that wish to outsource M2M-related business
processes.The organizations need support from M2M partners
who will provide them with appropriate solutions.This enables
organizations to focus on their core businesses.
Trends in the M2M ecosystem/value
chain
MNO strategies differ; some of them decide to cooperate with
platform provides, while others are looking for a proprietary
platform. Recently, the role of MNOs in the M2M value chain
has shifted. Previously, MNOs were not as interested in
directly entering the M2M business, while the revenues from
traditional voice and data services were still rising.
End users usually
prefer to purchase
an “all-in-one”
M2M solution
from a single
vendor, instead
of purchasing
individual elements
of M2M solutions
from various
different vendors.
Some MNOs have
created distinct
units responsible
for M2M business,
which work solely
on the rapid
development &
implementation of
new M2M services.

OSS/BSS Features22
The growing revenue forecasts for the M2M business have
pushed MNOs to enter the M2M market more directly. Figure
4 presents this type of scenario, where the MNO also takes
the role of M2M enabler.
The MNO can deploy additional network elements (e.g. HLR
and GGSN) that are dedicated to M2M traffic. This can also be
carried out by the M2M enabler that uses the same masts as
the MNO, but sets up its own network elements. For the MNO,
the usage of separate network elements enables the MNO to
use the network resources more efficiently and reduces the
internal bureaucracy. For the M2M enabler, the proprietary
network elements grant more independence from the MNOs,
and better flexibility for provisioning activities and error
diagnostics.
Depending on the type of M2M segment, the MNO may wish
to cooperate with niche M2M enablers focused on a specific
M2M segment. For example, the M2M enablers that focus on
fleet management hardware and applications can help the
transport companies to focus on their core businesses, thus
creating a win-win situation for both. These niche companies
are able to provide a complete end-to-end solution for the
fleet management industry, starting from hardware delivery,
to providing a hosted platform with fleet management
applications. These kinds of end-to-end offerings can be too
narrowly focused for a large MNO, meaning it can be a more
suitable business case for a smaller scale M2M enabler,
instead. Figure 5 presents this type of business case.
MNOs can also provide additional services for increasing
revenues, such as design, deployment and support of M2M
solutions for enterprises, although these types of services
are more commonly offered by a smaller business unit within
the MNO organization. These business units can set up the
partnerships with device and application manufacturers
more rapidly, to provide complete end-to-end solutions.
Conclusions
Which approach should the MNO consider: cooperation with
an M2M enabler, or setting up a proprietary M2M platform?
No unique strategy exists for MNOs that is optimal for all
types of M2M business cases. Many different approaches
are possible, and the individual MNOs should evaluate
which is the best strategy for them. The ongoing trend of
MNOs entering the M2M market more directly transforms
the revenue stream towards MNOs. The smaller players will
still have business opportunities on the market, but they will
need to focus on more niche segments, while MNOs focus on
the areas that have the highest volumes.
Figure 5.Cooperation with an M2M enabler
Figure 4.MNO as an M2M enabler
Device
Manufacturer
System
Integrator
MNO, M2M
Enabler End User
Device
Manufacturer
System
Integrator
M2M
Enabler
MNO
End User
MNO dilemma: is
it better to use an
external solution
provider (e.g. M2M
enabler) that
provides a hosted
M2M solution for
end users, or to set
up a proprietary
M2M platform?

