Spirent teams with Tier-1 providers to demonstrate Network Automation

Spirent Communications announced a new TM Forum Catalyst project, Automated Optimization of Customer QoE. The Catalyst focuses on the role of network automation as providers seek to optimize the quality of experience (QoE) for their subscribers while also improving operational efficiencies. Underscoring the challenge of balancing these objectives, tier-1 service providers including AT&T, TIM and KDDI have signed on as Catalyst project champions.

“Service providers are under intense pressure to simultaneously maintain their quality premium versus over-the-top competitors and dramatically reduce their operational expenses,” said Tom Russo, Catalyst project leader and business development director for Spirent’s Lifecycle Service Assurance segment. “Our Catalyst demonstrates how these historically conflicting objectives can now be achieved by deeply integrating customer experience analysis, automation and machine learning technologies. The Catalyst focuses on a number of automated use cases with the potential to drive OPEX savings of at least $2 per subscriber per year, leading to multi-million-dollar savings for many operators while also improving customer satisfaction.”

“Operations automation is going to be pivotal for the future success of telecommunication service providers,” said Anil Rao, Principal Analyst at Analysys Mason. “The prevalent operational model and economics are going to be unsustainable as service providers prepare to deliver superior customer experience, virtualise their networks, and launch innovative services based on 5G and IoT.”