Ericsson launches service orchestration and assurance to fuel CSP innovation

• The new Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance product helps CSPs design and create services with greater efficiency, can be extended for network slicing, and comes with a range of associated professional services
• New offerings set to fulfill demand from CSPs to streamline operations to achieve enhanced integration, streamlined processes and closed-loop automation
• OSS/BSS evolution is essential for CSPs to take advantage of, and capture revenue from, the innovation sparked by the differentiated connectivity available through 5G and 5G SA

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has launched new service orchestration and assurance product, solution and services capabilities designed to enable communication service providers (CSP) globally to capitalize at scale on the growing variety and volume of high-impact use case opportunities made possible by 5G and 5G Standalone (SA).

The new product, Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance, provides the necessary tools for CSPs to orchestrate and manage services across multiple network domains in hybrid IT environments comprising multiple technology vendors. Importantly, the new product works across network generations to efficiently coordinate service creation and management.

The company has also announced its new Ericsson Dynamic Network Slicing solution which has Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance at its core and is designed to help fully operationalize 5G network slicing with swifter value generation and reduced implementation risk. The associated services, also being introduced today, will support service orchestration and assurance end-to-end, across Radio Access Networks (RAN), Core networks and into monetization​.

A recent TM Forum survey found that 85 percent of CSP respondents are considering or planning to simplify service orchestration and assurance to achieve enhanced integration, streamlined process and closed loop automation. With 18 commercial contracts and 32 Proof of Concept projects completed to date, Ericsson is already working with CSPs globally, taking their next steps in evolving their service orchestration and assurance journeys in managing existing and future services with the offering’s effectiveness shown clearly in the positive results generated across multiple projects.

Low latency, high-bandwidth, or any other characteristic of differentiated connectivity made possible by 5G, requires evolved OSS/BSS. This is critical for managing the complexity in conceiving, launching, and monetizing new services at scale. With these new capabilities, CSPs can commercialize, operationalize, and industrialize committed performance levels – enabling innovative new services, driving efficiencies with automation and, crucially, securing economies of scale.

Mats Karlsson, Head of Solution Area Business and Operations Support Systems, Ericsson, says: “Communications service providers can already design, deploy and operate 5G-based services, and we see new services being launched across the world with great frequency. To ensure innovation continues at pace and these new services and business ideas can scale reliably, service orchestration and assurance that automates efficient service creation and management across domains in open programmable networks is a necessity. These new offerings, which are designed to reduce transformation risk and accelerate time to market for new business models, strengthen Ericsson’s ability to meet CSPs’ challenges of managing complexity effectively at scale, and provide the route to capturing opportunities for monetization of new successful services based on network slicing and much more.”

Dr. Rainer Deutschmann, SVP and Group Chief Operating Officer, Telia Company says: “At Telia, we’re at a transition point within our transformation to industrialize our capabilities - transforming how we create, manage and monetize services. We’re pushing boundaries on the innovation front with our NorthStar program enabling open innovation with industry partners. And the only way to be successful is if we force the need to simplify, standardize, and scale. Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance will help us get new, innovative services to market and to revenue quickly, reliably, and easily.”

Shailin Sehgal, Telstra Executive, Network Applications and Cloud, says: “The true opportunity of 5G is to be found in its ability to deliver premium, dependable and differentiated service experiences, beyond standard mobile broadband, through network slicing. With Ericsson’s Dynamic Network Slicing capability we are able to design experiences and deliver a service to meet the needs of specific customer use cases. As we continue to invest in and develop advanced 5G connectivity for Australia, the opportunity to extend this capability across a broad range of customer use cases expands and allows us to deliver incredible value for the biggest enterprise customers, all the way across to our individual subscribers.”

Ron McKenzie, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Rogers, says: “We are proud to be the first operator in Canada to successfully complete a nationwide live test of 5G network slicing technology, as part of our commitment to bring Canadians the biggest and best networks. This industry-leading technology, combined with new orchestration capabilities, will help us drive innovation and enable new 5G use cases and applications – connecting more Canadians to Wireless Home Internet and supporting our public safety partners and businesses.”

Andy Hicks, Senior Principal Analyst, GlobalData says: “Ericsson is introducing comprehensive service orchestration and assurance product, solution and service offerings that enable the delivery of differentiated connectivity services, including network slicing, at scale. The evolution of Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance multi-domain service orchestration drives business outcomes and realizes closed loop intent-based operations.”

Overview of new offerings

The new Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance product is the engine of innovation for CSPs. Linking network capabilities and service experience, it is used to overcome complexity and accelerate innovation, and enhance the ability to deliver on service intent for CSPs.

It offers a single, open tool to easily and quickly design, test and launch services across multiple domains like IT and networks, even with elements from multiple vendors. The tool includes AI and data-driven capabilities, such as intent-driven orchestration, that can be aligned with demanding service level agreements and business intents.

The new Ericsson Dynamic Network Slicing solution is also announced today. Powered by Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance, it will help CSPs to accelerate the creation of slicing-dependent services, optimize the slice service creation, modification and monetization and in turn scale the service to create new and profitable revenue streams.

Ericsson Dynamic Network Slicing connects from RAN through Core for ease of integration and rapid deployment to realize the full potential of network slicing in business settings as well as the network.

The solution includes a wide range of AI-based associated professional services support customers as they determine their network slicing strategy, build their capabilities and operate and optimize for growth and performance.

These services reduce complexity to CSPs wishing to implement end-to-end network slicing, lifecycle automation, and operations at scale to ensure they can set and achieve ambitious business goals.

Ericsson Service Orchestration and Assurance, Ericsson Dynamic Network Slicing solution, and associated services, are available now. Further information and detail can be found on the Ericsson website.