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# Passionate About OSS and BSS

Independent OSS/BSS advisory for telecom leaders. Vendor selection, transformation planning, delivery strategy and M&A support

## Posts

- [Blog](https://passionateaboutoss.com/blog/) - Sharing our passion for OSS BSS via this blog
- [Exactly what is an OSS's "intuition age"](https://passionateaboutoss.com/exactly-what-is-an-osss-intuition-age/) - I'm currently reading a book entitled, "Jony Ive. The genius behind Apple's greatest products." I'd like to share a paragraph with you from it (and probably expect a few more in coming days): "...Apple's internal culture heavily favored the engineers within the product groups. The design process was engineering driven. In the early days of
- [Crossing the Chasm: How to avoid flip-flopping between OSS products and services models](https://passionateaboutoss.com/crossing-the-chasm-how-to-avoid-flip-flopping-between-oss-products-and-services/) - Are you familiar with Geoffrey Moore's famous, "Crossing the Chasm" concept from his book of the same name? It basically describes the large gap between early adoption of a product and getting it to mainstream utilisation. With the large amount of fragmentation in the OSS/BSS market, there are clearly many products that haven't been able
- [OSS / BSS in the clouds](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-in-the-clouds/) - Have you noticed the recent up-tick in headlines around telco offerings by hyperscalers AWS, Google and Microsoft? Or the multi-cloud telco models, the middleware, supplied by VMware and Red Hat? Whilst previous generations of wireless connectivity have focussed on voice and data capabilities, 5G is architected to better enable consumer business models. Edge compute (both
- [Network Resilience Engineering: The Role of Operational Support Systems (OSS)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/network-resilience-engineering-the-role-of-operational-support-systems-oss/) - Operational Support Systems (OSS) perform many business-critical functions for network operators, as shown in the diagram below. They are the connectors and the profit engine behind any communications network. As indicated above, the assurance flows help to retain revenues and customers. OSS are an insurance policy for a telco's brand, or at least the technology
- [Two new products to help you kick-start your next OSS project](https://passionateaboutoss.com/two-new-products-to-help-you-kick-start-your-next-oss-project/) - There's only one way that OSS and BSS can get better - clients need to invest in them, which in turn convinces vendors to invest in product development. There's a simple sequence of events: The demonstrable delivery of value by OSS to an organisation, which Justifies the allocation of budget to your organisation's OSS, and
- [The Mysterious Sector 4 in a Telco IT Stack](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-mysterious-sector-4-in-a-telco-it-stack/) - When it comes to driving efficiency and profitability in a service provider's business, I feel there are three key pillars to consider (aside from strategic factors of course), as follows: The IT stack, led by the OSS/BSS The networks and The field services The networks are vital. They are effectively each organisation's product because connectivity
- [The OSS fireplace that is running out of heat](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-fireplace-that-is-running-out-of-heat/) - There's an old parable from Earl Nightingale that I think about every day in terms of the OSS industry and the business operations of Passionate About OSS. Earl was a motivational speaker and author known for his inspiring teachings. He gained prominence in the 1950s and continued his work until his passing in 1989. One
- [When is an OOTB OSS Not Really Out of the Box?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-is-an-ootb-oss-not-really-ootb/) - When it comes to OSS, the term Out of the Box (or OOTB) can be correct, incorrect and highly confusing all at the same time. Buying an OOTB OSS is a bit like buying a suit off the rack. It exists. It has structure. It has the pockets, buttons, sleeves and lining you expected. But
- [Knowledge Used to Be Power. In the AI Era, there's a New Advantage](https://passionateaboutoss.com/knowledge-used-to-be-power-theres-a-new-advantage/) - Since OSS were first built, they've been designed around the belief that more complete information creates better operations. That belief made sense when they were designed by Engineers for Engineers. When network, service, customer, inventory, topology and assurance data was scarce, fragmented and hard to access. The organisation with the best information usually had the
- [What an OSS/BSS Procurement Really Costs: The Numbers Might Surprise You](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ryan/) - An OSS/BSS transformation often begins with excitement and urgency due to a desperate need for change. It also creates trepidation because the wrong decision could shape the business for years to come. There’s no doubt that there’s a long list of things to work through, but that tension can lead to procurement events that could
- [How do you Tour the Most Beautiful Homes in the OSS Industry?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-do-you-tour-the-most-beautiful-homes-in-the-oss-industry/) - Daniel Priestley recently highlighted something as important for business owners as telcos seeking out their next OSS or BSS solution:"If I said to you, go and build your dream house, the first thing you'd do is imagine the finished product. You'd drive around beautiful neighbourhoods, look at the ones you wish you lived in, already
- [AN Level 4 is Like Putting a Man on the Moon. It's not just a Target. It's a Strategy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-level-4-is-like-putting-a-man-on-the-moon/) - In the the last month or so 8 different carriers, from a variety of places around the planet, have reached out to us to discuss their ambitions for reaching AN Level 4. There's clearly a major groundswell behind it. The thing about AN Level 4 is it sounds like a clear destination. But it doesn't
- [Lessons from a Solent University Project that gives me hope for OSS/BSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/lessons-from-a-solent-university-project/) - Telco keeps worrying about a skills shortage. But a group of Solent University students just reminded me that the talent is still there. We just need to give them problems worth solving. That's why I wanted to take a moment to congratulate the Solent University team that recently developed an automated network prediction pipeline. Their
- [How rigorous OSS procurement can still get the transformation completely wrong](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-rigourous-oss-procurement-can-still-get-transformations-wrong/) - Most OSS experts focus on the implementation and post-go-live performance aspects of a transformation. That makes perfect sense, because they’re the most visible phases. But by the time implementation begins, many of the decisions that shape success or failure have already been set in place. The pre-implementation phase is often underestimated - treated as a
- [Finding Your Best-fit OSS/BSS: The Car Yard Approach to Vendor Selection](https://passionateaboutoss.com/finding-your-best-fit-oss-bss-the-car-yard-approach-to-vendor-selection/) - A good friend and OSS/BSS collaborator, Raman, recently asked me, "Wish they made it (buying OSS/BSS solutions) as simple as buying cars. If I have a budget of $50K for my family car to take me from Point A to Point B, I won’t be talking to luxury German brands, only looking at some pragmatic
- [Ask for the Best OSS Vendor and You Start an Argument You Can't Win](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ask-for-the-best-oss-vendor-and-you-start-an-argument-you-cant-win/) - Everyone wants to know who the best OSS vendor is. But since there are 500+ OSS/BSS vendors, that question usually starts an argument, rather than the transformation you want to kick-start. The better question is which vendor best fits you best - your architecture, budget, maturity, constraints and operating model. PAOSS’s Inverted Pyramid approach starts
- [Is telco facing a skills shortage... or a prestige shortage?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-telco-facing-a-skills-shortage-or-a-prestige-shortage/) - Telco keeps talking about being scared of an imminent skills cliff. But perhaps the real problem is not just that experienced people are leaving. It's that the industry has stopped feeling like the natural destination for the next generation of brilliant minds. Meanwhile, the industry’s hardest problems - automation, AI-native operations, complex transformation, data integrity,
- [What Happens when a Software Designer Doesn't Listen?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-happens-when-a-software-designer-doesnt-listen/) - What happens when a Software Engineer, Enterprise Architect and Network Ops Engineer walk into a bar?..... . You know that head-slap moment when you realise software is more hindrance than help? I had one such experience back in circa 2005, when I watched a genuinely brilliant network ops engineer spend an entire afternoon navigating tools
- [A seismic shift is happening](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-seismic-shift-is-happening/) - A seismic shift is happening that will change the world of OSS/BSS so fundamentally in the next few years that it totally blows my mind. It will be the biggest in my 20+ year career in the telco industry. The following pic is from an IA Summit Keynote by Charles Lamanna, the Corporate VP of
- [Phone books have disappeared, but telcos forgot why they mattered](https://passionateaboutoss.com/phone-books-have-disappeared-but-telcos-forgot-why-they-mattered/) - Phone books now look like a relic from another era. Stone. Cold. Dead. But they were once one of the most powerful business growth engines in the world. Owned by telcos! As they declined in importance, Telcos didn't just lose a directory. They totally forgot they were matchmakers. Phone books were never just paper directories.
- [What Trees do we Plant for the Next 10,000 OSS/BSS Practitioners?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-trees-do-we-plant-for-the-next-10000-oss-bss-practitioners/) - The old proverb above really resonates. I love this industry. You could even say I’m Passionate About OSS. And like many of us, I’ve been a beneficiary of trees that other people planted - frameworks, knowledge, standards, examples, terminology, APIs, architectures and shared wisdom. But it feels like we’re now on the cusp of generational
- [Our Latest Product Release - Telecom Product & Service Mapping Guide](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-latest-product-release-telecom-product-service-mapping-guide/) - Every carrier knows it needs a clear product catalogue, with well-defined service and resource definitions. But it is not always obvious where to start. Across the world, most carriers sell broadly similar families of products, whether broadband, mobile, voice, VPN or bundles. At the same time, every operator needs to differentiate, which means no two
- [Differences between CFS and RFS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/differences-between-cfs-and-rfs/) - Explore the fundamentals of CFS (Customer Facing Services) and RFS (Resource Facing Services). Get a comprehensive understanding of key concepts and mappings of telecommunications services
- [How to transform your OSS. The moving house analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/seems-obvious-to-me-but-how-would-you-handle-this-migration/) - In recent times, I did some work at a tier-1 telco where an adjacent project was implementing a major changeover of an essential OSS / BSS platform. The old suite is acknowledged as having lots of legacy data, processes, etc. And when I say legacy, I mean stuff that hasn't been used for years, just
- [How to revolutionise telco Customer Satisfaction via an OSS-led Mindset Shift](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-revolutionise-telco-customer-satisfaction-via-an-oss-led-mindset-shift/) - Many telcos around the world are in perilous decline, propped up mostly by balance sheet successes and assets of the past. To change this (diminishing) level of success requires us to change. A simple OSS/BSS-led mindset shift has the potential to trigger this change
- [When Pipes Go to Zero: What's the Telco Business Model After Connectivity Stops Making Money?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-pipes-go-to-zero-whats-the-telco-business-model-after-connectivity-stops-making-money/) - As seen in the diagram, for most of telecom history, the core business model has been simple: Build networks Sell access to those networks Recover capital (revenue) through subscription and usage revenues, and Protect margin through scale and operational efficiency But what happens if (when? after?) that model breaks? What happens if connectivity becomes so
- [The pyramid of OSS pain](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-pyramid-of-oss-pain/) - The diagram below is a crass over-simplification of where the source of OSS pain (ie complexity) tends to originate from. If an organisation has complexity in the upper-most layer (ie products), then this is bound to flow downstream, amplifying along the way and culminating in increased complexity at support systems like OSS/BSS. If there are
- [Telco's burning exchange moment - a playbook of fixes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telcos-burning-exchange-moment-a-playbook-of-fixes/) - The previous article in this series, "Telecommunications has reached its burning exchange moment," highlighted that the current telco business model is at risk. It described how we could be experiencing an era of creative destruction of capital based on the works of Schumpeter and Marx. It also described: Poll results where nearly half of Europe's
- [How Big Transformations Might Get Done: WBS, Bets and the Wisdom of Crowds](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-big-transformations-get-done-wbs-bets-and-the-wisdom-of-crowds/) - After reading the book, How Big Things Get Done (by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner) about why megaprojects fail, I found it fascinating that it overlapped with another recent article. Flyvbjerg and Gardner’s core argument is that successful complex projects are not won by speed of commitment, but by better odds and better sequencing, which
- [What if most OSS/BSS are overkill? Planning a simpler version](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-if-most-oss-bss-are-overkill-planning-a-simpler-version/) - What are the key features / functions of an OSS and BSS? There are arguably around 75-80 major functionality groups that make up an OSS/BSS stack. We group them further, into about 15 major categories
- [Most OSS/BSS Professionals don’t Prove their Value because...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/most-oss-bss-professionals-dont-prove-their-value-because/) - I have a really important question for you to ask yourself today. It's a question that shapes a lot of our thinking about how I can help the OSS/BSS/telco industry. How does what I do make more money for clients? Not just what your company does. Not what your brand says on the website. Not
- [From Breakfast Tables to Global Introductions - The Power of OSS Communities](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-breakfast-tables-to-global-introductions-the-power-of-oss-communities/) - I would have heard the phrase "your network is your net worth" early in my career and probably nodded along without really believing it (or even comprehending it if I'm being honest). It sounded like one of those catchy lines that people repeat because it sounds wise. At the time, I was much more focused
- [Why OSS transformation decisions should be made by bookmakers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/why-oss-transformation-decisions-should-be-made-by-bookmakers/) - We're releasing our latest report today. Click on the image below to download it. Why are transformation approvals (eg business case approvals, vendor selections, project transformation decisions) forced to look perfect when delivery is anything but? That is the quiet contradiction at the heart of many (most?) digital transformation programmes. We build business cases as
- [We’ve Just Launched our 100-Day Plan for OSS/BSS Transformations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/weve-just-launched-our-100-day-plan-for-oss-bss-transformations/) - If you’re leading an OSS/BSS transformation, one of the hardest parts is not knowing what needs to happen first (or second, third, etc). Not in theory. In practice. Most large transformation programmes don't fail because of a lack of ambition. They fail because the early sequencing is off or steps are overlooked. Vendor conversations begin
- [Is Innovation no Longer the Real Engine of OSS/BSS Evolution?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/should-we-give-up-on-innovation-as-the-real-engine-of-oss-bss-evolution/) - With MWC upon us again, I thought I'd pose a question about how our industry, and the 500+ OSS/BSS vendor market within it, is currently evolving. Telcos spend billions on transformation programmes every year. They talk about massive disruption like cloud-native stacks, open architectures, AI-driven automation and next-generation digital experiences. On paper, it sounds like
- [I’ve just been blown away again by another really revolutionary demonstration](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ive-just-been-blown-away-again-by-another-really-revolutionary-demonstration/) - Earlier in the week, I shared a really exciting video from EnterpriseWeb (in collaboration with KX and Microsoft in particular). Clearly others have been just as impressed with that video as I was. That one video alone has triggered a wave of discussions. I suspect that's because it provides a line-of-sight to what network operations
- [Share Traders Invest Billions on Signal. Telcos Invest in Noise](https://passionateaboutoss.com/learning-from-high-frequency-traders-the-rise-of-the-telco-quant/) - Quants have become the rockstars of modern share trading - extracting powerful signals from oceans of data at near real-time speed. Trading firms invest billions in them and in infrastructure that will give them even the slightest timing edge. Yet while telcos drown in dashboards, the next competitive advantage may belong to the "NOC-star" -
- [The Next OSS Product Category is Hiding in Plain Sight](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-next-oss-product-category-is-hiding-in-plain-sight/) - One of the things I find incredibly interesting when I look at the Simplified TAM diagram below is that of each of the arrows indicating a workflow, only one has systems that aren't really designed to manage the operational workflow. Assurance has trouble tickets Fulfilment has service orders Field operations has work orders Even billing
- [The Latest in AI Capabilities in OSS/BSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-latest-in-ai-capabililties/) - The OSS/BSS vendor landscape just crossed another threshold. The Passionate About OSS Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory has now grown to over 750 listings, giving buyers and sellers one of the most comprehensive views of the telecom software ecosystem available today. But this milestone alone isn’t the only part today's story. We’ve just introduced a
- [I Thought I Knew this Tank: A Story About Software, Goldfish, Ego and Expertise](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-thought-i-knew-this-tank-a-story-about-software-goldfish-ego-and-expertise/) - Two goldfish are dropped into a new tank. One turns to the other and asks, “Do you know how to fire the cannon on this thing?” That single gag captures the moment when what you expected collapses and the script is flipped. It has similarities with what users experience when a software transformation is forced
- [Managing OSS Transformation Risk](https://passionateaboutoss.com/managing-oss-transformation-risk/) - A reader of Mastering Your OSS recently reached out to indicate that he found Chapter 7 useful for understanding OSS-related risks and mitigations. He pointed out that this section encourages readers to contact us for a more comprehensive list of risks and risk management strategies. That's right. So here are the top-8 articles/pages on our
- [Software Deals Are Like Marriages. Can we Prevent so Many Ending in Divorce?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/software-deals-are-like-marriages-can-we-prevent-so-many-ending-in-divorce/) - Have you ever wondered why there's such a big deal made of the start of a marriage (there's a whole industry built around engagements and weddings), but there's almost no fanfare at the end? Samuel Thompson pointed this out on Greg Isenberg's podcast. Samuel highlighted that there are lots of products designed for the start
- [How to win friends and influence OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-oss/) - Whether we like it or not, most of us judge books by their covers. Sometimes that’s visual. Sometimes it’s the title. But here's a thing I find interesting. Having written a couple of books myself, a lot of thought goes into choosing the title to resonate with the viewing audience. And yet, sometimes a title
- [An OSS paradox: The split personality of being an OSS architect and writer](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-paradox-the-split-personality-of-being-an-oss-architect-and-writer/) - An interesting paradox struck me just recently. Having written nearly 2,750 articles here on this blog, I can probably lay claim to being a writer. Having done well over 50 OSS-related projects since the first one in 2000, I can probably also claim to be an OSS architect and consultant (although impostor syndrome does make
- [The mafia... Pressure? What pressure?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-mafia-pressure-what-pressure/) - OSS delivery teams can be quite tense environments to work within can't they? Deadlines, urgency, being in the customer's line of sight and did I mention deadlines? [As an aside, I'm not sure which type of deadline is more stressful, the ongoing drain of fortnightly releases under Agile, or the chaos of a big-bang release
- [Is AI a digital transformation bridge or noose? (Part 5 - Precedents and Summation)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-ai-a-digital-transformation-bridge-or-noose-part-5-precedents-and-summation/) - The last four articles have explored the way some telcos are using AI technologies counter-productively today – AI entanglement, transformation planning, dependency visibility and the hazards of autonomy. The final question for this article is whether telcos can or will ever earn the right to unplug their legacy OSS. In Part 4, we ended with
- [Is AI a digital transformation bridge or noose? (part 2 - Transformation Planning)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-ai-a-digital-transformation-bridge-or-noose-part-2/) - In Part 1 of this series, we explored an uncomfortable paradox. AI is being excitedly positioned as the key to telco transformation, yet many initiatives are quietly reinforcing the same legacy digital landscapes they would love to replace. That leads to a more fundamental question. Before choosing AI models, architectures, or tooling, must we actually
- [Is AI a digital transformation bridge or noose? (part 4 - Autonomy Hazards)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-ai-a-digital-transformation-bridge-or-noose-part-4/) - I’ve never achieved true autonomy in an end-to-end, complex telco environment. What follows is a hypothesis. I'd love to hear your thoughts and clarifications. What I have achieved are small autonomous solutions that did work nicely, until a single baseline parameter changed. Then assumptions broke, dependencies surfaced and entire solutions + datasets had to be
- [Is AI a digital transformation bridge or noose? (part 3 - Dependency Visibility)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-ai-a-digital-transformation-bridge-or-noose-part-3/) - Many (myself included), believe that recent progress in AI-based technologies should accelerate digital transformation (even if only by inspiring us to think differently about the digital systems we already have). However, in Part 1 of this series we explored a paradox. The most common uses of AI today are not loosening the grip of legacy
- [Is AI a digital transformation bridge or noose? (part 1 - AI Entanglement)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-ai-a-digital-transformation-bridge-or-noose-part-1/) - Like microservices before it, AI and agentic solutions are increasingly seen as the panacea of digital transformation. In telco circles, AI is often framed as the fastest path to escape. A way to finally move beyond the clunky, legacy worlds of OSS/BSS. Piecemeal AI projects promise quick wins, modern capabilities, and a stepping stone towards
- [Trust](https://passionateaboutoss.com/trust/) - We speak with buyers and sellers every week, and one word keeps repeating. Trust. It keeps appearing in buyer conversations and seller conversations alike. It's more than a word though. It's costing the telco industry millions. When trust is missing, 18-24 month buying cycles become the default. This is the Buyer - Seller Chasm that
- [How do you build experience when AI handles all the experiences?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-do-you-build-experience-when-ai-handles-all-the-experiences/) - The promise is simple: let AI handle the easy work, and humans focus on the hard work, the challenging work, the fun work. But the hard work is hard because it depends on intuition and experience that comes from years of guidance doing the easy work (the apprenticeship). So if AI handles all of the
- [An uncommon list of OSS books](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-uncommon-list-of-oss-books/) - Since reading the first book on this list, I've become a very avid and wide-ranging reader. The seeds sown by the book list below have immensely helped enrich the content you see here on the PAOSS blog and other PAOSS content. These are the books that have most inspired me or influenced my thinking. Sometimes
- [Are we missing something? Is AI building a house with many competing thermostats?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-we-missing-something-is-ai-building-a-house-with-many-competing-thermostats/) - I’d always assumed that more feedback loops meant better control, and faster / smarter / optimal operations. But what happens when each system has its own idea of what “smart” or “optimal” even means? Are we, in fact, optimising our way into instability and inefficiency? Could hundreds of competing feedback loops be automating misalignment faster
- [Fighting the Telco Immune System with AI: The Moviestar Strategy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/fighting-the-telco-immune-system-with-ai-the-moviestar-strategy/) - We're already seeing it. AI is slowly infiltrating telecom, one little project at a time... monitoring, automating, optimising. In AI, we have one of the most disruptive opportunities of our lifetime, but the results of telco AI projects to date still feel eerily familiar. Are most telcos using tomorrow’s tools with yesterday’s thinking? Maybe the
- [Speed Kills (the Competition): A Confusing Speedtest Image Told the Story](https://passionateaboutoss.com/speed-kills-the-competition-a-confusing-speedtest-image-told-the-story/) - We know telco customers want faster speeds.But is it possible that we're focussed on the wrong type of speed?Here's a hint: the real drag isn't line-speed. . “Finally”: The Message that Triggered an Article Late last week a friend pinged me with a SpeedTest screenshot and a single word: “finally.” I was confused. At first
- [12 reasons why our OSS get better by wearing hi-viz vests](https://passionateaboutoss.com/12-reasons-why-our-oss-get-better-by-wearing-hi-viz-vests/) - Ever noticed how many OSS decisions are made by people who have never set foot on site? What if your single most powerful OSS upgrade this year is a day riding shotgun with field techs in a hi-viz vest? This article digs into the quiet damage that OSS experts with a total lack of field
- [Telco is a Circus with Thousands of Balls in the Air](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telco-is-a-circus-with-thousands-of-balls-in-the-air/) - Are you frustrated by the complexity of your OSS/BSS factory? With hundreds or even thousands of systems, all trying to juggle thousands of activities without dropping the ball is like organised chaos. But what if we're looking at it all wrong, both in the way we've always designed our legacy application architectures and how we're
- [Berkshire Hathaway Discovered a Mutual Destruction Trap in Textiles. Almost too Late. Will Telcos Fall into it too?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/berkshire-hathaway-discovered-a-mutual-destruction-trap-in-textiles-almost-too-late-will-telcos-fall-into-it-too/) - The story of Berkshire Hathaway is a famous one. It started in textiles but Warren Buffett chose to drastically change strategy because the textiles industry was dying. You'd have to say his decision has proven to be correct. If it stayed in textiles, Buffett would almost certainly not be as famous as he is today.
- [Want to Design an OSS/BSS Architecture to be Relevant for 10+ Years? Learning from Lindy and the Porsche 911 (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/learning-from-lindy-and-the-porsche-911-designing-a-10-year-oss-bss-architecture/) - Modern telco software roadmaps tend to be full of novel features. But what if none of that novelty is enduring? What if the silhouette of the Porsche 911 guides us on what should be included in our next OSS roadmap? The City Map From article 1 in this series, The Lindy Effect tells us that
- [What to Build, What to Drop: A Product Roadmap Scorecard for OSS/BSS Tools that Endure (part 4)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-to-build-what-to-drop-a-product-roadmap-scorecard-for-oss-bss-that-endure/) - Most OSS/BSS roadmaps today overflow with novelty and buzz. You might even hear the words Agentic AI come up (not that I have anything against it but it can be a little over-hyped at times). But this series has taken a different path. We've looked at how to build a model that looks for enduring
- [Stop the Archaeological Dig: Bringing Your OSS Dinosaur Back to Life](https://passionateaboutoss.com/stop-the-archaeological-dig-bringing-your-oss-dinosaur-back-to-life/) - Are you worried that your OSS/BSS stack, or parts of it, might be in desperate need of an overhaul? Many OSS experts love being archaeologists, down on their knees, carefully brushing off the dust to unearth their OSS fossil and painstakingly preserving it. But modern network operations aren't archaeological digs. We can't just make educated guesses
- [Turn Incidents Into Resilience X-rays: Using Network Outages as Complexity Audits (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/turn-incidents-into-resilience-using-network-outages-as-complexity-audits/) - After a major outage, we conduct PIRs (Post Incident Reviews). If we find something, we usually add controls. But when you think about it, that’s a bit like bandages on an infected wound - more layers, more failure points and potentially even a wider blast radius. The durable fix is more clinical: identify and remove
- [Can you predict the Next 40 years of OSS/BSS? The Lindy Effect might help (part 1)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/can-you-predict-the-next-40-years-of-oss-bss-the-lindy-effect-might-help/) - When you're planning your next-generation OSS/BSS roadmap, what's guiding your decisions? Are you looking for and/or researching features that have never been seen before? Are you finding new problems to solve? That's our (my) typical mindset isn't it? What if I instead pointed you to a little-known framework that looks deep into the past to
- [Sam Altman Warns of One Major Constraint on Intelligence. And OSS are Closely Linked](https://passionateaboutoss.com/sam-altman-warns-of-one-limit-to-human-intelligence-and-oss-are-closely-linked/) - Most people think AI innovation depends on breakthroughs in models and training algorithms. But those are just the surface. Underneath, OSS and BSS aren't the constraint, but their coordination could become the ultimate facilitator of intelligence. Sam Altman's testimony at the Senate Committee Hearings on 8 May 2025 only underscores that: "I think it's hard
- [Same Telco, Different World-views: 5 Lessons from IBM in the 1990s in Building Alignment](https://passionateaboutoss.com/same-telco-different-world-views-5-lessons-from-ibm-in-the-1990s-in-building-alignment/) - According to Russ Hill, IBM had 27 top priorities in the 1990s, and only 3 of them aligned. Telcos today aren’t far off. The cost? Misaligned missions and fragmented customer outcomes. When Lou Gerstner took over IBM in 1993, he found a company with no shortage of smart people or strategies or good intentions. But
- [OSS Buyers think they Buy with Logic... But none of us do](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-buyers-think-they-buy-with-logic-but-none-of-us-do/) - You're in the business of OSS sales (we're all in the business of OSS sales if we want to work on an OSS project). Your OSS sales assets are full of facts, features and benefits. That fits perfectly for every buyer who thinks and says their procurement decisions are logical and calculated. Just one problem:
- [Avoid being Shot by the OSS Woman in the Red Dress](https://passionateaboutoss.com/avoiding-being-shot-by-the-oss-woman-in-the-red-dress/) - This is a story about a scene from The Matrix. It starts like the telco industry. Fearful of change. Locked into systems they can’t seem to escape. But then there's a twist. Bang! The woman in the red dress doesn’t just walk past me. She hits me right between the eyes. This is the
- [Infographic – A step-by-step Guide to building your OSS Data Governance Framework](https://passionateaboutoss.com/infographic-a-step-by-step-guide-to-building-your-oss-data-governance-framework/) - Telcos are drowning in data, but few treat it as a managed, strategic asset. Without governance, OSS initiatives falter under poor quality, fragmented and inconsistent information. Data quality decays over time. Without the right governance, poor data can send your systems and processes into a death spiral, no matter how good they are. Taking a
- [How to Design an OSS / Telco Data Governance Framework](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-design-an-oss-telco-data-governance-framework/) - "Data governance constructs a strategy and a framework through which an organization (company as well as a state…) can recognize the value of its data assets (towards its own or global goals), implement a data management system that can best leverage it whilst putting in place controls, policies and standards that simultaneously protect data (regulation
- [When a Telco Burned: What Warrnambool can teach us about Telco's Future](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-a-telco-burned-what-warrnambool-can-teach-us-about-telcos-future/) - Telcos are built for resilience.But when a critical exchange burned to the ground in regional Australia, it exposed the industry's greatest weakness and its greatest strength are one and the same: the ability to adapt. What happened to Warrnambool Exchange in 2012 wasn’t just a fire. It was a story that shattered the commonly held
- [Telecommunications has reached its burning exchange moment](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telecommunications-has-reached-its-burning-exchange-moment/) - I'll start this article with an apology - for crossing into the world of politics. An important basis of the discussion comes from the concept of creative destruction of capital and references quotes from Karl Marx. I have no interest in politics, especially historical politics, so I have little awareness of what the groundswell of
- [Was Working in Telco Always Boring? 5 Ways to Reignite Energy Across the Industry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/was-working-in-telco-always-boring-5-ways-to-reignite-energy-across-the-industry/) - The answer is a categorical no! Telco was once the place for moonshot thinkers and industry-shaping tech. Do you remember when telco was exciting? When engineers solved big problems and OSS was a creative playground? Unfortunately, telco today has a growing energy crisis. Not just in its tower sites and data centres, but an energy
- [The Iteration Game: Which Surprising Telco Assets get more Valuable over Time?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-iteration-game-which-surprising-telco-assets-get-more-valuable-over-time/) - If asked to think about telco's most valuable assets, most people think spectrum, networks and customers. But if we think a bit more laterally, telcos have other compounding growth engines that are never discussed, to the point of being invisible. In fact, the assets that have the potential to compound fastest probably don’t even appear
- [Where does OSS R&D come from?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/where-does-oss-rd-come-from/) - A question came in from a reader this morning, "What is the role(inputs) of the service providers in the research (technology modernization) compared to the equipment vendors and standard bodies (3GPP, TMForum, IETF, etc.)? Do operators have any influence in the research and how the coordination happens (except being the members) between the vendors, operators,
- [Does your Telco/OSS/BSS world feel like a Zero Sum Mental Model? There may be another way!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/does-your-telco-oss-bss-world-feel-like-a-zero-sum-mental-model/) - Do you ever get that feeling that your mental models of the telco / tech / OSS/BSS worlds are different to those of almost everyone else? Do you feel like there are the status-quo approaches that are kind of proven, but still not really as good as they could be? That there must be even
- [From Mercedes Star to North Star: Three Cheat-Sheets for Uniting OSS Transformations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-mercedes-star-to-north-star-a-cheat-sheet-for-uniting-oss-transformations/) - When we're passionate about OSS and we discuss OSS/BSS transformation, the context is almost always centred around the technology. But if technology was the real barrier, most telcos would already be running the sleek digital operations of their dreams by now. As we found in the previous article about telco world views, the real drag
- [Multiple Worldviews, One Telco: When our Mercedes Stars don't Align](https://passionateaboutoss.com/multiple-worldviews-one-telco-when-our-mercedes-stars-dont-align/) - In telcos, everyone’s working toward the same goal right? Well, we all know that's not exactly right. Speak to the CEO, the CFO, the CTO, the COO, the CMO, etc, and you could end up thinking they're talking about different companies (a bit like the story of the six blind men and an elephant). And
- [The secret to winning in Service Assurance? Updating your thinking faster than competitors](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-secret-to-winning-in-service-assurance-updating-your-thinking-faster-than-competitors/) - Network downtime can cost millions per hour, so service and network assurance have never been more critical. But here's the interesting thing - have you also noticed that many organisations still rely on reactive firefighting supplemented with a few rules-based automations, heavy use of CLIs, alarm lists and human-centric "tick and flick" incident management? When
- [Agentic Experience (AX): Is it a game-changer for OSS Design?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/agentic-experience-ax-is-it-a-game-changer-for-oss-design/) - Many OSS UI (User Interface) design principles have barely changed in decades. These principles have served us well. But the iterative dialogue model presented by today's generative AI tools provides a totally new framework for OSS UI reimagination. Today we’ll explore 18 Agentic Experience (AX) principles that we've picked out of a letter shared by
- [12 dilemmas that we face on the journey to zero-touch operations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/12-dilemmas-that-we-face-on-the-journey-to-zero-touch-operations/) - There's a common misnomer that AIOps and Network Automation solutions are just stood up and a bunch of people are stood down. That is, as soon as the tools become operational, the network operator can start reducing head-count. Project sponsors pray for it (to justify their business cases), network operations staff fear it (for the
- [Tips from the Tee Box: How Golf and the Gym can help You get the OSS of Your Dreams](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tips-from-the-tee-box-how-golf-and-the-gym-can-help-you-get-the-oss-of-your-dreams/) - Everyone’s watching. You’re on the first tee at the golf course, adrenaline surging. The fairway stretches out in front of you, full of promise, but hesitation creeps in. Your grip tightens. Not because you don’t want to play, or because the drive itself terrifies you. It's because you’re unsure what might happen if you miss the
- [From War and Peace to The Very Hungry Caterpillar: 5 Lessons in OSS Design for a New Generation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-war-and-peace-to-the-very-hungry-caterpillar-5-lessons-in-oss-design-for-a-new-generation/) - OSS tools have always been built by engineers for engineers. Engineers who love to show off their brilliant minds via layers of depth and complexity. But the new generation of users has no patience for this. Nor do their team-leaders. This article explores what we can learn from OSS/BSS user interfaces (UI) that are more
- [Using Proactive Simulation to keep Black Swans out of your network](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-proactive-simulation-to-keep-black-swans-out-of-your-network/) - Telcos pour millions into incident and problem management every year. However, these budgets only kick in after damage is done. Black-swan failures (events or event combinations that have never been seen before) still bypass every safeguard to bring networks down on a regular basis. What if we could learn from industries like aviation and pharmaceutical
- [The OSS Transformation Secrets Tier-2 Operators Use That Tier-1s Ignore](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-transformation-secrets-tier-2-operators-use-that-tier-1s-ignore/) - In the telecommunications industry, Tier-2 (smaller) network operators often look up to their larger Tier-1 counterparts as models for building networks, telco standards and operational support systems (OSS). However, and the Tier-1 operators will never admit to this, but the lessons don’t always need to flow top-down from T1 to T2. In fact, the pragmatic
- [96% of Telco Reality Remains Hidden: Melting the Iceberg of Ignorance in 7 Steps](https://passionateaboutoss.com/96-of-telco-reality-remains-hidden-melting-the-iceberg-of-ignorance-in-7-steps/) - The Iceberg of Ignorance, (shown in the diagram below) is a widely revered model of imperfect communication between the coalface and the boardroom in large organisations. However, in telecommunications, it bears a striking resemblance to our own OSS/BSS information collection frameworks, revealing a design flaw that impacts situational awareness. And the only way to melt
- [OSS implementations are never truly unique: Until you look closer](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations-are-never-truly-unique-until-you-look-closer/) - There are two prevailing schools of thought when it comes to OSS transformation: Some believe that choosing an off-the-shelf OSS platform means the deployment will follow a predictable path. After all, the software is proven, the vendor provides reference architectures, they've implemented their solution numerous times before and the manuals promise standard processes Others are
- [OSS Sandpit - Radio Planning Exercise](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-radio-planning-exercise/) - Wireless or radio technologies are making waves (sorry for the awful pun) at the moment. The telco world is abuzz with the changes being brought about by 5G, IoT, LEO satellite and other related tech. They all rely on radio frequency (RF) to carry their all-important communications information. This article provides an example of preparing
- [70% of OSS RFPs miss the Best Vendor. How to improve Your odds](https://passionateaboutoss.com/70-of-oss-rfps-miss-the-best-vendor-how-to-improve-your-odds/) - Most carriers still rely on traditional RFP processes to select OSS/BSS vendors. These methods are seen as rigorous and comprehensive. However, they are slow, inflexible and often fail to surface the best-fit vendor. Despite consuming vast time and effort, statistically, they are only ~30% likely to find the best-fit vendor for your needs. We've continually
- [The Dragon Circle: Is Rehiring OSS/Telco Dragon Slayers a strategic move?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-dragon-circle-is-rehiring-oss-telco-dragon-slayers-a-strategic-move/) - OSS dragon-slayers, the veterans of our industry who have built the OSS of today, are being quietly laid off and struggling to find re-employment for the first time in their careers. The industry has many reasons to explain why they are no longer employable. However, as telco infrastructure shifts into the hands of long-horizon investors,
- [The Chicken or the Egg - OSS/BSS or Market Change - Which to Reboot First?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-chicken-or-the-egg-oss-bss-or-market-change-which-to-reboot-first/) - Telcos have tolerated lengthy OSS/BSS rollouts as a necessary evil for years, but what if those same systems are the chains holding the telco world back. Which is the chicken and which is the egg? Is it OSS/BSS and/or the market that needs a radical reboot? Which must be rebooted first? OSS and BSS are
- [How to make your OSS a Purple Cow](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-make-your-oss-a-purple-cow/) - With well over 500 product suppliers in the OSS/BSS market it can be really difficult to stand out from the other products. Part of the reason we compiled The Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory was to allow us to quickly recall one product from another. With so much overlapping functionality and similarities in their names,
- [The one person, two day, OSS challenge (The Friction Continuums)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-one-person-two-day-oss-challenge/) - For all of the OSS and BSS vendors out there, I'd like to issue you a challenge. Can one person who's not yet familiar with your solution (but has pre-requisite skills) set up your OSS / BSS product and demonstrate your product's most essential use-cases with their own data / configurations and then demo to
- [OSS isn’t just a Battle. It’s a Quest. And every Quest needs more than Just Dragon Slayers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-isnt-just-a-battle-its-a-quest-and-every-quest-needs-more-than-just-dragon-slayers/) - You’ve already got your dragon slayers. Your team is filled with seasoned OSS professionals who’ve faced complex, high-stakes problems and lived to tell the tale. They’re reliable, sharp, and tested. But if you’re the King / Queen, the one responsible for building the team, then you need more than just experience. You need adaptability. Perspective.
- [Your first OSS date (the first date principle)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/your-first-oss-date/) - How spending less time telling and more time listening will make a better OSS proposition
- [From Indispensable to Overlooked and Back: Making OSS Dragon Slayers Valuable Again](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-indispensable-to-overlooked-and-back-making-oss-dragon-slayers-valuable-again/) - Many OSS veterans, the people who built the OSS of today, are no longer being offered full-time roles. Clients often assume they have become obsolete or are simply too expensive. However, these same experts are still solving the toughest OSS problems, drawing on decades of hard-earned experience. They are just not doing it from inside
- [The Buyer-Seller Chasm Series Summary](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-buyer-seller-chasm-series-summary/) - This article provides a summary of our Buyer-Seller Chasm series of articles, where we start with the guiding principle that: The buyers (carriers) desperately need better tools to transform their operations. The sellers (vendors) already have better tools, which they desperately want to sell. The problem worth solving lies in the extraordinary amount of time,
- [What if the Real Legacy in OSS isn’t Code - But Culture?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-if-the-real-legacy-in-oss-isnt-code-but-culture/) - Everyone’s chasing a better OSS, which for most means planning the next OSS platform migration. Yet we rarely ask the key questions that guarantees long-term success: “When was the last time someone in your team really challenged the way things are done?” “Does everyone on your team feel empowered / safe to pose radical new
- [Digital Threads are Re-inventing the Modern TowerCo: OSS, Drones, 3D Models and GTM Innovation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/digital-threads-are-re-inventing-the-modern-towerco-oss-drones-3d-models-and-gtm-innovation/) - Tower sites / assets have long been seen as fixed infrastructure. Passive, static, silent. But a new wave of tools and novel go-to-market (GTM) models are rewriting the rulebook. The smartest TowerCos no longer manage their tower assets from CAD drawings, spreadsheets and manpower alone. They're turning each site into an edge utility hub. Dynamic,
- [A Reality Check: Take this Self-Assessment Survey to Identify the Maturity of Your OSS/BSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-reality-check-take-this-self-assessment-survey-to-identify-the-maturity-of-your-oss-bss/) - Earlier this week, I sat down with the intention of writing another blog article, this time about the burning platform that is faced by many within the telco industry. But as I was writing it, it morphed a few times and eventually turned into an automated self-assessment report of all things (you can complete the
- [Beyond the Prompt: Training OSS Masters When AI Takes over the Basics](https://passionateaboutoss.com/beyond-the-prompt-training-oss-masters-when-ai-takes-over-the-basics/) - “In vain do we build the city if we do not first build the man.” Edwin Markham AI will surely run the OSS cities of the future. AI may even build the OSS cities of the future. What can we do now to build the OSS masters of the future? . We’re already witnessing the
- [Jeff Bezos Designs for What Won’t Change: 7 Enduring Truths for OSS / BSS and Telco](https://passionateaboutoss.com/jeff-bezos-designs-for-what-wont-change-7-enduring-truths-for-oss-bss-and-telco/) - Forget what’s trending in telecom. The future of telecom isn’t about what changes. It’s about what never will. It’s not about desperately trying to keep up with all the fads or buzzwords. It’s about delivering the things your customers will never stop expecting. Why Jeff Bezos Designs Platforms for Stability, Not Speed Jeff Bezos famously
- [Avoiding the Dead Zone: The OSS Transformation Accelerator that is Almost Always Overlooked](https://passionateaboutoss.com/avoiding-the-dead-zone-the-oss-transformation-accelerator-that-is-almost-always-overlooked/) - Most OSS programs stall before they even start, waiting on the longest pole in the tent - production infrastructure - to become available for the first OSS software builds. This invariably involves waiting on solution designs, procurement, approvals, integrations and more. But what if there were a faster way? There's one step that we use
- [An OSS Security Summary](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-security-summary/) - Please note that this article has now been superseded by this page "How to Architect Your OSS/BSS/NMS Security Framework" =========== Our OSS / BSS manage some of the world's most vital comms infrastructure don't they? That makes them pretty important assets to protect from cyber-intrusion. Therefore security is a key, but often underestimated, component
- [Subtracting the Suck: An OSS Product Roadmap](https://passionateaboutoss.com/subtracting-the-suck-an-oss-product-roadmap/) - Making your OSS easy to use isn't about adding more "easyness" - it's about subtracting what sucks. "To make your stuff "easier to use" you don't make it "easier." You look at all the things that make it hard, then remove them one by one. Easy isn't something you add. It's what's left over after
- [Updated OSS Business Case Builder](https://passionateaboutoss.com/updated-oss-business-case-builder/) - If you're in the process of defining an OSS business case or know someone who is, check out my new and improved OSS business case builder here:
- [The Future of OSS is Play: Learning from My Journey of 85+ hour Weeks (in a State of Flow)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-future-of-oss-is-play-my-journey-of-85-hour-weeks-in-a-state-of-flow/) - During my first forays into OSS, over a period of 6+ years, I averaged 85 hours a week whilst being paid for a 40 hour week - and loved every minute of it! It wasn't because I had to, but because I wanted to - all because OSS felt like play. Time was meaningless as
- [Are there any essential metrics that your OSS is not on the hook for?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-there-any-essential-metrics-that-your-oss-is-not-on-the-hook-for/) - I was doing some work on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within telco environments the other day and it made me realise that OSS can have a direct impact on every one of them. Here are a few responsibilities of OSS / BSS: TTM or MTTP - Time to Market or Mean Time to Product -
- [The differences between  Inventory, Asset and Config Management in an OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-differences-between-inventory-asset-and-config-management-in-an-oss/) - Describes the similarities and fundamental differences between telecommunication Inventory solutions compared with Asset Management and CMDB solutions. Also considers the unique differences of PNI (Physical Network Inventory) and LNI (Logical Network Inventory) solutions
- [Field Notes from a Network Exorcist: How to Curse-Proof Your Network](https://passionateaboutoss.com/field-notes-from-the-network-exorcist-a-technicians-guide-to-curse-proof-infrastructure/) - The call came in at 5:43am. “The routers are acting up again down at 1313 Packetloss Lane” the night supervisor whispered, as if afraid the devices might hear her. “It’s... flickering. The network’s hanging in there, but people keep reporting ghost pings and strange device behaviour.” This is the bane of my existence - another
- [Why Telcos desperately need an 8th Layer in the OSI Model](https://passionateaboutoss.com/why-telcos-desperately-need-an-8th-layer-in-the-osi-model/) - Telco appears to be an increasingly tough industry. Demand for connectivity continues to soar, yet profitability and differentiation are becoming ever more difficult to achieve. The traditional telco playbook - built on infrastructure, scale, and one-size-fits-all services - is collapsing under the weight of commoditisation and digital disruption. Telco services have never been more essential,
- [Am I turning into the angry old guy who shakes his fist at the cloud(s)?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/am-i-turning-into-the-angry-old-guy-who-shakes-his-fist-at-the-clouds/) - I know a guy. One of my great friends actually. We've known each other since kindergarten - back when we were five years old. He loves listening to the radio and watching old videos. He yearns for the old days - the simpler days, the easier days, the less tech-advanced days. I've been finding myself
- [Is your OSS a thermometer or thermostat? 10 Critical Questions to find out](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-oss-a-thermometer-or-thermostat-10-critical-questions-to-find-out/) - Most OSS platforms monitor, but only the best ones take action. Is yours a thermometer or a thermostat? Does your OSS only report the temperature, or can it actually help change your environment? Do you think your OSS is doing enough? It could be missing the crucial capabilities that power future-ready networks. Below we provide
- [Orders down, faults up (and the TMN Pyramid)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/orders-down-faults-up/) - As mentioned in a post about Service and Resource Availability last week, I do tend to think of OSS workflows around an “orders down, faults up,” flow direction. And that means customers (services) at the top, network (resources) at the bottom of the (TMN) pyramid [see more about the TMN pyramid reference at the end
- [PAOSS Podcast Ep020 - Turning AI from Buzzword to an Implementation Plan with Simon Wilson](https://passionateaboutoss.com/paoss-podcast-ep020-turning-ai-from-buzzword-to-implementation-pla/) - We love doing The Passionate About OSS Podcast, but it's been a loooong time between episodes. Too long. We love the conversations, but the post-processing takes around 8-10 hours depending on the episode. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we've been so busy with client work over the last few years that the podcast has taken a
- [Why small tweaks won’t get your OSS into orbit:  4 lessons from rocket scientists](https://passionateaboutoss.com/why-small-tweaks-wont-get-your-oss-into-orbit-4-lessons-from-rocket-scientists/) - After working with countless OSS product teams over the years, we’ve noticed one universal truth: they’re all overloaded by huge backlogs of feature requests. But when we saw this image of SpaceX’s Raptor engine evolution, it highlighted a vital lesson - one that has the potential to help guide how OSS development teams prioritise their
- [Net Simplicity Score (NSS) gets a little more complex](https://passionateaboutoss.com/net-simplicity-score-nss-gets-a-little-more-complex/) - In last Tuesday's post, I asked the community here on PAOSS and on TM Forum's Engage platform for ideas about how you would benchmark complexity. I also provided a reference to an old post that described the concept of a NSS (Net Simplicity Score) for our OSS/BSS. Due to the complexity of factors that contribute to
- [Mythical OSS beasts - feature removal releases](https://passionateaboutoss.com/mythical-oss-beasts-feature-removal-releases/) - "Life can be improved by adding, or by subtracting. The world pushes us to add, because that benefits them. But the secret is to focus on subtracting... No amount of adding will get me where I want to be. The adding mindset is deeply ingrained. It’s easy to think I need something else. It’s hard
- [1,000 things to avoid a Frankenstein OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/1000-things/) - "People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have
- [The two strongest customer acquisition techniques used by OSS vendors today are in serious decline. How to respond?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-two-strongest-customer-acquisition-techniques-used-by-oss-vendors-today-are-in-serious-decline-how-to-respond/) - Yesterday marked a an exciting milestone for the PAOSS business. We made our very first commission payment to an affiliate whose introduction led to a payment arriving in our account (for providing our services). This occasion is far more than a mere financial transaction; it symbolises a significant step in our journey to strengthen our
- [What got your OSS there will keep your OSS there... Unless...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-got-your-oss-there-will-keep-your-oss-there-unless/) - Your OSS is either a catalyst for innovation or a roadblock to progress for your business. The same strategies that built your OSS might now be the reason it’s slowing you down. If your OSS was built for yesterday’s challenges, the question is - will it be ready for tomorrow’s opportunities? Is it time to
- [How can we reduce the size of the OSS buyer-seller chasm? (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-can-we-reduce-the-size-of-the-oss-buyer-seller-chasm/) - Our previous post highlighted a chasm between buyers and sellers. It has sparked quite a lot of conversation, which is exactly as intended. In another earlier post about telco reaching its burning exchange moment, we wrote: In a keynote speech at Mobile World Congress (MWC), Thierry Breton, the European Union’s internal market commissioner opined, “In
- [For 50 years, we've been building better calculators... and OSS. Now it all changes!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/for-50-years-weve-been-building-better-calculators-and-oss-now-it-changes/) - For decades, OSS has followed the same pattern: design, then keep adding lots more "baked-in" capabilities into a complex OSS UI, process inputs, generate outputs. At incredible scale. We made them faster, (somewhat) more automated, and vastly more scalable. But we never made them think. Until now... If... (we'll come back to the if shortly).
