As the telecom market opens up and newer technologies replace the legacy networks, there has been a spurt in demand for trained telecom professionals. From service providers to independent professionals, from system integrators to network integrators, all need to update themselves on changing technological requirements. Today, the end users demand more value for their money, and telecom firms strive to gain a competitive edge over others by deploying better technologies and practices.

Rapid changes in telecom sector have brought training and updating of skills back on the priority list.

The present-day trend is to provide on-job training, brainstorming discussion, e-learning, and distant learning. But the best and most effective models are those that are result oriented, on-the-job, and are targeted. Short-term interactive sessions are becoming popular as they give maximum results in less time.

TRENDS
The choice of technology to be taken up for training must fit in the performance enhancement matrix. The wrong choice of technology for training means a waste of money and precious man-hours.

l Growing IP Deployment: With the introduction of mobile telephony, the industry has moved beyond PSTN and legacy-network frameworks. Today, there is a greater emphasis on multi-protocol deployments. The need to roll-out value-added and data services has led to deployment of MPLS-based IP VPN services.

l OSS-BSS: Each generation of networks requires a different set of OSS-BSS. Keeping in mind the new service and operational environment new solutions are developed. And, with multimedia features and various billing options being introduced, the service operators have to keep updating their systems for better features.

l New Service Creation: Globally, the telecom players have moved beyond the mass voice and data services, and customization has been the buzzword. Services for smaller groups or those fulfilling the specific needs of an enterprise are gaining popularity.

l Network Security: The fallout of rapid development in telecom technologies is that networks have been exposed to security threats. There has been an increase in demand for professionals and software to plug-in network loopholes. Security threats have created a breed of professionals who are responsible for keeping the networks secure from such threats.

l Mobile Application Development: The explosive growth in mobile phone users base has led the companies to develop applications, which go beyond the voice applications. CDMA operators like Reliance have already announced a slew of data application over their phones. GSM operators are in the meanwhile, vying for a share with music and ringtone downloads, value-added services like train and plane information, movie tickets, news, and games.