OSS are tools that help to make lives easier for CSP users and their customers. Here I present ideas for new OSS tools or innovations
This is the sixth and final post in a series about the four styles of RPA (Robotic Process Automation) in OSS. Over the last few days, we’ve looked into the following styles of RPA used in OSS, their implementation approaches, pros / cons and the types of automation they’re best suited to: Automating repeatable tasks […]
This is the fifth in a series about the four styles of RPA (Robotic Process Automation) in OSS. The fourth of those styles is as part of a closed-loop system such as the one described here. Here’s a diagram from that link: This is the most valuable style of RPA because it represents a learning […]
This is the fourth in a series about the four styles of RPA (Robotic Process Automation) in OSS. The third style is Decision Support. I refer to this style as the parrot on the shoulder because the parrot (RPA) guides the operator through their daily activities. It isn’t true automation but it can provide one […]
This is the third in a series about the four styles of RPA (Robotic Process Automation) in OSS. The second of those styles is Streamlining processes / tasks by following an algorithmic approach to simplify processes for operators. These can be particularly helpful during swivel-chair processes where multiple disparate systems are partially integrated but each […]
“The majority of these new services [such as healthcare, content and media, autonomous vehicles, smart homes etc.] require partnerships and will be based on a platform business model where the customer is not aware of who is providing which part of the service and to be quite frankly honest, wont care. All as they will […]
I have this sense that the other OSS, open source software, holds the key to the next wave of OSS (Operational Support Systems) innovation. Why? Well, as yesterday’s post indicated (through Nic Brisbourne), “it’s hard to do big things in a small way.” I’d like to put a slight twist on that concept by saying, […]
“…it’s hard to do big things in a small way, so I suspect incumbents have more of an advantage than they do in most industries.” Nic Brisbourne. The quote above came from a piece about the rise of ConstructTech (ie building houses via means such as 3D printing). However, it is equally true of the […]
Let’s admit it; we’ve all worked on an OSS project that has gone into a period of extended stagnation because of a fear of the unknown. I call them “What if?” scenarios. They’re the scenarios where someone asks, “What if x happens?” and then the team gets side-tracked whilst finding an answer / resolution. The problem with […]
In a post last week, we quoted Jim Rohn who said, “You can have more – if you become more.” Jim was surely speaking about personal growth, but we equated it to OSS needing to become more too, especially by looking beyond the walls of operations. Your first thoughts may be, “Ohh, good idea, I’d […]
Root cause analysis (RCA) is one of the great challenges of OSS. As you know, it aims to identify the probable cause of an alarm-storm, where all alarms are actually related to a single fault. In the past, my go-to approach was to start with a circuit hierarchy-based algorithm. If you had an awareness of […]
“You can have more – if you become more.” Jim Rohn. I believe that this is as true of our OSS as it is of ourselves. Many people use the name Operational Support Systems to put an electric fence around our OSS, to limit uses to just operational activities. However, the reach, awareness and power […]
“…good argument for a merged OSS/BSS, wouldn’t you say?” John Malecki. The question above was posed in relation to Friday’s post about the currency and relevance of OSS compared with research reports, analyses and strategic plans as well as how to extend OSS longevity. This is a brilliant, multi-faceted question from John. My belief is […]
“With the increasing pace of change, the moment a research report, competitive analysis, or strategic plan is delivered to a client, its currency and relevance rapidly diminishes as new trends, issues, and unforeseen disrupters arise.” Soren Kaplan. By the same token as the quote above, does it follow that the currency and relevance of an […]
Yesterday we talked about the cuckoo-bird analogy and how it was preventing telcos from building more valuable platforms on top of their capital-intensive network platforms. Thanks to Dean Bubley, it gave examples of how the most successful platform plays were platforms on platforms (eg Microsoft Office on Windows, iTunes on iOS, phones on physical networks, […]
“The cuckoo bird is infamous for laying its eggs in other birds’ nests. The young cuckoos grow much faster than the rightful occupants, forcing the other chicks out – if they haven’t already physically knocked the other eggs overboard. (See “brood parasitism”, here). Analogies exist quite widely in technology – a faster-growing “tenant” sometimes pushes […]
With the holiday period looming for many of us, we will have the head-space to reflect – on the year(s) gone and to ponder the one(s) upcoming. I’d like to pose the rhetorical question, “What do you expect to reflect on?” It’s probably safe to say that a majority of OSS experts are engaged in […]
Over the last couple of posts, we’ve referred to the following diagram and its ability to create a glass ceiling on OSS feature releases: Yesterday’s post indicated that the current proliferation of microservices has the potential to amplify the strangulation. So how does that compare with the previous approach that was built around COTS (Commercial off-the-shelf) […]
Eric Ries’ “The Lean Startup,” has a short chapter entitled, “Get out of the Building.” It basically describes getting away from your screen – away from reading market research, white papers, your business plan, your code, etc – and out into customer-land. Out of your comfort zone and into a world of primary research that extends beyond […]
“Corporate innovation is far more dependent on external collaboration and customer insight than having a ‘lab’.” Andy Howard in a fabulous LinkedIn post. Like so many other industries, OSS is ripe for disruption through innovation. Andy Howard’s post provides a number of sobering statistics for any large OSS vendors thinking of embarking on an Innovation […]
“Moonshot thinking is about making something 10x better. This forces you to throw away the existing assumptions and create something bold and new. Reality will eat into your 10x. At the end of the process it may only be 2x, but that’s still amazing.” Brian Jansen‘s Book Summary: “Bold: How To Go Big, Create Wealth, […]
