Network operators and service providers are going to deploy and operate converged PSTN and IP telephony networks. In order to satisfy the changing needs of their customers, more and more value-added services are going to be provided over and above the standard ones like voice, data, and video. In a multi-operator scenario, these services need to be managed and delivered as per the expectations of the existing customers while meeting the complex billing needs. In addition to this the operators should be able to ramp up services quickly to acquire new customers.

Thus the role of T&M is changing from the perspective of network operators or service providers. In addition, to provide the basic support & diagnostic tools during the planning, installation and deployment and optimization phase, the tools need to be integrated into today’s multi-technology and distributed network environment with the following objectives:

• Resolve the customer problems faster
• Maximize the productivity of technical personnel
• Manage the multi-vendor and multi-operator interfaces with the right insights
• Protects your investments which can be scaled up with your growing needs
• Provide higher quality of services and be able to identify the problems before your customer does

The T&M solutions and systems should be able to provide support towards the above objectives and meeting the cutting-edge technology needs that are getting deployed in the networks, for example, XOIP, MPLS, Ethernet or Gig-E over SDH and the latest wireless access technologies. Over and above the standalone tools, the distributed measurement and analysis capability needs to be designed into the network itself, providing efficient and centralized view of the health of the network.