LEVERAGING MULTI-MARKET PRESENCE through VIRTUAL SMSC TECHNOLOGY

MASTERING MULTI-COUNTRY MESSAGING

This case is based on the experience of an operator with network operations in a large number of European countries. With a significant share of young customers in many of its markets, SMS is an important source of revenue for the operator.

The multi-country operator is continuously seeking to leverage its large geographical footprint. In search of a new messaging platform, several areas of improvement were identified: the ability to quickly bring new services to market in several countries, centralized SMS competence in the organization, increased operational efficiency and improved system utilization among others.

The mobile operator went in search for a multi-country SMS solution that would allow them to offer similar services in different markets while retaining the possibility to customize services and integrations in each country. A successful deployment would also require a supplier that could integrate the new solution in a complex multi-network environment.

A PRIVATE CLOUD FOR MESSAGING

After a thorough selection process, Symsoft was identified as the supplier best suited to help leverage the operator’s multi-market position.

To help the operator improve its SMS business, Symsoft delivered a solution based on Symsoft Virtual SMSC technology: a modern product for SMS delivery enabling the operation of several virtual SMSCs on a single hardware cluster. With a product architecture adapted to the needs of multi-network operators, functionality can be shared between all virtual SMSCs with service configuration specific to each market.

As part of the delivery process, Symsoft provided integration services to ensure a successful deployment. This included integration to mobile networks and existing charging and BSS systems, in each of the different countries that were to be served by the solution.

The new solution enables the operator to deliver messaging services in a large number of countries from one single platform. The services are delivered to the global organization in a cloud-based solution, with no requirements for hardware or software applications to be installed in the individual markets.

A small group of operator employees is now efficiently managing the solution. Concentrating all traffic to a common solution has given the operator better overview of service adoption and traffic patterns in different markets. This in turn leaves the operator better prepared to identify trends that can be exploited commercially.

SHORTER TIME-TO-MARKET AND IMPROVED UTILIZATION

Today, the Symsoft SMSC installation is managing messaging traffic in a majority of the markets where the operator is present.

As a result of the consolidated messaging solution, capacity utilization has improved compared to a scenario with distributed SMSCs. As countries served by the SMS span several time zones, the mobile operator is able to distribute peak traffic at certain holidays such as New Year’s Eve more evenly, with midnight occurring at different times in different countries. Furthermore, local SMS-intensive holidays that are specific to a single market are handled more efficiently, as capacity can be shared from other markets that experience lower traffic at the time. Meanwhile, traffic limits are set per country to ensure that a peak in one market does not affect traffic in other markets.

Symsoft SMSC with Virtual SMS technology has enabled this multi-market operator to improve its agility in the market place with shorter time-to-market for new services and better understanding of service trends. It has also improved utilization of SMS infrastructure through the sharing of capacity between markets while maintaining service quality. With Symsoft as a partner, the operator stand well prepared to meet business challenges today and tomorrow.