A leading tier-one telecommunications and services operator in the Asia-Pacific region has signed a $5.5 million (R54 million) deal with Dimension Data for the implementation of its iBOSS solution to secure the successful fulfilment and assurance of the company`s wideband IP network.
The solution provides the operator with greater automation and accuracy around service provisioning, increased visibility of its network infrastructure and speedier determination of the root cause of network problems.
Dimension Data Australia, which originally identified the opportunity, worked closely with the Service Provider Solutions (SPS) team in SA to close the deal. The Dimension Data SPS team is the foundation for Dimension Data`s centre of excellence for iBOSS.
Dimension Data`s iBOSS solution focuses on meeting the needs of service providers deploying and managing advanced IP-based networks and services. iBOSS enables customers to create and manage their own services across multiple technologies and network vendors. This capability helps service providers manage the explosive growth of their diverse data-centric networks.
Sean Taylor, general manager of Dimension Data SPS in SA, says this is the first implementation worldwide of Dimension Data`s Service Provider Nerve System which provides the technology foundation for iBOSS. It is a Next Generation Operation Support Systems (NGOSS) compliant solution, as formulated by the TeleManagement Forum, that allows service providers to migrate away from traditionally messy, slow and rigid integration methodologies to achieve a flexible, agile, business-enhancing environment.
The Asia-Pacific Operator`s new system allows subscribers to request greater or lesser amounts of bandwidth as and when needed, from 100GB to 1MB. "iBOSS is critical to assist in the overall management of the system`s new `bandwidth on demand` concept," says Taylor.
The project consists of two phases. Phase one, which began in April, includes automated provisioning and fault management by integrating off-the shelf applications with the iBOSS Integration Architecture. Dimension Data enlisted the assistance of partners Orchestream, Riversoft, TIBCO and Visionael in the delivery process for phase one.
Phase two, scheduled to commence in January 2003, will address service and network performance and capacity management, and includes additional enhancements to phase one such as IP address management and customer reports via Web.
The contract will also include ongoing support offered by teams from Dimension Data operations in Asia-Pacific and SA.
The iBOSS solution provides the operator with a powerful system, paradigm and methodology to fully configure, manage and support its wideband IP network.
Commenting on the strategic importance of the project, Taylor says it embodies various issues core to Dimension Data`s recently introduced "DD Way" implementation strategy.
"The DD Way encompasses concepts such as the collaboration of expertise from all Dimension Data regions and the embedding of intellectual property from all corners of the globe into solutions," says Taylor.
"Core to The DD Way is the Application Network architecture," he explains. "Application Network architectures are the result of the convergence of two previously separate areas of IT: application integration and network infrastructure. The offering combines our expertise in networking, application integration and global managed services to deliver integrated solutions, by connecting devices, information, applications, business processes, people and organisations.
"`With the solution Dimension Data provides around the application network, customers will see an improvement in the communication and integration functionality of applications, removing many integration headaches and creating an infrastructure that is far more robust, reliable, cost-effective and scalable,`` Taylor concludes.
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Dimension Data Holdings plc (LSE: DDT) is a leading global technology services company. It specialises in providing and managing IT solutions based upon a new architecture called the Application Network. These solutions enable businesses to evolve their IT infrastructures incrementally to reduce both capital and operational IT costs by removing systems duplication and inefficiency. At the same time, they help businesses create competitive advantage by enabling them to operate seamlessly and flexibly.
Application Network architectures are the result of the convergence of two previously separate areas of IT: application integration and network infrastructure. Dimension Data`s unusual combination of expertise in networking, application integration and global managed services makes it uniquely positioned to deliver these solutions, connecting devices, information, applications, business processes, people and organisations.
Dimension Data`s priority solutions address those areas in a client`s infrastructure where there is greatest duplication and waste and the opportunity for significant and immediate ROI. They include: security, storage, IPT, customer interactive services (CIS), service provider solutions (SPIS) and offshore resourcing.
Dimension Data, founded in 1983, had revenues of $2.4 billion in 2001 and operates in 30+ countries with over 9 500 employees.