Next Generation Networks (NGN) promises a high quality end-user experience. Telecommunications service providers expect the NGN framework to provide them with tools that would ensure customer loyalty. However, the path towards achieving the ideal NGN is fraught with formidable challenges. The most critical challenge confronting operators is optimizing their OSS and BSS platforms, systems, and processes.

The OSS/BSS vendor environment is extremely competitive with close to 400 vendors, mostly specialized in niches and having a strong services arm. Vendor categories include Comprehensive Solution Providing Pure OSS/BSS Vendors, Comprehensive Solution Providing Composite Vendors, Skill-set Extension Solution Providers and Core Strength Concentrators - BSS and OSS. The vendor landscape is characterized by extensive M&A activity.

The report “NGN OSS/BSS: Markets and Forecast” provides a comprehensive analysis of drivers and issues related to technical and business aspects of OSS/BSS deployments and developments while forecasting their growth over the next five years.

Important Questions Answered by this Report
What are the telecom network operator interests in NGN OSS/BSS?
What are the challenges to OSS and BSS implementation?
What are the best OSS and BSS approaches for NGN?
What are the technologies involved in OSS and BSS?
Who are the leading vendors for NGN OSS/BSS?
What is the market forecast for OSS and BSS?
Additional Value in this Publication

Technical Overview of OSS and BSS in NGNs: This section begins with an introduction to OSS and BSS and their roles in the operator environment. It explains the various blocks that go into building of the OSS: Network elements, events, alarms and others. It next explains the BSS building blocks: Billing, rating, mediation, charging, customer care and others. This section is followed by the description of prevalent industry approaches like TMN - FCAPS model that are widely followed by operators. The section then analyzes the technical impact of NGN on OSS and BSS architectures.

Vendor Analysis: Profiles of 35 vendors offering OSS/BSS products and services for next generation networks. This section first explains the basis of vendor selection including vendor classification, innovative contribution, market leadership position and future growth path. Each vendor is then analyzed in the light of its product and solution portfolio, major implementations, differentiating aspects with other vendors and their future plans. The report includes recommendations to vendors including diversification, best practices, market segment, and solution approach.

Operator Case Study - British Telecom (BT): This section evaluates BT relative to its OSS and BSS initiatives with respect to its three principle lines of business, vendors involved, platform, and current approach to implementation.

Quantitative Analysis and Forecast: This section begins with a detailed explanation of the research methodology. Quantitative analysis includes measurable items such as billing systems, network management systems and their sub-classes (mediation, wholesale billing, retail billing, CRM, revenue assurance, resource management, task management, delivery management, synchronization management) along with geographical segmentation, trends and projections. Importantly, the quantitative analysis assesses the impact of various drivers and issues on the above measurable items, thus forming a logical conclusion of the quantitative discussion in the previous sections.

Note: This section represents a comprehensive forecast including Forecast Methodology by Overall OSS and BSS Software Market, Split by OSS and by BSS separately, by geography (NA, EMEA, CALA, and APAC), and by modular break-up including: Network Planning and Engineering (NPE), Fault Management (FM), Performance Management (PM), Provisioning and Service Activation (PSA), Inventory Management (IM), Billing and Customer Care (B&CC), Mediation (MD), and Revenue Assurance (RA). The section also includes OSS/BSS Vendor Rakings Based on Net Profit Margins.

Target Audience
Network operator managers tasked with making long-term architecture and support system decisions including vendor decisions
Product management personnel concerned with the impact of OSS and BSS systems on next generation application and services rollout such as IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and technology and/or application frameworks or platforms
Managers and Directors tasked with OSS responsibilities and anyone that is involved in OSS/BSS decision making
Vendors, suppliers, and service providers to network operators interested in their prospects for selling into the carrier marketplace
Network and Engineering personnel seeking specific information such as leading OSS/BSS Approaches including as OSS/J, OSA/Parlay, MDA, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). This publication has both business/market information and technical information!
Vendors Covered in Report
AdventNet Inc
Agilent Technologies Inc
AI Metrix
Alcatel
Amdocs
Argent Networks
Ascom Deutschland GmbH
BCGI
BEA
CBOSS
Celona
Ceon Corporation
Cerillion
Comarch
Comptel
Comverse
Concord Communications Inc (Acquired by CA)
Convergys
Cramer Systems
Elsaq
Evolving Systems Inc
Fair Isaac
Formula Telecom Solutions
Granite Systems
Hewlett-Packard
IBM
Infosys
Intec
InterSystems
Intracom
IP Value
IPWORTH
LHS
Lightbridge Inc
Lucent
MetaSolv
Metratech
Micromuse
Microsoft
MindCTI Ltd
Monfox
Motorola
Mycom International
Nokia
Nortel
Openet Telecom
Orga Systems
Quallaby
Redknee
Redrock Communications
Siemens
Sigma Systems
SRIT
STROM Telecom
SubexAzure
Sun Microsystems
Syndesis
TechMahindra
Telcordia Technologies Inc
Trendium
TTI-Telecom
Vallent
Vallent Corp.
Vertel
Vitria
VPIsystems Inc
Operators Mentioned in Report
3 (Hutchison)
AAPT
Afghan Wireless
Airtel
Alltel
América Móvil
ARTelecom
AT&T
AT&T Wireless
BakCell
Batelco
Bell Canada
Bell South
BellSouth Communications
Brasil Telecom
BT
BT Wholesale
BTTB
Buoygues Telecom
Cable and Wireless
Camtel
Cbeyond Communications
Celcom
China Mobile
China Unicom
Chunghwa Telecom
Cincinnati Bell
Cingular
Cingular Wireless
Colombia Velcom (MDC)
Comcast
Cosmote
Covad Communications
Cox Communications
CSX
Cybercity
Deutsche Telekom
Digicel
Digitel Venezuela
Eircom
Entel PCS
E-Plus
Equant
Eschelon Telecom
ETB
Freenet.de
Globalstar
H3G
Hutch
Inmarsat
Intelco International Telecommunications
JTB
K‘cell
Korea Telecom
KPN Carrier Services
KPN Group
KTF
MCI
Meditel
Meteor Communications
Mobifone
mobilkom
MobilTel
MovieBeam
MTS
NavLink
Nepal Telecom
Netia
Nextel
NTT
O2
Omantel
Orange
Orascom
Paetec Communications
Pipex
Progress Telecom
Qwest
Rogers
SBC
SingTel
Sonera Carrier Networks
Sprint
Sri Lanka Telecom
Sunrise
Swisscom
T Mobile
TCAT
Tele2
Telecom Italia
Telecom Italia Mobile
Telecom Personal
Telefonica Del Peru
Telefonica Empresas
Telefonica S.A
Teleglobe
Telekom Malaysia
Telekom Srpske
Telenet
Telewest Broadband
TeliaSonera
Telmex
Telsim
Telstra
TelstraClear
TELUS
The MTN Group
TIM
Time Warner Telecom
TM Cell
T-Mobile
T-Mobile (Austria)
T-Mobile UK
Turkcell
Tyco Telecommunications
Verizon
Verizon Communications
Verizon Wireless
VirginMobile
Vodafone
Wataniya Telecom
WilTel Communications
XO Communications

