Global carriers need to keep up with the times by evolving as the industry grows in complexity. Kunal Dave, VP Global Sales at voice and messaging solutions vendor Linxa, writes about some key methods to help carriers stay flexible and quick on their feet.
Managing wholesale voice and messaging is becoming increasingly challenging in today’s market.
With continuously declining rates, growing complexity and rapidly evolving technology, doing this in a profitable way is getting more difficult – with many struggling to successfully transform their business to keep up with today’s realities.
Here are the top-three most common mistakes made by carriers that are hindering their progress: 1) Trust everyone, verify no one: partnering with companies that are too good to be true; 2) You snooze, you lose: not keeping up with innovation; 3) Same old, same old: using an in-house or legacy management system for routing.
In global telecoms, both voice and messaging are immensely demanding and complex, but new pricing, new codes and new approaches to tariffs are some of the few constants in the industry.
A carrier needs to be flexible and quick on its feet to be able to, firstly, avoid being taken advantage of; and, secondly, identify and use the best and most profitable routing for every single call or message they want to terminate.
Smooth transition
The key to achieving these aims is an effective management system that covers all aspects of the business.
Carriers are often proud of their customised routing system tightly integrated with their switches and call-detail records (CDR) processing systems. However, the world is moving at such a pace that newer architectures, developed with the latest software technology, almost always have the edge. Not only do they bring the flexibility that comes from meeting the needs of all types and sizes of carrier, but they also have the ability to integrate smoothly into any existing network.
As a prime example, voice and messaging solutions vendor Linxa has taken things a step further by developing a complete stack of applications, from end-to-end BSS/OSS platforms all the way to network elements.
And that’s not all: Linxa is also harnessing a single easy-to-use interface covering both voice and messaging with OSS/BSS, class-4 switching and SMPP gateway products. This allows carriers to smoothly handle both voice and messaging through one interface, giving them major advantages in efficiency, flexibility and deal-making.
The benefits of having an entire network and systems stack from one vendor like Linxa are multifold. Firstly, the company can completely integrate the system stacks such that fundamental features, like the ability to recognise and kill a fraudulent call mid-stream, are easy to implement. Secondly, with such an architecture, reports on profitability are not just close-to-real-time, they are actually up-to-date with calls that are active at that point in time.
Managing change
You are perhaps now thinking that this type of solution sounds interesting, but also wondering how an existing network can be transitioned into something completely new, however intriguing that might be.
The thought of changing or adding to existing network elements can, indeed, be daunting. However, the negative financial aspects of staying with long-standing elements that are not suited to today’s rapidly evolving environment can be equally daunting. The cost of implementing new features, such as STIR/SHAKEN architecture to combat fraudulent robocalls and phone-number spoofing, is the best example.
Recognising such concerns, Linxa has succeeded in developing several ways to achieve this evolution and transformation painlessly, from moving routing logic and CDR production into its SIP proxy devices to simplify overall management to adding its switching elements to efficiently aid the growth of customers and suppliers.
Going further, Linxa has proven techniques to manage a hot cut from one existing switch onto its own in parallel. Of course, the company’s approach to managing both voice and messaging in one environment provides an immediate opportunity to any voice carrier wanting to easily expand into the world of messaging, and vice versa.
If this sounds like an intriguing way to improve efficiencies, be more creative and flexible, enhance margin and increase revenues, then perhaps it’s time to join some of the world’s largest carriers by investing in a new and more effective way of managing your wholesale business.
