Summary Bullets:
- ZTE employs its “Method for ZTE OSS Projects”, which includes consulting, OSS swapping, OSS improvement, and managed service optimization components to address evolving operator OSS transformation demands.
- ZTE needs to accent BDA/analytics integration capabilities, while also producing OSS swapping use cases, to improve its prospects in driving more operator adoption of its OSS proposition.
ZTE advances its “Method for ZTE OSS Projects” as needed by operators to meet their OSS transformation ends. The ZTE OSS project methodology includes consulting, OSS improvement, OSS swapping, and managed service optimization components. The components all use ZTE portfolio assets including unified managed services, tools to visualize OSS processes and data, and transparency across management of the entire network to meet operator OSS transformation demands according to their specific needs.
ZTE competes against a vast ocean of alternative OSS solutions that also advocate using variations of the so-called ZTE OSS project methodology. How does ZTE propose to win over operators in adopting its method to driving OSS transformation?
- End-to-end Tools: ZTE OSS tools extend to the mobile access, core network, transmission, and services portions of the network supporting the network optimization, management, maintenance, and service operation support needs of operators. While most rivals tout end-to-end OSS tools capabilities, only a handful such as Huawei and Ericsson can directly link their OSS tools to in-house mobile access, core, and transmission infrastructure products to ease operator integration processes. To back its claim of offering comprehensive OSS tools, ZTE touts China Mobile, Ncell Nepal, PMI Canada, TTSL/Aircel India, and ETC Ethiopia as adopters of its end-to-end OSS proposition.
- Consulting and Managed Services: ZTE is hardly alone in using consulting and managed services resources as a method to drive operator adoption of its OSS solutions, although to its credit, ZTE devotes attention to meeting the property rights and maintenance cost concerns of operators. This includes an upfront willingness to work with operator self-developed products, outsourced products, and third-party products to ease operator consideration of its end-to-end OSS solution, especially since ZTE is still often challenging incumbent suppliers in the OSS part of the network.
As ZTE champions its “Method for OSS Projects” approach, what steps can the company take to render its OSS proposition more compelling in meeting operator OSS transformation demands?
- Expand OSS-Analytics Integration: The ZTE method for OSS transformation lacks direct linkage to analytics engines, including analytics-driven automation of OSS processes. Without a more robust analytics component or promotion of integration with third-party big data analytics (BDA) engines, ZTE risks vitiating its addressable OSS market due to a diluted analytics message.
- OSS Swapping: The ZTE method for OSS projects includes the provision of swapping existing OSS platforms for new installments. Even with detailed investigation, planning, and training, the use case for OSS swapping remains a rarity even within smaller operator networks due to the complexities of transitioning core operation processes. Unless it produces a use case demonstrating a successful OSS swap implementation, ZTE needs to consider dropping the swap provision. Otherwise, it can serve as a convenient target for rivals to challenge ZTE’s credentials toward upholding its own swap provision within its overall OSS project methodology.
Overall, ZTE has the OSS project methodology and portfolio assets to elevate its capacity in meeting operator OSS transformation goals. Now ZTE must show can it develop an analytics integration tie-in and refresh its OSS swapping message to drive even more operator OSS transformation projects.