- [One Critical Step is Almost Always Overlooked by OSS Transformation Teams. And it's the One that could Prevent Obsolescence](https://passionateaboutoss.com/one-critical-step-is-almost-always-overlooked-by-oss-transformation-teams-and-its-the-one-that-could-prevent-obsolescence/) - What if your OSS transformation is already outdated before your project even begins and you don't even know it yet? There's one overlooked step that separates forward-thinking OSS teams from those stuck in the past. It's a step that, if not implemented, leaves teams destined to introduce insignificant, incremental changes to their OSS (at best)
- [Closing the loop to make better decisions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/closing-the-loop-to-make-better-decisions/) - "It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." Roy Disney. In this earlier post about decision engineering, I spoke of "closing the loop" to help operators to make better decisions using their OSS / DSS (Decision Support System) tools. Today, I thought I'd use a diagram to better show what I
- [How does OSS architecture cope with exponential growth](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-does-oss-architecture-cope-with-exponential-growth/) - Yesterday's blog covered how exponential growth in ICT industries has been (and will continue to be) a challenge for all of us in OSS-land. We've already seen some fundamental changes in OSS in recent years to be able to cope with the massive growth in device counts, bandwidth demands, etc. We've seen hyper-scaled hardware/software platforms
- [Unlocking a more intelligent OSS future](https://passionateaboutoss.com/unlocking-a-more-intelligent-oss-future/) - "As Chaney Ojinnaka wrote, IoT (Internet of Things) needs AI (Artificial Intelligence). But on the flipside, AI also needs IoT to grow its awareness and understanding of the world. According to Christof Koch, a leading brain researcher at Seattle’s Allen Institute, “Consciousness is a property of matter, like mass or energy.” He says that a
- [Omni-experience orchestration](https://passionateaboutoss.com/omni-experience-orchestration/) - I've been seeing a lot of references to continual development methodologies lately (ie references to agile, DevOps, CI/CD, etc). Quotes like focus on projects rather than the mission statement, focus on products rather than projects, etc. The core principle is in chunking workload down into modular pieces that can be implemented to give flexibility and
- [OSS chat bots](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-chat-bots/) - "Some pilots are proving quite interesting in enhancing Network Operations. Especially when AI / ML is used in the form of Natural language processing – NOC operators are talking to a ML system in natural language and asking questions in context to an alarm about deep topics ( BGP, 4G eUTRAN, etc). Do more with
- [The Goldilocks OSS story](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-goldilocks-oss-story/) - We all know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears where Goldilocks chooses the option that's not too heavy, not too light, but just right. The same model applies to OSS - finding / building a solution that's not too heavy, not too light, but just right. To be honest, we probably tend to
- [Using OSS machine learning to predict backwards not forwards](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-oss-machine-learning-to-predict-backwards-not-forwards/) - There's a lot of excitement about what machine-led decisioning can introduce into the world of network operations, and rightly so. Excitement about predictions, automation, efficiency, optimisation, zero-touch assurance, etc. There are so many use-cases that disruptors are proposing to solve using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and the like. I might have even been
- [An OSS without the shackles of topology](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-without-the-shackles-of-topology/) - It's been nearly two decades since I designed my first root-cause analysis (RCA) rule. It was completely reliant on network topology - more specifically, it relied on a network hierarchy to determine which alarms could be suppressed. I had a really interesting discussion today with some colleagues who are using much more modern RCA techniques.
- [Telcos have 3 enduring assets. They might not be what you think. They're almost definitely undervalued](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telcos-have-3-enduring-assets-they-might-not-be-what-you-think-theyre-almost-definitely-undervalued/) - Have you pondered what the greatest assets are for telcos with their current business models? We recently looked at their Fundamental telco differentiators but what about assets / strengths? Some may cite factors such as network infrastructure, spectrum, intellectual property (IP) or employees (and I'll always include OSS/BSS in this list naturally). These might all
- [Applying Elon Musk's "Idiot Index" to OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/applying-elon-musks-idiot-index-to-oss/) - I've just finished reading the book, "Elon Musk," by Walter Isaacson. It's a fascinating study of a fascinating, and highly polarising engineer. Polarising, but also inspiring (inspiring what to avoid as much as inspiring what one could/should/can do). Musk's biography cites example after example of his ability to think big, but also think very small
- [AI to practice as you play](https://passionateaboutoss.com/you-practice-as-you-play/) - I'm a die-hard sports fan, as a player and watcher, so I find it interesting how parallels are drawn between work and sport - in particular, that "you practice as you play." Alternatively, it's implied that if you practice sloppy, you play sloppy. But if we look at a professional athlete that dedicates 40 hours
- [Aria Networks joins ETSI Network AI Initiative](https://passionateaboutoss.com/aria-networks-joins-etsi-network-ai-initiative/) - AI (Artificial Intelligence) and networking pioneer Aria Networks has joined the ETSI group formed to lead the industry in mapping the future of AI and Networking. The ETSI Experiential Networked Intelligence (ENI) Industry Specification Group (ISG) was set up in February 2017, to define a new architecture for network management leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine
- [Are your existing data sets actually suited to seeding an AI engine?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-your-existing-data-sets-actually-suited-to-seeding-an-ai-engine/) - "In the virtualization domain, the old root cause technology is becoming obsolete because resources and workloads move around dynamically – we no longer have fixed network and compute resources. Existing service assurance systems in the telecommunication network were designed to manage a fixed set of resources and these assurance systems fall short in monitoring dynamic
- [Will the Age of AI and Automation cause a rethink in OSS Licensing Models?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/will-the-age-of-ai-and-automation-cause-a-rethink-in-oss-licensing-models/) - Over the years, we've been involved in many OSS procurement events and have seen a variety of different pricing models proposed by vendors. Being software, most vendors have quite a lot of pricing flexibility (others, not so much!). Naturally, pricing models can significantly influence a company's decision to select one vendor over another so I'm
- [AI is going to destroy (some) OSS architects and consultants. Does Good Will Hunting provide an antidote?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ai-is-going-to-destroy-some-oss-architects-and-consultants-does-good-will-hunting-provide-an-antidote/) - It seems fairly obvious (to me at least) that AI is an existential threat to many traditional information-based roles like consultants and architects. I've already seen one wave of this happen, so the next seems inevitable too. When I first entered the field of IT and telco consulting back in 2000, our clients engaged us
- [Telcos Missed the Cloud Boom – 5 Steps to Ensure They Don’t Miss the AI Wave](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telcos-missed-the-cloud-boom-5-steps-to-ensure-they-dont-miss-the-ai-wave/) - In 2010, Cloud was a $24 Billion market. Today, it’s $600 Billion. AI is guaranteed to be even bigger. The AI infrastructure boom is building—and telcos must decide if they’re buyers or sellers. Cloud giants built their fortunes by leveraging infrastructure that telcos helped create. Yet, telcos saw only a fraction of the profits. Now,
- [If you want your OSS to be Exceptional, it must be the Exception (chasm series, part 8)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/if-you-want-your-oss-to-be-exceptional-it-must-be-the-exception-chasm-series-part-8/) - Standing out in a highly saturated and fragmented OSS market can be really difficult. We're regularly involved in bake-offs where we see dozens of OSS compared against each other. We've recently been involved in one with 10 making the short-list for further analysis. All 10 are the best in class (for this client's unique needs
- [OSS User Interfaces or User Interactions? GUIs or MUIs?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-user-interfaces-or-user-interactions-guis-or-muis/) - The cool part of this time of year, the holiday period, is that it prompts you to look backwards and look forwards. To be honest, writing articles here on the blog prompts me to do that throughout the year too, but there does tend to be a bit more downtime for reflection around the boundary
- [What can OSS learn from Google and ChatGPT?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-oss-can-learn-from-google-and-chatgpt/) - There were plenty of search engines before Google came along and grabbed a lot of the search market share. There were plenty of generative AI solutions before ChatGPT appeared and created a large amount of buzz too. The question is why did they grab attention / users and what can we learn from that to
- [I’ve just been blown away by a really revolutionary demonstration](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ive-just-been-blown-away-by-a-really-revolutionary-demonstration/) - Over the last year, I’ve been assisting a consortium that includes a number of iconic brands such as Intel, RedHat, Fortinet, Keysight and TechMahindra. More importantly, those elements are underpinned by a powerful closed-loop engine formed by EnterpriseWeb and KX that stands up, observes and optimises a 5G RAN testbed. You can view the test-bed
- [The next OSS breakthrough: Accessibility](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-next-oss-breakthrough-accessibility/) - Our motto at Passionate About OSS is, "Removing complexity from OSS." Sadly, we're awash with complexity in our industry. If most OSS were represented as a board game, they'd look something like this: Image sourced from https://technabob.com Would you know how to play this game without instructions? Even if you had instructions, it could take
- [Do you know what the most widely used OSS/BSS application is?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/do-you-know-what-the-most-widely-used-oss-bss-application-is/) - As the title asks, do you know what the most widely used OSS/BSS application is? The answer might actually surprise you, but we'll get to that a little later in the article. Late last year, we published an article that outlined that a A seismic shift is already underway in IT circles and how it
- [Can LLMs help us to reimagine what the OSS of the future looks like?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/can-llms-help-us-to-reimagine-what-the-oss-of-the-future-looks-like/) - I love blogs. One of the amazing things about them is that it allows you to hear the wisdom of exceptional individuals who you'd otherwise never have access to or ever have the chance to meet. They're the best mentors you never had. One example of that was in last week's post from David Heinemeier
- [A thousand AI flowers to bloom for OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-thousand-ai-flowers-to-bloom-for-oss/) - "AI startups are becoming cheaper and easier to build, because many of the underlying technologies are now mature enough to apply predictably, and because of the declining cost of cloud computing – including many AI as a service products on AWS and Google Cloud. I liken this development to the time when cloud computing first
- [The Second Law of OSS Thermodynamics](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-second-law-of-oss-thermodynamics/) - "Applying the Second Law of Thermodynamics to understanding reality, Boyd infers that individuals or organizations that don’t communicate with the outside world by getting new information about the environment or by creating new mental models act like a “closed system.” And just as a closed system in nature will have increasing entropy, or disorder, so
- [Telcos still innovate… but more by proxy now](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telcos-still-innovate-but-more-by-proxy-now/) - CSPs globally are trying to be innovative, and being heavily involved in tech since their earliest days, always perceive themselves to be innovative to their core (yes, bad pun). There's no doubt that there is a lot of innovation happening in large CSPs, but I wonder how much of it is really attributable to the
- [Automated Network Operations as a Service (ANOaaS)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/automated-network-operations-as-a-service-anoaas/) - "Google has started applying its artificial intelligence (AI) expertise to network operations and expects to make its tools available to companies building virtual networks on its global cloud platform. That could be a troubling sign for network technology vendors such as Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC), Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), which
- [Ericsson and Airtel to build AI use cases for Network Operations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ericsson-and-airtel-to-build-ai-use-cases-for-network-operations/) - Ericsson and Airtel to further build real-world AI use cases for Network Operations. Ericsson and Bharti Airtel ("Airtel"), India's leading telecom services provider, announced their collaboration for building intelligent and predictive network operations. Leveraging on its developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, Ericsson will support Airtel to proactively address network complexity and boost user
- [Auto-releasing chaos monkeys to harden your network (CT/IR)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/auto-releasing-chaos-monkeys-to-harden-your-network-ct-ir/) - In earlier posts, we've talked about using Netflix's chaos monkey approach as a way of getting to Zero Touch Assurance (ZTA). The chaos monkeys intentionally trigger faults in the network as a means of ensuring resilience. Not just for known degradation / outage events, but to unknown events too. I'd like to introduce the concept
- [Is your service assurance really service assurance?? (Part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-service-assurance-actually-service-assurance-part-2/) - In yesterday's article, we asked whether what many know as service assurance can rightfully be called service assurance. Yesterday's, like today's, post was inspired by an interesting white paper from the Netrounds team titled, "Reimagining Service Assurance in the Digital Service Provider Era." Below are three insightful tables from the Netrounds white paper: Table 1
- [Is your service assurance really service assurance?? (Part 4)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-service-assurance-really-service-assurance-part-4/) - Yesterday's post introduced the concept of active measurements as the better method for monitoring and assuring customer services. Like the rest of this series, it borrowed from an interesting white paper from the Netrounds team titled, “Reimagining Service Assurance in the Digital Service Provider Era.” Interestingly, I also just stumbled upon OpenTelemetry, an open source project
- [007 - Building Products to Solve Fundamental OSS Problems with Jay Fenton](https://passionateaboutoss.com/007-building-products-to-solve-fundamental-oss-problems-with-jay-fenton/) - Jay Fenton is the Founder and CEO of Savvi, makers of innovative and highly performant OSS/BSS components that redefine the state of the art. Savvi's portfolio notably includes SNMP, Streaming Telemetry, Netflow and IoT collectors each of which operate in the 10s of millions of events per second on a single server, solving collection problems
- [How to Transform your OSS/BSS with Open APIs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-transform-your-oss-bss-with-open-apis/) - The video below, starring Martin Pittard, the Principal IT Architect at Vocus Group, provides a number of important OSS/BSS Transformation call-outs that we'll dive into in this article. Vocus has embarked on a journey to significantly overhaul its OSS/BSS stack and has heavily leveraged TM Forum's Open API suite to do so. One of the primary
- [Automation at the 5G Network Edge](https://passionateaboutoss.com/automation-at-the-5g-network-edge/) - Thought I’d share some information about a 5G Edge Automation project I’ve been assisting with in recent months – in collaboration with luminaries such as EnterpriseWeb (project lead), KX, Intel, Keysight, Tech Mahindra, Red Hat and Fortinet. KX has just shared a blog article, which includes the following quote that helps to summarise why I’m really
- [Avoiding telco black swans: Insights from the airline industry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/avoiding-telco-black-swans-insights-from-the-airline-industry/) - For many of us, telco network downtime is more of a nuisance than a critical event. But for some mission critical and life-critical use-cases (like e-Health scenarios), telecommunications networks are certainly not just nice-to-have. They have to be available for every second of every day of every year. It has recently dawned on me that
- [Future Scenario Planning: The "Regulated Innovation" Scenario (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/future-scenario-planning-the-regulated-innovation-scenario-part-3/) - We've embarked on a journey of trying to plan for the future of OSS/BSS, not by predicting the future, but by seeking ways to be ready for possible future situations by using Peter Schwartz's scenario planning technique. Using this technique, we've identified four possible future scenarios for telco based on two high-impact variables (tech growth
- [Future Scenario Planning: The "Open Tech Frontiers" Scenario (part 4)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/future-scenario-planning-the-open-tech-frontiers-scenario-part-4/) - We've embarked on a journey of trying to plan for the future of OSS/BSS, not by predicting the future, but by seeking ways to be ready for possible future situations by using Peter Schwartz's scenario planning technique. Using this technique, we've identified four possible future scenarios for telco based on two high-impact variables (tech growth
- [What does RAN data have to do with Steve Jobs' "connect the dots that are unconnectable" speech?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-does-ran-data-have-to-do-with-steve-jobs-connect-the-dots-that-are-unconnectable-speech/) - Earlier this week, I was lucky enough to be introduced to a talented RAN automation expert. He's one of Australia's foremost, hands-on, experts on SON (Self Organising Networks), so it was a fascinating conversation about network automation and many other things. The discussions inevitably led to RAN data. As much as I'm Passionate About OSS,
- [It's Not the Big That Eat the Small... It's the Fast That Eat the Slow](https://passionateaboutoss.com/its-not-the-big-that-eat-the-small-its-the-fast-that-eat-the-slow/) - The great thing about the holiday period is you often get the chance to step away from business as usual (BAU) activities. As customer projects go into a brief hiatus, it clears a little space in the calendar to read and plan for what to do in the year ahead. This book "It's Not the
- [OSS data Ponzi scheme](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-data-ponzi-scheme/) - "The more data you have, the more data you need to understand the data you have. You are engaged in a data ponzi scheme...Could it be in service assurance and IT ops that more data equals less understanding?" Phil Tee in the opening address at the AIOps Symposium. Interesting viewpoint right? Given that our OSS
- [DTA is all wrapped up for another year](https://passionateaboutoss.com/dta-is-all-wrapped-up-for-another-year/) - We've just finished the third and final day at TM Forum's Digital Transformation Asia (https://dta.tmforum.org and #tmfdigitalasia ). Wow, talk about a lot happening!! After spending the previous two days focusing on the lecture series, it would've been remiss of me to not catch up with the vendors and Catalyst presentations that had been on
- [Proximity and Root-Cause](https://passionateaboutoss.com/proximity-and-root-cause/) - When it comes to identifying root-cause (ie to identify the actual thing that's broken / degraded rather than the all of the other things that are affected downstream), I tend to think of proximities / adjacencies: Proximity in topology (ie nearest neighbours) Proximity by geography Proximity in time (temporal proximity and seasonality) Proximity by object
- [What Pottery and SpaceX Rockets Have in Common with OSS will Surprise You](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-pottery-and-spacex-rockets-have-in-common-with-oss-will-surprise-you/) - In our previous article, we described five new OSS/BSS automation design rules applied by Elon Musk. Today, we'll continue on into the second part of the Starbase video tour and lock onto another brilliant insight from Elon. From 5:10 to 11:00 in the video below, Elon and Tim (of Everyday Astronaut) discuss why failure, in
- [Re-imagining your OSS? Remarkable approaches changing the world of telco](https://passionateaboutoss.com/re-imagining-your-oss-remarkable-approaches-changing-the-world-of-telco/) - An updated call for innovation in the OSS industry We are currently living through a revolution for the OSS/BSS industry and the customers that we serve. It’s not a question of if we need to innovate, but by how much and in what ways. Change is surrounding us and impacting us in profound ways, triggered
- [What Exactly Is Real-time? How Valuable Is It?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-exactly-is-real-time-how-valuable-is-it/) - These are two questions I've often pondered in the context of OSS / telco data, but never had a definitive answer to. I just spotted a new report from CEBR on LinkedIn that helps to provide quantification. What Exactly Is Real-time? When it comes to managing large, complex networks, having access to real-time data is
- [How AI and blast radii could inspire next-gen OSS designs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-ai-and-blast-radii-could-inspire-next-gen-oss-designs/) - Artificial Intelligence is purported to be the panacea for so many high-volume factors within telco. For example, AI is being used for complex pattern recognition using diverse signal streams like churn reduction. AIOps solutions are making great strides to reducing noise within alarm / event lists, filtering and automating, to limit the number of decisions
- [Closing the OSS Buyer / Seller chasm - More solutions (part 5)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/closing-the-oss-buyer-seller-chasm-more-solutions-part-5/) - This is the fifth of the “buyer / seller” chasm articles (pt1, pt2, pt3, pt4). We’d previously highlighted the issues, the pain points, the sources of friction and more about getting Buyers and Sellers together to build better telcos. But in today’s article we’ll complete the solutions list that we started on in part four,
- [Our next deep-dive report: Igniting the OSS Revolution](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-next-deep-dive-report-igniting-the-oss-revolution/) - If you're a regular reader of the PAOSS blog, you might have noticed that we’ve been generating at least one deep-dive tech report per year. Last year it was AIOps of the Future, the year before it was The Most Exciting OSS/BSS Innovations, and Inventory of the Future, etc. We've loved using these freely downloadable reports
- [OSS Made by Engineers for Engineers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-made-by-engineers-for-engineers/) - There's this phrase that just keeps ringing in my head when I see OSS and BSS in action - "Made by Engineers for Engineers." This was certainly a badge of honour. If the people who built OSS tools had network engineering experience, then there was a great likelihood that they were building solutions to solve
- [The Telco DAO (TDAO): Does it represent the future of telco business models?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-telco-dao-tdao-does-it-represent-the-future-of-telco-business-models/) - In recent articles, we've discussed how Private Equity (PE) could help to reshape the struggling telecommunications business models and how OSS/BSS stacks touch almost every part of a telco business model without most people even realising it (as per the diagram below). We've also discussed how the pragmatism of Tier-2 telco thinking could be a
- [Sharing a chat from the Zero-Touch Telecom show](https://passionateaboutoss.com/sharing-a-chat-from-the-zero-touch-telecom-show/) - Are you as fascinated with automation, AIOps, zero-touch networking, autonomous networking and the like? If so, you might like to listen in on a chat I had with Geoff Hollingworth of Rakuten Symphony on the "Zero-Touch Telecom Show" In it, we talked about some of the concepts from recent content here on PAOSS including: The
- [Network Operations Ninja Academy (NONA) of the Future](https://passionateaboutoss.com/network-operations-ninja-academy-nona-of-the-future/) - We were honoured to be guests on the Zero-Touch Telecom (ZTT) show last week. The discussion mainly revolved around a highly problematic skills gap that’s likely to widen between network masters and apprentices once we introduce significant automation via tools such as AIOps and the like. In response, Michael P. asked a great question, "With the
- [Applying 'The 4-Hour Workweek' to OSS: Lessons I Learned about Market Testing, Prototyping and Automation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/applying-the-4-hour-workweek-to-oss-lessons-i-learned-about-market-testing-prototyping-and-automation/) - Have you read the book, "The 4-hour work week" by Tim Ferris? It was one of those relatively rare books that inspired a complete mindset shift and new ways of working for me. It's one of the many books that have nothing to do with OSS (at face value), but have so many learnings for
- [AIOps (Algorithmic IT Operations)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/aiops-algorithmic-it-operations/) - "AIOps stands for Algorithmic IT Operations and is a new category as defined by Gartner research that is an evolution of what the industry previously referred to as ITOA (IT Operations and Analytics). We have reached a point where data science and algorithms are being successfully applied to automate traditionally manual tasks and processes in
- [Moving from traditional assurance to AIOps, what are the differences?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/moving-from-traditional-assurance-to-aiops-what-are-the-differences/) - We're going to look into assurance models of the past versus the changing assurance demands that are appearing these days. The diagrams below are highly stylised for discussion purposes so they're unlikely to reflect actual implementations, but we'll get to that. Under the old model, the heart of the OSS/BSS was the database (almost exclusively
- [Selling the destination of OSS and AIOps, not the transportation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/selling-the-destination-of-oss-and-aiops-not-the-transportation/) - Many of the readers of this blog veer towards the technical side of OSS (that includes me too) and therefore we could all do well to consider the old phrase, "Sell the destination, not the transportation." The phrase originally suggests that a salesperson should highlight the incredible experiences waiting for the prospective traveler in Paris,
- [A recurring impediment to successful implementation of AIOps: And 1 way to treat it](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-recurring-impediment-to-successful-implementation-of-aiops-and-1-way-to-treat-it/) - With our latest report, "AIOps of the Future: A Definitive Guide" tentatively penciled in for launch in 2 weeks from today, I thought I'd share a concept that kept coming through loud and clear from AIOps vendors and buyers alike - Get the data right! Especially cross-domain data! This has always been true in the
- [The cumulative benefits of AIOps](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-cumulative-benefits-of-aiops/) - As you will have seen in recent articles, we're due to release our latest report in a couple of weeks. It's called, "AIOps of the Future." During discussions with various people during the preparation of this report, we've noticed that some people believe they will get a silver bullet that will resolve most network events
- [Our latest whitepaper has finally launched - AIOps of the Future: A Definitive Guide](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-latest-whitepaper-has-finally-launched-aiops-of-the-future-a-definitive-guide/) - I'm really excited to announce that a project we kicked off in collaboration with Ramandeep Bhalla, Deepak Kakadia and Rakesh Ashok, all the way back in March of 2023, has finally launched. It got a whole lot bigger than I was originally expecting. It's nearly 100 pages long, well over 30,000 words and over 40
- [The AIOps Venn Dilemma](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-aiops-venn-dilemma/) - Whilst preparing our recently launched paper, "AIOps of the Future: A Definitive Guide, " one thing came through loud and clear from the carriers we spoke with - assembling the skills-mix required to support AIOps tools / programmes. The carriers simply don't seem to be confident in being able to find, or keep, people with
- [Revolutionising Network Operations with AIOps - Our Latest Report and Video Link](https://passionateaboutoss.com/aiops-video-and-report/) - As you may have noticed, we recently launched a new report, "The Future of AIOps: A Definitive Guide." In the rapidly evolving landscape of carrier networks, Operations was and still is, the linchpin of business stability. It's effectively every telco's insurance policy. With the complexity of systems and the demand for instant resolution of issues,
- [Will AIOps widen a highly problematic skills-gap between network masters and apprentices?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-aiops-going-to-widen-a-highly-problematic-skills-gap-between-network-masters-and-apprentices/) - In recent years, we've been trying to generate at least one deep-dive tech report per year here at PAOSS. Last year it was AIOps of the Future, the year before it was The Most Exciting OSS/BSS Innovations, etc. They tend to be an itch that we want to scratch for ourselves, but they've had an
- [Starting your own OSS Company? Is there an Alternative to the Startup Path?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/starting-your-own-oss-company-is-there-an-alternative-to-the-startups-path/) - Most entrepreneurs are wired to build from scratch. The idea of founding something original, of bringing a vision to life from the ground up, is deeply embedded in startup culture. But what if this isn't the smartest way to scratch your entrepreneurial OSS-builder itch? The obsession with starting anew often overlooks a powerful alternative: acquiring
- [What Alfred Hitchcock knew about OSS that almost all OSS Vendors are oblivious to](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-alfred-hitchcock-knew-about-oss-that-almost-all-oss-vendors-are-oblivious-to/) - Alfred Hitchcock is known as one of the greatest storytellers in the history of cinema. He's famous for movies such as Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window and many others. What's far less well known is that he very successfully employed a two-script method, which interestingly, has the potential to be applied to the OSS industry. The
- [Our OSS/BSS Interface Specification Template is Ready to Download](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-oss-bss-interface-specification-template-is-ready-to-download/) - FWIW, we've just uploaded our OSS/BSS Interface Specification Template onto the Passionate About OSS download page, which includes lots of worked examples. You can grab it here and start updating for your OSS/BSS interfaces: https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-bss-interface-specification-template We'd love to hear your comments if you have other suggestions for what else should be included.
- [Build, Buy, or Blend? The First Step on Your Path to OSS Transformation Success](https://passionateaboutoss.com/build-buy-or-blend-the-first-step-on-your-roadmap-to-oss-transformation-success/) - Are you about to embark on an OSS transformation? It's a huge journey that awaits. It won't be without risks and fears either. Like any journey, it all starts with the old cliche of starting with the first step! When helping organisations embarking on their transformation journeys, there's typically three primary transformation models for you
- [Using external advisors: Outside knowledge combined with tribal knowledge](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-external-advisors/) - "It is unrealistic that any organisation, regardless of size, can have all the expertise they require in constant employ. Sometimes you need expertise or advice that is a little bit niche, or maybe you only need it for a short amount of time. It is just that you don’t want people like me running your
- [Could vendor financing help to solve an OSS buyer/seller chasm conundrum? (part 11)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/could-vendor-financing-help-to-solve-an-oss-buyer-seller-chasm-conundrum-part-11/) - We recently discussed how the "Ultimate Game," a study in behavioural psychology, might help to explain why there tends to be less initial animosity between carriers and open-source OSS vendors compared with proprietary / paid vendors. And like the rest of the buyer/seller chasm series, we also discussed the three main reasons for the lengthy "match-making
- [The Ultimate Game: How this behavioural experiment applies to the OSS buyer/seller chasm (part 10)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-ultimate-game-how-this-behavioural-experiment-applies-to-the-oss-buyer-seller-chasm-part-10/) - Last year, we published a series of articles about the chasm that exists between OSS/BSS buyers and sellers. “The chasm” is best exemplified by the situation where: A buyer (eg network operator) desperately wants a new OSS to improve operational efficacy and every seller (eg a software vendor) desperately wants to sell their OSS to
- [A million words about OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-million-words-about-oss/) - Whilst setting up for another new initiative this week I became aware that the PAOSS blog has just ticked past 1 million words. And that's not including all the other pages or downloads available on the PAOSS website. I knew I loved talking about OSS (which was the whole reason for starting this blog), and
- [Overcoming the OSS buyer-seller chasm: Using a brilliant ad-man's perspective (chasm series, part 9)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/overcoming-the-oss-buyer-seller-chasm-using-a-brilliant-ad-mans-perspective-chasm-series-part-9/) - In our "chasm" series of articles, we've talked about the gap that exists between OSS buyers (eg carriers or network operators) and OSS sellers (eg vendors, integrators, etc). The buyers desperately want new systems to improve their business operations and the sellers desperately want to sell the solutions they create. Why then the 18 month
- [Okay OSS data, are you dirty or clean? The dishwasher analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/okay-data-are-you-dirty-or-clean-the-dishwasher-analogy/) - Have you ever had an OSS or BSS project that's impacted by poor data quality? The problem of data integrity gets raised on almost every project we get involved with here at PAOSS, especially when passive assets such as cables, splice joints, etc are involved. Our systems face a perennial challenge of poor data quality.
- [Does your OSS/BSS have a "Golden Path" or a "Frankenstein Path?"](https://passionateaboutoss.com/does-your-oss-bss-have-a-golden-path-or-a-frankenstein-path/) - "One of my favorite things about designing software is designing the defaults. The defaults define the experience for everyone out of the box. And, therefore, for most people in perpetuity. Convention over configuration rules the day. To me, everything it could possibly do is less interesting than what it does right now, factory fresh. At
- [Our latest labour-of-love project: An OSS/BSS Process Mapping Guide](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-latest-labour-of-love-project-an-oss-bss-process-mapping-guide/) - Have you ever been tasked with mapping out the processes for the telco you work for? Either as a way of documenting current state, or just to perform a first-time mapping for your company? It can be a lengthy exercise, and based on the regular feedback we get, a daunting task too. There are some
- [How to Design Telecommunication Business Process Flows Using eTOM](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-design-telecommunication-business-process-flows-using-etom/) - Improve your telecommunication business processes by learning how to design effective flow diagrams using TM Forum's eTOM model. Discover the best practices, tools, and techniques for creating optimised business process flows
- [Challenger carriers are the high-speed traders of the telco world: How does this manifest in their OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/challenger-carriers-are-the-high-speed-traders-of-the-telco-world-how-does-this-manifest-in-their-oss/) - In the last week alone, I've had two potent reminders that the world of OSS is simply (pun intended) too complex. This manifests in many ways, but I'll start with the standards that underpin our industry. The standards bodies do fantastic work. I'm a huge fan. Enormous credit should go out to everyone who has
- [In an OSS, what are O2A, T2R, U2C, P2O and DBA?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/in-an-oss-what-are-o2a-t2r-u2c-p2o-and-dba/) - The telecommunications and OSS/BSS industries are full of acronyms. O2A (Order to Activate) and T2R (Trouble to Resolve) are just two of many workflow-related acronyms. Also find descriptions for U2C, P2O, R2A, O2P, U2P, T2C, C2S and many more.
- [The best OSS I built was shut down after 2 years](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-best-oss-i-built-was-shut-down-after-2-years/) - My "best" OSS build was my first. Unfortunately the client shut it down after just over 2 years. Why? We'll get to that. What did I learn? We'll get to that too. I shouldn't say "my" OSS or "I built" because it was a massive effort from a very special team and I'm not trying
- [Are your OSS RFPs feeling horny baby?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-your-oss-rfps-feeling-horny-baby/) - In case you hadn't already picked up on it, today's title paraphrases Austin Powers, the flamboyant British spy and comedic character created by Mike Myers. What does a fictional British spy have to do with today's article on OSS RFPs? It's a bit of a tenuous link, but let's give it a go anyway. Did
- [The Radar Analogy - How are RADAR and OSS linked?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-are-radar-and-oss-linked/) - "Part of the challenge of being an entrepreneur, if you're going for a really huge opportunity, is trying to find problems that aren't quite on the radar yet and try to solve those." Sean Parker One of my favourite vendor selection and requirements gathering stories relates to a tender that was run by the Air
- [OSS Procurement Events: Buyers do Judge the Book by the Cover](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-procurement-events-buyers-judge-the-book-by-the-cover/) - One of the things I love about my job is all the vendor demos I get to see. Product demos are one of the four important steps in the "inverted pyramid" vendor selection process we follow with our carrier and utility clients as we go about finding a best-fit new OSS and/or BSS solution for
- [New Report - Request for OSS/BSS Innovations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/new-report-request-for-oss-bss-innovations/) - Over the next couple of months we’re planning to create a very visual report that highlights the 25 Most Exciting Innovations in OSS/BSS for 2022, expected to be ready for release in early Feb 2022. [Ed: the report has now been released and can be found here - https://passionateaboutoss.com/innovation2022 ] It will include a few
- [When it comes to OSS, are you a Tigger or an Eeyore?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-it-comes-to-oss-are-you-a-tigger-or-an-eeyore/) - I was listening to a group of telco experts on a podcast the other day. As they were talking, I kept picturing the image of Eeyore - you know, the donkey from A.A. Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh" stories with an overly pessimistic outlook on life. Sources: https://getwallpapers.com The podcast was just soooo gloomy. Channeling Eeyore, I'll paraphrase:
- [Could it be possible? Is the telco industry's biggest constraint a shortage of bridge builders? (part 1)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/could-it-be-possible-is-the-telco-industrys-biggest-constraint-a-shortage-of-bridge-builders/) - I'm currently lucky enough to be involved in a couple of vendor selection processes where we're helping carriers (buyers) to find the best-fit OSS vendors (sellers) for their needs. Most start a vendor selection process by preparing a looooong list of requirements. This approach takes forever to write, forever to respond to and forever to
- [A novel OSS/BSS idea? Or is it?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/18080-2/) - I'd like to share an idea with you. I think it's a novel idea. However, I'm still trying to work through the possible pros / cons / feasibility of it, so I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. I'd also love to hear whether it actually is novel or whether you've seen something similar
- [Closing the OSS Buyer / Seller chasm – When the most expensive thing about your OSS product isn't your price (part 7)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/closing-the-oss-buyer-seller-chasm-when-the-most-expensive-thing-about-your-oss-product-isnt-your-price-part-7/) - Earlier in the year, we wrote a series of articles about the chasm that exists between OSS/BSS buyers and sellers (pt1, pt2, pt3, pt4, pt5, pt6). "The chasm" is best exemplified by the situation where a buyer (eg carrier) desperately needs a new OSS and a seller (eg a software vendor) desperately wants to sell their OSS to the
- [An OSS Buyer's Experience Journey - An Emotional Roller-coaster](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-buyers-experience-journey-an-emotional-roller-coaster/) - I really liked this article from Guy Brunsdon called, "Using the Buyer’s Journey Model for Internal Alignment." It's certainly not written for the world of telco / OSS specifically, but it certainly resonated with some of the challenges we face. In Guy's article, he states: I’ve always liked the “Buyer’s Journey” model, which describes a
- [Let us review your OSS product development backlog and I'll predict if there's growth in your future](https://passionateaboutoss.com/let-us-review-your-oss-product-development-backlog-and-ill-tell-you-if-youll-see-growth-within-a-year/) - In the last year, I've seen RFP responses worth an accumulated total of well over $1B for network services, systems and such. In almost every case, the carrier buyers have indicated that they're seeking innovative solutions. That's the outward-facing commentary at least. But the real, inward-facing story is that they're just seeking cost-reductions in most
- [You get back what you put in](https://passionateaboutoss.com/you-get-back-what-you-put-in/) - There is an old parable [from Earl Nightingale] about a man is sitting in front of a cold, empty fireplace and demanding, “Give me heat!” Obviously, you must first put fuel in the hearth and light a fire before you can expect to get any warmth. The same holds true for OctopOSS projects. You only
- [A question for my OSS developer friends](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-question-for-my-oss-developer-friends/) - Actually, maybe a few related questions. As you've seen from recent articles such as this, I'm increasingly interested in the cross-over worlds of comms and energy. They're becoming increasingly linked, largely due to the current energy use of generative AI (I've seen estimates that GenAI searches consume around 10x the energy of equivalent traditional searches).
- [How to buy or sell an OSS/BSS (the company, not the product). Conducting Due Diligence](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-buy-or-sell-an-oss-bss-the-company-not-the-product-conducting-due-diligence/) - Have you ever wondered about the process of buying or selling an OSS or BSS company? Are you potentially even thinking of buying or selling an OSS/BSS / telco / tech company? It’s not an event that happens very often, but given the amount of fragmentation in the OSS/BSS industry, M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) happen
- [Micro-strangulation vs COTS customisation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/micro-strangulation-vs-cots-customisation/) - 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)
- [Partnership / Investment -  A Strategic Opportunity for a Telco M&A Deal](https://passionateaboutoss.com/partnership-investment-a-strategic-opportunity-for-a-telco-ma-deal/) - Many of you will have already seen our Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory, which provides a view into the 500+ solutions that are available on the market. It's been a real labour-of-love project, draining lots and lots of time and resources to allow us to keep shining a light on the many outstanding suppliers /
- [How to define a digital twin, digital triplet and reality twin?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-define-a-digital-twin-digital-triplet-and-reality-twin/) - The OSS we've been building for the last 30+ years aren't too dissimilar to the digital twins the world is getting all excited by today. I find it really interesting, not just because of the buzz, but because the term "digital twin" seems to mean different things to different people. Having seen what OSS are
- [Can OSS manage comms networks, data centres and renewable energy sources?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/can-oss-manage-comms-networks-data-centres-and-renewable-energy-sources/) - Have you noticed that just a few people are writing about AI lately? No? None? Never seen an article about AI? Almost every article I read these days has strong undertones (or overtones) about AI. It's almost as impossible to miss as when Sam Altman was abruptly ousted from his position by OpenAI's board of
- [MacGyvering Your OSS Budget: A Contrarian Approach to Solving an OSS Cost Conundrum](https://passionateaboutoss.com/macgyvering-your-oss-budget-a-contrarian-approach-to-solving-an-oss-cost-conundrum/) - There are many reasons why it's hard to get an OSS transformation project off the ground. One of those reasons, a big one, is the catch-22 situation that arises when setting the budget for a project. How much does an OSS cost? How long is a piece of string? Some carriers, especially the smaller telcos
- [The Olympians of OSS: Unveiling the key attributes of our most elite OSSletes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-olympians-of-oss-unveiling-the-key-attributes-of-our-most-elite-ossletes/) - Athletes from around the globe will soon be descending on Paris to compete for Olympic medals in a multitude of events. Olympic champions will be determined through a variety of performance attributes - skill, strength, endurance, speed and much more - with different attributes required for any given event. That made me wonder - What
- [From Telco to HellCo to HellNoCo](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-telco-to-hellco-to-hellnoco/) - Late last week we published an article, "From Telco to HellCo: I’m the CEO of a large telco. I want to destroy it as fast as I can." Based on all the feedback, you could say that it seemed to resonate! Using Charlie Munger's Inversion Technique, we suggested 21 ways to kill off a large
- [How to plan the resources and budget needed for an OSS transformation project](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-plan-the-resources-and-budget-needed-for-an-oss-transformation-project/) - OSS Transformation Resourcing Questions Have you ever had to wrestle with the conundrum of organisational change when embarking on a major OSS transformation? How many people will I need? What tasks will they do? What skills will they require? Who are the best people to get involved in the transformation? How much budget needs to
- [From Telco to Hellco: I'm the CEO of a large telco. I want to destroy it as fast as I can](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-telco-to-hellco-im-the-ceo-of-a-large-telco-i-want-to-destroy-it-as-fast-as-i-can/) - Many of the telco industry's fittest and finest have just returned from a week in Copenhagen at TM Forum's flagship event, DTW24. Iain Morris of Light Reading suggests in an article that Copenhagen is an apt location for the event because many industry representatives are "in little mermaid land." The tone of his article is
- [What types of training does the OSS / telco industry need? What do you need?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-types-of-training-does-the-oss-telco-industry-need-what-do-you-need/) - I’d love to get your perspective on something. In recent times, quite a few people have reached out to suggest that PAOSS should create a comprehensive OSS/BSS training programme because there’s nothing really suited to their needs available on the market today. A couple of these people have suggested that the TM Forum courses are
- [Our limitations as OSS match-makers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-limitations-as-oss-match-makers/) - Are you looking for a role in OSS? Or are you looking for someone with skills in OSS to help fill an OSS role or on an upcoming project? At Passionate About OSS, we get asked about both sides of this equation on a regular basis. We regularly find ourselves trying to help as match-makers,
- [Big circle. Little circle. Crossing the red line](https://passionateaboutoss.com/big-circle-little-circle-crossing-the-red-line/) - Data quality is the bane of many a telco. If the data quality is rubbish then the OSS tools effectively become rubbish too. Feedback loops are one of the most underutilised tools in a data fix arsenal. However, few people realise that there are two levels of feedback loops. There's what I refer to as
- [The Critical Importance of UI/UX/CX Optimisation in OSS/BSS Solutions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-critical-importance-of-ui-ux-cx-optimisation-in-oss-bss-solutions/) - In the highly competitive domain of Operational Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS), standing out isn't just about offering a comprehensive set of features. It's about delivering an exceptional user interface (UI), user experience (UX), and customer experience (CX). Despite this, it seems that the prioritisation of UI / UX / CX is
- [Monthly OSS / Telco In-Person Meetup](https://passionateaboutoss.com/monthly-oss-telco-in-person-meetup/) - Passionate about OSS and Telco - Locals Lunch Held at Noon on the Second Friday of Each Month. Held at the Golden Hills Brewery - 25 Station St, Diamond Creek VIC (see map below) The doors open at noon. Join us for an informal meetup called "Passionate about OSS and Telco - Locals Lunch," held at
- [Getting A/B comparisons running automatically in the minds of all your OSS evaluators](https://passionateaboutoss.com/getting-a-b-comparisons-running-automatically-in-the-minds-of-all-your-oss-evaluators/) - Are you familiar with David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) and Jason Fried, the Co-Founders of 37signals (Makers of Basecamp and other software solutions)? As far as I know, they've never had anything to do with telco OSS tools, but I do love the clarity of a lot of the concepts they share on the 37signals blog
- [Steve Jobs Said 1 Habit Separates the Doers From the Dreamers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/steve-jobs-said-1-habit-separates-the-doers-from-the-dreamers/) - This article by Jeff Haden in Inc Magazine, "30 Years Ago, Steve Jobs Said 1 Habit Separates the Doers From the Dreamers," has made me re-think the way I work, but also reconsider the way the OSS / telco industry works. "One of my least favorite things to do is ask for help. Not only
- [Listening to the Customer: How can we create more value for you?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/listening-to-the-customer-how-can-we-create-more-value-for-you/) - We've just started an exciting new project in the last couple of weeks and have had some great workshops with the client's exec & project teams. This client has an ambitious target of multiplying their revenues several-fold over the next few years. The systems transformation we're planning will be a fundamental building block to help
- [9 rainmaker techniques that help to deliver OSS/BSS transformations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-the-techniques-of-rainmakers-to-make-oss-bss-transformation-happen/) - If you're a technologist (eg enterprise architect, developer, BA, tech PM, CTO, etc) who has been tasked with implementing significant technological and business transformation in a company accustomed to stasis or incremental changes, effective persuasion is crucial. We've spoken previously about the importance of rainmakers, how they're the real heroes behind OSS-led transformations. As described
- [The OSS Golf Analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-golf-analogy/) - Over the years, I've often referred to The Corkscrew Analogy or Momentum Spiral to describe a mindset of incremental improvement that's needed to keep an OSS project moving forward. Rather than trying to jump straight from scratch (blue dot) to perfection / completion (yellow dot), it's far more helpful to make many smaller steps and
- [Future Scenario Planning: Four Possible Scenarios (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/future-scenario-planning-four-possible-scenarios-part-2/) - As discussed in the previous article, "Future Scenario Planning: Have you given up on doing an OSS transformation? (part 1)" part of the fun of OSS/BSS transformation is trying to imagine the future environment, 5-10 years from now, when your transformed OSS/BSS is still servicing the needs of your future stakeholders. But what does that
- [The OSS/BSS-led playbook for Private Equity-based improvement of the telco industry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-bss-led-playbook-for-private-equity-based-improvement-of-the-telco-industry/) - In recent years, we've seen a rise in traditional telecommunications providers selling off tranches of tower assets. These sell-offs have likely occurred for a variety of reasons - to help fund 5G roll-outs, to pay down debt, to invest in further digital transformation projects, etc. In short, capital demands / ambitions appear to often exceed
- [Future Scenario Planning: Have you given up on doing an OSS transformation? (part 1)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/future-scenario-planning-have-you-given-up-on-doing-an-oss-transformation/) - Earlier in the week, a friend mentioned he was reading "Alchemy" by Rory Sutherland. It's not an OSS book per se, but does provide some great examples for helping us think in original ways - a must-have skill for any OSS practitioner! "Alchemy" helps with some really lateral ways for re-framing problems. In one example,
- [How budget and mindset shapes OSS procurement differently for T1 and T2 carriers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-budget-and-mindset-shapes-oss-procurement-differently-for-t1-and-t2-carriers/) - Large carriers (let's call them T1's) tend to approach OSS procurement projects very differently from small to medium sized carriers (let's call them T2's). This is mostly driven by budget, or more to the point, how the budget frames the thinking. We'll also show you how drawing on ideas from the T2 approach can actually
- [Closing the OSS Buyer / Seller chasm - Solutions (part 4)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/closing-the-oss-buyer-seller-chasm-solutions-part-4/) - This is the fourth of the “buyer / seller” chasm articles (pt1, pt2, pt3). We’ve already highlighted the issues, the pain points, the sources of friction and more about getting Buyers and Sellers together to build better telcos. But in today’s article we’ll explore some possibilities for how to overcome those challenges by building bridges
- [No telco wants to buy an OSS/BSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/no-telco-wants-to-buy-an-oss-bss/) - When you're a senior exec in a telco and you've been made responsible for allocating resources, it's unlikely that you ever think, "gee, we really should give our operations teams some new operations systems (OSS/BSS) to work with." It would be nice if they did, but that's just not what they're thinking about. For the
- [Technology proliferation: Navigating across the OSS savannah](https://passionateaboutoss.com/technology-proliferation-navigating-across-the-oss-savannah/) - Back in my early days of OSS, I knew there was soooo much to learn. As the signpost below suggests, as well as the OSS applications themselves, there were also adjacent / related fields like databases, networks, services, architecture, programming, and so much more. Pretty daunting! But after a few years in the industry, I
- [$500M at the speed of trust - One big difference between Warren Buffett and the OSS industry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/500m-at-the-speed-of-trust-buffett-vs-oss-industry/) - We've recently been talking about the chasm between OSS buyers and sellers. OSS buyers and sellers desperately need each other to improve the effectiveness of the entire telecommunications industry. The size of the chasm is harming both sides. In part 2 of the "buyer-seller chasm" series, three of the biggest contributing factors were identified as:
- [OSS/BSS procurement is flawed from the outset](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-procurement-is-flawed-from-the-outset/) - The industry we work in is worth tens of billions of dollars annually. We rely on that investment to fund the OSS/BSS projects (and ops/maintenance tasks) that keeps many thousands of us busy. Those funds originate from project sponsors in the buyers' organisations taking a leap of faith in kicking off an OSS project. For
- [When OSS architects meet the midwit meme](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-oss-architects-meet-the-midwit-meme/) - Have you ever tried to be one of the cool kids and have felt that eerie feeling that you're going to get shown up for not actually being cool? In the business world we call it imposter syndrome.... but I'm already giving off strong hints about being completely uncool aren't I? ...But let's push on
- [Avoiding the "Three-Forevers" approach to vendor selection](https://passionateaboutoss.com/avoiding-the-three-forevers-approach-to-vendor-selection/) - So you're about to embark on an OSS transformation project huh? One that involves finding the best-fit solution from the hundreds of OSS/BSS that are available on the market. You've already thought long and hard about the build vs buy conundrum and decided that rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, you'll go with the
- [Being fired, the blessing in disguise](https://passionateaboutoss.com/being-fired-the-blessing-in-disguise/) - I've only been fired once. This might sound like a gloomy topic but it's closely tied into the Passionate About OSS origin story, so I definitely look back on it with fondness now, over a decade later. I was CTO of a consulting company, but contracted out to another company in a Program Director role.
- [How a Lego challenge helps provide a new lens on OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-a-lego-challenge-helps-provide-a-new-lens-on-oss/) - Did you love to play with Lego as a kid? I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that since you're reading a blog about OSS, then you're probably leaning towards the technical end of the spectrum... and therefore probably did play with Lego. Perhaps you even crossed into Lego Technic that allows
- [The Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) cliff facing the telco and OSS/BSS Industries](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-post-quantum-cryptography-pqc-cliff-facing-the-telco-and-oss-bss-industries/) - In recent times, we've seen widespread damage caused by cybersecurity events impacting the telecommunications industry. Unfortunately, we're rapidly approaching another monumental cliff for security of telecommunications (and all the industries that rely on electronic communications). The same cliff is something the OSS/BSS industry also needs to be patently aware of. Traditional cryptographic algorithms, which underpin
- [The rise of the super-ISP and a whole-quilt OSS solution](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-rise-of-the-super-isp-and-a-whole-quilt-oss-solution/) - The early 2000s (when I first started out in, and fell in love with, the OSS industry) saw many Tier-1 telcos make large OSS and BSS transformation investments. Prior to that, they'd largely run their operations from NMS level and/or using home-grown systems. Since there weren't many existing OSS to unseat, these projects were mostly
- [Similarities and differences between airlines and telco industries](https://passionateaboutoss.com/similarities-and-differences-between-airlines-and-telco/) - The airline industry is comprised of many regional carriers. There is no global carrier (although there are alliances). Each continent has multiple airlines. There are also local / regional airlines. Airlines of different sizes, business models and target customers. Different service offerings and different look & feel in terms of the customer experience (CX). This
- [An OSS design principle I need your guidance on](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-design-principle-i-need-your-guidance-on/) - I find that writing these blog articles is a fantastic way of assembling a variety of ideas and distilling them into coherent stories / concepts (well, hopefully they're coherent). I always welcome feedback and corrections because it helps to round out my understanding of concepts relating to OSS. Feedback from you, dear readers, is highly
- [What will you do if the telco industry dies?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-will-you-do-if-the-telco-industry-dies/) - Christel Heydemann, Orange’s CEO, brought to our attention at MWC 2023 that a survey of European telcos indicated that almost half of the polled CEOs do not expect their businesses to make it through another decade. That's a pretty scary thing to think about if you've built your career around the telco industry and don't
- [How to improve user experience with a headless OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-improve-user-experience-with-a-headless-oss/) - The first OSS/BSS I used, back in 2000, was built around an Oracle relational database and the GUI was built using Oracle Forms (as well as some C++ apps). The developers had implemented a concept they referred to as a boilerplate. It basically allowed the customers to modify any label they wished on the forms.
