Transformation or Convergence?

Transformation is probably the best word I’ve heard in a long time to describe the CSPs’ ongoing pursuit for operational excellence. For over 10 years, the industry has been bombarded with ever present description of technology, market and industry related “convergence,” but let’s face the facts. Convergence is defined by the MS Word 2007 dictionary as “a coming together from different directions, especially a uniting or merging of groups or tendencies that were originally opposed or very different.” Has the communications industry really been coming from together from different directions, or uniting different ideals?

If you look back over the past five to 10 years, virtually every CSP started a substantial back office technology rationalization project to eliminate out-of-date systems, facilitate the launch of new services, and attempt to future-proof newer technology investments through the use of more flexible architectures. Most of the rationalization projects have started at the BSS layer, driven by the fact that during times of rapid growth, it was easier and faster to add new BSS than it was to expand and upgrade the systems that were already in place.

Regardless of the project goal or its inception point, the ideals were the same...to bring new services to market quickly, simplify the infrastructure, and make it easier to do business with the customer. Every CSP OSS/BSS investment is made to transform the business to become more efficient and more customer-centric.

From this point on, I will try my hardest to eliminate the word "convergence" from any report I write or presentation I make.