Network Transformation Services

A converged voice, data and wireless communications environment and the accompanying lower cost of ownership begins with an IP-based platform. 

However, despite the obvious business benefits, companies hesitate.  They understand that network transformation is a complex undertaking that presents new technical, operational and managerial challenges.  They know they possess a rich set of technical skills, but also realised that they have not undertaken such a dramatic conversion since converting to TDM from analog some twenty or so years ago.  They also see that there is little room for chance.  It must be done correctly. 

The sheer size of the endeavour, the services supported, and the customers involved require a well-defined transformation plan which incorporates all of the critical steps and phases to support an end-to-end migration of subscriber/customers without compromising service integrity and network availability. 

Some considerations include:

• How do I assess the state of readiness of my current network?
• What modifications are needed in my business systems to support the network changes?
• How do I integrate with my OSS/BSS infrastructure?
• What is the optimal migration option for my company: IP overlay or all IP migration? Do I select Next Gen network softswitch or the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)?
• How do I transition to the new network? By customer? By Service? By Market?
• How do I migrate/cleanse my customer and network inventory data?
• How do I design and conduct pre-conversion testing to ensure service stability as markets/regions are converted?
• What contingency plans do I need?
• How do I measure my success?

Even for operators that may have already deployed some form of IP network overlay, maximising all of the benefits inherent with an IP network can be difficult, while also running a TDM network in parallel. Those difficulties include:

Even for operators that may have already deployed some form of IP network overlay, maximising all of the benefits inherent with an IP network can be difficult, while also running a TDM network in parallel. Those difficulties include:

• New service introduction
• Network administration challenges
• OSS, provisioning and billing challenges

Our Approach

As companies consider these challenges, one of their most significant hurdles is having the right resources with the right skills sets to plan and execute the network transformation project, enhancing their OSS/BSS platform to support the transformed network, while at the same time managing the day-to-day business of running the existing network infrastructure. Having access to resources that have developed and implemented complex migration strategies multiple times will greatly reduce the risk and ensure a smooth conversion.

Cartesian's years of network and system migration experience and in-depth knowledge of the communications industry will greatly assist in the design and implementation of your network transformation. We ensure a smooth and cost-effective transformation to an agile, productive network infrastructure, regardless of your legacy network topology. Our many years of OSS/BSS experience support network transformations by perfectly integrating both aspects into a single transition plan.

Cartesian’s multi-phased approach is derived from our subject matter expertise and the successful projects we have executed for wireline, wireless, and cable network providers, enterprises, and technology companies. Our Best-in-Class Network lifecycle management approach integrates communications industry best practices with business process quality standards including eTOM, CMMI^®, ISO and ITIL.

The breadth of talent that the company possesses extensively covers areas that are critical in the evaluation and development of any network transformation project:

• Network Strategy Development and Business Plan
• Network Asset Identification
• Cost Benchmarking
• Networking Requirements
• Data Cleansing and Migration
• OSS/BSS Requirements and Integration
• Revenue Assurance
• Network Data Management
• Network Transformation Planning
• Risk Assessment
• Vendor Identification and Selection (link to eLexicon)
• Testing

Cartesian recognises that transforming a communications environment is not just about technology, but it is the prospect of significant cost savings and productivity enhancements.  Thus, “hard” cost savings, “soft” benefits and increased performance are key elements of the business value equation that ultimately influences the decision to move forward with an aggressive transformation.

Why Cartesian?

Cartesian recognises that transforming a communications environment is not just about technology, but it is the prospect of significant cost savings and productivity enhancements.  Thus, “hard” cost savings, “soft” benefits and increased performance are key elements of the business value equation that ultimately influences the decision to move forward with an aggressive transformation.

As Cartesian has helped our clients through these transformations, our approach has enabled our clients to manage their networks more efficiently and achieve average savings of more than 20%.  In fact, we have found that effective transition planning can achieve this significant level of savings in network costs alone.  Our experience has shown that our proprietary methodologies will yield savings that begin to provide payback against project costs in less than a year.

For example, in assessing network readiness, Cartesian delivers a complete baseline of network assets, including equipment, logical and physical circuits, their connectivity, configurations, associated costs and other network services.

• Out of this analysis, we identify unneeded / unused components, billing discrepancies and contract variances from which we drive out excess costs.
• We also examine the processes, supporting computer systems and organisations used to extend, modify or remove network components through Order Management and Provisioning, Accounts Payables, Departmental Charge-back, Network and Fault Management and Help Desk functions. Infrastructure processes involved in capacity and performance planning are also covered.
• We analyse the level of maturity of these processes associated with the care and feeding of enterprise network capabilities and identify gaps that result in higher costs or accentuate risk in any network transformation.

Past Projects:

• Network Baselining & Topology - Cartesian and parent company TMNG Global has executed these analyses many times, since it is a basic building block in any Network Expense Reduction or Transformation project. In the last five years, Cartesian has completed engagements for several Tier 1 Wireline Carriers and Managed Network Outsourcers. In one recent case, these efforts resulted rebuilding a complete network inventory covering all wireline services.
• Network Integration and Transformation – We have worked with post-merged companies who need to combine disparate networks to achieve committed merger savings, while also migrating to a new converged environment.  We have provided the processes, people and strategy to both plan and successfully execute these transitions.
• Network Expense Reduction – Our process identifies incorrectly billed amounts (ordered vs. installed/configured vs. billed), "phantom" services, and contract discrepancies that in turn, drives Dispute Management through reclaim.  These projects have saved Cartesian clients tens of millions of annualised MRCs over many projects.
• Business Process Assessment - Our very extensive Quality Business Controls^® (QBC) methodology covers every aspect of the Network Lifecycle. This has been Cartesian’s core expertise for many years and we have completed more than a hundred projects covering some or all phases of QBC^®.