Throughout the incredible journey of the telecom OSS/BSS sector over
the last 10 years, VanillaPlus has remained a reliable source of both key
news but also informative, objective and thought-provoking assessments of
the key trends which have shaped our industry. I am looking forward to
VanillaPlus and their more recent Stream journal continuing to play a key
role in providing valuable insights as we enter one of the most exciting
phases of the telecoms OSS/BSS market evolutions.
Kieran Moynihan
Vice President & CTO Telecoms
IBM Tivoli Division
Upcoming Features
Feature
Schedule 2008
PLUS REGULAR FEATURES:
EDITOR'S COMMENT, CONTRACT HOT LIST, TALKING HEADS,
NEWS, EXPERT OPINIONS, EVENT DIARY, BOARD TALK, EVENT PREVIEWS, CLOCKING OFF!!
JUNE 2008 – BIMS Preview Issue
Features include:
- Lessons in Billing for Multi-Play
- Event Preview: BIMS goes Dutch
- Inventory Management: The network's unsung hero
- Customer Churn & Loyalty - Get 4 basics right
- Fraud Prevention: Tackling Interconnect By-pass
- RUSSIA & THE CIS: Case Study on MTS' Growing Pains
- PLUS Special Report by Pavel Hardek, TTI Telecom
OUT ON Monday 9 June, 2008
Remember, the only way to receive EVERY ISSUE is to subscribe.
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AUGUST 2008 - IPTV World Forum, Eastern Europe, Preview Issue
Business Intelligence: I can't use my data!
There's a lot of data in your network that you're not using. Now pressure is mounting on Marketing & Strategic Planning Departments to identify premium customer segments that can be upsold additional services, and under-performing services that need modifying if they are to reach acceptable profit levels. All the necessary data to identify these customers is probably in your network right now, and so is the information to rectify the problems. But can you access it, or is it tied up in multiple service silos? Can your business intelligence processes give you all of this subscriber information, or will a rival network identify them first? VanillaPlus asks the experts how to obtain, integrate and act on the Intelligence in your Business.
ROUND TABLE: Interconnect Billing & IP
i-conX Solutions and VanillaPlus get together with leading network operators to study the pain points in Interconnect Billing, and possible solutions. What is the impact of IP on interconnect. With "traditional" operators connecting with IP service providers like Skype the question remains; how can you terminate flat-rate (or free) traffic profitably? What business models are being used or tested by operators? And with what results? Will we see a growth in the importance of Best Quality Routing instead of Least Cost Routing, as operators differentiate themselves through quality of service?
What is Rating's role in the IP world?
How
can rating systems designed for the old generation of pre- and
post-paid billing in legacy networks cope with the demands of launching
new, real-time services and finding new revenue streams within altered
business models? This article will also look at how to create targeted
offers and flexible pricing for IPTV services.
The 'Greening' of Telecoms
It may have started as an intellectual exercise but some serious companies such as Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, IBM, and Frost & Sullivan are now devoting a serious amount of time to the subject. Who benefits and how? Is this just a PR bandwagon, or are there significant financial benefits for operators as well as consumers from improving energy efficiency and minimising your carbon footprint?
CASE STUDY: Network Performance Reporting
When two large fixed line telcos recently merged their performance reporting infrastructures you can imagine what the implications were for integration. The combined entity needed to be able to supply business users with reports for its IPVPN, ATM & Frame Relay based services. Add to the mix the roll out of a refreshed IPVPN service and a next gen Carrier Ethernet network and you can see the challenge. We report on the challenge, the solution and the results.
Service Delivery Platforms: Monetise and Maximise
To deliver their intended value service delivery platforms (SDPs) need to enable 'one-touch' capabilities for service creation and fulfilment. One important purpose of an SDP, says the author, Brian Cappellani of Sigma Systems, is to allow those creating products to choose from a menu of service components that are ready for delivery to customers. Another is to enable services that are simple to use. How is this critical information communicated from new sources such as analytics process, and back-end systems like billing databases, to the application platforms, authentication processes, and policy engines that make real-time service happen?
Policy Management for flat rate data services
Mobile
operators today face a dilemma, according to Alan McNamee of Openet; how to reconcile customer demands
for wireless broadband cost effectively, with customer expectations
of a flat fee for data services. For many operators greater than expected traffic volumes are being generated. To compound this, volumes are not evenly distributed
across subscribers – one large operator recently calculated that 40-50% of its monthly data traffic volumes are being generated by less than one
percent of its subscribers. VanillaPlus examines the problem.
