The document discusses the services enabling platform from the perspective of a network services provider in Belgium. It covers the broadband landscape in Belgium, the vision for an easy services technology platform, emerging trends and challenges in the broadband services market, and key issues regarding the home gateway, set-top box, and easy office services platform. The main challenges are developing a flexible platform to quickly deploy new services without knowing the killer app, achieving plug-and-play installation to retain customers, and focusing on real value-added services.

1. The Services Enabling Platform
A Network Services Provider point of view
Dr. Francis Depuydt, Belgacom Advanced Network Services

2. Overview

4. The Broadband Landscape in Belgium
Fierce competition with Telenet drove broadband prices down to the
lowest price levels in Europe for the highest performance
EUR
Download speed
Kbps
KPN Planet Internet – NL – ADSL
Deutsche Telekom – DE – ADSL
BT Openworld – UK – ADSL
Telewest – UK – Cable
UPC Chello – NL – Cable
France Telecom – FR – ADSL
Telenet – BE – Cable
Belgacom Skynet – BE – ADSL
Noos – FR – Cable
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
0 1000 2000 3000 4000
Minimum
monthly price
Download
speed

6. The Vision : EasyServices Technology Platform
SERVICES
& CONTENT
EASYOFFICE
EASYHOME
SERVICES
ENABLING
PLATFORM
• Fast time to market (no killer app!)
• Investment efficiency by re-use
• Open for service aggregator business model

8. Nice, but what does the Market tell us?
No clear trends on demands from the market
Indications:
Entertainment (especially movie and TV) on demand
Some forms of remote home control
But: Big Brother effect...
CHALLENGE = explain the value of the connected home to
consumers
Willingness to pay for home gateway is unclear
Discussion: rental or sales?
Internet or Telco Network – based?
Eg Movielink.com – VoD over the Internet

10. Closing the Functionality Gap
online ordering of VAS, self-provisioning, instant fulfilment
Digital Rights Management
full integration in BGC's operational processes: fulfilment, assurance,
billing
open interface to 3rd party service provider
zero-touch installation and no-hassle configuration
online e-payment tools: micro-payments, pre- and post-payments,
anonymous payments, e-wallets, PPU, …
real-time billing
guaranteed service quality
fast on-demand content delivery (CDN, hosting, …)
flexible control levels (parental/company control, profiles, …)
cross-application user mgmt
identification at individual level
Tomorow's broadband services environment requires

11. 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
NETWORK
ACCESS
ADSL -> xDSL?
BROADBAND
SERVICES SERVICES MASTERPLAN
OSS / BSS
Order
handling
Billing Provisioning E-channels Activation Trouble handling …
ENABLING INFRASTRUCTURE
NETWORK
SERVICES
Services Enabling Platform (SEP)
Network Resources Control (NRC)
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Home/Office Gateway (HGW)
Next-generation Network (NGN)
(more info)

12. Services Enabling Platform – The Business Case
POTS
VAS
Dig
TV
VoD Video
Tel
Easy
Home
Easy
Office
Access ASP
S12
EWSD
IN SCP
IN SMP
Order handling Provisioning Trouble handling
Billing CRM E-channels
Activation Monitoring Network inventory
Usage collection
BSSOSSServicelayerNetwork
...
ProcessworldRuntimeserviceandnetworkworld
BAS
AAA
NRC
Runtime
Vol pack
logic
CDN
STB
middle
ware
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
DRM
STB’
NGN
servers
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
gateway
CPE
mgmt
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
gateway
CPE
mgmt
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
STB
multicast
encoders
NRC
middle
ware
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricingE-payment
CPE mgmt
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
software
servers
CDNCDN CDN
app
app app portal
E-payment

13. Services Enabling Platform – The Business Case
POTS
VAS
Dig
TV
VoD Video
Tel
Easy
Home
Easy
Office
Access ASP
S12
EWSD
IN SCP
IN SMP
Order handling Provisioning Trouble handling
Billing CRM E-channels
Activation Monitoring Network inventory
Usage collection
BSSOSSServicelayerNetwork
...
ProcessworldRuntimeserviceandnetworkworld
BAS
AAA
NRC
Runtime
Vol pack
logic
CDN
STB
middle
ware
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
DRM
STB’
NGN
servers
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
gateway
CPE
mgmt
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
gateway
CPE
mgmt
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
STB
multicast
encoders
NRC
middle
ware
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricingE-payment
CPE mgmt
service
logic
Identity
mgmt
Runtime
pricing
software
servers
CDNCDN CDN
app
app app portal
E-payment

