Rethinking OSS

To meet the needs of the 3G network, Operational Support Systems (OSS) must evolve toward greater automation, the smooth integration of multivendor solutions and the ability to activate value-adding services more quickly. Carriers need a single system to monitor, measure and manage every element of their networks. They want OSS solutions that do all this while boosting quality and controlling both network complexity and operational costs.

That's a tall order. Fortunately, a new approach to OSS has emerged that is suited to the demands of 3G. To understand where OSS is going, let's take a moment to recall where it has been.

OSS Changes

Every carrier addresses the core lifecycle issues of coverage, capacity, quality, service differentiation and operational efficiency. As they evolve toward 3G — with the need to build new competencies, improve quality and roll out new services — carriers also must consider the cost and efficiency of the systems needed to support a 3G network. The “nightmare scenario” is that as 3G networks are deployed, OSS costs could in fact double or even triple.

Given these pressures, many carriers are re-examining the traditional methods used to assemble and deploy OSS solutions. In the past, most support systems have come from one of three sources: network vendors, system integrators or independent software vendors.

Network infrastructure vendors typically offer technology-dependent solutions that deliver extensive out-of-the-box functionality. System integrators provide highly customized solutions, but their efforts can increase both the time and cost of an OSS deployment. Software vendors are capable of delivering technology-independent spot solutions for niche applications, but their products often require additional and expensive integration efforts.

Those approaches worked reasonably well in the slower-paced days of 2G, but to meet the higher demands of emerging 3G technologies, networks need a new kind of support solution.

Pre-Integration

In examining OSS from a 3G perspective, industry specialists began with the objective of developing support solutions specifically for the mobile environment. The objective was to develop a single OSS solution capable of bridging 2G and 3G networks, thereby controlling costs and allowing carriers to redeploy OSS systems, competencies and resources from 2G to 3G networks.

As a result, a new approach called “pre-integrated OSS” has emerged. Using this methodology, all key elements of an OSS solution — including network planning and configuration, workflow and fault tolerance, inventory management, service and element control, and all of the administrative and reporting functions — are selected and integrated by mobile network OSS specialists prior to deployment in the network.

This pre-integrated approach streamlines the rollout of an OSS deployment and yields greater out-of-the-box functionality from a solution designed specifically for mobile networks. It avoids costly one-of, technology-dependent solutions. It also encourages the use of innovative third- party software solutions.

Pre-integration also costs less. In a traditional non-integrated solution, the core elements of an OSS system might cost an estimated $10 million, integration would cost $9 million and projected two-year maintenance and upgrades would cost $6 million, for a total of $25 million.

A pre-integrated approach with the same OSS elements including pre-integration would cost a total of $10 million, and thanks to the increased efficiency of this approach, pre-integration and two-year maintenance and upgrades would cost $3 million each, for a total of $16 million. In this two-year example, pre-integration would save $9 million, a figure that would increase in the years after this implementation.

These are substantial savings. Pre-integration presents a compelling case for OSS in the emerging 3G environment. This approach allows carriers to deploy and run more efficient multivendor, multitechnology networks. It establishes the modular, flexible single-architecture needed to bridge 2G and 3G OSS network requirements. Pre-integration is the key to cost control and faster service delivery. If you're thinking 3G, now is the time to rethink how you create and deploy network OSS.

---

Aho is director OSS marketing for Nokia Networks.