Comverse, IBM unveil CoE to help telcos speed product rollout, reduce costs

WAKEFIELD, USA: Comverse and IBM have launched a joint Center of Excellence (CoE) in France to help global telecom operators speed time to market for new services, boost subscriber acquisition, and reduce both churn and overall network operating costs.

Established within the IBM Telecom Solutions Lab in France, the CoE uses software components from IBM and Comverse to create a Business Support System/Operational Support System (BSS/OSS) and Service-Delivery environment that provides a dynamic setting.

“To sustain growth in today’s economy, Communication Service Providers are seeking ways to offer subscribers a more positive and differentiated experience while taking complexity and cost out of their businesses,” said Chris Pearson, global telco industry leader for IBM Global Business Services, which also announced three additional telecom development centers today.

This joint approach allows telecom clients to test proofs of concept with new capabilities in simulated environments, enhance innovation, and reduce implementation time and risk. The Service Provider Delivery Environment (SPDE) framework, which is based on a service oriented architecture (SOA) approach, combines with IBM server and storage hardware, such as Power Systems and BladeCenter, to provide the dynamic infrastructure for the CoE.

“Comverse and IBM understand how critical it is to offer systems and processes that support the new business models that operators must deliver to stay competitive,” said Dror Bin, President of Global Sales at Comverse. “We believe that the Comverse-IBM relationship backed by the Center of Excellence will allow our joint customers to have more efficient operations and generate new revenues.”

The emergence of new business models –- and the potential for even more new models with the view to next-generation networks -– requires a converged approach to BSS that is demonstrated at the center.

Comverse ONE Billing and Active Customer Management is a single BSS system that allows operators to manage all subscribers consistently, regardless of payment or service type, resulting in increased loyalty and new service adoption.

The telecom industry has benefited from IBM’s globally-integrated network of capabilities, partnerships and assets that have supported telecom deployments in major and emerging markets since 2000.