NORTEL DELIVERS SERVICE ASSURANCE APPLICATIONS FOR YOUR TRIPLE PLAY NETWORK >THIS IS

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1 >THIS IS THE WAY NORTEL DELIVERS SERVICE ASSURANCE APPLICATIONS FOR YOUR TRIPLE PLAY NETWORK >THIS IS Product Brief Access Care A comprehensive trouble management application > Integration capability with network elements, test devices and OSSs for a complete test solution > Automation via workflow engines and test agents to streamline the fault management process > Consolidation through multidomain ticket to provide enterprise-wide solution Access Care provides a comprehensive trouble management application delivering unified management and diagnostics capability for packet and TDM networks. It is a customer and network management system delivering multi-domain customer service ticketing, automated testing and diagnostics, sophisticated workforce management and an integrated network ticket solution. With these powerful capabilities, Access Care delivers a customer-centric solution, simplifying testing and streamlining trouble reporting and dispatch procedures and providing the capability to improve the customer experience and enable reduced operational costs. Designed for success Today s service providers are faced with the challenge of replacing circuitswitched networks with packet-based technologies. Operating Support Systems (OSSs) are required to enable the deployment and maintenance of next-generation, revenue-generating networks. Tight integration is required to enable automation that will allow quick restoration of services and reduce the reliance on knowledgebased workers. In addition to managing trouble tickets, testing procedures and dispatch schedules, the service providers must quickly respond to service requests. The automation of the repair center not only maximizes resources, it is critical for attracting and retaining

2 customers. Consolidated customer service and network management Access Care consolidates service domains down to a customer level, bridging loop and network management. It is designed to effectively manage next-generation networks while continuing to support legacy OSS and testing infrastructures. Access Care is a multi-vendor, multitechnology system designed with industry-standard open interfaces to provide the capability for seamless interoperability with existing test hardware, network elements or other OSSs. Access Care functions as a fully-integrated trouble management system or as standalone customer care, workforce management, network management or fault diagnostic applications. Customer Care Access Care s multi-domain ticket provides the capability for an enterprisewide solution. Its customer service features facilitate quick and efficient call handling. Automated access to customer account information, on-line diagnostics, sophisticated appointment control, network alarm and event correlation, common fault identification and immediate access to previous history make it possible to communicate knowledgeably and effectively regarding customers service concerns. Access Care provides enhanced features for viewing, categorizing and prioritizing troubles. Fault Management and Diagnostics Access Care s Fault Management application has the capability to integrate network test infrastructure and the diagnostic capability of the network elements and the element management systems. It automates the testing and diagnostic processes to enable a centralized testing and diagnostic solution for both the local loop and deployed network. It enables testing and diagnostics to efficiently isolate troubles, testing inward toward the network to the ISP and outward to the customer s PC and modem. Quick and efficient sectionalization and isolation of customer incidents can help reduce truck rolls and provide faster restoration of service. Access Care offers testing solutions for POTS, DSL and special services. Access Care delivers single-ended loop testing, enabling cost-effective loop qualification and ongoing maintenance of revenue-generating broadband services (see Figure 1). Loop qualification predicts if the loop has the ability to deliver the service, including the accurate predictions of upstream and downstream data speeds. The loop qualification results are stored in the customer record as the loop s footprint. The footprint can be used later for comparing or tracking changes in the loop s performance. Access Care has the ability to store multiple footprints. Access Care s workflow engines and test agents help automate the fault diagnostic process, providing the capability to reduce manual intervention, which can reduce the reliance on skilled test technicians. Access Care has the ability to interoperate with existing test infrastructure to utilize the existing capability in the test solution. The Access Care application is a multi-vendor, multitechnology system designed with industry-standard open interfaces to enable seamless integration with existing OSS, test equipment and network elements. Figure 1. Loop Qualification 2

