Process integration and automation enable the efficient delivery of services on the massive scale that occurs in carrier networks. In the past, service providers made large investments in dedicated service-delivery tools and processes that are becoming increasin- gly cumbersome and costly to main- tain. With the advent of triple-play service delivery and the need for ongoing service differentiation and innovation, the operational challenges of catering to the individual needs of millions of users without incurring dramatic increases in costs or process- ing times for customer care and sup- port take center stage. These two issues of mass customization and service velocity require a solution that transcends traditional “cookie- cutter” approaches to process integra- tion and automation.
The Alcatel-Lucent 5750 SSC brings all the interdependent control ele- ments and aspects of triple-play serv- ice delivery together in an integrated, policy-based control solution. Using a policy-based operational model, the Alcatel-Lucent 5750 SSC enables a zero-touch operational deployment model, allowing users to choose the services and options they want and delivering them without manual intervention by customer care or support personnel. This approach
provides the flexibility needed to address the following market opportu- nities for triple-play service delivery, combining an enriched user experi- ence with operational cost savings and increased revenues:
•Triple-play packages and tiered services — Complete, competitive and personalized service bundles that merge voice, video and data with one-stop shopping convenience and easily adapt to evolving needs.
•Self-service portals — Portals that allow subscribers to directly manage their accounts and service subscriptions and temporarily or permanently upgrade service levels. This reduces customer-care costs while giving subscribers the service they want.
•Application-aware QoS — The dynamic (versus static) allocation of network resources driven by user and service needs, enabling high- quality video and multimedia applications and optimizing resource utilization. The Alcatel-Lucent 5750 SSC can be deployed in com- bination with deep packet inspec- tion (DPI) engines to control policy enforcement of per-application QoS, security and bandwidth, and deliver EIS for secure peer-to-peer networking, online gaming and streaming Internet video and voice.
•Try-and-buy, evening and weekend specials — The ability for subscrib- ers to try services or boost service levels for a limited amount of time, or to introduce off-peak usage rates based on parameters such as usage time, traffic volume or specific con- tent. This not only invites subscrib- ers to try new value-added services with minimal commitment, but also encourages service usage during off-peak hours to better utilize network investments.
•Comprehensive usage control and accounting — Flexible usage options and billing schemes to address different market needs using detailed subscriber-level reporting and real- time billing data.
Putting subscribers in the driver’s seat — empowering them to create a more personalized and interactive experience using self-service subscrip- tion and service-selection portals — provides a better user experience while significantly reducing service providers’ operational costs.
