| 1 Introduction
As the social
informazation is improving and network has become an import part
in the society, important clients in different industry are looking
for a diverse and customized integrated solution from telecom carrier
to meet their communication needs, and share services of “one-station-can-get-all”.
This situation makes carrier develop system integration service
with its own resource to lead the head in the competition. On the
other side, data communication service such as IP service has rapidly
developed, which make 憁edium layer?become more and more important.
To bring the largest potential of network into play, a specialization
team of system integration is needed to supply technical support
as well as traditional network management and maintenance employees
are needed. As we know telecom operation is stepping into an era
with competition on operation and service, and it is a due problem
to solve how to supply different and customized service for different
client and improve relationship with clients. And it is a key index
indicating service for clients by telecom carrier to see whether
it could develop system integration service.
2 System integration service could
expand value-added room of carrier
System integration
service of telecom carrier mainly covers the following two means:
One is system integration of IT architecture inside telecom carrier.
It is an integration of system related with ERP, BOSS, CRM and integration
between systems, such as billing, integrated count, network management,
resource management and dispatching, client resource data management,
operation deal and supply, and client service. And this job used
to be done by telecom carrier with the help of equipment suppliers
and system integrator focus on telecom industry, and software developer.
The other mean is system integration service aiming at client, which
could offer one integrated point-to-point service for clients in
different industry according to demand of operation and resource
configuration. The service includes complete solution from operation
counseling, configuration of software and hardware platform, development
of application software, network connection to system maintenance.
At present, there are many system integrators aiming at telecom
carrier. With their help, telecom carrier could get some 憇oft?and
慼ard?equipment, but it is still hard to supply a satisfied service
for clients in different industry, which needs telecom carrier to
supply a feasible solution according to their self resource. To
achieve these, lots of telecom carriers builds a special system
integration company to supply solution for clients.
According to development
history of system integration in telecom industry, earlier system
integration mainly includes network integration, network technical
support and so on. After entering 90's, with the rapid development
of data communication in the world, system integration not only
supplied software and hardware technical service, but also began
to supply specialization service for client such as customized design,
consulting and application and maintenance. System integration has
beyond primary stage with simple 憇ystem conformity? and begin developing
value-added space for telecom carrier. And a specialization team
in system integration also supplies an indispensable support for
integer network plan and enforcement of telecom carrier. The more
important thing is that system integration itself has gradually
become a new service increasing-point of telecom industry. System
integration service depending on self-network not only carries extra
income for telecom carrier, but also enable telecom carrier supply
better service and grasp client.
In recent years,
change has taken place in operation in the whole telecom network,
data communication operation of IP has group up quickly, and it
will gradually replaces voice communication to be the mainstream
of telecom operation of the new generation. Because IP technology
has been dominant in communication network, architecture and function
of future core network will be very simple. Its major function is
to supply large-capacity bandwidth. Although core has become more
and more simple, requirement of communication service by people
has been more and more diverse. Customized demand in information
age requires telecom carrier supplying diverse service on an integrated
platform. Telecom carrier should be able to expand value-added service
market through conformity of network resource, as well as supply
ordinary network access. Competition of future market is not only
the competition of network access, but also the competition of service
mode and service type. So telecom carrier should supply custom with
kinds of individuation and applied service through integrated network
element, which arises new requirement of system integration of telecom
industry.
Most traditional
telecom system integrators are limited by 慼ardware drives software?development
mode, and have no complete comprehension of network, and are hard
to give an advanced advise for client抯 system construction. Although
they know more about hardware products than telecom carrier, telecom
carrier could timely grasp the change of client抯 demand through
direct service clients in different industry, and offer a pertinence
solution according to self network resource. The best advantage
of system integrator with carrier background is that they could
connect client's demand to the network very well. There are lots
of successful cases about developing system integration service
in foreign big telecom carrier, such as PCCW, Germany Telecom, British
Telecom.
From the view
of client, data communication is a field with strong specialty.
And they just want communication company to supply a integrated
solution to network construction to meet their specific demands.
In fact, more than ninety- percent data communication subscribers
in developed country is developed system integrator with telecom
carrier background.
In addition, telecom
carrier has built a large IT architecture after several years?investment,
such as service system and support system and so on. But operation
in different area and department in different service usually adopted
products from different manufactories, and the standard, system
and interface of IT systems are not united. And IT technology is
also developing and upgrading everyday. All these will inevitably
raise a complex problem on conformity of system between different
operation departments, and between 憂ew?system and 憃ld?system. And
these problems used to be solved by outer system integrators and
equipment manufacturers. But they have limited comprehension on
IT system and network operation of telecom carrier. If telecom carrier
completely depend on those people, they will not make a timely decision
on the market. And if carriers themselves development system integration
service, they will not only keep this large inner market and save
cost, but also strengthen control and development of the system
and network to fully embody its functions.
