Back Office - Monitoring the Last Mile

Posted 11/2000

Back Office

Monitoring the Last Mile
The Argument for Mediation
By Gerard B. Moersdorf Jr.

Galloping demands for new and improved broadband features that include simultaneous voice, data and video transmission will be easier to meet thanks to newly developed mediation devices--now highly capable and notably cost-efficient--that are taking their places in controlled environment vaults (CEVs) and huts throughout the United States. As a result, ILECs can maximize control while improving customer service over the last mile, the traditional source of most customer complaints and a battleground in the struggle with CLECs.

This new breed of mediation device goes well beyond the traditional concept of CEV monitoring, limited to one-way alarms for factors such as temperature, humidity and door closure signals. It also actually performs the same mediation and concentration functions of its much larger antecedent in the CO, providing single-point connectivity for all operations, administration, monitoring and provisioning (OAM&P) activities. In addition, it boasts WDM technology, allowing out-of-band, two-way communication over fiber optic lines and thus eliminating the need for a router and a dedicated T1 line.

So, what's pushing the operating companies to extend their network management strategies to cover the last mile?

"New products," according to Brandon Thompson of the Yankee Group (www.yankeegroup.com). "Network management is becoming increasingly important as new products are introduced and we move away from the traditional circuit-switched environment and into a data environment."

Thompson cites four reasons for monitoring the last mile:

1. Network inventory. As more products are introduced, you have to know what's on the network. You won't create satisfied customers by promising a new feature and then discovering that it can't be provisioned. You can't sell DSL if the local loop won't support it.

2. Network and component health. New products mean new elements on the network. DSL, for example, adds a DSLAM in the CO and a matching device at the customer site. If you have intelligent and sophisticated applications in place to recognize and monitor new elements, you can create strategies to keep your network strong. The whole concept of monitoring becomes even more important as you consider the fact that the life cycles of products are becoming shorter and shorter. That means an even faster rate of change in the network inventory.

3. Redundancy. The operating companies have done a great job of deploying fiber optic rings and backup systems to ensure redundant paths to the CEV. The next step is to develop redundant paths between the customer and two or more CEVs. With that, and the ability to monitor the health of elements within the CEVs, it will often be possible to detect problems before they become outages and switch to an alternate path to the customer.

4. Preserve revenue streams. While it may be some source of satisfaction to watch a CLEC build out its own very expensive local loop, the situation also has its perils. First, the CLEC is probably building out to an ILEC's best customer to offer a host of new services. Second, the competitor now has a greenfield technology base from which to offer even broader and faster services in the future. Third, the ILEC now has unused network capacity, and what good is that? It's becoming increasingly important for the operating companies to provide networks and services that are available for rent by the CLECs (or ICPs--as they move to provide everything from DSL to IP telephone and VoIP). They're called unbundled network elements, and they serve to retain traffic and revenue.

While mediation and monitoring of the local loop will support long-range strategies, the value is not dependent on the realization of long-range programs. According to an ILEC engineer who has field experience using them in CEVs, the new devices fulfill some pressing and immediate needs.

CEV mediation provides remote access to all the elements at that site. If an order comes through to add or delete service or to enable a new feature to a customer, the appropriate elements at the site can be accessed and provisioned from any central location. Without CEV mediation, a technician would have to drive there, manually connect a laptop to a craft terminal, and download the new instructions. Similarly, patches and upgrades can be delivered remotely--and routinely--at any time.

When fitted with appropriate sensing devices, a CEV mediation device can alert network managers to a variety of discrete conditions including temperature, humidity, door-ajar, smoke and water. Moreover, the network managers can access the alarm system to make sure everything is in working order.

The new mediation devices can be accessed from any remote source on the network. The connected elements can then be automatically polled on a regular basis to identify previously defined conditions that might lead to a problem and an outage. At that point, a network manager takes over to determine the severity and the urgency. If necessary, the manager can bring up other elements in other locations (e.g., cross-connect from a DLC carrier to another transport device) and, with the help of some deductive reasoning, identify the source of the trouble.