- [Looking to OSS's flying cars](https://passionateaboutoss.com/looking-to-osss-flying-cars/) - Earlier this week we discussed how Peter Thiel's statement, "We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters," and how it related to the world of OSS. One of Peter's ventures is the Founders Fund, a venture capital firm investing in smart people solving the world's difficult problems. The Founders Fund Manifesto is an inspirational
- [Data visualisation 5 - GIS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/data-visualisation-5-gis/) - "Spatial analysis is how we understand our world—mapping where things are, how they relate, what it all means, and what actions to take. From computational analysis of geographic patterns to finding optimum routes, site selection, and advanced predictive modeling, spatial analysis is at the very heart of geographic information system (GIS) technology.." Esri. Geographic Information
- [Changing of the guard](https://passionateaboutoss.com/changing-of-the-guard/) - "Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either by argument or emotional appeal." Marilyn Ferguson. lt's an exciting time for spatially-based OSS. The tools that underpin them such as GIS and CAD have moved off the desktop and onto
- [When phones swallowed physical objects](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-phones-swallowed-physical-objects/) - "...after a decade in which phones swallowed physical objects, with cameras, radios, music players and so on turned into apps, AR might turn those apps back into physical objects - virtual ones, of course. On one hand cameras digitise everything, and on the other AR puts things back into the world." Ben Evans here. Similarly,
- [Can OSS/BSS assist CX? We're barely touching the surface](https://passionateaboutoss.com/can-oss-bss-assist-cx-were-barely-touching-the-surface/) - Have you ever experienced an epic customer experience (CX) fail when dealing a network service operator, like the one I described yesterday? In that example, the OSS/BSS, and possibly the associated people / process, had a direct impact on poor customer experience. Admittedly, that 7 truck-roll experience was a number of years ago now. We
- [The use of drones by OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-use-of-drones-by-oss/) - The last few days have been all about organisational structuring to support OSS and digital transformations. Today we take a different tack - a more technical diversion - onto how drones might be relevant to the field of OSS. A friend recently asked for help to look into the use of drones in his archaeological
- [Re-imagining network planning? New approaches to plan, design & build networks](https://passionateaboutoss.com/re-imagining-network-planning-new-approaches-to-plan-design-and-build-networks/) - In a recent article, we posed many ideas about how future OSS solutions might be re-imagined. We looked into how new approaches and technologies like AR (Augmented Reality) might change solutions and ways-of-working in the near future. This article triggered a conversation about next-generation planning systems with a couple of very clever OSS, orchestration and
- [New OSS Innovation Video Recording](https://passionateaboutoss.com/new-oss-innovation-video-recording/) - The \#Adtran #FibreBroadband Symposium was held in Melbourne on 3rd August 2022.This video link below shows the presentation we made at the conference: It's designed specifically for network builders, to show the relevance that OSS and BSS have for their worlds. It also shows a very high level view of OSS past, present and future - including
- [How the TowerCo carve-out model is inspiring new ways of thinking about old telco assets](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-the-towerco-carve-out-model-is-inspiring-new-ways-of-thinking-about-old-telco-assets/) - In a recent blog series, we described the potential for OSS to help drive entirely new revenue / business-models that leverage the many strengths that telcos retain - Telco’s burning exchange moment – a playbook of fixes. Today's article will take a closer look at one of the ideas under Playbook #7 - They have
- [Augmented technicians](https://passionateaboutoss.com/augmented-technicians/) - "Google has a plan. Eventually it wants to get into your brain. "When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information," Google CEO Larry Page said in Steven Levy's book, "In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Lives." "Eventually you'll have an implant, where
- [Augmented outside plant](https://passionateaboutoss.com/augmented-outside-plant/) - "When you think of any aspect of life or work, augmented reality is completely going to change how we do it." Ori Inbar. Here in Australia, we have a program called Dial Before You Dig, which provides information, usually in the form of plans, about underground assets for a given address. It is used by
- [Augmented Outside Plant - Part 2](https://passionateaboutoss.com/augmented-outside-plant-part-2/) - In an earlier blog entry, I wrote about using Augmented Reality (AR) to equip field staff with views of physical assets (eg underground, data centre, etc) (and OSS data of course). Well, I've just found out that such a product exists from a company called Augview (perhaps there are others I'm unaware of too?). The following
- [Augmented Reality](https://passionateaboutoss.com/augmented-reality/) - "Augmented Reality (AR) represents a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, that enrich the user's perception of the real world." MindCommerce.com Smart-phones have already generated significant changes in the way we work and play. OSS tools are starting to be developed that harness
- [Uses of OSS Augmented Reality in the Data Centre](https://passionateaboutoss.com/uses-of-oss-augmented-reality-in-the-data-centre/) - I was doing some research on Ubiquiti's NMS/OSS tools yesterday and stumbled upon the brilliant Augmented Reality (AR) capability that it has (I think). I've converted to a video shown below (apologies for the low-res - you can try clicking here for Ubiquiti's full-res view) I especially love how it uses the OLED at the
- [The problem with virtual reality](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-problem-with-virtual-reality/) - In the past I've written about a cool tool called AugView that lets you augment what you see in front of you with a spatial representation of physical assets, such as conduits, cables, etc that are actually hidden underground. At the moment there are two limitations that restrict the usefulness of tools like AugView. The
- [Virtual Reality meets Decision Support](https://passionateaboutoss.com/virtual-reality-meets-decision-support/) - Have you noticed that Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality seem to be the next big thing lately? Whilst the concept has been around for years, it seems to be trending strongly this year, perhaps because applications are starting to make use of recent technology advances. So where do these technologies fit into the future of
- [Using deduction](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-deduction/) - "Eric Raymond proposed that a computer should 'never ask the user for any information that it can autodetect, copy, or deduce'; computer vision changes what the computer has to ask. So it's not, really, a camera, taking photos - it's more like an eye, that can see." Ben Evans here. There's a big buzzword going
- [Augmented Reality meets Decision Support](https://passionateaboutoss.com/augmented-reality-meets-decision-support/) - In yesterday's post we discussed how Virtual Reality (VR) can be utilised in OSS. Today we look at how OSS and Augmented Reality (AR) to be further augmented with decision support systems to help OSS operators. As a starting point for this exercise, we have to think about what OSS situations have a spatial reality
- [6 principles of OSS UI design](https://passionateaboutoss.com/6-principles-of-oss-design/) - "When we talk about building capabilities by design, there are a set of four core capabilities that you should keep in mind: Designed for self-sufficiency: Enable an environment where the business user is capable of acquiring, blending, presenting, and visualizing their data discoveries. IT needs to move away from being command and control to being
- [Where exactly does an OSS user journey start? It might not be where you first think!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/where-exactly-does-an-oss-user-journey-start-it-might-not-be-where-you-first-think/) - I've recently been doing quite a bit of work (and hypothesizing) on journey mapping for customers of telco services. I had been conceptualising the journeys starting from channels such as a retail outlet (eg O2A - order to activate), from an online store (eg U2C - usage to cash), from an IVR (eg T2R -
- [Can you solve the omni-channel identity conundrum for OSS/BSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/can-you-solve-the-omni-channel-identity-conundrum-for-oss-bss/) - For most end-customers, the OSS/BSS we create are merely back-office systems that they never see. The closest they get are the customer portals that they interact with to drive workflows through our OSS/BSS. And yet, our OSS/BSS still have a big part to play in customer experience. In times where customers can readily substitute one
- [A new revenue line just waiting for OSS/BSS to grab](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-new-revenue-line-just-waiting-for-oss-bss-to-grab/) - I'm assuming that if you're reading this blog, chances are you're already an OSS/BSS expert, or spend a lot of your working life thinking about them. Perhaps you do more than think about them and actually help to implement them in some way. Perhaps you don't implement them yet, but have been tasked with understanding
- [Two Exciting OSS Situation Enrichment Innovations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/two-exciting-oss-situation-enrichment-innovations/) - OSS have long been used to enrich operator experiences in many different ways. Raw alarms are cross-linked and enriched with inventory data to provide enhanced information (eg make/model, nearest neighbour, etc) to give operators in the NOC additional information to help them diagnose and repair. Inventory data is enriched with GIS / map data to
- [The wow-factor is in the graphics. The value is in the graph](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-wow-factor-is-in-the-graphics-the-value-is-in-the-graph/) - In our last article, we showed some examples of two exciting situation enrichment innovations, including the example below. These examples have the ability to provide really exciting ways to inform and communicate across different persona groups. Becoming more involved in AR/VR, digital twin and NFT / metaverse-style projects recently, I'm finding that there's a lot
- [An AR/VR product I'd love to develop. What are your thoughts?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-ar-vr-product-id-love-to-develop-what-are-your-thoughts/) - As some of you will have spotted in past articles, I've spent the last couple of years working with solutions at the intersection of OSS/BSS (data) and AR/VR for visualisations and new ways of working. A couple of animated GIFs from that work are shown below. An interactive 3D model with assets identified from OSS
- [How to Avoid the Pitfalls of OSS Sharecropping](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-avoid-the-pitfalls-of-oss-sharecropping/) - Firstly, what is Digital Sharecropping? Nicholas Carr coined the term Digital Sharecropping all the way back in 2006, citing the phenomenon where, "One of the fundamental economic characteristics of Web 2.0 is the distribution of production into the hands of the many and the concentration of the economic rewards into the hands of the few."
- [Exciting week for augmented ways of working in telco](https://passionateaboutoss.com/exciting-week-for-augmented-ways-of-working-in-telco/) - Last week was kind of exciting (and a bit manic!). As well as working on a tech due-diligence (DD) and an important client OSS/BSS roadmap, I had the chance to witness some important steps in the progression on telco Augmented Reality (AR) use-cases. On the software side, we already have many exciting use-cases lining up
- [Step-by-step guide to build a systematic root-cause analysis (RCA) pipeline](https://passionateaboutoss.com/step-by-step-guide-to-build-a-systematic-root-cause-analysis-rca-pipeline/) - Fault / Alarm management tools have lots of strings to their functionality bows to help operators focus in on the target/s that matter most. ITU-T's recommendation X.733 provided an early framework and common model for classification of alarms. This allowed OSS vendors to build a standardised set of filters (eg severity, probable cause, etc). ITU-T's
- [How To Optimise A Network Assurance GUI To Get Results](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-optimise-a-network-assurance-gui-to-get-results/) - In the old-school world of network assurance, we just polled our network devices and aggregated all the events into an event list. But then our networks got bigger and too many events were landing in the list for our assurance teams to process. The next fix was to apply filters. For example, that meant dropping
- [Learning about your OSS customers from the extremes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/learning-about-your-oss-customers-from-the-extremes/) - The first step of the Design Thinking methodology is emphathising (aka getting to know your customers). For some OSS vendors, they overlook this step assuming that they know what the customers want. Similarly for an internal project, the project team will act as the proxy on behalf of a large group of OSS users without
- [...And it works with Alexa](https://passionateaboutoss.com/and-it-works-with-alexa/) - In the past we've posed the concept of using a search front-end as a user friendly interface to the OSS of the future. This UI would have the ability to poll all of the disparate systems that make up an OSS / BSS stack and curate responses. The front-end would need to be smart, but
- [The pruning saw technique for OSS fall-out management](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-pruning-saw-technique/) - Many different user journeys flow through our OSS every day. These include external / customer journeys, internal / operator journeys and possibly even machines-to-machine or system journeys. Unfortunately, not all of these journeys are correctly completed through to resolution. The incomplete or unsatisfactory journeys could include inter-system fall-outs, customer complaints, service quality issues, and many
- [OSS designed as a bundle, or bundled after?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-designed-as-a-bundle-or-bundled-after/) - Over the years I'm sure you've seen many different OSS demonstrations. You've probably also seen presentations by vendors / integrators that have shown multiple different products from their suite. How integrated have they appeared to you? Have they seemed tightly integrated, as if carved from a single piece of stone? Or have they seemed loosely
- [Facebook's algorithmic feed for OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/facebooks-algorithmic-feed-for-oss/) - "This is the logic that led Facebook inexorably to the ‘algorithmic feed’, which is really just tech jargon for saying that instead of this random (i.e. 'time-based') sample of what’s been posted, the platform tries to work out which people you would most like to see things from, and what kinds of things you would
- [The augmented analytics journey](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-augmented-analytics-journey/) - "Smart Data Discovery goes beyond data monitoring to help business users discover subtle and important factors and identify issues and patterns within the data so the organization can identify challenges and capitalize on opportunities. These tools allow business users to leverage sophisticated analytical techniques without the assistance of technical professionals or analysts. Users can perform advanced
- [OSS Information Overload, Underload](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-information-overload-underload/) - Our OSS/BSS collect a lot of information. But how much of it is used and in what ways? How do the users find the information they need to make decisions? In some cases, our OSS completely overload the user with information. An example might be in performance metrics. Our network might have hundreds of nodes
- [The Gestalt OctopOSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-gestalt-octoposs/) - "The whole is other than the sum of the parts" Kurt Koffka Early proponents of Gestalt Theory like Koffka indicated that humans perceive a whole solution (eg water) quickly and intuitively before taking the time to consider the constituent parts (eg rain drops, water molecules, etc). The 80/20 rule of human perception?? User Interfaces generally
- [The OSS world moves Eastwards](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-world-moves-east/) - "The centre of gravity of the world economy is the geographic hotspot of income generation based on the distance weighted gross domestic product of 700 locations (Quah, 2011). In 1980 the hotspot was in the Atlantic Ocean midway between the economic powerhouses of Europe and the United States. However, today the hotspot is over Saudi Arabia
- [An OSS takes flight](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-takes-flight/) - "Heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 110 years ago today, the Wright Brothers made the first manned flight, a well known story. Not quite so well known is the story of Samuel Langley,
- [Graphical vs hot-keys](https://passionateaboutoss.com/graphical-vs-hot-keys/) - To all the network rectification gurus out there, the NOC operators, the fault/assurance teams, I'd like to pose a question. Do you prefer a user interface that is graphical, point and click, has drill-down capability or do you prefer a series of hot-keys so that your quick-fire key-strokes can resolve the issue faster? I personally love
- [Addictive OctopOSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/addictive-octoposs/) - “We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” Santosh Kalwar Drug dealers have enough faith in the addictive nature of their product that they can offer a free trial, knowing their customers will be back. Without having the deadly effects, can a free trial of your OSS
- [Extracting information from your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/extracting-info-from-your-oss/) - "Things get done only if the data we gather can inform and inspire those in a position to make [a] difference." Mike Schmoker. I'm possibly having a major brain-fade here (again), but the only two ways I can think of for extracting information from your OSS are: Via your OSS GUI (Graphical User Interface) Via
- [Audit trails](https://passionateaboutoss.com/audit-trails/) - "Uncontrolled access to data, with no audit trail of activity and no oversight would be going too far. This applies to both commercial and government use of data about people." John Poindexter. Audit trails are a way of tracing back through the logs of historical activities undertaken through your OSS tools. The easy approach for
- [High-rise OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/high-rise-oss/) - "Multi-tenancy is an architecture in which a single instance of a software application serves multiple customers. Each customer is called a tenant. Tenants may be given the ability to customize some parts of the application, such as color of the user interface ( UI) or business rules, but they cannot customize the application's code." WhatIs.com.
- [Our profound OSS questions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-profound-oss-questions/) - "I first met him… at a dinner my mother had put together. On my way there, I thought, ‘Why would I want to meet this guy who picks stocks?’ I thought he just used various market-related things—like volume, or how the price had changed over time—to make his decisions. But when we started talking that
- [Simplifying OSS innovations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/simplifying-oss-innovations/) - "It started with ‘What incredible benefits can we give to the customer…Where can we take the customer?’ Not starting with ‘Let’s sit down with the engineers and figure out what awesome technology we have and how we’re going to market that.’" Steve Jobs. Do you exactly know who uses your OSS (not which customers, but
- [Backtracking](https://passionateaboutoss.com/backtracking/) - "Social TV app Zeebox (recently rebranded as Beamly) thought it was doing the right thing by moving from a tabbed interface to a navigation drawer, but the results were catastrophic — customer engagement dropped by half! Zeebox scrambled to issue an update that restored the tabbed UI. A second attempt proved equally disastrous. What started
- [Revenue from apps](https://passionateaboutoss.com/revenue-from-apps/) - "As you can see from the chart only 3% of mobile app developers are making more than $100k per month/$1.2m per year. Assuming the same power law applies as monthly revenues scale further it’s a fair guess that only 3% of that 3%, i.e. 0.1%, are making $1m+ per month or $12m+ per year. That’s
- [Lowest common denominator](https://passionateaboutoss.com/lowest-common-denominator/) - "...the term Lowest Common Denominator means appealing to as many people at once as possible. There are varying interpretations on what this implies. Taking an upbeat viewpoint, it might be admirable; making stories that most people can relate to" TVropes.com It has been said that television programming caters to the intellect of an 8 year
- [OSS requirements](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-requirements/) - "I have no requirements for a style of architecture." Michael Graves. There's an interesting thing about generating requirements for technical projects - they are rarely requirements. More often than not, they're written as a solution. Requirements documents should focus on the business objectives, the outputs, the problems that need to be overcome. Unfortunately they are
- [10 ideas - getting better](https://passionateaboutoss.com/10-ideas-getting-better/) - James Altucher's Idea Machine concept will form the basis of a series of upcoming posts. An earlier post, "Just 10 ideas" posed 10 questions, one being "What are the 10 things that you’d like to get better at?" From that question, and each of the other questions, I'll attempt to generate 10 ideas. So, the
- [A drag and drop dream](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-drag-and-drop-dream/) - "As far as the customer is concerned, the interface is the product." Jef Raskin. A dream of mine since 2000, the days when Oracle forms were the user interface to the OSS I was using, was the ability to provide drag and drop provisioning of services / circuits. The dream was basically a rip-off of
- [OSS swivel-chairing](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-swivel-chairing/) - "Many OSS systems were initially not linked to each other and often required manual intervention. For example, consider the case where a customer wants to order a new telephone service. The ordering system would take the customer's details and details of their order, but would not be able to configure the telephone exchange directly —
- [The end of network engineers (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-end-of-network-engineers-part-2/) - "Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them." James A. Michener. In a recent post, I posed the question about whether we would soon no longer need network engineers. This was slightly cheeky of me. Today I shall note some caveats on posing such a bold question, as well as providing my humble opinions
- [Dataviz in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/dataviz-in-oss/) - "Data visualisation is a growing field of expertise. It combines the skills of the designer with those of the developer and the journalist, to create interactive layouts that help people explore data for themselves." Olly Arbor. Do you have a dataviz expert on your OSS team? If ever there were a field that needed dataviz,
- [I want to design better OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-want-to-design-better-oss/) - "Good design is as little design as possible Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity." Dieter Rams: ten principles for good design. I've recently had the opportunity to design some OSS user interfaces (UI) again. Our customer
- [Augmenting our OSS brains](https://passionateaboutoss.com/augmenting-our-oss-brains/) - "...the program "The Brain," in which Dr David Eagleman, neuroscientist, NYT bestselling author and Guggenheim Fellow shared a fascinating but little known secret…our brains are specifically designed so that we learn on the job – by doing. Dr Eagleman explained that this is why human babies do not have anywhere near the survival skills possessed
- [Smart contracts to get things done](https://passionateaboutoss.com/smart-contracts-to-get-things-done/) - "Smart contracts are computer protocols that facilitate, verify, or enforce the negotiation or performance of a contract, or that make a contractual clause unnecessary. Smart contracts usually also have a user interface and often emulate the logic of contractual clauses. Proponents of smart contracts claim that many kinds of contractual clauses may thus be made
- [Answers, not information](https://passionateaboutoss.com/answers-not-information/) - Just thinking about yesterday's blog (about how OSS will become Whole of Business Support Systems and what impact that will have on the UI) when something quite simple dawned on me... In most cases, OSS should be designed to provide answers, not just information. But in most cases today, the opposite is true. We have
- [A new style of OSS GUI](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-new-style-of-oss-gui/) - In yesterday's blog, we discussed how the OSS of the future will not just be Operational support systems, instead being Whole of Business support systems (WOBSS?? :)). Anyway, we also discussed that to be relevant to the whole of business, our tools will need to provide: A context that is relevant to the operator (who
- [An OSS voice interaction notation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-voice-interaction-notation/) - "Humans can speak 150 vs. type 40 words per minute, on average.." Kleiner Perkins' Internet Trends 2016. The latest Mary Meeker report (ie the link above) provides some interesting insights, as usual. One of them is the reference to voice becoming a much more significant computing interaction mechanism - evolving from keyboards to microphones and
- [OSS are hidden away](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-are-hidden-away/) - "More people will pay you money to help them achieve a monetary goal than will pay you to give them something pretty to look at." Web Teacher In recent posts we've explored OSS user interfaces and simpler interfaces in particular. But a pretty interface is only useful if helps a prospective client achieve a monetary
- [Ask your OSS a question...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ask-your-oss-a-question/) - A very clever friend of mine made an interesting observation recently. He had noticed that one of his global markets, a developing region, tended to ask for a very different set of outcomes from his OSS than his customers in more developed regions. He has noticed that the developing regions are asking business level questions
- [Simplification at scale](https://passionateaboutoss.com/simplification-at-scale/) - On Friday we published The Simplification Mantra. It discussed the starting perspectives for simplification and that OSS already have so much functionality that they're difficult for users to navigate. An example that I see time and again is where OSS can achieve a requirement, let's say designing a service for one customer, but don't cater
- [Putting the IT fox in charge of the OSS hen house](https://passionateaboutoss.com/putting-the-it-fox-in-charge-of-the-oss-hen-house/) - Most telcos service a large demographic of customers that span almost every generation. Some of those customers are familiar with technology and others have the deluded belief that clouds are made up of water particles, not songs, apps, videos, VMs, etc. So if a large cross-section of the user-base doesn't know their way around technology,
- [Have you noticed the different races being run in OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/have-you-noticed-the-different-races-being-run-in-oss/) - Yesterday's blog discussed innovation at the speed of data being even faster than innovation at the speed of software. But not all aspects of OSS need to evolve at the sames speeds. In the Olympics, sprinters need fast-twitch muscles and training to hone for speed, whilst marathon runners need slow-twitch muscles and appropriate training for
- [Are our OSS / BSS contributing to customer churn?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-contributing-to-customer-churn/) - "Some simple principles: - Software can change faster than hardware, which means that in changing markets, bet on software. - It's tempting to treat the user interface as a piece of fashion, some bling, a sort of jewelry. It's not. It's the way your user controls the tool you build. Change it when it stops
- [Can you imagine how you'll interact with your OSS in 10 years?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/can-you-imagine-what-your-oss-interactions-will-feel-like-10-years-from-now/) - Here's a slightly mind-blowing fact for you - A child born when iPhone was announced will be 10 years old in 2 months (a piece of trivia courtesy of Ben Evans). That's nearly 10 years of digitally native workers coming into the telco workforce and 10 years of not-so-digitally native workers exiting it. We marvelled
- [Should we put the A in STEM to delight with our OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/should-we-put-the-a-in-stem-for-oss/) - You've all heard of the STEM acronym right - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. They're all pretty important contributors to the OSS story. The question however is whether there's an "A" missing from STEM in the form of Art. Is it STEAM that should power OSS? Let me ask you a question - in your
- [Intelligent conversations... augmented by OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/intelligent-conversations-augmented-by-oss/) - One of the greatest do-good opportunities for our OSS / BSS / CRM is to provide augmentation to front-line staff to enable them to have intelligent conversations, be that with customers, suppliers, colleagues, etc. Unfortunately we don't always facilitate that to happen. In fact, the proliferation of front-line tools and processes that staff need to
- [OSS - the meet-in-the-middle tool](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-the-meet-in-the-middle-tool/) - Many telcos around the world have a sometimes subtle, sometimes not, turf-war going on between networks / operations and IT groups. Virtualisation of the network potentially amplifies this because it increases the scope of possible overlap. As described in yesterday's "Noah's Ark of OSS success," one of the ways of improving the success of an
- [Watching customers under an omnichannel strobe light](https://passionateaboutoss.com/watching-customers-under-an-omnichannel-strobe-light/) - Omnichannel will remain full of holes until we figure out a way of tracking user journeys rather than trying to prescribe (design, document, maintain) process flows. As a customer jumps between the various channels, they move between systems. In doing so, we tend to lose the ability to watch customer's journey as a single continuous
- [10 ways to #GetOutOfTheBuilding](https://passionateaboutoss.com/10-ways-to-getoutofthebuilding/) - 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
- [I'm predicting the demise of the OSS horse](https://passionateaboutoss.com/im-predicting-the-demise-of-the-oss-horse/) - "What will telcos do about the 30% of workers AI is going to displace?" Dawn Bushaus That question, which is the headline of Dawn's article on TM Forum's Inform platform, struck me as being quite profound. As an aside, I'm not interested in the number - the 30% - because I concur with Tom Goodwin's sentiments
- [Bringing Eminem's blank canvas to OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/bringing-eminems-blank-canvas-to-oss/) - "When you start out in your career, you have a blank canvas, so you can paint anywhere that you want because the shit ain't been painted on yet. And then your second album comes out, and you paint a little more and you paint a little more. By the time you get to your seventh
- [Expanding your bag of OSS tricks](https://passionateaboutoss.com/expanding-your-bag-of-oss-tricks/) - Let me ask you a question - when you've expanded your bag of tricks that help you to manage your OSS, where have they typically originated? By reading? By doing? By asking? Through mentoring? Via training courses? Relating to technical? People? Process? Product? Operations? Network? Hardware? Software? Design? Procure? Implement / delivery? Test? Deploy? By
- [OSS - like a duck on a pond](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-like-a-duck-on-a-pond/) - Let's start with a basic question. "What does an OSS need to do?" The basic answer is, "make operations easier." The real answer(s) is so much more nuanced than that of course. The term easier can also encapsulate other words such as faster, more accurate, more repeatable, cheaper, etc. Designing, building, operating and maintaining a
- [Think for a moment...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/think-for-a-moment/) - “Many of the most important new companies, including Google, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Snapchat, Uber, Airbnb and more are winning not by giving good-enough solutions..., but rather by delivering a superior experience....” Ben Thompson, stratechery.com Think for a moment about the millions of developer hours that have gone into creating today's OSS tools. Think also for
- [Becoming the Microsoft of the OSS industry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/becoming-the-microsoft-of-the-oss-industry/) - On Tuesday we pondered, "Would an OSS duopoly be a good thing?" It cited two examples of operating systems amongst other famous duopolies: Microsoft / Apple (PC operating systems) Google / Apple (smartphone operating systems) Yesterday we provided an example of why consolidation is so much more challenging for OSS companies than say for Coke
- [OSS change.... but not too much... oh no.....](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-change-but-not-too-much-oh-no/) - Let me start today with a question: Does your future OSS/BSS need to be drastically different to what it is today? Please leave me a comment below, answering yes or no. I'm going to take a guess that most OSS/BSS experts will answer yes to this question, that our future OSS/BSS will change significantly. It's
- [OSS work practices that are repulsive](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-work-practices-that-are-repulsive/) - "I believe in the principle that deep work and constant availability are repulsive concepts (in the magnetic sense)." Tyler Mumford in comment 2 to this post. This blogging thing really amazes me at times. I'm regularly left shocked at the serendipitous connections that form when writing posts. Take today's post. I did a web search
- [Is your service assurance really service assurance?? (Part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-service-assurance-actually-service-assurance-part-3/) - Yep, this is the third part, so that might suggest that there were two lead-up articles prior to this one. Well, you'd be right: The first proposed that most of what we refer to as "service assurance" is really only "network infrastructure" assurance. The second then looked at the constraints we face in trying to
- [OSS that make men feel more masculine and in command](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-that-make-men-feel-more-masculine-and-in-command/) - "From watching ESPN, I'd learned about the power of information bombardment. ESPN strafes its viewers with an almost hysterical amount of data and details. Scrolling boxes. Panels. Bars. Graphics. Multi-angle camera perspectives. When exposed to a surfeit of data, men tend to feel more masculine and in command. Do most men bother to decipher these
- [Blown away by one innovation - a follow-up concept](https://passionateaboutoss.com/blown-away-by-one-innovation-a-follow-up-concept/) - Last Friday's blog discussed how I’ve just been blown away by the most elegant OSS innovation I’ve seen in decades. You can read more detail via the link, but the three major factors in this simple, elegant solution to data quality problems (probably OSS' biggest kryptonite) are: Being able to make connections that break standard
- [A single glass of pain or single pane of glass??](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-single-glass-of-pain-or-single-pane-of-glass/) - Is your OSS a single pane of glass, or a single glass of pain? You can tell I'm being a little flippant here. People often (perhaps idealistically) talk about OSS as being the single pane of glass (SPOG) to manage a network. I say "idealistically" for a couple of reasons: There are usually many personas
- [Would you hire a furniture maker as an OSS CEO?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/would-you-hire-a-furniture-maker-as-an-oss-ceo/) - Well, would you hire a furniture maker as CEO of an OSS vendor? At face value, it would seem to be an odd selection right? There doesn't seem to be much commonality between furniture and OSS does there? It seems as likely as hiring a furniture maker to be CEO of a car maker? Oh
- [Is your OSS squeaking like an un-oiled bearing?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/our-oss-are-squeaking-like-un-oiled-bearings/) - Network operators spend huge amounts on building and maintaining their OSS/BSS every year. There are many reasons they invest so heavily, but in most cases it can be distilled back to one thing - improving operational efficiency. And our OSS/BSS definitely do improve operational efficiency, but there are still so many sources of friction. They're
- [Could you believe it? An OSS with less features that helps more?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/could-you-believe-it-an-oss-with-less-features-that-sells-more/) - All OSS products are excellent these days. And all OSS vendors know what the most important functionality is. They already have those features built into their products. That is, they've already added the all-important features at the left side of the graph. But it also means product teams are tending to only add the relatively
- [Opinions wanted - How to Benchmark OSS/BSS complexity](https://passionateaboutoss.com/opinions-wanted-how-to-benchmark-oss-bss-complexity/) - I'd love to ask you an important question... how do we benchmark OSS/BSS complexity? To measure how complex our systems are and therefore provide a signpost for simplification.A colleague has opined that the number of apps in a stack could be used a proxy. I can see where he's going with that, but I feel
- [I was wrong. Forget about investing in your OSS UI](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-was-wrong-forget-about-investing-in-your-oss-ui/) - I must've written dozens of posts about us needing to collectively invest a lot more effort into UI / UX. I've written quite a few over the last few months especially. This one in particular springs to mind. As an industry, we typically don't do user experience journeys (UX) or user interfaces (UI) very well
- [How Network Operations Centre (NOC) Efficiency is Powered by Your OSS/BSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-network-operations-centre-noc-efficiency-is-powered-by-your-oss-bss/) - We just launched a new video series describing the Fundamentals of OSS/BSS yesterday. One of the videos in the series describes Network Operations Centres (or NOCs) for telcos or network operators. It also provides examples of the OSS/BSS tools and data sets that help to power them. Whilst creating this video, it dawned on me
- [The Secret Truth About OSS Innovation Limitations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-secret-truth-about-oss-innovation-limitations/) - It's said that the best way to sell hardware is to have compelling software and the best way to sell network services is to have compelling information to share. In the halcyon years for the telcos, they had both the network services and the singular mechanism for sharing compelling information. Voice / telephony was THE
- [I was surprised by this OSS innovation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-was-surprised-by-this-oss-innovation/) - I'm in the privileged position, probably as a result of founding The Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory, to speak with many vendors each week. It also means I'm lucky enough to watch in on product demos on a regular basis too. Last year DFG Consulting (www.dfgcon.si/en) reached out to tell me about their Interactively Assisted
- [Is your OSS like a broken watch - only accurate twice a day?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-oss-like-a-broken-watch-only-accurate-twice-a-day/) - The broken watch analogy. When the second hand on your analog watch stops moving, you’ll quickly realise that your watch has broken. You’ll know exactly what to do next. You won’t assume that time is broken or is somehow standing still. You’ll immediately recognise that your watch needs fixing, re-winding or replacing. A watch is
- [Is innovationism, not capitalism, driving the decline in telco?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-innovationism-not-capitalism-driving-the-decline-in-telco/) - It's a completely silly question to ask you whether you've noticed that the world of OSS is changing rapidly isn't it? Of course you've already noticed that it has and is. Do you already have plans to learn new concepts to help you adapt to those changes in 2023? If so, are you thinking about
- [What does the future hold for telco? Can it inform long-term OSS/BSS supplier strategies?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-does-the-future-hold-for-telco-can-it-inform-long-term-oss-bss-supplier-strategies/) - Do you ever look into the past to determine whether commonalities / discrepancies could be used to inform how you might act into the future? When it comes to OSS/BSS and telco, I certainly do. I hark back into the days when CSPs were the world’s leading tech companies and innovators. They also had incredibly
- [From Idle Time to Deep Attention: The Impacts on Operational Support Systems](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-idle-time-to-deep-attention-the-gamification-of-operational-support-systems/) - Of all technological advancements, smartphones have had one of the most profound impacts on humanity in recent history. They have ingeniously monetised "idle time," the brief intermissions between our important tasks, often filling our idle moments with a plethora of addictive apps, content and social media. However, as technology has evolved, these "idle time" tasks
- [Asking your colleagues to give you AIR](https://passionateaboutoss.com/asking-your-colleagues-to-give-you-air/) - Let me tell you a story. A love story. A story about data. A story about AIR. On my first OSS project, all the way back in 2000, I was brought in as a network SME. But it was only after getting involved in the data modelling and data migration activities that I really became
- [The Apple Vision Pro is here: It's an indicator to how immersive next-gen OSS/BSS will shape our connected futures](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-apple-vision-pro-is-here-its-an-indicator-to-how-immersive-next-gen-oss-bss-will-shape-our-connected-futures/) - Yesterday's release of Apple's Vision Pro virtual reality headsets [actually, they're not quite here like the headline says yet - apparently they're becoming available in early 2024] provides just one more piece of evidence that our ways of interacting, communicating and working in telco are set for a transformative shift. Not just in telco, but
- [OSS User Experiences at 3.5 inches](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-user-experiences-at-3-5-inches/) - "The far-reaching impact of the technology revolution of 2007 with the launch of the Apple iPhone is not to be underestimated. Across every industry, Apple has had a profound influence through the psychological effect of how consumers expect technology to interact with them. People now expect good design as part of their visual communication and
- [A user interface is like a joke...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-user-interface-is-like-a-joke/) - "A user interface is like a joke. If you have to explain it, it's not that good." StartupVitamins. Very funny! I've seen lots of OSS interfaces that are like a joke. Some funny. Some not so funny. In general, OSS interfaces need more explaining than they should. In part that comes from interfacing with complex
- [Via The Telco (VTT) saves the telco?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/via-the-telco-vtt/) - How will VTT provide a compelling alternative to OTT models?
- [Features tell, benefits sell](https://passionateaboutoss.com/features-tell-benefits-sell/) - "The most common thing that pegs an entrepreneur as an amateur is when they come in and immediately start talking about their amazing new technology, and forget to start the discussion with, “What big problem in the market am I trying to solve?” If they don’t start with the problem, then I know they are
- [OSS user interface designs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-user-interface-designs/) - As someone who is afforded the privilege of seeing many OSS when evaluating vendors, it strikes me that most OSS are designed by Engineers. It seems to me that if a developer hits on a user interface (UI) that can perform the required function then that interface layout will do. After all, Engineers in the
- [NSS - The one "simple" performance indicator for your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/one-simple-performance-indicator-that-you-need-to-use/) - Yesterday's blog discussed the fact that many of the KPIs gathered and used by OSS / BSS could potentially conflict with other KPIs, even when used within a single organisation. It then posed a question: "Have you ever seen an organisation define a simplification metric as one of their highest-profile KPIs?" One of the biggest
- [OSS feature parity. A functionality arms race](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-feature-parity-a-functionality-arms-race/) - OSS Vendor 1. "I have 1 million features." (Dr Evil puts finger in mouth) OSS Vendor 2. "Yeah, well I have 1,000,001 features in my OSS." This is the arms-race that we see in OSS, just like almost any other tech product. I imagine that vendors get into this arms-race because they wish to differentiate.
- [OSS - Are they anonymous, poorly made objects?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-the-anonymous-poorly-made-objects/) - "We're surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects. It's tempting to think its because the people who use them don't care - just like the people who make them. But what [Apple has] shown is that people do care. It's not just about aesthetics. They care about things that are thoughtfully conceived and well made."Jony Ive
- [How and why we need to Challenge our OSS Beliefs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-and-why-we-must-challenge-our-oss-beliefs/) - The OSS / BSS industry tends to be quite technical in nature. The networks we manage are technical. The IT stacks we build on are technical. The workflows we design are technical. The product offerings we coordinate are technical. As such, the innovations we tend to propose are quite technical too. In some cases, too
- [Would Warren Buffett invest in OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/would-warren-buffett-invest-in-oss/) - "I like to think that if I’d been at Kitty Hawk in 1903 when Orville Wright took off, I would have been farsighted enough, and public-spirited enough–I owed this to future capitalists–to shoot him down. I mean, Karl Marx couldn’t have done as much damage to capitalists as Orville did. I won’t dwell on other
- [Deciding whether to PoC or to doc](https://passionateaboutoss.com/deciding-whether-to-poc-or-to-doc/) - As recently discussed with two friends and colleagues, Raman and Darko, Proofs of Concept (PoC) or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) implementations can be a double-edged sword. By building something without fully knowing the end-game, you are potentially building tech-debt that may be very difficult to work around without massive (or complete) overhaul of what you've
- [One of the biggest insights we had...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/one-of-the-biggest-insights-we-had/) - "One of the biggest insights we had was that we decided not to try to manage your music library on the iPod, but to manage it in iTunes. Other companies tried to do everything on the device itself and made it so complicated that it was useless." Steve Jobs. How does this insight apply to
- [Stealing Fire for OSS (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/stealing-fire-for-oss-part-2/) - Yesterday's post talked about the difference between "flow state" and "office state" in relation to OSS delivery. It referenced a book I'm currently reading called Stealing Fire. The post mainly focused on how the interruptions of "office state" actually inhibit our productivity, learning and ability to think laterally on our OSS. But that got me
- [The 3 states of OSS consciousness](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-3-states-of-oss-consciousness/) - The last four posts have discussed how our OSS/BSS need to cope with different modes of working to perform effectively. We started off with the thread of "group flow," where multiple different users of our tools can work cohesively. Then we talked about how flow requires a lack of interruptions, yet many of the roles
- [OSS user heat-mapping](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-user-heat-mapping/) - Over the many OSS implementation projects I've worked on, UI/UX (user interface / user experience) has been an afterthought (if even thought about at all). I know there are OSS UI/UX experts out there (I've met a handful), but none have ever been assigned to the projects I've worked on unfortunately. UI has always just
- [What's the worst thing that could happen on an OSS transformation? (part 6)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/whats-the-worst-thing-that-could-happen-on-an-oss-transformation/) - This is the sixth of the “buyer / seller chasm" series of articles (pt1, pt2, pt3, pt4, pt5). In it, we consider how to bring Buyers and Sellers together more effectively to build better telcos. We’d previously highlighted the issues, the pain points, the sources of friction, a bunch of solutions and more. The title
- [Using a complete re-framing to reduce the OSS Buyer / Seller chasm (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-a-complete-re-framing-to-reduce-the-oss-buyer-seller-chasm-part-3/) - This is the third part of a series that looks into the chasm that exists between OSS/BSS buyers (eg carriers, ISPs, utilities, etc) and sellers (OSS/BSS product vendors). In part 2 we pondered whether it's possible to target a 10x reduction in operational costs. We'll take a closer look into what this means with the
- [A Japanese tale of OSS monoliths versus modularity](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-japanese-tale-of-oss-monoliths-versus-modularity/) - There aren't a lot of podcasts out there that specialise in OSS (apart from ours of course), so I tend to listen to a lot of material from other fields, sometimes adjacent, sometimes not. I'm just coming to the end of this one with Peter Diamandis and Roger Hamilton. At over 2 hours, it's a
- [Knowledge used to be power. Is it still?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/knowledge-used-to-be-power-is-it-still/) - Many years ago, I was lucky enough to spend a year advising the executive team of an Asian monopoly carrier. I was helping them to implement their first ever OSS project. It was a real eye-opener on many different levels. This carrier had a strong culture of hoarding knowledge. It was well known amongst the
- [Developing an OSS Training Plan](https://passionateaboutoss.com/developing-an-oss-training-plan/) - Last year a tier-1 telco asked me to develop a training / mentoring plan for graduates entering their OSS stream. Not just a short-term training plan, but a 4-5 year career development model for their team. They're setting aside approximately a day a week for personal development for each trainee entering the program. That blew
- [Telco innovation: 13 examples of harnessing OSS for super-charged experimentation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telco-innovation-13-examples-of-harnessing-oss-for-super-charged-experimentation/) - We know the modern digital marketplace is evolving and proliferating at mind-blowing speeds. Everything you know right now, and all the knowledge you have collected over your career, is diminishing in relevance at an increasing rate. The same is true of us as individuals as well as us as the telco industry and the companies
- [The Rolls Royce vision of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-rolls-royce-vision-of-oss/) - Yesterday's post mentioned the importance of setting a future vision as part of your MVP delivery strategy. As Steve Blank said here, "Founders act like the “minimum” part is the goal. Or worse, that every potential customer should want it. In the real world not every customer is going to get overly excited about your minimum
- [Who are the real heroes of your OSS project? It might not be who you think!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/who-are-the-real-heroes-of-your-oss-project-it-might-not-be-who-you-think/) - When I first left uni with my freshly minted degrees, whenever I thought of salespeople, I had an image something like the one below in my head. This image might still be true if you're on the hunt for a used clunker. However, nothing could be further from the truth for the salespeople that make
- [Getting hands-on with the OSS espresso machine](https://passionateaboutoss.com/getting-hands-on-with-the-oss-espresso-machine/) - “Is there anyone in this room who can go with me to an espresso machine and make a latte?” That's what Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz reportedly asked his executive team at a November 2022 meeting, according to this WSJ article. He added: "I don’t think we can fix the systemic problem with the level of
- [What's your OSS Linda Evangelista Number?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/whats-your-oss-linda-evangelista-number/) - Linda Evangelista, a supermodel back in the day, was famously quoted as saying, "I don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day." When conducting vendor selection processes with my clients, I tend to find the "OSS Linda Evangelista number" quite helpful. It's the minimum dollar amount that a vendor will be prepared
- [A strategic OSS expert: Work smart, work lazy, build assets](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-strategic-oss-expert-work-smart-work-lazy-build-assets/) - Whilst reading an article on Business Insider called, "A Gen Z software engineer at Google reportedly earns $150,000 working one hour a day," I found one comment quite confronting. It wasn't the extrapolation that an 8 hour day (possibly working multiple jobs) could generate a $1.2m annual salary but the mindset. The Gen Z software
- [How our OSS can enhance customer experiences and perceptions for the telcos we work for](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-our-oss-can-enhance-customer-experiences-and-perceptions-for-the-telcos-we-work-for/) - In a recent article, we compared how telco holds itself accountable to its internally adored five-nine availability standards, yet still has cellar-dwelling customer satisfaction scores. When you consider the expanse and complexity of the global telco network, and the millions of micro-events that occur on it each day, telco networks are amazingly resilient. Telcos certainly
- [Sometimes an OSS budget is too big](https://passionateaboutoss.com/sometimes-an-oss-budget-is-too-big/) - Wait, "What??" I hear you ask! No it can't. Have you ever worked on a BIG OSS project? One where the budget is in the hundreds of millions of dollars? Or even tens of millions of dollars? Have those big projects delivered your best transformation outcomes? Or have other projects, with more constrained budgets, been
- [OSS: A world of 12-day weeks and nuclear launch codes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-a-world-of-12-day-weeks-and-nuclear-launch-codes/) - I really enjoy the musings of Jason Fried. He blogs over here at 37signals, has written books such as "Re-work" and runs a successful (bootstrapped) software company. I enjoy his musings because they take a much more pragmatic and balanced look at the worlds of software development and business than most. Let's look at his
- [Oh, sorry. I had it in 2D. Good luck!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oh-sorry-i-had-it-in-2d-good-luck/) - Have you ever worked out in the field, turning design packs / drawings prepared by colleagues in your design team into built network? Have you ever worked at head office (eg the NOC) and interacted with your colleagues out in the field? If you have, you'll know there's often a disconnect in situational awareness between
- [The five D's of automation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-five-ds-of-automation/) - Automation is an exciting ambition in the world of digital transformation. Everyone aspires to implement a lot of it. It gives you leverage, allowing you to do more with less. Who wouldn't want that? There are two main problems with automations though: For many scenarios, the cost of automation outweighs the benefit. Either the benefit
- [If only the rest of the world could live up to the telco five-nines standard](https://passionateaboutoss.com/if-only-the-rest-of-the-world-could-live-up-to-the-telco-five-nines-standard/) - The world relies on telecommunications providers for so much of our modern lifestyle. Yet the telco industry consistently fails to impress customers. Telcos interminably underperform on NPS (Net Promoter Score) metrics, such as the benchmark report from customergauge.com: Stone...Cold...Last!! Yet against this backdrop, the telco industry has always held itself to incredibly high engineering standards
- [OSS cynics get airtime. OSS optimists deliver](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-cynics-get-airtime-oss-optimists-deliver/) - There are always many ways to transform your OSS aren't there? There are always lots of different options to analyse (which can lead to analysis paralysis, but that's a whole other story). In most cases, there are obvious pros and cons of each different option. Therefore, there are always lots of different opinions on the
- [The Chessboard Analogy. An OSS Solution in its Connections](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-if-the-oss-solution-lies-in-the-connections/) - Imagine for a moment that you're sitting in front of a pristine chess board, awaiting the opportunity to make your first move. All of the pieces have been exquisitely carved from stone, polished to a sheen. The rules of the game have been established for centuries, so you know exactly which piece is able to
- [Subtraction projects](https://passionateaboutoss.com/subtraction-projects/) - Reducing your OSS so that it can grow
- [OSS are not just a #$%&ing cost centre](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-are-not-just-a-ing-cost-centre/) - It seems that OSS/BSS are always an afterthought. And always seen as a cost centre rather than a revenue generator. Now I'm biased of course, but I think that's such a narrow view. And we need everyone in our industry to spread the same gospel. I like to think of it like this... Sales teams identify
- [A graphene analogy to help fix OSS data](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-my-graphene-analogy-to-help-fix-oss-data/) - By now I'm sure you've heard about graph databases. You may've even read my earlier article about the benefits graph databases offer when modelling network inventory when compared with relational databases. But have you heard the Graphene Database Analogy? It can help conceptualise the migrating, cross-linking and fixing of data sets. I equate OSS data
- [GIS and BIM Take First Major Steps to Integration. So what?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/gis-and-bim-take-first-major-steps-to-integration-so-what/) - When you see those two acronyms above, GIS and BIM, do you immediately grasp what this post is going to be about? Do you know what both of those acronyms represent? Their relevance to OSS? They're not exactly widespread OSS terms. Many would be familiar with GIS (Geographic Information Systems). We've all seen OSS data,
- [A detailed account of the SolarWinds hack. A must-read story for all OSS/BSS suppliers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-detailed-account-of-the-solarwinds-hack-a-must-read-story-for-all-oss-bss-suppliers/) - OSS solutions hold a privileged place in the operations of communications service providers around the world. They collect logs and events from network devices, security devices, shared services (like Active Directory) and other support systems. With increased automation and orchestration, they also have the power to quickly push controls back into all of those devices
- [Graph Data Summit (Melbourne, 9th May 2023) - A presentation about telco network data modelling](https://passionateaboutoss.com/graph-data-summit-melbourne-9th-may-2023-a-presentation-about-telco-network-data-modelling/) - When it comes to telco / OSS / BSS data, I'm a big believer in matching the type of database to the type of data you're handling. For alarms / events / logs, it's time-series databases, where KX is a stand-out. For network inventory-based use-cases, graph databases like Neo4j provide some significant advantages. If you're in Melbourne next
- [OSS Sandpit - 5G Network Inventory Prototype](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-5g-network-inventory-prototype/) - 5G networks seem to be the big investment trend in telco at the moment. It comes with a lot of tech innovation such as network slicing and an increased use of virtualised network functions (VNFs). This article provides an example of building 5G Network components into the inventory module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project.
- [Putting on the Big Black Hat: How Project Pre-Mortems can save your OSS Project before you begin](https://passionateaboutoss.com/putting-on-the-big-black-hat-how-project-pre-mortems-can-save-your-oss-project-before-you-begin/) - Have you ever heard of the concept of a project pre-mortem? Have you ever used the concept on one of your OSS projects? They can be a really useful technique to use prior to embarking on OSS projects. But what are they and how do you use them I can hear you asking. Think of
- [Would you believe that 70+ personas and 700 use-cases is NOT a definitive list for OSS/BSS tools?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/would-you-believe-that-70-personas-and-700-use-cases-is-not-a-definitive-list-for-oss-bss-tools/) - Have you ever stopped to wonder who actually uses OSS and BSS tools? Or how many role types (personas) do you think interact with OSS/BSS? Then, to go a step further, have you ever wondered what they do with their OSS and BSS tools? This was an itch we just had to scratch, so we
- [What's your Everest?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/whats-your-everest/) - What's your Everest? I was out doing a walk today and listening to a podcast (Jeff Lerner's "Unlock your Potential" with guest Colin O'Brady [episode #226]) and that question stopped me in my tracks (literally). What's that big ambition, that big goal that you've always wanted to achieve? I don't have the answer to that question now
- [Crafting an Investment Memorandum (IM): A Comprehensive Guide](https://passionateaboutoss.com/crafting-an-investment-memorandum-im-a-comprehensive-guide/) - Are you an OSS and/or BSS supplier or telecommunications company that is thinking about seeking external investment or selling (in the sense of M&A [Mergers and Acquisitions], not the normal products and services you sell)? In recent years, we've been involved in an increased number of M&A projects, and I'm assuming this mirrors a rise
- [Want to know where the next wave of OSS/BSS innovation is coming from?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/want-to-know-where-the-next-wave-of-oss-bss-innovation-is-coming-from/) - Everything you know right now, and all the knowledge you have collected over your career, is diminishing in relevance at an increasing rate. For those of us who've been in this game for decades rather than years, a lot of the knowledge we accumulated during our "apprenticeship" years is losing its lustre. This is particularly
- [What's your future in OSS/BSS more closely linked to - elements of scarcity or abundance?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/whats-your-future-in-oss-bss-more-closely-linked-to-elements-of-scarcity-or-abundance/) - Did you notice that our previous article (What does the future hold for telco?) touched on scarcity and abundance in telco as well as how the dynamics of those are changing? Have you ever stopped to think how these changing dynamics of scarcity / abundance might impact the business and revenue models of yourself personally
- [Pumping out Quality - The Pottery Analogy for OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/pumping-out-quality/) - The following is a true story about an art teacher who decided to experiment with his grading system. It had an interesting side-effect relating to the dilemma of quality versus quantity. David Bayles and Ted Orland document the story in their book, "Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (And Rewards) of Art making "
- [The Pain. The Burning Ring of Fire. How to get OSS Projects unstuck and approved](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-pain-the-burning-ring-of-fire-how-to-get-oss-projects-unstuck-and-approved/) - When speaking with a customer last week, I was hearing the same expression of anguish that I've heard so many times before. The anguish of getting an OSS business case approved. Actually, in this rare case, the business case had already been approved. The budget had been allocated long ago. The exec sponsors were onboard
- [Don't think! Don't Hope! Do!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/dont-think-dont-hope-do/) - "At least DO SOMETHING! DO! Don't think, don't hope, do! At least you can come off and say 'I did this, I shepherded, I played on. At least I did something" John Kennedy. I find this to be a brilliant analogy for OSS implementation projects too. There's so much complexity, so many things happening dynamically,
- [What if your career in telco were to end tomorrow?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-if-your-career-in-telco-were-to-end-tomorrow/) - Are you a dyed-in-the-wool telco person? Has your whole career, or a majority of it, been built around the telco industry? If your career in telco were to cease tomorrow, what would you do next? As we mentioned in our previous article on "Burning Platforms", the orange curve of the traditional telco business is trending
- [Valuable Tripods](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tripods/) - We describe the most valuable workers on any OSS/BSS implementation as tripods. They have three key capabilities that allow them to assess and connect everyone else on these complex projects.
