The use of SOA and GRID technology to allow telcos to act as efficient IP service providers in the future

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The use of SOA and GRID technology to allow
telcos to act as efficient IP service providers
in the future

• Presentation for the GRID Concertation Meeting
  1.6.2005
• Erik Dahl, Senior Strategy Advisor
• Telenor, Norway
• Coauthors André Bersvendsen, Babak Farshchian

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Challenges for telco (such as Telenor)

• Decreasing will of payment per transported unit
  gives reduced revenue per user (ARPU) for
  traditional telecom products
• End users willingness to pay is moved against
  end user services at a higher level, such as
  video (TV and VoD), software (ASP), storage, etc
• Telco may increase ARPU by offering end user
  services at a higher level and increase our
  strength as an access supplier
• A strategic goal will be to simplify, standardise
  and modularise the product portfolio

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Telenor

• An international telecom operator based in Norway
  
• Our Vision Ideas that simplify
• Telenor shall be a driving force in renewing,
  developing and introducing new solutions that
  simplify our customers' workday.
• Telenor's vision is demanding, setting an
  ambitious goal for the organisation and its
  individual employees.
• Renewal and simplification of our own structures
  and routines is a prerequisite for attaining
  competitive power and added value.

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Telenors organization
Telenor
Nordic
Mobile Intl
Broadcast
Marketing
Fixed
Mobile
IS
Operations
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The contribution of SOA and GRID

• Service Oriented Architectures may be used both
  to simplify Information Systems (IS) and the
  network itself
• So far Telenor has a lot of legacy systems,
  causing nuisence and high costs
• The introduction of SOA and Web Services is just
  beginning
• Our research department has been studying SOA and
  GRID technology for years
• Telenor actually built a GRID called Supernett
  in 1992 (with 34 Mbit/s connections between 4
  cities)

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Introduction of SOA in the IS portfolio
Situation

• Projects in CRM, Order and Network Information
  have identified substantial need of integration
  across business units
• For ULTIMAS alone one has identified need for
  development and adjustment of more than 130
  interfaces
• Strong functional coupling between applications
  and systems
• It is difficult to integrate across business
  units

• Establish a future-proof architecture that
  supports
• Cost-effective development, operation, and
  management of integrations
• Simpler consolidation of IT-systems
• Efficient support for process development
• Establishment of reusable services across systems
  and business units
• Predictability and shorter time to market for
  development of new interfaces
• Establish a suitable organisation to handle
  integration needs

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Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) contribute to
substantial improvements

• Process optimisation will be a common
  responsibility of IT and the business side
• IT can be used strategically to obtain business
  goals
• Top-down approach to IT development
• Common methology of development (common
  architecture) based on an EAI platform
• Coupling loose of systems
• Centralised monitoring of services in context by
  the business processes where they are applied

Processes
Services
Data model
Transformation
Connectivity
Systems
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SOA in the network
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From SILO solution to Next Generation Network
Today Single Service Networks
Target IP Service Environment
IP Service Platform
Service Management Domain (IS/IT)
IT/IS
User service domain
Services
Services
Services
Services
Development IP Service Platform
Services
Services
Service Brokerage Domain
Network Delivery Domain
Communication Control
Radio/TV
Telephony
GSM
ATM (Data)
IP/MPLS network
IP/MPLS Core and Aggregation Network
Development Network migration
Access
Access
Access
Device Domain
User Domain
The IP Service Platform consolidates and
optimises the production of services!
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Example CSF compared to NGN(CSFCommon System
Framework )
IS/IT
ITU, NGN layers

• Service layer is an IT platform that plays the
  role of an IN-SCE (Intelligent Network Service
  Creation Environment) extending their
  functionality in order to cover the new network
  scenarios.
• Control layer is the call server that provides
  call control functions and also provides the
  control of the Media Gateway.
• Core layer is the network handling converged
  services based on IP.
• Access layer elements includes different Media
  Gateways that support connection to and from the
  access network with the core network.

IMS
Brut.net
DSL, 3G, etc.
HIGH-LEVEL VIEW OF CSF
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Why establish an IP service platform?

• An IP Service Platform is needed for optimal and
  module based production of both existing and new
  transport products and end user services
• The IP service platform monitors and controls
  resources in the network an access lines so that
  services are transported according to the needs
  of the various services, and according to SLAs
  with customers
• The IP service platform makes possible and
  optimises interfaces for wholesale, and allows
  content from externals

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Profitability of an IP service platform

• Estimation of value - A thorough overall value
  estimation
• Income - An IP service platform can be used to
  produce the services and generate the income that
  has been estimated in various separate projects
  (DSL/FTTP, Content on BB, WiFi/WiMAX, and VoIP)
• CAPEX - Investments on the order of xx M in four
  years is needed. This must be seen in connection
  with overall IT/IS and platform investments
• OPEX An IP service platform allows for a more
  coordinated and optimal production of services
  that what is possible with separate servers
• Churn - Tighter integration between services
  reduces churn

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Possible schedule for penetration
GRID in IT/IS for telecom
SOA in telecom network
GRID in telecom network
SOA in IT/IS
2005
2010
2015
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From Web Services to GRID Services

• Distribution of functionality
• Lifetime (Time management of services)
• End-to-end Quality of Service (QoS)
• Sharing of computing resources (time share)
• Payment per use becomes possible (micro-billing)
• Improved security functionality
• Implementation of Peer-to-peer applications
• Further cost reductions
• Probably a gradual development
• Maybe OGSA, maybe something else
• A vision (for the telecom operator)

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Situation todayDevices without a platform
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TomorrowDevices with a platform
Enabler
Enabler
Enabler
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Pervasive platform
applications
applications
platform
platform
Interaction space
device
mobile phone
laptop
TV
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WiBrix Wireless bricks
Personalized context-aware Service provision
Enablers (operator-owned)
Third party services
Web service
Web service
Web service
Web service
Customer
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Pervasive computing
Mobility
Pervasive Computing
Mobile
wireless
Global access
Human- computer interaction
Fixed
Low
High
User experience/intuitiveness level
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Modular technologies- Function of WS and GRID
Content/use
Applications
Data hosting and services
Tele
Media
IT
Service platform
GRID
Web Services
Network
GRID
Web Services
Terminal
Web Services
GRID
Management, aftertreat,billing, payment
Web Services
GRID
Web Services
GRID
Web Services
GRID
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Roles involved in supply process to end users
Billing provider
Services, applications, and content
Content provider
Service provider
Application developer
Application provider
Application server provider
Data hosting provider
Billing provider
Data hosting
User
OS and MW provider
SP provider
Billing provider
Service platform
Network andterminal
Terminal provider
Network resource provider
Billing provider
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One promising roleTelecom operator as Service
Enabler

• Operators know their users
• Identity, security and privacy, accounting and
  charging,
• Operators know how to operate a universal
  platform for millions of users
• Network is a major building block for pervasive
  applications
• Global access, connected devices, sensor data,
  access to web services,

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Some requirements for future GRIDsas seen by a
telecom operator

• The framework should
• Support interactivity and multimedia
• Support location and context-aware services
• Be network- and terminal agnostic
• Support self-provisioning
• Support single sign-on
• Support pre-paid billing

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Thank you!