Once he drives to a location, a technician can only work on the elements in front of him. Having him at the right place at the right moment with everything he needs to put things right saves time and money, and improves service to the customer. The chances of this happening increase exponentially with proper CEV mediation and monitoring.

The new mediation devices are as close to plug and play as they can get. With a fiber optic backbone to the CEV, there is no competition for resources. Deployment of full mediation and monitoring capability can be added to a CEV in less than four hours. The key is the use of WDM technology to provide two-way, out-of-band communication over the fiber without appropriating resources that can be sold to a customer. No dedicated T1 line is needed. Nor are dedicated router resources needed.

Gerard B. Moersdorf Jr. is chairman of Applied Innovation Inc. (www.aiinet.com). He can be reached at (800) 247-9482.

Back Office Briefs

Cisco Systems Inc. (www.cisco.com) recently announced the Cisco Order-to-Service solution for service providers deploying end-to-end Cisco DSL networks. The solution is the industry's first complete system for automating the lengthy and manual end-to-end DSL flow-through provisioning process, which enables service providers to cut the waiting period for service turn-up from several weeks to a few days. Cisco also has introduced the Cisco Network Order Manager product, which automates the processes of end-to-end network connections and works with other Cisco Order-to-Service elements from Cisco New World Ecosystem companies that include BroadJump Inc. (www.broadjump.com), Portal Software Inc. (www.portal.com), Quintessent Communications Inc. (www.quintessent.net) and Turnstone Systems Inc. (www.turnstone.com).

PSINet (www.psi.net) has selected MetaSolv Software Inc.'s (www.metasolv.com) Telecom Business Solution software to enhance the management of the order processing, service provisioning, network inventory and design, trouble resolution, gateway interconnections, and work-flow management business functions of its converged services.

Teligent Inc. (www.teligent.com) is now using TEOCO Corp.'s (www.teoco.com) BillTrak Pro network cost management system. BillTrak Pro gives carriers the electronic ability to import, analyze, audit, dispute and pay telco cost invoices more accurately and efficiently than manual auditing. Carriers are able to quickly verify billing discrepancies through BillTrak Pro's seamless integration with their traffic reporting and provisioning systems.

!hey software inc., a contact center and voice technologies provider, and personalized online communication software provider icontact.com inc. have merged to form !hey inc. (www.heyinc.com). The new company will offer an application suite that helps businesses proactively identify, acquire, service, and retain customers through personalized communication. Terms of the merger were not disclosed.

AP Engines Inc. (www.apengines.com) has integrated its billing mediation software with Sonus Networks Inc.'s (www.sonusnet.com) Insight element management system.

 DSL provider Edge Connections Inc. (www.edgeconnections.com) will utilize Wisor Telecom Corp.'s (www.wisor.com) Service Management Solution (SMS) Suite, Daleen Technologies Inc.'s (www.daleen.com) BillPlex and Clarify Inc.'s (www.clarify.com) eFrontOffice products for flow-through provisioning. The Wisor SMS Suite supports service order management, as well as provisioning, network inventory management and trading partner interconnection for voice, data, DSL, IP, ATM and frame relay.

Fujitsu Network Services (www.fns.fujitsu.com) has announced a family of professional network services, ranging from business process consulting to network, system and OSS analysis, design and integration. Fujitsu offers its network management packages through a new network operations center in Richardson, Texas.

Plan B Communications (www.planb4u.com), a provider of integrated voice, data and Internet services for business customers, announced the selection of CommTech Corp. (www.comm.com), DSET Corp. (www.dset.com) and Info Directions Inc. (www. infodirections.com) to provide OSS solutions. Key applications include workflow management, service activation, an automated ordering gateway, and customer care and billing. CommTech has overall responsibility for integration and project management of the Plan B OSS deployment.

New Wave Communications Inc. (www.newwave1.com), a global communications network provider that specializes in integrated voice and data services over IP, has selected MIND CTI Ltd.'s (www.mindcti.com) billing and customer care systems for the billing of postpaid, credit and debit customers. MIND-iPhonEX enables web-based customer care and registration. In addition, the system has the flexibility necessary for use by prepaid calling card customers. New Wave's network is used for international traffic originating in the United States and terminating primarily in Asia.

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