Network and Services Management

The telecommunications sector is undergoing a period of sustained growth as people are using an increasing number of communications. The new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are behind this growth, as thanks to these it is possible to access all types of information (voice, data and multimedia contents) when mobile, regardless of location and using any number of different devices.

When an individual registers as a user of a service or when the equipment or information system breaks down or suffers some type of failure, certain steps must be followed. Nowadays, the majority of these types of operation are carried out automatically with no need for human intervention and are "invisible to users".

The systems used to ensure everything works automatically, that activate the services the user has contracted, and that detect and correct any possible breakdowns in the networks without the user ever becoming aware of their presence are known as Operations Support Systems (OSS)). Thanks to these systems, it is possible to efficiently manage networks and services.

The objective of network and services management systems and operations support systems is to make ICTs less complex. All technology gradually modifies and creates an entirely new environment for the individual. This environment must be more stimulating and attractive than the previous one and, at the same time, be more reliable and secure.

Any new piece of technology presents considerable challenges. Users must adapt to this and incorporate it into their day-to-day life. In the case of providers, it is vital that clients consider the item attractive and that it is safe to use and not subject to breakdowns. What's more, it must be efficiently developed and deployed. The operations carried out by telecommunications service providers must ensure that the ICTs are so easy to use that we are unaware of their presence and must also ensure that they are profitable from a financial point of view.

Today, the possession of more efficient operations support systems offering greater capacity plays a vital role in determining an operator's competitiveness. The centralized management model is the Network Operations Centre(NOC).

Telefónica I+D pioneered the development of the systems that made operation centres possible, such as those owned by Telefónica in Aravaca (Madrid) and in Sâo Paulo (Brazil).

However, the ability to take action remotely and to centralize decisions has still a long way to go in terms of efficiency. Telefónica I+D aims to achieve fully autonomous communications, composed of networks and systems capable of acting intelligently in a wide range of situations, directed by high-level business policies and capable of adapting to the changes the business requires.

Currently, Telefónica I+D's activities are centred on achieving results that can be applied to the following areas of network and services management:

• Operational efficiency and synergy within the Telefónica Group
• State-of-the-art architectures in information and operations support systems
• Autonomous operations for future networks and services
• Client perceived quality
• Management of virtual runtime environments
• Advanced user interfaces for system management
• Open source software and advanced software development tools

Related projects

• EzWeb