- [Where does BSS end and OSS begin?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/where-does-bss-end-and-oss-begin/) - Ever wondered what's the difference between OSS (Operational Support Systems) and BSS (Business Support Systems)? Or how OSS and BSS map to TM Forum standards like the TAM and eTOM? How they interact?
- [OSS Test Phases](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-test-phases/) - Are you new to the world of OSS / BSS testing and aren't quite sure what testing is required? The following is a set of commonly conducted tests that includes FAT, SIT, UAT, PVT and more
- [Data Control Networks (DCN)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/data-control-networks-dcn/) - A Data Control Network (DCN) is the network that carries management traffic between components of your network, OSS, BSS and beyond. It's a vital part of any telecommunication network management solution. To use an analogy, if the OSS is a heart and your management traffic (eg SNMP traps) is blood, then your DCN is the network of arteries that carry that life-blood to your OSS.
- [There are 2600+ things on our mind. What's on your mind?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/there-are-2600-things-on-our-mind-whats-on-your-mind/) - Through Passionate About OSS, we've created well over 2,600 articles that share ideas, tips, techniques and stories about the OSS industry (ie sharing what's on our mind). However, recent articles about a shortage of end-user empathy in OSS / BSS / telco have highlighted that we also don't ask enough questions about what's on your
- [Uncovering Hidden Gems: How an Unexpected Technique Unlocked Surprising Insights](https://passionateaboutoss.com/uncovering-hidden-gems-how-an-unexpected-technique-unlocked-surprising-insights/) - It's funny how you sometimes unlock powerful work techniques without intending to isn't it? So powerful that they become an important part of the way you work on future OSS/BSS projects. Or perhaps just an incisive tool that you pull out of your kit-bag in certain situations. A few years ago I was helping a
- [What changes would you implement to make the OSS/BSS industry more valuable?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-changes-would-you-implement-to-make-the-oss-bss-industry-more-valuable/) - How valuable is the OSS / BSS industry do you think? How would you measure it? How would the market measure it? Have you ever pondered these questions? By extension, have you also wondered how to make it more valuable? Or perhaps how to make certain players within it more valuable? If you have, would
- [Fundamental telco differentiators... flipped on their heads](https://passionateaboutoss.com/fundamental-telco-differentiators-flipped-on-their-heads/) - When you think about fundamental differentiators for telcos, what factors come to your mind? Perhaps it is one of the following (with a typical description of that differentiation factor provided): Coverage: Operators with extensive coverage (ie fixed-line footprint and/or mobile coverage) may have an advantage over those with limited coverage areas Network quality: Operators with
- [The tree analogy - a tale of two eras of telco business models](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-tree-analogy-a-tale-of-two-eras-of-telco-business-models/) - With the holidays almost upon us in many parts of the world, I thought I'd share an analogy. Like many analogies, it's a bit oversimplified. It's also possibly a bit inflammatory in some circles. Hopefully though, it gives a different frame of reference for how the telco business model has changed over the years. More
- [The anecdote where OSS, our new website, my new book and the cannabis industry overlaps](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-anecdote-where-oss-our-new-website-my-new-book-and-the-cannabis-industry-overlaps/) - I can see it now. This post is going to get quite a bit off-topic before looping back around to there being an OSS moral-of-the-story. Before that, we’ll touch on a few slightly more tangential topics. Strap yourself in. The ride’s going to get a bit bumpy. As you saw in an earlier post, my
- [How virtualisation has changed the rules for network inventory](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-virtualisation-has-changed-the-rules-for-network-inventory/) - Back in the days when I first started working on OSS/BSS projects (the year 2000), I fell in love first with network inventory solutions. I loved being able to pick through all the data coming from various different inventory data sources (mostly element management systems, direct from devices and east-west systems such as service order
- [Have you figured out what questions to ask your big OSS/BSS data?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/have-you-figured-out-what-questions-to-ask-your-big-oss-bss-data/) - TM Forum holds an absolute treasure-trove of information about the OSS industry, contributed by many leading thinkers. With over 2,500 articles, some are widely known / discussed and others are hidden gems, it holds an amazing repository of knowledge about our industry. Today I landed on an article called, “GB979A Big Data Analytics Use Cases.” For
- [There’s no competition for OSS cookbooks making food out of soccer balls](https://passionateaboutoss.com/theres-no-competition-for-oss-cookbooks-making-food-out-of-soccer-balls/) - Seth Godin recently wrote a brilliant article that describes the craziness of seeking a market with no competition. In entirety, his article goes like this: “There’s no competition for cookbooks on making food out of soccer balls and hockey pucks. There’s no competition for software that charges you to find out the temperature on Mars. There’s no
- [The most addictive drug in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-most-addictive-drug-in-oss/) - I’ve spent the last 22-ish years working on OSS and even longer on telco projects. Most of that time has involved way more than the typical 40 hour work week (often more than double). But the amazing thing is that it’s (almost) never felt like it. Time has almost always seemed to fly by so
- [The Most Exciting OSS/BSS Innovations of 2022](https://passionateaboutoss.com/innovation2022/) - Report - The Most Exciting OSS/BSS Innovations of 2022
- [My new book is arriving soon!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/my-new-book-is-arriving-soon/) - I've just about finished writing my next book (way later than intended due to large client project load this year). This one includes 50+ techniques to simplify Digital Transformations (mostly through the lens of OSS transformations).I'd love to get your thoughts about the 2-3 things that I absolutely MUST cover in the book! Leave us
- [Virgin Media selects Netcracker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/virgin-media-selects-netcracker/) - Virgin Media Leverages Netcracker's Managed Services for Revenue Management. Netcracker Technology announced that Virgin Media has expanded its relationship with Netcracker by selecting it as the managed services provider of choice for its Revenue Management solution. By using Netcracker's Managed Services, Virgin Media will be able to scale more flexibly while reducing the cost of
- [The Football Analogy - How a kid with a ball shows telcos what to do next](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-football-analogy-how-a-kid-with-a-ball-shows-telcos-what-to-do-next/) - Back when I was a little kid, not many of my classmates had footballs. The kid with the ball decided what game was played and who could play. They owned the key asset. The right to play. The other kids were drawn to the game because the asset was unique. These days, the balls are
- [Drawing parallels between Cloud Native, Cloud Enabled and Data Native, Data Enabled](https://passionateaboutoss.com/drawing-parallels-between-cloud-native-cloud-enabled-and-data-native-data-enabled/) - Just sharing a playful analogy to end the week (and month). Like me, you've probably heard lots of conversations that contrast cloud-enabled applications with cloud-native. We've heard the arguments that an OSS or BSS application might be "on the cloud," but not really the gold-standard "cloud-native." We know there are lots of legacy OSS /
- [Are modern OSS architectures well conceived?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-cant-reduce-modern-oss-architectures-to-a-freshman-level/) - "Whatever is well conceived is clearly said, And the words to say it flow with ease." Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux. I'd like to hijack this quote and re-direct it towards architectures. Could we equally state that a well conceived architecture can be clearly understood? Some modern OSS/IT frameworks that I've seen recently are hugely complex. The question
- [The TMN model suffers from modern network anxiety](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-tmn-model-suffers-from-modern-anxiety/) - As the TMN diagram below describes, each layer up in the network management stack abstracts but connects (as described in more detail in “What an OSS shouldn’t do“). That is, each higher layer reduces the amount if information/control within a domain that it’s responsible for, but it assumes a broader responsibility for connecting multiple domains together. There's just one
- [Telecom and OSS has a talent and diversity problem. Or does it?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telecom-and-oss-has-a-talent-and-diversity-problem-or-does-it/) - "The telecom industry is hurtling towards a staffing and skills precipice at a frightening pace, and truly embracing diversity and inclusion in recruitment and human resources strategies looks to be the only way to avoid a calamity, a somewhat sombre Keri Gilder [CEO of Colt Technology Services, a UK-based telco] told attendees here [at TM
- [When in doubt, connect](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-in-doubt-connect/) - "When in doubt, connect. That's what fast-growing, important organizations do. Making stuff is great. Making connections is even better." Seth Godin in his post here. Simple words. Simple concept. Interesting message.... with a traffic-light of OSS layers. Layer 1 - A connection red light The more connections an OSS has, the more enriched the data
- [Fragmentation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/fragmentation/) - The OSS market is highly fragmented. How do you go about finding your niche, or possibly world domination?
- [OSS acquisitions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-acquisitions/) - "Much of what is called investment is actually nothing more than mergers and acquisitions, and of course mergers and acquisitions are generally accompanied by downsizing." Susan George. In recent times, OSS has come under increased attention from the incumbent equipment manufacturers for a variety of reasons, not least being their shifting focus towards services rather than
- [Who buys an OSS and why? The buyer's hat analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/who-buys-an-oss-and-why/) - "There are people who are really good managers, people who can manage a big organization, and then there are people who are very analytic or focused on strategy. Those two types don't usually tend to be in the same person. I would put myself much more in the latter camp." Mark Zuckerberg. Who buys an
- [Value doesn't equal price](https://passionateaboutoss.com/value-doesnt-equal-price/) - "[Guy]Kawasaki told the audience that this was one of the most important learnings from Jobs: “Price is something you pay on the first day, but value is the sum total of the experience.”." Max Nyman on the Comptel blog. I recently assisted a customer through a vendor selection process as they migrated away from their
- [The blueprint of a brilliant OSS business model](https://passionateaboutoss.com/blueprint-of-a-brilliant-oss-business-model/) - "Warren Buffett has said that ‘leaving the question of price aside, the best business to own is one that over an extended period can employ large amounts of incremental capital at very high rates of return’ and ‘a truly great business must have an enduring “moat” that protects excellent returns on invested capital’. We think
- [The Noah's Ark of OSS success](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-noahs-ark-of-oss-success/) - "Don’t be involved in 50 or 100 things. That’s a Noah’s Ark way of investing – you end up with a zoo that way. Put meaningful amounts of money in a few things you know well." Warren Buffett. There are a lot of OSS products on the market. From that list, you can probably name
- [The story of Mike Flint](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-story-of-mike-flint/) - "Mike Flint was Warren Buffett's personal airplane pilot for 10 years. (Flint has also flown four US Presidents, so I think we can safely say he is good at his job.) According to Flint, he was talking about his career priorities with Buffett when his boss asked the pilot to go through a 3-step exercise.
- [Could you replace a 150-person OSS team with just 1?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/could-you-replace-a-150-person-oss-team-with-just-1/) - In 1998 Berkshire Hathaway acquired a reinsurance company called General Re. "The only significant staff change that followed the merger was the elimination of General Re's investment unit. Some 150 people had been in charge of deciding where to invest the company's funds; they were replaced with just one individual - Warren Buffett." Robert G.
- [Treating your OSS/BSS suite like a share portfolio](https://passionateaboutoss.com/treating-your-oss-bss-suite-like-a-share-portfolio/) - Like most readers, I'm sure your OSS/BSS suite consists of many components. What if you were to look at each of those components as assets? In a share portfolio, you analyse your stocks to see which assets are truly worth keeping and which should be divested. We don't tend to take such a long-term analytical
- [What would Warren Buffett's OSS look like?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-would-warren-buffetts-oss-look-like/) - "Lethargy bordering on sloth remains the cornerstone of our investment style." Warren Buffett in his 1990 Chairman's Letter. It's been said that 90% of Warren Buffett's immense wealth has been derived from just 10 deals. That's 10 deals in roughly 60 years of investing. Warren undoubtedly gets to see many opportunities but only invests in
- [Why would Warren Buffett short the OSS industry?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/why-would-warren-buffett-short-the-oss-industry/) - "Now if at the start of the 20th century you had seen what the auto [industry] was going to do to this country, the impact it would have on the lives of then your children and grandchildren and so on. It just, it transformed the American landscape. But of those 2000 companies, three basically survive. And
- [Upcoming "Inventory of the Future" webinar](https://passionateaboutoss.com/upcoming-inventory-of-the-future-webinar/) - Earlier in the year, Omdia commissioned Passionate About OSS to write a report about the future of network inventory. Not just how the tools themselves are changing, but how they might be used, the new ways of working that will be centred around them, how migration strategies are changing and much more. Now in conjunction
- [When disaster events call for flying COWs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-disaster-events-call-for-flying-cows/) - Natural disasters like bushfires, cyclones and floods can have a disastrous impact on the communities effected by them. The double-whammy is that even after the disaster event, entire regions can be crippled for days or weeks afterwards waiting for infrastructure like comms to be repaired. I was recently talking with a colleague, Bob, who helped
- [How to get Telco off its Burning Platform](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-get-telco-off-its-burning-platform/) - I have a couple of really interesting videos to share with you today. I think they're both brilliant, though perhaps I'm biased because they largely reinforce thoughts I already share with the stars of each video. Well, reinforce, but they also significantly expand the thinking with some enlightening dots that I hadn't previously connected. Nobody
- [Are you letting your OSS get too prescriptive?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-you-letting-your-oss-get-too-prescriptive/) - In the early days of my career, I was the stereotypical Engineer. I'd get into a project, do the best job I possibly could from a technical perspective, and then get out to move onto the next project. Looking back, I unfortunately had blinkers on through those years. I've been lucky to have retained some
- [Building a Personal OSS Sandpit](https://passionateaboutoss.com/building-a-personal-oss-sandpit/) - Being Passionate About OSS, I've used this blog / site to share this passion with the OSS community. The aim is to evangelise and make operational support tools even more impactful than they already are. But there's a big stumbling block - the barrier to entry into the OSS industry is huge. The barrier manifests
- [Passive devices don't ping.... Or do they?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/passive-devices-dont-ping-or-do-they/) - As we all know, data quality can be a big problem for OSS, at almost every operator around the world. A lot of this problem stems from the fact that most telcos have a lot of passive infrastructure / objects in their networks. Passive devices don't tend to have programmatic interfaces that allows for current
- [The momentum spiral](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-momentum-spiral/) - "The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum." Frances E. Willard. As you all know already, OSS projects can be large, complex and cumbersome. Over the years, I've found so many different styles of inertia at play, some conspiratorial, but mostly related to
- [Understanding where OSS POCs go wrong](https://passionateaboutoss.com/understanding-where-oss-pocs-go-wrong/) - We've regularly discussed how RFPs / PoCs are usually an inefficient way of finding new products or partners for your OSS (see this link). They're often ineffient regardless of whether you're a supplier, buyer or integrator. They tend to be expensive and time-consuming for all involved. The short paper shown below by Peter Willis, the
- [Why KPIs, QoS and QoE aren't good enough. What else must we do](https://passionateaboutoss.com/why-kpis-qos-and-qoe-arent-good-enough-what-else-must-we-do/) - Earlier this week we talked about the data management challenge being solved, for the most part. However, we still have large gaps in the decision support challenge, mostly because we don't have tools to help us understand the complex "systems / environments" in which decisions need to be made. I thought the graph below might
- [Land and expand!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/land-and-expand/) - "A smart manager will establish a culture of gratitude. Expand the appreciative attitude to suppliers, vendors, delivery people, and of course, customers." Harvey Mackay. Over the years, I've noticed an approach that is used by some OSS solution integrators / vendors but interestingly, not by others. It's what's known as "land and expand." It's when
- [Gridlocked OSS cityscapes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/gridlocked-oss-cityscapes/) - "Nine in ten businesses (87 percent) face severe turbulence as they pursue digital transformation, according to research from Bizagi, a provider of digital process automation software. The global study of over 1,000 IT and customer experience professionals finds that businesses are rapidly embracing digital transformation, with 73 percent believing that failure to keep up will
- [What is the Exciting Next Frontier of OSS Solution Development?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-exciting-next-frontier-of-oss-solution-development/) - A discussion with an OSS vendor last week reminded me of an article, and a lecture by Mark Zangari that inspired it, which is now nearly 10 years old. It's worth revisiting because the challenges described are still relevant for OSS today, still not adequately resolved. At the time, Mark described for his audience at SFU
- [Decision Support System (DSS) efficiencies](https://passionateaboutoss.com/decision-support-system-efficiencies/) - "Unlike data, there is little mainstream computerised support for modelling and analysing systems." Mark Zangari in his lecture to San Francisco Uni. As Mark Zangari points out, there are many different tools for assisting our brains to process data (who could've missed all the hype about Big Data tools for example or Business Intelligence or
- [Flying COWs and OSS. A game-changer for Capacity Management?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/flying-cows-and-oss-a-game-changer-for-capacity-management/) - A recent article here talked about re-imagining the planning and design process for telco networks. We've also been heavily involved with the use of drones to help deliver new ways of working in the telco industry lately too. With those two concepts still fresh in our memory, this article about flying COWs from AT&T really
- [Just three things](https://passionateaboutoss.com/just-three-things-2/) - I was due to speak at TM Forum Live today but wasn't able to make it across to France this year. However, the talk will still continue on, so if you're in Nice please drop in to listen to Amrit Singh and Crispin Blackall talk about how Infosys and Telstra are using microservices to deliver
- [I/O, I/O, it's off to work I go](https://passionateaboutoss.com/remarkable-io/) - "To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail." Abraham Maslow In the case of OSS, our hammer is the computer monitor, keyboard and mouse, which are the weapons of choice for interacting with the OSS tools. But are they the best I/O (Input / Output) devices
- [Really interesting OSS cross-over role](https://passionateaboutoss.com/really-interesting-oss-cross-over-role/) - I have a few automated job searches set up for OSS roles. Not because I'm looking for a job (just projects), but to keep an eye on what the markets are looking for and what's trending that I might not be aware of yet. A really interesting role popped up on one of these searches
- [How valuable can OSS and IOT data be?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-valuable-can-oss-and-iot-data-be/) - When people talk about the value of OSS data, the discussion invariably turns to privacy and some of the unconscionable things already done with our personal data. Off the top of my head, I can't remember any telcos blatantly misusing the highly privileged information they have access to. This is possibly a double-edged sword. It
- [What is an OSStracod?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-is-an-osstracod/) - Back on my first OSS project - all the way back, deep into the annals of time - the year 2000 to be exact, I was lucky enough to work with a really tight delivery team. We all lived in the same hotel in Taiwan and took taxis to work together. Each morning I'd read
- [Inventory Management re-states its case](https://passionateaboutoss.com/inventory-management-re-states-its-case/) - In a post last week we posed the question on whether Inventory Management still retains relevance. A friend recently posited that inventory tools are no longer relevant. I see where he's coming from but also tend to disagree (but with an open mind). IMHO There are certainly uses cases where inventory remains unquestionably needed.
- [What is the best OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-is-the-best-oss/) - We're often asked, "what's the best OSS / BSS?" One of the biggest challenges for OSS buyers is the huge amount of choice available. There are well over 500 listings in our Blue Book OSS / BSS Vendor Directory, so buyers are spoilt for choice. The problem is there is usually too much choice, with
- [The most comprehensive analysis I've seen of the OSS / BSS market](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-most-comprehensive-analysis-ive-seen-of-the-oss-bss-market/) - I'm delighted to share with you that Houlihan Lokey, a global investment bank, has just launched the most comprehensive market analysis I've seen covering connectivity software including OSS / BSS. I'm possibly biased though as I've been lucky enough to have played a small part in its direction and content. Most of the reports that I've
- [Upcoming Webinar - Developing Practical Transformation User Guides](https://passionateaboutoss.com/upcoming-webinar-developing-practical-transformation-user-guides/) - You may have noticed in a recent post that I've been contributing to the Transformation Project Framework (TPF) with TM Forum (document GB1011). It's an important initiative that aims to help ease the stress and reduce the risk on complex OSS/BSS transformation projects. In conjunction with the TM Forum and the Transformation User Guide (TUG)
- [The great telco tower sell-off](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-great-telco-tower-sell-off/) - You've probably noticed the great tower sell-off trend that's underway (see this article by Robert Clark as an example). Actually, I should call it the sell-off / lease-back trend because carriers are selling their towers, but leasing back space on the towers for their antennae, radio units, etc. Let's look at this trend through the
- [Getting confused by key Assurance metrics?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/getting-confused-by-key-assurance-metrics/) - Are you a bit slow like me and sometimes have to stop and think to differentiate your key assurance metrics like your MTTRs from your MTBFs? If so, I thought this useful diagram from researchgate.net might help The metrics are: MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) - the average elapsed time between failures of a system,
- [The Network Automation Journey - It's about Culture](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-network-automation-journey-its-about-culture/) - I love this article by Tim Fiola, entitled “A Note to Management About the Network Automation Journey - It's About Culture.” It does a brilliant job of explaining the real challenges around network automation. I’m going to riff off it a little bit today, drawing comparisons with OSS/BSS (which do happen to have a role
- [New. Just Launched - Mastering Your OSS (the eBook version)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/new-just-launched-mastering-your-oss-the-ebook-version/) - We're excited to announce that we've just launched the eBook version of Mastering Your OSS. Click on the link above or here to read all about it.
- [Inventory of the Future Report now Released](https://passionateaboutoss.com/inventory-of-the-future-report-now-released/) - In collaboration with leading market analyst firm Omdia (part of the Informa Group), Passionate About OSS has just released a new (paid) report, titled Inventory of the future: flexible, scalable, and highly dynamic. The synopsis of the report is as follows: Inventory solutions are the linchpin of a network operator’s OSS, facilitating many different work and
- [A couple of exciting announcements](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-couple-of-exciting-announcements/) - We have a couple of exciting announcements to make today. The Transformation Project Framework (TPF) guidebook (GB1011) we've been working on with TM Forum has been launched with a pre-production status. That means it has passed peer review and is open for member comments. It's still a work in progress, but you'll see the basis
- [How to Approach OSS Vendor Selection Differently than Most](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-approach-oss-vendor-selection-differently-than-most/) - Selecting a new OSS / BSS product, vendor or integrator for your transformation project can be an arduous assignment. Every network operator and every project has a unique set of needs. Counter to that, there are literally hundreds of vendors creating an even larger number of products to service those widely varied sets of needs.
- [How to Maintain Control of your OSS in a Cloud Outage](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-maintain-control-your-oss-in-a-cloud-outage/) - There was a brilliant article from Matt Kapko over at SDXCentral last week entitled, "AWS Outage Stresses Telco Cloud Challenges." It specifically highlighted lengthy outages on AWS in December and the downstream impact cloud outages can have for telcos that have dependencies on third-party cloud providers. "The benefits of public cloud are clear — efficiency, scalability,
- [The strangler fig transformation analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-strangler-fig-transformation-analogy/) - You're probably familiar with strangler figs, which grow on a host tree, often resulting in the eventual death of the host. You're probably less familiar with the strangler fig analogy as an OSS transformation or cutover model. The concept is that there is a "host tree" (ie legacy system) that needs to be obsoleted and
- [Is there an air-gap in our OSS innovation super-loops?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-there-an-air-gap-in-our-oss-innovation-super-loops/) - If you work in an OSS/BSS product company, are you able to guess what percentage of your team spends time with clients (customer-facing)? And of that percentage, how many observe the end-user interacting with your products (user-facing)? There is a really important distinction between these two groups, not to mention the implication it has on
- [New report - Inventory of the Future](https://passionateaboutoss.com/new-report-inventory-of-the-future/) - I’ve recently been co-opted to lead the development of an “Inventory of the Future” transformation guide on behalf of TM Forum and thought you, the readers, might have some interesting feedback to contribute. I had previously prepared an “Inventory of the Future” discussion paper prior to being invited into the TMF discussions about a month
- [Time to Kill the Typical OSS Partnership Model?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/time-to-kill-the-typical-oss-partnership-model/) - A couple of years ago Mark Newman and the content team at TM Forum created a seminal article, "Time to Kill the RFP? Reinventing IT Procurement for the 2020s." There were so many great ideas within the article. We shared a number of concordant as well as divergent ideas (see references #1, #2, #3, #4,
- [010 - Building Next-Generation Situational Awareness Operations Centres with David Nestic](https://passionateaboutoss.com/010-building-next-generation-situational-awareness-operations-centres-with-david-nestic/) - You've possibly been inside a NOC (Network Operations Centre) and seen the video wall covered with network maps, activity / alarm / event lists and network health graphs. These OSS tools are the ultimate insurance policy for any organisation that runs a network. They help coordinate the activities to repair a network when the inevitable
- [The confused mind says no - the psychology of OSS purchasing](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-confused-mind-says-no-the-psychology-of-oss-purchasing/) - When it comes to OSS/BSS vendor selections, a typical customer might say they're evaluating vendors on criteria that are a mix of technical and commercial (and other) factors. However, there's more likely a much bigger and often hidden factor that drives a purchasing event. We'll explore what that is shortly. I'm currently reading the book,
- [Do we need more dummies working on our OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/do-we-need-more-dummies-working-on-our-oss/) - I was reading an article by Chris Campbell that states, "In his book How to Rule the World, Brian J. Ford reveals the relationship between sophistication and complexity; what he calls “obscurantism.” In short, the more sophisticated the problem-solver, the more complex (and costly) the solution." Does that resonate with you in the world of OSS/BSS? Is
- [Here's a long-play OSS analytics strategy for you to try](https://passionateaboutoss.com/heres-a-long-play-oss-analytics-strategy-for-you-to-try/) - Analytics is a term that has caught fire in IT relatively recently. In many ways, our OSS have been doing "analytics" for years, albeit not necessarily with the same tools at their disposal. If we simplify the term down to the use case of "being able to ask questions of a massive data store" then
- [You've Heard of SIA. Do You Know Anything About PIA?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/youve-heard-of-sia-do-you-know-anything-about-pia/) - If you've worked in operations, you've probably heard of the term SIA, or Service Impact Analysis. It's an important feature performed by our OSS that allows you to identify which services, which customers, are impacted by any given outage or deterioration of the network. Your OSS might even initiate notifications to customers that are impacted.
- [Five new OSS/BSS automation design rules from Elon Musk](https://passionateaboutoss.com/five-new-oss-bss-automation-design-rules-from-elon-musk/) - Automation has become a big buzz-word in OSS architecture. It's all about the automation. At face value that's great, it's triggering an implication of bringing tangible business value to our OSS.... Except sometimes it's not. Our industry consists of so many incredibly clever engineers who love solving problems, which is great. The problem with automations
- [Zooming in and out of your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zooming-in-and-out-of-your-oss/) - Our previous post talked about using the following frame of reference to think bigger about our OSS/BSS projects and their possibilities. It's the multitudes of experts at Level 1 that get projects done and products released. All hail the doers!! As Rory Sutherland indicated in his book, Alchemy - The surprising power of ideas that
- [How to take in OSS/BSS's Bigger Picture](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-take-in-oss-bsss-bigger-picture/) - We had a planned power outage at our place yesterday, so I thought I'd use that as an opportunity to get out of the details of projects and do a day of longer-term strategy and planning. In the days prior, I decided to investigate frameworks that might help to get me into a bigger-picture and/or
- [How we fall in love with our OSS ideas](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-we-fall-in-love-with-our-oss-ideas/) - Do you know what it is that people like / love about your OSS/BSS?Why they buy it? Why they use it? What problem it solves? How it makes their life easier? If you do, how do you know?Do you speak with its users? Do you survey them? Do you spend time with them observing how
- [Are you kidding? We'll never use open-source OSS/BSS!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-you-kidding-well-never-use-open-source/) - Back in the days when I first started using OSS/BSS software tools, there was no way any respectable telco was going to use open-source software (the other oss, for which I'll use lower-case in this article) in their OSS/BSS stacks. The arguments were plenty, and if we're being honest, probably had a strong element of
- [Three OSS project responsibility sliders](https://passionateaboutoss.com/three-oss-project-responsibility-sliders/) - Last week we shared an article that talked about the different expectations from suppliers and clients when undertaking an OSS implementation project. The diagram below attempts to demonstrate the concept visually, in the form of three important sliders. When it comes to the technical delivery, it makes sense that most of the responsibility falls upon
- [How to Document, Benchmark and Optimise Operational Processes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-document-benchmark-and-optimise-operational-processes/) - Have you been tasked with: Capturing as-is process flows (eg swim-lane charts or BPMN [Business Process Model and Notation] diagrams) Starting a new project where understanding the current state is important Finding ways to optimise day-to-day activities performed by your team Creating a baseline process to identify automation opportunities Comparing your current processes with recommendations
- [How to calculate the right jeopardy metrics in your end-to-end workflows](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-calculate-the-right-jeopardy-metrics-in-your-end-to-end-workflows/) - Last week we created an article that described how to use your OSS/BSS log data to generate reliable / quantifiable process flow diagrams. We've expanded upon this research to identify a reliable calculation of jeopardy metrics. Jeopardy Management is the method for notifying operators when an in-flight workflow (eg customer order, etc) is likely to
- [I’m really excited by a just-finished OSS analysis (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/im-really-excited-by-a-just-finished-oss-analysis-part-3/) - This is the third part of a series describing a really exciting analysis I've just finished. Part 1 described how we can turn simple log files into a Sankey diagram that shows real-life process flows (not just a theoretical diagram drawn by BAs and SMEs), like below: Part 2 described how the logs are broken
- [Sankey diagrams go with the flow](https://passionateaboutoss.com/sankey-diagrams-go-with-the-flow/) - There can be many parts that make up an operator's provisioning factory. There can also be multiple different software packages that contribute towards getting an order through the factory. In addition to that, there are usually many different activities that need to take place, some automatic, some manual, some as external dependencies, conditional gates, etc.
- [019 - Modern OSS/BSS Transformation Techniques that start with the Customer Journey with Martin Pittard](https://passionateaboutoss.com/019-modern-oss-bss-transformation-techniques-that-start-with-the-customer-journey-with-martin-pittard/) - Digital transformation is a term that's entered the modern vernacular, but here in the world of OSS/BSS it's just what we've been doing for decades. Whether aimed at delivering digital services, collecting data from all points of an organisation's compass, increasing the internal efficiencies of operational teams or improving user experiences externally, this is just
- [OSS Sandpit – Power, Supervisory and Comms Networks combined in our Inventory Prototype](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-power-and-comms-inventory-prototype/) - This article provides a tutorial for building a Power network with corresponding SCADA and comms network into the inventory module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project. This prototype includes components such as: Power Network including: Wind Turbines (WT) Solar Panels Transformers Circuit Breakers (CB) Substations (Generation, Transmission and Distribution) Transmission Towers Power Poles Smart Meters / AMI
- [018 - How a NaaS Transformation can Revolutionise your OSS_BSS Stack with Johanne Mayer](https://passionateaboutoss.com/018-how-a-naas-transformation-can-revolutionise-your-oss_bss-stack-with-johanne-mayer/) - OSS/BSS stacks can be incredibly complex and cumbersome beasts, especially in large carriers with many different product, process and network variants. We don't make that task any easier by creating many unique product offerings to take to market. And this time to market can be a significant competitive advantage, or be a serious impediment to
- [Just Launched: Do you Want to Learn more about OSS/BSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/just-launched-do-you-want-to-learn-more-about-oss-bss/) - The world of OSS/BSS is changing rapidly. There's so much to learn. New forms of information, approaches and technologies are proliferating. Are you wrestling with the challenge of trying to determine what OSS/BSS training you and/or your team requires? We've just revised and re-launched our core OSS/BSS training offerings. Click on the image below to
- [017 - Leading Global OSS/BSS Transformation through Collaboration with George Glass](https://passionateaboutoss.com/017-leading-global-oss-bss-transformation-through-collaboration-with-george-glass/) - Our OSS and BSS are highly complex by nature. However, we seem to do a great job of making them more complex, more challenging, less repeatable and hence, more difficult to change. Perhaps that caters to our deeper desires - so many of us in this industry love to prove our worth by solving complex
- [Just Launched: Fundamentals of OSS/BSS Video](https://passionateaboutoss.com/just-launched-fundamentals-of-oss-bss-video/) - We’ve just launched a multi-part video series to provide an introduction to OSS and BSS. It answers these fundamental questions and more: Part 1 - What is an OSS? What is a BSS? Why are OSS and BSS even a thing? Part 2 - Who uses an OSS and/or BSS? Part 3 - What Functions do OSS and BSS
- [016 - Leading the Network Strategy and Operations at a Tier 1 Carrier with Carolyn Phiddian](https://passionateaboutoss.com/016-leading-the-network-strategy-and-operations-at-a-tier-1-carrier-with-carolyn-phiddian/) - If the network is ultimately the product for any network operator, then OSS/BSS are the great connectors, connecting customers to that product. Both for initial activation, but also ongoing utilisation of network resources. Whilst everyone has a different perspective on the relevance / importance of OSS/BSS, there tend to be even broader divergences of opinion
- [The Colour Palette Analogy. Ways to Simplify Your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-colour-palette-analogy-of-oss/) - Let's say you act for a service provider and the diagram below represents the number of variations you could offer to customers - the number that are technically supported by your solution. That's 13,824,000 colours. By comparison, the following diagram contains just 20 colours: If I asked you what colours are in the upper diagram,
- [015 - Using Modern OSS/BSS Architectures to get Offerings to Market Fast with Greg Tilton](https://passionateaboutoss.com/015-using-modern-oss-bss-architectures-to-get-offerings-to-market-fast-with-greg-tilton/) - When it comes to OSS/BSS implementations (and products), Time to Market (TTM) is one of our most important metrics. Not just for the network operator to deliver new offerings to market, but also in getting solutions up and running quickly. Faster TTM provides the benefits of cost reduction and faster turn-on of revenue, but potentially
- [014 - The challenges and pitfalls awaiting OSS implementation teams with Michael De Boer](https://passionateaboutoss.com/014-the-challenges-and-pitfalls-awaiting-oss-implementation-teams-with-michael-de-boer/) - There are three distinct categories of organisations that interact with OSS/BSS - those who create them, those who use them and those who implement them. But no matter how good the first two are (ie the products / creators and the users), if the implementation isn't done well, then the OSS/BSS is almost pre-destined to
- [013 - Using a Commercial and Open Source approach to Tackle Network Assurance with Keith Sinclair](https://passionateaboutoss.com/013-using-a-commercial-and-open-source-approach-to-tackle-network-assurance-with-keith-sinclair/) - Have you noticed the rise in trust, but also the rise in sophistication in Open Source OSS/BSS in recent years? There are many open-source OSS/BSS tools out there. Some have been built as side-projects by communities that have day jobs, whilst others have many employed developers / contributors. Generally speaking, the latter are able to
- [Which approach is better for your OSS? Hedgehog or fox?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/which-approach-is-better-for-your-oss-hedgehog-or-fox/) - Jim Collins' book, "Good to Great," has achieved iconic status in the world of corporate strategy. One of the ideas he shares in this book is The Hedgehog Concept. I'd encourage you to take a look at the link above. It provides excerpts from the book, outlining why the "great" companies in his study acted
- [012 - Building an OSS/BSS from Scratch for a Mid-Market Telco with Steven White](https://passionateaboutoss.com/012-building-an-oss-bss-from-scratch-for-a-mid-market-telco-with-steven-white/) - While it's the tier-1 telco OSS/BSS that get all the attention, it's actually the mid-market that makes up the largest number of OSS/BSS by customer count (in most deregulated telco markets). The mid-market consists of Tier 2/3 telcos and ISPs with subscriber counts measured in the thousands rather than hundreds of thousands or millions. However,
- [We wanted flying cars](https://passionateaboutoss.com/we-wanted-flying-cars/) - “We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters.” Peter Thiel. This meme speaks of the innovation occurring in the world of technology. It seems that we are making fewer major innovations (flying cars) compared with the world-changing innovations that are really only minor in terms of technological breakthroughs (like Twitter's 140 characters). When reading,
- [An OSS doomsday scenario](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-doomsday-scenario/) - If I start talking about doomsday scenarios where the global OSS job industry is decimated, most people will immediately jump to the conclusion that I'm predicting an artificial intelligence (AI) takeover. AI could have a role to play, but is not a key facet of the scenario I'm most worried about. You'd think that OSS
- [You've heard of a NOC and a SOC. What about a DOC?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/youve-heard-of-a-noc-and-a-soc-what-about-a-doc/) - You've no doubt heard about NOC (Network Operations Centres) and SOC (Security Operations Centres) [or perhaps alternatively, Service Operations Centres], which are the people / processes / infrastructure / tools that allow a network operator to manage the network health and security posture of their networks. The NOC and SOC are vitally important to keeping
- [There's an OSS Security Elephant in the Room!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/theres-an-oss-security-elephant-in-the-room/) - The pandemic has been beneficial for the telco world in one way. For many who weren't already aware, it's now clear how incredibly important telecommunications providers are to our modern way of life. Not just for our ability to communicate with others, but our economy, the services we use, the products we buy and even
- [011 - Developing a Market for your OSS/BSS with Steve Hateley](https://passionateaboutoss.com/011-developing-a-market-for-your-oss-bss-with-steve-hateley/) - There are just so many vendors in the OSS/BSS market (our vendor directory has over 400 listings - https://passionateaboutoss.com/directory) that it can be incredibly challenging to differentiate one product or vendor from the next. OSS/BSS customers may only know of a handful of possible solutions, but there are plenty of others out there. Cutting through
- [That's not where to disrupt your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/thats-not-where-to-disrupt-your-oss/) - The diagram below comes from an actual client's functionality usage profile. The x-axis shows the functionality / use-cases. The y-axis shows the number of uses (it could equally represent usefulness or value). Each big-impact demand (ie individual bars on the left-side of the graph) warrants separate investigation. The bars on the right side (ie the
- [009 - Managing OSS/BSS Transformation at a Mid-Tier Telco with Steven Cocchiarella](https://passionateaboutoss.com/009-managing-oss-bss-transformation-at-a-mid-tier-telco-with-steven-cocchiarella/) - Much of the focus within OSS/BSS centres around the big-budget projects being done by the Tier-1 telcos. They get attention because there are lots of people involved, lots of OSS horsepower, with big, ambitious goals. But there's another part of the industry that doesn't tend to get so much public recognition - the mid-market telcos
- [OSS Functionality - Is Your Focus In Anonymous Places?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-functionality-is-your-focus-in-anonymous-places/) - Yesterday's article asked whether OSS tend to be anonymous and poorly designed and then compared how Jony Ive (who led the design of iPads, iPods, iPhones for Apple) might look at OSS design. Jony has described "going deep" - being big on focus, care and detail when designing products. The article looked at 8 care
- [Attention to detail. An OSS optimisation dilemma](https://passionateaboutoss.com/attention-to-detail/) - Are you a details person or a big-picture person when it comes to OSS implementations?
- [Context-sensitive data. An OSS tester's dilemma](https://passionateaboutoss.com/context-sensitive/) - “It’s more important to have the right people involved than it is to follow the process exactly right.“ Rex Black Just as vendors have learnt the importance of context-sensitive help, there is also the need for context-sensitive training and context-sensitive testing (and context-sensitive everything else for that matter). I once worked on a project where
- [008 - Making OSS Mega Projects Happen with Ashley Neale](https://passionateaboutoss.com/008-making-oss-mega-projects-happen-with-ashley-neale/) - While it might sometimes feel like OSS mega projects just happen, there's usually a lot that must first play out up-stream, long before us technologists get the chance to design and build. First someone must spawn the idea, then be able to persuade a bunch of other people, exciting them with the possibilities of the
- [Treating OSS Products as Your Own](https://passionateaboutoss.com/treating-oss-products-as-your-own/) - I was listening to a podcast this morning and the host mentioned a concept that he calls "treating products as your own." In other words, there are certain products that he's an evangelist for - he actively spruiks them as if he had shares in the company or developed the products himself. They're products he
- [006 - A Career of Innovation in OSS with Francis Haysom](https://passionateaboutoss.com/006-a-career-of-innovation-in-oss-with-francis-haysom/) - Francis Haysom is a Principal Analyst for Appledore Research Group, a global research and consulting firm specialising in the telecommunication and software markets with a particular focus on OSS/BSS. In this episode, Francis takes us on a ride through his career leading OSS/BSS innovation across the last three decades with iconic companies such as Convergys,
- [005 - Making Standardised Open-Source a Strategy for OSS with Vance Shipley](https://passionateaboutoss.com/005-making-standardised-open-source-a-strategy-for-oss-with-vance-shipley/) - Vance Shipley is the CEO and Founder of SigScale. SigScale is a provider of standardised, open-source, cloud-native OSS/BSS tools, including flagship product, OCS (Online Charging System). In this episode, Vance takes us on a fascinating journey through a career that started three decades ago with his first role as a high-tech lumberjack through to his
- [Launch of The Passionate About OSS Podcast](https://passionateaboutoss.com/launch-of-the-passionate-about-oss-podcast/) - We're excited to announce the Launch of The Passionate About OSS Podcast. The first batch of five episodes can be found here, with new episodes to be released here on a weekly basis: https://passionateaboutoss.com/paoss-podcast/ The aim of the show is to shine a light on the many brilliant people who work in the OSS industry.
- [004 - An Analyst's Perspective on the OSS Industry with James Crawshaw](https://passionateaboutoss.com/004-an-analysts-perspective-on-the-oss-industry-with-james-crawshaw/) - James Crawshaw is a Principal Analyst with Omdia, one of the world's top-three technology analysis agencies. James specialises in analysis of OSS, telecommunications and IT industries, which means he spends more time researching OSS technologies and firms than almost anyone on the planet. In this episode, James provides insights into what's currently trending in OSS,
- [003 - Hints on Finding a Role in the OSS/BSS Industry with Michael Jones](https://passionateaboutoss.com/003-hints-on-finding-a-role-in-the-oss-bss-industry-with-michael-jones/) - Michael Jones is a Practice Principal at Analytica Resources, a recruitment role that sees him connecting employers and employees. Analytica is a niche agency that specialises in BSS and OSS placements. This provides Michael with an insider's perspective on the successful techniques that applicants use to find their first, or next, job in the OSS
- [002 - The Importance of Physical Network Inventory (PNI) in an Increasingly Virtualised World with Peter Dart](https://passionateaboutoss.com/002-the-importance-of-physical-network-inventory-pni-in-an-increasingly-virtualised-world-with-peter-dart/) - Peter Dart describes his journey working with some of the world's earliest geospatial software to his current role as Chief Architect with Synchronoss. In this role, he helps to guide the roadmap of Synchronoss' Spatial Suite, a set of tools that assist leading network operators to manage and maintain their Physical Network Inventory (PNI). In
- [001 - From OSS Startup to IPO with Tony Kalcina](https://passionateaboutoss.com/001-from-oss-startup-to-ipo-with-tony-kalcina/) - Tony Kalcina recounts the story of taking Clarity International from its founding team and customer to IPO (Initial Public Offering) and beyond. He also describes an extensive career starting with Telstra OTC through to his current role as the APAC CTO for Tech Mahindra and Ambassador for TM Forum. Tony provides insights into the formation
- [000 - Introduction to The Passionate About OSS Podcast](https://passionateaboutoss.com/000-introduction-to-the-passionate-about-oss-podcast/) - Welcome to the Passionate About OSS podcast, the show for people who are just that – Passionate About OSS – Where the OSS stands for Operational Support Systems. In other words, the software solutions that help manage and operate the complex telecommunications networks of today. Thanks for joining me on the episode that isn’t quite
- [Do the laws of physics prevent you from making an OSS pivot?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/do-the-laws-of-physics-prevent-you-from-making-an-oss-pivot/) - Image linked from GCaptain.com. As you already know, the word pivot has become common in the world of business, particularly the world of start-ups. It's a euphemism for a significant change in strategic direction. In the context of today's post, I love the word pivot because it implies a rapid change in direction, something that's
- [Canary Releases](https://passionateaboutoss.com/canary-releases/) - Do you remember back in the old days of OSS/BSS releases into production? They were a little bit stressful.... especially for the Release Managers. I remember one Release Manager who used to set up the packages, type out the commands, then his hands would be poised above the keyboard, literally shaking. He would then position
- [OSS Sandpit – Smart City / IoT Network Inventory Prototype](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-smart-city-iot-network-inventory-prototype/) - This article provides an example of building Smart City and IoT (Internet of Things) Network components into the inventory module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project. This prototype build includes components such as: A Command and Control Centre (CCC) Satellite Earth Stations Smart Buildings including: Compute / Hosting (VxBlocks) Comms (incl Unified Comms and In-Building Coverage) Security
- [OSS Sandpit – Telco Cloud / DC Inventory Prototype](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-telco-cloud-dc-inventory-prototype/) - This article provides a tutorial for building Telco Cloud / Data Centre components into the inventory module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project. This prototype has been a bit of a beast to build and includes components such as: Hosting Services including: IaaS (VMs, storage, network - FlexPod) PaaS (ONTAP-AI a hosted AI solution, hosted voice) SaaS
- [OSS Sandpit – GPON Network Inventory Prototype](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-gpon-network-inventory-prototype/) - This article provides a tutorial for building GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) components into the inventory module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project. It's also a model for FTTH / FTTP (Fibre to the Home, Fibre to the Premises) as well. This prototype build includes components such as: Passive Optical Network (cables, patch panels, splices, splitters, containment,
- [OSS Sandpit – Fixed Wireless Network Inventory Prototype](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-fixed-wireless-network-inventory-prototype/) - This article provides a tutorial for building Fixed Wireless (FW) Network components into the inventory module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project. This prototype build includes components such as: A fixed wireless core network Radio Links across licensed and unlicensed (5 GHz and 24GHz) Line of Sight analysis of each Radio Link and Viewshed Fibre links (including
- [Industry News: TTG implements for Turkcell](https://passionateaboutoss.com/industry-news-ttg-implements-for-turkcell/) - Breaking news: "TTG implements for Turkcell" has been published on our Industry News stream. Industry News includes: contract wins, new product releases, job openings, EOIs/RFPs, etc. To publish news about your organisation, first claim or register your organisation’s listing on The Blue Book OSS/BSS Supplier Directory then create a news post.
- [OSS Sandpit – Satellite Network Inventory Prototype](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-satellite-network-inventory-prototype/) - This article provides an example of building Satellite Network components into the inventory module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project. This prototype build includes components such as: A Satellite Earth Stations Satellite Aggregation Site Beams (including Beam to Earth Station mappings) Customer services Satellite Dishes Satellite Receivers (ODU / IDU) Satellite Modems Leased Lines (backhaul) Our prototype
- [Root Cause by Hierarchy (RCH)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/root-cause-by-hierarchy-rch/) - The challenging thing about establishing root-cause is that the rules tend to be fairly unique to each network. Each vendors, topologies, interface specs, etc tend to be quite different, so they need to be customised to each network. But there are a few rules that can be applied to any network. Yesterday we described a
- [Root-Cause Trace (RCT)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/root-cause-trace-rct/) - Since we're on the train of root-cause this week (see the 4 RCA proximity techniques article), I thought I'd share a root-cause technique that relies on topology proximity. It's referred to as Root Cause Trace (RCT). Many of our networks (eg access networks like FTTx, mobile, HFC, etc) are tree or bus in nature, whether
- [Top 10 OSS project risks](https://passionateaboutoss.com/top-10-most-common-oss-project-risks/) - OSS projects are full of risks. We all know it. OSS projects have "earned" a bad name because of all those risks. On the other side of that same coin, OSS projects disappoint, in part I suspect because stakeholders expect such big things from their resource investments. Ask anyone familiar with OSS projects and you'll
- [The marriage analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-marriage-analogy/) - "Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without." James C. Dobson. A reader recently asked a great question about vendor lock-in. OSS tend to be very sticky (ie it's very hard to change suppliers once an OctopOSS's tentacles have spread throughout the CSP's operations) so
- [OSS Sandpit - Resource / Inventory Module](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sandpit-resource-inventory-module/) - This article provides a description of the inventory baseline, one module of our Personal OSS Sandpit Project. As outlined in the diagram below, this incorporates the Inventory solution (by Kuwaiba), the graph database that underpins it as well as its APIs and data query tools. The greyed out sections are to be described in separate
- [Industry News: Vodafone NZ signs with Comarch](https://passionateaboutoss.com/industry-news-vodafone-nz-signs-with-comarch/) - Breaking news: "Vodafone NZ signs with Comarch" has been published on our Industry News stream. Industry News includes: contract wins, new product releases, job openings, EOIs/RFPs, etc. To publish news about your organisation, first claim or register your organisation’s listing on The Blue Book OSS/BSS Supplier Directory then create a news post.
- [Industry News: Microsoft and Telstra to partner on cloud, IoT, and digital twins](https://passionateaboutoss.com/industry-news-microsoft-and-telstra-to-partner-on-cloud-iot-and-digital-twins/) - Breaking news: "Microsoft and Telstra to partner on cloud, IoT, and digital twins" has been published on our Industry News stream. Industry News includes: contract wins, new product releases, job openings, EOIs/RFPs, etc. To publish news about your organisation, first claim or register your organisation’s listing on The Blue Book OSS/BSS Supplier Directory then create a news post.
- [Industry News: First to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet in the field: ‘It’s amazing’](https://passionateaboutoss.com/industry-news-first-to-use-spacexs-starlink-internet-in-the-field-its-amazing/) - Breaking news: "First to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet in the field: ‘It’s amazing’" has been published on our Industry News stream. Industry News includes: contract wins, new product releases, job openings, EOIs/RFPs, etc. To publish news about your organisation, first claim or register your organisation’s listing on The Blue Book OSS/BSS Supplier Directory then create a news post.
