Leadership Insights – SaaS, UCaaS, and network modernisation

Today’s network modernisation projects are happening in some really challenging markets around the world where legacy TDM infrastructure is in place but a complete IP overhaul is required. Different countries have built out their network infrastructure at a different pace and now they are realising it is time to drive IP adoption in their local markets.

When intelligent IP networks are available then there’s an opportunity for new services to be delivered and new models like software as a service (SaaS) and unified communications as a service (UCaaS) to grow.

In North America, we’ve seen the adoption of software as a service (SaaS) soar over the last few years with cloud communications and other cloud-based services being widely adopted. That’s a great development and I think as these network modernisation projects happen, we’re going to see SaaS adoption in developing markets grow at a similar pace.

In the case of something like unified communications as a service (UCaaS), the opex-driven model and flexibility for the enterprise to grow and change matches the needs of businesses in these markets. It eliminates the need for long-term contracts with big investments in on-premises equipment. It is an efficient way to access new capabilities with little risk or expert knowledge required.

For service providers, SaaS platforms are a way to monetise network infrastructure, particularly in markets that are modernising their networks or developing them from scratch. They can easily be layered on top of their networks and delivered to enterprises. It is a high-margin opportunity that has few barriers to entry.

The key is to build a solid foundation in intelligent network infrastructure that can meet the needs of these new services and business models. This is why increasingly we’re being asked to support network modernisation projects around the world.

I like these projects because it pushes us to see how far we can take our technology and incorporate it into a complete solution. It also makes a direct impact on what is possible for both the end users and the service providers.

Service providers undergoing a network modernisation often ask us to integrate and develop solutions that bring together multiple partners and capabilities. In these cases, our Orchid One session and application manager acts as the central component of the solution and we build out capabilities around it. That puts intelligent networking right at the core of the solution. We are then able to add others like billing or legacy TDM infrastructure.

When we take this approach, service providers get all of the intelligent networking capabilities of Orchid One with the other components they need to support customers end-to-end. It enables faster ROI, better network performance and seamless delivery. That’s a winning formula for adopting IP, delivering new services and monetising infrastructure.