Multivendor Interoperability

Introduction, Interoperability Verification at Nokia Siemens Janos Arrakoski, Nokia Siemens Networks, IOT Helmut Schink, Nokia Siemens Networks, Industry Environment Nairobi, July 30, 2010

Company Confidential 1 © Nokia Siemens Networks /

Content

• Basis for Interoperability • Interoperability Verification requirements are different • Drivers for Interoperability • Interoperability Verification at Nokia Siemens Networks • Interoperability Verification Output/Benefit (for developing countries) • Interoperability Verification Projects Experiences from developing countries • Two Categories of “Interoperability Issues” • Summary Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Basis for Interoperability

• Open Standards and Conformance make multivendor configurations possible • Conformance, compliance with standards is essential for interoperability, but; – No standard is perfect – – – Standards evolve Implementations are different Implementations evolve • Although Standards and Conformance are in general good, some Interoperability challenges will exist in telecommunication networks due to the complexity of the systems • Interoperability Verification is needed to identify those challenges Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Interoperability Verification requirements are different

• Interoperability Verification needs vary; • Standards/Interface maturity and evolution, the complexity,… • Deployment scenario and configuration … • There are usually numerous possible multivendor configurations • Different Vendor/Product/Interface/SW Version/Configuration & Parameter combinations • Different Interoperability Verification activities and approaches are needed to address the various needs efficiently • All stakeholders must participate and do their share • Majority of networks where NSN is a supplier are multivendor networks and it’s also in NSN interest to endorse interoperability Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Drivers for Interoperability

• Interoperability is driven by market requirements, Operators demand: • State of art products • Latest Functionality & features, Early Timing, High Quality, Low Cost,… • Supplier independency and competition • Manage and minimize risks and costs,… • Secure investment • Product Evolution, Long lifecycle, Maintenance,… • Consolidation and convergence • Fixed/mobile, all IP,… • Everything and Anything • Seeking for Competitive Advantage Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Interoperability Verification at Nokia Siemens Networks

• Interoperability Verification is a integrated part of the Nokia Siemens Networks

Product Development process:

– Driven by ▪ Technical requirements ▪ Market requirements • Interoperability Verification is additionally supported and offered in the in the

Product Delivery process:

– Driven by ▪ Market requirements • Other infrastructure manufacturers have the very same approach Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Interoperability Verification Output/Benefit (for developing countries)

• All parties (Vendors and Operators in both developing and developed countries) benefit from the performed Interoperability Verification equally • • Products with improved interoperability become available to all Operators Results of Interoperability Verification are available to Operators for their multivendor configurations • Operators striving for Technology Leadership trigger and participate in early Interoperability Verification (usually developed countries) • • Certain “well proven” configurations will arise Other operators (e.g. in developing countries) will benefit from that Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Interoperability Verification Projects Experiences from developing countries

• Nokia Siemens Networks has run several successful multivendor projects in developing countries; • Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania,… • Projects cover infrastructure for several technologies, GSM/GPRS, WCDMA and for both Core Network and Radio Network Elements • Multivendor verification project duration is usually one to some weeks per interface depending on interface and test scope • No blocking issues have been reported – Interoperability, conformity and standards are good • Configuring the network is a key activity in the project – A task that must be done in every project anyway • No differences compared to projects in developed countries Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Two Categories of “Interoperability Issues”

1) Problems appearing as “interoperability issues” vendor environment too) (i.e. occur in single • Many times wrongly perceived as “interoperability issues”, typically due to: • Invalid Configuration of network • Inadequate System Testing (Conformance, Functionality, Performance,…) 2) Real “interoperability issues” (i.e. occur only multivendor environment) • Protocol conformance is usually high, issues arise mostly due to: • Different options allowed by specifications • • Incomplete and/or ambiguous specifications Invalid Configuration of network • Category 1) represent many times majority of issues in a multivendor project resulting in a false perception that interoperability is poor.

• The correct conclusion is in many cases: – System not properly configured and parameterized and/or Product Quality is poor Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010

Summary

• Open Standards and Conformance alone will not ensure 100% interoperability • • • Standards are widely available and adopted Conformance is mostly at a good level Each Vendor define and ensure their conformance • Market driven Interoperability Verification is efficient and focus on operator needs • A mechanism to address potential interoperability issues is already in place • Final configuration and parameterization of the operator network must always be done in the operator network Customer Confidential 2009 © Nokia Siemens Networks NSN Multivendor Interoperability Presentation for ITU-T / JAr / 02.07.2010