The race to modernize B/OSS systems is heating up as Communications Service Providers (CSPs) look to meet the demands for 5G and its use cases. Supporting network slices at scale, for example, will need greater scalability, flexibility, and efficiency capabilities across the network’s infrastructure – and B/OSS is not an exception. So much so, Analysys Mason projects that CSPs will spend nearly $80B to modernize their B/OSS by 2028, of which $19.9B will be spent on B/OSS that is hosted in the public cloud. As a leading cloud-based B/OSS provider, our experts at Enghouse Networks are constantly asked by CSPs about how to migrate their B/OSS to the cloud effectively. Here are our answers to the top 3 frequently asked questions.
Should we ‘lift and shift’ our B/OSS into the cloud?
At face level, the ‘lift and shift’ migration approach sounds straightforward. Simply ‘lift’ an application from its existing environment and ‘shift’ it as-is into the cloud with no or minimal changes. However, there are multiple risks and challenges that may occur if a legacy B/OSS is not rearchitected for the cloud. As well as costly bottlenecks that may occur due to scalability limitations, outdated optimization techniques, and incompatibility issues, the ‘Lift and shift’ approach is expensive in the cloud for B/OSS because:
- Multiple instances = multiplied costs.
- Inefficient resource utilization.
- Poor performance.
- Monolithic scalability = high cost for always operating at peak capacity.
- Limited resilience.
- Vendor lock-in.
- Deficient security and data protections.
How do we select the right cloud provider?
Ensuring system affinity should be the first criterion to consider when determining whether a cloud provider is right for you. In addition to system affinity, assess the cloud provider’s:
- Infrastructure capability
- Data privacy
- Security
- Trust
And let’s not forget about the price. It would be easy to think that the hyperscalers’ cloud costs are all the same. But that’s not always the case. The discounts you can secure and how efficiently you optimize usage can significantly impact your cloud-related costs. This point is especially important when we eye an AI-powered future, where cloud costs can easily balloon due to the huge volume of data that must be processed. So, when comparing costs, make sure to use PoCs to validate assumptions and verify pricing.
How can I future-proof my cloud migration?
Deployments will change, and today’s cloud system of choice can easily become tomorrow’s migration. CSPs can avoid cloud-provider dependency by evaluating their migration with the following questions in mind:
- What if I want to move to a multi-cloud approach?
- What if I want to optimize my utilization?
- What if I need to switch out components? Support CNF and orchestration?
- What if I want to move component workloads from one cloud to another?
- What if I pursue a new strategy that involves managing greater volumes of data?
- What if regulations force us to change how we manage our data in the cloud?
- What if our requirements for high-intensity and guaranteed performance change?
With greater demands to deliver superior customer experiences, increase service agility, improve profitability, and reduce operating costs, it is now paramount for CSPs to have modern B/OSS capabilities. Enghouse Networks’ portfolio of BSS/OSS solutions are cloud-platform agnostic, ensuring that CSPs have the ultimate flexibility, agility and scalability needed to succeed. For more tips on how to effectively modernize and migrate your B/OSS to the cloud, check out our infographic: “The 5 Step BSS/OSS Cloud Migration Process that Works”. Or contact us to set up a demo of Enghouse Networks’ B/OSS solutions today.
