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Telefónica Case Study

Implementation of Comarch Next Generation Network Planning in Five Telefónica Subsidiaries

Telefónica is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world by market capitalization and number of customers, with a comprehensive offering and quality of connectivity that is delivered over world class fixed, mobile and broadband networks. As a growing company, it prides itself on providing a differential experience based both on its corporate values and a public position that defends customer interests.

The company has a significant presence in 21 countries and more than 349 million accesses around the world. Telefónica has a strong presence in Spain, other parts of Europe, and Latin America, where the company focuses an important part of its growth strategy. Since 2003, Comarch has been supporting Telefónica Germany in its Transport Network Management and Tactical Planning. Additional information about Telefónica S.A. can be found at telefonica.com.

The Approach

The aim of the project is to fulfill Telefónica’s needs and requirements holistically, in five countries of Latin America. In order to meet this challenge, Comarch delivers a framework-based solution composed from four connected modules.

Comarch OSS will respond to Telefónica’s needs effectively and ensure the company comprehensive and up to date insight into its networks.

The solution also responds to the requirements of a multi-vendor and multi-technology environment, by enabling integration of various data sources. Thanks to the detailed network view, involved OBs will have an opportunity to plan and configure their network more efficiently, which will decrease not only operational costs (OPEX) but also will allow to optimize network investments (CAPEX).

The contract was signed in 2015. Taking into account the complexity of the project, the changes are being implemented gradually and the process of transforming the whole Telefónica environment in Latin America is still in progress. Implementation is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2017. 

The Challenge

In the last years Telefónica has been facing exponential traffic growth in transport networks, with a consequent huge increase in network and operations investments and therefore – operation complexity. In 2015 Telefónica launched a new program, called TOP (Transport Optimization Program) with the main goal of optimizing the current network and to ensuring efficient growth for future transport networks, taking into account all the stakeholders (network devices, operating processes, OSS, organization, etc.).

The company’s multi-vendor and multi-technology network infrastructure in South America is currently managed with a multitude of legacy systems. This not only inflates the costs of network management and makes it challenging, but also leads to discrepancies between data in the systems and in the live network. Telefónica is looking to minimize the discrepancies between the live network and the data represented in OSS (operational support systems), in order to accelerate the network planning processes and shorten the time to market for new resource deployments.

The new OSS solution is expected to provide enhanced data synchronization with the network in a simple and effective environment, and to reduce the cost of the creation and operations of the transport network. The company is also looking to have one single tool for inventory management and reconciliation, instead of multiple tools. The other objective of the project is to document and optimize business processes in the area of operations and engineering.
The project also involves organizational transformation in accordance with the change management process.

On the basis of the above, a major challenge for Telefónica will be in line with the implementation of the new Comarch Next Generation Network Planning tools – i.e. the process of organizational transformation, and everything that comes with it: change management and redefining internal processes.





The Implemented Solutions

The Solution

The implemented COTS (Commercial off the shelf) solution consists of the following components:

Comarch Next Generation Network Planning, which supports planning the network strategy as well as managing telecom network planning and optimization processes efficiently. The module enables increased agility and responsiveness due to its ability to simplify resources and adapt them to changing demand.

Comarch Network Inventory, which, as the heart of solution, enables the storage of complete data about all the management of all network resources, facilitating them for a multi-vendor or multi-domain network. The module ensures not only an end to end view of the networks, but also allows the utilization of existing resources to be improved and new ones to be planned.

Comarch Auto-discovery & Reconciliation, which is pre-integrated with Comarch Network Inventory. The module allows automated as well as manual resolution of discovered discrepancies. Thanks to rapid feedback from the network, not only optimization cycles but also network upgrades are shortened.

Comarch Configuration Management, which allows complete end to end fulfillment process planning, and network configuration based on the most up to date data. The module is fully integrated with Comarch Auto-discovery & Reconciliation and Comarch Network Inventory.

Thanks to the multiplicity of functionalities, Comarch Next Generation Network Planning is a major step towards managing network planning and optimization processes in the Telefónica Group.

The Comarch OSS solutions will be installed in five Telefónica subsidiaries in Latin America, and the accompanying processes will be reused across Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Brazil. 

Expected Results

The primary objectives of the project are to obtain cost savings in the creation and operation of the transport network, and to shorten the time to market for new resource deployments.

This will be achieved thanks to complex network optimization:

  • By migrating from multiple legacy OSS systems to a single OSS Solution, Telefónica will be able to lower the costs of network management. Additional cost savings will be achieved through the unification and reusability of OSS processes across the five Telefónica subsidiaries.
  • The deployment of global planning processes in each of the office buildings aligned with the GCTO (Group Chief Technology Office) and Global Procurement will create a synergy in purchasing new resources from suppliers. As a result of efficient planning and better forecasting of required resources, prices will be optimized.
  • Comarch Network Planning uses Comarch Inventory and a reconciliation module with near real-time visibility of available network resources, which will allow better utilization of currently deployed resources to be achieved, and reduce the need for new ones.
  • The implementation of both Comarch Configuration Management and Comarch Auto-discovery & Reconciliation will automate the deployment of new resources in the network.

The facilitation of planning processes and tools will also enable the second objective to be met – shortening the time to market for new resource deployments and accelerating network planning.

Additional value of the project will lie in the simplification of the IT environment in five Telefónica subsidiaries.

Why Comarch?

"As part of Telefónica's strategy, our network and operation support systems play a crucial role as enablers of the services we provide to our clients. Implementing Comarch Next Generation Network Planning is a major step towards improving the efficiency of network planning and optimization processes in our subsidiaries in Latin America. Comarch was chosen as it has already proven to be a trusted partner of the Telefónica Group in Europe, and shown a great degree of flexibility in meeting our needs. The current implementation will provide an integration platform for a best of breed OSS solution, unified and reused across the group."

José González Díaz, Director of Transformation & OSS, Global CTO
Telefónica S.A.

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