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The only publication dedicated to OSS Volume 1, Issue 7 - November 2004 | ![]() |
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OSS Needs to Leap Forward
Will consolidation make it happen?By Barbara LancasterMost of the time, I look at the world of Operations Support Systems through the service provider's eyes. I see essential systems required to run operations and help earn revenue. At other times I have the perspective of an OSS vendor. I see talented people fighting in a crowded market place to win customers. Occasionally I try to rationalize these points of view to make sense of it all, but it proves to be a road to eternal confusion and thus I only attempt to resolve this conundrum during holidays. When I consider who might win with OSS consolidation and when the sector will really consolidate, it's clear to me that ultimately we will see a leap forward, and not a slow crawl. Follow my logic. The Service Provider’s Fine Hat
The service provider wonders why the OSS sector can't get its act together. Why can't we have a relatively small number of competent, trustworthy suppliers offering a simple range of broadly comparable products? That doesn't mean they all need to be the same, but some basis for comparison is needed. If I have to choose between a Kia and a BMW I know that at least that they'll each have an engine, four tires and can get me to the supermarket. If only OSS applications were as predictable and fundamentally comparable. If it were possible to wave a hand and create positive change, I'd fix it so that every time I needed to buy a new system I'd be able to choose from just a handful of vendors. These vendors would have broadly comparable offerings that can meet all of my essential requirements. A simple basis for understanding and comparing these vendors would save me months of equivocation, ambivalence, soul-searching and heartburn. Ultimately, I'd leave just the right number of vendors in business, so I could negotiate prices by setting them against each other. I like competition, but what I need is intelligent consolidation of the OSS sector.
© 2004, All information contained herein is the sole property of Pipeline Publishing, LLC. Pipeline Publishing LLC reserves all rights and privileges regarding the use of this information. Any unauthorized use, such as copying, modifying, or reprinting, will be prosecuted under the fullest extent under the governing law. |
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