HP is introducing three software solutions to help communications service providers manage the customer experience to create greater loyalty, especially among high-value customers. As part of the HP Next-Generation Operations Support Systems (HP NGOSS) portfolio, the service assurance solutions enhance the quality of the customer experience by ensuring that all paid-for services are actually received. The three solutions are: HP Service Quality Management, HP TeMIP Service Console and HP Unified Correlation Analyzer.

M-Tel, the leading provider of mobile services in Bulgaria, is one of the HP customers already conducting trials of these solutions. M-Tel expects to enhance the experience of its 5 million customers by resolving problems quickly and efficiently.

This customer-centric approach to service assurance is now essential in a competitive market where customers access many kinds of services from many kinds of devices.

“In an increasingly competitive market, customer experience management is emerging as a top priority for service providers,” said Ari Banerjee, vice president, Yankee Group. “With a solid OSS background in network and service management as well as integrated OSS/BSS, HP is ideally positioned to help service providers evolve toward a customer-focused approach to service assurance.”

HP solutions fix problems before customer is affected
Service providers must employ a variety of OSS software to automate the complex task of resolving problems before the customer experience is adversely affected.

Each of the HP solutions addresses specific processes in the customer experience management “life cycle.” These include detecting a potential problem, identifying the root cause, fixing the problem and preventing its recurrence. These HP solutions provide key OSS functionality and can form a complete customer experience management program when combined with proven HP NGOSS solutions and HP Solutions Consulting Services guidelines.

• HP Service Quality Management (SQM) is an automated solution that now includes pre-packaged capabilities across fixed and mobile services to provide a comprehensive view of the customer experience and accelerate the move to customer-focused operations. The second-generation HP SQM platform evaluates the customer experience by monitoring multiple service and business metrics such as call center and order handling time. HP SQM now includes the ability to test services and monitor transactions to assess the quality of experience. Along with HP TeMIP Service Console and other HP solutions, HP SQM stores service data in the HP Universal Configuration Management Database (UCMDB), ensuring consistency across OSS processes.

• HP TeMIP Service Console enhances service availability by providing a real-time view of the operational state of telecom, IT and IP network resources, services and customers. It consolidates and correlates possible experience problems (“alarms”) and helps expedite repair. By integrating HP TeMIP, a highly automated fault management solution, with core elements of HP SQM, HP TeMIP Service Console allows human operators to see, in real time, which services and customers might be affected – and how the problems can be resolved quickly.

• HP Unified Correlation Analyzer (UCA) enables service providers to quickly identify the nature of a problem in the network, determine its root cause, and evaluate its impact on the quality of experience. It uses an innovative topology-based correlation technology to quickly identify and analyze network problems and their impacts. By automating complex processes, HP UCA can reduce the need for specialized personnel, streamline problem resolution and reduce costly outage time. It is available fully integrated with HP TeMIP.
“Service providers can now focus on the quality of experience – and reduce costly defections – with HP’s customer-centric approach to service assurance,” said Philippe Leon, director, Communications and Media Solutions, HP. “The HP solutions give service providers the OSS tools they need to detect, identify and resolve problems before they affect the customer.”

M-Tel deploys HP TeMIP Service Console
To improve the customer experience and enhance efficiency in its network operations center, M-Tel is conducting trials of HP TeMIP Service Console and HP SQM. The HP solutions are expected to help M-Tel manage services and ensure that problems across IP, telecom and IT infrastructure are identified and resolved quickly, minimizing service disruptions for customers.

The HP solutions are being tested to help M-Tel meet new customer requirements for service views and reporting. The tests also will indicate how M-Tel can reduce costs and business risks through more efficient handling of problems – in IT and mobile networks.

“M-Tel expects to enhance customer experience, especially for high-value corporate users, by using the HP solutions,” said Roni Babikian, head of Network Operations Center Department, M-Tel. “We believe the HP tools can help M-Tel accelerate the identification of problems that might affect the customer experience, and, at the same, help us increase the efficiency of our network operations.”

HP’s announcement was made at the annual Management World tradeshow, where the company is showcasing its NGOSS solutions at booth 65.

More information on the HP NGOSS portfolio is available at http://www.hp.com/go/ngoss.

About HP
HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.