Business silos and stove pipes have no place in the new generation of multi-service, multi-access broadband networks, says Johan Josefsson, director of Solutions and Marketing, Systems Integration within Ericsson's Global Services organization. The term "business silos" refers to the traditional way of running separate businesses with separate support systems and processes, each dedicated per type of network - one business silo for each of the wireline, wireless and cable networks; all independent of each other. The term "stove pipe" describes having an independent solution for each service in the network.

Many operators lack a streamlined and efficient telecom management solution. Their systems and processes evolved from traditional business models offering only voice services for their customers. As their offerings have expanded, operators have begun to acquire hundreds of different systems, with subsequent inconsistencies in data, overlapping functionality, costly integrations and uncoordinated product releases. This makes it difficult to launch new services quickly and cost-efficiently, and to track and tune service performance once they have been introduced.

Telecom management will become a competitive differentiator, enabling a leaner, more efficient operation of the multi-services broadband network. But getting rid of old habits and starting over could be expensive; better, then, to achieve change through a well-organized transformation program.

"We see efficient telecom management built on three pillars: people and the organization; processes and procedures; and systems and IT tools," says Josefsson. "Our goal is to create a more service-oriented approach, with clearly-defined roles and responsibilities."

As an integral part of this process, Josefsson points to the need to automate and simplify the entire business architecture, introducing a framework that closely links business processes, tools and functions, thus minimizing overlapping information and redundant data between management systems.

These changes and improvements cannot happen in isolation, however. It is therefore important to measure the efficiencies and key performance indicators in the network to provide goals and motivation for all team members.

"It's a case of getting the tools and the product together with the processes and the procedures - and getting everything to work together and at the same time," Josefsson says.

"You can't take one area in isolation. You need a holistic view to make sure everything is working together from an end-to-end perspective. It has to support both the business process requirements and the technology requirements."

This is where Ericsson can offer its experience and knowledge as a systems integrator.  "The aim must be to achieve a transformation of management systems and business processes, together with the move toward new, revenue-generating services," Josefsson says. "When we work with customers in the telecoms management area, we can advise them how to optimize their existing investments, and show them what is required to become leaner, more efficient operators."