TMW: Talking transformation

DALLAS--A panel of executives here during the TeleManagement World conference grappled with a wide range of issues related to service transformation--from the drivers for new service introduction to internal change to the operational issues involved in the process.

The panelists, led by TeleManagement Forum Vice Chair Jim Warner, discussed what should come first--the conception of a new service or the upgrade of network infrastructure to support it. Most agreed that the two elements are closely linked, but that a services-led strategy should win out.

“The network evolution strategy has to be well-mapped to the service introduction strategy,” said Sanjay Mewada, vice president of strategy for NetCracker. “The approach of ‘build it and they will come’ is not sustainable.”

A.J. Musgrove, director of OSS at Canadian service provider Telus, used the hotly competitive IPTV sector as an example of an area where fast entry is most important.

“It’s a lot more expedient to offer TV services now, then upgrade the network,” he said.
Chris Purdy, chief technology officer of Nakina Systems, agreed and added that OSS considerations are also critical and complex.

“You have to get fast into new services, but very few companies can afford to build a whole new infrastructure--they have to use what’s already in place, and evolve it,” Purdy said. “Today, to introduce new technology and new services, operations is probably the biggest challenge. You must have some mediation layer that allows you to evolve your network architecture.”

Purdy outlined what he said is the best process for a service transformation undertaking: “It starts at the top--you define your service,” he said. “Once you really understand that, you go to the vendors and start talking about the physical level. Once you figure out how to do that, you run into that OSS nightmare that says ‘How do I operationalize all that?’ That’s probably the part that takes the longest. Because it’s such an integrated map of systems, operations is still something people are afraid of.”

The panelists also addressed the issue of internal change--bringing employees at all levels in an organization around to the idea of transformation.

“As an integrator, probably the hardest thing to sell is change management consulting,” said Paul Voelker of HP.

Musgrove of Telus agreed. “The reason you’re going through a transformation is to change business processes,” he said. “Work forces in general resist change.”