OSS/BSS Features 23
hen, in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was awarded
a patent for the electric telephone by the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO),
nobody, including Bell, nor any other inventors for that
matter, could envisage the future of voice transmission.
Not so long ago, as the traditional Public Switched
Telephone Network (PSTN) evolved from analog to digital
(thanks to digital Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM)
technology), we entered the era of NGN networks (Next
Generation Network), based on Internet protocols such
as IP (Internet Protocol) and MPLS (Multi-protocol Label
Switching). Therefore, next generation networks are often
named “all-IP” networks, to emphasize the transformation
towards IP protocol. Packet-based NG networks are able to
provide data, text, fax and numerous types of multimedia
such as video, in addition to the traditional landline
telephone system (POTS – Plain Old Telephone Service).
The rapid development of broadband Internet access in the
early years of the 21st century accelerated the growth of
services supported by VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
The standardization of IP-based signaling protocols such
as H.323 or SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) raised voice
services migration from circuit-switched architecture (PSTN)
to VoIP. And so the era of Internet telephony has begun.
Softswitch technology’s evolution to an
IMS architecture
The necessity for voice transformation from circuit-switched
(PSTN, SS7) to packet-based form (IP) initiated the evolution
of softswitch technology.In telecommunications networks,
softswitch is a software-based central device responsible
for VoIP call control and integration with the PSTN network.In
the early stages of softswitch technology development, the
solution architecture was based on a Call Agent, responsible
for call control, call routing and signaling and a Media Gateway
responsible for end-to-end media (voice, data) streaming.The
Call Agent would control several Media Gateways interfaced into
PSTN or IP networks.In modern softswitch-based architecture,
the Call Agent is separated from the Media Gateway.Due
to the immaturity of the technology, various definitions of
softswitches have been used by different manufacturers.
With the development of NG networks, softswitch technology
matured and was standardized as an IMS (IP Multimedia
Subsystem) architecture by the 3GPP (3rd Generation
Partnership Project) and ETSI (European Telecommunication
Standards Institute).Within the IMS architecture, the role of the
softswitch is performed by an MGC (Media Gateway Controller)
using MGCP protocol (Media Gateway Control Protocol) or H.248
protocol (also known as Megaco).
Where does Unified Communication fit in?
NG network convergence introduced VoIP technology into
fixed and mobile networks. Softswitch technology was
designed to provide voice and data services, while the IMS is
focused on all multimedia and IP network features, offering
the customers of fixed, mobile and cable providers’ access to
multiple services such as:
Voice and video telephony
IP PBX, hosted PBX (Private Branch Exchange)
Automated Attendants, receptionist
W
From circuit
to soft (packet)-switching
“...the era of
Internet telephony
has begun
Lukasz Grodzki
Comarch SA
BSS Solution Manager,
Telecommunications
Business Unit
OSS/BSS Features 23

OSS/BSS Features24
Figure 2.International voice IP traffic growth
VMS (Voice Mail System) and IVR (Interactive Voice
Response)
Enhanced phonebook, with a presence feature
Enhanced messaging, with chat and history features
Enriched call, with multimedia content-sharing during
voice sessions
This set of multimedia services is usually referred to as
Unified Communication (UC). The advantage of UC is that
it enables providing services through multiple devices
and media types anytime, anywhere and in any way. It
allows service providers to offer fixed-mobile convergence
(FMC) without any other additional equipment. Mobile
communication services such as enhanced phonebook,
enhanced messaging or enriched call are known as
a Rich Communication Suite (RCS). RCS is an IMS-based
specification of communication services, developed by the
consortium of mobile manufacturers and operators, such
as AT&T, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, SonyEricsson,
T-Mobile and many others.
The benefits of IMS and Unified
Communications
IMS, as the advanced carrier-grade service delivery platform,
enables operators to deliver innovative real-time and non
real-time services or Web 2.0 applications to demanding
customers through a unified platform, thus lowering
costs. The idea of Unified Communication is to deliver
communication services seamlessly to any device, across
any access network. Fixed and mobile convergence can
benefit both residential and corporate customers with new
services, its simplification and unification.
The main advantages of a mature IMS architecture delivered
through packet-switched technology are:
IP-based NGN architecture (well-defined modularity and
interfaces)
Common media control and network management
functions
Lower OPEX through remote and centralized
management, and common network infrastructure
Ideas in brief:
What are the
trends in mod-
ern telecommu-
nications?
What are the
benefits of voice
transmission
through IP pro-
tocol?
How to under-
stand Unified
Communication
Why Internet
Protocol seems
to be the future
of convergent
communication
Figure 1.IMS Functional architecture
The migration from
circuit-switched to
packet-switched
technology seems
to be inevitable.
The evolution of
IMS stimulates
the growth of
mobile and fixed
telecommunication
networks.
Service / Application Plane
Control / Signaling Plane
Media / Transport Plane
CSCF
MRF
R7: Broadband
R6: WiFi
R5: GPRS/UMTS
Signaling
Media
SCIM
Application
Servers
(AS)
S-CSCF
HSS
P-CSCF
I-CSCF
(S)PDFA-RACSNASS
RACS
BAS /
A=BGF
MRCF
MRFP
I-BCF /
SIP ALG
BGCF
MGCF
SGCF
MGW
DSLAMUE
UE
UE SGSN
WAG
RAN
PDG
GGSN Core
Network
I-BGF /
TrGW
IPv6
Network
IPv4
Network
PSTN
20000
0
2001
MillionsofMinutes
11021
2002
18502
2003
28706
2004
46057
2005
68900
2006
97567
2007
123974
2000
5544traffic
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000

