HP CTO Helps Define the Undefined in BSS and OSS Roundtable

Holding its ground against cable companies also is a challenge for Embarq.

“In our footprint, it is the biggest challenge we face. We have to make sure the cable companies don’t encroach on our small- to medium-sized businesses,” Lark said.

However, the threat hasn't spurred Embarq to recreate its infrastructure either.

“We have made some small technology bets and we partner a lot,” Lark said. “But first you have to empower people to understand how customers are using your pipes and capitalize on that. You have to look at the patterns and understand what is going on with your constituency.”

That has led Embarq to place one of its bets on the service-oriented architecture for now.

“SOA may be a dirty word to some, but it is saving our butts right now,” Lark said. “We’re trying to make the business case for it, but we [already] know we will miss the opportunity if we don’t get new services out now.”

As for the next hot architecture model, Web 2.0, Lark said it is still risky.

“As an industry I don’t think we have good enough intelligence on our customer base yet. Once we understand customers and gain insights, that model becomes more appropriate,” he said.

Both Citizens and Embarq partner with EchoStar to provide video services. Neither company currently plans to move off of EchoStar’s satellite-based platform. The success of such partnerships has led White to adopt the philosophy that one shouldn’t underestimate its partners; instead of entering into partnerships with limits, she explained, companies should leave the door open for developing other potential opportunities.

“There is increased risk in limiting partnerships, especially in early stages before you understand everything they bring to the table. [Partnering] is a conversation and a way of doing business that is starting to be a little more inclusive; it has to be that way initially to understand what we will end up with,” she said.

From EchoStar’s point of view, “In the TV is a great place to be. It’s where Americans are spending – for better or worse – a great deal of time. And we work to help our partners bring their services to where their customers are,” Elswick said.

He added that the next important tools for bringing new service to market are business intelligence and analytics.

“We are awash in customer data, but the data is not useful without the analytics that go with it. So we are spending a lot of time investigating analytics.”

However, not all analytics are used for designing new services. Another growing common interest among this diverse group of service providers was fraud prevention. As XO’s Taff said, “To transform the OSS to support next-generation networks and service and bring in new revenue, you have to follow the money. Revenue is king and we are all trying to build an infrastructure to support the king.”

Supporting the revenue king also means protecting it. Improved analytics have helped XO target its business customers with new telco cost auditing and invoicing solutions, including fraud.