Can telecom SOA live up to its promise?

Kate Gerwig

Do you sense a "but" coming here? Not exactly, just kind of. As is also true with most technologies, we tend to declare winners long before we should, and SOA is no exception. CIMI Corp. President Tom Nolle looks at whether SOA has lost some of its luster in the telecom world in Telecoms must address three SOA implementation challenges.

Is SOA a disaster? Far from it. Standardized interfaces designed for easy substitution of network elements and software components are bright and shiny objects in the industry. But, as reality sets in, service providers deploying SOA must be aware of its potential pitfalls and make sure to protect high performance and scalability and create solid boundaries from third parties.

Spotlight on SOA Telecom business model transformation requires symbiotic service models  Building revenue-increasing telecom services for the future  The role of IMS and SOA in the service ecosystem

Included in the issues service providers need to be concerned about is whether reusing SOA many times – which is good for operations costs – is actually bad for service performance. Telecom operators have to solve the delicate balancing act between scalability and demand on network servers and data centers.

Opening their networks to third-party developers is another challenge that would have been considered treason in the traditional telecom world. The standardized interfaces used by Web developers and telecom providers will need to work for both groups or new partnerships don't have a chance of working.

While SOA was initially discussed in terms of enterprise use, telecom providers probably have a bigger stake in its success. The reason is that the next-generation of service delivery platforms (SDPs) are based on SOA.

Telecom providers are currently looking to telecom equipment vendors and professional services companies to help define SDPs that can help them increase revenue while lowering operational costs. How that effort is going is a topic we'll address in the coming weeks on SearchTelecom.com.

For now, if you have SOA implementation stories to share, please let us know. No one wants that bright and shiny object at the end of the tunnel to be an oncoming train. Email your comments to us at Editor@SearchTelecom.com.

Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchTelecom.com. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member. Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us    RELATED CONTENT Commentary Supply chain revolutionary: AT&T leads procurement zone adoption Effective service delivery platforms: Are we there yet? Telecom industry trends hint at big changes to come NSN moves on up with major 4G wireless and optical networking moves LTE vs. WiMAX for 4G Wireless Broadband: Which one and why? AT&T partners to search for wireless revenue streams Wi-Fi: You can take it with you Five design factors to facilitate efficient router virtualization IP transformation: Improving network efficiency, increasing revenue Mobile broadband forecast bright, but there's no joy in ARPU Service Delivery Platforms Three major issues face telecom on cloud computing services adoption Alcatel-Lucent launches service layer architecture for carrier/application developer mashups Telcos can sell Infrastructure as a Service with security, resiliency Going over the top: Build telecom revenue with mobile social networking services Partnerships needed for building customer loyalty via mobile social networking Can Juniper make intelligent telecom service architecture affordable? High-value integrated service delivery leverages wireless operators Carriers poised to offer cloud computing services, but with some risks Telecom cloud services change hosting business model Web-enabled TV looms, but can networks handle the Web on televisions? RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary session border controller  (SearchTelecom.com) telecommunications  (SearchTelecom.com) RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.