OSS/BSS Features 25
Figure 4.Mobile technologies evolution
Decreased CAPEX through scalable server-based
hardware architecture (multiple hardware platforms
supported) and user-based licensing
Revenue-generating services
generation network). The main advantages of LTE are high
throughput, low latency and flat architecture, which imply
minimal operating costs. The first LTE services are available in
Scandinavia (opened by TeliaSonera in Stockholm and Oslo),
and shortly operators will announce the running of all-IP
based LTE networks. Global mobile operators and device
manufacturers support VoLTE (Voice over LTE), an initiative
announced in February 2010 and adopted by GSMA (GSM
World). The purpose of VoLTE is to standardize the method of
delivering voice and messaging services in the future for LTE,
using IMS specifications developed by 3GPP. GSMA VoLTE is
built upon the following principles:
Single implementation promotes scale - single
technology being used across all networks, phones and
devices
Single implementation reduces complexity
Single implementation enables roaming
The prognosis states that the top 25 LTE operators will attain
200 million subscribers by 2015.
What’s next?
Migration from circuit-switched GSM and 3G networks to
IP-based LTE networks won’t happen overnight. Operators will
need to provide service continuity. However, besides all of
the challenges, operators have no other choice. IMS in mobile
networks is materializing. By 2011, 80% of service providers
will deliver voice over IMS. What’s next? LTE Advanced, the
younger brother of LTE, will emerge in the second decade of
the 21st century, with the benefits of a throughput rate level
of 1 Gbit/s, and low power nodes such as pico or femtocells.
What is beyond this? The human need for communication –
the only consistent factor stimulating technologies to evolve
to bring communications to us more cheaply, simply and at
a higher standard
Figure 3.NGN Network benefits
Glossary:
HD - High Density
LTE –Long-Term
Evolution
VoIP - Voice over IP
Protocol
USPTO - United
States Patent and
Trademark Office
PSTN - Public
Switched Telephone
Network
TDM - Time-Division
Multiplexing
MGC - Media
Gateway Controller
POTS – Plain Old
Telephone Service
SIP - Session
Initiation Protocol
PBX - Private Branch
Exchange
VMS - Voice Mail
System
IVR - Interactive
Voice Response
FMC - Fixed-mobile
convergence
UC - Unified
Communication
RCS - Rich
Communication
Suite
3GPP - 3rd
Generation
Partnership Project
ETSI - European
Telecommunication
Standards Institute
LTE – the future of IMS - VoIP goes HD
and wireless
VoIP traffic is constantly growing in international networks,
replacing TDM international networks. TDM traffic has
noted negative growth since 2004. Nowadays, billions of
minutes of international long distance calls are transferred
over IP via wholesale carriers or global voice providers.
The evolution of IMS stimulates the growth of mobile and
fixed telecommunication networks. Third generation mobile
networks (3G) provide a High Density (HD) of voice and video,
with an elevated quality of service (QoS). The migration
from circuit-switched to packet-switched technology
seems to be inevitable for both fixed and mobile networks.
Mature 3G networks, such as UMTS (Universal Mobile
Telecommunication System), which is a combination of
circuit- and packet-switching technology, will be replaced
by all-IP flat networking architecture. The way to achieve
this is LTE (3GPP Long-Term Evolution), also called 4G (fourth
WCDMA
Rel-99
Excellent Mobile Broadband Today
Voice and full Range of IP Services
Enhanced User Experience
LTE leverages news, wider and TDD
spectrum
2009 – 2010 2011+ ---------->
Improved voice and data capability
HSPA
Rel-99
HSPA+
Rel-8
(HSPA Envolved)
Rel-9 & beyond
Rel-9
LTE
Rel-8
LTE-A
Rel-10
Rel-5 Rel-7
Legacy NextGen
Source:CIBC120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Network Equipment
Physical Facilities
Fiber
Operations
10% 7%
20%
20%
25%
15%
45%
25%

