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accomplishments; at worst, both service provider and SI simply claim these accomplishments to avoid the appearance of even partial failure.
What have we found that works?
OSS/BSS transformation projects work best when they are associated with the introduction of a new technology or a new business unit. Transforming only OSS/BSS is an exercise in tool change and not in business change. Solo OSS/BSS transform projects are subject to internal competition from all the other good, well meaning projects in the business. OSS/BSS transformation projects are expensive and they are hard, and these pressures nibble away funds and compromise implementations until little is left to show for the funds that were spent.
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OSS/BSS transformation projects are expensive and they are hard, and these pressures nibble away funds and compromise implementations... |
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So, as Service Providers look to IMS as a product and service integration technology and NGN for network transformation, they are also seeking to use these deployments as the driver for a complete end-to-end business transformation project. And just as NGN emerged as the guide for network transformation and IMS emerged as the guide for product transformation, the TMForum's NGOSS has emerged as the guide for OSS/BSS transformation.
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However, when OSS/BSS change is associated with a large technology or product change, new OSS/BSS can be developed Greenfield and then integrated into the older systems as necessary for the new product. IMS presents such a transformational opportunity. So it is reasonable to attach OSS/BSS transformation as a goal when undertaking IMS.
This is even clearer with the recent announcement that the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) Forum and the Next Generation Networks (NGN) Forum are merging their respective activities. "This partnership enables our members to fully address the emergence of a single [any-to-any] market comprised of information technology, telecommunications and media sectors that formerly operated in separate markets," said Michael Khalilian, chief of the new IMS/NGN Forum.
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Generally, for these projects, service providers select and engage a large SI who already is involved in providing business, process, and OSS/BSS tool transformation for other providers. For example, IBM, Accenture, and Satyam all have large and visible NGOSS transformation projects underway. Such an SI vendor has resourced several projects and is likely to be able to resource this project also. They will have developed relationships with specific OSS/BSS product vendors and be able to adapt and customize these tools. But how do you ensure this large vendor will understand your needs and goals and deliver to them? How do you ensure the project will reach your desired conclusion in the specified time?
You can structure the SI contract to be more like those used in highway construction with
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