Time to rethink network management

The acceleration in data speeds and volumes in telecom networks is increasing the need for real-time network management solutions, according to Napatech.

Network probes have been identified as strategic components in assuring customer quality of experience and enabling more innovative services.

“Telecom networks and mobile networks in particular are under pressure”, stated Henrik Brill Jensen, CEO, Napatech. “The increase in data speeds and volumes is aggravating challenges that carriers have been facing for years with regard to flat revenues in the face of rising costs. In addition, customers are forming deeper relationships with Internet content providers, which threatens to side-line carriers.”

Traditional telecom management has relied on polling mechanisms to provide snapshots of what is happening in the network. With speeds increasing from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps and beyond, and the dynamic and bursty nature of Ethernet networks, real-time network management based on network probes is generally seen as necessary.

Work by the TMForum Managing Customer Experience (MCE) and other similar projects have identified network probes as strategic in providing the real-time data necessary for end-to-end customer experience management.

“Network equipment vendors have an opportunity to provide carriers with an end-to-end real-time network management solution that is strategic to their needs”, continued Jensen. “The key is ensuring that the network probes supporting this solution have the scalability to keep up with accelerating network speeds and volumes in a flexible way.”