The only way telcos can embrace all the new complexity being introduced to the network is to simply each step; and by using intelligent and automated systems, problems can be located and addressed early and not get escalated into more challenging situations for the operator. This leads to a more efficient network, which means more cost savings. But it's not just about bottom line savings, it's also the fact that the customer is looking for more dynamic services; when they want it, and how they want it.

Technology is not a core part of customers' businesses; they can't keep up with changes and handle it in-house, so they need help from their service provider, and that's where providers can add value. Technology complexity belongs in the network, and it's the telco that needs to look after that.

The new technologies are almost mature enough for mainstream deployment; the industry has vetted SDN and NFV and can see the benefits. But this introduces new complexity into the network, and so telcos need a platform for service orchestration to harness these abilities. Orchestration is, in effect, an abstraction layer, that enables the new technologies to work together with legacy networks.

But with around half of an operator's data traffic being carried off-net, how does that operator guarantee service quality and agility for its customers? The industry needs to start looking at bilateral agreements for data, in the same way as it was done previously with voice. An end to end service is only as good as its weakest link.

The telecoms industry has always been highly interdependent on its peers, and telcos must build on this historic dynamic to create the necessary global framework to support new services.

Featuring:

• David Hughes, Vice President of IP Engineering, PCCW Global
• Cyril Doussau, Senior Director, Head of Service Assurance, InfoVista 
• Darryl Stork, Regional Director, WebNMS

Filmed at: GEN15, Dallas, 17 November 2015