Telecom Asia: What are the key trends in managed services?
Dr Kamran Sistanizadeh: A major issue is how do we create managed services from the network side of the business, so it helps the customers. What is important is the availability of those capabilities. For example, how do we do LAN management, how do we do IP telephony, how do we do application-aware networks? These are the emerging trends - not just out of India but also in Europe and the US.
Another aspect, is how do we manage applications in real time? You're running Centrex, you're running Exchange, you're running Lotus, you're doing ERP and CRM, how do we ensure branch office application availability is the same or close to what the CIO wants in the headquarters? This is an issue that has emerged over the last 18 months and will be the trend for the next 18 to 24 months. Those providers that can manage that intelligently and cost-effectively are the ones that will be ahead of the game.
That's the value we bring because of the acquisition of Yipes Enterprise Services (a managed metro networking solution) and Vanco, a VNO provider. I see application-aware networks, LAN management and IPT being the three main drivers of managed services.
What capabilities did the Vanco acquisition bring?
Vanco's solution strategy was to ensure that a very large number of customer locations - hundreds to thousands globally - can run on an application aware profile around the globe by putting appliances on the customer premise and by placing network-based solutions in the data centers.
We have been working with a number of vendors to show customers in real time, based on their requirements, different application performance, prioritization, queuing, bandwidth optimization... all on a real dashboard to the customer.
Those are service attributes that are resonating with CIOs and IT directors in the enterprise community.
People aren't going to come and ask "how much bandwidth do we have?" It will be, if I have a DSL line, a secure IP tunnel and a DS3, can I run my Centrex applications?