- [OSS/BSS in the Clouds, updated again](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-in-the-clouds-updated-again/) - We posted an article in July entitled "OSS / BSS in the clouds," which looked at the OSS, BSS and related telco infrastructure platforms being offered by AWS, Google, Microsoft and their partners. This followed a number of recent announcements made by the hyperscalers relating to their bigger pushes into telco. It had a particular
- [Business metrics](https://passionateaboutoss.com/business-metrics/) - "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." Albert Einstein (possibly). The B/OSS suite means a lot of things to a lot of people in a CSP’s organisation. If you are an executive at a CSP or were to put yourself at the terminal of the C-suite for
- [OSS/BSS in the clouds, updated](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-in-the-clouds-updated/) - We posted an article in July entitled "OSS / BSS in the clouds," which looked at the OSS, BSS and related telco infrastructure platforms being offered by AWS, Google, Microsoft and their partners. This followed a number of recent announcements made by the hyperscalers relating to their bigger pushes into telco. It had a particular
- [Is omni-channel more disadvantage than advantage for telcos?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-omni-channel-more-disadvantage-than-advantage-for-telcos/) - In our post on Monday, we discussed how some commodity providers have a structural advantage through lower cost of production (eg Rio Tinto in iron ore). Telcos have the potential to achieve a similar advantage on their commodity services too. It also mentioned that the first principle behind that advantage is simplicity (of systems, overheads,
- [Is scaled OSS/BSS multi-tenancy a thing?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-scaled-oss-bss-multi-tenancy-a-thing/) - We talked yesterday about the commoditisation of telco services and the part that OSS/BSS have to play in differentiation. We also talked about telcos retaining a few competitive advantages despite the share-of-wallet inroads made by OTT, software and cloud service providers recently. Managed services is one area where some of those advantages converge. Quite a
- [OSS's Influence on Cost of Production](https://passionateaboutoss.com/osss-influence-on-cost-of-production/) - Since widespread deregulation of telecommunications globally, the passing of data has become a commodity. Perhaps it always was, but increased competition has steadily driven down dollar per bit. It's likely to continue on that path too. Meanwhile the expected throughputs and consumption of data services is ramping ever-upwards, which requires investment in networks by their
- [How fragmentation is harming the OSS/BSS industry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-fragmentation-is-harming-the-oss-bss-industry/) - Our Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendors Directory provides a list of over 400 vendors. That clearly states that it's a highly fragmented market. This amount of fragmentation hurts the industry in many ways, including: Duplication - Let's say 100 of the 400 vendors offer alarm / fault management capabilities. That means there are 100 teams duplicating
- [Bollinger bands and candlestick charts in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/bollinger-bands-and-candlestick-charts-in-oss/) - No doubt all of you have seen network performance graphs. The one below is an example (from Flowmon 8.03). This example shows throughput, jitter and round-trip time amongst other metrics. No doubt you use many additional metrics to track the health of your network. Most performance management tools show the range of metrics as line
- [Seven OSS transformation efficiency models](https://passionateaboutoss.com/seven-oss-transformation-efficiency-models/) - Do you work in a large organisation? Have you also worked in smaller organisations? Where have you felt more efficient? I've been lucky enough to work on some massive OSS transformations for large T1 telcos. But I've always noticed the inefficiency of working on these projects when embedded inside the bureaucracy of the beast. With
- [How much will your OSS/BSS cost?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-much-will-your-octoposs-cost/) - “If I was slashed and cut into pieces, over and over again, and put into the mill and ground into flour, burnt by fire and mixed with ashes - even then, I could not estimate Your Value.” Sri Guru Granth Sahib You ask all the difficult questions don't you? Actually, "how much will this cost"
- [OSS/BSS Testing - The importance of test data](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-testing-the-importance-of-test-data/) - Today's is the third part in a series about OSS/BSS testing (part 1, part 2). Many people think about OSS/BSS testing in terms of application functionality and non-functional requirements. They also think about entry criteria / pre-requisites such as the environments, application builds / releases, test case development and maybe even the integrations required. However,
- [OSS/BSS Testing - Transitions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-testing-transitions/) - One of the most vital, but underestimated aspect of OSS/BSS project implementation is ensuring momentum is maintained. These large and complex projects are prone to stagnating at different stages, which can introduce pressure onto the implementation team. As mentioned in yesterday's post, the first in this week's series, the test strategy and scheduling is regularly
- [OSS/BSS Testing - the V-Model](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-testing-the-v-model/) - On major software projects like the OSS you’re building, testing is an important phase of course. You’ll have undoubtedly incorporated testing into your planning. After all, testing is a key component of any Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). There are various SDLC models / methodologies such as Waterfall, V-Model, Agile and others that you can
- [Automated testing and new starters](https://passionateaboutoss.com/automated-testing-and-new-starters/) - Can you guess what automated OSS testing and OSS new starters have in common? Both are best front-loaded. As a consultant, I've been a new starter on many occasions, as well as being assigned new starters on probably even more occasions. From both sides of that fence, it's far more effective to front-load the new
- [What OSS environments do you need?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-oss-environments-do-you-need/) - When we're planning a new OSS, we tend to be focused on the production (PROD) environment. After all, that's where it's primary purpose is served, to operationalise a network asset. That is where the majority of an OSS's value gets created. But we also need some (roughly) equivalent environments for separate purposes. We'll describe some
- [The common data store trend (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-common-data-store-trend-part-2/) - Last month we posted an article that described using a common data model (CDM) for our OSS / BSS data. It mostly looked at the situation within the context of typical operational data sources (the blue boxes on the left side of the diagram below): Today's article pushes the vision a little further. If your
- [An alternate way of slicing OSS (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-alternate-way-of-slicing-oss-part-2/) - Last week we talked about an alternate way of slicing OSS projects. Today, we'll look a little deeper and include some diagrams. The traditional (aka waterfall) approach to delivering an OSS project sees one big-bang delivery of business value at the end of the implementation. Many vendors still aim to deliver this way. The yellow
- [Industry News: Netcracker and Google Cloud announce strategic partnership](https://passionateaboutoss.com/industry-news-netcracker-and-google-cloud-announce-strategic-partnership/) - Breaking news: "Netcracker and Google Cloud announce strategic partnership" has been published on our Industry News stream. Industry News includes: contract wins, new product releases, job openings, EOIs/RFPs, etc. To publish news about your organisation, first claim or register your organisation’s listing on The Blue Book OSS/BSS Supplier Directory then create a news post.
- [IBM Unveils World's First Quantum Computing System](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ibm-unveils-worlds-first-quantum-computing-system/) - IBM Unveils World's First Integrated Quantum Computing System for Commercial Use. At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), IBM (NYSE: IBM) today unveiled IBM Q System One™, the world's first integrated universal approximate quantum computing system designed for scientific and commercial use. IBM also announced plans to open its first IBM Q Quantum Computation Center
- [Juniper signs $325m deal with IBM](https://passionateaboutoss.com/juniper-signs-325m-deal-with-ibm/) - IBM Services Strikes Agreement with Juniper Networks to Speed its Journey to the Cloud. IBM Services announced a $325 million agreement with Juniper Networks in which IBM will assist the network technology giant in managing its existing infrastructure, applications and IT services to help reduce costs and enhance their journey to the cloud. According to
- [Accenture to offer ONAP-aaS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/accenture-to-offer-onap-aas/) - Accenture Extends Collaboration with ONAP to Help Communications Industry Accelerate Transformation to Software-Based Networks. Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has extended its collaboration with LF Networking (LFN) — which facilitates collaboration and operational excellence across open networking projects, including the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) — upgrading its membership to Gold level status as part of its
- [Comarch supports creation of the IoT Ecosystem for SCSK](https://passionateaboutoss.com/comarch-supports-creation-of-the-iot-ecosystem-for-scsk/) - Comarch Supports Creation of the IoT Ecosystem for Japanese Enterprises on Behalf of SCSK. The SCSK Corporation, one of the largest system integrators in Japan, has chosen Comarch as a partner to enrich its portfolio with IoT device management and monetization capabilities. Comarch will deliver elements of its IoT ecosystem offer, and related solutions, in
- [Telefónica Movistar México selects Ericsson for CX](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telefonica-movistar-mexico-selects-ericsson-for-cx/) - Telefónica Movistar México selects Ericsson Expert Analytics to enhance customer experience. Ericsson has been selected by Telefónica Movistar México, a subsidiary of Telefónica South America, to deploy the Service Operation Center (SOC) platform to enhance subscribers’ experience through Ericsson Expert Analytics. The new SOC platform, based on Ericsson’s solution, will be deployed to gain visibility
- [Telecom Egypt and Ericsson apply AI](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telecom-egypt-and-ericsson-apply-ai/) - Telecom Egypt and Ericsson apply Artificial Intelligence to operate telco cloud. Telecom Egypt and Ericsson completed the successful deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to its full-stack telco cloud infrastructure. The objective is to operate telco cloud environment intelligently and efficiently to enable cloud Automation and orchestration. The telecom industry is moving into cloud automation especially
- [Telefónica UK selects Netcracker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telefonica-uk-selects-netcracker/) - Telefónica UK Selects Netcracker’s End-to-End BSS/OSS Suite. NEC Corporation and Netcracker Technology have signed an agreement to partner with Telefónica UK to implement Netcracker’s end-to-end BSS/OSS suite. The partnership further expands Netcracker’s global, strategic relationship with Telefónica and underscores Netcracker’s continued market leadership in BSS and OSS. Telefónica UK will use Netcracker’s comprehensive BSS/OSS suite
- [AED-SICAD acquires the Dynamic Design](https://passionateaboutoss.com/aed-sicad-acquires-the-dynamic-design/) - AED-SICAD acquires the Dynamic Design Group. AED-SICAD GmbH has recently acquired all shares of the Dynamic Design Group. Dynamic Design develops, sells, implements and maintains software solutions for the planning and management of telecommunications networks. With its ConnectMaster product family, the company complements the existing business of AED-SICAD, whose technology focuses on information systems and
- [Ericsson extends OSSii to include 5G](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ericsson-extends-ossii-to-include-5g/) - Ericsson committed to extending OSSii agreement to include 5G. Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia have agreed to initiate discussions to extend an OSSii (Operation Support System Interoperability Initiative) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cover 5G network technology. The aim is to enable and simplify interoperability between OSS systems, reducing overall OSS integration costs and enabling shorter
- [Mobily deploys Ericsson](https://passionateaboutoss.com/mobily-deploys-ericsson/) - Mobily deploys Ericsson full stack Telecom Cloud. Mobily Saudi Arabia has deployed Ericsson’s full stack telecom cloud solution, focusing on transforming its wireless network and providing a 5G Cloud Core. Mobily will gain a flexible, agile, and programmable network to improve customer experience and support the development of new services. Moezid bin Nasser Al Harbi,
- [Telefónica and Ericsson sign AI-powered Network Ops](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telefonica-and-ericsson-sign-ai-powered-network-ops/) - Telefónica and Ericsson sign AI-powered Network Operations agreement. Ericsson and Telefónica, one of the world’s largest communications service providers, have penned a new four-to-six-year managed services deal for AI-powered Network Operations in the UK, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Uruguay. Through its global Network Operations Centers (NOCs), Ericsson will provide services spanning day-to-day monitoring and service
- [Juniper Networks to acquire Mist Systems](https://passionateaboutoss.com/juniper-networks-to-acquire-mist-systems/) - Juniper Networks Announces Intent to Acquire Mist Systems to Bring AI to IT, Delivering on Promise of Software-Defined Enterprise. Juniper Networks announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Mist Systems, a pioneer in cloud-managed wireless networks powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The deal will enhance Juniper’s enterprise networking portfolio by
- [Progress to acquire Ipswitch for $225M](https://passionateaboutoss.com/progress-to-acquire-ipswitch-for-225m/) - Progress To Acquire Ipswitch, makers of WhatsUp Gold Network Monitoring. Progress, the provider of application development and digital experience technologies, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Ipswitch, Inc., a producer of secure data file transfer and network management software, for $225 million in cash. Progress will fund the
- [Solarwinds acquires Samanage for $350m](https://passionateaboutoss.com/solarwinds-acquires-samanage-for-350m/) - https://passionateaboutoss.com/solarwinds-acquires-samanage-for-350m/SolarWinds Sets Its Sights on the ITSM Market through Acquisition of Samanage and Introduction of a SolarWinds Service Desk Product. SolarWinds announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Samanage, an IT service desk solution company based in Cary, NC. Over the past 7 years, Samanage has built a strong, well-respected product guided by
- [Gartner OSS Magic Quadrant 2019](https://passionateaboutoss.com/gartner-oss-magic-quadrant-2019/) - Gartner's OSS Magic Quadrant report for 2019 can be downloaded courtesy of Ericsson here.
- [TM Forum announces 2019 award winners](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tm-forum-announces-2019-award-winners/) - On Monday evening in Nice, TM Forum announced the list of 12 Excellence Awards for 2019. They also anointed Distinguished Fellow and Distinguished Engineer status on two of the industry's leading contributors. Huge congratulations to each of the following award winners: Business Transformation – Royal KPN, Vlocity and Salesforce IT Transformation – China Mobile &
- [ONAP's fourth release, Dublin, now available](https://passionateaboutoss.com/onaps-fourth-release-dublin-now-available/) - ONAP Doubles-Down on Deployments, Drives Commercial Activity Across Open Source Networking Stack with ‘Dublin’ Release. ONAP’s fourth release, Dublin, brings an uptick in commercial activity – including new deployment plans from major operators (including Deutsche Telekom, KDDI, Swisscom, Telecom Italia, and Telstra) and ONAP-based products and solutions from more than a dozen leading vendors –
- [Elon Musk's SpaceX gets FCC approval to beam broadband from space](https://passionateaboutoss.com/elon-musks-spacex-gets-fcc-approval-to-beam-broadband-from-space/) - FCC AUTHORIZES SPACEX TO PROVIDE BROADBAND SERVICES VIA SATELLITE CONSTELLATION. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an application by Space Exploration Holdings, doing business as SpaceX, to provide broadband services using satellite technology in the United States and around the world. With this action, the Commission takes another step to increase high-speed broadband availability and
- [Hansen acquires Sigma Systems](https://passionateaboutoss.com/hansen-acquires-sigma-systems/) - Acquisition of Sigma Systems. Hansen Technologies Limited announced the signing of definitive agreements for the acquisition of Sigma Systems (“Sigma”). The acquisition is expected to close on 31 May 2019. Key Points: Founded in 1996, Sigma is a leading global provider of catalog-driven software products for telecommunications, media, and high-tech companies. Its software is designed
- [ETSI Open Source MANO unveils Release SEVEN](https://passionateaboutoss.com/etsi-open-source-mano-unveils-release-seven/) - ETSI Open Source MANO unveils Release SEVEN, enables more than 20,000 cloud-native applications for NFV environments! The ETSI Open Source MANO group is pleased to unveil its latest release, OSM Release SEVEN. This release brings cloud-native applications to NFV deployments, enabling OSM to on-board over 20,000 pre-existing production-ready Kubernetes applications, with no need of any
- [The overlaps of DCIM with inventory, asset and config management](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-overlaps-of-dcim-with-inventory-asset-and-config-management/) - A regular reader of the PAOSS blog recently wrote, "I follow with passion your blog,latest post about Inventory are great [Ed. the reader is talking about this post about LNI and PNI and this one about Inventory vs Asset vs CMDB Management]. I ask you if possible have a post on Inside Plant vs Outside
- [Various forms of OSS Inventory](https://passionateaboutoss.com/various-forms-of-oss-inventory/) - After reading other recent posts such as "Orders Down, Faults Up" and "How is OSS/BSS service and resource availability supposed to work?" an avid reader of the PAOSS blog posed the following brilliant question: "Do you have any thoughts on geospatial vs non geospatial network inventory systems? How often do you see physical plant mapping
- [The common data store trend](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-common-data-store-trend/) - Some time back, we discussed A modern twist on OSS architecture that is underpinned by a common data model. Time to discuss this a little more visually. As the blue boxes on the left side of the diagram below show, you may have many different data sources (some master, some slaved). You may
- [Softwarisation of 5G](https://passionateaboutoss.com/softwarisation-of-5g/) - As you have undoubtedly noticed, 5G is generating quite a bit of buzz in telco and OSS circles. For many it's just an n+1 generation of mobile standards, where n is currently 4 (well, the number of recent introductions into the market mean n is probably now getting closer to 5 :) ). But 5G
- [Best-of-breed or Single-vendor Implementation?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/best-of-breed-or-single-vendor-implementation/) - “Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. It's your excuse to yourself for not doing anything. Instead, strive for excellence, doing your best.” Sir Laurence Olivier So, what is it going to be? Is your OctopOSS going to be built using the "best of breed" approach (ie the best available product) for each
- [OSS discovers a network](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-discovers-a-network/) - Following yesterday's post about OSS Inventory, I received another great follow-up question from another avid reader of the PAOSS blog: "Interesting thoughts Ryan! In addition to 'faults up', perhaps there is a case also (obvious?) for 'discovery up' to capture ongoing non-planned changes? Wondering have you come across any sort of reconciliation / adaptive inventory
- [A modern twist on OSS architecture](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-modern-twist-on-oss-architecture/) - I was speaking with a friend today about an old OSS assurance product that is undergoing a refresh and investment after years of stagnation. He indicated that it was to come with about 20 out of the box adaptors for data collection. I found that interesting because it was replacing a product that probably had
- [An Asset Management / Inventory trick](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-asset-management-inventory-trick/) - Last week we discussed the nuances between Inventory, Asset and Config Management within an OSS stack. Each one of these tools are designed to supports functionality for different users / persona-groups. However, they also tend to have significant functional overlap. Chances are your organisation doesn't have separate dedicated tools for each. So today I'm going
- [Bleak sentiments](https://passionateaboutoss.com/11954-2/) - "People in a tough spot often focus on their own problems, when the answer usually lies in fixing someone else’s."Steve Schwarzman. The telco industry is in a tough spot in many areas around the globe. Sadly, there were more stories of wholesale retrenchments here in Australia this week, including good friends. Revenues falling. Sentiment bleak.
- [Hello Trouble!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/hello-trouble/) - Hello, Trouble. It's been a while since we last met. But I know you're still out there. And I have a feeling you're looking for me. You wish I'd forget ya.. Don't ya trouble? Perhaps it is you, that has forgotten me. Perhaps I need to come find you. Remind you, who I am. Sounds
- [In need of an OSS transformation translator](https://passionateaboutoss.com/in-need-of-an-oss-transformation-translator/) - As OSS Architects, we have an array of elegant frameworks to call upon when designing our transformational journeys - from current state to a target state architecture. For example, when providing data mapping, we have tools to prepare current and/or target-state data diagrams such as the following: Source here. These diagrams are really elegant and
- [New functionality added to Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory](https://passionateaboutoss.com/new-functionality-added-to-blue-book-oss-bss-vendor-directory/) - We're excited to announce the release of some new functionality on The Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory (which now hosts nearly 450 different OSS/BSS supplier listings). We've introduced: An Industry News feed If you wish to publish news / press-releases on products, contract wins, changes in ownership structure, job advertisements, tradeshow attendance or any other
- [Setting a challenge for clever OSS Architects](https://passionateaboutoss.com/setting-a-challenge-for-clever-oss-architects/) - Back in the old days, there was really only one OSS build model - via big milestone/functionality delivery. You followed a waterfall style delivery where you designed the end-solution up-front, then tried to build, test and handover to that design. The business value was delivered at the end of the project (or perhaps major phases
- [OSS' Rosetta Stone](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-rosetta-stone/) - When working on OSS projects, I find that linking or reference keys are so valuable at so many levels. Not just data management within the OSS database, but project management, design activities, task assignment / delivery, etc. People might call things all sorts of different names, which leads to confusion. It seems like every single
- [How is OSS/BSS service and resource  availability supposed to work?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-is-oss-bss-service-and-resource-availability-supposed-to-work/) - The brilliant question above was asked by a contact who is about to embark on a large OSS/BSS transformation. That's certainly a challenging question to start the new year with!! The following was provided for a little more context: We have a manually maintained table for each address where we can store which services are
- [OSS sell money!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sell-money/) - Huh? But they're just cost centres aren't they? Nope, they sell financial outcomes - they reduce downtime, they turn on revenue, they improve productivity by coordinating the workforce, etc... But they only "sell money" if they can help stakeholders clearly see the money! I mean "actually" see it, not "read between the lines"
- [What's in your OSS for me?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/whats-in-your-oss-for-me/) - May I ask you a question? Do the senior executives at your organisation ever USE your OSS/BSS? I'd love to hear your answer. My guess is that few, if any, do. Not directly anyway. They may depend on reports whose data comes from our OSS, but is that all? Execs are ultimately responsible for signing
- [The Ineffective OSS Scoreboard Analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-faulty-oss-scoreboard-analogy/) - Imagine for a moment that you're the coach of a sporting team. You train your team and provide them with a strategy for the game. You send them out onto the court and let them play. The scoreboard gives you all of the stats about each player. Their points, blocks, tackles, heart-rate, distance covered, errors,
- [One big requirement category most OSS can't meet](https://passionateaboutoss.com/one-big-requirement-category-most-oss-cant-meet/) - We talked yesterday about a range of OSS products that are more outcome-driven than our typically transactional OSS tools. There's not many of them around at this stage. I refer to them as "data bridge" products. Our typical OSS tools help manage transactions (alarms, activate customers services, etc). They're generally not so great at
- [Do you want funding on an OSS project?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/do-you-want-funding-on-an-oss-project/) - OSS tend to be very technical and transactional in nature. For example, a critical alarm happens, so we have to coordinate remedial actions as soon as possible. Or, a new customer has requested service so we have to coordinate the workforce to implement certain tasks in the physical and logical/virtual world. When you spend so
- [An OSS checksum](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-checksum/) - Yesterday's post discussed two waves of decisions stemming from our increasing obsession with data collection. "...the first wave had [arisen] because we'd almost all prefer to make data-driven decisions (ie decisions based on "proof") rather than "gut-feel" decisions. We're increasingly seeing a second wave come through - to use data not just to identify trends
- [Riffing with your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/riffing-with-your-oss/) - Data collection and data science is becoming big business. Not just in telco - our OSS have always been one of the biggest data gatherers around - but across all sectors that are increasingly digitising (should I just say, "all sectors" because they're all digitising?). Why do you think we're so keen to collect so
- [OSS diamonds are forever (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-diamonds-are-forever-part-2/) - Wednesday's post discussed how OPEX is forever, just like the slogan for diamonds. As discussed, some aspects of Operational Expenses are well known when kicking off a new OSS project (eg annual OSS license / support costs). Others can slip through the cracks - what I referred to as OPEX leakage (eg third-party software,
- [Crossing the OSS chasm](https://passionateaboutoss.com/crossing-the-oss-chasm/) - Geoff Moore's seminal book, "Crossing the Chasm," described the psychological chasm between early buyers and the mainstream market. Seth Godin cites Moore's work, "Moore’s Crossing the Chasm helped marketers see that while innovation was the tool to reach the small group of early adopters and opinion leaders, it was insufficient to reach the masses. Because
- [Diamonds are Forever and so is OSS OPEX](https://passionateaboutoss.com/diamonds-are-forever-and-so-is-oss-opex/) - Sourced from: www.couponraja.in I sometimes wonder whether OPEX is underestimated when considering OSS investments, or at least some facets (sorry, awful pun there!) of it. Cost-out (aka head-count reduction) seems to be the most prominent OSS business case justification lever. So that's clearly not underestimated. And the move to cloud is also an OPEX play
- [A billion dollar bid](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-billion-dollar-bid/) - A few years ago I was lucky enough to be invited to lead a bid. I say lucky because the partner organisations are two of the most iconic firms in the tech industry. The bid was for bleeding-edge work, potentially worth well over a billion dollars. I was a little surprised to be honest. I
- [When OSS experts are wrong](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-oss-experts-are-wrong/) - "When experts are wrong, it's often because they're experts on an earlier version of the world." Paul Graham. OSS experts are often wrong. Not only because of the "earlier version of the world" paradigm mentioned above, but also the "parallel worlds" paradigm that's not explicitly mentioned. That is, they may be experts on one
- [Google's Circular Economy in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/googles-circular-economy-in-oss/) - OSS wear many hats and help many different functions within an organisation. One function that OSS assists might be surprising to some people - the CFO / Accounting function. The traditional service provider business model tends to be CAPEX-heavy, with significant investment required on physical infrastructure. Since assets need to be depreciated and life-cycle managed,
- [Another OSS "forehead-slap" moment!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/another-oss-forehead-slap-moment/) - I don't know about you, but I find this industry of ours has a remarkable ability to keep us humble. Barely a day goes by when I don't have to slap my forehead and say, "uhhh.... of course!" (or perhaps, "D'oh!!") I had one such instance yesterday. I couldn't figure out why a client's telemetry
- [Over 30 Autonomous Networking User Stories](https://passionateaboutoss.com/over-30-autonomous-networking-user-stories/) - The following is a set of user stories I've provided to TM Forum to help with their current Autonomous Networking initiative. They're just an initial discussion point for others to riff off. We'd love to get your comments, additions and recommended refinements too. As a Head of Network Operations, I want to Automatically maintain the
- [New OSS product - Restoration Manager](https://passionateaboutoss.com/new-oss-product-restoration-manager/) - At Passionate About OSS, we're lucky enough to count the utilities market as an important part of our client base. This probably puts us in a very small percentage of OSS exponents that work across OSS for telco and utilities. Utilities have a number of interesting and unique nuances compared with other OSS markets. Starting
- [H-OSS-ton, we have a problem](https://passionateaboutoss.com/h-oss-ton-we-have-a-problem/) - You've all probably seen this scene from the Tom Hanks movie, Apollo 13 right? But you're probably wondering what it has to do with OSS? Well, this scene came to mind when I was preparing a list of user stories required to facilitate Autonomous Networking. More specifically, to the use-case where we want the Autonomous
- [We use time-stamping in OSS, but what about geo-stamping?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/we-uses-time-stamping-in-oss-but-what-about-geo-stamping/) - A slightly left-field thought dawned on me the other day and I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. We all know that almost all telemetry coming out of our networks is time-stamped. Events, syslogs, metrics, etc. That makes perfect sense because we look for time-based ripple-out effects when trying to diagnose issues. But therefore
- [The Autonomous Network / OSS Clock](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-autonomous-network-oss-clock/) - In yesterday's post, we talked about what needs to happen for a network operator to build an autonomous network. Many of the factors extended beyond the direct control of the OSS stack. We also looked at the difference between designing network autonomy for an existing OSS versus a ground-up build of an autonomous network. We
- [As a network owner....](https://passionateaboutoss.com/as-a-network-owner/) - ....I want to make my network so observable, reliable, predictable and repeatable that I don't need anyone to operate it. That's clearly a highly ambitious goal. Probably even unachievable if we say it doesn't need anyone to run it. But I wonder whether this has to be the starting point we take on behalf of
- [WebRTC in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/webrtc-in-oss/) - "Everyone seems to agree that WebRTC is the next big thing that is going to shake up the enterprise communications landscape. WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) allows for real-time audio and video communications to be developed with a simple Javascript API running in a WebRTC compliant browser such as Google Chrome. There is a seemingly endless
- [The law of cascading problems](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-law-of-cascading-problems/) - "Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems." Scott Adams. As Scott Adams of Dilbert fame stated, us Engineers love to solve problems. In the world of OSS we don't NEED to create our own because there are already so many that are handily available
- [The law of cascading problems (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-law-of-cascading-problems-part-2/) - "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.." H. L. Mencken. In yesterday's blog, we discussed the law of cascading problems where if we have data accuracy levels as follows: Locations are 90% Pits are 95% Ducts are 90% Cables are 90% Joints are 85% Patch panels are 85%
- [For those starting out in OSS product, here's a tip](https://passionateaboutoss.com/for-those-starting-out-in-oss-product-heres-a-tip/) - "For those starting out in product, here's a tip: Design, Defaults*, Documentation, Details and Delivery really matter in software."Jeetu Patel here. * Note that you can interpret "Defaults" to be Out-Of-The-Box functionality offered by the product. Let's break those 5 D-words down and describe why they really matter to the OSS industry shall we? Design
- [The implications of a handshake](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-implications-of-a-handshake/) - The handshake analogy compares: The number of people at a gathering to the number of handshakes required to greet them all; with The number of systems in an environment to the number of interfaces required to inter-link them (and associated complexity)). 1 person (system) = 0 handshakes (ie nobody else to shake hands with => 0
- [The digital transformation paradox twins](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-digital-transformation-paradox-twins/) - There's an old adage that "the confused mind always says no." Consider this from your own perspective. If you're in a state of confusion about something, are you likely to commit wholeheartedly or will you look to delay / procrastinate? The paradox for digital transformation is that our projects are almost always complex, but complexity
- [What will get your CEO fired? (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-will-get-your-ceo-fired-part-2/) - In Monday's article, we suggested that the three technical factors that could get the big boss fired are probably only limited to: Repeated and/or catastrophic failure (of network, systems, etc) Inability to serve the market (eg offerings, capacity, etc) Inability to operate network assets profitably In that article, we looked closely at a human factor
- [What will get your CEO fired? (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-will-get-your-ceo-fired-part-3/) - In Monday's article, we suggested that the three technical factors that could get the big boss fired are probably only limited to: Repeated and/or catastrophic failure (of network, systems, etc) Inability to serve the market (eg offerings, capacity, etc) Inability to operate network assets profitably In that article, we looked closely at a human factor
- [What will get your CEO fired? (part 4)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-will-get-your-ceo-fired-part-4/) - In Monday's article, we suggested that the three technical factors that could get the big boss fired are probably only limited to: Repeated and/or catastrophic failure (of network, systems, etc) Inability to serve the market (eg offerings, capacity, etc) Inability to operate network assets profitably In that article, we looked closely at a human factor
- [What will get your CEO fired?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-will-get-your-ceo-fired/) - Not sure whether you have a clear answer to that question - either the thought is enticing (you want the CEO to get fired), unthinkable (you don't want the CEO fired) or somewhere in between. You'd invariably get different answers from different employees within most organisations (you can't please all of the people all of
- [Interesting metrics from The Blue Book launch](https://passionateaboutoss.com/interesting-metrics-from-the-blue-book-launch/) - When I first started the Passionate About OSS site / blog many years ago, I was lucky to get a handful of views per day. It's grown by many multiples since then, fortunately. The launch of The Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory generated some exciting metrics yesterday. The directory alone came within 5 pageviews of
- [“The Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory” from Passionate About OSS has officially launched](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-blue-book-oss-bss-vendor-directory-from-passionate-about-oss-has-officially-launched/) - We're excited to announce that “The Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory” has officially gone live here at https://passionateaboutoss.com/directory It provides a comprehensive directory of over 400 suppliers that produce OSS, BSS and/or related network management tools. Company details, product details and functionality classifications are included. Every network operator has a unique set of needs from
- [A lighter-touch OSS procurement approach (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-lighter-touch-oss-procurement-approach-part-2/) - Yesterday's post described the approach to get from 400+ possible OSS/BSS suppliers/products down to a more manageable list without: Having to get into significant discussions with vendors (yet) Gathering all your stakeholders together to prepare a detailed list of requirements We'll call this "the long list," which might consist of 5-20 suppliers. We use this
- [A lighter-touch OSS procurement approach (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-lighter-touch-oss-procurement-approach-part-3/) - We've spoken at length about TM Forum’s, “Time to kill the RFP? Reinventing IT procurement for the 2020s,” report so far this week. We've also spoken about the feeling that the OSS/BSS RFP (Request For Proposal) still has relevance in some situations... as long as it's more of a lighter-touch than most. We've spoken about
- [Do I support the death penalty (of OSS RFPs)? Hmmm....](https://passionateaboutoss.com/do-i-support-the-death-penalty-of-oss-rfps-hmmm/) - As per yesterday's post, I'll continue to reference a TM Forum report called, "Time to kill the RFP? Reinventing IT procurement for the 2020s" today. Mark Newman and the team have captured and discussed so many layers to the OSS/BSS procurement process. There's no doubt the current stereotypical RFP approach to procurement is broken. It
- [A lighter-touch OSS procurement approach (part 1)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-lighter-touch-oss-procurement-approach-part-1/) - You may have noticed that we've run a series of posts about OSS/BSS procurement, and about the RFP process by association. One of the first steps in the traditional procurement process is preparing a strategy and detailed set of requirements. As TM Forum's, “Time to kill the RFP? Reinventing IT procurement for the 2020s,” report describes:
- [Lobbying hard for the death penalty for OSS RFPs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/lobbying-hard-for-the-death-penalty-for-oss-rfps/) - Earlier this year, the TM Forum published a really insightful report called, "Time to kill the RFP? Reinventing IT procurement for the 2020s." There are so many layers to the OSS/BSS procurement discussion and Mark Newman and team have done a fantastic job of capturing them. We'll expand on a few of those layers in
- [The OSS inertia principle](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-inertia-principle/) - "Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to any change in its motion (including a change in direction)." Wikipedia. According to classical physics, Force equals Mass x Acceleration (F = ma). In other words, the greater the mass, the more force must be applied to reach a given acceleration (ie to effect a change).
- [Is your service assurance really service assurance?? (Part 6)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-service-assurance-really-service-assurance-part-6/) - Seems this post from last week has triggered some really interesting debate - Is your service assurance really service assurance?? (Part 5). It was a post that looked into collecting end-to-end service metrics rather than our traditional method of collecting network device events/metrics and trying to reverse-engineer to form a service-level perspective. Thought I'd give
- [OSS Persona 10:10:10 Mapping](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-persona-101010-mapping/) - We sometimes attack OSS/BSS planning at a quite transactional level. For example, think about the process of gathering detailed requirements at the start of a project. They tend to be detailed and transactional don't they? This type of requirement gathering is more like the WHAT and HOW rings in Simon Sinek's Golden Circle. Just curious,
- [Going to the OSS zoo](https://passionateaboutoss.com/going-to-the-oss-zoo/) - "There's the famous quote that if you want to understand how animals live, you don't go to the zoo, you go to the jungle. The Future Lab has really pioneered that within Lego, and it hasn't been a theoretical exercise. It's been a real design-thinking approach to innovation, which we've learned an awful lot from."
- [Is your service assurance really service assurance?? (Part 5)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-service-assurance-really-service-assurance-part-5/) - In yesterday's fourth part of this series about modern network service assurance, we wrote this: I also just stumbled upon OpenTelemetry, an open source project designed to capture traces / metrics / logs from apps / microservices. It intrigued me because just as you have the concept of traces / metrics / logs for apps,
- [Is your service assurance really service assurance??](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-service-assurance-actually-service-assurance/) - I just came across an interesting white paper from the Netrounds team titled, "Reimagining Service Assurance in the Digital Service Provider Era." You can find a copy here. It's well worth a read, so much so that I'll unpack a few of the concepts it contains in a series of articles this week. It rightly
- [This OSS is different to what I'm used to](https://passionateaboutoss.com/this-oss-is-different-to-what-im-used-to/) - OSS implementations / transformations are always challenging. Stakeholders seem to easily get their heads around the fact that there will be technical challenges (even if they / we can't always get their head around the actual changes initially). When a supplier is charged with doing an OSS implementation, the client (perhaps rightly) expects the supplier
- [I'm really excited by a just-finished OSS analysis](https://passionateaboutoss.com/im-really-excited-by-a-just-finished-oss-analysis/) - In your travels, I don't suppose you've ever come across anyone having challenges to capture and/or optimise their as-is OSS/BSS process flows? Once or twice?? :) Well I've just completed an analysis that I'm really excited about. It's something I've been thinking about for some time, but have just finished proving on the weekend. I
- [I’m really excited by a just-finished OSS analysis (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/im-really-excited-by-a-just-finished-oss-analysis-part-2/) - As the title suggests, this is the second part in a series describing a process flow visualisation, optimisation and decision support methodology that uses simple log data as input. Yesterday's post, part 1 in the series, showed the visualisation aspect in the form of a Sankey flow diagram. This visualisation is exciting because it shows
- [Making a basic assessment of OSS value](https://passionateaboutoss.com/making-a-basic-assessment-of-oss-value/) - "...as technology gets more complicated, it becomes more difficult for buyers to acquire the skills needed to make even a basic assessment of value. Without such an assessment, it’s hard to get a project going, and in particular hard to get one going the right way." Tom Nolle. Have you noticed that over the last
- [OSS holds the key to network slicing](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-holds-the-key-to-network-slicing/) - "Network slicing opens new business opportunities for operators by enabling them to provide specialized services that deliver specific performance parameters. Guaranteeing stringent KPIs enables operators to charge premium rates to customers that value such performance. The flip side is that such agreements will inevitably come with tough contractual obligations and penalties when the agreed KPIs
- [The OSS "out of control" conundrum](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-out-of-control-conundrum/) - Over the years in OSS, I've spent a lot of my time helping companies create their OSS / BSS strategies and roadmaps. Sometimes clients come from the buy side (eg carriers, utilities, enterprise), other times clients come from the sell side (eg vendors, integrators). There's one factor that seems to be most commonly raised by
- [Completing an OSS design, going inside, going outside, going Navy SEAL](https://passionateaboutoss.com/completing-an-oss-design-going-inside-going-outside-going-navy-seal/) - Our most recent post last week discussed the research organisations like DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and Google are investing into group flow for the purpose of group effectiveness. It cites the cost of training ($4.25m) each elite Navy SEAL and their ability to operate as if choreographed in high pressure / noise environments.
- [Stealing fire for OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/stealing-fire-for-oss/) - I've recently started reading a book called Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work. To completely over-generalise the subject matter, it's about finding optimal performance states, aka finding flow. Not the normal topic of conversation for here on the PAOSS blog!! However, the
- [Lightning strikes in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/lightning-strikes-in-oss/) - Operators have developed many unique understandings of what impacts the health of their networks. For example, mobile operators know that they have faster maintenance cycles in coastal areas than they do in warm, dry areas (yes, due to rust). Other operators have a high percentage of faults that are power-related. Others are impacted by failures
- [282 million reasons for increased OSS/BSS scrutiny](https://passionateaboutoss.com/282-million-reasons-for-increased-oss-bss-scrutiny/) - "The hotel group Marriott International has been told by the UK Information Commissioner's Office that it will be fined a little over £99 million (A$178 million) over a data breach that occurred in December last year... This is the second fine for data breaches announced by the ICO on successive days. On Monday, it said
- [The great OSS squeeeeeeze](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-great-oss-squeeeeeeze/) - TM Forum's Open Digital Architecture (ODA) White Paper begins with the following statement: Telecoms is at a crucial turning point. The last decade has dealt a series of punishing blows to an industry that had previously enjoyed enviable growth for more than 20 years. Services that once returned high margins are being reduced to commodities
- [I've just been blown away by the most elegant OSS innovation I've seen in decades](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ive-just-been-blown-away-by-the-most-elegant-oss-innovation-ive-seen-in-decades/) - Looking back, I now consider myself extremely lucky to have worked with an amazing product on the first OSS project I worked on (all the way back in 2000). And I say amazing because the underlying data models and core product architecture are still better than any other I've worked with in the two decades
- [RIP John Reilly](https://passionateaboutoss.com/rip-john-reilly/) - Sadly, I've just heard about the passing of John Reilly, a distinguished fellow of the TM Forum and giant of our industry. As the fellowship suggests, John was a significant contributor to some of the TM Forum's most significant and enduring works. Unfortunately I never had the chance to meet John in person, but he
- [OSS that repair virtualised networks - the dual loop approach](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-that-repair-virtualised-networks-the-dual-loop-approach/) - In a recent article, we talked about Network Service Assurance (NSA) in an environment where network virtualisation exists. One of the benefits of virtualisation or NaaS (Network as a Service) is that it provides a layer of programmability to your network. That is, to be able to instantiate network services by software through a network
- [Network Service Assurance has new meaning](https://passionateaboutoss.com/network-service-assurance-has-new-meaning/) - Back in the old days, Network Service Assurance probably had a different meaning than it might today. Clearly it's assurance of a network service. That's fairly obvious. But it's in the definition of "network service" where the old and new terminologies have the potential to diverge. In years past, telco networks were "nailed up" and
- [User journeys](https://passionateaboutoss.com/user-journeys/) - Network operators often talk about five-nines (ie 99.999% up-time on any given network device) as a measure of the reliability of their networks. However, I personally don't believe that many of the operators' customers would consider this as a measure of network quality. Five-nines is a metric that is widely cited from inside the walls
- [Cool new feature - An OSS masquerading as...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/cool-new-feature-an-oss-masquerading-as/) - I spent some time with a client going through their OSS/BSS yesterday. They're an Australian telco with a primarily home-grown, browser-based OSS/BSS. One of its features was something I've never seen in an OSS/BSS before. But really quite subtle and cool. They have four tiers of users: Super-admins (the carrier's in-house admins), Standard (their in-house
- [Network slicing and a seismic shift in OSS responsibility](https://passionateaboutoss.com/network-slicing-and-a-seismic-shift-in-oss-responsibility/) - Network slicing allows operators to segment their network and configure each different slice to the specific needs of that customer (or group of customers). So rather than the network infrastructure being configured for the best compromise that suits all use-cases, instead each slice can be configured optimally for each use-case. That's an exciting concept. The
- [Jeopardy management](https://passionateaboutoss.com/jeopardy-management/) - "It is bad enough for a Project Manager when a project encounters a problem - but often that is just the start of distressing conversations with project stakeholders. The key to surviving this mess is recognizing the types of conversations that loom ahead and then avoiding the destructive deliberations while consciously giving preference to worthwhile
- [Helix factors, cable sag factors and more](https://passionateaboutoss.com/helix-factors/) - "In fiber optics, the cable is a light pipe or waveguide, into which you inject light. If a finger presses on the pipe, it disrupts that light within the waveguide." Jefferson Han. And if a finger pressing on the fibre can disrupt the light signal, imagine what a backhoe can do to an optical fibre
- [How will IoT management platforms integrate with OSS/BSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-will-the-iot-management-platform-of-the-future-manifest/) - There are clearly similarities and differences between OSS/BSS and IoT Management platforms. For example, you could consider each IoT device like any other network device in terms of the provision, manage and maintain process. The only problem is scale - you may have 100s/1000s of network devices, but could have 10,000s - 100,000s of IoT
- [Two concepts to help ease long-standing OSS problems](https://passionateaboutoss.com/two-concepts-to-ease-long-standing-oss-problems/) - There's a famous Zig Ziglar quote that goes something like, "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want." You could safely assume that this was written for the individual reader, but there is some truth in it within the OSS context too. For
- [OSS re-write - Terminology](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-re-write-terminology/) - This is the seventh in the Complete OSS re-write series of posts and relates to What language are you using. This series is designed to pose ideas on how the OSS industry could take a Control-Alt-Delete approach to all aspects of delivering operational support, which coincides with the inflection point underway in our industry via
- [NaaS is to networks what Agile is to software](https://passionateaboutoss.com/naas-is-to-networks-what-agile-is-to-software/) - After Telstra's NaaS (Network as a Service) program won a TM Forum excellence award, I promised yesterday to share a post that describes why I'm so excited about the concept of NaaS. As the title suggests above, NaaS has the potential to be as big a paradigm shift for networks (and OSS/BSS) as Agile has
- [Unleashing the chaos monkeys on your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/unleashing-the-chaos-monkeys-on-your-oss/) - I like to compare OSS projects with chaos theory. A single butterfly flapping it's wings (eg a conversation with the client) can have unintended consequences that cause a tornado (eg the client's users refusing to use a new OSS). The day-to-day operation of a network and its management tools can be similarly sensitive to seemingly
- [OSS transformation is hard. What can we learn from open source?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-transformation-is-hard-what-can-we-learn-from-open-source/) - Have you noticed an increasing presence of open-source tools in your OSS recently? Have you also noticed that open-source is helping to trigger transformation? Have you thought about why that might be? Some might rightly argue that it is the cost factor. You could also claim that they tend to help resolve specific, but common,
- [Who attended TM Forum's DTW event in Nice this week?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/who-attended-tm-forums-dtw-event-in-nice-this-week/) - Some of the world's leading OSS thinkers met at TM Forum's Digital Transformation World in Nice, France, this week. Were you one of them? I was unable to attend due to a date with a surgeon (no, not the romantic kind of date). If you attended, I'd love to live vicariously through you and hear your key
- [TM Forum's Digital Transformation World (DTW) starts tomorrow](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tm-forums-digital-transformation-world-dtw-starts-tomorrow/) - For those who don't already know, one of the peak OSS industry events starts tomorrow in Nice, France. It's known as Digital Transformation World (DTW) and is run by TM Forum. OSS and BSS (and so much more) experts will be there, collaborating via multiple different methods - talks, presentations, demonstrations, industry proofs-of-concept, campfire events,
- [Inverting the pyramid of OSS and network innovation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/inverting-the-pyramid-of-oss-and-network-innovation/) - Back in the earliest days of OSS (and networks for that matter), it was the telcos that generated almost all of the innovation. That effectively limited innovation to being developed by the privileged few, those who worked for the government-owned, monopoly telcos. But over time, the financial leaders at those telcos felt the costs of
- [Another 150 suppliers added](https://passionateaboutoss.com/another-150-suppliers-added/) - We've just added another 150 suppliers to the Passionate About OSS list of OSS / BSS suppliers. There are now well over 350 suppliers listed for your comparison. Let us know if yours isn't listed there yet.
- [Fast and slow OSS, where uCPE and network virtualisation fits in](https://passionateaboutoss.com/fast-and-slow-oss-where-ucpe-and-network-virtualisation-fits-in/) - Yesterday's post talked about one of the many dichotomies in OSS - fast and slow data / processes. One of the longer lead-time items in relation to OSS data and processes is in network build and customer connections. From the time when capacity planning or a customer order creates the signal to build, it can
- [Give me a fast OSS and I might ask you to slooooow doooown](https://passionateaboutoss.com/give-me-a-fast-oss-and-i-might-ask-you-to-slooooow-doooown/) - The traditional telco (and OSS) ran at different speeds. Some tasks had to happen immediately (eg customers calling one another) while others took time (eg getting a connection to a customer's home, which included designs, approvals, builds, etc), often weeks. Our OSS have processes that must happen sequentially and expediently. They also have processes that
- [About the OSS that transmits on radio station WIIFM](https://passionateaboutoss.com/about-the-oss-that-transmits-on-radio-station-wiifm/) - Nobody is interested in you, your brand or your OSS. Well, that's a big negative and confrontational statement isn't it? You're probably thinking I got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning and took a big handful of emo pills. The reality is, all of our customers and colleagues are walking around
- [Do you wish more people fell in love with your OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/do-you-wish-more-people-fell-in-love-with-your-oss/) - I'd hazard a guess that everyone reading this would admit to being a techie at some level. And being a techie, I'd also imagine that you have blatant tech-love for certain products - gadgets, apps, sites, whatever. But, let me ask you, are there any OSS products on your love-interest list? If yes, leave me
- [The no accounts receivable OSS model](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-no-accounts-receivable-oss-model/) - Unfortunately for OSS vendors / integrators, their business models have a dependency (and major risk) on accounts receivable. Investopedia states, "Accounts receivable are amounts of money owed by customers to another entity for goods or services delivered or used on credit but not yet paid for by clients." One of the earliest OSS projects I
- [Ooops. The 3GPP network management omission](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ooops-the-3gpp-network-management-omission/) - A recent discussion with a learned and respected OSS colleague reminded me that there had been a major omission from the PAOSS History / Standards page. With the buzz developing around 5G, not to mention some of the advanced features like network slicing and radio infrastructure virtualisation, the oversight was a big one. We'd forgotten
- [What are OSS "platform wrapper" roadblocks?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-are-oss-platform-wrapper-roadblocks/) - OSS can be cumbersome at times. Making change can be difficult. We tend to build layers of protections around them and the networks we manage. I get that. Change can be risky (although the protections are often implemented because the OSS and/or network platforms might not be as robust as they could be). Contrast this
- [Only do the OSS that only you can do](https://passionateaboutoss.com/choosing-to-only-do-the-oss-that-only-you-can-do/) - A friend of mine has a great saying, "only do what only you can do." Do you think that this holds true for the companies undergoing digital transformation? Banks are now IT companies. Insurers are IT companies. Car manufacturers are now IT companies. Telcos are, well, some are IT companies. We've spoken before about the
- [I sent you an OSS helicopter](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-sent-you-an-oss-helicopter/) - "There’s a fable of a man stuck in a flood. Convinced that God is going to save him, he says no to a passing canoe, boat, and helicopter that offer to help. He dies, and in heaven asks God why He didn’t save him. God says, “I sent you a canoe, a boat, and a
- [The humbling experience of OSS superstars](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-humbling-experience-of-oss-superstars/) - "Years ago, I was so confident, and so naive. I was so sure that I was right and everyone else was wrong. Unfortunately I was lucky and got successful, so that kept me ignorant of my shortcomings. I sold my company, felt ready to do something new, and started to learn. But the more I
- [OSS orgitecture](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-orgitechture/) - So far this week we've been focusing on ways to improve the OSS transformation process. Monday provided 7 models for achieving startup-like efficiency for larger OSS transformations. Tuesday provided suggestions for speeding up the transition from OSS PoC to getting the solution into production, specifically strategies for absorbing an OSS PoC into production. Both of
- [I was a huge bottleneck on my first OSS project](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-was-a-huge-bottleneck-on-my-first-oss-project/) - I became a problematic bottleneck on my first OSS project. It didn't start that way, but it definitely ended that way. And I've been thinking ever since about how I could've managed that better. I started out as a network subject matter expert but wasn't a bottleneck in that role. However, the next two functions
- [Speeding up your OSS transition from PoC to PROD](https://passionateaboutoss.com/speeding-up-your-oss-transition-from-poc-to-prod/) - In yesterday's article, we discussed 7 models for achieving startup-like efficiency on large OSS transformations. One popular approach is to build a proof-of-concept or sandpit quickly on cloud hosting or in lab environments. It's fast for a number of reasons including reduced number of approvals, faster activation of infrastructure, reduced safety checks (eg security, privacy,
- [How did your first OSS project make you feel?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-did-your-first-oss-project-make-you-feel/) - Can you remember how you felt during the initial weeks of your first OSS project? I can vividly recall how out of my depth I felt on my first OSS project. I was in my 20s and had relocated to a foreign country for the first time. I had a million questions (probably more actually).
- [How to bring your art and your science to your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-bring-your-art-and-your-science-to-your-oss/) - In the last two posts, we've discussed repeatability within the field of OSS implementation - paint-by-numbers vs artisans and then resilience vs precision in delivery practices. Now I'd like you to have a think about how those posts overlay onto this quote by Karl Popper: “Non-reproducible single occurrences are of no significance to science.” Every
- [OSS resilience vs precision](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-resilience-vs-precision/) - "Resilience is what happens when we’re able to move forward even when things don’t fit together the way we expect.[OSS project anyone???] And tolerances are an engineer’s measurement of how well the parts meet spec. One way to ensure that things work out the way you hope is to spend the time and money to
- [The Mona Lisa of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-mona-lisa-of-oss/) - All OSS rely on workflows to make key outcomes happen. Outcomes like activating a customer order, resolving a fault, billing customers, etc. These workflows often touch multiple OSS/BSS products and/or functional capabilities. There's not always a single-best-way to achieve an outcome. If you're responsible for your organisation's workflows do you want to build a paint-by-numbers
- [Synchronicity and OSS data integrity](https://passionateaboutoss.com/synchronicity/) - Why is it important to maintain and improve on data integrity?
