 Vijay Srinivas General Manager - Business Process Services Credent Technology (Asia) Pte. Ltd. Email: vijay@credent-asia.com Asia Pacific region has seen the adoption of latest communication technologies at a faster pace than the rest of the world and is witnessing constant transition in the telecom industry. Telecom companies in the region are undergoing a paradigm shift from "one network, one service" concept to "one network, multiple services" concept by use of diverse voice, broadband, messaging, internet, data and multimedia services over a combination of fixed-line, mobile, Internet and other networks. The three key factors in all these rapid transitions have been the consumer demand for innovative services, technology demand to have new markets for software and applications and business demand for greater financial returns. These factors would place an unprecedented pressure on the core networks that facilitate and enable these new technological innovations. Convergence of Telecom, Media and Internet With reference to recent announcements by large telecom companies, equipment manufacturers, content providers, search engine owners, networking sites and internet enablers, there is an emerging trend where telecom, media and Internet would evolve as the "innovative single entity" to be the largest futuristic business model. While a lot has been done in providing content and applications in the past five years, it has however not reached a critical mass for business expansion. All the players in the telecom, media and Internet industry would create this critical mass by leveraging on their specific strengths in emerging as bigger companies in their respective industry segments. It is difficult to predict the largest winner. However as has been the trend in recent years, the 'soft' providers (of applications, software, content, location) would end up having a larger market share. National Initiatives Several countries worldwide have initiated a national vision to be in the forefront of rapidly emerging communications technology as they do not want to be caught in an "economic gap" with the lack of such a vision. Some countries have been proactive in massive fibre investments over others to actively solicit the business potential these would bring in the short and long term horizon. However, the common differentiator is that politicians, planners and regulators in most countries are keenly studying the cultural, social, recreational, economic and business potential of these new communication technologies. Fibre at your Doorstep Striving to meet the consumer's technology and business demands, large corporations would create a major "speed jam" that would require larger bandwidths that would be provided largely by new Fibre Technologies (e.g. FTTH) and Next Generation Networks (NGN) in the future.       Large businesses and commercial institutions are well served by the industry though there is a constant demand for greater bandwidths and services. A major segment that is gaining attention is the "home" which is currently served by copper, xDSL and similar technologies. FTTH (Fibre to the Home) enables delivery of communications bandwidth (voice, video, data) over fibre optic cables spanning from the central office to the home or business. These technologies would well serve high density and urban and suburban areas as there is a great demand for uptake of higher bandwidths than in smaller towns and rural areas. Telecom companies (new and incumbent) weigh the long term business potential before making decisions on such major fibre roll-out plans due to high costs for civil and network infrastructure. Reliable Internet connectivity would be a robust business segment as more consumers have already started utilising various fixed-line and mobile applications widely. Geospatial Interactions Managing the assets of such diverse telecom companies can be a time-consuming and labour-intensive task requiring system tools that streamline workflow and operational processes to effectively meet company requirements that span multiple business units. Geospatial data management of land base, civil and network infrastructure are critical during the roll-out process given specific requirements and dynamics of urban and suburban consumers. In the new converged scenario, land base management plays an enhanced role. Various demand forecasting, economic scenarios and marketing strategies require geospatial data to be presented in an articulated fashion. Civil assets have become prized as these can be capitalised, leased and even sold at a premium. There has been a major need for all telecom companies to have established processes for capitalisation, acquisition and disposition of civil assets. This information is needed to estimate the net value of the company as well as work out estimates for leasing of infrastructure to various external entities as mandated by local regulatory guidelines. In many countries, the density of networks is an intangible matrix of crowded and often incomprehensible information. A complete repository of information would be needed for accurate estimation. Geospatial systems are required to model complex equipment that constitutes the outside plant (OSP) and Inside Plant (ISP) infrastructure. The systems should support capability to record, maintain and manage the equipment features, connectivity and physical configuration of the outside plant (OSP) and inside plant (ISP) components of a telecom network. There are several other geospatial interactions that would play a central role in the management of telecom infrastructure. Presentation of information on mobile platforms and Web portals enhances planning, decision making, enterprise and field connectivity. In conclusion, the geospatial industry would be a critical part of the rapid transformations shaping the convergence of telecom, media and the Internet. The industry has played a significant role and would continue to do so in the foreseeable future. |