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3-GIS Announces Partnership with UtilNet
Strategic partnership supports growing demand for an Esri-based GIS platform, replacing legacy Ericsson Network Engineer system within Middle East Region
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Strategic partnership supports growing demand for an Esri-based GIS platform, replacing legacy Ericsson Network Engineer system within Middle East Region
I started my career supporting utilities and their GIS programs, specifically migrating their legacy CAD-based technologies to the latest in Esri-based GIS platforms. Interestingly, a successful migration was not necessarily predicated on a better user experience; but rather, success was measured by the vision and commitment of the customer to change. They knew, for instance, that user adoption would be a slow and painful process and that efficiencies gained would be measured by the operational impact, as opposed to the individual user experience. Enabling the larger organization with the data it needed to make clear and concise decisions was going to be critical in either maintaining a competitive advantage or, for the public utility, delivering quality services at an affordable price. While this change has not been easy, GIS-based technologies are now a critical component to most if not all utilities around the globe.
System setup…this tedious, daunting, but somewhat overlooked process is the lifeblood of any enterprise software solution. And, with the accelerating pace of designing and building out fiber, an asset management system that you can just “set and forget” no longer exists. Processes change. People change. You need to be able to adapt your network management solution quickly and with little to no downtime for your user base.
Here is a conundrum: if fiber technology is ever-changing, why would you ever embrace the status quo for your long-term fiber network deployment and management strategy?
It may come as little surprise that communications service providers (CSPs) have experienced increases in operational efficiency by transforming their fiber records from paper and disparate digital files to fiber management specific programs and applications. In the Digital Transformation Tracker 5 report published in 2021 by TM Forum nearly “40% of CSP executives said they are well along the road and reaping significant benefits from [digital] transformation.” (1)
Telecommunications is one of the fastest-growing GIS markets in the world. So fast, in fact, it has a forecasted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.0% from 2021-2026. A large part of this growth is due to the need for stakeholders to understand the network structure on a near real-time basis.
Schneider Electric’s Fiber Manager was first introduced as a product about twelve years ago. Since the original version, it has been enhanced to offer multiplexing and enhanced circuit management, but overall, the user interfaces and experiences are basically the same as when first introduced.
APIs are continuing to shatter the past misconception that they are exclusively for the tech giants. Harvard Business Review1 emphasizes that APIs can enhance operations for small to midsize companies of all industries; a point further proven by the 24,000 APIs listed in Programmable Web’s API directory2 in April 2021, a stark increase from the 12,000 offered in 2015.1 With the growing popularity and availability of APIs, CSPs may become increasingly interested in the suitability of API integration in daily operations. However, equally important to deconstructing API suitability, is understanding how using APIs in conjunction with your network management system can boost your bottom line.