The Wi-Fi SaaS service is designed to help CSPs launch and monetize Wi-Fi solutions
Claiming an industry first, Enea launched a complete Wi-Fi Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) service management solution for Communication Service Providers (CSPs). The Enea Aptilo Wi-Fi Service Management Platform as a Service (SMP-S) is an enhanced version of the company’s Aptilo SMP offering and is designed to help CSPs launch and monetize Wi-Fi solutions in response to increasing network costs complexity.
With the pay-as-you-go model of SaaS, Enea says that its solution makes it possible for CSPs to scale their Wi-Fi networks and services at their own pace, selecting complimentary functions as they go.
“Moving forward with legacy or homegrown systems in 2022 can feel expensive and problematic,” stated Roland Steiner, senior vice president for telecoms at Enea. “That’s why we’re seeing more and more CSPs move their operations into public cloud solutions, leveraging the innovation and functionality growth shared by many. With our expertise in virtualization and security, CSPs can now use the cloud to monetize Wi-Fi safely using the new Wi-Fi SMP as a service (SMP-S).”
The service is hosted as a dedicated instance per customer at Amazon Web Services (AWS) and each CSP has a “self-contained, secure service that also can be deployed as a hybrid service.” To address Wi-Fi security, Enea also allows CSPs to add an “extra secure” Wi-Fi SSID (802.1x) at every access point and combine this with mobile core integration and SIM authentication for robust security, which enables the offloading of subscribers securely and seamlessly to Wi-Fi.
Enea revealed that an unnamed European mobile operator has already deployed its solution to securely authenticate users through their SIM card credentials.
Like other XaaS — a term that encompasses a rapidly expanding galaxy of “as a Service” options — the Wi-Fi software as a Service model is built on cloud computing infrastructure and concepts, which Sue Rudd, director of networks and service platforms at Strategy Analytics said “should immediately accelerate CSPs’ ability to launch new functionality and add services alongside existing systems to secure new revenues.”
“Enea’s Wi-Fi service management offers multi-tenant B2B customer self-management while ensuring the correct handling of consent and use of personal data. These capabilities now make it far easier to monetize Wi-Fi and create valuable experiences for subscribers. Carrier Wi-Fi SaaS is a game-changer for CSPs and their business customers,” Rudd added.