3 Workforce Management Access Care s Workforce Management delivers an automated solution in the key areas of appointment scheduling and loading and dispatch of technicians. In addition, the application provides remote access via the mobile client, providing the capability for field technicians to receive or close work orders automatically without the need to contact a control center. The Automated Scheduling feature makes it quick and easy for a customer service agent to assign an appointment. This feature will automatically pick the earliest available system-best appointment. Optionally, the agent can also choose a customized appointment for the customer. The Auto Dispatch feature automatically builds the technician s load based on availability, skillset and geography, providing the capability to eliminate the need for manual intervention in the dispatch process. The application contains alert and escalation processes to enable reported faults, provisioning orders and routine maintenance to be completed in priority sequence to address customer commitments. Workforce Management provides an open interface to other company databases, which provides the capability to enable field technicians to perform material ordering, line testing and facilities changes. Network Management Access Care s Network Management application automates the creation and routing of network tickets generated by alarms and events. Through integration with fault management systems, Access Care receives the data and automatically creates and routes a network ticket to the appropriate location (see Figure 2). It automates the notification and Figure 2. Network Ticket escalation process via flash reports and prompts for updates at the appropriate intervals. Access Care provides a network element view and automatically provides the capability to drill down to specific customers and services impacted, enabling the company to act as one organization. Like the customer care ticket, the network ticket stores history of past alarms and events down to the element level. The element, site and contact records are linked to provide information required to quickly restore the network in the event of a failure. The customer care ticket has a designated network ticket button that can be launched in the event that a customer incident is the result of a network issue. The button launches a network ticket that is designed to provide the network technician all the information required to restore the customer s service. Feature highlights Workflow Workflow rules created in Access Care provide the capability to automatically diagnose and route a trouble based on expert logic. The system automates the fault diagnostic process to help reduce the need for knowledge-based workers. When combined with test agents, many of the operational processes and procedures can be automated. Test agents Access Care is equipped with test agents that will automatically bulk test customer lines according to predefined criteria. Once the number of tests, time of test and lines to be tested are determined, Access Care takes over. It has the ability to test the lines, analyze the results and route the tests with fault conditions to the appropriate location via system workflow. 3

4 One of the most popular applications of test agents is the bulk qualification of DSL loops. Other applications include retesting intermittent faults, scanning the queue for troubles that have cleared, verifying troubles have been resolved, testing installation orders to determine if the service is working and testing common cause troubles as the incident is being resolved. The use of test agents can enable service providers to correct faults even before customers become aware of them. Open interfaces Access Care is based on industry-standard open architecture supporting XML interfaces for customer records, equipment records, ticket creation, customer loop testing and bulk DSL loop qualification. Access Care provides the ability for other OSS applications to navigate directly to Access Care s tickets and testboard through a standalone URL launch capability pre-populating appropriate fields and allowing complete ticketing and/or testing operations. Access Care s open interface capability makes it easy to access the diagnostic capability of the network elements and multi-vendor test devices to provide a complete test solution. Jeopardies The Jeopardy feature acts as a manager s assistant, providing notification of potential failure points in the dayto-day running of the operation. The Jeopardy function helps ensure customer commitments are not missed and avoids the need to be constantly scanning the queue for status. It will also provide notification of workload buildup and overloads. The automatic monitoring of the workload provides a two-staged warning system that is highlighted yellow for a caution situation and red when jeopardy status is reached. Service request status The service request status function provides the capability to allow the manager to monitor the operation at a glance by providing immediate information concerning active service tickets. The report offers the flexibility to determine which tickets will be summarized. Common cause failures The Access Care system scans active reports to identify potential common cause failures. An on screen alert message provides notification of a common cause failure. As customers report a problem, the system will notify the customer service agent if the customer is impacted. The system will also notify the customer service agent of any planned activities in the network that may be impacting the customer. Access Care also provides the ability to bulk close common cause troubles. Search capability Access Care offers simple and immediate search capabilities on any field or combination of fields on a trouble report or customer record. This feature provides benefits in many different situations. Customer records can be searched to identify service contracts that are about to expire. Protected services can be identified in a cable count. Target lists for marketing programs can be developed by searching customer equipment and feature fields. Test lists for cable cuts can be instantly created by searching the cable and pair count, identifying the type and number of customers affected. If a customer reports a circuit down but does not know the number, a customer service agent can easily search by address to identify the circuit. Customer history identification The trouble report indicates to the agent whether there have been previous problems on a particular customer line, and gives access to the related history. It provides repeat and chronic classifications. The agent can then knowledgeably speak to the customer of past activity on the service. As well, this information can be helpful in diagnosing the current trouble. The service order history is also accessible from the trouble report screen. The history button is highlighted if there is history associated with the customer s line. Access to history is as easy as pointand-click. Records of common-cause faults are also saved in history and are used to perform analysis that can help identify and avoid recurring problems in the network. Smart historical analysis Access Care enlists an Oracle relational database for history and analysis purposes. The relational database allows for detailed analysis to identify problem areas in the network, and provides the analysis necessary to help maintain the integrity of the network. Analysis reports can be created to summarize service performance indicators required by regulatory commissions. Verify test The verify test allows the customer service agent to perform a background test that will provide a simple word message combined with a system recommended action. It allows the agent to identify to the customer the cause of the problem and determine whether access is required. The routing of the trouble can then be performed manually by the agent or automatically through the workflow process. Subsequent reports The subsequent identification indicates to the agent that there is already a trouble report active in the system. The agent can then verify the previous trouble ticket and add any additional information as required. This feature helps avoid the inadvertent creation of duplicate trouble tickets. 4