- [Global OSS/BSS Market to surpass $50bn by 2024](https://passionateaboutoss.com/global-oss-bss-market-to-surpass-50bn-by-2024/) - Global OSS/BSS Market to surpass $50bn by 2024: predicts Global Market Insights, Inc. OSS/BSS Market share is estimated to cross USD 50 billion by 2024, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The OSS/BSS market is propelled by the increasing trend of outsourcing services in the telecom industry. As telecommunication service
- [OSS Best Practices, cough, splutter](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-best-practices-cough-splutter/) - "Organizations that seek transformations frequently bring in an army of outside consultants [or implementers in the case of OSS] who tend to apply one-size-fits-all solutions in the name of “best practices.” Our approach to transforming our respective organizations is to rely instead on insiders — staff who have intimate knowledge about what works and what
- [All OSS products are excellent. So where's the advantage?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/all-oss-products-are-excellent-so-wheres-the-advantage/) - "You don't get differential advantage from your products, it's from the way you speak to and relate to your customers . All products are excellent these days." The quote above paraphrases Malcolm McDonald from a podcast about his book, "Malcolm McDonald on Value Propositions: How to Develop Them, How to Quantify Them." This quote had
- [OSS competition closing tomorrow](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-competition-closing-tomorrow/) - Just a quick heads-up that our OSS competition closes tomorrow. Get in quickly to be in with a chance of winning 1 of 5 physical copies of my book, Mastering Your OSS. Are you up for it? Are you ready to answer just five one-line questions to help the next generation of OSS experts and
- [Competition closing on 23 March](https://passionateaboutoss.com/competition-closing-on-23-march/) - In case you didn't notice, we launched a competition yesterday. It's a 5 question survey and respondents are in with a chance of winning 1 of 5 copies of my book, Mastering Your OSS. Not only that, but it's your chance to give back to the next generation of OSS experts coming through. You'll achieve
- [The 7 truck-roll fail](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-7-truck-roll-fail/) - In yesterday's post we talked about the cost of quality. We talked about examples of primary, secondary and tertiary costs of bad data quality (DQ). We also highlighted that the tertiary costs, including the damage to brand reputation, can be one of the biggest factors. I often cite an example where it took 7 truck
- [Calculating the cost of quality](https://passionateaboutoss.com/calculating-the-cost-of-quality/) - This week of posts has followed the theme of the cost of quality. Data quality that is. But how do you calculate the cost of bad data quality? Yesterday's post mentioned starting with PNI (Physical Network Inventory). PNI is the cables, splices / joints, patch panels, ducts, pits, etc. This data doesn't tend to have
- [Waiting for the disaster to invest in the data](https://passionateaboutoss.com/waiting-for-the-disaster-to-invest-in-the-data/) - Have you seen OSS tools where the applications are brilliant but consigned to failure by bad data? I definitely have! I call it the data death spiral. It's a well known fact in the industry that bad data can ruin an OSS. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. But how many companies
- [Where an absence of OSS data can still provide insights](https://passionateaboutoss.com/where-an-absence-of-oss-data-can-still-provide-insights/) - The diagram below has some parallels with OSS. The story however is a little long before it gets to the OSS part, so please bear with me. The diagram shows analysis the US Navy performed during WWII on where planes were being shot. The theory was that they should be reinforcing the areas that received
- [RCN & Grande expand with Netcracker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/rcn-grande-expand-with-netcracker/) - RCN & Grande Expand Use of Netcracker Digital BSS With Active Mediation Deployment. Netcracker Technology announced that RCN & Grande Communications, U.S.-based telecommunications service providers, have expanded their BSS relationship with Netcracker and have gone live with Netcracker’s Active Mediation solution. The expanded BSS capabilities will enhance RCN’s & Grande’s existing use of Netcracker’s Revenue
- [Accenture helps Telefónica with CX](https://passionateaboutoss.com/accenture-helps-telefonica-with-cx/) - Accenture Helps Telefónica Transform the Customer Experience. Accenture has helped Telefónica, one of the world’s largest private telecommunications companies, transform its customer experience with a complete overhaul of its digital experience for customers in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain and the U.K. To acquire and retain new customers, Telefónica had to rethink its commercial focus and
- [Comarch selected by Orange Spain](https://passionateaboutoss.com/comarch-selected-by-orange-spain/) - X by Orange, the Ecosystem of Cloud Services for SMEs Launched by Orange Spain, to Implement the Comarch Billing Solution. Comarch has been selected by Orange Spain to implement a comprehensive BSS solution covering the full chain of billing, charging, and revenue functionalities. It will streamline the processes spanning from network data mining, through rating
- [IBM acquires Red Hat for $34B](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ibm-acquires-red-hat-for-34b/) - IBM TO ACQUIRE RED HAT, COMPLETELY CHANGING THE CLOUD LANDSCAPE AND BECOMING WORLD’S #1 HYBRID CLOUD PROVIDER. IBM and Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of open source cloud software, announced today that the companies have reached a definitive agreement under which IBM will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Red
- [PLDT signs with Amdocs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/pldt-signs-with-amdocs/) - PLDT, AMDOCS SIGN NEW AGREEMENT TO TRANSFORM PLDT AND SMART’S IT INFRASTRUCTURE. The six-year managed IT infrastructure deal is in addition to the seven-year master transformation service agreement Amdocs signed with PLDT and Smart in Jan 2018 Leading telecommunications and digital service provider PLDT, and Amdocs, a provider of software and services to communications and
- [The OSS Tinder effect](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-tinder-effect/) - On Friday, we provided a link to an inspiring video showing Rolls-Royce's vision of an operations centre. That article is a follow-on from other recent posts about to pros and cons of using MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) as an OSS transformation approach. I've been lucky to work on massive OSS projects. Projects that have taken
- [Proving you're the best of the best at OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/proving-youre-the-best-of-the-best-at-oss/) - Way back in 2015, the PAOSS blog proposed the idea of an OSS Olympics to help identify the best OSS'ers in the world. It suggested the following 10 events (noting that operators can use tools of their own choosing): Order handling - set up a particular type of order, with complexities, and see who can generate the order the
- [The OSS Minimum Feature Set is Not The Goal](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-minimum-feature-set-is-not-the-goal/) - "This minimum feature set (sometimes called the “minimum viable product”) causes lots of confusion. Founders act like the “minimum” part is the goal. Or worse, that every potential customer should want it. In the real world not every customer is going to get overly excited about your minimum feature set. Only a special subset of
- [The layers of ITIL redundancy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-itil-layers-of-redundancy/) - Today's is something of a heretical post, especially for the believers in ITIL. In the world of OSS, we look to build in layers of resiliency and not layers of redundancy. The following diagram and subsequent text in italics describes a typical ITIL process and is all taken from https://www.computereconomics.com/article.cfm?id=1074 The sequence of events as shown
- [Of OSS bosses and teachers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/of-oss-bosses-and-teachers/) - "We need more teachers and less bosses." Lee Cockerell. The quote from Lee could be bordering on condescending to some people. Hmmm.... Sorry about that. But let me ask you a couple of questions: Of all your years in OSS (or in industry in general), who are the 5 people who have been the most
- [An OSS theatre of combat](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-theatre-of-combat/) - Have you sat on both sides of the OSS procurement process? That is, been an OSS buyer (eg writing an RFP) and an OSS seller (eg responded to an RFP) on separate projects? Have you noticed the amount of brain-power allocated to transferral of risk from both angles? If you're the buyer, you seek to
- [I have the need for OSS speed](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-have-the-need-for-oss-speed/) - You already know that speed is important for OSS users. They / we don't want to wait for minutes for the OSS to respond to a simple query. That's obvious right? The bleeding obvious. But that's not what today's post is about. So then, what is it about? Actually, it follows on from yesterday's post
- [What's the one big factor holding back your OSS? And the exercise to reduce it](https://passionateaboutoss.com/whats-the-one-big-factor-holding-back-your-oss-and-the-exercise-to-reduce-it/) - We've talked about some of the emotions we experience in the OSS industry earlier this week, the trauma of OSS and anxiety relating to OSS. To avoid these types of miserable feelings, it's human nature to seek to limit them. We over-analyse, we over-specify, we over-engineer, we over-document, we over-contract, we over-react, we over-estimate (nah,
- [Re-framing an OSS replacement strategy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/re-framing-an-oss-replacement-strategy/) - Friday's post posed a re-framing exercise that asked you (whether customer, seller or integrator) to run a planning exercise as if you MUST offer a money-back guarantee on your OSS (whether internal or external). It's designed to force a change in mindset from risk mitigation to risk removal. We have another re-framing exercise for you
- [Identifying the fault-lines that trigger OSS churn](https://passionateaboutoss.com/identifying-the-fault-lines-that-trigger-oss-churn/) - "Most people slog through their days in a dark funk. They almost never get to do anything interesting or go to interesting places or meet interesting people. They are ignored by marketers who want them to buy their overpriced junk and be grateful for it. They feel disrespected, unappreciated and taken for granted. Nobody wants
- [Addressing the trauma of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/addressing-the-trauma-of-oss/) - "You also have to understand their level of trauma. Your product, service or information is selling a solution to someone who is in trauma. There are different levels, from someone who needs a nail to finish the swing set in their backyard to someone who just found out they have a life-threatening disease. All of
- [OSS data that's even more useless than useless](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-data-thats-even-more-useless-than-useless/) - About 6-8 years ago, I was becoming achingly aware that I'd passed well beyond an information overload (I-O) threshold. More information was reaching my brain each day than I was able to assimilate, process and archive. What to do? Well, I decided to stop reading newspapers and watching the news, in fact almost all television.
- [Zero Touch Assurance - ZTA (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zero-touch-assurance-zta-part-3/) - This is the third in a series on ZTA, following on from yesterday's post that suggested intentionally triggering events to allow the accumulation of a much larger library of historical network data. Today we'll look at the impact of data collection on our ability to achieve ZTA and refer back to part 1 in the
- [Zero Touch Assurance - ZTA (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zero-touch-assurance-zta-part-2/) - Yesterday we described the three steps on the path to Zero Touch Assurance: Monitoring - Monitoring the events that happen in the network and responding manually Post-cognition - Monitoring events / trends that happen in the network, comparing them to past situations (using analytics to identify repeating patterns), using the past to recommend (or automate)
- [Zero Touch Assurance - ZTA (part 1)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zero-touch-assurance-zta-part-1/) - A couple of years ago, we published a series on pre-cognitive OSS based on the following quote by Ben Evans about three classes of search/discovery: There is giving you what you already know you want (Amazon, Google) There is working out what you want (Amazon and Google’s aspiration) And then there is suggesting what you might
- [Would an OSS duopoly be a good thing?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/would-an-oss-duopoly-be-a-good-thing/) - The products/vendors page here on PAOSS has a couple of hundred entries currently. We're currently working on an extended list that will almost double the number on it. More news on that shortly. The level of fragmentation fascinates me, but if I'm completely honest, it probably disappoints me too. It's great that it's providing the
- [A sad example of the challenges facing OSS supplier consolidation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-sad-example-of-the-challenges-facing-oss-supplier-consolidation/) - Yesterday's post, "Would an OSS duopoly be a good thing?" talked about the benefits and challenges of consolidation of the number of suppliers in the OSS market. I also promised that today I'll share an example of the types of challenge that can be faced. An existing OSS supplier (Company A) had developed a significant
- [Do you have a nagging OSS problem you cannot solve?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/do-you-have-a-nagging-oss-problem-you-cannot-solve/) - On Friday, we published a post entitled, "Think for a moment..." which posed the question of whether we might be better-served looking back at our most important existing features and streamlining them rather than inventing new features to solve that have little impact. Over the weekend, a promotional email landed in my inbox from Nightingale
- [Nobody dabbles at dentistry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/nobody-dabbles-at-dentistry/) - "There are some jobs that are only done by accredited professionals. And then there are most jobs, jobs that some people do for fun, now and then, perhaps in front of the bathroom mirror. It’s difficult to find your footing when you’re a logo designer, a comedian or a project manager. Because these are gigs
- [MYCOM OSI acquired by Inflexion](https://passionateaboutoss.com/mycom-osi-acquired-by-inflexion/) - MYCOM OSI acquired to accelerate cloud-based service assurance leadership. MYCOM OSI, provider of Assurance, Automation and Analytics solutions to the world’s largest Communications Service Providers (CSPs), announced that it has been acquired by leading private equity firm Inflexion, to fuel its growth and capitalize on its leadership position in a market that is transforming from
- [To link or not to link your OSS. That is the question](https://passionateaboutoss.com/to-link-or-not-to-link-your-oss-that-is-the-question/) - The first OSS project I worked on had a full-suite, single vendor solution. All products within the suite were integrated into a single database and that allowed their product developers to introduce a lot of cross-linking. That has its strengths and weaknesses. The second OSS suite I worked with came from one of the world's
- [Am I being an OSShole?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/am-i-being-an-osshole/) - ""Am I being an asshole?” In other words, am I pointing out problems or am I finding solutions?" Ramit Sethi. One of the things I've noticed working on large and small OSS teams is that people who excel at finding solutions thrive in both. The ones who thrive on only identifying problems seemingly only function
- [TM Forum's Open API links](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tm-forums-open-api-links/) - Those of you familiar with TM Forum are already quite familiar with the Frameworx enterprise architecture model. It's as close as we get to a standard used across the OSS industry. Frameworx consists of four main modules, with eTOM, TAM and SID being the most widely referred to: Application Framework (previously known as, but still
- [The bird's wings analogy for OSS RFPs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-birds-wings-oss-analogy-for-rfps/) - "A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on it’s own wings." Unknown. Last month, we posted a series entitled "How to kill the RFP." The RFP is a common mechanism for reaching a purchasing agreement between OSS provider and network
- [2019 predictions for OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/2019-predictions-for-oss/) - Well, this is the time of year when people make big predictions for the coming year. But let me start by saying the headline is something of a misnomer. I'm not clever enough to have any predictions for 2019 for a couple of reasons: There are far too many clever people working across the myriad
- [My favourite OSS saying](https://passionateaboutoss.com/my-favourite-oss-saying/) - My favourite OSS saying - "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should." OSS are amazing things. They're designed to gather, process and compile all sorts of information from all sorts of sources. I like to claim that OSS/BSS are the puppet masters of any significant network operator because they assist in every corner of
- [OSS come in all shapes and sizes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-come-in-all-shapes-and-sizes/) - As the OSS vendors / suppliers page here on PAOSS shows, there are a LOT of different OSS options, making it an extremely fragmented market. But there's something of a reason for that fragmentation - customer requirements for OSS come in all shapes and sizes. Here are four of the major categories that I've been
- [Happy holidays](https://passionateaboutoss.com/happy-holidays/) - I'd like to wish a happy holiday season to all who've been kind enough to spare your valuable time and attention to the PAOSS blog. Wishing you a safe and prosperous 2019 too.
- [How to build a personal, cloud-native OSS sandpit](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-build-a-personal-cloud-native-oss-sandpit/) - As a project for 2019, we're considering the development of a how-to training course that provides a step-by-step guide to build your own OSS sandpit to play with. It will be built around cloud-native and open-source components. It will be cutting-edge and micro-scaled (but highly scalable in case you want to grow it). Does this
- [GE undergoes another re-structure. Does it unlock a competitive advantage?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ge-undergoes-another-re-structure-does-it-unlock-a-competitive-advantage/) - GE has just announced plans to establish a new, independent company focused on building a comprehensive Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) software portfolio. The spun out company will "start with $1.2 billion in annual software revenue and an existing global industrial customer base. The company is intended to be a GE wholly-owned, independently run business
- [Help needed: IoT / OSS cross-over use cases](https://passionateaboutoss.com/help-needed-iot-oss-cross-over-use-cases/) - Hi PAOSS community. I'd like to call in a favour today if I may. I'm on the hunt for any existing use-cases and / or project sites that have integrated a significant sensor network into their OSS and existing operational processes. I'm trying to better understand the opportunities at the cross-over point of use-cases /
- [What to read from a simple little OSS job advertisement from AWS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-to-read-from-a-simple-little-oss-job-advertisement-from-aws/) - Not sure if you noticed, but AWS posted this job advertisement on LinkedIn a couple of days ago - Business Portfolio Leader – Telecom OSS/BSS Solutions. The advertisement includes the following text: "Amazon Web Services (AWS) is leading the next paradigm shift in computing and is looking for a world class candidate to manage an
- [How to kill the OSS RFP (part 4)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-kill-the-oss-rfp-part-4/) - This is the fourth, and final part (I think) in the series on killing the OSS RFI/RFP process, a process that suppliers and customers alike find to be inefficient. The concept is based on an initiative currently being investigated by TM Forum. The previous three posts focused on the importance of trusted partnerships and the
- [How to kill the OSS RFP (part 3)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-kill-the-oss-rfp-part-3/) - As the title suggests, this is the third in a series of articles spawned by TM Forum's initiative to investigate better procurement practices than using RFI / RFP processes. There's no doubt the RFI / RFP / contract model can be costly and time-consuming. To be honest, I feel the RFI / RFP process can
- [How to kill the OSS RFP (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-kill-the-oss-rfp-part-2/) - Yesterday's post discussed an initiative that TM Forum is currently investigating - trying to identify an alternate OSS procurement process to the traditional RFI/RFP/contract approach. It spoke about trusting partnerships being the (possibly) mythological key to killing off the RFP. Have you noticed how much fear there is going into any OSS procurement event? Fear
- [How to kill the OSS RFP](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-kill-the-oss-rfp/) - TM Forum is currently investigating ways to procure OSS without resorting to the current RFI / RFP approach. It has published the following survey results. . As it shows, the RFI / RFP isn't fit for purpose for suppliers and customers alike. It's not just the RFI/RFP process. We could extend this further and include
- [We all want to develop trusted OSS partnerships, so why does so much scepticism exist?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/we-all-want-to-develop-trusted-oss-partnerships-so-why-does-so-much-scepticism-exist/) - Every OSS supplier wants to achieve "trusted" status with their customers. Each supplier wants to be the source trusted to provide the best vision of the future for each customer. Similarly, each OSS customer wants a supplier they can trust and seek guidance from. I'm an independent consultant, so I have been lucky enough to
- [Why does everyone know an operator’s business better than the operator?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/why-does-everyone-know-an-operators-business-better-than-the-operator/) - The headline today blatantly steals from a post by William Webb. You can read his entire, brilliant post here. All quotes below are from the article. William's concept aligns quite closely with yesterday's article regarding external insights that don't quite marry up with the real situation faced by operators. "At the Great Telco Debate this
- [Where does Sam Walton think OSS customers are going to be?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/sam-waltons-prediction-for-oss/) - "Don't build where they are. Build where they're going to be." Sam Walton. Sounds like a persuasive argument and not dissimilar to Wayne Gretzky's famous quote about skating to where the ice hockey puck is going to be. Sam Walton had plenty of proof to back up this claim (as did Gretzky). Walton was after
- [The B/OSS banking ecosystem](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-banking-ecosystem/) - "One can envisage that future banks will run themselves general ledgers, treasury systems, product catalogues - other IT systems will be outsourced to specialized digital services providers. Most of interactions with customers, including CRM, electronic payments, sales channel support, and client reporting will form a part of external digital environment: Banks will deliver their products to
- [OSS answers that are simple but wrong vs complex but right](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-answers-that-are-simple-but-wrong-vs-complex-but-right/) - "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills..." John F Kennedy. Let's face it. The business of running a telco is complex.
- [The Theory of Evolution, OSS evolution](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-theory-of-evolution-oss-evolution/) - "Evolution says that biological change is a property of populations — that every individual is a trial run of an experimental combination of traits, and that at the end of the trial, you are done and discarded, and the only thing that matters is what aggregate collection of traits end up in the next generation.
- [Thump thump clap](https://passionateaboutoss.com/thump-thump-clap/) - I recently watched the film Bohemian Rhapsody about Freddy Mercury and the band Queen. The title of this blog refers to the sounds made by the band at the start of their song, "We Will Rock You." There was a scene in the movie showing the origins of Thump Thump Clap, with the band adding
- [The OSS proof-of-worth dilemma](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-proof-of-worth-dilemma/) - Earlier this week we posted an article describing Sutton's Law of OSS, which effectively tells us to go where the money is. The article suggested that in OSS we instead tend towards the exact opposite - the inverse-Sutton - we go to where the money isn't. Instead of robbing banks like Willie Sutton, we break
- [Sutton's Law of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/suttons-law-of-oss/) - Willie Sutton was an accomplished bank robber, particularly during the 1920s and 1930. Named after Willie, Sutton's Law effectively states, "I go to where the money is," which was supposedly Sutton's response to a reporter's question asking why he robbed banks instead of easier targets. Interestingly for the OSS industry, we seem to follow the
- [Cannibalisation intrigues me](https://passionateaboutoss.com/cannibalisation-intrigues-me/) - We've all heard the Kodak story. They invented digital cameras but stuck them in a drawer because it was going to cannibalise their dominant position in the photographic film revenue stream... eventually leading to bankruptcy. Swisscom invented an equivalent of WhatsApp years before WhatsApp came onto the market. It allowed users (only Swisscom users, not
- [The Jeff Bezos prediction for OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-jeff-bezos-prediction-for-oss/) - "If we start to focus on ourselves, instead of focusing on our customers, that will be the beginning of the end ... We have to try and delay that day for as long as possible." Jeff Bezos. Jeff Bezos recently predicted that Amazon is likely to fail and/or go bankrupt at some point in time,
- [The culture required to support Telkomsel's OSS/BSS transformation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-culture-required-to-support-telkomsels-oss-bss-transformation/) - Yesterday's post described the ways in which Telkomsel has strategically changed their value-chain to attract revenues with greater premiums than the traditional model of a telco. They've used a new digital core and an API framework to help facilitate their business model transformation. As promised yesterday, we'll take a slightly closer look at the culture
- [How OSS/BSS facilitated Telkomsel's structural revenue changes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-oss-bss-facilitated-telkomsels-structural-revenue-changes/) - The following two slides were presented by Monty Hong of Indonesia's Telkomsel at Digital Transformation Asia 2018 last week. They provide a fascinating insight into the changing landscape of comms revenues that providers are grappling with globally and the associated systems decisions that Telkomsel has made. The first shows the drastic declines in revenues from
- [Is OSS the future of OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-oss-the-future-of-oss/) - Don't worry. The title of this post isn't a typo, but I'll get to that shortly. I've just had an interesting day 2 at TM Forum's Digital Transformation Asia (https://dta.tmforum.org and #tmfdigitalasia ). The quality of presentations was again quite high with further thought-provoking ideas!! My favorite session for the day was a panel discussion
- [OSS that capture value, not just create it](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-that-capture-value-not-just-create-it/) - I've just had a really interesting first day at TM Forum's Digital Transformation Asia (https://dta.tmforum.org and #tmfdigitalasia ). The quality of presentations was quite high. Some great thought-provoking ideas!! Nik Willetts kicked off his keynote with the following quote, which I'm paraphrasing, "Telcos need to start capturing value, not just creating it as they have
- [CSP vs OTT](https://passionateaboutoss.com/csp-vs-ott/) - "Market leadership can translate directly to higher revenue, higher profitability, greater capital velocity, and correspondingly stronger returns on invested capital." Jeff Bezos. In yesterday's blog, we cited a report indicating that CSPs across the globe could lose up to $172 Billion in revenues from voice and messaging services. The implication is that OTT (Over the
- [The biggest OSS loser](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-biggest-oss-loser/) - "You are so much more likely to put effort into something when you know whether it will pay off and what the gains will be. Not knowing how things will turn out undermines your motivation and makes you delay taking action." Dr Theo Tsaousides in his book, Brainblocks. Have you seen the reality TV show,
- [Are telco services and SLAs no longer relevant?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-telco-services-and-slas-no-longer-relevant/) - I wonder if we're reaching the point where "telecommunication services" is no longer a relevant term? By association, SLAs are also a bust. But what are they replaced by? A telecommunication service used to effectively be the allocation of a carrier's resources for use by a specific customer. Now? Well, less so Service consumption channel
- [Is your data getting too heavy for your OSS to lift?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-data-getting-too-heavy-for-your-oss-to-lift/) - "Data mass is beginning to exhibit gravitational properties – it’s getting heavy – and eventually it will be too big to move." Guy Lupo in this article on TM Forum's Inform that also includes contributions from George Glass and Dawn Bushaus. Really interesting concept, and article, linked above. The touchpoint explosion is helping to make
- [Are you heading to Digital Transformation Asia (the new name for TM Forum Live Asia!)?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-you-heading-to-digital-transformation-asia-the-new-name-for-tm-forum-live-asia/) - DTA - TM Forum's Digital Transformation Asia event (https://dta.tmforum.org/) is almost upon us already. Held in Kuala Lumpur from 13-15 November, there are some really interesting looking talks on the agenda (https://dta.tmforum.org/agenda). I'm looking forward to being overwhelmed by the collective genius that is sure to be in attendance. Will you be making an appearance?
- [Does Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours apply to OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/does-malcolm-gladwells-10000-hours-apply-to-oss/) - You've probably all heard of Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule from his book, Outliers? In it he suggests that roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice makes an individual world-class in their field. But is 10,000 hours enough in the field of OSS? I look back to the year 2000, when I first started on OSS
- [Presence vs omni-presence and the green button of OSS design](https://passionateaboutoss.com/presence-vs-omnipresence-and-the-green-button-of-oss-design/) - In OSS there are some tasks that require availability (the green button on communicator). The Network Operations Centre (NOC) is one. But does it require on-site presence in the NOC? An earlier post showed how wrong I was about collaboration rooms. It seems that ticket flicking (and perhaps communication tools like slack) is the preferred
- [Intent to simplify our OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/intent-to-simplify-our-oss/) - The left-hand panel of the triptych below shows the current state of interactions with most OSS. There are hundreds of variants inbound via external sources (ie multi-channel) and even internal sources (eg different service types). Similarly, there are dozens of networks (and downstream systems), each with different interface models. Each needs different formatting and integration
- [Telco services that are bigger, faster, better and the OSS that supports that](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telco-services-that-are-bigger-faster-better-and-the-oss-that-supports-that/) - We all know of the tectonic shifts in the world of telco services, profitability and business models. One common trend is for telcos to offer pipes that are bigger and faster. Seems like a commoditising business model to me, but our OSS still need to support that. How? Through enabling efficiency at scale. Building tools,
- [Who are more valuable, OSS hoarders or teachers?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/who-are-more-valuable-oss-hoarders-or-teachers/) - Any long-term readers of this blog will have heard me talk about tripods, and how valuable they are to any OSS team. They're the people who know about IT, operations/networks and the business context within which they're working. They're the most valuable people I've worked with in the world of OSS because they're the ones
- [Introducing our OSS expert registry, for making connections in the OSS industry](https://passionateaboutoss.com/introducing-our-oss-expert-registry-for-making-connections-in-the-oss-industry/) - Here at Passionate About OSS, we're passionate about making OSS happen. We have an extensive network of contacts. We just naturally tend to find ourselves making connections between the many experts in our network. Connecting those who are hoping to find an OSS expert with an OSS expert hoping to be found. We've just introduced
- [OSS collaboration rooms. Getting to the coal-face](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-collaboration-rooms-getting-to-the-coal-face/) - A number of years ago I heard about an OSS product that introduced collaborative rooms for network operators to collectively solve challenging network health events. It was in line with some of my own thinking about the use of collaboration techniques to solve cross-domain or complex events. But the concept hasn't caught on in the
- [Are we better off waiting for OSS technology to catch up?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-we-better-off-waiting-for-oss-technology-to-catch-up/) - Yesterday's post discussed Dave Duggal's concept of 20th century OSS being all about centralizing command and control to gain efficiency through vertical integration and mass standardization, whilst 21st century OSS are about decentralization – gaining efficiency through horizontal integration of partner ecosystems and mass customization. We talked about transitioning from a telco market driven by
- [Extending the OSS beyond a customer's locus of control](https://passionateaboutoss.com/extending-the-oss-beyond-a-customers-locus-of-control/) - "While the 20th century was all about centralizing command and control to gain efficiency through vertical integration and mass standardization, 21st century automation is about decentralization – gaining efficiency through horizontal integration of partner ecosystems and mass customization, as in the context-aware cloud where personalized experience across channels is dynamically orchestrated. The operational challenge of
- [Pitching an OSS? Don't call it OSS.](https://passionateaboutoss.com/selling-oss-dont-call-it-oss/) - ""If you asked me how to sell cybersecurity, I wouldn't call it cybersecurity." The raw truth of the statement hit me like a lightning bolt between the eyes. Cybersecurity might loosely describe what we do, and we tell people it's what we're selling, but it's not what people buy. Safety. Assurance. Peace of mind. Confidence.
- [Would an EoL be beneficial for OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/would-an-eol-be-beneficial-for-oss/) - In the world of networking, it's common for devices to go EOL (end-of-life). Capital spend and depreciation models are based around refresh cycles of around 5-7 years. Vendors reinforce this refresh cycle by designing obsolescence into maintenance, support and part supplies. Customers tend to simply submit to the risk of having no vendor support by
- [The future of work and its impact on OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-future-of-work-and-its-impact-on-oss/) - Many years ago, I worked on a seriously big OSS transformation for one of the region's biggest telcos. Everything was big on the project, the investment, the resources, the documentation. Everything except the outcomes. There was so much inefficiency that I often spoke about making one day of progress for every ten on site. Meetings,
- [World's Best Practice in OSS*](https://passionateaboutoss.com/best-practice/) - When it comes to OSS projects, I’ve worked in a dozen countries and been involved in almost every role including: Chief Technical Officer Program / Project Manager Strategic Advisor External Consultant Enterprise Architect (across solutions including inventory, discovery, alarms, performance, provisioning, traffic engineering, line test management, service management, GIS / spatial tools, ticketing, service management,
- [OSS Road-itecture. Part-roadmap, part-architecture](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-road-itecture-part-roadmap-part-architecture/) - A post from earlier this week discussed a less risky, dependency-reduced, stepping-stone transformation approach. It contrasted with the big-bang delivery model that's often proposed on OSS projects. Taking the same train of thought, have you noticed how often architects (including myself) come up with an end-state view of what an OSS, or IT, or networks
- [OSS / BSS supplier list updated](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-supplier-list-updated/) - We've just added a bunch of additional suppliers to our OSS and BSS product / vendor list. There are now over 200 entries in the table. Check it out here: https://passionateaboutoss.com/vendors-products/ Who have we missed??
- [For fear of OSS investment](https://passionateaboutoss.com/for-the-fear-of-oss-investment/) - Friday's post discussed three analogies about the challenges of performing an OSS pivot. The biggest challenge in initiating the transformation / replacement of any significant OSS is fear. There are many OSS out there whose "owners" want to change and need to change... but fear changing because a significant pivot would mean a "sell the
- [Build an OSS and they will come... or sometimes not](https://passionateaboutoss.com/build-an-oss-and-they-will-come-or-sometimes-not/) - Build it and they will come. This is not always true for OSS. Let me recount a few examples. The project team is disconnected from the users - The team that's building the OSS in parallel to existing operations doesn't (or isn't able to) engage with the end users of the OSS. Once it comes
- [Falsely rewarding based on OSS existence rather than excellence](https://passionateaboutoss.com/falsely-rewarding-based-on-oss-existence-rather-than-excellence/) - There's a common belief that most jobs see people rewarded for presence rather than performance. That is, they're encouraged to be on site from 9am to 5pm rather than being given free reign over their work schedules as long as key outcomes are met / exceeded. In OSS vendor / product selection there's a similar
- [OSS automations - just because we can, doesn't mean we should](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-automations-just-because-we-can-doesnt-mean-we-should/) - Automation is about using machines / algorithms to respond faster than humans can, or more efficiently than humans can, or more accurately than humans can... but only if the outcomes justify the costs. When it comes to automations, it's a case of, "just because we can, doesn't mean we should." The more complex the decision
- [OSS project stalled? Cancel it](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-project-stalled-cancel-it/) - "When a project appears to be in limbo, in a permanent holding pattern, where sunk costs meet opportunity costs, where no one can figure out what to do… Cancel it. Cancel it with a week’s notice. One of two things will happen: A. A surge of support and innovation will arrive, and it won’t be
- [OSS implementation, but without the dependencies](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementation-but-without-the-dependencies/) - One of the challenges with getting a new OSS or OSS transformation project completed can be the large number of dependencies that can cause momentum gridlock. If you're looking to deliver business value in one big-bang, which is a really common approach to delivering OSS projects, then you end up juggling many different activities and
- [OSS that are profitable, difficult, or important?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-that-are-profitable-difficult-or-important/) - "Apple became the first company to be worth a trillion dollars. They did that by spending five years single-mindedly focusing on doing profitable work. They’ve consistently pushed themselves toward high margin luxury goods and avoided just about everything else. Belying their first two decades, when they focused on breakthrough work that was difficult and perhaps
- [If ONAP is the answer, what are the questions?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/if-onap-is-the-answer-what-are-the-questions/) - "ONAP provides a comprehensive platform for real-time, policy-driven orchestration and automation of physical and virtual network functions that will enable software, network, IT and cloud providers and developers to rapidly automate new services and support complete lifecycle management. By unifying member resources, ONAP is accelerating the development of a vibrant ecosystem around a globally shared
- [Optus selects Subex](https://passionateaboutoss.com/optus-selects-subex/) - Subex wins multi-million-dollar contract from Optus To deploy its ROC Network Asset Management solution. Subex, a telecom analytics solution provider, has won a multi-million-dollar contract with Optus, Australia to implement its ROC Network Asset Management solution. Optus is one of the largest telecom operators in Australia and a fully owned subsidiary of Singtel. They offer
- [VMware to acquire Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite](https://passionateaboutoss.com/vmware-to-acquire-dell-emc-service-assurance-suite/) - VMware to Acquire Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite. VMware, Inc. announced a definitive agreement to acquire the technology and team of Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite - software spanning network health, performance monitoring and root cause analysis for communications service providers (CSPs) and their customers - from Dell EMC. The addition of the Dell EMC
- [Celcom selects Huawei cloud OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/celcom-selects-huawei-cloud-oss/) - Celcom Partners with Huawei to Apply a Cloud-Based Platform for Digitized Network Operations. Celcom Axiata Berhad inked an agreement with Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. to apply the Cloud-based Digitized Operation Platform, Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. Celcom will be the first in the country to adopt a full suite cloud-based Operation Support Service
- [Very little OSS data is ever actually used](https://passionateaboutoss.com/very-little-oss-data-is-ever-actually-used/) - We keep shiploads of data in our OSS don't we? Just think about how much storage your OSS estate consumes. Technically, it doesn't cost much (relatively) to retain all that potential for insight generation with the cost of storage diminishing. The real cost of storing the data goes a little deeper than the $/Mb though.
- [Where are the reliability hotspots in your OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/where-are-the-reliability-hotspots-in-your-oss/) - As you already know, there are two categories of downtime - unplanned (eg failures) and planned (eg upgrades / maintenance). Planned downtime sounds a lot nicer (for operators) but the reality is that you could call both types "incidents" - they both impact (or potentially impact) the customer. We sometimes underestimate that fact. Today's question
- [Stop looking for exciting new features for your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/stop-looking-for-exciting-new-features-for-your-oss/) - "The iPhone disrupted the handset business, but has not disrupted the cellular network operators at all, though many people were convinced that it would. For all that’s changed, the same companies still have the same business model and the same customers that they did in 2006. Online flight booking doesn’t disrupt airlines much, but it
- [Chasing the big OSS waves](https://passionateaboutoss.com/chasing-the-big-oss-waves/) - The diagram below attempts to show how the entire market (whether that's the supplier-side or the buyer-side) will absorb a given new feature. The leaders pick up the concept at T0 and then it takes another few years before the laggards implement it. Most of us in the OSS implementation world crave to be at
- [Persona mapping for OSS PoCs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/persona-mapping-for-poc/) - When selecting new applications for an OSS or to augment an existing OSS, it always makes sense to me to run a Proof of Concept. But what do we want to demonstrate in that PoC? For me, we want to run demonstrations of the factors (eg features, use-cases, processes, etc) that justify the investment. A
- [OSS operationalisation at scale](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-operationalisation-at-scale/) - We had a highly flexible network design team at a previous company. Not because we wanted to necessarily, but because we were forced to by the client's allocation of work. Our team was largely based on casual workers because there was little to predict whether we needed 2 designers or 50 in any given week.
- [Shifting a problem to the left using OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/shift-left-using-oss/) - Interesting table below in relation to the customer satisfaction and costs of delivering various styles of customer assurance activities: Proactive Fix Self-help L1/2/3 Assurance Field Operations Customer Satisfaction Very High High Medium Low Expense Low Medium High Very High The ambition for any organisation is to perform a shift to the left on this table.
- [Ciena to acquire DonRiver](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ciena-to-acquire-donriver/) - Ciena announces intent to acquire DonRiver. Ciena Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held DonRiver, a global software and services company specializing in federated network and service inventory management solutions within the service provider Operational Support Systems (OSS) environment. DonRiver will bring new capabilities to Ciena’s Blue Planet software and services portfolio
- [Telstra hosts "OSS & Networks for the Future architecture" tomorrow](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telstra-hosts-oss-networks-for-the-future-architecture-tomorrow/) - I'm looking forward to dropping in on a "OSS & Networks for the Future architecture" seminar being hosted by Telstra tomorrow. Hope to see you there. The agenda is as follows: 8:30 Welcome & registration | Johanne Mayer - Moderator (Global evangelist NaaS 2020, Telstra) 9:00 Introduction | Gary Traver (Director Media Product Engineering, Telstra)
- [LG U+ (Korea) signs with Comarch](https://passionateaboutoss.com/lg-u-korea-signs-with-comarch/) - Comarch to Help Korean LG U+ to Launch One of the First 5G Networks Worldwide. Comarch and LG U+ have signed a major contract in a bid to completely revamp the Korean operator’s network resource and service management, covering Operations Support & Readiness, Fulfilment and Assurance domains, in preparation for the operator’s planned big scale
- [Ericsson to acquire CENX](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ericsson-to-acquire-cenx/) - Ericsson to acquire CENX to boost network automation capability. Ericsson has agreed to acquire 100 percent of the shares in CENX, boosting Ericsson’s Operations Support Systems (OSS) portfolio with vendor-agnostic service assurance and closed-loop automation capability. Ericsson has held a minority stake in CENX since 2012. Ericsson has a market leading position in NFV and
- [If your partners don't have to talk to you then you win](https://passionateaboutoss.com/if-your-partners-dont-contact-you-win/) - "If your partners don't have to talk to you then you win." Guy Lupo. Put another way, the best form of customer service is no customer service (ie your customers and/or partners are so delighted with your automated offerings that they have no reason to contact you). They don't want to contact you anyway (generally
- [The OSS self-driving vehicle](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-self-driving-vehicle/) - I was lucky enough to get some time of a friend recently, a friend who's running a machine-learning network assurance proof-of-concept (PoC). He's been really impressed with the results coming out of the PoC. However, one of the really interesting factors he's been finding is how frequently BAU (business as usual) changes in the OSS
- [Serving an Apprenticeship](https://passionateaboutoss.com/serving-an-apprenticeship/) - "The apprenticeship of difficulty is one which the greatest of men have had to serve." Samuel Smiles One of the mistakes most CSPs make when implementing a new OctopOSS is underestimating the time it takes for their operators to come up to speed with their new tools, particularly if they've never had an OSS before.
- [Your OSS Justice League](https://passionateaboutoss.com/your-oss-justice-league/) - Is it just me or has there been a proliferation of superhero movies coming out at cinemas lately? Not only that, but movies where teams of superheros link up to defeat the baddies (eg Deadpool 2, Justice League, etc)? The thing that strikes me as interesting is that there's rarely an overlap of super-powers within
- [Designing an Operational Domain Manager (ODM)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/designing-an-operational-domain-manager-odm/) - A couple of weeks ago, Telstra and the TM Forum held an event in Melbourne on OSS for next gen architectures. The diagram below comes from a presentation by Corey Clinger. It describes Telstra's Operational Domain Manager (ODM) model that is a key component of their Network as a Service (NaaS) framework. Notice the API
- [Security and privacy as an OSS afterthought?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/security-and-privacy-as-an-oss-afterthought/) - I often talk about OSS being an afterthought for network teams. I find that they'll often design the network before thinking about how they'll operationalise it with an OSS solution. That's both in terms of network products (eg developing a new device and only thinking about building the EMS later), or building networks themselves. It
- [The OSS Ferrari analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-ferrari-analogy/) - A friend and colleague has recently been talking about a Ferrari analogy on a security project we've been contributing to. The end customers have decided they want a Ferrari solution, a shiny new, super-specified new toy (or in this case toys!). There's just one problem though. The customer has a general understanding of what it
- [Optimisation Support Systems](https://passionateaboutoss.com/optimisation-support-systems/) - We've heard of OSS being an acronym for operational support systems, operations support systems, even open source software. I have a new one for you today - Optimisation Support Systems - that exists for no purpose other than to drive a mindset shift. "I think we have to transition from “expectations” in a hype sense
- [New OSS functionality or speed and scale?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/new-oss-functionality-or-speed-and-scale/) - We all know that revenue per bit (of data transferred across comms networks) is trending lower. How could we not? It's posited as one of the reasons for declining profitability of the industry. The challenge for telcos is how to engineer an environment of low revenue per bit but still be cost viable. I'm sure
- [An alternate way of slicing OSS projects](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-alternate-way-of-slicing-oss-projects/) - One of the biggest challenges of big bang OSS project implementations is that all of the business value (ie the OSS and its data, workflows, integrations, etc) gets delivered at once, normally at the end of a lengthy exercise. Ok, ok, so the delivery of value is not a challenge, it's the implications of a
- [Zero touch network & Service Management (ZSM)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zero-touch-network-service-management-zsm/) - Zero touch network & Service Management (ZSM) is a next-gen network management approach using closed-loop principles hosted by ETSI. An ETSI blog has just demonstrated the first ZSM Proof of Concept (PoC). The slide deck describing the PoC, supplied by EnterpriseWeb, can be found here. The diagram below shows a conceptual closed-loop assurance architecture used within
- [Just in time design](https://passionateaboutoss.com/just-in-time-design/) - It's interesting how we tend to go in cycles. Back in the early days of OSS, the network operators tended to build their OSS from the ground up. Then we went through a phase of using Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) OSS software developed by third-party vendors. We now seem to be cycling back towards in-house development,
- [Using risk reversal to design OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-risk-reversal-to-design-oss/) - There's a concept in sales called "risk reversal" that takes all of the customers' likely issues with a product and provides answers to alleviate customer concerns. I believe we can apply the same concept to OSS, not just to sell them, but to design them. To borrow from a risk register page here on PAOSS, the
- [Aggregated OSS buying models](https://passionateaboutoss.com/aggregated-oss-buying-models/) - Last week we discussed a sell-side co-op business model. Today we'll look at buy-side co-op models. In other industries, we hear of buying groups getting great deals through aggregated buying volumes. This is a little harder to achieve with products that are as uniquely customised as OSS. It's possible that OSS buy-side aggregation could occur
- [An OSS data creation brain-fade](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-data-creation-brain-fade/) - Many years ago, I made a data migration blunder that slowed a production OSS down to a crawl. Actually, less than a crawl. It almost became unusable. I was tasked with creating a production database of a carrier's entire network inventory, including data migration for a bunch of Nortel Passport ATM switches (yes, it was
- [Network slicing, another OSS activity](https://passionateaboutoss.com/network-slicing-another-oss-activity/) - "One business customer, for example, may require ultra-reliable services, whereas other business customers may need ultra-high-bandwidth communication or extremely low latency. The 5G network needs to be designed to be able to offer a different mix of capabilities to meet all these diverse requirements at the same time. From a functional point of view, the
- [The Pentagon creates a "Do Not Buy" list? Including OSS vendors?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-pentagon-creates-a-do-not-buy-list-including-oss-vendors/) - Pentagon Creates ‘Do Not Buy’ List of Russian, Chinese Software. The Pentagon is working on a software “do not buy” list to block vendors who use software code originating from Russia and China, a top Defense Department acquisitions official said on Friday. Apparently The The Pentagon started compiling the list about six months ago. Suspicious
- [The OSS co-op business model](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-co-op-business-model/) - "A co-operative is a member-owned business structure with at least five members, all of whom have equal voting rights regardless of their level of involvement or investment. All members are expected to help run the cooperative." Small Business WA. The co-op business model has fascinated me since doing some tech projects in the dairy industry
- [OSS, with drama, without drama. Your choice](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-with-drama-without-drama-your-choice/) - A recent blog from Seth Godin brought back some memories from a past project. "Two ways to solve a problem and provide a service. With drama. Make sure the customer knows just how hard you’re working, what extent you’re going to in order to serve. Make a big deal out of the special order, the
- [How an OSS is like an F1 car](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-an-oss-is-like-an-f1-car/) - A recent post discussed the challenge of getting a timeslice of operations people to help build the OSS. That post surmised, "as the old saying goes, you get back what you put in. In the case of OSS I’ve seen it time and again that operations need to contribute significantly to the implementation to ensure
- [Taking SMEs out of ops to build an OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/taking-smes-out-of-ops-to-build-an-oss/) - OSS are there to do just that - support operations. So as OSS implementers we have to do just that too. But as the old saying goes, you get back what you put in. In the case of OSS I've seen it time and again that operations need to contribute significantly to the implementation to
- [Orchestration looks a bit like provisioning](https://passionateaboutoss.com/orchestration-looks-a-bit-like-provisioning/) - The following is the result of a survey question posed by TM Forum: I'm not sure how the numbers tally, but conceptually the graph above paints an interesting perspective of why orchestration is important. The graph indicates the why. But in this case, for me, the why is the by-product of the how. The main
- [A defacto spatial manager](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-defacto-spatial-manager/) - Many years ago, I was lucky enough to lead a team responsible for designing a complex inside and outside plant network in a massive oil and gas precinct. It had over 120 buildings and more than 30 networked systems. We were tasked with using CAD (Computer Aided Design) and Office tools to design the comms
- [There is no differentiation left in out-bundling competitors](https://passionateaboutoss.com/there-is-no-differentiation-left-in-out-bundling-competitors/) - In 1998 Berkshire Hathaway acquired a reinsurance company called General Re. "The only significant staff change that followed the merger was the elimination of General Re's investment unit. Some 150 people had been in charge of deciding where to invest the company's funds; they were replaced with just one individual - Warren Buffett." Robert G.
- [Irby partners with Biarri Networks](https://passionateaboutoss.com/irby-partners-with-biarri-networks/) - Irby Announces Partnership with Biarri Networks. Irby, a subsidiary of Sonepar, announced an innovative partnership with Biarri Networks, global provider of OSP fiber optic network design software and services. Irby named Biarri Networks as its fiber optic design and engineering partner following an extensive selection process, with the key criteria being cultural fit, contribution to
- [Are OSS business tools or technical tools?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-oss-business-tools-or-technical-tools/) - I'd like to get your opinion on this question - are OSS business tools or technical tools? We can say that BSS are as the name implies - business support systems. We can say that NMS / EMS / NEMS are network management tools - technical tools. The OSS layer fits between those two layers
- [The 10 minute / 1 minute / 10 second Agile OSS challenge](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-10-minute-1-minute-10-second-oss-challenge/) - Compares the 10m/1m/10s drawing challenge to an Agile delivery model for OSS (Operations Support Systems). This can't end well !!
- [A rarely-used twist on cost-out OSS business cases](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-rarely-used-twist-on-cost-out-business-cases/) - How many OSS business cases have you seen that are built around cost reduction? Most of them?? Now let me ask the same question, but with one extra word included and see whether it completely inverts your answer. How many OSS business cases have you seen that are built on capital cost reduction? None of
- [Unexpected OSS indicators](https://passionateaboutoss.com/unexpected-oss-indicators/) - Yesterday's post talked about using customer contacts as a real-time proxy metric for friction in the business, which could also be a directional indicator for customer experience. That got me wondering what other proxy metrics might be used by to provide predictive indicators of what's happening in your network, OSS and/or BSS. Apparently, "Colt aims
- [Shooting the OSS messenger](https://passionateaboutoss.com/shooting-the-oss-messenger/) - NPS, or Net Promoter Score, has become commonly used in the telecoms industry in recent years. In effect, it is a metric that measures friction in the business. If NPS is high, the business runs more smoothly. Customers are happy with the service and want to buy more of it. They're happy with the service
- [Broadcom buys CA Technologies](https://passionateaboutoss.com/broadcom-buys-ca-technologies/) - Weirdest. Acquisition. Ever. Broadcom buys CA Technologies. Broadcom to Acquire CA Technologies for $18.9 Billion in Cash. Broadcom Inc., a semiconductor device supplier to the wired, wireless, enterprise storage, and industrial end markets, and CA Technologies, [a] provider of information technology (IT) management software and solutions, announced that the companies have entered into a definitive
- [The OSS Matrix - the blue or the red pill?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-matrix-past-present-and-future/) - OSS tend to be very good at presenting a current moment in time - the current configuration of the network, the health of the network, the activities underway. Some (but not all) tend to struggle to cope with other moments in time - past and future. Most have tools that project into the future for
- [The OSS Whale Curve](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-whale-curve/) - The diagram below shows what is known as The Whale Curve. It shows a graph of the relative profitability of each product in your product mix. From the book, "Waging War on Complexity Costs," by Steven A Wilson and Andrei Perumal. You might be wondering how a profitability graph could ever peak at over 100%.
- [Using gamification in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/gamification/) - "Gamification enables you to drive, measure, and reward high-value behaviors by customers or employees. Game mechanics leverage design and behavioral psychology principles inherent in today’s social games to drive and reward specific user behaviors in business environments. Smart gamification elements—such as points, achievements, levels, leaderboards, missions, and contests—can be employed to drive desired behaviors on
- [Front-loading with OSS auto-discovery](https://passionateaboutoss.com/front-loading-with-oss-auto-discovery/) - Yesterday's post discussed the merits of front-loading effort on knowledge transfer of new starters and automated testing, whilst acknowledging the challenges that often prevent that from happening. Today we look at the front-loading benefits of building OSS / network auto-discovery tools. We all know that OSS are only as good as the data we seed
- [The OSS breathing coach analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/your-oss-breathing-coach/) - "To paraphrase the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, resisting change is like trying to hold your breath – even if you’re successful, it won’t end well." Michael McQueen here. OSS is an interesting dichotomy. At one end of the scale, you have the breath holders - those who want the status quo to remain so
- [Market for orchestration to triple from 2018 to 2023... but...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/market-for-orchestration-to-triple-from-2018-to-2023-but/) - "CSPs’ needs in orchestration are evolving in parallel on several dimensions. These can be considered hierarchically. At the highest level is software that has an end-to-end service role, as is the case in the ONAP project. This software generally supports a service life-cycle perspective, containing functions from design and service creation, to provisioning and activation,
- [ONF executes new Strategic Plan](https://passionateaboutoss.com/onf-executes-new-strategic-plan/) - ONF Hits The Ground Running with Execution of New Strategic Plan. Providing an update to its previously announced strategic plan aimed at creating a robust supply chain for open source solutions for operators, the Open Networking Foundation (ONF) today announced key milestones achieved. The achievements include the formation of the Technical Leadership Team (TLT), finalization on the initial
- [3 categories of OSS investment justification](https://passionateaboutoss.com/3-categories-of-oss-investment-justification/) - "Insurer IAG has modelled the financial cost that a data breach or ransomware attack would have on its business, in part to understand how much proposed infosec investments might offset its losses. Head of cybersecurity and governance Ian Cameron told IBM Think 2018 in Sydney that the “value-at-risk modelling” project called upon the company’s actuarial
- [OSS stepping stone or wet cement](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-stepping-stone-or-wet-cement/) - “Very often, what is meant to be a stepping stone turns out to be a slab of wet cement that will harden around your foot if you do not take the next step soon enough.” Richelle E. Goodrich. Not sure about your parts of the world, but I've noticed the terms "tactical" (ie stepping stone
- [OSS compromise, no, prioritise](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-compromise-no-prioritise/) - On Friday, we talked about how making compromises on OSS can actually be a method for reducing risk. We used the OSS vendor selection process to discuss the point, where many stakeholders contribute to the list of requirements that help to select the best-fit product for the organisation. To continue with this same theme, I'd
- [OSS compromise, not compromised](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-compromise-not-compromised/) - "When you've got multiple powerful parties involved in a decision, compromise is unavoidable. The point is not that compromise is a necessary evil. Rather, compromise can be valuable in itself, because it demonstrates that you've made use of diverse opinions, which is a way of limiting risk." Chip and Dan Heath in their book, Decisive.
