Managing Transformation Feature Editorial

Improving Network Speed, Agility and Performance via Simplification

By David Sims, TMCnet Contributing Editor

In its 2008 report, "Opening Up: How R&D is Changing in the Telecommunications Sector Today," the Economist Intelligence Unit outlined what it saw as the most significant challenges facing service providers in the near term, as well as the proportion of service providers affected in terms of cost transformation.

According to Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) officials, who have produced a fine white paper, on the subject, "Extracting more value from your network," service providers are confronting multiple issues on multiple fronts. The question is not whether they should or should not respond, but rather how.

Short-term actions have long-term consequences - but hey, you didn't need us to tell you that. In this context, however, if a service provider's ultimate aims are to retain control over the network and reap its value, "those goals must be embedded in whatever tactical steps are taken today," the Alcatel-Lucent paper finds.

The High Leverage Network offers an approach to evolving the network, according to the white paper: "One focused on achieving specific business goals unique to each service provider's market and operational realities. As such, it both includes and goes beyond cost optimization and high performance. "

An HLN, the paper explains enhances data path manipulation to support application enablement, helping ensuring the network's capacity for maximum value extraction through monetized service delivery, enhanced reliability and improved quality of service.

And done correctly, it extends to the software, business processes and services needed for application enablement, and enables systems that facilitate simultaneous collaboration and the management of partnerships and joint projects.

"And while doing so, the HLN supports lowest-cost-per-bit delivery with continuous scaling and expansion," according to the paper.

Alcatel-Lucent officials said network service providers dealing with massive bandwidth demand are struggling to evolve their networks while keeping costs under control. The company has developed a cost-transformation model to help service providers understand the new economics of their businesses and derive the greatest value from their networks.

David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David's articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.

Edited by Erin Harrison