5 Fields and flags The Access Care application is designed with user-definable fields and flags that can be entered into the customer record to indicate any special or unique characteristics of that specific customer or a service to which they subscribe. This information is automatically copied directly into the trouble ticket during the initial customer contact. Study codes/service performance Access Care provides user-definable study codes that can be used when closing a report to identify a specific activity for tracking purposes. The study codes can be used to track information such as performance of specific terminals or features. The Access Care application will track all reportable (regulated) service performance indicators. Service rebates/billing Violation of a service agreement that requires a rebate to the customer can be automated to avoid the need for manual tracking and processing. The Access Care application can interface directly to a billing system and provide notification when a rebate or billing condition exists. Summary Access Care Access Care focuses on consolidation, integration and automation to help service providers deliver the promises of next-generation packet networks. It bridges the management of the hybrid TDM and packet networks and is continually evolving with the introduction of new network architectures and revenue-generating services. Consolidation Access Care provides consolidated ticketing capability across domains delivering consistent look and feel and ease of use to help minimize system, training and overall costs. It provides a knowledgeable single customer point of contact for network and service issues or events. Integration Access Care provides simple, costeffective integration to new test devices and element management systems to provide the capability to efficiently test and diagnose customer and network issues. It can integrate with legacy test architectures in order to utilize the testing capability of the existing test hardware to maximize potential and keep costs to a minimum. Access Care s integration to fault management systems automates the ticket and workflow process and provides the capability for a real-time customer status of network health and customer-impacting events. Automation Access Care s automation features help reduce the need for knowledge-based workers and assist with the rapid restoration of customer and network events. Automated workflow helps eliminate the need for manual intervention in the routing and testing of troubles. Test agents enable automation of the testing and diagnostic process. Workforce management features help automate appointment scheduling and the loading and dispatching of the technicians. Access Care is a fully modular application offering integrated or standalone Customer Care, Fault Management, Workforce Management and Network Management. Access Care bridging customer service management and network management to provide a customer-centric solution. Access Care provides a comprehensive trouble management application delivering unified management and diagnostics capability for packet and TDM networks. 5

6 In the United States: 35 Davis Drive Research Triangle Park, NC USA In Canada: 8200 Dixie Road, Suite 100 Brampton, Ontario L6T 5P6 Canada In Caribbean and Latin America: 1500 Concorde Terrace Sunrise, FL USA In Asia Pacific: Networks Centre 1 Innovation Drive Macquarie University Research Park Macquarie Park, NSW 2109 Australia Tel In Greater China: Sun Dong An Plaza, 138 Wang Fu Jing Street Beijing , China Phone: (86) In Europe: Maidenhead Office Park, Westacott Way Maidenhead Berkshire SL6 3QH UK is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world s most critical information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, delivers innovative technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband designed to help people solve the world s greatest challenges. does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit on the Web at For more information, contact your representative, or call NORTEL or from anywhere in North America. This is the Way. This is,, the logo, and the Globemark are trademarks of Networks. All other trademarks are the property of their owners. Copyright 2005 Networks. All rights reserved. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. N N