Chapter 1: Introduction
Executive Summary
What is NGN?
History of NGN
Comparison of NGN with Public Switched Telephone Network and with Public Switched Data Network
Drivers of NGN
Telecom Operator and Vendor Interests
Improvement in Access Technologies
Reduced Vendor Dependency
Opening of Global Financial Markets
Challenges for NGN
Large Scale Capital Expenditure
Operational Challenges
Integration of Multiple Private Networks and Application into the Larger Public Networks
Quality of Service (QoS)
National Security and Competitive Policies
Chapter 2: Challenges for OSS and BSS in NGN
Functional Modules of OSS
Functional Modules of BSS
Challenges for OSS and BSS
OSS Challenges
Stakeholder Apprehensions
Framework to Integrate Customization Demands
Smooth Transition from Existing OSS Frameworks
Multi-vendor Co-ordination
BSS Challenges
NGOSS: The Convergent Approach
Key NGOSS Terminology
eTOM
SID
TNA
NGOSS Compliance Tests
The NGOSS Lifecycle
Advantages of NGOSS
Chapter 3: Approaches and Technologies
Fundamental Concepts
Middleware
Service Oriented Application Protocol (SOAP)
Web Services (WS)
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
OSS/BSS Frameworks
Telecommunication Management Network (TMN)
FCAPS
Messaging Formats
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
Common Management Information Protocol (CMIP)
Enterprise Data Organization Approaches
Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)
Enterprise Service Bus (ESB)
Leading OSS/BSS Approaches
OSS/J
OSA/Parlay
MDA
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
Operator Case Study - British Telecom
Chapter 4: Vendor Analysis
Vendor Landscape Observations
Vendor Classification
Comprehensive Solution Providing Pure OSS/BSS Vendors
Comprehensive Solution Providing Composite Vendors
Skill-set Extension Solution Providers
Core Strength Concentrators - BSS
Core Strength Concentrators - OSS
Vendor Summary
AdventNet Inc
Agilent Technologies Inc
AI Metrix (Acquired by SYS Technologies)
Amdocs
Argent Networks
BCGI
CBOSS
Cerillion
Comarch
Comptel Corporation
Comverse
Concord Communications Inc (Acquired by CA)
Evolving Systems Inc
Formula Telecom Solutions
Hewlett-Packard Company
Intec Telecom Systems
LHS
Lightbridge Inc
MetaSolv Software Inc (Acquired by Oracle)
Metratech
IBM
MindCTI Ltd
Monfox
Openet Telecom
Orga Systems
Redknee
Sobha Renaissance IT (SRIT)
STROM Telecom
Subex Azure Limited (SAL)
Syndesis
Telcordia Technologies Inc
Trendium
Vallent Corp
Vitria
VPIsystems Inc
Chapter 5: Quantitative Forecasts and Analysis
Forecast Methodology
Overall OSS and BSS Software Market
Overall Revenue Split Up
OSS Split-Up
BSS Split-Up
Geographical and Revenue Component-wise Distribution
Overall Geographical Distribution
Overall Revenue Component-wise Distribution
Modular Break-Up
Network Planning and Engineering (NPE)
Fault Management (FM)
Performance Management (PM)
Provisioning and Service Activation (PSA)
Inventory Management (IM)
Billing and Customer Care (B&CC)
Mediation (MD)
Revenue Assurance (RA) 0OSS/BSS Vendor Rakings Based on Net Profit Margins
Conclusions
Recommendations