Special Report: Caribbean & Latin America
An overview of network operators' Business & Operations Support System needs in the Caribbean & Latin America. Report by LHS.
PLUS
Latin American Case Study: An Exclusive report from a Brazilian network operator, examining how the company tackled a real-world problem with a real-world solution.
Editorial Copy Deadline: Friday 11 July, 2008
Ad Copy Deadline: Friday 25 July, 2008
Publication: Friday 1 August, 2008
VANILLAPLUS DIRECTORY 2009
60 Sectors. There's no Communications industry Directory that
can even
compare with the VanillaPlus Directory (in print and online):
Authentication & Identity Management
Billing & Charging (Real-Time)
Billing & Customer Care (Combined)
Billing (Interconnect, Carrier Access)
Billing (Multiplay)
Billing (Outsourced/Managed Service)
Billing (Retail)
Billing (Split)
Billing (Utility)
Business Intelligence & Process Management
Call Accounting or Recording
Convergent Pre-/Post-paid
Corporate Call Management
Credit, Cost & Debt Management
Customer Experience Management
Customer Relationship Management
Data Control & Integrity Management
Data Warehousing
Device Management (Over The Air)
Digital Rights Management
Documentation or Bill Design
Education, Information & Training
ERP & Application Integration
Fraud Control Services & Consultancy
Fraud Prevention Systems
Infrastructure Platforms (IMS, Web 2.0)
Inventory & Element Management
Loyalty & Churn Management
Mediation / Collection
Messaging Aggregation & Billing
Network & Frequency Planning
Network Configuration Management
Network Performance Management
Network Risk & Trouble Management
Number Management
Number Portability Management
Order Management
Outsourcing or Hosting
Parental & Access Control
Partner Relationship Management
Pre-paid Management
Predictive Customer Analytics
Pricing, Rating, Charging
Product Lifecycle Management
Recruitment, Search & Selection
Revenue & Risk Management
Revenue Assurance & Audit
Revenue Lifecycle Management
Roaming Settlement & Clearing
Rules-based Discounting
Service Delivery, Assurance & QoS
Service Provisioning & Activation
Subscriber Policy Management
Supplier Partner Settlement
Systems Integration
Telemanagement
Test & Measurement Systems
Web Billing/Payment/Presentment
Web-based Self-Care
Workflow Management
Editorial Copy Deadline: Friday 15 August, 2008
Ad Copy Deadline: Friday 5 September 2008
Publication: Friday 12 September, 2008
OCTOBER 2008
Risk Management & Credit Monitoring: Integrate for Maximum Impact
Risk Management and Credit Monitoring have climbed the "PRIORITY" List for operators in mature communications markets like Europe over the last two years. But many CFOs are worried that they are just creating another data silo here. How
should a communications service provider integrate internal audit
processes with risk management systems to curb revenue leakage? How easy is it to implement a risk management policy from scratch? And how do you win the support of
the finance, billing and network departments for your RM policy?
Outsourcing: The ASP angle
Years
after Application Service Providers (ASPs) were hailed as the
bright future of telecoms software procurement, ASPs have become a
recognised sector within the market. They don't develop their own
software, and are free to choose systems from whoever they please,
their goal being to meet the demands of operators' worldwide
(both real and virtual network operators) who prefer to outsource and avoid the CAPEX burdens of new software systems and services. Which services lend themselves best to outsourcing? How can they convince C-Level
decision makers they can be trusted with an operator's lifeblood -- its data?
(With a counter-blast from Licensed system vendors)
Web Self-Care: Online Billing & CRM
How
easily can Web billing be integrated into traditional business
infrastructures? Corporate customers and consumers today can not only
view current details on their account, but access real-time usage data
and historical account reports. How have Web payment services and security
measures developed, and what types of company are deploying
these services?
Profiting from Mobile Advertising - Ad Content, Subscriber Delivery & Revenue Share
For mobile advertising to be a profitable revenue stream for operators, new solutions are required to manage the revenue chain. The issues start with the Ad Content and how to source it, through deciding which subscribers should get which ads, and finally how to settle the revenue share between all parties. These are all critical components in the eco-system. But what systems and support are available in the market to manage this revenue chain?
Network Test & Measurement: The CTO / CFO Alliance?
How
can CTOs and CFOs deliver the best value for money in network testing?
Operators know that much of their success now hinges on the quality of
service they deliver, but it's obvious that there's a limit to the
number of test probes in the network. In any case, problems often lie
in the Network Operations Centre (NOC)'s prioritisation and response to
alarms. How can fixed and mobile network chiefs get the best value from
their precious test and measurement CAPEX? Or does the real problem lie
in optimising Operational Expenditure (OPEX)?