But this does
not mean excluding cooperation with specialty system integrators
or software developers during telecom carriers develop system integration
service. With the help of this cooperation, a better-quality service
will be supplied. But telecom carriers themselves should be able
to take on most system integration service focused on clients, and
this service will determinate whether carriers could supply diversity
of telecom service, which will build the core competition of telecom
carrier.
3 System integration service in
Outside of the mainland telecom carrier
3.1 Hongkong PCCW
As the major
telecom carrier in Hongkong, PCCW has a strong capability of system
integration as well as strength of telecom operation. In less than
two years, PCCW has not only become one of Asian leading telecom
carriers, but also grown up as the biggest system integrator in
Asian.
At the earlier
stage of merge, PCCW began re-orientating the whole business of
company. It classified all business into four parts, that is, core
business, increasing business, jointly-company business and capital
construction business. And core business is referred to fixed-network
service of telecom, and increasing business includes Internet service,
system integration, consulting service, software development, network
infrastructure and external service and so on. The case of conformity
of system integration by PCCW fully proves it is successful for
them to take the advantage of both telecom area and IT area to expand
a larger market. At present system integration has taken more than
twenty-five percent sale share of group and become the fastest-development
business in PCCW.
3.2 NTT DATA
NTT DATA is one
of five big communication companies of NTT group. After several
years NTT DATA today has become the biggest information system integrator
and network system service supplier in Japan, and its sale income
take the second place among global same-type company. While it mainly
supplied information system and computer network service in the
earlier days.
Management philosophy
of NTT DATA is enterprise value chain to create and expand IT market.
This value chain is consisted with three parts: IT partners, service
supplier, system integrator. The goal of NTT DATA is to be the leader
in these three fields, and strength cooperation to create a successful
commercial mode. At present NTT DATA has a complete products (service)
series. It could not only construct network for client, supply system
integration service on each layer, but also complete system plan,
stratagem plan, system maintenance and management, system design
and installation for clients. It is not only network service supplier,
application service supplier, but also E-commercial service supplier,
computer service supplier, Internet service supplier and security
service supplier.
3.3 Germany Telecom T-System
T-System is one
of four sub-companies of Germany Telecom. The company is orientated
on supplying system integration solution for big client. As European
second largest system solution supplier, T-System supplies integrated
IT and telecom solution for global clients as well as for Germany
large clients. At present, there are 43 500 employees in more than
twenty countries. The company is able to supply global IT and telecom
service, and develop new integration solution and creative E-commercial
system for clients. Able to supply global 憃ne-station-buy-all?and
end-to-end telecom and information technology service make T-System
leading in market for a long time.
3.4 British Telecom Ignite
BT re-arranged
as six sub-companies in April 2000. And Ignite sub-company mainly
deals with IP service with center of data communication, which includes
data transmission, network host trusteeship and application, system
integration and external service, E-solution of client, application
of software packet and so on. It is mainly orientated in enterprise
client and wholesale market. Ignite is due to supply a complete
communication product series for enterprises and wholesale clients
in big cities around the world. And it is also the first communication
company who promise to supply a complete IP vale chain (from core
network to Internet connection to E-commerce consulting and solution)
via a suit of content trusteeship, application service supply, system
integration and external contract.
3.5 French Telecom Euralba
December 6 2001,
French Telecom announced new-set a information consulting company
named Euralba on the base of original R&D department to supply
consulting for client's information system architecture. Euralba
helps clients to design information system, supply solution to function,
and supply consulting on system project, application development
and integration, including CRM, advertise marketing. Major clients
of Euralba is big enterprise in bank, insurance, and large-scale
retail, and it also includes medium and small-scale enterprises,
who want to use information system to enhance contact with partners,
clients and suppliers, or apply themselves to develop E-commerce.
Euralba also works for construction of information system of sub-company
of French Telecom group such as Orange, Wanadoo, and supply related
technology support for information system department of French Telecom.
3.6 AT&T GNS and AT&T Solutions
AT&T global
network services (AT&T GNS) and AT&T Solutions could supply
several kinds of network connectivity services and customized solution
to network for clients, which includes construction, management
and support of network infrastructure. This solution will make headquarter
of enterprise manage branch organizations in local place better,
and ensure information transmit among each branch organization in
time to share the resource and keep the contract with clients. In
addition, it will also supply solution of network management system,
advanced IP and world-in-point client network system external contract
for client in each industry.
System integrator
discussed above which derived from telecom operation enterprise
has a same feature, that is, it could not only take use of network
resource of its parent company, and support the development of data
communication service of whole parent company, but also expand its
self-developed space to directly or indirectly bring large income
for its parent company via value-added services. In the age when
IP technology becomes the mainstream, carrier could re-range and
take a high-level use of resource of communication network with
the help of kinds of software and hardware technologies. And those
integrators leeching on to large telecom carrier are playing an
important role in developing value-added service based on telecom
network for carrier.