- [The OSS transformation dilemma](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-transformation-dilemma/) - There's a particular carrier that I know quite well that appears to despise a particular OSS vendor... but keeps coming back to them... and keeps getting let down by them... but keeps coming back to them. And I'm not just talking about support of their existing OSS, but whole new tools. It never made sense
- [Are we making our OSS lives easier?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-we-making-our-oss-lives-easier/) - As an implementer of OSS, what's the single factor that makes it challenging for us to deliver on any of the three constraints of project delivery? Complexity. Or put another way, variants. The more variants, the less chance we have of delivering on time, cost or functionality. So let me ask you, is our next
- [From PoC to OSS sandpit](https://passionateaboutoss.com/from-poc-to-oss-sandpit/) - You all know I'm a fan of training operators in OSS sandpits (and as apprenticeships during the build phase) rather than a week or two of classroom training at the end of a project. To reduce the re-work in building a sandpit environment, which will probably be a dev/test environment rather than a production environment,
- [Post Implementation Review (PIR)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/post-implementation-review-pir/) - Have you noticed that OSS projects need to go through extensive review to get funding of business cases? That makes sense. They tend to be a big investment after all. Many OSS projects fail, so we want to make sure this one doesn't and we perform thorough planing / due-diligence. But I do find it
- [OSS - just in time rather than just in case](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-just-in-time-rather-than-just-in-case/) - We all know that once installed, OSS tend to stay in place for many years. Too much effort to air-lift in. Too much effort to air-lift back out, especially if tightly integrated over time. The monolithic COTS (off-the-shelf) tools of the past would generally be commissioned and customised during the initial implementation project, with occasional
- [Would you ever alarm your lab equipment?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/would-you-ever-alarm-your-lab-equipment/) - Something curious dawned on me the other day - I wondered how many people / organisations actively manage alarms / alerts being generated by their lab equipment? At first glance, this would seem silly. Lab environments are in constant flux, in all sorts of semi-configured situations, and therefore likely to be alarming their heads off
- [The OSS MoSCoW requirement prioritisation technique](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-moscow-requirement-prioritisation-technique/) - Since the soccer World Cup is currently taking place in Russia, I thought I'd include reference to the MoSCoW technique in today's blog. It could be used as part of your vendor selection processes for the purpose of OSS requirement prioritisation. "The term MoSCoW itself is an acronym derived from the first letter of each
- [The OSS dart-board analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-dart-board-analogy/) - "The dartboard, by contrast, is not remotely logical, but is somehow brilliant. The 20 sector sits between the dismal scores of five and one. Most players aim for the triple-20, because that's what professionals do. However, for all but the best darts players, this is a mistake. If you are not very good at darts,
- [The OSS farm equipment analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-farm-equipment-analogy/) - It's an interesting season as we come up to the EOFY (end of financial year - on 30 June). Budget cycles are coming to an end. At organisations that don't carry un-spent budgets into the next financial year, the looming EOFY triggers a use-it-or-lose-it mindset. In some cases, organisations are almost forced to allocate funds
- [Microsoft to acquire GitHub](https://passionateaboutoss.com/microsoft-to-acquire-github/) - Microsoft to acquire GitHub for $7.5 billion. Microsoft Corp. announced it has reached an agreement to acquire GitHub, the world’s leading software development platform where more than 28 million developers learn, share and collaborate to create the future. Together, the two companies will empower developers to achieve more at every stage of the development lifecycle,
- [Did we forget the OSS operating model?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/did-we-forget-the-oss-operating-model/) - When we have a big OSS transformation to undertake, we tend to start with the use cases / requirements, work our way through the technical solution and build up an implementation plan before delivering it (yes, I've heavily reduced the real number of steps there!). However, we sometimes overlook the organisational change management part. That's
- [1.045 Trillion reasons to re-consider your OSS strategy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/1-045-trillion-reasons-to-re-consider-your-oss-strategy/) - "The global Internet of Things (IoT) market will be worth $1.1 trillion in revenue by 2025 as market value shifts from connectivity to platforms, applications and services. By that point, there will be more than 25 billion IoT connections (cellular and non-cellular), driven largely by growth in the industrial IoT market. The Asia Pacific region
- [The paint the fence automation analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-paint-the-fence-automation-analogy/) - There are so many actions that could be automated by / with / in our OSS. It can be hard to know where to start can't it? One approach is to look at where the largest amounts of manual effort is being expended by operators. Another way is to employ the "paint the fence" analogy.
- [How economies of unscale change the OSS landscape](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-economies-of-unscale-change-the-oss-landscape/) - "For more than a century, economies of scale made the corporation an ideal engine of business. But now, a flurry of important new technologies, accelerated by artificial intelligence (AI), is turning economies of scale inside out. Business in the century ahead will be driven by economies of unscale, in which the traditional competitive advantages of
- [HPE buys Plexxi](https://passionateaboutoss.com/hpe-buys-plexxi/) - HPE to Acquire Plexxi. Ric Lewis of HPE writes in his blog... "Our customers live in a hybrid world, running a mix of workloads on traditional IT, as well as private, managed and public clouds. They need to be able to move at cloud-like speed, regardless of where the data lives. HPE is focused on
- [Verizon to move 1,000+ apps to AWS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/verizon-to-move-1000-apps-to-aws/) - Verizon is migrating over 1,000 business-critical applications and database backend systems to AWS. Courtesy of Businesswire. Amazon Web Services announced that Verizon Communications has selected AWS as its preferred public cloud provider. Verizon is migrating over 1,000 business-critical applications and database backend systems to AWS, several of which also include the migration of production databases
- [Oracle buys DataScience.com](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oracle-buys-datascience-com/) - Oracle Buys DataScience.com. Oracle announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire DataScience.com, whose platform centralizes data science tools, projects and infrastructure in a fully-governed workspace. Data science teams use the platform to organize work, easily access data and computing resources, and execute end-to-end model development workflows. Leading organizations like Amgen, Rio Tinto, and
- [SK Telecom to provide blockchain-based asset management service](https://passionateaboutoss.com/sk-telecom-to-provide-blockchain-based-asset-management-service/) - SKT to provide blockchain-based asset management service Courtesy of the Korea Herald. SK Telecom will provide an asset management service by using blockchain technologies within this year, and build a platform that will help match blockchain startups with investors for growth of the techs and related industry, the mobile carrier’s blockchain unit head said Tuesday.
- [KCOM partners with Amdocs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/kcom-partners-with-amdocs/) - Amdocs to provide KCOM with a service delivery platform offering capabilities for next generation networks including flexible bandwidth, time-bound bandwidth and SD-WAN services. Amdocs announced that KCOM, a leading provider of communications, applications and integration services to the UK enterprise and consumer market, has selected an Amdocs service delivery platform to enhance its new next
- [Vivo expands with Netcracker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/vivo-expands-with-netcracker/) - Vivo Expands Netcracker's Service Management as Part of Large-Scale Digital Transformation. Netcracker Technology announced that Vivo, Telefónica Group’s Brazilian subsidiary, has upgraded and expanded its use of Netcracker’s Service Management solution. The solution will help Vivo standardize provisioning and activation for all B2B and B2C mobile services. Vivo is the leading communications service provider in
- [Telefónica Spain transforms DCs with Nuage](https://passionateaboutoss.com/telefonica-spain-transforms-dcs-with-nuage/) - Telefónica Spain transforms its data centers with Nokia high-performance routing and Nuage Networks Virtualized Cloud Services. Nokia and its venture focused on software-defined networking (SDN), Nuage Networks, are partnering with Telefónica Spain to build an open, elastic and highly secure data center network infrastructure, dramatically expanding the agility, scale and efficiency of its cloud-based services.
- [Vertel launches Nuage SD-WAN](https://passionateaboutoss.com/vertel-launches-nuage-sd-wan/) - Vertel launches SD-WAN services from Nuage Networks to organizations across Australia. Vertel and Nuage Networks, Nokia's software defined network (SDN) venture, will work together to launch software defined WAN (SD-WAN) services for Vertel's government, enterprise and service provider customers in July this year. Once deployed, Vertel will be one of the first providers in Australia
- [OSS / BSS security getting a little cloudy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-security-getting-a-little-cloudy/) - "Many systems are moving beyond simple virtualization and are being run on dynamic private or even public clouds. CSPs will migrate many to hybrid clouds because of concerns about data security and regulations on where data are stored and processed. We believe that over the next 15 years, nearly all software systems will migrate to
- [A new phenomenon for IT](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-new-phenomenon-for-it/) - “In the past, business-oriented groups have had ideas about what they want to do and then they come to us… Now, they want to know what technology can bring to the table and then they’ll work on the business plan. So there’s a big gap here. It’s a phenomenon that’s been happening in the last
- [Dematerialisation of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/dematerialisation-of-oss/) - "In 1972, the Club of Rome in its report The Limits to Growth predicted a steadily increasing demand for material as both economies and populations grew. The report predicted that continually increasing resource demand would eventually lead to an abrupt economic collapse. Studies on material use and economic growth show instead that society is gaining
- [Vulnerability in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/vulnerability-in-oss/) - "All over the world - from America's National Football League (NFL) to the National Basketball Association (NBA), from our own AFL to NRL - athletes and coaches are cultivating club cultures in which tales of personal hardship and woe are welcome, even desirable. All are clamouring to embrace the biggest buzzword in professional sport: vulnerability.
- [OSS, the great multipliers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-the-great-multipliers/) - "Skills multiply labors by two, five, 10, 50, 100 times. You can chop a tree down with a hammer, but it takes about 30 days. That’s called labor. But if you trade the hammer in for an ax, you can chop the tree down in about 30 minutes. What's the difference in 30 days and
- [DANOS a Unified Network Operating System](https://passionateaboutoss.com/danos-a-unified-network-operating-system/) - The Linux Foundation Hosts ‘DANOS’ Project, a Unified Network Operating System. The Linux Foundation announced the Disaggregated Network Operating System (DANOS) project to enable community collaboration across network hardware, forwarding and operating system layers. DANOS is initially based on AT&T’s “dNOS” software framework of an open, cost-effective and flexible alternative to traditional networking operating systems. As
- [DGIT Systems acquires Inomial](https://passionateaboutoss.com/dgit-systems-acquires-inomial/) - DGIT Systems acquires billing systems vendor Inomial. DGIT Systems announced the acquisition of Inomial Pty Ltd. Inomial Pty Ltd is a Billing Systems Vendor with a strong customer base predominantly located in the Asia Pacific region. “Inomial’s suite of billing related products complement DGITs award winning Telflow Service Delivery Platform”, Greg Tilton CEO DGIT Systems
- [What if every OSS project was a stretch goal?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-if-every-oss-project-was-a-stretch-goal/) - What if the objectives of every large OSS project were actually perceived as a stretch goal by internal and external stakeholders of the project? Sim Sitkin, et al describe a stretch goal as, "We’re not talking about merely challenging goals. We’re talking about management moon shots—goals that appear unattainable given current practices, skills, and knowledge."
- [Getting lost in the flow of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/getting-lost-in-the-flow-of-oss/) - "The myth is that people play games because they want to avoid challenging work. The reality is, people play games to engage in well-designed, challenging work. The only thing they are avoiding is poorly designed work. In essence, we are replacing poorly designed work with work that provides a more meaningful challenge and offers a
- [Further rebukes for Trump and ZTE](https://passionateaboutoss.com/further-rebukes-for-trump-and-zte/) - First ZTE was banned, then given a lifeline by President Trump, but then Trump has also been rebuked. "The House Appropriations Committee unanimously accepted an amendment to an appropriations bill on Thursday that reinforces sanctions against Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, a rebuke to President Trump, who earlier this week tweeted support for the company." reported
- [AT&T, SKT and Intel to Launch a New Open Infrastructure Project, Airship](https://passionateaboutoss.com/att-skt-and-intel-to-launch-a-new-open-infrastructure-project-airship/) - AT&T Working With SKT and Intel to Launch a New Open Infrastructure Project, Airship. As part of our ongoing commitment to open and collaborative innovation, we’re working with SKT, Intel Corporation and the OpenStack Foundation to launch a new open infrastructure project called Airship. This project builds on the foundation laid by the OpenStack-Helm project launched in
- [Reducing the lumps with OSS services](https://passionateaboutoss.com/reducing-the-lumps-with-oss-services/) - As promised in yesterday's post about lumpy revenues for OSS product companies, today we’ll discuss OSS professional services revenues and the contrasting mindset compared with products. Professional services revenues are a great way of smoothing out the lumpy revenue streams of traditional OSS product companies. There's just one problem though. Of all the vendors I've
- [It's all a bit lumpy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/its-all-a-bit-lumpy/) - Being an OSS product supplier to telecom operators is a tough business. There is a constant stream of outgoings on developer costs, cost of sale, general overheads, etc. Unfortunately revenue streams are rarely so smooth. In fact, they tend to be decidedly lumpy - unpredictable (in terms of timelines when forecasting inflows years in advance)
- [Sigma Systems signs with Telkomsel](https://passionateaboutoss.com/sigma-systems-signs-with-telkomsel/) - Sigma Systems Supports Telkomsel in Building a Digital Indonesia. Sigma Systems, announced a major deal with Indonesia’s leading mobile network operator, Telkomsel. With more than 190 million customers, Telkomsel is currently the largest mobile operator in Indonesia. Telkomsel has consistently implemented the latest mobile technology and was the first to commercially launch 4G LTE mobile
- [Being an OSS map-maker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/being-an-oss-map-maker/) - "Each problem that I solved became a rule, which served afterwards to solve other problems.” Rene Descartes. On a recent project, I spent quite a lot of time thinking in terms of problem statements, then mapping them into solutions that could be broken down for assignment to lots of delivery teams - feeding their Agile
- [An OSS automation mind-flip](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-automation-mind-flip/) - I recently had something of a perspective-flip moment in relation to automation within the realm of OSS. In the past, I've tended to tackle the automation challenge from the perspective of applying automated / scripted responses to tasks that are done manually via the OSS. But it's dawned on me that I have it around
- [What an OSS shouldn't do](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-an-oss-shouldnt-do/) - "Being selective — doing less — is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest." Tim Ferriss. When speaking with a great friend of mine today, Eddie, I came to the startling realisation that in nearly 700 blog posts, I have forgotten to speak about a major misgiving that
- [Broader vs Deeper](https://passionateaboutoss.com/broader-vs-deeper/) - "The only real life is the collective life of the race; individual life has no existence except as an abstraction." Auguste Comte. Starting with the network layer, each step up the management hierarchy gives a shallower representation of device data, but a broader view of device connectivity. Or as described in an earlier post entitled
- [ZTE lifeline from Trump?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zte-lifeline-from-trump/) - News last week of ZTE ceasing major operations due to US embargoes have taken another turn. President Trump has now tweeted,"President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed
- [ZTE stops operating activities and suspends trading](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zte-stops-operating-activities-and-suspends-trading/) - As a result of an export denial order by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), ZTE has opted to cease all major operating activities and trading of shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The ban on ZTE comes as a result of selling products to Iran. It prevents ZTE
- [How to run an OSS PoC](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-run-an-oss-poc/) - This is the third in a series describing the process of finding the right OSS solution for your specific needs and getting estimated pricing to help you build a business case. The first post described the overall OSS selection process we use. The second described the way we poll the market and prepare a short-list
- [How to identify a short-list of best-fit OSS suppliers for you](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-to-identify-a-short-list-of-best-fit-oss-suppliers-for-you/) - In yesterday's post, we talked about how to estimate OSS pricing. One of the key pillars of the approach was to first identify a short-list of vendors / integrators best-suited to implementing your specific OSS, then working closely with them to construct a pricing model. Finding the right vendor / integrator can be a complex
- [Bouygues Telecom extends with Netcracker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/bouygues-telecom-extends-with-netcracker/) - Bouygues Telecom Selects Netcracker's Revenue Management Solution in its Drive Toward Convergence. Netcracker Technology announced that the French operator Bouygues Telecom has extended its use of Netcracker’s Revenue Management solution. Bouygues Telecom already uses Netcracker’s solution for its mobile subscribers and plans to use the platform for fixed-line subscribers in Fall 2018. As part of
- [Nokia acquires SpaceTime Insight](https://passionateaboutoss.com/nokia-acquires-spacetime-insight/) - Nokia acquires SpaceTime Insight to expand its IoT software portfolio and accelerate vertical application development. Nokia has acquired SpaceTime Insight to expand its Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio and IoT analytics capabilities, and accelerate the development of new IoT applications for key vertical markets. Based in San Mateo, California, with offices in the U.S., Canada,
- [Getting a price estimate for your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/getting-a-price-estimate-for-your-oss/) - "Sometimes a simple question deserves a simple answer: “A piece of string is twice as long as half its length”. This is a brilliant answer… if you have its length... Without a strategy, how do you know if it is successful? It might be prettier, but is it solving a define business problem, saving or
- [Using OSS/BSS to steer the ship](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-oss-bss-to-steer-the-ship/) - For network operators, our OSS and BSS touch most parts of the business. The network, and the services they carry, are core business so a majority of business units will be contributing to that core business. As such, our OSS and BSS provide many of the metrics used by those business units. This is a
- [Suck in the knowledge](https://passionateaboutoss.com/suck-in-the-knowledge/) - OSS play a part in many activities within CSP environments. Some of those activities are common, some rare, and others still require a large dose of human decision interactions. However, most of those activities will have been done before, more or less. This should mean that OSS have seen it all before (more or less).
- [Positive Psychology](https://passionateaboutoss.com/positive-psychology/) - "The worst times can be the best if you think with positive energy" Domenico Dolce OctopOSS projects can be highly stressful workplaces, especially as "dreadlines" approach. To exacerbate this further, it is common for the OSS project team (particularly the vendor's implementation team) to comprise of many members who are working away from home and
- [Operator involvement on OSS projects](https://passionateaboutoss.com/operator-involvement-on-oss-projects/) - "You cannot simply have your end users give some specifications then leave while you attempt to build your new system. They need to be involved throughout the process. Ultimately, it is their tool to use." José Manuel De Arce here. As an OSS consultant and implementer, I couldn't agree more with José's quote above. José,
- [Have I got an OSS deal for you!?!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/have-i-got-an-oss-deal-for-you/) - Tending to be a low-volume, high-customisation, high-uniqueness product, OSS has a significantly different selling proposition than most "box drop" products. Can you imagine if OSS salespeople used any of these "great deal" propositions (as described by Gary Halbert)? "I'm going out of business." "I just had a fire and I'm having a fire sale." "I'm
- [Orange Luxembourg contracts Comarch](https://passionateaboutoss.com/orange-luxembourg-contracts-comarch/) - Orange Luxembourg contracts Comarch for complete BSS overhaul. Comarch, announced that Orange Luxembourg selected Comarch BSS products to improve billing and customer management processes. The solution covers Orange mobile prepaid and postpaid services (voice and data), the “Orange Love” offer (internet, TV, VoIP, and mobile) as well as cloud and third party services in Luxembourg.
- [Etisalat Selects NEC / Netcracker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/etisalat-selects-nec-netcracker/) - Etisalat Selects NEC and Netcracker as Prime Integrator for its NFV Infrastructure Platform to Advance its Telecom Cloud Program. NEC Corporation and Netcracker Technology announced that Etisalat has selected NEC/Netcracker as the prime solution provider for its multivendor telecom cloud program. NEC/Netcracker will provide systems integration services, operational tools, NFV orchestration and full automation in
- [Netcracker extends Billing and CRM with Charter](https://passionateaboutoss.com/netcracker-extends-billing-and-crm-with-charter/) - Netcracker Extends Billing and CRM Relationship With Charter. Netcracker Technology announced that Charter Communications has executed a long-term extension of its BSS and professional services relationship with Netcracker as part of its large-scale standardization program. Charter, the second largest cable service provider in the United States which operates under the Spectrum brand, provides services to
- [Amdocs and Microsoft enable ONAP on Azure](https://passionateaboutoss.com/amdocs-and-microsoft-enable-onap-on-azure/) - Amdocs collaborates with Microsoft to enable ONAP on Microsoft Azure. Amdocs announced its implementation of Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. This new development enables operators to deliver virtual network services running on Azure, orchestrated and managed using ONAP. Amdocs and Microsoft will show how operators can gain the time-to-market
- [Tele2 Netherlands deploys Nokia Cognitive Analytics](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tele2-netherlands-deploys-nokia-cognitive-analytics/) - Tele2 Netherlands deploys Nokia Cognitive Analytics real-time software to consistently deliver a superior customer experience. Nokia Traffica is helping Tele2 Netherlands deliver a superior real-time subscriber experience on its mobile network by more quickly and accurately identifying and resolving service issues and improving network quality. Nokia Traffica software is part of the Nokia Cognitive Analytics
- [Nokia / Nuage selected by China Mobile](https://passionateaboutoss.com/nokia-nuage-selected-by-china-mobile/) - Nokia selected by China Mobile to build advanced public/private cloud services infrastructure using Nuage Networks VSP. Nokia's Nuage Networks has been chosen by China Mobile (Suzhou) Software Technical Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Mobile, as the SDN platform for China Mobile's public and private enterprise cloud services offering. The platform is based on the
- [PCCW Global and Colt demonstrate payment settlements using blockchain](https://passionateaboutoss.com/pccw-global-and-colt-demonstrate-payment-settlements-using-blockchain/) - PCCW Global and Colt demonstrate speedy payment settlements using blockchain technology. PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider, and Colt Technology Services have collaborated with Clear, a blockchain start-up company, to demonstrate that inter-carrier settlement times can be reduced from hours to minutes by blockchain technology. The objective
- [Fortumo partners with Apigate in Cambodia](https://passionateaboutoss.com/fortumo-partners-with-apigate-in-cambodia/) - Fortumo partners with Apigate to launch content services in Cambodia. Fortumo and Apigate, a subsidiary of Axiata Digital, announced their latest collaboration to launch content services in Cambodia via Smart Axiata’s Direct Carrier Billing API. This collaboration will enable Smart’s subscribers to make payments in app stores for digital content and games by conveniently charging
- [Are today's platform benefits tomorrow's constraints?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-todays-platform-benefits-tomorrows-constraints/) - One of the challenges facing OSS / BSS product designers is which platform/s to tie the roadmap to. Let's use a couple of examples. In the past, most outside plant (OSP) designs were done in AutoCAD, so it made sense to build OSP design tools around AutoCAD. However in making that choice, the OSP developer
- [Powerful ranking systems with hidden variables](https://passionateaboutoss.com/powerful-ranking-systems-with-hidden-variables/) - "There are ratings and rankings that ostensibly exist to give us information (and we are supposed to use that information to change our behavior). But if we don't know what variables matter, how is it supposed to be useful? Just because it can be easily measured with two digits doesn't mean that it's accurate, important
- [Training network engineers to code, not vice versa](https://passionateaboutoss.com/training-network-engineers-to-code-not-vice-versa/) - Did any of you read the Light Reading link in yesterday's post about Google creating automated network operations services? If you haven't, it's well worth a read. If you did, then you may've also noticed a reference to Finland's Elisa selling its automation smarts to other telcos. This is another interesting business model disruption for
- [Merkator acquires NetworkMining](https://passionateaboutoss.com/merkator-acquires-networkmining/) - Merkator acquires NetworkMining. Merkator nv/sa, a geospatial asset management solution provider, announced the acquisition of NetworkMining nv/sa, an independent supplier of IP & Optical Network Mediation Software for Communication Service Providers & Utilities. For more than a decade, NetworkMining has been recognized as a specialist in IP/optical mediation and inventory software and as such will
- [Is service personalisation the answer?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-service-personalisation-the-answer/) - "The actions taken by the telecom industry have mostly been around cost cutting, both in terms of opex and capex, and that has not resulted in breaking the curve. Too few activities has been centered around revenue growth, such as focused activities in personalization, customer experience, segmentation, targeted offerings that become part of or drive
- [More places for the bad guys to hide?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/more-places-for-the-bad-guys-to-hide/) - Just wondering - do you think there would be any correlation between the number of fall-outs through an OSS/BSS stack and the level of security on a network? In theory, they are quite separate. NetOps and SecOps are usually completely separate units, use different thinking models, don't rely on common tools (apart from the network
- [Networks lead. OSS are an afterthought. Time for a change?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/networks-lead-oss-are-an-afterthought-time-for-a-change/) - In a recent post, we described how changing conditions in networks (eg topologies, technologies, etc) cause us to reconsider our OSS. Networks always lead and OSS (or any form of network management including EMS/NMS) is always an afterthought. Often a distant afterthought. But what if we spun this around? What if OSS initiated change in
- [A purple cow in our OSS paddock](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-purple-cow-in-our-oss-paddock/) - A few years ago, I read a book that had a big impact on the way I thought about OSS and OSS product development. Funnily enough, the book had nothing to do with OSS or product development. It was a book about marketing - a subject that I wasn't very familiar with at the time,
- [Designing OSS to cope with greater transience (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/designing-oss-to-cope-with-greater-transience-part-2/) - This is the second episode discussing the significant change to OSS thinking caused by modern network models. Yesterday's post discussed how there has been a paradigm shift from static networks (think PDH) to dynamic / transient networks (think SDN/NFV) and that OSS are faced with a similar paradigm shift in how they manage modern network
- [Designing OSS to cope with greater transience](https://passionateaboutoss.com/designing-oss-to-cope-with-greater-transience/) - "There are three broad models of networking in use today. The first is the adaptive model where devices exchange peer information to discover routes and destinations. This is how IP networks, including the Internet, work. The second is the static model where destinations and pathways (routes) are explicitly defined in a tabular way, and the
- [Which OSS tool model do you prefer - Abstract or Specific?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/which-oss-tool-model-do-you-prefer-abstract-or-specific/) - There's something I've noticed about OSS products - they are either designed to be abstract / flexible or they are designed to cater for specific technologies / topologies. When designed from the abstract perspective, the tools are built around generic core data models. For example, whether a virtual / logical device, a physical device, a
- [An OSS conundrum with many perspectives](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-conundrum-with-many-perspectives/) - "Even aside from the OSS impact, it illustrates the contrast between "bottom-up" planning of networks (new card X is cheaper/has more ports) and "top down" (what do we need to change to reduce our costs/increase capacity)." Robert Curran. Robert's quote above is in response to a post called "Trickle-down impact planning." Robert makes a really
- [An embarrassing experience on an overseas OSS project](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-embarrassing-experience-on-an-overseas-oss-project/) - The video below has been doing the rounds on LinkedIn lately. What is your key takeaway from the video? Most would say the perfection, but for me, the perfection was a result of the hand-offs, which were almost immediate and precise, putting team-mates into better position. The final shot didn't need the brilliance of a
- [Designing an OSS from NFRs backwards](https://passionateaboutoss.com/designing-an-oss-from-nfrs-backwards/) - When we're preparing a design (or capturing requirements) for a new or updated OSS, I suspect most of us design with functional requirements (FRs) in mind. That is, our first line of thinking is on the shiny new features or system behaviours we have to implement. But what if we were to flip this completely?
- [Assuming the other person can’t come up with the answer](https://passionateaboutoss.com/assuming-the-other-person-cant-come-up-with-the-answer/) - Just a quick word of warning. This blog starts off away from OSS, but please persevere. It ends up back with a couple of key OSS learnings. Long ago in the technology consulting game, I came to an important realisation. When arriving on a fresh new client site, chances are that many of the "easy
- [I will never understand...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/i-will-never-understand/) - "I will never understand why Advertising is an investment and customer service is a cost. Let's spend millions trying to reach people, but if they try to reach us, make our contact details impossible to find, incentivise call center workers to hang up as fast as possible or ideally outsource it to a bot. It's
- [When your ideas get stolen](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-your-ideas-get-stolen/) - When your ideas get stolen. A few meditations from Seth Godin: "Good for you. Isn't it better that your ideas are worth stealing? What would happen if you worked all that time, created that book or that movie or that concept and no one wanted to riff on it, expand it or run with it?
- [Re-writing the Sales vs Networks cultural divide](https://passionateaboutoss.com/re-writing-the-sales-vs-networks-cultural-divide/) - "Brand, marketing, pricing and sales were seen as sexy. Networks and IT were the geeks no one seemed to speak to or care about. … This isolation and excommunication of our technical team had created an environment of disillusion. If you wanted something done the answer was mostly ‘No – we have no budget and
- [Does the death of ATM bear comparison with telco-grade open-source OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/does-the-death-of-atm-bear-analogies-with-telco-grade-open-source-oss/) - Hands up if you're old enough to remember ATM here? And I don't mean the type of ATM that sits on the side of a building dispensing cash - no I mean Asynchronous Transfer Mode. For those who aren't familiar with ATM, a little background. ATM was THE telco-grade packet-switching technology of choice for most
- [Blown away by one innovation. Now to extend on it](https://passionateaboutoss.com/blown-away-by-one-innovation-now-to-extend-on-it/) - Our most recent two posts, from yesterday and Friday, have talked about one stunningly simple idea that helps to overcome one of OSS' biggest challenges - data quality. Those posts have stimulated quite a bit of dialogue and it seems there is some consensus about the cleverness of the idea. I don't know if the
- [Is your data AI-ready (part 2)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/is-your-data-ai-ready-part-2/) - Further to yesterday's post that posed the question about whether your data was AI ready for virtualised network assurance use cases, I thought I'd raise a few more notes. The two reasons posed were: Our data sets haven't had time to collect much elastic / dynamic network data yet Our data is riddled with human-generated
- [Touchpoint explosion](https://passionateaboutoss.com/touchpoint-explosion/) - "Machine learning is the science of getting computers to act without being explicitly programmed. In the past decade, machine learning has given us self-driving cars, practical speech recognition, effective web search, and a vastly improved understanding of the human genome." Class synopsis for Stanford's Machine Learning course on Coursera. In a recent post, we discussed
- [Digital Transformation World, the new name for TM Forum Live!](https://passionateaboutoss.com/digital-transformation-world-the-new-name-for-tm-forum-live/) - It's only recently dawned on me that TM Forum Live! has a new website and a new name. It's now called Digital Transformation World. Time has flown. It's already less than two months until the event (14-16 May 2018 in Nice, France). Catalyst day is on the 17th. Registrations can already be made... at this
- [Drinking from the OSS firehose](https://passionateaboutoss.com/drinking-from-the-oss-firehose/) - "Most people know what they want, but don’t know how to get it. When you don’t know the next step, you procrastinate or feel lost. But a little research can turn a vague desire into specific actions. For example: When musicians say, “I need a booking agent”, I ask, “Which one? What’s their name?” You
- [Gartner Magic Quadrant for OSS Feb 2018](https://passionateaboutoss.com/gartner-magic-quadrant-for-oss-feb-2018/) - The latest Magic Quadrant for Operations Support Systems is as follows: Source: Gartner (February 2018)
- [After the boys of OSS have gone](https://passionateaboutoss.com/after-the-boys-of-oss-have-gone/) - Something has always bothered me about the medical profession. Whenever you visit a GP (General Practitioner), unless you need to come back for test results or ongoing treatment, the doctor never finds out if their diagnoses / prescriptions have been effective. In my experience at least, they don't call to see whether there were any
- [Overcoming the multi-faceted OSS expertise conundrum](https://passionateaboutoss.com/overcoming-the-multi-faceted-expertise-conundrum/) - How many times have you heard a colleague say they wish they could clone themselves (or one of their trusted colleagues)? Alternatively, to say they'd like to do a copy *.* of a colleague's brain? I'm feeling that way more now than at any time in the past, not of any one person in particular,
- [The answer is soooo obvious.... or is it?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-answer-is-soooo-obvious-or-is-it/) - There's a crowded room of OSS experts, a room filled with serious intellectual horsepower. You might be a virtu-OSS-o, but you surely know that there's still so much to be learnt from those around you. You have the chance to unlock the experiences and insights of your esteemed colleagues. But how? The answer might seem
- [Trickle-down impact planning](https://passionateaboutoss.com/trickle-down-impact-planning/) - We introduced the concept of The Trickle-down Effect last year, an effect that sees the most minor changes trickling down through an OSS stack, with much bigger consequences than expected. "The trickle-down effect can be insidious, turning a nice open COTS solution into a beast that needs constant attention to cope with the most minor
- [The trickle-down effect](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-trickle-down-effect/) - There's an interesting thing with off-the-shelf OSS solutions that are subsequently highly customised by the buyer. I call it the trickle-down effect. By nature, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions tend to be designed to cope with as many variants as their designers can imagine. They're designed to be inclusive in nature. But customised COTS solutions tend to
- [One sentence to make most OSS experts cringe](https://passionateaboutoss.com/one-sentence-to-make-most-oss-experts-cringe/) - Let me warn you. The following sentence is going to make many OSS experts cringe, maybe even feel slightly disgusted, but take the time to read the remainder of the post and ponder how it fits within your specific OSS context/s. "Our OSS need to help people spend money!" Notice the word is "help" and
- [Those who rule perfect data...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/those-who-rule-perfect-data/) - A Passionate About OSS article last month spoke of how the investment strategy of a $106 billion VC fund has changed my thinking on our OSS' most valuable asset. Masayoshi Son is quoted in that article as follows: "Those who rule data will rule the entire world. That’s what people of the future will say."
- [The challenges in transforming network assurance to network healing](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-challenges-in-transforming-network-assurance-to-network-healing/) - A couple of interesting concepts have the ability to fundamentally change the way networks and services are maintained. If they can be harnessed, we could replace the term "network assurance" with "network healing." The first concept is SON, which has been formulated specifically with mobile radio networks in mind, but has the potential to extend
- [An OSS niche market opportunity?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/an-oss-niche-market-opportunity/) - "The survey found that 82 percent of service providers conduct less than half of customer transactions digitally, despite the fact that nearly 80 percent of respondents said they are moving forward with business-wide digital transformation programs of varying size and scale. This underscores a large perception gap in understanding, completing and benefiting from digitalization programs.
- [How smart contracts might reduce risk and enhance trust on OSS projects](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-smart-contracts-might-reduce-risk-and-enhance-trust-on-oss-projects/) - Last Friday, we spoke about all wanting to develop trusted OSS supplier / customer relationships but rarely finding them and a contrarian factor for why trust is so hard to achieve in OSS - complexity. Trust is the glue that allows OSS projects to happen. Not only that, it becomes a catch-22 with complexity. If
- [Interaction points with fast/slow processes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/interaction-points-with-fast-slow-processes/) - Further to yesterday's post on fast / slow processes and factory platforms, a concept presented by Sylvain Denis of Orange in Melbourne last week, here's a diagram from Sylvain's presentation pack : The yellow blocks represent the fast (automated) processes. The orange blocks represent the slow processes. The next slide showed the human interaction points
- [Fast / Slow OSS processes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/fast-slow-oss-processes/) - Yesterday's post discussed using smart contracts and Network as a Service (NaaS) to give a network the properties that will allow it to self-heal. It mentioned a couple of key challenges, one being that there will always be physical activities such as cable cuts fixes, faulty equipment replacement, physical equipment expansion / contraction / lifecycle-management.
- [Mtel Bulgaria selects Amdocs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/mtel-bulgaria-selects-amdocs/) - Mtel Bulgaria selects Amdocs to Drive Unified Customer Experience and Commerce in the Digital Society. Amdocs announced that Mtel, Bulgaria’s leading mobile, fixed, broadband and IPTV services provider, is transforming the digital commerce and care experience of its more than four million subscribers through its 200+ retail stores, call centers. Leveraging the new Amdocs DigitalONE
- [Amdocs to acquire Vubiquity](https://passionateaboutoss.com/amdocs-to-acquire-vubiquity/) - Amdocs to Acquire Vubiquity to Further Expand into the Media & Entertainment Business. Amdocs announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vubiquity, a leading provider of premium content services and technology solutions, subject to customary closing conditions. The two companies are excited about the acquisition with the increased capacity to now deliver
- [Amdocs and Amazon Web Services announce strategic program](https://passionateaboutoss.com/amdocs-and-amazon-web-services-announce-strategic-program/) - Amdocs and Amazon Web Services Announce Strategic Program. Amdocs announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate Communications Service Providers’ (CSPs) transition to the cloud to drive rapid innovation and operational efficiencies. A recent, comprehensive industry survey completed by Analysys Mason found that by 2022 more than 90 percent of CSP
- [Globe Telecom signs multi-year deal with Amdocs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/globe-telecom-signs-multi-year-deal-with-amdocs/) - Globe Telecom Signs Multi-Year Intelligent Operations Deal with Amdocs for Continuous Enhancement of Services and Operations. Amdocs announced that it has signed a multi-year services contract with Globe Telecom, one of the Philippines’ largest telecommunications providers, for continuous enhancement of Globe Telecom’s operations. According to the agreement, Amdocs Intelligent Operations will assist Globe in managing
- [U Mobile renews BSS with Ericsson](https://passionateaboutoss.com/u-mobile-renews-bss-with-ericsson/) - U Mobile renews Business Support System deal with Ericsson. Ericsson has further extended its partnership with U Mobile Sdn Bhd to transform the Malaysian telecommunications service provider’s Business Support System (BSS) into an industrialized, real-time converged environment. Originally signed in 2012, the partnership has been extended for another five years until 2022. In the ongoing
- [PLDT, Smart sign seven-year US$300M deal with Amdocs](https://passionateaboutoss.com/pldt-smart-sign-seven-year-us300m-deal-with-amdocs/) - PLDT, Smart ink seven-year US$300M deal with Amdocs. Leading Philippine telco and digital services provider PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications (“Smart”) announced that they have entered into agreements to establish a strategic relationship with Amdocs, under which this leading global provider of software and services to communications and media companies will upgrade and
- [MATRIXX Software raises $40 Million](https://passionateaboutoss.com/matrixx-software-raises-40-million/) - MATRIXX Software Announces $40 Million in Funding Led by Sutter Hill Ventures. MATRIXX Software (http://www.matrixx.com) announced a $40 million Series C funding led by Sutter Hill Ventures. Stefan Dyckerhoff, managing director at Sutter Hill, will join MATRIXX Software’s board of directors. Additional new investors include Spring Lake Equity Partners and strategic partner CK Hutchison, whose
- [Openet selected by Tier 1 North American operator](https://passionateaboutoss.com/openet-selected-by-tier-1-north-american-operator/) - Openet’s Digital as a Service solution selected by Tier 1 North American operator to power Digital First Sub-brand. Openet announced that it has entered a partnership with a Tier 1 North American operator to provide its Digital as a Service solution. This solution comprises integrated best of breed solutions that will combine to deliver an
- [Globe Telecom partners with Openet](https://passionateaboutoss.com/globe-telecom-partners-with-openet/) - Globe Telecom partners with Openet for rapid digital service launch, monetisation and customer engagement. Openet announced that it has entered into a partnership with Globe Telecom to provide its Digital Business Platform to the Philippines- based operator. Globe has chosen Openet’s Digital Business Platform to provide monetization and customer engagement for all data services. Openet’s
- [Zain Saudi Arabia delivers during Hajj with Nokia SON software](https://passionateaboutoss.com/zain-saudi-arabia-delivers-during-hajj-with-nokia-son-software/) - Zain Saudi Arabia delivers a superior experience during Hajj and Ramadan with Nokia software. Using Nokia's EdenNet SON software, Zain Saudi Arabia effectively managed the surge in data and voice traffic in Makkah and Medina during the Hajj and Ramadan, allowing pilgrims to remain connected and share their journey with loved ones. Large public events
- [Nokia wins five-year managed services agreement with Optus](https://passionateaboutoss.com/nokia-wins-five-year-managed-services-agreement-with-optus/) - Nokia wins five-year managed services agreement to manage Optus' network. Nokia and Optus have signed a five-year agreement under which Nokia will manage and maintain key components of Optus' network infrastructure, operations and field maintenance. As part of the contract, Nokia and Optus will develop a Network Operations Centre (NOC), building on global best practices
- [Nokia and Tele2 sign strategic IoT partnership](https://passionateaboutoss.com/nokia-and-tele2-sign-strategic-iot-partnership/) - Nokia and Tele2 sign strategic partnership to provide global IoT services. Nokia and Tele2 IoT have signed a five-year agreement to enable the delivery of IoT services to Tele2 enterprise customers based on Nokia's worldwide IoT network grid (WING). Nokia WING will allow Tele2 IoT to rapidly and cost-effectively provide complete IoT services to its
- [NTT Com India-Netmagic partners with Nuage Networks](https://passionateaboutoss.com/ntt-com-india-netmagic-partners-with-nuage-networks/) - NTT Com India-Netmagic partners with Nuage Networks to provide Managed SD-WAN Service. NTT Com India-Netmagic announced that the company has partnered with Nuage Networks, the Nokia venture focused on Software Defined Networks (SDN), to enhance its Network as a Service (NaaS) portfolio based on its innovative Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) solution. This enables enterprises
- [Etisalat chooses Nokia's Nuage Networks SD-WAN](https://passionateaboutoss.com/etisalat-chooses-nokias-nuage-networks-sd-wan/) - Etisalat chooses Nokia's Nuage Networks SD-WAN solution as part of its 'Sahaab Program' to cloudify network services. Nokia announced that Etisalat has chosen the Nuage Networks Virtualized Network Services (VNS) SD-WAN solution as a key element in its cloud transformation program. Nuage Networks VNS enables Etisalat to provide automated, dynamic, programmable and more efficient services
- [Nokia selected by Vodafone for Mission to the Moon project](https://passionateaboutoss.com/nokia-selected-by-vodafone-for-mission-to-the-moon-project/) - Nokia is selected by Vodafone to be its technology partner for Mission to the Moon project. The Moon will get 4G coverage next year, 50 years after the first NASA astronauts walked on its surface. Vodafone plans to create the first 4G network on the Moon to support a mission by PTScientists in 2019 and
- [Group Vivendi Africa deploys Netcracker OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/group-vivendi-africa-deploys-netcracker-oss/) - Netcracker's OSS Suite to Support GVA's Rapid Network Expansion, Market Growth and Service Diversity. Netcracker Technology announced that its OSS suite was selected and deployed to support the long-term growth strategy of Group Vivendi Africa (GVA). GVA is a newly formed affiliate of the French-based multinational conglomerate Vivendi with the goal to deploy and operate
- [HTC Upgrades to Netcracker 12 OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/htc-upgrades-to-netcracker-12-oss/) - Enhanced OSS Suite Will Help HTC Roll Out Digital Services Faster and Support Increasing Diversity of Devices. Netcracker Technology announced that Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC) will extend and upgrade its use of Netcracker's OSS to the latest Netcracker 12 suite. Leveraging Netcracker 12 will enable HTC to roll out digital services more quickly and utilize
- [Germany's Tele Columbus Selects Netcracker](https://passionateaboutoss.com/germanys-tele-columbus-selects-netcracker/) - Netcracker's Solution to Provide Tele Columbus Group With Comprehensive Billing and Charging Capabilities Across B2B and B2C. Netcracker Technology announced that Tele Columbus has selected Netcracker's Revenue Management solution as the single billing and charging system for the entire Tele Columbus Group, which has grown substantially following its acquisition of Primacom and Pepcom. The scope
- [NEC and Netcracker advance commercial NaaS deployment at TELUS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/nec-and-netcracker-advance-commercial-naas-deployment-at-telus/) - Netcracker-Enabled Network Transformation Powers TELUS to Deliver Personalized, Software-Defined Networking Services Faster. NEC Corporation and Netcracker Technology announced that NEC/Netcracker's Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) Business and Operational Support solution has gone into production at TELUS, a Canadian telecommunications company. TELUS NaaS enables businesses to virtually build, manage and cloud-optimize their networks quickly, easily and cost-effectively through a
- [Vodafone selects NEC/Netcracker for Domain Orchestration](https://passionateaboutoss.com/vodafone-selects-nec-netcracker-for-domain-orchestration/) - Vodafone Will Leverage NEC/Netcracker's Hybrid Operations Management to Drive Groupwide Cloud Transformation. NEC Corporation and Netcracker Technology announced that Vodafone Group has selected NEC/Netcracker's Hybrid Operations Management (HOM) solution to support its transition into a telecommunications cloud provider. The virtualization initiative will incorporate the use of cloud-native, SDN and NFV technologies to evolve operational and
- [Potential OSS failures aren't always technical](https://passionateaboutoss.com/potential-oss-failures-arent-always-technical/) - I recently attended an event where a brainstorming question was posed about how a particular next-gen OSS concept might fail. Interesting exercise! There were a lot of super-clever technical people in the room. The brainstorming of ideas was a fascinating one. We dived deeply into the experiences of many of the technical people in the
- [This one OSS factor can give a sustainable advantage](https://passionateaboutoss.com/this-one-oss-factor-can-give-a-sustainable-advantage/) - The business case justifications of OSS tend to fall into four categories: Revenue increase - the operationalisation and monetisation of an operator's assets Cost reduction - improving the operational efficiency of the operator Insight generation - by leveraging the valuable data that an OSS collects Brand value - this is a catch-all for many different
- [Compiling "The Zen of OSS" perhaps?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/compiling-the-zen-of-oss-perhaps/) - A recent presentation just reminded me of "The Zen of Python." It's a collection of 20 (19?) software principles, particularly as they relate to the Python programming language. Since OSS is software-defined, (almost) all of the principles (not sure about the "Dutch" one) relate to OSS in a programming sense, but perhaps in a broader
- [Dan Pink's 6 critical OSS senses](https://passionateaboutoss.com/dan-pinks-6-critical-oss-senses/) - I recently wrote an article that spoke about the obsolescence of jobs in OSS, particularly as a result of Artificial Intelligence. But an article by someone much more knowledgeable about AI than me, Rodney Brooks, had this to say, "We are surrounded by hysteria about the future of artificial intelligence and robotics — hysteria about
- [Finding the most important problems to solve](https://passionateaboutoss.com/finding-the-most-important-problems-to-solve/) - The problem with OSS is that there are too many problems. We don't have to look too hard to find a problem that needs solving. An inter-related issue is that we're (almost always) constrained by resources and aren't able to solve every problem we find. I have a theory - As much as you are
- [OSS and Network of the Future architectures workshop in Melbourne this week](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-and-network-of-the-future-architectures-workshop-in-melbourne-this-week/) - OSS and Network of the Future architectures workshop in Melbourne this week. Click on the link above to register online. TM Forum's description of the event is as follows: As part of the TM Forum Open Digital Architecture program, we are starting work on a standardized definition of Operational Domain Managers (ODM) capabilities. Telstra will
- [Speedcast secures AU$184m contract with NBN Co](https://passionateaboutoss.com/speedcast-secures-au184m-contract-with-nbn-co/) - Speedcast Secures Contract Valued at Up to AU$184 Million with NBN Co Australia. Speedcast International Limited announced it has secured a 10-year contract with Australian government-owned infrastructure provider NBN Co to deliver enterprise-grade satellite services. Speedcast’s wholly-owned subsidiary and dedicated entity, Speedcast Managed Services, will partner with NBN Co to design, build and manage NBN
- [50 exercises to ignite your OSS innovation sessions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/50-exercises-to-ignite-your-oss-innovation-sessions/) - Every project starts with an idea... an idea that someone is excited enough to sponsor. But where are your ideas being generated from? How do they get cultivated and given time to grow? How do they get pitched? and How do they get heard? How are sponsors persuaded? How do they then get implemented? How do
- [How the investment strategy of a $106 billion VC fund changed my OSS thinking](https://passionateaboutoss.com/investment-strategy-of-vc-fund-changes-oss-thinking/) - What is a service provider's greatest asset? Now I'm biased when considering the title question, but I believe OSS are the puppet-master of every modern service provider. They're the systems that pull all of the strings of the organisation. They generate the revenue by operationalising and assuring the networks as well as the services they
- [The chains of integration are too light until...](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-chains-of-integration-are-too-light-until/) - "Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken." Warren Buffett (although he attributed it to an unknown author, perhaps originating with Samuel Johnson). What if I were to replace the word "habit" in the quote above with "OSS integration" or "OSS customisation" or "feature releases?" The
- [Updated OSS products / vendors list](https://passionateaboutoss.com/updated-oss-products-vendors-list/) - Over the last few days we've made some updates to our OSS products / vendors list to reflect recent acquisitions, mergers, etc. Please let us know if there are any others we should be adding to the list.
- [Posing a Network Data Synchronisation Protocol (NDSP) concept](https://passionateaboutoss.com/posing-a-network-data-synchronisation-protocol-ndsp-concept/) - Data quality is one of the biggest challenges we face in OSS. A product could be technically perfect, but if the data being pumped into it is poor, then the user experience of the product will be awful - the OSS becomes unusable, and that in itself generates a data quality death spiral. This becomes
- [Are your various device inventory repositories in synch?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/are-your-various-device-inventory-repositories-in-synch/) - Does your organisation have a number of different device inventory repositories? Hint: You might even be surprised by how many you have. Examples include: Physical network inventory Logical network inventory DNS records CMDB (Config Management DB) IPAM (IP Address Management) EMS (Element Management Systems) SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) Desktop / server management not
- [The concept of DevOps is missing one really important thing](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-concept-of-devops-is-missing-one-really-important-thing/) - There's a concept that's building a buzz across all digital industries - you may've heard of it - it's a little thing called DevOps. Someone (most probably a tester) decided to extend it and now you might even hear the #DevTestOps moniker being mentioned. In the ultimate of undeserved acknowledgements, I even get a reference
- [What does DevOps mean to OSS?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-does-devops-mean-to-oss/) - "The specific goals of a DevOps approach include improved deployment frequency, which can lead to faster time to market, lower failure rate of new releases, shortened lead time between fixes, and faster mean time to recovery in the event of a new release crashing or otherwise disabling the current system. Simple processes become increasingly programmable
- [Torturous OSS version upgrades](https://passionateaboutoss.com/torturous-oss-version-upgrades/) - Have you ever worked on an OSS where a COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) solution has been so heavily customised that implementing the product's next version upgrade has become a massive challenge? The solution has become so entangled that if the product was upgraded, it would break the customisations and/or integrations that are dependent upon that product.
