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 with telco, across every industry. Yet, as astounding as these devices are (see video below), they represent merely the visible tip of the iceberg.
The real magic, the true enabler of these devices and the world of connectivity they offer, lies in something often overlooked and misunderstood – data and content – especially for the business-centric clients that Apple is clearly targeting with this initial launch. In the case of telco, this data is provided by, managed by, assimilated by and presented by our Operational Support Systems and Business Support Systems (OSS and BSS).
The wow-factor is in the graphics, but the business case is in the graph (knowledge graph)
OSS and BSS are the lifeblood of the telecommunications industry, much like the three-dimensional roots and branches of a tree that provide nourishment and stability. OSS and BSS data forms the unseen link between consumers and networks, managing products, coordinating the workforce and overseeing the vast array of tasks that keep our digital world humming along.
These systems are our vigilant overseers, monitoring asset performance, assessing customer experiences. They even keep a keen ear tuned to market sentiments and experiences. They power a myriad of workflows, providing invaluable insights into what the market wants and needs. They offer near-real-time visibility into every facet of the company. When done well, they also provide the levers that can steer change across network, workforce and corporate priorities.
The potential of OSS and BSS goes beyond their traditional functions. They have the power to carve out new telecom business models, serving as change agents in the industry. The question then is: are we fully harnessing this transformative potential?
While there are voices in the industry advocating for a wait-and-see approach to regulatory debates such as net neutrality and profit-sharing, well may we ask: why wait? Why remain a bystander when we, the OSS creators, can already be active participants to help drive the change we wish to see?
We are not just PassionateAboutOSS, we are passionate about the transformative power of next-generation OSS and BSS. We aim to inspire and lead the way towards a future where next-iteration versions of these systems are recognised for their true worth and their potential is fully leveraged.
In recent articles (such as this and this), you’ve seen examples of how generative AI and User Interface engineering have the potential to solve many of the complexity / usability challenges faced by the telco industry today (in ways such as this). In other articles (such as this), we discuss how AR/VR provides new ways to unlock the business case by democratising access to the graph (the knowledge graph).
A stream of product releases are sure to follow the Apple Vision Pro. On the back of AR/VR hardware advances, the OSS/BSS industry will have the platforms to access the graph in much more immersive and intuitive ways. It will become less about pre-defined applications and more about being able to easily interact with data / insights.
Does the Apple Vision Pro video below from Apple provide you with any inspiration? For a start, we’ll have our own personalised NOC video wall surrounding us.
We invite you to join us on this journey. By subscribing to our blog (via the button at the top-right corner of screen), you will join a community that seeks to be at the forefront of OSS/BSS evolution. You will gain access to the latest insights, cutting-edge strategies and real-world case studies, helping you understand and harness the power of these systems.
As Barack Obama once said, “We are the change that we seek.” Let’s change the world of telecommunications for the better, driving it into a future of even great importance than it is today.
Don’t just be a passive, or occasional observer of the technological revolution unfolding before our eyes. Dive in, immerse yourself in the conversation and be a part of shaping the future of telecommunications through the AR/VR lens of OSS/BSS.
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Here at Passionate About OSS, we are exactly that – Passionate About OSS (Operational Support Systems). We’re also passionate about BSS, NMS, or any other names you call the tools that help to operationalise your network.
