BPM-EAI: Cutting edge Telecom and Integration adoption

Here I am, back after a work induced hiatus. Since long I have been pondering over the business areas where BPM-EAI can play an important role, as far as the telecom industry is concerned. Today, let me make an attempt to list out some areas where BPM-EAI has the potential to make a mark.

Integration in layman terms - A telecom vendor has a requirement to 'integrate' (i.e. connect) the numerous systems it may have. This helps break the usual silos or data islands in the system landscape and create meaningful business events from various low level system events; enabling businesses to join the dots and form meaningful business patterns.

Telecom Business Areas -
- Billing and Provisioning (one bill for a bundle of services, online bill details, etc.)
- Managing customer relationships (customer acquisition, improving customer service, etc.)
- Order Fulfillment (Multi channel system, Order cycle time reduction, etc.)
- Regulation & Technology (quality of service, security, etc.)
- Vendor management
- Product management (new product offerings, decreased time to market, etc.)
- Merger and Acquisitions
- Inventory management (Network management, Warranty management for handsets, etc.)

There are many integrators (read software vendors with a vast product suite covering BPM, Integration (ESB, SOA) , Real time reporting, Complex Event processing, Monitoring KPIs etc.) in the market today that are good in specific business areas. Some of these provide out-of-the box solutions to support telecom processes.

Telecom firms have been embracing BPM solutions and Integration solutions with mixed results. Today, the challenge is that telecom applications are closer to the network. Couple this with new-age telecom - triple play, IP services, 3G, 4G and what not !

Integration excellence will be a key differentiator in the years to come in this industry.

This is where I would sign off; and think more about the integration progress being made by telecom firms.