Managing the Customer: CEM vs SQM vs SAM vs NPM?
There
are many ways to improve the service that your network provides to
subscribers. Lately, there has been a range of companies offering
Service Quality Management, Customer Experience Management, Service
Adoption Management, and Network Performance Management. How do they
differ? How can they help your network? Do you need them all, just some
or none? VanillaPlus talks to operators and vendors about their
experiences.
Wi-Fi Quality of Service: Deeper than the device
The
Wi-Fi Alliance's work on device inter-operability testing is well
known. But did you know about their support for multimedia content over
Wi-Fi networks, enabling Wi-Fi networks to prioritise traffic generated
by different applications. The Alliance describes its work using
Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms.
Special Report: Key developments in delivering ICE (Information,
Communications & Entertaiment) in the Asia Pacific region
PLUS
Asia Pacific Case Study: An Exclusive Report from a network operator in the Asia/Pac region, examining how the company tackled a
real-world problem with a real-world solution.
Editorial Copy Deadline: Friday 12 September, 2008
Ad Copy Deadline: Friday 26 September, 2008
Publication: Friday 3 October, 2008
DECEMBER 2008
Billing for Convergent Pre- and Post-paid Markets
Achieving
pre-paid and post-paid billing convergence is hard enough. But in
today's highly competitive markets you need to do so with a firm eye on
the customer experience. It helps to know your subscriber base, but the
most important technical factors rely on co-operation between the
legacy post-paid billing system and your real-time pre-paid support. We
help you examine your subscription and payment options, usage
requirements, spending controls, and real-time notifications.
IMS Migration: Achieving Plug and Play
Service
inter-operability could become an issue in IMS. With vendors offering
various “flavours” of IMS, how do operators avoid getting locked in to
a single IMS provider? How should operators meet the competing demands
of improving quality of service (QoS) and maximising network capacity?
Service Assurance: Who's responsible for Quality of Service?
Some
test and measurement system vendors insist that the most urgent work to
be done is device-side in the proliferation of handsets and user
interfaces. Others say the greatest problem lies in the network's back
office where rating and mediation systems – often not designed for the
purpose they're now being used for – don't recognise packets passing
between networks and platforms. They can't both be right can they?
Effective Revenue Management through Data Warehousing
To
maximise the effectiveness of your RM strategy you rely on customer
usage data. But how do you get the best out of your data profiling? How
should you analyse your customer data and investigate service usage for
optimum RM performance?
COTS: Left on the shelf?
Commercial-Off-The-Shelf
(COTS) systems offer carriers the promise of solutions that need little
customisation to fit their needs. COTS vendors also claim advantages
when it comes to integration – although some of those advantages seem
to only come into play when other COTS solutions from the same vendor
are deployed. So are COTS solutions a useful middle ground where half
the integration and customisation work has been done prior to
deployment. Or are they the ‘nearly-systems' of the OSS world which
can't quite address individual carrier issues?
Special Report: Next generation OSS
PLUS
CASE STUDY
Editorial Copy Deadline: Friday 14 November, 2008
Ad Copy Deadline: Friday 28 November, 2008
Publication: Friday 5 December, 2008
FEBRUARY 2009
Billing & Settlement for Content Revenue
Billing
remains the jealously guarded preserve of the operator but, with new
and untested content partners joining the delivery chain, billers must
ensure that they have the right tools for 3rd party settlement. That
rules out some legacy billing systems straight away. In this article we
examine how relationships with content providers differ from
interconnect partnerships, the scope of transaction data sharing, the
role of service level agreements (SLAs), and the need for dispute
resolution procedures.
Mobile World Congress: Special Preview Issue
VanillaPlus will be previewing in-depth the GSMA's exciting and challenging annual congress in Barcelona. Change is standard operating procedure in the mobile sector, but this sees the need for increased ARPUs (average revenue per user) balanced with the constant pressure to roll out out new services rapidly and profitably. How well are operators coping with the Credit Crunch, which services work in which markets, and what tools help them do it?
How to use the Intelligence in your Business
Underpinning
any successful business information management policy there are key
ingredients such as integrated data storage, intelligence applications,
and sophisticated data analytics. Sounds expensive, doesn't it. But
what are the underlying principles of customer segmentation, campaign
management, and revenue assurance that operators need to follow, even
before they deploy a BI product suite?
Editorial Copy Deadline: Friday 19 December, 2008
Ad Copy Deadline: Friday 9 January, 2009
Publication: Friday 16 January, 2009