TR262 Hybrid Network Management Platform Blueprint R16.5.1

There is a growing interest in the use of virtualization and cloud computing approaches to delivering network services (used in a more general sense than the ETSI NFV definition of Network Service).

Some of the business benefits include reduced time to market (RTM) and depend on agility in creation, composition and combining networks services to support a wide range of e2e Network Service requirements, such as those advanced by the NGMN 5G white paper.

Agility requires that network functionality be designed in an agile way, and also that the Operations Support (OSS) for Networks and Service Operations are also designed for agility. Work in ETSI NFV has focused on the network agility aspects and have assumed that the integration will be with current Operations Support Systems (OSS) using the traditional mechanisms and interfacing principles.

It turns out that service providers are thinking in terms of transformation of their current BSS/OSS systems into a more agile IT environment, often based on Cloud Application principles. This requires a re-appraisal of how network and other resource technologies are integrated with the ‘Operations Centre of the Future’ using a ‘Future Mode of Operations’ (see IG1118 OSS / BSS Futures for more on this topic).

The implementation approach is based on the notion of Platforms described in the next section. The Platforms approach has been adopted and implemented by several service providers and demonstrated in numerous TM Forum Catalysts over the last two years. Platforms concept has emerged as a solution to two distinct business challenges:

•  Firstly to manage the transformation of current BSS / OSS to reduce systems complexity and to improve business agility through reuse of Platform Capabilities (Single Sided Business Model); As described by BT and Vodafone contributions to Action Week Lisbon 2016 and AW Vancouver 2016.
•   Secondly to participate as a partner in modern Platform business models (Multi-sided Business Models) as described in Geoff Parker’s book ‘Platform Revolution’.