Archive for category: Articles/Blog

Your customer’s journey usually starts with an address search on your marketplace to see which services are available at their location. Until now, every spelling mistake could lead to incorrect or no results at all! Our recently added Fuzzy Search functionality helps correct spelling mistakes, and even if only fragments of an address are entered into the search field, the correct address will be located and displayed. Fuzzy Search automatically corrects minor inaccuracies, which leads to more successful searches and a seamless ordering process for your subscribers. This small but significant update means smoother transactions for your customers and fewer support requests for you. 

As you have surely noticed, the interest in Open Access Networks is growing by the day, but there is still some confusion about what it really is. Therefore, we have teamed up with our friends at Connected America to arrange a pre-conference day focusing exclusively on Open Access. The program starts at lunch and ends with an Open (Access) Bar close to the venue.

Find Out More Join the Conference Register for the Open Access Bar

12 pm – 1 pm | Lunch

1 pm – 1:50 pm | Keynote 

Understanding the Increasing Popularity of Open Access and key business model considerations for success – Insights from Mikael Philipsson, CEO, COS Systems 

The future of fiber is a digital society with Everyone and Everything relying on digital infrastructure. Paired with the current trends of consolidation, more expensive build costs and a race to invest in fiber roll out – all roads lead to shared infrastructure and open access. Mikael Philipsson, former CTO and CEO at one of the largest Open Access networks globally, IP Only (now Global Connect), led this journey on a national scale in Sweden, which has a fiber penetration of 98% today. He shares his insights on why Open Access is the right choice and how to structure the business case to make Open Access a success.

2 pm – 2:50 pm | Panel Discussion I

Three Layers of an Open Access Network: A Thorough Look at Roles and Responsibilities

Moderator: Keith Ponton, Senior Practice Lead, Arcadis
Panelists:

Gregg Shepperd, Senior Engagement Leader at Fujitsu Network Communications

Beni Blell, Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing, Hexatronic 

Gabe Gomez, VP Customer Experience, Syringa Networks

Pankaj Gulati, Head of Products and Platforms, Ubiquity 

The key characteristics of an Open Access Network are the separation of the network infrastructure, the neutral operations of the network, and the independent service providers selling their services to subscribers. This panel will explain these different roles and show that you can run an efficient fiber network by working with specialized partners without doing everything yourself.

3 pm – 3:50 pm | Panel Discussion II 

Exploring the Advantages of Open Access Networks for Internet Service Providers and Their Operations Support Requirements 

Moderator: John Zannos, Partner at Digital Ubiquity Capital
Panelists: 

Phil Roberts, Chief Executive Officer at Valo Networks

Brian Hollister, CEO and Co-Founder at Bonfire Infrastructure Group

Dan Johnson, Product Manager, Connect Fast

Aaron Hildreth, Founder, Intellipop Internet Services 

On an Open Access Network, all parties rely on each other for success. Internet Service Providers often have financial or workforce constraints limiting their ability to build fiber at a large scale. On an Open Access network, their Capex investment is minimal, and they can focus on providing high-quality services and support to their subscribers. But to be able to do this, they need a strong operator partner offering tools to efficiently sell, deliver, and troubleshoot on the shared network.

4 pm- 4:50 pm | Panel Discussion III

Navigating the Choice of Tech Stack for Open-Access Networks: Key Considerations for Success.

Moderator: Isak Finér, CRO, COS Systems 
Panelists: 

Robin Harder, Woven Product Lead at Arcadis

Sean Dundon, Director – Partner and Channel Development at VETRO FiberMap

Rob Laudati, VP – Product & Partnerships, Render Networks

Don Eben, CEO, Core Network Strategies

Despite the digital nature of fiber networks, a lot of legacy systems, technology, and manual processes are still in use. The Open Access model of sharing one infrastructure creates a whole different set of requirements and challenges that legacy technology can not solve. This panel explores the benefits of a “digital first” approach and how important integrations and automated workflows are becoming – especially in Open Access Networks.

5 pm- 6:00 pm | After-Panel Drinks and Socializing

Grab a beer and take the opportunity to grow your network of Open Access experts. Courtesy of the Open Access Day sponsors.

7 pm – 10 pm | Open (Access) Bar 

COS Systems and all other Elite Sponsors are inviting you to continue the fun and discussions at Bar Louie,  360 W Las Colinas Blvd #100, Irving, Texas 75039

Find Out More Join the Conference Register for the Open Access Bar
Investing in FTTH Infrastructure whitepaper

Investing in fiber infrastructure has gained popularity among investors, resulting in many closed deals in recent years. The trend shows that there will be even more investments next year, especially in renewable energy and digital infrastructure areas.