OSS/BSS Features26
OSS/BSS Features26
Knowledge transfer
or change announcement?
very company requires an ongoing
communications and training program. They should
be designed to ensure that all employees, full
time and temporary, as well as contractors understand the
enterprise’s policies, processes and software and know
how to follow and use them properly.
Imagine the following situation: new software has just
been implemented and we have several or a few dozen
employees that must be trained to use it. There is always
reluctance to change at work, always thoughts of: “there
will be reductions”, “I won’t be needed any more”, “I will have
more problems now”, “I liked the old way better”, and these
types of sentiments can be multiplied. How can an employee
be convinced that this change will have a positive affect
and how can the training be made more effective for the
company? Here are some tips to do just that.
Don’t hide anything
According to Murphy’s law, when everything is well organized
and every detail has been perfectly arranged, something
always happens to ruin the ‘happy ending’.This is exactly why it
is best to reveal each and every stage of a new project to those
who it may concern.Starting from the context of the change,
its strategy and ending with the contact peoples’ names or the
exact dates of the implementation.If any threats to the project
exist, it is in the company’s best interest to raise the awareness
of the team responsible, in order to make them more focused
on the given problem.In the end, this new software may not
meet all requirements and expectations due to various reasons.
It is better to disclose this at the beginning, rather than to wait
until the last minute, and make the issue seem like a bolt from
the blue for system users.
E
Ideas in brief:
Different training
methods for
different types
of users and
systems
Scheduling - one
of the keys to
success
Not only teach,
but also listen

OSS/BSS Features 27
Katarzyna
Gajewska
Comarch SA
Marketing&PR Specialist,
Telecommunications
Business Unit
Consult new features
Every employee will feel appreciated if you are informing
her/him about planned changes. This is especially true if
it concerns the job that they perform. Usually a delegated
team is responsible for First Site Application (FSA) tests
and the final user may not have much in common with the
new features being planned for the next release. Imagine
how they would react when coming back from holidays:
they read an email explaining how a new version of the
software was installed and the interface has changed.
Frustration along with many raised eyebrows would be
common. Questions would be asked such as: “Our bosses
don’t use this software on a daily basis! What do they
know about it?” or “On which basis was this change
requested? What for?” There are ways that may bring you
benefits while keeping end users satisfied: a Mailing list,
a dedicated website or a meeting with several agenda
points. New software should have features that the old
system did not have, features that allow users to work
faster, more effectively and most of all, make their life
easier. There is no better way to obtain this information
than from the end users themselves!
Proper communication
Everybody wants to be well informed about impending
changes. Remember that decisions should be sent in
advance. The type of application, the sophistication of
the end-user audience and the geographic distribution of
the users will create all kinds of demands. In addition to
standard classroom training, just–in-time-training cannot be
overlooked. Every training delivery mechanism is specific to
certain situations, and always comes with advantages as
well as disadvantages. In general, the entire set of training
mechanisms, as shown on the table below, is required.
Source: Gartner [Toolkit Best Practices: Training End Users].
Consult changes with engaged
employees
A training plan cannot be taken from a template. It must
be well-suited to the scheduled training. It must literally be
“tailored” to the specific needs of the customer. Off-the-shelf
training is usually a very fundamental mistake. Of course for
products which are standard and unchangeable, this course
of action may be appropriate. However, in the real world of IT
projects, such a situation is like discovering a unicorn. Project
leaders should discuss use cases with workers and after the
first training sessions, the training plan should be adjusted.
Maintaining and measuring workshop effectiveness is also
very important. Ideally, workers should be able to use at least
80% of the system’s functionalities. If there are many teams
to be trained, managers must measure this effectiveness
and make corrections for subsequent groups.
Constant improvement based on
feedback
Getting feedback from training participants is vital in the
process of constant improvement. Effective communication
between a trainer and system users will benefit both sides.
Using feedback forms and questionnaires after every training
is a great practice. This can help highlight issues that may
have been overlooked during the training planning phase or
topics that users are not concerned with.
Worst-case scenario
The worst-case scenario is providing no training at all. Poorly
trained or untrained users will cost the company significantly
more to support than well-trained employees. Workers who
are devoid of training, who spend a significant portion of their
time away from the office, and who often have networking
questions from multiple remote locations, are generally the
most expensive to support.
Figure 1.Training Method Comparison
E-training is a cost-
effective approach
for off-the-shelf
applications. Users
can work on their
own schedules
and pick the
appropriate level of
difficulty.
In most cases,
a user’s attention
span drops
significantly during
training that lasts
more than half
a day. For mobile
field workers who
work in vehicles or
outside all day, the
attention span can
be as low as 30
minutes.
Type of Training New Employees
White-Collar
Mobile Workers
Blue-Collar
Mobile Filed
Workers
Skills Training
Vertical
Applications
Immediate
Response
Classroom √ √ √ √
Web-Based Virtual
Classes
√ √ √ √
Personal Trainer √ √ √
E-Training Modules √ √ √
Cheat Sheets √ √ √ √
Help Desk Training
Modules
√ √
JITT Embedded in
the Application
√ √ √ √
√ = Appropriate to user or application

