Understanding BSS/OSS Architecture

In response to changing market conditions, communication service providers (CSPs) are focusing on enterprise customers and B2B2X. No longer just telcos that sell connectivity, CSPs are becoming “techcos” that collaborate with partners to co-create innovative services for new use cases (such as factory automation and remote surgery) and market sectors. Simultaneously, telecom networks are becoming more complex due to the emergence of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. As CSPs offer new products and services to enterprise customers, their business needs change. Flexible Operations Support Systems (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS) architecture is essential to help CSPs improve network operations and monetize a variety of 5G use cases.

What Is OSS and BSS Architecture?

Comprising hardware and software tools, OSS (operations support systems) and BSS (business support systems) are essential IT systems that form the backbone of the telecommunications industry. Operations support systems and business support systems tap into cloud computing, automation tools and analytics to streamline operations and customer activities across the entire telecom organization. 

OSS manages the technical side (network operations), while BSS handles business (customer-facing) tasks. While OSS and BSS cover different sides of the business, telecom operators often use these systems together to improve end-to-end telecommunications services. Working together, BSS and OSS help CSPs: 

• Optimize network performance and resource allocation
• Deliver reliable and efficient communication services
• Monetize network capabilities
• Improve customer experience
• Drive business growth and profitability

OSS Keeps the Network Running Smoothly

Operations Support Systems (OSS) helps providers monitor, analyze and manage telecom networks. OSS includes the network infrastructure and software used to control the network. 

OSS enables telecom operators to remotely oversee technical and operations activities, including:

• Real-time network watchdog: OSS provides constant network monitoring, identifying issues and sending instant alerts. This allows for swift intervention, resolution and proactive maintenance planning to prevent future problems.
• Strategic network planning: OSS analyzes data like traffic patterns and network usage. This helps predict future needs and identify areas prone to congestion, ensuring your network stays ahead of the curve.
• Configuration control center: OSS tracks network configurations, maintains a history of changes and allows for rollbacks if needed. This ensures optimal performance and minimizes the risk of configuration errors.
• Rapid fault detection and resolution: Quickly identifying and fixing network issues is crucial for minimizing downtime. OSS acts as your network’s diagnostic tool, pinpointing problems for swift resolution.
• Service quality assurance: OSS constantly monitors performance metrics like latency, jitter and packet loss. This information helps guarantee service quality meets agreed-upon service level agreements (SLAs).
• Network inventory management: Maintaining an accurate record of network resources – towers, cables, equipment – is essential. OSS keeps track of everything, allowing for optimal resource allocation and future capacity planning.
• Seamless service provisioning: OSS automates service order processing, allocating resources, configuring equipment and activating services for your customers. Advanced systems even offer self-service portals for online ordering and activation.

BSS Keeps Customers Happy

Business Support Systems (BSS) refers to software that manages and streamlines interactions with customers to deliver positive customer experiences. BSS enables CSPs to automate, simplify and speed up customer-facing business activities, including:   

• Effortless billing: BSS automates billing, generating accurate and timely bills based on usage. It handles everything from rating and payment processing to revenue reporting, saving you time and effort.
• Fast and accurate service delivery: From sign-up to activation, BSS manages customer orders efficiently. Automated validation and provisioning ensure services are delivered quickly and accurately, minimizing errors and frustration.
• Flexible service options: A robust BSS allows easy management of your product catalog. You can create bundles, customize services and offer various pricing models to cater to diverse customer needs.
• Smart subscription management: BSS acts as a central hub for subscriptions. Customers can easily modify or renew plans, while usage data is tracked for accurate billing and valuable insights. These insights help you tailor bundles and offers to different customer segments.
• Personalized marketing: BSS collects valuable customer data on usage, preferences and demographics. Leverage this data to segment customers and deliver targeted promotions and campaigns with services they’ll love.
• Enhanced customer relationships: BSS integrates with CRM systems, providing detailed customer information like service usage and support tickets. This empowers marketers to personalize communications, address churn potential and recommend relevant services for upselling or cross-selling.
• Proactive customer care: BSS automates helpful notifications for customers. They can receive payment reminders and be kept informed about scheduled maintenance, minimizing service disruptions and improving overall experience.

