AI-driven zero-touch operations
Leveraging AI in network operations is now critical to leveling up your business agility and customer satisfaction – making time to market faster and the business models of today and tomorrow possible.
The journey to zero touch has begun
Many communications service providers (CSPs) are already on the path towards zero-touch operations (ZTO), showing it is a tangible possibility and not just hype. While low-quality data and employee skills shortages can still create barriers, CSPs are finding solutions, leveraging data standardization and levelling up staff knowledge to unlock the benefits of automation and gain unparalleled competitive advantages.
Impact areas which are already delivering major benefits include network healing and deployment, leading to higher customer satisfaction and reducing risk of human error. But in order to unlock the full potential for ZTO, automation cannot be constrained by legacy solutions. Efforts should instead focus on new technologies such as 5G and intent-based cognitive networks that are optimized for automation from the outset.
What are CSPs saying about zero-touch operations?
Strong faith in the benefits of zero-touch
There is a consensus of strong support for and belief in zero-touch operations among CSPs. The definition is not static however and will continue to change as the technology matures and the scope of automation increases.
Not embracing zero-touch could be costly
Highly automated network operations will differentiate CSPs and give them competitive advantage, but failure to automate could be costly, detracting from user experience due to long lead times to provision services and resolve problems.
Automation can’t be an afterthought
CSPs see no strong business case for automating legacy technologies, and instead need to focus on systems and network infrastructure with automation built in from the outset, such as 5G.
Improved customer satisfaction and reduced time to market top drivers
Automation has a direct impact on improving customer satisfaction: by combining AI and automation capabilities with aggregated insights, operators can predict future customer needs and prepare to deliver personalized experiences.
Creating a single source of truth is crucial
Having a standardized approach to data management is key to network automation. Effectively training and operating AI models requires accurate, reliable data. Adopting a common data model should simultaneously enable effective automation as well as create faith in AI among operations teams.
Network healing, deployment and optimization benefits expected
Network healing including incident management and recovery are expected to see the greatest benefits from ZTO. Deployment, including automated software changes, and optimization with increased energy efficiency are among the other major benefits foreseen by CSPs.
Join our on-demand webinar to learn more about zero-touch operations (ZTO)
Key takeaways:
- What are the top barriers to achieving ZTO and how have CSPs successfully overcome them?
- In which areas are CSPs having the greatest success in implementing ZTO and which remain as longer-term targets?
- How are operators tracking the benefits of ZTO and what methodologies might help them?
Value proposition for attendees:
- Learn from the ZTO journey of other tier one operators around the world
- Get a better understanding of what ZTO involves and what value it can bring to your business
- Learn where to focus your scarce resources to maximize the ROI of ZTO