- [A summary of RPA uses in an OSS suite](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-summary-of-rpa-uses-in-an-oss-suite/) - 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
- [Women in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/women-in-oss/) - OSS doesn't seem to be a very enticing career for women unfortunately. Over all my years of OSS projects, I can't think of any where women outnumbered the men. However, my OSS projects have been interspersed with a variety of other projects where women have dominated the team numbers. Looking back, there's almost perfect correlation
- [Using RPA to automate OSS activities](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-rpa-to-automate-oss/) - This is the second in a series about the four styles of RPA (Robotic Process Automation) in OSS. The first of those styles is automating repeatable tasks by following an algorithmic approach to complete regular, mundane tasks. Running an OSS has many high value, challenging tasks for operators to perform. Unfortunately, they also have many
- [Using RPA as an alternate OSS integration](https://passionateaboutoss.com/using-rpa-as-an-alternate-oss-integration/) - 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
- [RPA in OSS feedback loops](https://passionateaboutoss.com/rpa-in-oss-feedback-loops/) - 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
- [The four styles of RPA used in OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-four-styles-of-rpa-use-in-oss/) - You're probably already aware of RPA (Robotic Process Automation) tools. You've possibly even used one (or more) to enhance your OSS experience. In some ways, they're a really good addition to your OSS suite. In some ways, potentially not. That all comes down to the way you use them. There are four main ways that
- [The OSS / RPA parrot on the shoulder analogy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-oss-rpa-parrot-on-the-shoulder-analogy/) - 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
- [The components of SDN, NFV, MANO & OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-components-of-sdn-nfv-mano-oss/) - When you curate a website / blog called PassionateAboutOSS, it's pretty obvious that you would see the world through OSS-tinted glasses. The tech-world at least. And so it has been for me when evaluating new comms network / service concepts like SDN / NFV. It's been a case of, "that all sounds really exciting and
- [Over-the-horizon view of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/over-the-horizon-view-of-oss/) - As reported last week, my latest publication (The Changing Landscape of OSS) was launched. It covers the technologies, solutions and organisations that are creating the fundamental changes that are pushing Operational Support Systems into a new era.
- [A complete OSS re-write](https://passionateaboutoss.com/a-complete-oss-re-write/) - "The best edit is often a complete re-write. And maybe it’s time to start writing lots of things from scratch." Peter Thiel (actually a notes essay from Peter Thiel’s CS183: Startup - Class 13 lecture). As the URL states, I'm passionate about OSS. But as passionate as I am for current-day OSS, I'm even more
- [OSS re-write - Integration tax](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-re-write-integration-tax/) - This is the second in the Complete OSS re-write series of posts and relates to the integration tax being too high. This series is designed to pose ideas on how the OSS industry could take a Control-Alt-Delete approach to all aspects of delivering operational support, which coincides with the inflection point underway in our industry via
- [OSS re-write - Data deterioration](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-re-write-data-deterioration/) - This is the third in the Complete OSS re-write series of posts and relates to Our data keeps deteriorating. This series is designed to pose ideas on how the OSS industry could take a Control-Alt-Delete approach to all aspects of delivering operational support, which coincides with the inflection point underway in our industry via technologies such as
- [OSS re-write - Changing requirements](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-re-write-changing-requirements/) - This is the fourth in the Complete OSS re-write series of posts and relates to Our requirements keep changing. This series is designed to pose ideas on how the OSS industry could take a Control-Alt-Delete approach to all aspects of delivering operational support, which coincides with the inflection point underway in our industry via technologies such as
- [OSS re-write - Benefits and Insights](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-re-write-benefits-and-insights/) - This is the fifth in the Complete OSS re-write series of posts and relates to What are the tangible benefits or insights. This series is designed to pose ideas on how the OSS industry could take a Control-Alt-Delete approach to all aspects of delivering operational support, which coincides with the inflection point underway in our industry via
- [OSS re-write - Skills shortage](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-re-write-skills-shortage/) - This is the sixth in the Complete OSS re-write series of posts and relates to We don't have enough skilled people. This series is designed to pose ideas on how the OSS industry could take a Control-Alt-Delete approach to all aspects of delivering operational support, which coincides with the inflection point underway in our industry
- [OSS product overhaul](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-product-overhaul/) - "First, explore how to doubt everything you think you know, and remember that all your ideas, even the most successful, are hypotheses within you – and not set in stone. Challenge the boxes that determine how you perceive the world, and think creatively about how you're defining the specific problems you're hoping to solve." Luc
- [OSS steam engine time](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-steam-engine-time/) - "Steam engine time is a period of time when many inventors all over the world, despite isolation from each other, and with no contact with each other in any way, begin inventing a similar technology with a coincidental commonality of ideas." Urban Dictionary. Another perspective on steam engine time is a period where there are
- [The Changing Landscape of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-changing-landscape-of-oss/) - The Changing Landscape of Operational Support Systems (OSS): Technologies, Solutions, and Organizational Impacts I'm proud to announce that my latest publication has been released today. Click on the image (or here) to find out more about the document published in conjunction with Mind Commerce. Operational Support Systems (OSS) are the essential set of tools required
- [Onboarding outsiders as a new OSS business model](https://passionateaboutoss.com/onboarding-outsiders-as-a-new-oss-business-model/) - "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
- [Will it take open source to unlock OSS potential?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/will-it-take-oss-to-unlock-oss-potential/) - 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](https://passionateaboutoss.com/its-hard-to-do-big-things-in-a-small-way/) - "...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
- [The two types of disruptive technologists](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-two-types-of-disruptive-technologists/) - OSS is an industry that's undergoing constant, and massive change. But it still hasn't been disrupted in the modern sense of that term. It's still waiting to have its Uber/AirBnB-moment, where the old way becomes almost obsoleted by the introduction of a new way. OSS is not just waiting, but primed for disruption. It's a
- [How "what if?" scenarios can halt a project](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-what-if-scenarios-can-halt-a-project/) - 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
- [Documentation, before or after? (What if scenarios)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/documentation-before-or-after/) - "The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day
- [The developer development analogy (to OSS investment)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-developer-development-analogy-to-oss-investment/) - 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
- [The evolving complexity of RCA](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-evolving-complexity-of-rca/) - 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
- [The book is now available! Mastering your OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/mastering-your-oss/) - My OSS book, entitled "Mastering your OSS" is finally available to the market. Click on the image below to take a closer look. For the next two weeks only, I'm offering an extra US$10 off the purchase price to readers of this blog. Just send me an email or a note via the Contact Page
- [Network SCAMS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/network-scams/) - "Networks will be fundamentally changed by a set of SCAMS, which in turn will force an evolution in future OSS: Social Media Cloud (and Virtualisation) Analytics (and Big Data) Mobility Sensors" This quote comes from an upcoming market report that I'm preparing for release soon as a follow-up to my book, Mastering your OSS. The report
- [But do you want to get better?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/but-do-you-want-to-get-better/) - "But do you want to get better? It seems like a stupid question. Of course we want our organization, our work and our health to improve. But often, we don't. Better means change and change means risk and risk means fear... There are countless ways to listen, to engage with users, to learn and to
- [Bridging the OSS chasm](https://passionateaboutoss.com/bridging-the-oss-chasm/) - "You don't need to be better. You need to be different." Chase Jarvis. PassionateAboutOSS.com and my book came into existence due to a distinct gap in the OSS market that I'd noticed again and again whilst on customer assignments. As represented in the diagram below, there was a major disconnect between the Technology Context and
- [What is your OSS answer : question ratio?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/what-is-your-oss-answer-question-ratio/) - Experts know a lot.... obviously. They have lots of answers... obviously. There are lots of OSS experts. Combined, they know A LOT!! Powerful indeed, but not sure if that's what we need right now. I feel like we're in a bit of an OSS innovation funk. The biggest improvements in OSS are coming from outside
- [Customers don't invest in OSS. What do they invest in?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/customers-dont-invest-in-oss-what-do-they-invest-in/) - "An organisation buys an OSS, not because it wants an Operational Support System, but because it wants Operational Support." So if our customers are not investing in our OSS, what are they actually investing in? Easy! They're investing in the ability to solve their own problems and opportunities in future. If we don't actually understand
- [The exposure effect can work for or against OSS projects](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-exposure-effect-can-work-for-or-against-oss-projects/) - The exposure effect (no, not the one circulating through Hollywood) has a few interesting implications for OSS. "The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them." Wikipedia In effect, it's the repetition that drills familiarity, comfort, but also bias, into
- [If the customer thinks they have a problem, they do have a problem](https://passionateaboutoss.com/if-the-customer-thinks-they-have-a-problem-they-do-have-a-problem/) - Omni-channel is an interesting concept because it generates two distinctly different views. The customer will use whichever channel (eg digital, apps, contact-centre, IVR, etc) that they want to use. The service provider will try to push the customer onto whichever channel suits the service provider best. The customer will often want to use digital or
- [Funding beyond the walls of operations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/funding-beyond-the-walls-of-operations/) - “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
- [When low OSS performance is actually high performance](https://passionateaboutoss.com/when-low-oss-performance-is-actually-high-performance/) - "It's not unusual for something to be positioned as the high performance alternative. The car that can go 0 to 60 in three seconds, the corkscrew that's five times faster, the punch press that's incredibly efficient... The thing is, though, that the high performance vs. low performance debate misses something. High at what? That corkscrew
- [The double-edged sword of OSS/BSS integrations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/the-double-edged-sword-of-ossbss-integrations/) - "...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

## Pages

- [Passionate About OSS Consulting and Implementation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/) - Independent OSS/BSS advisory for telecom leaders. Vendor selection, transformation planning, delivery strategy and M&A support
- [OSS Operating Model Blueprint for Telcos: Teams, Accountabilities and Interactions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-operating-model-blueprint/) - Table of Contents 1. OSS Ops Model IntroductionAre your OSS teams working hard, but still finding that incidents, orders, data fixes, escalations, automation releases and transformation decisions move too slowly?Most telcos assume the answer is another tool, another integration, another dashboard or another automation initiative.That’s understandable because OSS transformation is usually framed as a technology
- [OSS Buyers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-buyers/) - How we help OSS/BSS Buyers (Network Operators, Telcos, Carriers, Service Providers, Utilities, ISPs, etc) Are you currently staring at a complex entanglement of OSS/BSS systems, processes, product options, contracts and expectations that could punish every misstep? Are you struggling to develop a plan out of the layers of complexity that have the potential to kill
- [OSS/BSS Maturity Self-Assessment](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-bss-maturity-self-assessment/) - The telecommunications landscape is evolving rapidly but many OSS and BSS environments have struggled to keep pace. While demand for connectivity and digital services has never been higher, legacy architectures, rigid processes and cultural inertia often constrain the transformation needed to compete and grow. This self-assessed report helps telco leaders, architects and transformation teams diagnose
- [The Ultimate Framework for Planning Large-Scale OSS Transformations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/the-ultimate-framework-for-planning-large-scale-oss-transformations/) - A layman's introduction to OSS (Operational Support Systems) and BSS (Business Support Systems) as well as a brief history and the important standards upon which they're built
- [OSS Vendor Selection & Transformation Kick-off](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/oss-vendor-selection/) - Provides a process to help you plan your OSS transformation, select an OSS vendor / products and OSS price estimation. The process starts by analysing requirements, strategic shortlisting, all the way through to forming a contract.
- [Common OSS Terminologies](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/common-terminologies/) - A description of the common terminologies used in the OSS (Operational Support System) industry
- [What are Operational Support Systems (OSS) and BSS in Telecom?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/what-are-oss-bss/) - Explores the fundamentals of Operations Support System (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS). Provides a comprehensive understanding of their key concepts, history and applications
- [Market Analysts](https://passionateaboutoss.com/market-analysts/) - How we help Market Analysts Do you have an upcoming assignment that requires deep awareness of the OSS/BSS and telco systems market? Do you need to generate content and/or require specialised insights to supplement your team to implement an assignment? We support you and your clients on their OSS/BSS transformation journey with offerings that include the
- [Management Consultants](https://passionateaboutoss.com/management-consultants/) - How we help Management Consulting Firms Do you have an upcoming consulting assignment that requires deep expertise around OSS/BSS and telco systems? Do you need an individual’s bio or team of experts to help demonstrate the subject matter expertise required to win the assignment?Alternatively, have you won the assignment and now need specialised insights to
- [OSS Investors](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-investors/) - How we help OSS/BSS Inverstors Are you looking to invest into the exciting telco/tech industry where OSS/BSS is a major component? Or perhaps you’re looking to sell your organisation, seeking an exit after doing the hard-yards of building it up? Or perhaps you’re even a related investor group seeking to perform a due-diligence on:A telco
- [OSS Implementers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementers/) - How we help OSS/BSS Implementers Do you have an upcoming OSS/BSS implementation project? Do you need an individual or team of experts to help you to wrestle your project’s unique challenges?Alternatively, do you simply need some specific collateral developed or advisory services provided to guide you or your team? We support you on your OSS/BSS
- [OSS Sellers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-sellers/) - How we help OSS/BSS Sellers Are you currently trying to help bring much-needed attention to your OSS/BSS company, products or services?With well over 500 product suppliers in the OSS/BSS market, it can be really difficult to stand out from all the other products / solutions.It’s a cut-throat, highly competitive business for product suppliers and integrators.Our
- [Common Questions About OSS/BSS Building Blocks (the ODA Component Library)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/common-questions-about-oss-bss-building-the-oda-component-library/) - Table of Contents Introduction: What are the Building Blocks of OSS/BSS?Operational Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS) are the tools that help network operators manage their most important assets including:NetworksCustomersServicesWorkforceAnd much moreThere are many, many building blocks that make up a network operator’s entire support system estate.Like the TM Forum TAM (The Application
- [How to Architect Your OSS/BSS/NMS Security Framework](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/how-to-architect-your-oss-bss-nms-security-framework/) - A layman's introduction to OSS (Operational Support Systems) and BSS (Business Support Systems) as well as a brief history and the important standards upon which they're built
- [Building the Ultimate Network and Service Assurance Framework](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/building-the-ultimate-network-and-service-assurance-framework/) - A layman's introduction to OSS (Operational Support Systems) and BSS (Business Support Systems) as well as a brief history and the important standards upon which they're built
- [The Passionate About OSS Podcast](https://passionateaboutoss.com/paoss-podcast/) - Welcome to the Passionate About OSS podcast, the show for people who are just that – Passionate About OSS – Where the OSS stands for Operational Support Systems. The PAOSS Podcast also includes BSS (Business Support Systems) and other telco / network IT projects as well of course. The feed is available on Anchor.fm, Spotify,
- [OSS Product / Vendor / Supplier List](https://passionateaboutoss.com/vendors-products/) - Looking for OSS / BSS products, vendors, suppliers or integrators to assist you? Running an OSS tender? Our list includes 400+ suppliers for your comparison
- [OSS / BSS Job Interview Questions: A Comprehensive Guide](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/oss-bss-interview-questions-a-comprehensive-guide/) - A layman's introduction to OSS (Operational Support Systems) and BSS (Business Support Systems) as well as a brief history and the important standards upon which they're built
- [Planning an OSS Project with WBS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/planning-a-project/) - A how-to guide to plan and implement complex OSS BSS projects using Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
- [Finding an OSS expert](https://passionateaboutoss.com/finding-an-oss-expert/) - Are you looking for an OSS buyer, an OSS seller, an employer, an employee, an OSS vendor, an OSS integrator, an OSS consultant / contractor / freelancer, etc?
- [OSS/BSS Audits: Evaluating and Optimising the Effectiveness of Your OSS/BSS Solutions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/oss-bss-audits-evaluating-and-optimising-the-effectiveness-of-your-oss-bss-solutions/) - A layman's introduction to OSS (Operational Support Systems) and BSS (Business Support Systems) as well as a brief history and the important standards upon which they're built
- [Privacy Policy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/privacy_policy/) - Privacy Policy At Passionate About OSS, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your data when you interact with our services. 1. Information We Collect We may collect personal information, including but not limited to: Name Email address Type
- [Retained Advisory or Coaching Services](https://passionateaboutoss.com/retained-advisory-services/) - Unlock Your Business's Full Potential with the Support of our OSS/BSS Experts Are you struggling to keep up with the fast-paced evolution of Operational Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS)? Do you find it challenging to sufficiently leverage your OSS/BSS stack to maintain efficient operations, optimise network performance, and enhance customer experience? Do
- [OSS Change Management](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/oss-change-management/) - How to manage change on complex OSS (Operational Support System) projects
- [Capturing Requirements](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/capturing-requirements/) - Methods to help you to capture OSS requirements
- [OSS Requirement Capture](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/requirement-capture/) - Provides alternative OSS requirement capture tools to customise to your situation
- [About Us](https://passionateaboutoss.com/about-2/) - I am Passionate About OSS. Want to find out why? Want to find out how that might be of interest to you?
- [Helpful Tools & Info](https://passionateaboutoss.com/free-tools-stuff/) - A bunch of free tools, methodologies and practices for implementing OSS (Operational Support Systems)
- [OSS Business Case Builder](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/oss-business-case/) - This tool provides suggestions for how to build a compelling business case to implement an OSS
- [OSS Products/Courses](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/) - Enhance your OSS (Operations Support System) knowledge with books, training, webinars, speaking engagements & consultancy. Stay informed on latest trends & best practices.
- [10 OSS Implementation Tools](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/) - 10 tools to help you to implement an OSS project. Note: If you're looking for a list of OSS solutions provided by 500+ suppliers, head to https://passionateaboutoss.com/directory
- [OSS Acronyms / Glossary](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/acronyms-glossary/) - Includes a list of nearly 1,000 of the most common acronyms / glossary / terminologies used in the telecommunications and OSS/BSS industries today.
- [Contact Us](https://passionateaboutoss.com/contact/) - If you wish to contact us at Passionate About OSS, this page will help
- [OSS Implementation Team](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/oss-implementation-team/) - Methods to help you to build an OSS Implementation Team
- [Add Listing](https://passionateaboutoss.com/add-directory-listing/)
- [Passionate About OSS Newsletter Archive](https://passionateaboutoss.com/about-2/past-newsletters/) - This page provides an archive of all of the Passionate About OSS monthly newsletters
- [OSS Call for Innovation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-call-for-innovation/) - As amazing as existing OSS solutions are, there has to be a better way
- [Vendor Implementation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/vendor-implementation/) - Methods to help you to work with a vendor to implement an OSS that best suits your needs
- [Planning Your OSS Data](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/oss-data/) - Methods to help you to design the data models you'll use for your OSS
- [Project Kick-off](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/project-kick-off/) - Methods to help you to start implementing an OSS project
- [OSS Strategy - Planning a project](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/planning-an-oss/) - Defining a strategy to build your OSS (Operational Support Systems)
- [OSS Interface Assessment](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/oss-interface-assessment/) - Methods to help you to plan and assess system interfaces
- [OSS Roadmap Tools](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/oss-roadmap/) - OSS Roadmap Visualisation Tool
- [OSS Naming Conventions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/oss-naming-conventions/) - Finding the right naming convention for your OSS is a vital starting point. Suggestions are provided
- [OSS Risk Register](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/oss-risk-register/) - Methods to help you to capture, and mitigate, a long list of risks that can appear on an OSS project
- [OSS Fundamentals](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/) - Background information about OSS and BSS
- [Shop](https://passionateaboutoss.com/shop/)
- [Mastering your OSS (Paperback Edition)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/mastering-your-oss/) - This is the book about Operational Support Systems (OSS). It answers 22 of the most commonly asked big-picture questions in OSS in clear, practical terms.
- [OSS Business Processes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/oss-process-map/) - Methods / Tools to assist you to build business processes for your OSS
- [Defining Naming Conventions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/defining-naming-conventions/) - OSS Naming Conventions If your organisation is making its first-ever foray into OSS, there are many gotchas relating to naming conventions. This course provides you with a step-by-step guide on how to build a suitable OSS naming convention including: Risks associated with naming conventions and why your OSS needs a carefully considered OSS naming convention Naming
- [OSS Integrations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-integrations/) - Do you need assistance to design the integrations that you'll need for your next OSS project? This course is designed to assist
- [Data Integration Planning](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/data-integration-planning/) - Do you need assistance to plan the data export / create / cleanse / migrate that you're facing for your next OSS project? This course is designed to assist
- [OSS Risk Planning](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-risk-planning/) - Do you need assistance to understand and mitigate the risks facing for your next OSS project? This course is designed to assist
- [Developing your OSS Roadmap](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/developing-your-oss-roadmap/) - Developing your OSS/BSS Roadmap Do you have to develop a roadmap for your OSS/BSS through a series of phases of product implementations and integrations? This course provides you with the methodology, process and templates for mapping a roadmap to your future OSS/BSS. The step-by-step guide to OSS/BSS roadmap development includes the following: Capturing a technical,
- [OSS Project Planning](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-project-planning/) - OSS/BSS Project Planning Have you been tasked with project managing an OSS/BSS transformation? Or perhaps are responsible for planning a project for others to run? This course provides you with a step-by-step guide on how to plan out your upcoming OSS/BSS project including: To identify key implementation strategies To identify the most important activities, who’s
- [Preparing an OSS Business Case](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/preparing-an-oss-business-case/) - Do you need assistance to develop a compelling business case for your next OSS project? This course is designed to assist
- [Choosing an OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/choosing-an-oss/) - Do you need assistance to choose the right OSS / BSS products for your organisation? This course helps you develop a strategy and provides the tools to choose the best fit for you
- [OSS Requirements Matrix](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-requirements-matrix/) - Do you need assistance to develop a set of requirements to define your next OSS project? This course is designed to assist
- [OSS Transformation Plan](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-transformation-plan/) - Creating an OSS/BSS Transformation Plan Are you about to embark on a significant OSS/BSS Transformation? Do you need guidance on all of the important steps required to kick off this project, from understanding the requirements through to selecting and contracting the right products, partners and/or resources to deliver? This course takes you on a step-by-step
- [OSS Persona and Workflow Mapping](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-persona-and-workflow-mapping/) - OSS Persona and Workflow Mapping Do you have the task of identifying the current state of your OSS/BSS, who uses it, how and for what reasons? This course helps to identify the people / groups who use your OSS/BSS and the most important workflows that are performed using your OSS/BSS/network stack. This course provides you with
- [OSS Strategy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/strategic-analysis/) - Do you need assistance to design a strategy for your OSS (Operational Support System)? This course provides the support to build a comprehensive implementation strategy
- [An Introduction to OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/an-introduction-to-oss/) - Do you need an introduction to OSS (Operational Support Systems)? This course provides you with an introduction
- [OSS-History-Standards](https://passionateaboutoss.com/history-standards/)
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- [The Changing Landscape of OSS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/changing-landscape-of-oss/) - This market research report discusses the technologies, organisations and concepts that are changing the OSS market
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- [How did your first OSS make you feel?](https://passionateaboutoss.com/how-did-your-first-oss-make-you-feel/) - Can you remember how you felt during the initial weeks of your first OSS project?
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- [OSS Consultancy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-consultancy/) - OSS Consultancy Do you need an individual or team of experts to help you to wrestle your unique OctopOSS challenges; be it anywhere in the life-cycle from inception to implementation to operations?
- [OSS Conferences / Presentations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/oss-conferences-presentations/) - OSS Conferences / Presentations Do you need to present a passionate, independent view of the world of OSS and what its future holds?
- [Webinar / Master-classes](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-consultancy-training/webinar-master-classes/) - OSS Webinar / Master-Classes Do you need customised online OSS coaching or to run question-and-answer sessions interactively with your own team and / or a broader audience?
- [References](https://passionateaboutoss.com/references/) - Resources used in creating Passionate About OSS
- [OSS Vendor Negotiation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/oss-vendor-negotiation/) - Methods to help you to negotiate with OSS vendors
- [OSS Naming Conventions](https://passionateaboutoss.com/background/naming-conventions/) - There are many ways to name network assets. This provides assistance to anyone responsible for defining a naming convention for assets used in an OSS (Operational Support System)
- [Simple Survey](https://passionateaboutoss.com/simple-survey/) - This two-question OSS survey seeks to identify what is really important to OSS users
- [Stakeholder Circle](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/stakeholder-circle/) - Methods to help you to analyse the impacts of various different stakeholders on your OSS project
- [Jeffery OSS Benchmark](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tools/jeffery-oss-benchmark/) - Use this benchmarking technique to compare and contrast different OSS tools
- [OSS Implementations](https://passionateaboutoss.com/oss-implementations/) - Tips, tools and techniques for implementing OSS
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## Products

- [Infographic - How to build an OSS Data Governance Framework](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/infographic-how-to-build-an-oss-data-governance-framework/) - Telcos are drowning in data, but few treat it as a managed, strategic asset. Without governance, OSS initiatives falter under poor quality, fragmented and inconsistent information. Data quality decays over time. Without the right governance, it can send your systems and processes into a death spiral, no matter how good they are. Taking a continual improvement approach to your data will help to avoid the death spiral that cripples your operations. This infographic, “Designing an OSS / Telco Data Governance Framework”, distils a complex discipline into a clear, visual guide. It illustrates the three critical phases: Planning Phase – designing service models, topologies, naming standards, and migration strategies Implementation Phase – building data in structured layers: reference, location, nodal, connectivity, telemetry, supplementary info, and governance Operations Phase – sustaining data quality with continual ingestion, reconciliation, compliance, analytics, and closed-loop processes Whether you’re an OSS architect, transformation lead, or telco executive, this infographic provides a roadmap for building resilient data foundations. It helps align technical teams, business stakeholders, and governance functions with one common language and lifecycle. Download it today to: Understand the essential building blocks of OSS data governance Share a common reference with your team or clients Accelerate your transformation by avoiding data pitfalls that derail projects Download now for FREE
- [Infographic - How to build compelling OSS Business Cases](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/infographic-how-to-build-compelling-oss-business-cases/) - Does your organisation desperately need a new OSS (Operational Support System) to transform the way it operates its networks? Are you ready to catapult your telco business into the future but are struggling to convince your colleagues and sponsors that OSS are not just a %#@^ing cost centre? Do you want to seize the advantage before your competitors do in the rapidly evolving telecom industry? If you answered a resounding YES to any of these questions, then this infographic is for you! Discover 'The Business Case for Implementing an Operations Support Systems (OSS)' – a comprehensive and visually engaging guide that breaks down the critical business justifications for OSS. Learn about the urgency of OSS implementation, the impact on operational efficiency, risk minimisation and generating the compelling financial proof-points. Understand the real costs and significant long-term benefits of integrating a modernised OSS into your business and how it can substantially impact revenue growth as it's true calling - the profit engine of your organisation. Explore how you can leverage an OSS to gain a competitive edge, apply the OSS insurance policy and deliver a superior customer experience. With this infographic from Passionate About OSS, you'll see why leading telecom organisations are not just making OSS an integral part of their business, but transforming to leveraging OSS to radically improve their business operations... and how you can follow suit. And the best part? This invaluable resource is available for you to download absolutely FREE! Get your hands on this insightful guide today. Transforming your operations, enhancing customer satisfaction and driving sustainable growth all starts with gaining support for, and investment in, the business case you prepare for your next-generation OSS. Download now for FREE
- [Data Quality Contagion Cost Calculator [DQCCC]](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/data-quality-contagion-cost-calculator-dqccc/) - The purpose of this calculator is to identify all of the knock-on effects of data quality issues in PNI, then to estimate the cost impacts. Some costs will be directly attributable to PNI DQ (ie primary costs), whilst others will be secondary (ie there will be a KPI effect that we then attribute a rule-of-thumb cost to) These calculations are designed to assist with justification of data quality improvement initiatives and/or digital transformation projects
- [AIOps of the Future: A Definitive Guide (digital whitepaper)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/aiops/) - The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence for Operations (AIOps) has left network operators / carriers and AIOps vendors grappling with a labyrinth of options, methodologies, lessons learned and emerging trends. This digital white paper serves as a roadmap through this complex landscape, providing critical insights and actionable strategies tailored specifically for Architecture/CTO groups at carriers and Product Managers at AIOps vendors. Make well-informed AIOps investment and development decisions with in-depth analysis, frameworks, leading practices and summaries of 40+ vendors. Latest version: 1.02
- [OSS/BSS Use-Cases](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-bss-use-cases/) - Are you wondering who uses OSS/BSS tools and what types of activities they perform with these tools? Download this spreadsheet for a starter list (yes, it's just a starter list, but contains over 70 personas and nearly 700 use-cases, which goes to show just how comprehensive OSS/BSS solutions really are). If you'd like a more comprehensive list for your specific product, client, etc, leave us a note and we'd be delighted to discuss with you further.
- [Digital Transformation: Simplified](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/digital-transformation-simplified/) - Have you been tasked with implementing a Digital Transformation? Are you able to identify the best way to tackle your next Digital Transformation, avoiding the inherent risks and optimising the use of available resources? (Further details below)
- [Mastering Your OSS – Operational Support System Implementation Tips and Techniques](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/mastering-your-oss-operational-support-system-implementation-tips-and-techniques/) - "Mastering your OSS" is a book that answers over 20 of the most commonly asked OSS implementation questions.
- [Thinking in Bets - Transformation Approvals by Bookmakers & Actuaries](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-bss-approvals-by-bookmakers-actuaries/) - A Practical Framework for Making Better Transformation Decisions Under Uncertainty Are you leading an OSS, BSS or digital transformation where major decisions are being forced to look “perfect” long before the facts are fully known? This practical asset helps CIOs, CTOs, transformation leads and programme directors make better transformation decisions by replacing binary approval thinking with a more adaptive, probability-based model. Instead of treating business cases, vendor selections and delivery plans as one-and-done commitments, it helps you frame decisions as evolving bets that can be updated as evidence emerges. Download this framework to improve decision quality, reduce overconfidence, expose delivery risk earlier and build a more adaptive transformation governance model. BTW, further details are shown below.
- [Telecom Product & Service Mapping Guide (with 80+ Service Types)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/telco-product-service-mapping-guide/) - Have you been tasked with defining how your telco’s offers, products, services and resources should fit together? Are you trying to create clearer product decompositions, but not sure where to start? Are your product, architecture, orchestration and operations teams all using slightly different language for the same concepts? At PAOSS, we see this problem regularly. The standards and principles exist, but the practical starter set usually does not. This pack helps fill that gap with a reusable baseline for modelling common telecom product and service patterns, so your team can move faster from theory to implementation. Download this pack for a practical set of baseline models that help you map commercial constructs into service definitions, resource-facing logic and underlying network assets. BTW, there are further details shown below.
- [100 Day Plan for OSS/BSS Transformation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/100-day-oss-bss-transformation-plan/) - Are you leading an OSS/BSS transformation and unsure what needs to happen first (or second, third, etc)? This 100-day OSS/BSS transformation plan gives telco CIOs, CTOs, transformation leads and programme directors a practical 100-day plan to bring structure, control and momentum to large-scale OSS/BSS change. Instead of rushing into vendor conversations, procurement, architecture redesign or tool replacement too early, it helps you sequence the work properly, reduce delivery risk and build an execution model the business can actually support Download the 100-day plan to clarify priorities, align business and technology teams and turn transformation intent into a funded, executable roadmap BTW, further details are shown below.
- [OSS/BSS Interface Specification Template](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-bss-interface-specification-template/) - In the ever-evolving world of telecommunications and digital services, seamless integration between Operational Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS) is critical to ensuring efficient service delivery, automation, and superior customer experiences. Why Download This Specification? This comprehensive interface specification provides a structured, industry-grade framework for defining and implementing OSS/BSS interfaces, ensuring interoperability between systems, efficient data exchange, and optimized workflows. Whether you are an operator, vendor, or system integrator, this document serves as an indispensable reference for achieving scalable, reliable, and secure integrations. What’s Inside? Detailed Interface Methods & API Specifications – Covering alarms, performance, inventory, provisioning, and more Message Structures & Data Formats – JSON, XML, SNMP, and other key encoding standards Error Handling & Security Guidelines – Robust strategies for authentication, encryption, and compliance Performance & Scalability Considerations – Optimized for high availability and future growth Testing & Validation Frameworks – Ensuring interoperability across multi-vendor environments Who Should Download? Telecom Operators & Service Providers – Streamline operations and enhance service automation OSS/BSS Vendors & System Integrators – Develop standards-compliant, interoperable solutions Network Engineers & Architects – Optimize network performance with well-defined integrations Product Managers & Decision-Makers – Ensure business agility with future-ready solutions Download Now and take your OSS/BSS integrations to the next level! PLEASE NOTE: This is the first iteration of the interface specification that's been designed for PAOSS internal use. We're committing to providing a more user-friendly version in the near future. If you have any suggested improvements in the meantime, please leave as a note. BTW, there are further details shown below.
- [OSS/BSS Process Mapping Guide (with 50+ Process Maps)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-bss-process-maps/) - Have you been tasked with mapping out the processes for the telco you work for? Are you wondering where to start? Are you wondering whether there are any existing frameworks that are available to help? Are you even wondering who uses OSS/BSS tools and what types of activities they perform with these tools? At PAOSS, we get asked about this on a regular basis. There are some useful resources available, which we refer to in this workbook, but hopefully this helps fill in some of the gaps for you. Download this workbook for a starter list of over 50 sample telco processes that provide the basis for your limitless refinement. BTW, there are further details shown below.
- [OSS Masterclasses - Insights from Thought-Leaders in OSS (eBook)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-masterclasses-insights-from-thought-leaders-in-oss/) - OSS Masterclasses - Insights from Thought-Leaders in Operational Support Systems (OSS) consists of a series of masterclasses written by a group of thought leaders who I admire in the field of OSS. (Further details below)
- [A Complete OSS Re-write (eBook)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/a-complete-oss-re-write/) - In the eyes of many in the communications industry, OSS are a disappointment. Some even believe that the term is no longer relevant because of the associated negative connotations. OSS (Operational Support Systems) are doing important tasks that significantly benefit the organisations that use them. However, as great as they already are, they still have immense room for improvement. So what if we were to take a Ctrl-Alt-Delete mindset to OSS and start re-writing it from scratch without the baggage of years worth of product upgrades? What type of changes would you look to make? Evolutionary or revolutionary? This eBook from 2015 provides a perspective on revisiting OSS.
- [Valuable OSS – Delivering a Return on Your Investment in Operational Support Systems (OSS) [eBook]](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/valuable-oss-delivering-a-return-on-your-investment-in-operational-support-systems-oss-ebook/) - “Valuable OSS” highlights a number of the investment challenges that face the telecommunications industry in response to over the top (OTT) business models and the ways in which Operational Support Systems (OSS) must justify the investment made in them. It particularly focusses on strategies for putting the RETURN into Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) on OSS projects.
- [Identifying and Mitigating Your Biggest OSS Risks (PAOSS-EE-01)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/identifying-and-mitigating-your-biggest-oss-risks-paoss-ee-01/) - Are you about to embark on a new OSS/BSS project and need to prepare a risk plan? There are many different types of risk, including many hidden ones. This course provides you with the process and templates for identifying your OSS/BSS risks (before and during the project). The templates include over 175 sample risks and mitigation strategies for you to consider when building up your risk plan to cater to your specific situation. It also comes with a one-hour workshop with one of PAOSS' risk management experts. (Scroll down for a detailed description about what comes with this course)
- [Creating an OSS/BSS Transformation Plan (PAOSS-PRE-01)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/creating-an-oss-bss-transformation-plan-paoss-pre-01/) - Do you have the task of planning a transformation of your OSS/BSS suite? Do you know what steps to take, how to break down and assign the tasks? In which sequence? This course takes you on a step-by-step guide on how to develop a plan to implement a new or updated OSS/BSS to meet your needs.
- [The Changing Landscape of OSS – Technologies, Solutions and Organizational Impacts (eBook)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/the-changing-landscape-of-oss-technologies-solutions-and-organizational-impacts-ebook/) - This electronic market research report assesses the nascent technologies that will change the dynamic of OSS. This comprehensive report was originally released in June 2015. Some of the material is now dated, as reflected by the significant price drop, but still provides insights into the state of change in the OSS industry.
- [An Introduction to OSS/BSS (PAOSS-INT-01)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/an-introduction-to-oss-bss-paoss-int-01/) - Are you just starting out on a career in OSS and need to get up to speed quickly? Are your colleagues already experienced in the field and talk in jargon that’s not familiar to you? Has your boss set you the task of finding out what an OSS is all about and whether it has a role to play in your organisation? Review the details panel below for a deeper look into the syllabus of this course to find out whether it's relevant for you
- [OSS Content Creation Services](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/how-we-help-with-oss-bss-content-creation/) - Are you seeking help to develop OSS/BSS content that is informative, compelling and persuasive? Are you seeking to create content that resonates with business, operations and technology stakeholders alike at your target customers? Are you finding that there's a persistent disconnect between your internal marketing and engineering/delivery teams? Marketing teams commonly rely on technical teams for valuable customer implementation stories, insights into pain points, and product roadmap details. Unfortunately, marketing teams often face challenges gaining access to the calendars of tech teams who prioritise customer / product delivery activities. Additionally, have you experienced the feeling that engineers often view marketing's technical expertise with scepticism, despite the necessity for marketing to create compelling narratives that elicit the early waves of interest from prospective buyers? It's at the intersection of product, delivery and marketing where we are unique. We have a deep understanding of the technology and challenges faced by implementation teams because we've implemented dozens of OSS and BSS. Yet we also help organisations to craft compelling stories and product roadmaps that help generate leads and win clients by uniquely differentiating in a highly fragmented market. The creation of content takes many different forms across the entire estate of OSS and BSS, but is almost always asked to persuade and/or inform. Whether you're looking for content creation from executive ghost-writing to thought leadership, a content marketing package or a custom marketing content plan, our team at Passionate About OSS can assist. We specialise in all aspects of OSS / BSS / telco and only provide content creation services in this specific field. You're not getting a general-practitioner content creator, but a seasoned OSS expert with hands-on OSS implementation experience combined with content creation skills. One who will collaborate with you directly to create collateral that is specific to your needs and target clients. To help you choose, you can order from five pre-packaged content plans below: Basic (monthly blog article) Standard (fortnightly blog article) Advanced (weekly blog article + quarterly white-paper) Deluxe (twice-weekly blog article + quarterly white-paper) Whitepaper only (one off, or multiple to be quoted separately) But you are welcome to select a more customised content plan that better fits your unique needs. Further details about the types of content available can be found in the details panel below. To discuss further, please request a no-obligation meeting with our consultants.
- [Free Consultation - How we can Help You to Run an RFP / EOI or OSS/BSS Procurement Process](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/how-we-help-run-your-rfp-eoi-or-oss-bss-procurement-process/) - Are you looking to find the best-fit OSS/BSS for your organisation and proposed transformation? Are you considering running a procurement event that might include Expressions of Interest (EOI), Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Proposal (RFP) and even PoC (Proofs of Concept)? Are you aware that there are over 500 different OSS/BSS vendors (and even more products) to choose from? (Note that with this order, you are requesting a no-obligation meeting with our consultants to discuss your plans further, not a downloadable document. Further details below)
- [Free Consultation - How we can Help You to Grow and Even Sell your OSS/BSS Company](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/how-we-help-you-to-grow-and-even-sell-your-oss-bss-company/) - With well over 500 product suppliers in the OSS/BSS market, it can be really difficult to stand out from the other products / solutions. As you already know, it’s a cut-throat, highly competitive business for product suppliers and integrators. Are you looking for new approaches, new thinking and/or new connections to take your organisation to the next level? Are you even looking to grow it further in readiness for a future exit via a merger or acquisition (M&A)? Are you seeking growth through the acquisition of another well aligned company? (Note that with this order, you are requesting a no-obligation meeting with our consultants to discuss your plans further, not a downloadable document. Further details below)
- [Free Consultation - How we can Help OSS/BSS BUYERS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/how-we-help-oss-bss-buyers/) - Are you looking to find the best-fit OSS/BSS for your organisation and proposed transformation? Are you aware that there are over 500 different OSS/BSS vendors (and even more products) to choose from? Note that by adding this order to your cart, you are requesting a free, no-obligation meeting with our consultants to discuss your plans further (not a downloadable document). Further details about this offering are provided below or you can also refer to the BUYERS link for further information.
- [Free Consultation - How we can Help OSS/BSS SELLERS, VENDORS and INTEGRATORS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/how-we-help-oss-bss-sellers-vendors-and-integrators/) - Are you looking to find the best-fit OSS/BSS for your organisation and proposed transformation? Are you aware that there are over 400 different OSS/BSS vendors (and even more products) to choose from? Refer to the SELLERS link for further information and to book an appointment with us. Note that by adding this order to your cart, you are requesting a no-obligation meeting with our consultants to discuss your plans further (not a downloadable document). Further details about this offering are provided below.
- [Free Consultation - How we can Help OSS/BSS IMPLEMENTERS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/how-we-help-oss-bss-implementers/) - Do you have an upcoming OSS/BSS implementation project be it anywhere in the life-cycle from inception to implementation to operations?? Do you need an individual or team of experts to help you to wrestle your project’s unique challenges? Alternatively, do you simply need some specific collateral developed or advisory services provided to guide you and your team? Refer to the IMPLEMENTERS link for further information and to book an appointment with us. Note that by adding this order to your cart, you are requesting a free, no-obligation meeting with our consultants to discuss your implementation plans further (not a downloadable document). Further details about this offering are provided below.
- [Free Consultation - How we can Help OSS/BSS INVESTORS](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/how-we-help-oss-bss-investors/) - Have you found it difficult to find an organisation with a sufficiently deep understanding of all of these facets to help you through your OSS Merger and Acquisition (M&A) process? When it comes to acquiring or investing in companies where OSS are involved (e.g. an OSS/BSS vendor or supplier, a carrier with extensive OSS/BSS assets, a telco solution integrator that often implements OSS transformations for clients, etc), a deep understanding is required of many aspects of OSS - from an understanding of the competitive landscape, technical solutions, future trends, skills-mix requirements and much more. We assist in the OSS M&A process in numerous ways: Buyer / Seller connections (partnering / match-making) Market analysis Competitor analysis Capability and functionality analysis Roadmap analysis Asset and infrastructure analysis (including Fixed Asset Registers) SWOT analysis Workforce / Resource requirements and skills analysis Industry headwinds / tailwinds Preparation of Information Memorandum Preparation of Due Diligence Reports, ranging in depth from cursory to comprehensive depending on client needs and speeds We've been involved in OSS M&A processes where target companies have included carriers from $4B+ in annual revenues to smaller ISPs. We’ve also provided analysis of OSS/BSS vendors and helped connect prospective buyers with sellers. We’ve even assisted an investor to evaluate a telco that was considering productising their internal OSS/BSS and making it available for sale to other telcos. We've also found that many acquisitions are preceded by a period of partnership between buyer and seller. Through our comprehensive connections and knowledge of the vendor / competitor landscape, as well as market gaps / opportunities, we've helped many prospective buyers and sellers to first find suitable partners for long-term business relationships. Note that by adding this order to your cart, you are requesting a no-obligation meeting with our consultants to discuss your OSS M&A or alliance planning further (not a downloadable document). Refer to the INVESTORS link for further information and to book an appointment with us.)
- [OSS/BSS Self-Assessment Report](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-bss-self-assessment-report/) - Scroll below to generate a Free, Self-Assessed OSS/BSS Transformation Maturity Report 5–10 minutes. Big strategic insights. Completely anonymised. This free self-assessment is designed to help telco professionals evaluate how well their current OSS and BSS environments support modern business transformation. In just 5–10 minutes, you'll respond to 23 thought-provoking questions across five key domains: Architecture & Complexity Strategic Alignment Transformation Readiness Cultural Mindset, and Execution & Measurement Each question is crafted to spark deeper thinking, challenging conventional assumptions and surfacing hidden friction points in your operational landscape. Your responses are fully anonymised. Once completed, you'll be emailed a personalised PDF report tailored to your answers. The report will offer observations, section-by-section breakdown scores and strategic recommendations that can be shared or used to initiate internal discussions. This tool is not just diagnostic, it's a catalyst for transformation. You don't need to add this product to your cart. Just fill in the form below and your customised report will be sent to your nominated email address
- [OSS/BSS Project Planning (PAOSS-PRE-06)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/oss-bss-project-planning-paoss-pre-06/) - If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of an OSS/BSS transformation - with too many moving parts, competing stakeholder agendas, and legacy systems that feel like ticking time bombs - this masterclass was built for you. Designed by experts who’ve lived through the chaos, it gives you a structured, proven framework to take back control, cut through the noise, and lead your transformation project with clarity, confidence, and authority.
- [The Most Exciting OSS/BSS Innovations of 2022 (eBook)](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/the-most-exciting-oss-bss-innovations-of-2022/) - In this report, you’ll find 25 solutions that are unleashing bold ideas to empower change and solve problems old and new. We're thrilled to present these solutions in the hope that they’ll excite and inspire you like they have us.
- [Inventory of the Future: Flexible, Scalable and Highly Dynamic](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/inventory-of-the-future-flexible-scalable-and-highly-dynamic/) - This report, authored for analyst firm Omdia, considers the changes in network and services that are managed with inventory systems. It also considers advances in non-inventory-specific tools that support monitoring and management. Note that this report can not be ordered here on the Passionate About OSS site. It can be ordered via Omdia. Link provided in product description.
- [Vendor Selection Service](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product/vendor-selection-service/) - Are you seeking assistance to find a short-list (or long-list) of best-fit vendors for your upcoming OSS/BSS procurement event? Or are you seeking a more tailored procurement approach that not only finds the best-fit solution, but guides you through the process to deliver a working sandpit version of the solution to show your colleagues. Do you also need to develop the business case, negotiate with preferred vendors and more? We can help create a solution to help you on either a done by-you, with-you or for-you basis. (Further details below)

## MailPoet Page

- [MailPoet Page](https://passionateaboutoss.com/?mailpoet_page=captcha) - [mailpoet_page]
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## Categories

- [Uncategorized](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/uncategorized/)
- [Vendor](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/vendor/) - Vendors provide the products that go into the OctopOSS soup
- [Simplification](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/simplification/) - Minimise the tentacles on the OctopOSS. Keep it simple
- [Innovation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/innovation/) - The OctopOSS needs innovation and evolution to become all that it can be
- [OSS Transformation & Change Management](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/changes/) - OSS Transformation is all about managing change – organisationally, functionally and operationally during in-flight projects. This is the most commonly overlooked factor when planning OSS projects
- [Data Modelling](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/data/) - The OctopOSS relies on data migration, data modelling and associated naming conventions
- [Career](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/career/) - The OctopOSS needs the innovators and the implementers to carry it forward along, offering unlimited career development opportunities along the way
- [Implementation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/implementation/) - It is in the implementation that an OctopOSS thrives or dies. There are many ways to implement. Some will work better than others in any given OctopOSS implementation.
- [Learning](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/learning/) - The OctopOSS offers unlimited opportunities to learn and grow
- [Project Initiation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/project-initiation/) - There is much planning required to set an OctopOSS project on the path to success
- [Spatial](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/spatial/) - Data visualisation techniques are the key to successfully leveraging your OctopOSS and geographic or spatial representation is one of the more powerful techniques available
- [Business Model](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/business-model/) - The OctopOSS is waiting for new business models itself, but also facilitates new business models for CSPs and their customers
- [Requirement Capture](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/requirement-capture/) - Deeply understanding what you need from your OctopOSS is the first step to delivering great outcomes
- [OSS Consultancy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/oss-consultancy/) - OSS consultants provide you with the opportunity to bring a different set of ideas, insights and connections to your OctopOSS
- [Utilities](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/utilities/) - OSS are traditionally linked with telecommunications or internet service providers (CSPs). But as the information age takes hold, OSS become increasingly relevant to other utilities that have extensive communications networks and/or multi-utility cross-over systems
- [News](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/news/) - The world of OSS is rapidly changing so there are always news-worthy stories floating about
- [Customer](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/customer/) - OSS are all about helping the customer in some way
- [Product Ideas](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/ideas/) - 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
- [Virtualisation](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/virtualisation/) - Network virtualisation is going to continue to have a major influence on the evolution of OSS. It’s going to be exciting to watch it all unfold.
- [Executive Series](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/executive-series/) - OSS are tools have a big part to play in modern ICT organisations. They can make the difference between effective or ineffective operations of electronic assets. The Executive Series of blogs provide information that is targeted for senior executives on how to utilise OSS to deliver better business outcomes.
- [Industry News](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/industry-news/)
- [OSS Sandpit](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/oss-sandpit/)
- [Podcasts](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/podcasts/) - Episodes of The Passionate About OSS Podcast
- [M&A](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/m-and-a/) - The OSS market is highly fragmented. There’s a constant flow of M&A (Merger and Acquisition) projects underway. This category looks into all things OSS M&A – valuations, due diligence, the buying process, strategies to grow, preparation for buy / sell, etc
- [UI/UX](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/ui-ux/) - OSS/BSS solutions are designed to perform network / service activities fast, efficiently and intuitively. A solution’s UI (User Interface) / UX (User eXperience) heavily influence the success of the solution.
- [AI](https://passionateaboutoss.com/category/ai/) - Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies are proliferating and impacting the worlds of OSS/BSS and telco

## Tags

- [Industry News – The Blue Book OSS/BSS Vendor Directory](https://passionateaboutoss.com/tag/industry-news-the-blue-book-oss-bss-vendor-directory/)

## Product categories

- [Publications](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/publications/)
- [Consultancy](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/consultancy/)
- [Training Courses](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/training-courses/)
- [Market Analysis](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/market-analysis/)
- [For OSS Buyers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/for-buyers/) - Solutions that help network operators, carriers, utilities, ISPs, etc to find and implement best-fit OSS
- [For OSS Sellers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/for-sellers/) - Solutions that help OSS sellers / vendors to thrive
- [For OSS Implementers](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/for-implementers/) - Solutions that help OSS implementers / integrators to thrive
- [For OSS Investors](https://passionateaboutoss.com/product-category/for-investors/) - Solutions that help investors through the merger & acquisition (M&A) cycle when an OSS is involved