Get minted in the cloud
Hrvatski Telekom’s selection of Nokia’s Converged Charging software has put it at odds with the rest of the telecoms herd, according to a study by 5G monetising specialist Matrixx Software which says mobile network operators (MNOs) are turning to the cloud for instant monetary gratification. The study Monetizing the Cloud-Based Network concludes that most telcos can’t see themselves making any money out of 5G unless they design special charging systems, and that buying them on the cloud is the only practical way of getting started before the gold rush is over. The creation network operator’s choice of Nokia seems bold move.
Cloud installations are the immediate priority for MNOs of every size around the world, said the report’s author and nobody has a one-size-fits-all monetization strategy for the cloud. This means operators need to be open minded and flexible and prepare to be led by the cloud vendor. Though 77% of MNOs say they’d consider a hybrid cloud in reality most of the money is being spent on private clouds and purely public cloud feeds. Mobile operators are accepting that ‘monetisation technologies’ in the cloud are a better way of keeping pace with the demands of consumers and enterprises in a new 5G era, said Marc Price, CTO of Matrixx Software. However telcos have their work cut out if they want to transition into technology companies that can offer new types of service.
As MNOs prioritises the migration of 5G API-based applications, 5G core network functions and data platforms to the cloud, they must follow the path of hyperscalers who have gone before them. For a third of them this have involved examining the complex interplay between business and operational support systems (OSS/BSS) and charging. It’s at this point that they realise that their current modus operandii are too slow and unwieldy to match the agile and inventive cloud services.
Nearly half of them want to cut the BSS and get a system that shows them the money, according to Price. The elevation to the cloud must be made with tools that work in the new environment, which can create new associated revenue streams. “This focus remains critical for telcos to effectively compete and win with shifting consumer and enterprise demands,” said Price. For this reason, the research revealed high interest in emerging business models such as B2B2X.
CSPs place significant value on getting instant, contextual data, performing analytics and gaining deeper insights into service experience, mobility and user equipment (UE) behaviour. Other ambitions include embedded AI and automation, real-time performance, edge, ultra-low latency and marketplace commerce.
However, at Hrvatski Telekom CTO Boris Drilo said he was happy that Nokia’s NCC containerised software will be instantly on the money. As a containerized, microservices-based solution, Nokia Converged Charging (NCC) will provide real-time rating and charging of voice, data, and SMS/MMS services used by Hrvatski Telekom prepaid and postpaid subscribers. “This monetization solution will ultimately allow us to better meet our customers’ growing network application demands and generate new revenue streams,” said Drilo.
NCC has an intuitive business user interface which is easy set up quickly to create new services, at new prices and with new offers. Nokia’s charging support a billion subscribers globally.