IP transformation remains a major topic of service provider conversation in terms of how to best increase network efficiency and increase revenue,but transformation is a multi-pronged effort taking place on the network, product portfolio, systems and business process levels. And where carriers are in their own transformation processes influences where they go from here, particularly during a global recession.
Even with the recession, the telecom world is better positioned to ride out the storm than other industries, according to Martin Creaner, president and CTO of the TM Forum. Even so, telecoms have been hurt because fear has gripped everybody, resulting in cautious decision-making that affects the whole value chain.
Transformed networks or not, while most industry buzz is still about content as the big networking driver, service providers aren\'t making nearly enough money from it and need to change their way of thinking, Creaner says. In addition, they are also starting to embrace the idea of opening some of their operations to third parties to take advantage of their OSS/BSS expertise, making their platforms part of the revenue-producing engine.
Looking directly at all of these issues, the TM Forum is getting ready for Management World 2009 in Nice, France, with a conference aptly named Strategies and Tactics for Tough Times. In this Q&A, IP transformation: Wide impact on telecom network management, Creaner talked to me about what\'s on the minds of service providers as they try to make transformation upbeat in a downbeat year and head to the Riviera to sort out network management issues.
This article originally appeared on SearchTelecom.com