As the drive to outsource build and maintenance for network and IT systems gathers pace, service integrators are busy developing their offerings for telcos. The last year has seen a number of them launch “Telco in a box” (TIB) solutions, which incorporate prefabricated, integrated OSS and BSS systems, and offer a number of benefits over the typical customized IT stack deployment. Ovum’s report, “Telco in a box: a blueprint for greenfield operators”, examines why these solutions are an attractive option, particularly for emerging market operators.
For emerging market operators launching new services, the business case is predicated on lower cost, faster time to market, agility and innovation. This is most keenly felt by greenfield operators which, having to build their operations up from scratch against established competition, face innumerable challenges in bringing their services to market and establishing their brand. These service providers need to design, build and roll out operations within months, not years, and require IT systems and networks that provide a competitive advantage.
Service integrators, including TCS and Wipro, have responded to this need with the development of TIB solutions that offer a complete suite of prefabricated, integrated operational support systems (OSSs) and business support systems (BSSs). These form a one-stop end-to-end solution that attempts to provide a telco with the complete range of IT systems and business support, allowing them to fast track their entire IT stack rollout in order to launch services to market.
Rapid time to market is the key advantage of a TIB solution. Every second lost in bringing a telco’s services to market means lost subscribers and revenues. TIB solutions effectively allow greenfield operators to go live in as little as six months from start-up (which is approximately 20%-50% faster than using a custom-designed implementation).