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29 Oct, 2024

Zinkworks Automates Network Management for a Tier 1 UK Communication Service Provider with Google Cloud

In an era where rapid expansion strains operational capacities, how can leading Communication Service Providers (CSP) maintain efficiency while scaling up?

Zinkworks, in collaboration with Google Cloud, is excited to announce an agreement with a Tier 1 UK CSP to transform their Operational Support Systems (OSS) into a cloud-native environment.

This initiative will implement autonomous network management using advanced AI and intent-based automation technologies, aiming to reduce network management costs by up to 70%.

Current Challenges in Network Management  

 

The CSP is embarking on a footprint expansion program to increase service coverage and drive growth. However, using current operational processes, this subscriber growth would significantly increase operational costs due to:

  • A higher volume of tickets handled by operations.
  • An increased number of field visits required by engineers.

These factors could lead to a fourfold increase in support staff over five years, making the current approach unsustainable.

Key challenges in managing an optical network include:

  • Extensive Manual Work: Numerous manual interventions extend cycle times for planning, building, testing, and running the network, increasing the likelihood of errors.
  • Siloed Data: Fragmented data storage leads to consistency issues and hinders timely insights crucial for effective management.
  • Lack of Proactive Monitoring: The absence of comprehensive monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities impedes effective network management.
  • Inconsistent Configurations: Ad hoc CLI changes result in inconsistent and erroneous configurations.
  • Limited Predictive Capabilities: Difficulty in foreseeing potential outages and prescribing solutions increases downtime and disruption.
  • Absence of Standardized Processes: Lack of standardization adds complexity, cost, and time to network management.

The CSP sought a solution to overcome these constraints, aiming to unlock subscriber growth while delivering state-of-the-art automated support.

Zinkworks’ Vision for an Autonomous Network

 

autonomously plan, build, test, and run its optical broadband network. This marks a shift from manual efforts to data-driven decision-making, leveraging AI-driven automation and intent-based network models.

Key components of the solution include:

  • Unified Data Lake: Establishing a single data repository in Google Cloud to enable efficient AI use cases through the Vertex AI platform and BigQuery ML, breaking down data silos and fostering seamless data flow.
  • Cloud-Native OSS Transformation: Transitioning OSS systems to Google Cloud, consolidating multiple systems into a streamlined, agile environment.
  • Rapid Innovation: Harnessing AI models to deliver new network use cases in weeks, such as predictive issue detection and enhanced field force efficiency with Generative AI automation.
  • Autonomous Network Creation: Implementing an intent-based automation architecture capable of executing network changes automatically, leading to self-healing networks that resolve issues without human intervention.

Benefits of an Autonomous Network

 

This cloud-native platform delivers substantial benefits:

  • Reduced Lead Time and Manual Effort: Streamlined processes minimize manual interventions and cut down lead times.
  • Real-Time Insights: A unified data fabric provides instant access to insights, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.
  • Enhanced Visibility and Control: Comprehensive monitoring with a live network and service topology view enables proactive management.
  • Consistency and Traceability: Centralized configuration management ensures consistent and reliable network environments.
  • Predictive Analytics and Automation: AI/ML-driven analytics minimize the impact of outages, ensuring higher uptime and better service quality.
  • Security: Google Cloud’s compliance with security standards ensures data encryption at rest and in transit, maintaining a secure environment.
  • Cost and Complexity Reduction: Standardized, data-driven processes reduce costs, complexity, and time, enhancing efficiency and scalability.
  • Fully Automated Operations: The shift to automated and orchestrated operations prepares the network to handle future demands with agility.

These benefits lead to significant operational efficiencies, enabling aggressive subscriber growth without being constrained by operational limitations.

The Future of Network Management

 

This collaboration marks a significant step towards revolutionizing network management. By leveraging a combination of Zinkworks’ expertise in OSS transformation and Google Cloud’s capabilities, the CSP can overcome current challenges to create a more efficient, scalable, and automated network. This transformative journey positions the network to meet future demands with ease and agility.

For more information or to discuss how this transformation can benefit your organization, please contact sales@zinkworks.com.