Business strategies for the next-generation network - Nigel Seel

Carriers and service providers have united around the concept of the Next-Generation Network (NGN). Although leveraging a broad basket of Internet technologies, the NGN is not being planned as the next-generation Internet. In its intention and architecture, it is more accurately described as Broadband-ISDN release 2.0.

The NGN transition is hard for both practitioners and observers to understand because it weaves together a number of distinct strands:

the
development of a new architecture and technology base including advanced
IT automation systems

the
development of a portfolio of 'new wave' products and services which
exploits the power of the new network

the
design of a new kind of organization which can utilize the higher levels
of automation in the NGN, and reduce costs

and the
development of an effective transition plan which can smoothly move
operators from their current legacy networks, systems and processes to the
NGN future.

The book begins with a review of the failures of previous attempts by carriers to retool for the future. It describes in detail the technologies and capabilities supporting "new wave'" services, focusing particularly on multimedia interactive services, TV, and Video-on-Demand. The author looks at the IMS layer and how it interworks both downwards into the QoS-enabled IP transport layer and upwards to enable new kinds of applications. However, equal attention is addressed to the business models of players in the value chain, carriers, service providers, broadcasters, and production companies.

The author then examines how carriers have attempted to remodel themselves as IP companies along the dimensions of people, processes, and IT automation systems, describing the lessons to be learned from numerous failures. He identifies more innovativebusiness models, exploresPeer-to-Peer networking, and reviews the prospects for the introduction of spoken dialogue systems into the service provider's arsenal of technologies.

Reviewing in detail the many failures and few achievements in carrier transition programs, the central theme of the book is how to organize for success. Business Strategies for the Next-Generation Network focuses on transformational business strategies for incumbent operators, alternate operators, and new entrants from the media world.