The whitepaper presents three critical considerations for a successful fiber infrastructure investment:

– Securing Demand
– Controlling Costs
– Adapting Advanced Software Solutions

Read our whitepaper and reach out to learn more!

Network Trouble Shooting COS Business Engine

File Attachments to Tickets

 

Network operators need to get a comprehensive overview of their network quickly. Our new tree view displays the statuses of different network elements in the system. It helps network operators visualize, locate, and troubleshoot any issues in their network quicker and more efficiently.

Our Provisioning Dashboard shows you the total count of ONTs (Optical Network Terminal) in your network and whether they are online or offline. From there, you can easily access the tree view that opens when you click on the network element widget:

COS Systems Network Monitoring

The tree’s nodes are Technical Area, OLT, and port. The number of ONTs on each level is visible

You also see if these ONTs are online or offline- information we gather from our many hardware vendor integrations, and that is displayed and easily available in the tree view.

 

COS Systems Network Monitoring

You can click on the different nodes in the tree to get to the corresponding entity. By using this feature, a network operator can easily see if there is a problem on a specific OLT or port.

Åsa Broman COS Customer Success Director
Åsa Broman, COS Customer Success Director
Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?

Hi, I am Åsa Broman. As you may guess from the strange letter in my name, I am Swedish, but  I currently live with my family in Palo Alto, California. I lived and worked in the Bay Area about 10 years ago as well, and the US feels like a second home, so it feels great to be back! For almost 25 years, I have worked in telcos and other infrastructure-related companies in a wide range of roles. The common denominator for those roles has been to connect people and bridge the gaps where teams or companies have different perspectives or competences. And no matter what my title has been, I have always been close to the customer. 

What caught your interest in COS Systems?

I was part of the big broadband and fiber rollout in Sweden, where the majority of the citizens got fiber access 10-20 years ago. Those investments have been crucial to reaching equal Internet access for everyone, including the possibility to take part in the digital transformation in all aspects of society. COS delivers a unique tool that can make this infrastructure improvement happen a lot faster and providing a better customer experience. With the current explosion of fiber rollouts in the US, I couldn’t resist joining the ride.

What are your goals for the coming months?

Full speed ahead – I am getting to know our customers through a number of implementation projects that we are running, and at the same time, getting familiar with the product and its (many) features. I am also looking forward to meeting my colleagues. We are spread out on three continents to support our customers in the best possible way. 

Why should people contact you and press the “connect with Åsa” button?

Don’t hesitate to connect with me if you are interested in broadband rollout or for any other reason connected to the experience I have from different fields.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I love traveling. Many years ago, before I started a family, I went on several backpacking trips on a shoestring around the world. During those travels, I experienced many odd and memorable situations. On our honeymoon, we were backpacking in India and went on a camel safari in the desert. The starry sky was supposed to be amazing and super romantic. This particular night, it got overcast and ended up pouring for the first time in four years. Traveling is a lot like life in general – unexpected things happen that totally can change the path you anticipated from the beginning. This actually makes both living, and traveling, an exciting adventure. 

Person paying bills online using a computer and bank card, emphasizing Telecom Billing efficiency.

Automated Telecom Billing Solutions

telecom billing

Billing is a very central part of telecommunications and of any fiber broadband network. Automated billing is key; cuts costs, ensures revenue, and saves time. COS Business Engine supports all possible business models no matter if you are an Internet Provider billing your subscribers directly or if you are an Open Access Network Operator who charges wholesale fees on a monthly basis.

In the latter case, COS Business Engine aggregates a billing report for every ISP on your network on a monthly basis, available on the COS Business Engine admin interface.

There are variations where the Operator is also billing the end customer, or where the Operator is billing the customer for all services on behalf of the ISPs. COS Business Engine facilitates and automates all these billing models, as well as the single-provider business model.

Automated billing is desirable because it

  • helps monitor your customer’s payments and to detect “bad payers”.
  • eliminates typical risks associated with manual billing, such as data entry errors 
  • creates a great customer experience
  • cuts costs
  • ensures revenue
  • saves time and manpower

Let’s Connect 

Are you ready to transform your fiber project? If you’re looking for a partner committed to automation, efficiency, and excellence, COS Systems is here to help.

Contact us today and discuss how our fiber network solutions can empower your business, bridging the digital divide and providing our communities with comprehensive FTTH coverage.

