Intelligence in the network unlocks the potential of IP networking and to an all-IP world. When the network delivers the operator actionable data, it can shape and deliver a service that has a foundation in reliability and performance.
Where IP networks have failed in the past is in delivering intelligence back to the operator about the services they are delivering. The lack of transparency and proactive, real-time reporting has limited how far the industry has been able to adopt IP.
The transition to an all-IP world hinges on the ability to deliver:
- End-to-End QoS
- Network Transparency from Transport to Application
- Real-Time Data Collection and Network Tuning
For operators to offer end-to-end quality of service they must have visibility into the network conditions that their traffic will be navigating. When they can see points of failure or places where degradation of service may occur, sessions can be adjusted and steered to maintain SLAs. Intelligence in the networks becomes a means of maintaining SLAs and in turn allows the operator to offer customers guaranteed QoS and charge more for the delivery of IP services.
This changes the scope of IP in an operators business and prepares the operator for the transition to an all-IP world. Visibility into the session, service, network, system, application, traffic type, and media quality allows operators to report back to customers with openness about how traffic is being managed and delivered. Operators have been challenged in this area in the past but must make the adjustments to adopt this more open model.
If they choose not to, then they risk falling behind in terms of delivering application performance for customers. An operator that doesn’t have access to this level of transparency will be limited in the application performance they can deliver and the applications their customers can use.
This is definitely a change for the operator but one that is worth it. When they have access to a new level of intelligence they can prove the QoS they are delivering and demonstrate where faults have occurred especially when they are not on their own networks but on their partner networks.
