Comarch Network and Service Inventory is a solution designed to store the complete information of all network resources and services, to enable the full utilization of the network's potential and to create and manage services in new and innovative ways.

Realizing the potential of existing networks allows operators to maximize profits, improve ARPU, decrease costs, improve the quality of services and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.

In today's telecom market, operators need to provide an extensive number of different services in a single network infrastructure in order to fulfill their customers' needs. Each service is usually provided by a dedicated network element, but also depends on many other network resources as well as on cooperation with other services. Therefore, network resources and services ought to be managed in a thoroughly integrated manner.

Comarch Network and Service Inventory is a solution designed to:

• Store the complete information of all network resources and services
• Enable the full utilization of a network's potential in new and innovative ways
• Create and manage new services

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Multi-layer information model. The main idea of multi-layer data model in Inventory Management is to represent the same equipment and connections in several layers, depending on the technology they use. Technology specific information is always included in the dedicated layer which gives consistent view of the network for the operator and in the same time does not provide overflow of information. With this idea, the system can store all various levels of network information and present only what is needed at the moment. The layers represent both physical and logical information of managed network, including:

• Physical Network Resources – infrastructure components, administrative divisions, cellular/PSTN networks equipment, transmission networks equipment
• Infrastructure Layer – physical copper cables, fiber optic cables, pipes, manholes, radio
• Physical Connections Layer – built over the Infrastructure Layer and is used to represent electrical or optical end-to-end connections set-up over strands in physical cables (optical or electrical)
• Digital transmission layers – SDH/SONET (STM-n, VC-4, VC-12, OC-n), PDH (E1, T1)
• Telephony layer – trunks and subscriber lines;
• IP-related layers – data links, VPNs, VRFs, MPLS
• GSM/CDMA/UMTS related layers
• ATM and FR layers

History tracking. Inventory objects (equipment, connections, numbering resources etc.) are stored with full history of changes which enables always track changes in data. Inventory Management enables visualization of the network state in the past. A new history entry is made in three cases:

• Object creation – the first history entry is made;
• Object modification – for each modification a new entry is added;
• Object removal – the last history entry is made.

Auto-discovery and reconciliation. Inventory Management keeps the stored information up to date with the changes occurring in the network thanks to auto-discovery and reconciliation functionality. It enables to confirm the new devices that came into the system and check whether the base is accurate or not with the current inventory list. Auto-discovery tool covers the following inventory reconciliation functionalities:

• Adding new Network Element to the Inventory database;
• Removing existing Network Element from the Inventory database;
• Updating the Inventory database due to changed cards, ports or interfaces.

Network planning. Inventory Management allows future object planning support, i.e. is able to store future changes in the equipment, switches configuration, connections, etc. Plans are executed or applied by the system logic which means the changes in the objects or new objects creation actually take place and planned objects become active objects in the Inventory system. Inventory Management enables visualization of the network state in the future.

Inventory-Based Billing. The Inventory-Based Billing functionality enables operator to accurately calculate customer charges for inventory products and services, e.g. equipment, locations, connections, capacity. The billing module is able to calculate charges for services leased from another operator (vendor) and resold (with profit) to customer and to generate invoices.

Service Inventory. Service Inventory further extends Network Inventory functionality and enables advanced modeling of services. Services are stored in the system together with their mutual dependencies (client/server services) and their dependencies upon resources in the Network Inventory (devices, connections, and others). Service templates are created and modified from the system GUI and that is why new services can be introduced to the system "on-the-fly" in a very flexible way,

Inventory and Console Tools. Inventory and Console Tools allow user-friendly management of important objects used in the application.

Console Tools menu consists of tools used for:

• creating templates for Logical View and Shapes (Logical View),
• creating templates (Reports Management, Charts),
• editing symbols and links,
• searching for objects, encrypting passwords and notifying users of various actions/events.

Wizards and templates. Wizards provide flexibility to the user in terms of performed actions but in the same time do not allow for inconsistent manipulation of data. New objects are created within object creation wizard, which enables defining all attributes and necessary referential object, like path details for connections or detailed elements (cards, ports) for equipment. The same object can be created within different types of wizards, so called templates. The user is able to define his/her own template and decide which attributes of object should be mandatory, which will be predefined and if they should have any constant value. Within template, it is also possible to define which sub-elements (shelves, cards, ports, etc.) can be created together with equipment creation.

Process-driven Inventory. By introduction of automated processes, Inventory Management system becomes a dynamically changing system presenting current, past and future states of the network and services. Inventory becomes a real heart of the OSS. Within Process-Driven Inventory Management all user tasks upon Inventory data are done in the context of a process instance. There is no possibility to change the state of the network (e.g. by provisioning a new service) without updating information within the Inventory. These two factors are usually sufficient to assure real-time accurate Inventory database. Process-Driven Inventory Management brings the new quality to the existing OSS environment.

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Main Benefits:

• End-to-end view of multi-vendor, multi-technology networks and service
• Shortened time-to-market for new services
• Top down view from services to the underlying network resources
• Improved service reliability
• Up-to-date information on network elements and their configuration
• Visualization and control of distributed resources
• Better utilization/productivity of resources
• More efficient change management, quicker changes and implementation of innovations
• Reduced network operational cost
• Seamless integration with the existing environment
• Open architecture

Realizing the potential of existing networks allows operators to maximize profits, improve ARPU, decrease costs, improve the quality of services and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.

Request more information about Comarch Network and Service Inventory >>