I highly recommend reading our whitepaper if you want to dive deeper into the topic.

Computer displaying a vivid interface of a 'Networking Management System' software, illustrating the article's insights on efficient network operations and management.

Networking Management System

Computer displaying a Network Management System software interface, showcasing the capabilities of our Networking Management System.

Managing, planning and running your network has never been easier! COS Business Engine offers many features and allows you to stay on top of your network and its performance easily and at all times with tailored diagnostic data. There are two standard roles available:

Admin profile: Take control! Effortlessly allows you to update service assortment, prices, and terms.

Support profile: Gain access to a limited subset of data network diagnostics and information on how services are performing on the network.

Effortlessly Handle Network Outages

Additionally, our latest update in COS Business Engine makes it easier to manage and communicate network outages. If a network element such as an OLT goes down you can create a disruption for that OLT and publish it on the marketplace; either visible for all subscribers or only those who are actually affected. 

Say goodbye to chaos during network disruptions! Our latest update simplifies the process:

Instant Updates: Experience swift communication during outages. Using this function not only keeps your subscribers informed but also reduces the number of tickets that are created and reduces the workload for your support staff.

Prioritizing Information: If a subscriber calls in, the support staff immediately sees that they are affected by an ongoing disruption, and they are therefore able to provide the customer with accurate information right away.

Integration Benefits: If your NOC has monitors and automatically detects outages, our new Network Operations API can push that disruption into the Business Engine.

This disruption is visible to all system users, and they can choose to approve or edit the disruption message and publish it on the marketplace.

Let’s Connect and Transform Your Fiber Project

Are you ready to take the next step in transforming your fiber project? If you’re looking for a partner committed to automation, efficiency, and excellence, COS Systems is here to help.

Contact us today and discuss how our fiber network solutions can empower your business bridging the digital divide and providing our communities with comprehensive FTTH coverage.

If you want to dive deeper into the topic, I highly recommend reading our whitepaper.

 

Exploring the Efficiency of Fiber Networks: A Comprehensive Look, at COSs Network Monitoring Tool.

Marketing image displaying the phrase 'Network Monitoring Tool' prominently, emphasizing the article's focus on network optimization and management.

How our software solutions can offer planning, building, monitoring and managing fiber networks. And how COS can help optimize performance and efficiency at different stages of the network lifecycle.

If you’re using automated provisioning via one of our partners, our provisioning dashboard gives you an overview of the status of the services on your network.

The integration with COS Business Engine keeps track of your network and the services that have been provisioned, should be provisioned, or should be canceled but haven’t been terminated yet.

For example, the dashboard lets you know quickly how many services are activated even though they are missing a contract or how many services are still active even though the service has been canceled.

Let’s Connect and Transform Your Fiber Project

Are you ready to take the next step in transforming your fiber project? If you’re looking for a partner committed to automation, efficiency, and excellence, COS Systems is here to help.

Contact us today and discuss how our fiber network solutions can empower your business, bridging the digital divide and providing our communities with comprehensive FTTH coverage.

If you want to dive deeper into the topic, I highly recommend reading our whitepaper.

Get in Touch and See it Live!

Improving ISP Marketing: Simplifying Options and Increasing Digital Effectiveness

ISP Marketing prominently, illustrating the core focus of the article on digital innovations for internet service providers.

The key to efficient network operations is self-service, and in order to make marketing to your subscribers as easy as possible for you as an ISP, COS Business Engine has an integrated online marketplace.

This marketplace can be tailored, (visually) adapted, and branded and enables customers to choose what they want when they want and no matter where they are – around the clock!

The filter function makes it easy to choose between different services (e.g. internet, phone, tv) and to compare offers from different providers. At a glance, the customer sees which providers offer the best price to what conditions.

Once they have made their choice, neither the operator nor the service provider needs to take any further action, thanks to the zero-touch service provisioning functionality of COS Business Engine:  services are provisioned automatically and ready to be used at the customer’s address within minutes.

The online marketplace can essentially complete the tasks of an entire call center while eliminating human error. 

Let’s Connect and Transform Your Fiber Project

Are you ready to take the next step in transforming your fiber project? If you’re looking for a partner committed to automation, efficiency, and excellence, COS Systems is here to help.

Contact us today and discuss how our fiber network solutions can empower your business bridging the digital divide and providing our communities with comprehensive FTTH coverage.

If you want to dive deeper into the topic, I highly recommend reading our whitepaper.

 

Follow the COS Christmas Calendar 2023 here to learn about new features, colleagues, win prizes and more!