Telecom Lead Europe: Telefonica has selected Alcatel-Lucent to overhaul its network management systems.

The selection of the telecom equipment and solutions major is aimed at enabling Telefonica to streamline its operations, improve the quality of services for its customers and optimize costs.

The long-term agreement enables Alcatel-Lucent to combine the network management systems at the core of Telefonica’s operational support systems into a single, global software platform. This platform will play an important role in operations monitoring and management as well as in the resolution of network problems.

“Together, over the course of the next few years, we will achieve a new level of harmony and consistency that will make us more agile and efficient in managing our networks to respond to our customers’ needs, to improve service quality and offer the highest availability with customer-focused, intregrated processes,” said Enrique Blanco, global chief technology officer, Telefonica.

Telefonica did not disclose the size of the agreement.

“We bring a great deal of experience to this challenge and are excited to have the opportunity to work with Telefonica to identify and implement the best possible processes and to industrialize this know-how across the globe,” said Federico Guillen, president of Alcatel-Lucent Spain and global account manager for Telefonica.

At present, Telefonica’s operational processes differ from country to country and use a number of software platforms.

Alcatel-Lucent will provide its Professional Services to design, build and deploy a single service-assurance platform. Alcatel-Lucent will help Telefonica combine operating procedures developed in the different operations of Telefonica Group.

Moreover, Alcatel-Lucent will also help standardize both software and procedures for network management across Telefonica’s fixed and mobile networks. The single global software platform will improve response times for the resolution of network issues.

Recently, Telefonica UK selected Ruckus Wireless to supply small cell products for offering high-speed wireless services in London. Telefonica UK has already deployed Ruckus SmartCell 8800s areas in central London, such as Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square, Leicester Square, Regent Street and Oxford Street to provide free Wi-Fi to anyone.

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