OSS/BSS Features28
OSS/BSS Features28
ommunication Service Providers (CSP) strive
to boost service innovation to augment basic
connectivityservices.Theyare aware that theymay
need new tools to realize this goal, but are bombarded with
buzzwords, bymanyclaiming theyhave the right solution.
This article suggests taking the problem-centric approach, to
avoid being drawn into the flood of new buzzwords.
Currently, CSPs face two main challenges: firstly, they are
pushed by Internet players, Google, Apple and alike, which may
result in rendering CSPs as dumb pipe providers.Secondly,
CSPs do not receive proportional compensation for the costs
inflicted by the serge in data consumed by customers.The
latter change makes the effect of the first even more severe.
As a remedy, CSPs aim to refocus more on customer
applications and end customer services, instead of
purely on communication services. This also leads to the
introduction of new business models, which allow CSPs to
assume a central role in the value chain. (This subject I have
discussed in blog post [1]).
To realize this trend, CSPs need to boost the service innovation
rate, and this may require novel tools.This demand has been
recognized by many who claim to have the right tools for CSPs.
The problem is that in order to market these new tools, many
buzzwords have been created.There is nothing wrong with
new terms introduction, as long as they help us to understand
and solve problems, but quite often they are simply used as
marketing ploys to convince CSPs to buy tools which sport the
longest list of popular buzzwords.
SOA, reusability, components, mash-ups…
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is not a product, but
a concept. Even the best tool will not guarantee the benefits
of SOA - it can only help you to employ this architecture.
For me, SOA is all about reusability, realized by component-
based service creation. In other words, the concept that
you can create new services from reusable building blocks.
This is, in fact, also the main concern of mash-ups. Newly
created (assembled) services can be used farther for
composing higher level services. This may lead to confusion,
as many tools assisting service composition may operate at
a different level of service composition.
Why does understanding service component granularity
matter to CSPs? CSPs are unlikely to want to compete with
developers, or even force them to change their favored
development environments, but on the contrary, aim to
leverage the creativity of a developer’s work. This means
that what, from a CSP perspective, should be treated as
an atomic service component, might, from the developer’s
viewpoint, represent a coarse-grained composite service
component. An example could be an augmented reality
application, which when simplifying, can be perceived as
composed from: a geolocation service, image recognition,
customer preference services, searching information and
overlaying the found information on top of other original
images. From the developers perspective, searching can be
a complex service leveraging indexing, key matching and
a rating service.
What is also worth realizing, is that the more fine grained
a component is, the more complicated service assembly
is. ‘Complicated’ in this context refers to requiring more IT
expertise. Although implementing SOA means replacing
cumbersome, monolithic services with composite services
built up from more fine-grained components, it does not
mean that service components should be broken down into
tiny pieces. The CSPs should only tackle service composition
which does not require programming skills, leaving more
fined grained types to developers.
C
Ideas in brief:
SOA is a concept,
tools can only
help CSPs to
realize it
Right level
of service
composition is
key for effective
service reusability
Service
component
granularity should
match CSPs
expertise
Service catalog-
driven fulfillment
and service
execution is an
answer
CSPs require
use cases
demonstrating
how to quickly
introduce new
services, not new
buzzwords
Boosting service innovation
– getting through the jungle of buzzwords:
SDP, service broker, orchestration,
SOA, service composition…

