NGN Service Resiliency Pathways to Market

Next Generation Networks (NGN)  Next Generation Network implementations are starting to evolve around the world, including NZ over the next five years

Integration of Network Services  NGN’s integrate many disparate services Unlike PSTN which is a single service network Each service has its own characteristics Services have widely differing QoS standards to meet for consumers and businesses All services share the same network!

Service Resiliency and Availability  Resiliency Able to withstand failures and faults  Availability Proportion of time that the network is able to accept requests for service

NGN Reliability  Reliable networks and services will be critical to all businesses and consumers throughout the world.  Reliability is essential if the network is to transport all possible services!  Telecom faced major problems last year as a result of problems on two diverse routes: Rats and post-hole diggers!

Product - 1  A suite of tools that addresses the issues of Measuring and monitoring service resiliency Managing service performance, resiliency and availability Designing networks to meet QoS, availability and resiliency standards

Product - 2  The toolset will be underpinned by theoretical models of service resiliency supported by actual measurements and simulation studies

Project Products  Service Resiliency Models with associated measurement strategies  Network Planning Tool prototypes employing intellectual property from the project  Network measurement and monitoring tools for service resiliency

Market Opportunity  The intended market: Core network providers – eg Telecom NZ, Optus, Telstra, Telekom Malaysia etc ISPs using the Telco core and/or their own resources.  This group consists of several hundred organisations within Australia and New Zealand.  However, the number of providers world-wide is very much larger and thus it is envisaged that the products would have a wide appeal throughout the world, with particular emphasis on the rapidly growing markets for the Internet in Asia, China and South America as well as the traditional markets of the USA, Europe and Japan. Providers of services to these providers – eg Alcatel

Tool Requirements There is a need for products that will enable providers to determine optimal allocations of capacity and ensure network resiliency and QoS guarantees for the customers in their networks; this will lead to efficient use of the network infrastructure and reduce costs to the consumer.

The Network Planning Problem  What is it? Information today is handled on a very wide variety of different networks that consist of nodes and links (“switches or routers and transmission links”). The Next Generation Network will be based on IP technology and support multiple service types. It is essential that the owners of these networks and systems properly manage and plan them in order to service their customers and their own communication needs. Clients using ISP/Telco networks need to be able to plan their networks to meet customer requirements. An important requirement for Internet based users is Quality of Service (QoS) since the “regular Internet” does not provide QoS guarantees.

Making Services Resilient  Key steps are: Ensuring that the underlying transport network is reliable and robust to failure(s). Ensuring systems supporting individual services are also reliable and robust.  Routers  Databases  Service delivery platforms  ………… Router Databases Service Delivery Platforms

NGN Service Resiliency Project Status

Network Planning Tools  Prototype tool in preparation  Tool features: GUI interface Basic network planning tools in an integrated environment Interfaces via XML or standard spreadsheets to enter or extract data for the tool. Resiliency model planning system

Generic Resiliency Model MPLS Path 3MPLS Path 2MPLS Path 1 Services MPLS Pipes R1R1 R2R2 R3R3 R4R4 R5R5 S1S1 S2S2 S3S3 S4S4 S5S5 R i = Physical resiliency of the link S i = Service resiliency on this link SourceDestination Service Router

Network Service Resiliency Models  Methods being developed to enable the measurement of factors that contribute to network service resiliency.  Service resiliency should be decoupled from physical network reliability in order to focus on things that affect subscriber QoS.  A combined physical and service resiliency model is the most likely outcome.

Network Management Tools  The objective of these tools is to monitor the performance of the network in an appropriate way and ensure service quality is being maintained.  Service resiliency can be measured in many different ways

The Path to Market Money and Business Opportunities for the Project

The Big Picture Planning Tools (Routing and Capacity Planning) Resiliency Models Measurement And Monitoring

Revenue from Planning Tools  Network planning tools vary considerably in price but some of the more recent big players ask for about $1million US for their packages.  The "APTNet package" that I helped develop for Telecom Malaysia was expected to fetch about $A350,000 per copy, but TM backed off from selling it in the end and only use it internally because of perceived market advantage over competitors in their environment.

Measurement Tools & Methods  Measurement strategies embodied in sophisticated tools (may be hardware or software from this project) are marketable or,  If we get really fortunate, and develop a methodology that becomes implemented as an IETF standard or a patent, then we should be able to collect royalties for this and get a reasonable rate of return.  If we link the outputs to inputs in the toolset mentioned above, there is a multiplier effect.

Network Monitoring  Network monitoring of NGN services is a really hot topic.  The development of software and hardware systems to achieve such monitoring for a service provider like Telecom would be hugely beneficial as they can demonstrate in an impartial way the level of service being achieved by their customers.

Business Models  There are many business and marketing models that are possible, viz: Develop a software package incorporating some or all of the models and tools mentioned previously. (Different bundling options can be chosen)  Another version is to get the customer to pay upfront for the Version 1 product and enter into agreements for maintenance updates over a fixed or variable period. Instead of selling the package, you provide consultancies that use the package and retain the rights. (Must maintain a team to do this – hard for universities, though) Rental/lease type options. Alcatel operates by providing services to clients like Telecom NZ and so there can be a return on investment in this way for Alcatel. Telecom could get the consultancy services for free, for example.

Competitor Summary  Competitors include: Large Telco’s have their own in-house groups (diminishing group!):  Lucent  AT&T  NTT  France Telecom  …. Manufacturers generate tools to assist their clients in the design of systems that use their products:  Siemens  Ericsson  Nortel  … Planning tool houses:  VPI Systems is among the largest Other related groups  OPNET – provide simulation tools  Some large accounting firms  Small niche market businesses – many of these