Preparing for Convergence

Network and IT Come Together

By IDC on behalf of Alcatel-Lucent
Posted September 2009

Abstract:

The topic of convergence has been front and center in the telecommunications industry for the past five years. The term itself has many meanings and interpretations. However, for the purposes of this white paper, we discuss the convergence of IT and networking technologies as an enabler of personalized and blended services.

Despite the challenges that service providers face in today’s market, they possess a unique set of assets that can be leveraged to improve their competitive position. Toward this end, many service providers are executing customer-centric market strategies aimed at transforming their networks to next-generation IP networks for delivery of a superior customer experience.

The key to achieving this goal is developing an environment that allows service providers to leverage not only their own network assets but also third-party applications and services to support the following strategic objectives:

This white paper discusses the convergence of IT and networking in the telecommunications industry. Through in-depth customer interviews conducted by IDC, the document draws upon the experiences of communications service providers that are transforming their business, network, and services operations to improve their competitive position. These companies share valuable insights from their experiences that provide guidance toward taking a logical, planned approach in executing a convergence strategy. The case studies were developed by IDC based on interviews with the companies. The company names were provided to IDC by Alcatel-Lucent.