Amdocs is moving into network-based solutions for small cells and Wi-Fi with the goal of helping service providers better monetize heterogeneous networks.
The company has launched its Amdocs Small Cell Solution, which provides automated technical design using network technology-specific building blocks, according to Amdocs, and can offer up to a 25% reduction in time and costs for small cell deployments, plus a more than 30% reduction in network design time for high-volume, high-density small cell roll-outs.
Amdocs has also introduced its Wi-Fi offload product called Amdocs Smart Net Solution, which includes automatic session monitoring of user activity and network conditions with the aim of providing a seamless experience as the user moves between cellular and Wi-Fi networks with a personalized profile. It leverages Amdocs’ Connection Manager product to give operators a sense of network performance from the user’s perspective, as well as “driving offload and onload decisions based on subscriber value, data plans and policy,” according to Amdocs.
Rebecca Prudhomme, VP of product and solutions marketing at Amdocs, said that combined with Amdocs’ introduction of its Charging Smart Start solution earlier this year, the new products “[move] Amdocs appreciably closer to the network software domain – expanding our customer experience portfolio to manage customer experience across both networks and IT, enabling service providers deploying advanced networks to increase efficiencies and revenues.”
“Amdocs’ move towards the network software domain is part of a clear industry trend,” said Shagun Bali, analyst with Ovum. “Knowing what’s happening at the network level provides granular data about the customer – who they are, where they are, what they’re doing – this information is critical for service providers to deliver the kinds of personalized services their customers expect.”
—Infonetics Research said that LTE-Advanced deployments and small cell roll-outs will boost the microwave backhaul market in 2014.
“Though [third quarter, 2013] marks the second straight quarter of marginal growth in the microwave equipment market, we’re still projecting an overall decline for the full year 2013 due to price erosion in the hybrid equipment segment in particular,” reports Richard Webb, who is directing analyst for microwave and carrier Wi-Fi at Infonetics.
“The next round of backhaul market growth will be driven by macro LTE-A upgrades and small cell deployments, both of which will require very low latency solutions,” Webb added. “This will begin to make an impact from 2014 and boost the market for a few years.”
The company’s most recent Microwave Equipment report found that Ericsson continues to lead in revenue market share in the third quarter, with Huawei reclaiming the No. 2 position from NEC. The report also found that the growth in Ethernet microwave is expected to be partially masked between 2014-2017 by declines in the TDM and dual Ethernet/TDM microwave legacy technologies.
