Leading operators say including operations from outset is key to cloud transformation

Communications service providers (CSPs) gathered at FutureNet in London agreed that developing cloud-native networks presents multiple difficulties. But telcos can make their lives easier if they make operations part of their plan early in the process.

“You can't be successful if you don't take into account the deployment strategy and the operations on top of it. It's the full package,” said Philippe Ensarguet, VP of Software Engineering at Orange.

In 2016 Verizon started migrating its network functions to its own internally managed private cloud. The biggest lesson it has learnt so far is to integrate operations into the cloud transformation process from the early stages, according to Adam Koeppe, SVP Technology Strategy, Architecture & Planning, Verizon Wireless.

“We have learned plenty of lessons. The biggest one is that most network operators [have a] technology planning group … an engineering group that does your physical build for most things, and then … an operations group supporting the network long term,” explained Koeppe .

“The sooner you bring the operations experience and insight to the planning process, so shifting those things all the way left, the better off you are,” said Koeppe, adding that: “We've had scenarios in our growth curve where either due to time or disinterest, you lose that insight.”

When it comes to ensuring different aspects of the business benefit each other during the cloud migration of network functions, Koeppe advocated “learning how to stand in the shoes of your counterparts in other parts of the organization.”

Examples of how this works in practice include having planners use the operations team’s systems to experience their work firsthand.

The company also encourages employees to transfer to different roles so that they can consider the day-to-day challenges of their peers face when making business choices.

“We have done a phenomenal job of rotating people through different types of roles,” according to Koeppe. “I spent 10 years with field operations on the wireless network. So, when it was my turn to plan the technology associated with the wireless network, I had a perspective on the many outages and sleepless nights and lost weekends” all of which he could take into account when looking at new architectures.”