Accenture Communications Solutions

IT Transformation
Next-Generation Operations Support Systems
A comprehensive technology offering that supports the new OSS requirements of all-IP networks—the IT systems that
handle network engineering, order management, service assurance, inventory management and application outsourcing.
Challenges and opportunities
For communications companies to achieve
high performance based on their distinctive
network capabilities, they must now
consider the deployment of all-IP networks.
Failure to move to these next-generation
networks will inhibit their ability to meet
customers’ increasing expectations for new
IP-enabled services, resulting in a loss of
competitive advantage.
The shift to all-IP networks involves
fundamental changes to network operators’
operations support systems (OSS)—the IT
systems that manage the network and
service infrastructures, and that interface
with business support systems (BSS)
applications such as billing and customer
relationship management.
New network capabilities will require the
introduction of new OSS functions such
as customer device management, content
management and network configuration
management. Other existing functions such
as application monitoring, configuration
and change management will need to be
strengthened to operate more effectively in
an all-IP environment.
These new challenges mean that a generic
OSS is no longer an option. Although some
core OSS components may be standard,
many new solutions require customized
OSS extensions. This requires IT capabilities
that may not be readily available at many
operators.
How Accenture can help
To help service providers work through
and accommodate the profound changes
caused by all-IP networks, we have
developed the Accenture next-generation
operations support system offering. This
suite of solutions, services and assets is
organized around five key capabilities:
Network Engineering
Accenture’s network engineering
capabilities span both outside and inside
plant engineering, as well as capacity
management capability. Our network
engineering and planning services can
deliver a cross-company capability for
common engineering functions and
standards, and a capability for centralized
engineering design services.
Order Management
Our order management capabilities consist
of industry-leading experience and assets
to help enable flow-through ordering
30 Accenture Communications Solutions
and the establishment of a scalable
infrastructure for future needs. The solution
enhances adaptation to business processes
that positively impact business operations
and customer experience.
Service Assurance
Accenture works to provide a service
assurance solution that is appropriate
to the new triple-play services that are
being launched by providers—a capability
that can improve service availability and
reliability. Our solutions are developed from
a variety of different vendors’ products,
which helps us to create the service
assurance solution that is appropriate
for the client’s environment and business
goals. With a comprehensive service
assurance capability, providers can launch
new services with the knowledge that
their services can be delivered at the levels
expected by the consumer.
Inventory Management
Accenture’s network inventory
management capabilities and assets
help our clients gain a more accurate
view of their network assets. In this
way, providers achieve a more precise
understanding of capacity for assignment
of network resources to both customer
and internal network orders. They also
achieve flow-through provisioning of
network assignments, which improves
the overall order interval needed to meet
customer order commitment dates and
service level agreements.
OSS Application Outsourcing
Accenture’s OSS application outsourcing
services help network operators analyze
their current application inventories and
rationalize or reconstruct them to provide
better services at reduced cost.
We provide a range of services such as
business requirements definition work,
high-level design, detail design, build and
test. These are augmented by support
activities such as ongoing maintenance,
resolving issues with the applications, and
making enhancements to the applications
outside of the primary release process.
To help clients manage the broader
implications of these technology changes,
Accenture also offers deep skills and
offerings in organizational change and
process engineering. See our “Service
Provisioning and Management” offering.
Our offering is supported by an innovative
architecture framework that combines dual
perspectives: An OSS common framework
contains the OSS functions needed for
addressing the network transformation
challenges required for any nextgeneration
network platform, regardless
of the service or underlying technology
of the platform. Then, an OSS extensions
framework provides additional OSS
capabilities to support today’s important
network solutions and domains such as
VoIP, IPTV, IP-VPN and more.
High performance delivered
Accenture has supported providers all
over the world in their creation of nextgeneration
OSS capabilities. We helped an
Asian wireless network operator assess its
3G IT strategy, identifying the technology
and marketplace trends affecting its OSS
and helping the company migrate to a new
OSS framework.
For a European 3G wireless network
operator we created an architecture
for the company’s Universal Mobile
Telecommunications Systems-based OSS,
and then formulated the requirements
supporting the new OSS implementation.
Why Accenture
In its 2010 report, Gartner has ranked
Accenture first in worldwide revenue and
market share for BSS, OSS and SDP for
cable, satellite and multi-system operators. 1
Accenture provides an end-to-end OSS
solution to manage the delivery of dynamic
services based on multiple network
technologies. Our architecture framework
can support all critical types of nextgeneration
network platforms—mobile
3G, fixed broadband, IP-VPNs, IPTV,
WiMAX, VoIP and cable. We also help our
clients in areas such as customer device
management, order management, service
quality management, network planning and
configuration and change management.
Our strategic alliances with leading vendors
help us to leverage tailored, leading-edge
products to fit the needs of our clients.
1 Gartner Inc., “Market Share: Telecom Operations
Management Systems (BSS, OSS and SDP),
Worldwide, 2007-2009,” Martina Kurth, Kamlesh
Bhatia and Norbert Scholz, 30 April 2010.