Focus and Benefits of Network Provisioning Tools

Provisioning is an important factor in the telecommunications industry. Network provisioning tools are essential in telecommunication companies as it aids in the provisioning of customer services with regards to various network elements. The concept of network provisioning can be referred to as service mediation. It needs the use of networking equipment as it depends on the designing and planning of the network.

Within the modernized signal infrastructure, utilizing information technology across levels would be difficult. Since there is a distinction between the higher-level infrastructure and telecommunications services. This is why provisioning tools are important as it configures the required systems. This provides the users the access to technology resources and data while involving other management areas for enterprise-level information.

What is the focus of the tools for network provisioning?

Network provisioning is one of the types under the “Provisioning” functionalities. The tools for network provisioning are focused on customer relationship management (CRM). The network provisioning solutions assign systems to CRMs to be provided within a network element. This enables the service to function and allows the customer to utilize the service.

A service that has been configured within the CRM and the network elements are not a direct one-to-one relationship. An example is more than one network element can enable the Microsoft Media Server. During the provisioning process, the device for the service mediation will translate the service to the service parameters involved in the network elements. The translation process is called provisioning logic where it serves as the algorithm utilized to translate the system service to network services.

How network provisioning detects the billing error?

The electronic invoice will be fed from the carriers that will be downloaded automatically to the telecom expense management or TEM software. Once downloaded to the core, it will audit the single line of items towards the User Support and Operations Center or USOC level. The provisioning software used will be able to capture the circuit number that was provided by the carriers. If there are bills that are outside the contracted rate, an exception rule triggers the system to send a red flag which will notify the pre-defined system about the error. The employee whose tasks are related to billing can review the error.

Benefits of an automated network provisioning tools?

If a business employs manual network provisioning in their systems, it would mean that their network will have a slower workflow compared to the automated version. A manual system would mean that the team is using spreadsheet-based provisioning which will not be able to keep up with the newest and best network provisioning tools in the market today. Automation means that the processes are faster and smoother.

Having an automated network provisioning would reduce the complexity of the network systems while integrating the whole provisioning process. The process would include the DNS and DHCP configuration, as well as the IP address assignment. With automated network provisioning, each of the steps is automatically carried out. New services are deployed while other devices can be detached or attached to the network. An automated network provisioning allows policies to be defined and placed with a set of parameters wherein the system carries out the tasks.

Some of the benefits include:

• Decrease operational costs while increasing productivity by using the automated provisioning to the labor-intensive tasks.
  
• Faster service delivery through the replacement of activation processes with a much better-integrated workflow that can quickly provide on-demand updated network resources to the customers.
  
• Consistent and reliable service with the automation reducing the system’s error rates while deploying repeatable processes.
  
• There is a full tracking with a complete audit of all the provisioning changes which provides the proper monitoring and full visibility of the changes. The auditing and tracking would allow the system to be in line with the regulatory and governance requirements.
  
• There are accelerated service releases and faster turn out on newer service offerings while substantially decreasing the operating costs with added productivity.
  
• The company will see a higher and better profitable growth due to the reduction of the costs, resulting in lower revenue loss. This allows service providers to have high-margin services backed by top-notch offerings.

Software companies like ETI provide network provisioning tools for service providers, specifically telecommunication companies. Companies need to ensure the deployment of all-fiber networks is properly in place. Service providers must utilize tools from a reliable software to fully take advantage of the benefits of automated network provisioning.