OSS/BSS Features 29
Fulfillment and execution time
orchestration
New service introduction must comprise three main areas:
service fulfillment, service assurance and service execution.
The first two areas are well-defined process verticals on
the eTOM map. Service execution is simply the period when
a service (after it has been ordered) is used by a customer.
Introducing the SOA service composition concept also means
bringing in the term “orchestration”. If a service is composed
of smaller pieces, delivering a service means leveraging
the functionality of these components. Orchestration is
focused on employing the functionality of these components.
We can identify two types of orchestration: fulfillment
orchestration, and orchestration at the point of execution.
Fulfillment orchestration is also related to the term “order
decomposition”, when the initial customer offers’ are
decomposed down to orders, against the components from
which a service is built up. From a technical point of view,
orchestration refers to invoking the service management
API of the service component. Execution time orchestration
accounts for invoking the functional API of the component
when a customer uses a service (during a call). These two
methods of orchestration should naturally relate to each
other, as the service execution must comply with what
a customer has ordered. This leads to the concept of the
common model for the fulfillment and execution environment.
Service catalog-driven composition
To really enable CSPs to rapidly introduce new services,
there should be a single location where service composition
is controlled. Ideally, it ought to be a service catalog which
drives service order fulfillment, and by orchestrating service
components, management API should define execution
orchestration. What is important is that the granularity of
the components managed by the service catalog should
be limited to the level where composition does not require
programming skills, and ought to enable CSP product
managers to introduce new services to the market. This
concept is described in my whitepaper [2].
SDP, NGSDP, service brokers…
The Service Delivery Platform was initially touted as
a complete solution for CSPs to rapidly introduce new
services. The problem is that many SDPs turned out to
be stove-pipe SDPs, and as a result CSPs would require
a constellation of SDPs, and so the issue of reusing service
components implemented on different SDPs remained.
Then, the term “Next Generation SDP” appeared, and this
defines a solution which may be perceived as the “SDP” of
“SDPs”, meaning the introduction of a horizontal service layer
promising to diminish the silos problem. Another hyped term
is “Service Broker”. This name is defined by 3GPP, but there
are extensions to the 3GPP definition which add additional
roles, like Reverse IM-SSF and even Web 2.0 gateway.
The former is to enable IN applications to leverage new
components developed on the IMS platform. The Web 2.0
gateway includes the role of Network APIs (reference to blog
post “Network API – Business Models”) for web developers to
leverage network assets. To depict how service broker refers
to NGSDP would be a subject for a dedicated article.
Conclusion – practical approach for
CSPs
Understanding what buzzwords really mean and how
different terms relate to each other may be somewhat
challenging, especially when quite often there are no
common definitions for them. The practical approach CSPs
can take when evaluating different solutions, is to simply ask
for a use case for introducing a new service. The use case
should demonstrate the whole process and cover:
where service composition is controlled
what granularity of service composition is intended to
be managed by the CSP
what skills are required – how complex composition/
orchestration definition is
whether it embraces service fulfillment, execution and
service assurance
if it is integrated with the service catalog which drives
customer order management
how easily I can reuse my existing services, and what
is required to make them service components
whether it is accompanied with design patterns
This article may prove to be controversial, and so I encourage
further discussion on my blog, where the article is also
published.
References:
[1] “Seeking New Revenue Opportunities – Application
Platform Wars” Comarch blog:
www.telcosphere.comarch.com
[2] “Fulfilling the Promise of Component-Based Service
Creation” – Comarch whitepaper
The practical
approach CSPs
can take when
evaluating different
solutions, is to
simply ask for a use
case for introducing
a new service.
What is important
is that the
granularity of
the components
managed by the
service catalog
should be limited
to the level where
composition
does not require
programming
skills, and ought
to enable CSP
product managers
to introduce new
services to the
market.
Lukasz Mendyk
Comarch SA
OSS Product Manager,
Telecommunications
Business Unit

