Orange has re-selected Ericsson as its managed services provider in five European countries. Ericsson will also ensure the deployment of Ericsson Operations Engine for Orange. The 3-year deal covers Orange operations in Spain, Belgium, Romania, Slovakia and Moldova, supporting about 40 million customers.

The duration of the earlier managed services deal between Orange and Ericsson was for five years, starting in 2014.

Ericsson said it will provide a managed end-to-end operations service to include network operations, field support, and maintenance, as well as a spare parts management service for Orange’s fixed-line access, 2G, 3G, 4G and future 5G access.

Network performance, optimization and network expansion are optional components and delivered in some of the countries. Ericsson did not reveal further details.

Ericsson will further transform operations by deploying Ericsson Operations Engine to capitalize on previous automation. The new AI-based Ericsson Operations Engine managed services model transforms operations to become data-driven, predictive and proactive.

The advanced automation tools will allow Orange to increase operational network efficiency and further enhance customer experiences for its subscribers across the five countries, said Jean-Marc Vignolles, Europe Chief Operating Officer, Orange.

Peter Laurin, head of Business Area Managed Services, Ericsson, said: “AI-based Ericsson Operations Engine will enable Orange to focus even more on providing innovative solutions and delivering high-quality services for its customers, whilst at the same time improving operational efficiency.”