Looking ahead at the telecoms market, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), the visionary independent standards organisation, have formed a group to look at future standards for zero-touch automation: ETSI Zero Touch Network and Service Management Group. Incognito Software Systems Inc. is participating in this group, which will examine how new technologies have been introduced with the aim of making the lives of the service provider easier; for instance NFV and SDN should reduce costs and increase speed of new service deployments, the start of which is beginning to bare fruit, while 5G & FTTx are bringing radical new business models and use cases.
To make the most of these innovations, however, CSPs must be able to embrace the future and also keep the day to day operations running smoothly. If you peel away the numerous layers of these new technologies and services, a recurring theme is the need to automate and simplify how business is done, which leads to zero-touch operations. Once a new service or technology has been defined, CSPs need to create a zero-touch architecture in which these services are enabled for their customers, with no manual intervention needed.
The benefits of a zero-touch activation platform are apparent, less OPEX for the operator and a happier subscriber that gets what they want, when they want it — helping with the KPIs, NPS, churn metrics, and ARPU I mentioned above. This is where Incognito comes in. Our expertise in automating end-to-end service fulfillment processes make us an ideal partner for the ETSI Zero Touch Network and Service Management Group. Our flexible approach when integrating automated software into existing network environments ensures that day-to-day operations can continue to run successfully during a solution deployment.
What does the an automated experience look like from the subscriber’s perspective?
Let’s say a subscriber wants to upgrade their multiplay broadband services package. They should be able to call the customer care line, go online, or access their self-care app (the sign of a true omnichannel experience) and choose exactly the package they desire. These services should then be provisioned, activated, and assured through the operator’s network with no operator staff input needed. The subscriber’s account is updated (and billed for the new amount), the service is enabled, and the device is provisioned with the new configuration all in a matter of minutes.
Through our work in partnership with ETSI, this scenario can become a reality.
Stay tuned to find out how we’re leading the way from omnichannel to zero-touch with automated service activation.