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Broadband Tool Development Strategy
A guide that addresses the various needs of a full service broadband service
provider
By: Bruce Bahlmann - Contributing Author (your
feedback
is important to us!)
Created: April 15, 2003
Broadband tool development for large service providers must span on-command field
intelligence, back office diagnostic and troubleshooting, back office
analysis and summary reporting. These three areas are summarized below:
On-Command Field Intelligence Tools – A library
of command line driven tools capable of gathering real-time system or device
information and automating repetitive tasks on-command. All tools are
self-contained executables that will work on any Microsoft windows based
personal computer.
Tools such as these are run infrequently and
not widely circulated. Only certain field or network engineers may require
access to such tools. An average field/network engineer may have a need to
run such tools perhaps a half dozen times a month. However the convenience
for field personnel to have access to such tools is significant. On-Command
Field Intelligence Tools increase field/network engineer’s productivity and
limits their reliance on information from often-overwhelmed Network
Operations Center (NOC) to provide similar information. However, much of the
information these tools generate is not even available from the NOC nor is
it available in real-time.
Back Office Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Tools
– An interactive web-based application that allows individual subscriber
devices (personal computers, cable modems, set top boxes, media terminal
adapters, etc.) to be accessed. Once accessed, an array of tools will be
presented according to device type discovered. Additionally, other
information about the device may be available depending on the operator
including billing information, subscriber address and service information,
as well as operations and customer care details. All tools and or
information provided will be increasingly cross-linked in an intelligent
(and intuitive) manner to permit rapid access to other associated
information. These links will enable the user to further drill down upon
more detail or optionally drill further up on other information associated
with this device (other modems, the cable node, the CMTS, the city, cable
system, region, etc.).
Tools such as these are run very frequently and
are widely distributed. Because they are web-based they are generally made
available to all field/network engineers, all installers, all network
operations personnel, as well as a majority of the customer care tiers.
These tools decrease the time to resolve many customer issues and technology
issues over the phone – limiting the need to roll trucks. As these tools can
readily address other service specifics (video, voice, etc.) they will
become increasingly more depended upon to help troubleshoot and resolve
customer issues.
Back Office Analysis, Planning, and Summary
Reporting Tools – Background tools that traverse data either already
collected or actively polls devices for all new information to build a
variety of summary reports. Some of the reports currently being generated
include top talkers, marginal modems, and CMTS snap-snot. All reports focus
around determining the current exceptions – those devices operating beyond
acceptable or average ranges. Tools may also cover more forward-looking
projections permitting the operator to perform increasing analysis and
pseudo predictive modeling capabilities.
Such tools range in use depending on the
granularity of information required. For example, a top talkers report must
be run frequently to maintain the pulse of network usage. Other reports
require much less frequency, perhaps a little as once a day. Network
engineers, field fulfillment, and management frequently access these reports
to help them localize larger network, node, or other problems. These reports
are also used to help budget new expenditures such as additional staff,
increased bandwidth, or more network hardware.
Pricing model suggestions:
On-Command Field Intelligence Tools:
Annual tools
subscription for unlimited use, or pay for individual tool use at rate of
several dollars
per use and billed monthly. Bulk use packages would also be available at some negotiated
discount. Regardless, pricing would include individual licensing that would
allow operator to control permissions of who can operate these tools as well
reporting capabilities that show how frequently their people have run them.
Pricing also includes any updates or enhancements to tools as well, access
new tools as they become available, as well as the ability to request new
tools be developed over some negotiated time frame.
Annual on-call fee
for ability to request new tools on the spot with quick turn around - most
within the hour or within the same business day depending on the complexity
of the request.
A non-exclusive perpetual license to
the source code of these tools will be made available upon the first
anniversary of a paid subscription service. Any source code offered would be
current with the release in operation but after delivery it would no longer
be supported. Source code would only be made available upon each
subscription anniversary for a period of one week. Upon each anniversary the
price of the source code would increase in cost by 60% each year following
the initial subscription.
Back Office Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Tools:
Annual tools subscription. Includes
all updates (major and minor releases), new tool creation, and bug fixes. A
price lock may also be separately negotiated to ensure this annual fee
remains the same.
Support, training, and perhaps
additional professional services.
Kickback for other
operators sold if first to use some new tool set.
A non-exclusive
perpetual license to the source code for these tools will be made available
upon the first anniversary of a paid subscription service. Any source code
offered would be current with the release in operation but after delivery it
would no longer be supported. Source code would only be made available upon
each subscription anniversary for a period of one week. Upon each
anniversary the price of the source code would increase in cost by 60% each
year following the initial subscription.
Back Office Analysis, Planning, and Summary
Reporting Tools:
Annual tools subscription. Includes
all enhancements and upgrades to tools as well as all new reports added to
these tools. A price lock may also be separately negotiated to ensure this
annual fee remains the same.
A non-exclusive
perpetual license to the source code for these tools will be made available
upon the first anniversary of a paid subscription service. Any source code
offered would be current with the release in operation but after delivery it
would no longer be supported. Source code would only be made available upon
each subscription anniversary for a period of one week. Upon each
anniversary the price of the source code would increase in cost by 60% each
year following the initial subscription.
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