Better Together: OSS and BSS

Integrating OSS and BSS is crucial for delivering an exceptional end-to-end customer experience and maintaining operational efficiency. While OSS and BSS have distinct purposes, they interact and share data to enable efficient, seamless operations. For example, when a customer requests a new service, BSS handles order management and billing, while OSS activates and configures that service on the network. In addition, data generated by the OSS network is shared with the BSS for accurate customer billing and data analysis to make informed business decisions.

Network operations impact customer experience, so it’s important for CSPs to communicate with customers when there’s a network problem such as a service outage. When OSS detects and diagnoses network problems, the system shares Information about these faults with BSS, which can notify affected customers and manage remote troubleshooting efficiently.

Why 5G Networks Depend on Modern OSS and BSS Solutions

OSS and BSS systems run by most CSPs are on-premises software applications with fixed functionality. Designed to manage simpler connectivity services, legacy BSS and OSS systems aren’t flexible enough to support new 5G use cases. In legacy BSS systems, order management, billing and charging are based on a relatively small set of fixed, packaged bundles, and customers have limited choices of bundles. More complex requirements (such as a private wireless network for an enterprise customer) must be negotiated individually and are often billed through the professional services division. A legacy BSS system doesn’t accommodate a variety of pricing models to allow CSPs to create a digital storefront that makes it easy for enterprise customers to order a 5G network slice or private wireless network. On the OSS side, legacy systems’ limited automation capabilities mean that a lot of network provisioning, configuration, fault management and repair work must be done manually. 

While manual network management might suffice for a basic network serving a mass market, it falls apart in the face of 5G’s complexity. Enterprise customers expect dedicated, high-performance slices of the 5G network with zero downtime. CSPs simply can’t manage hundreds or thousands of individual network slices (or other 5G resources) manually and meet the strict service-level agreements (SLAs) they’ve committed to.

Modern OSS/BSS are essential for:

Enhanced 5G monetization. To effectively monetize 5G network slicing, Internet of Things (IoT) applications and edge computing services, OSS/BSS needs to handle complex pricing models, real-time charging and flexible service bundles. Advanced OSS/BSS capabilities like convergent charging and service catalogs help CSPs capitalize on their 5G investment. 

Efficient network management: Efficiently monitoring and managing complex 5G networks requires robust OSS capabilities. Modern OSS uses AI, data analytics and automation to optimize network performance and resource utilization, streamline operations and meet SLAs. 

Building Your 5G Ecosystem: Choosing the Right OSS/BSS

To unlock the full potential of 5G, communication service providers (CSPs) need a modern OSS/BSS that goes beyond traditional connectivity management. Here’s what to consider when selecting a solution:

Unparalleled flexibility and agility:

• Embrace any business model: Your chosen OSS/BSS should seamlessly adapt to diverse revenue streams, supporting everything from basic subscriptions to complex enterprise partnerships involving IoT, digital services and more. Cater to consumers, businesses, resellers and MVNOs with ease.
• Cloud-native advantage: Leverage the power of the cloud. Cloud-native BSS solutions provide superior scalability, agility and affordability compared to on-premises options.

Empowering B2B partnerships:

• Built for collaboration: Seamlessly integrate with your existing CRM, payment gateways and other critical systems.
• Streamline complex partner relationships: Manage multi-level corporate account structures with ease. Process vast quantities of invoices with automatic generation and customization for different stakeholders.
• Open for innovation: Foster a thriving 5G ecosystem through open APIs. This enables effortless integration with partners, allowing them to order on-demand services like network slices in the public cloud.

Key capabilities for 5G success:

• Zero-touch automation: Eliminate manual processes with automated service provisioning, configuration and management.
• Real-time everything: Enable real-time event rating and service adjustments, regardless of network or service type.
• Use-case driven pricing: Design dynamic pricing models tailored to specific customer needs and use cases for 5G applications like IoT and edge computing.

By prioritizing these features, CSPs can select an OSS/BSS that empowers them to monetize 5G effectively, manage complex partnerships and deliver the high-performance, flexible services that define the 5G era.

CSG can help you navigate this new landscape with our cutting-edge BSS solutions. Our cloud-native platforms offer unmatched flexibility to adapt to any business model you have, from basic subscriptions to intricate enterprise partnerships.  Cater to a diverse customer base with a single platform, including consumers, businesses, resellers and MVNOs.  Empowering your 5G ecosystem is also a breeze. CSG solutions seamlessly integrate with existing systems and manage complex B2B relationships. Open APIs foster innovation by allowing partners to effortlessly integrate and order on-demand services like network slices directly in the cloud.