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Professional Services Set WiMAX Vendor Offerings Apart
In addition to selling hardware and software, the WiMAX ecosystem offers a range of professional services to speed network design, integration, and support.
Technical support is the most common form of professional services that occur 'after the sale'. Product warranties are another common example. However, they are far from the only services being offered. Professional services are increasingly popular in competitive markets, such as broadband wireless and mobile broadband communications, to differentiate one company from another while adding increasing value for the recipient.
802.16e-2005 equipment vendor SOMA Networks is the latest to announce a suite of professional services to accompany the product portfolio. SOMA provides expert consultants who work with a service provider's own technical teams to integrate the systems necessary to launch and manage a network.
Examples of professional services that are targeted in advance of network deployment include:
- Site surveys and RF Planning - by visiting the sites of future base stations and priority user markets, spectrum use and congestion data can be gathered along with real-world readings from the environment such as topology, climate, foliage, and man-made objects.
- License and frequency coordination - The use of licensed spectrum includes specific guidelines for each network operator to follow. Selecting the best RF channel plans for frequency re-use and configuring the radio equipment to match could prove a cumbersome process, especially for new operators or those becoming familiar with a specific set of equipment for the first time.
- Network design/planning - In addition to the radio area network (RAN), a unique network resides behind the RAN. Good network design maximizes bandwidth while reducing latency and other impairments.
- Integration and installation - The resulting set of services offered by an operator is a combination of hardware, software, and system processes. Incorporating VoIP, VoD, gaming, mobility, and other diverse systems into turnkey solutions can improve the delivery and ultimate success of the network.
In my experience manufacturing Wi-Fi, BWA, and WiMAX equipment, professional services associated with the planning, integration, installation and launch of new services represent the bulk of revenues. The radio equipment for a given site averaged no more than 10-15% of the capital expenditure costs to the operator.
Other professional services are tailored to support networks that are operational. These include:
- Managed services - Some of the operational systems may be best-suited for management by the vendor or a specialized provider of managed services. In a WiMAX context, managed services could include on-going network and RF performance monitoring and adjustment.
- Spares and warehousing - Operators need to respond quickly to outages associated with planned maintenance and unscheduled incidents. Access to spare parts, extra equipment, and logistics management can provide significant value to the business.
- Training and education - Customer satisfaction is greater for those who have the most familiarity with a specific vendor's offerings. Product and service overviews, training courses and on-site mentors can overcome misunderstandings or gaps in knowledge. Education and training can also be a pre-launch service offering - it should not be viewed as exclusive to after the sale.
Professional services provide value to network operators by allowing them to focus on their core business. At the same time, providers of professional services become an integral part of the network build, deployment, and support functions. Recent announcements by mobile communications vendors continue to suggest that professional services will remain a significant component for the deployment of broadband wireless and mobile broadband networks.
By Jeff Orr, ORR Technology
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