By Andrew De La Torre, Group Vice President of Technology

As the communications industry continues to evolve, business needs will also shift, creating a high demand for more agile solutions. This means that communications service providers (CSPs) must offer innovative solutions as enterprises are seeking greater efficiencies, reduced costs and new sources of revenue. The continued innovation of the communications industry and its dynamic solutions are critical in leveraging new technologies such as connected devices, autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and much more. Enterprises across industries are eager to take advantage of the best-of-the-best solutions to distinguish themselves from their competitors.

Trends and Challenges in 2023 and Beyond

To ensure that CSPs are offering the best solutions and services for enterprises, they must be aware and stay abreast of the trends and challenges that will shape the future of the industry. These include:

• The role of 5G analytics and how it will evolve in the next few years

In anticipation of the evolution of 5G analytics, we expect to see many positive impacts. Data collection will become standardized, the cost of automation will be reduced drastically as more features are enabled and analytics will become a crucial component of the CSP's greater vision. As analytics solutions continue to demonstrate their impact on continuous improvement, they will undoubtably become a part of the larger enterprise and other ecosystems. Providers will have the capability to connect to multiple analytics functions, not only related to the network but also to vertical-specific analytics (e.g., banking sector analytics, healthcare, manufacturing, IoT, and edge computing).

• The role of NEF in 5G core and how it will evolve in the coming years

According to a recent analysis by IDC, one of the most significant and game-changing features of the 5G architecture is the capability of  CSPs to engage with application developers, enterprises and other CSPs through active network APIs. In the future, we can predict that the Network Exposure Function combined with core network analytics will be strategically imperative for monetizing 5G investments. This will require a platform-based ecosystem as the best approach for service providers to monetize since customer and partner network APIs need to be continuously available in order for CSPs to enable chargeable solutions for profitable revenue flow.

With the enterprise network services revenue market size expected to grow to $157.5M in 2027 in industries such as the public sector, government, manufacturing, retail, and banking, the time for service providers to think of their network exposure and analytics strategy is now.

• The role of cloud native SBC in NR5G and Vo5G

Voice remains a vital, fundamental network service for operators. However, most operators are treating their voice network functions as a separate domain from the rest of their 5G core efforts. According to recent research from Exact Ventures, use cases and monetization, were the two most cited factors needed by the industry to best support the evolution to next generation voice services and the network platforms to support the new services. We are seeing most operators prefer a "best-of-breed" approach, whereby a single vendor is selected for each networking domain, such as voice (which may include multiple ‘sub-domains'), signaling, packet core and policy.

• Communications enabling applications

There is a pressing demand to integrate real-time communication with business workflows and applications. With the continuation of hybrid work, users and customers require real time communications more than ever before. 

Modern enterprises require solutions to develop these applications. We will see them continue to seek out communications solutions that provide efficient, optimal application support, and standard, compliant platforms for seamless interoperability, as well as an enterprise focus on business logic.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

CSPs must be able to offer solutions that enable enterprises to innovate, transform, and stay ahead of the curve in today's evolving industry. Understanding trends and challenges that lie ahead can help providers offer the best solutions and the right set of tools that will put enterprises on the right path to success. It will also give CSPs opportunities to diversify what they are offering and evolve their business models. All in all, CSPs need to ensure that they are offering the best-of-the-best solutions so enterprises can take advantage of these solutions, set themselves apart in the market, and stay ahead of the curve.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew De La Torre, Group Vice President of Technology

Andrew De La Torre, Group Vice President of Technology, Oracle Communications is responsible for making strategic decisions that increase the overall competitive position of Oracle Communications and defining direction for the best-in-class products and solutions that help customers compete in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. De La Torre also leads the technical sales, business development and acquisitions teams for the business unit.

Prior to joining Oracle, De La Torre spent 21 years at Vodafone in roles as Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Americas and Vodafone Malta, as well as Chief Technology Strategy Officer for Vodafone Group. During his tenure, he led multi-tiered, highly skilled teams in the delivery of consumer and enterprise solutions across mobility, fixed network, IoT, cloud, and security. He also oversaw project execution across IT, mobile and fixed network, data centers, and business systems.

In addition to his telecom experience, De La Torre has consulted in other industries such as oil and gas and construction, and with Fortune 500 companies that have tapped his experience in corporate governance, finance, strategic planning, and technology transformation.