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The next generation of systems to support corporate grade ICT products and solutions

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BT Technology Journal

Abstract

The delivery of next generation IT and communications services to corporate customers is a principal part of BT’s growth strategy. These services range from IP virtual private networks, to hosted applications, through to fully managed solutions spanning complex IT and network infrastructures. The cost and flexibility of such services is increasingly dependent on the operational support systems (OSS), which automate activities such as provisioning, change, billing, and incident management. However, the OSS challenges for the service provider have never been so great — not only to support a wide-ranging portfolio of legacy products, but also a new generation of convergent products, while at the same time trying to deliver both improved service and cost savings. Moreover, in the corporate sector, large contracts are typically won in partnerships, and through outsourcing. The OSS must therefore interwork seamlessly with the counterpart OSS in each of the partner’s operations, pulling together to deliver a single managed service to the customer. This paper outlines BT’s solution to these complex OSS challenges, the application of its systems capability matrix to corporate customers, the relationship to its alliance with HP, the importance of standards such as ITIL, and how BT is levering its research and venturing capabilities to deliver a competitive edge through OSS.

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Authors
  1. J. Wittgreffe
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  2. C. Trollope
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  3. T. Midwinter
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Wittgreffe, J., Trollope, C. & Midwinter, T. The next generation of systems to support corporate grade ICT products and solutions. BT Technol J 24, 93–112 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10550-006-0100-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10550-006-0100-3

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