4 Advantage and disadvantage
for telecom carrier to develop system integration services
There are lots
of advantages for traditional carrier to develop system integration
services, such as well reputation and acceptance, redundant network
resource, and clients resource and strong appeal for each kind of
partner.
Market environments
also offer a good chance for telecom carrier to develop system integration
service.
(1) Increasing
demand of 憃ne solution?to communication by client offer a large
space for telecom carriers to develop system integration services;
(2) Compare with
traditional system integrators, telecom carriers could understand
demand of client better, and they could also utilize network resource
and operation experience to enter fields serving clients;
(3) Rapid development
of data and other value-added service will increase demand of system
integration services;
(4) To supply deeper-level
service for client needs advanced IT means, while application of
IT means needs more support of system integration.
But there also
exists disadvantages for traditional telecom carrier to develop
system integration service, which is listed as the following:
(1) Absent of
deep comprehension of business flow of clients in key industry,
and unfamiliar with operation mode, industry feature and business
flow of different industries;
(2) Lack of skill
and experience of IT project management. System integration service
needs advanced management mode of IT project, and traditional carriers
are short of experience and talents at that fields at present;
(3) Not good at
other system integration service outside of network system integration.
There exists shortcoming or blind point in Internet service, solution
to industry clients, computer service, application service, E-commerce
service and industry strategy service. And it is unfamiliar with
new system integration such as consulting, training and so on.
In recent years,
as the market competition become more and more sever, telecom carrier
in China has pay more and more focus on system integration services
and begun to enter this field with different mode to server big
client and expand value room. At present, when telecom carrier in
our country develops system integration service will face both opportunity
and challenge. Client抯 demand is huge, and value-added service has
rapidly developed. But it is late to develop this business, so the
experience is deficient. It will face problem of inner conformity
of IT architecture and business, and it also takes a chance to cooperate
with experienced telecom carrier and system integrator at home and
aboard. Given all these, telecom carrier in China should work with
domestic and foreign industry system integrator, manufacturer, software
developer and telecom carrier with experience of system integration
and large clients in kinds of industries.
5 Orientation of system
integration services
According to
system integration service developed by foreign telecom carrier,
there are different operation emphases during different growing
stage. It includes system integrators who supplies a complete service
for large clients, such as T-SYSTEM, PCCW, and it also includes
those system integrators who supply solution to data service for
clients, such as BT Ignite, NTT DATA. PCCW accumulate specialty
knowledge in different industry market by carrying important project
with leading enterprises in each industry. T-SYSTEM mainly supplied
service for large (group) clients of Germany Telecom at earlier
stage, and then supplied integrated solution of IT and telecom for
global clients later. NTT DATA supplied information system and computer
network service for clients at its earlier days, and now it mainly
supplies system integration services based on data service for subscribers.
French Telecom Euralba is helping clients design information system
at present, to supply solution to function. BT Ignite supplies system
integration service of broad band IP service centered on data communication.
All these show that foreign telecom carriers choose key clients
and industries according to market demand in different stage and
resource when they develop system integration services.
Domestic telecom
carriers should also grasp important things, and enforce step by
step, and transits to system integrator who able to supply complete
system integration service according to demand of market in different
stage and self capability. That is discussed as the following.
In first stage,
system integration service could be orientated on network service
suppliers outside, that is supply transmission solution related
with basic network architecture for clients. And it pushes conformity
of inner IT architecture insides, and supplies system integration
orientated inside to accumulate experience of being a Internet suppliers
and computer service suppliers.
In the second
stage, they will also act as application service supplier, industry
strategy service supplier and solution supplier. They could gradually
take part in integration of communication and service application
of big client in key industry such as finance, government and so
on via alliance or joint venture and cooperation. System integration
in this stage is mainly oriented on supplying several-layer and
full-scope service for big clients. Carrier utilize experience in
operation of telecom service and management network to supply a
integrated solution from construction of communication platform,
development of application system to external contract service for
government, finance and enterprise to supply support for new service
and customized service. At the same time, they could also utilize
experience of inner IT system integration to develop relative business.
In the third stage,
telecom carrier will become as a comprehensive integrator with full-scale
system integration capability. They will not only work for large
clients of carriers themselves, but also supply a complete system
integration service for global market. System integration services
in this stage should cover system integration, value-added business
and IT services.
The important
point of system integration is integration and software development.
And the key of competition is laying at technology, related experience,
and quality of talent and relationship with clients. To achieve
a long-term development, it needs cooperate with well enterprises
and peer, to fully utilize resource of cooperators. It also needs
absorbing international advanced experiences, to find a manage mode
of system integration business with centralization, specialization
and complying with actual information of telecom carrier.
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Biography:
Liu
Yong-bin is a master in economics. He once worked at the production
management section of PLA General Logistics Department, Huaxia Publishing
House, Beijing Telecom Company. He is now working at the enterprise
development department of China Netcom Group Co.
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