Telecom Survey Identifies Integration Trend for Network Operations
Results show that future demand for integration will continue to grow.
February 26, 2009 – RICHMOND, VA – Nearly 12 percent of telecommunications providers have already adopted state-of-the-art integration technology between their network monitoring software and other applications throughout their operations, according to a recent survey of top telecom executives. In addition, nearly one-third plan to integrate network monitoring, engineering and Geographic Information System (GIS) applications in the “near future.”
The findings were compiled by Mapcom Systems, developers of the M4 Solutions Software Suite, from surveying nearly 500 rural and independent telecommunications providers from across the United States. Results are based on input from Directors, General Managers, Vice Presidents, Outside Plant, Customer Service Representatives and Administrators.
The move to integrate applications across different departments within a telecommunications organization is an attempt to reduce the “silo effect,” according to John Granger, President and CEO of Mapcom Systems. “There is growing recognition among telecom executives that there are costs and inefficiencies involved when each department maintains its own application and database, without integrating it with those of other departments,” Granger explained. “We can certainly see growing evidence amongst our customers that application integration is critical for eliminating duplicative data entry and reducing workflow steps, in conjunction with the adoption of an ‘open integration’ approach.”
The survey reveals that an increasing number of telecommunications providers are taking advantage of new integration capabilities and in fact, are requiring their application providers to collaborate with other vendors in support of “open integration” efforts. Results of the Mapcom survey show nearly 20 percent of providers are already integrating their engineering and GIS-based applications with other operations applications to improve workflow in the day-to-day design, planning and operation of fiber, copper and coax network infrastructures.
“Providers are integrating billing and accounting applications with engineering data and plant records, giving them documented accuracy across the board,” said Granger. “For example, our clients who have integrated their network monitoring platforms with our M4 Solutions Software Suite have seen significant decreases in workflow steps, especially in relation to fiber cuts and have shortened the amount of time to respond to an outage by as much as 60 percent,” noted Granger.
Mapcom Systems was the first software provider to coin the term “Geographic Operations System,” in 2007, accurately reflecting the ensuing marriage of traditional Geographic Information System (GIS) with Operations Support System (OSS). The intent, Granger said, was simply to “make information available, as appropriate, to employees across the company so that they do not have to ask someone from another department for it. “Through integration and providing other applications with geographic context, the company’s maps – formerly which were entirely the domain of the engineering department – are becoming the logical starting point to retrieve the information necessary for each person in an organization to do their job more effectively,” Granger concluded.
About Mapcom Systems
Mapcom Systems is the developer of M4 Solutions – a map-based Geographical Operations System (GOS) software suite that allows telecommunications providers to enhance their information flow by displaying data in a geographic view. The open-system approach enables users to integrate and correlate data from existing billing, accounting, GPS tracking and network monitoring applications with a geographically-correct land base map of all network elements in M4. Since 1971, Mapcom has developed one of the strongest reputations in the industry working with independents, cooperatives, fiber communities, and campus telecommunications providers of all sizes across North America and the Caribbean.
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Scott Combs
Mapcom Systems
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