OSS/BSS Features30
OSS/BSS Features30
y the end of 2010, Vodafone will present its
proprietary IPTV offer, named Vodafone TV, at IFA.
Based on a hybrid approach, satellite and cable
signals are processed via a platform developed by Vodafone
Germany. Following Telekom and Alice, Vodafone will now be
the third providerof IP television in Germany.
In light of the growing competition, the market
research enterprise Canalys sees the conventional
telecommunications providers as under pressure to clearly
increase their average revenue per user (ARPU). According to
Canalys, many of these companies may resort to IPTV. In the
future, IPTV will be an inherent part of complete service offers
to consumers.
The growing competition is primarily provoked by cable
network providers that retrofit their cable networks for
broadband Internet, and who now want to join in the large
telecommunications market as quadruple players. Kabel
Deutschland (KDG), the German cable network operator, is
one example here. KDG already offers analog / digital cable
TV, broadband Internet, fixed-line telephony via Voice over IP,
as well as mobile telephony via the Telefónica O2 network.
This way, the operative business of cable TV operators and
conventional telecommunications providers equals more and
more.
Normally, IPTV is offered by a telecommunications provider
via its broadband network, with defined quality (QoS) and
fixed program bouquets, which reflect TV contents that can
be subscribed to by certain users.
The strongest motor for the spread of internet-based TV is
most definitely the development of broadband connections,
such as DSL, ADSL2, or VDSL promoted in recent years.
The transmission of TV contents in PAL or SDTV (Standard
Definition Television) quality requires a data rate with an
average of 2-6 Mbit/s. HDTV even requires bandwidths with
an average of 6-16 Mbit/s. Furthermore, it must be possible
to operate several TV sets in each household at the same
time, which would cause a respective multiplication of the
bandwidth required. Therefore, IPTV supporters forecast
B
Ideas in brief:
What is IPTV
nowadays
Requirements and
offerings of IPTV
The basic
structure of an
IPTV headend
Comarch’s
proposal for IPTV
operators
In the future, IPTV
will be an inherent
part of complete
service offers to
consumers.
Figure 1.Convergence of Telecommunications and CATV providers
Bright future for IPTV
– are you ready?
Internet
Telephony
Mobile Communications
Television
ISDN, DSL, ADSL, VDSL Internet over Cable
VoIP
GSM, GPRS, UMTS
TV, HbbTV
ISDN, PSTN
GSM, GPRS, UMTS
IPTV
Telecommunications
Provider
CATV
ProviderMVNO

OSS/BSS Features 31
future demand for Internet bandwidth to reach a rate of at
least 30-50 Mbit/s per household.
However, new technologies and improved coding procedures
such as, for example, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC – a standard
for highly efficient video compression – help to minimize
required data rates and to optimally use existing bandwidths.
So why do conventional telecommunications providers
increasingly include IPTV in their service portfolio, and
thus take the plunge into the television world when facing
competition from cable network operators?
So is there a future for IPTV?
While the bandwidths of Internet still grant ample scope both
in telecommunications and cable networks, the question that
remains unanswered is: which TV medium will dominate in
the future – conventional analog / digital TV or IPTV?
IPTV normally requires a broadband Internet connection,
whereas its bandwidth and the signal form (SD or HD) restrict
the simultaneous broadcast of several television channels, and
thus also the operation of various TV sets.Moreover, the image
quality is often of lower quality than that of conventional analog
/ digital TV a typical television consumer is used to.
However, IPTV currently offers viewers more than traditional
television image transmission. Due to the integral return
channel of IPTV, a variety of new functions and services
opens up like, for example:
Searching for video clips or TV channels via clear-text
queries
Generating TV contents based on user preferences and/
or viewer profiles
Video on Demand enables playing any video clip at any
time
Hooking up multiple audio programs, foreign language
channels, subtitles
Interactive television (hypervideos)
Purchase transactions and T-commerce
Web 2.0 functions
In fact, conventional television also tries to enhance its
functional range by means of Internet or newly established
standards, in order to offer viewers not only the broadcasting
of TV channels, but also innovative services. HbbTV (hybrid
broadcast TV) represents a new international standard, on
which leading European TV operators and companies of the
electronics industry agreed. This expansion of television
connects broadcasting and Internet contents, and offers,
amongst others, the following services:
Integrating media libraries of TV channels and Video on
Demand
Integration of HTML pages
Transparent overlay presentation on the current
television image (interactive text and image information,
menu functions, news tickers)
Improved options for teletext, like high resolution
presentation of pictures and graphics
Combination of previous TV services such as the
Electronic Program Guide (EPG), current Internet offers
of TV broadcasters, videotext
Daniel Kloppich
Comarch SA
OSS Consultant,
Telecommunications
Business Unit
OSS/BSS Features 31
Conventional
television also
tries to enhance
its functional
range by means
of Internet or
newly established
standards, in order
to offer viewers
not only the
broadcasting of TV
channels, but also
innovative services.

Comarch Technology Review magazine

Comarch Technology Review magazine

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (20)

Semelhante a Comarch Technology Review magazine

Semelhante a Comarch Technology Review magazine (20)

Mais de Comarch

Mais de Comarch (20)

Último

Último (20)

Comarch Technology Review magazine