Every five years a technology trigger comes along that generates hype, confusion, and inflated expectations that fade as the realities of commercial success and operationalizing the new technology settle in. This was the case with IMS 5 years ago. Today NFV is cresting the wave of inflated expectations. Our industry is ripe with innovation but when it comes to deploying it with carrier grade scale and five nines of reliability, the reality is that the implementers need time to prove it out. I often hear comparisons to OTT and internet companies and how Telcos need to become more like these companies. This sounds good on the surface but CSPs businesses are not the same businesses as OTT, social media, or internet companies. The networks are more complex, the regulatory rules more onerous, and some of the legacy services remain cash cows despite the cries that voice is free. Managing voice services brings with it a complex web of home grown tools, islands of databases, customized COTS solutions, and inter-connection systems. CSPs will not move at the speed of OTT and social media companies because of the legacy services anchored in their traditional business, the mandates enforced by regulators, and the […]