15. Towards a Component Architecture
Portal & Access Session
Layer
Network ControlDevice Mgmt Content Mgmt
SRB/
Policy
Manager
BRAS IMSDSLAMOSS
Netw Mediation
Soft-
Switch
Video
Server
Game
Server
Storage
Server
User
Mgmt
Service Profile
Mgmt
Subscription
Mgmt
RGWGame Consoles
STBs
Streaming Devices
Cameras
PCs/Laptops
Wireless Links
PDAs
Open Interfacing Layer
Identity
Mgmt
Service Session
Management
Service
Management
… …
SEP Middleware
SLEESLEE
Customer & Subscriber
Management
Internal
Capabilities
Business Rule
Mgmt
Scheduling &
Time Mgmt
Billing Rule
Mgmt
SiloIntegration
Agnostic
Integration
Interfaces
Execution Pipeline
Home Network Backbone Network Service Networks
Open core platform
capability interfaces to 3rd parties
Open B2B service
interfaces to 3rd
parties
Service Implementation
Downstream
BillingSystems
Portal & Access Session
Layer
Network ControlNetwork ControlDevice MgmtDevice Mgmt Content MgmtContent Mgmt
SRB/
Policy
Manager
SRB/
Policy
Manager
BRASBRAS IMSIMSDSLAMDSLAMOSSOSS
Netw MediationNetw Mediation
Soft-
Switch
Soft-
Switch
Video
Server
Video
Server
Game
Server
Game
Server
Storage
Server
Storage
Server
User
Mgmt
Service Profile
Mgmt
Subscription
Mgmt
RGWRGWGame Consoles
STBs
Streaming Devices
Cameras
PCs/Laptops
Wireless Links
PDAs
Open Interfacing Layer
Identity
Mgmt
Service Session
Management
Service Session
Management
Service
Management
Service
Management
… …
SEP Middleware
SLEESLEE
Customer & Subscriber
Management
Internal
Capabilities
Business Rule
Mgmt
Scheduling &
Time Mgmt
Billing Rule
Mgmt
SiloIntegrationSiloIntegration
Agnostic
Integration
Interfaces
Execution Pipeline
Home Network Backbone Network Service Networks
Open core platform
capability interfaces to 3rd parties
Open B2B service
interfaces to 3rd
parties
Service Implementation
Downstream
BillingSystems

16. SEP Modules in scope
IT middleware
NGN
Servers
content
Delivery
Network
STB
Middle
ware
iTV
Platform
(eg MHP)
Network
Resource
control
portals
User &
Identity
mgmt
Service
Logic
execution
Charging
Logic &
Mediation
E-
payment
Service
mgmt
BSS
I/f
OSS
I/f
Fulfilment
Assurance
Billing
Activation
Monitoring
Inventory
Device
mgmt
Open Questions on Architecture:
• Video Middleware integration?
• OSGi for device management, or more?
• OSGi or MHP, or both, on the set-top box?

17. Service Platform is part of end-2-end chain
E-channel
Portal
BSS/OSSSEPNetwork
OMS
COBCDB
ROSY
User/Profile Mgmt
Module
Service Mgmt
Module
E-Payment
System
e-Wallet
Mgmt
VC-NGN
DHCP-NGN
NIM
CID ↔ Account(ViTel)
Device Mgmt
Module
SSID ↔ TrailId(NA)
AAA
NGN Call Servers
Presence Srvr
SEP
NPS
Retail
Store-Front
DHCP
Srvr
Mediation
Engine
NGN
AppSrv
1
2
3
5 4
6
8
9
11
PM
Retail E-channel Id Mgmt Module WS B2B Front-EndReseller
e-OMS
RT Rating &
RT Pricing
Engine
SLEE
10
13
1
Password
Generator
7
12
E-channel
Portal
BSS/OSSSEPNetwork
OMS
COBCDB
ROSY
User/Profile Mgmt
Module
Service Mgmt
Module
E-Payment
System
e-Wallet
Mgmt
VC-NGN
DHCP-NGN
NIM
CID ↔ Account(ViTel)
Device Mgmt
Module
SSID ↔ TrailId(NA)
AAA
NGN Call Servers
Presence Srvr
SEP
NPS
Retail
Store-Front
DHCP
Srvr
Mediation
Engine
NGN
AppSrv
1
2
3
5 4
6
8
9
11
PM
Retail E-channel Id Mgmt Module WS B2B Front-EndReseller
e-OMS
RT Rating &
RT Pricing
Engine
SLEE
10
13
1
Password
Generator
7
12

19. The Connected Home – Reference Architecture
Home Network
Home
Gateway
DSL
...OK, we’ve seen this before. Let’s get down to business.
THE HOT SPOTS

20. Home Gateway Issues
Home Gateway is key to
achieve plug-and-play
First role: get the connectivity
right!
Teleworking tunnels
Video pipes
How much intelligence?
HGv1: SNMP, telnet
HGv2: OSGi
HGv3: integrated with STB
Cost below 150 €
Or lower
Sold or rented?
Service provider business case
When video-grade Wifi?
802.11g/a/...
Telco-grade QoS
Will telco assume
responsability?
Re-use of existing wires –
when?
Coax
Telephone wires
Power lines
Wireless will have limitations
Home Network Issues

21. Set-top Box Issues
Multi-service Set-top Boxes
When?
Open middleware
OSGi?
MHP?
Videotelephony on STB
Move domotics out of home
gateway
Separate device
PC-based services?
Very expensive for Assurance
Where is the Media Server?
Short-term: PC
See above
Other Issues

23. The EasyOffice is very similar to the EasyHome,
but...
Vision = the Office in a Box
Services are different than Home Services
Office gateway is different. For instance:
More features
Voice
VoIP
Hard disk
Challenges:
Retail channels
Multi-OS environment in SME

25. Dear Santa, could you please give me...
A very cheap and flexible home gateway
so that I can up-sell like hell
A multi-service set-top box
so that I can upsell like hell
A modular and flexible service enabling platform
Because I don’t know what the killer app is going to be
Plug-and-play installation of new devices and services
Because I want to keep my customers
More focus on real value-added services
And less science fiction in the industry fora on connected homes

26. Questions?