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December 23, 2008
VPIsystems: Planning for Success
Group Editorial Director
VPIsystems maintains a rather unique position in the telecommunications space. The company provides integrated capacity and network planning software and services for its service provider customers. The company’s OnePlan software system gives telecommunications and multi-service providers the ability to cohesively plan the various aspects of their network evolution — such as financial, technical and marketing — for both current and future network deployments.
Today, with the increasing insistence for high-speed connections and seemingly endless bandwidth, fiber-based services are in high demand from businesses and consumers alike. According to VPI Systems (News - Alert), cable companies and traditional telcos are considering fiber and fiber-copper hybrid solutions to stay competitive and wireless providers are looking to fiber as a much-needed backhaul solution to handle the strain high-bandwidth services like video are putting on their networks.
To help these providers meet the needs of their constituents, VPIsystems recently developed a module for the OnePlan suite that is designed specifically to address FTTx planning. The new module is designed to help carriers plan fiber networks utilizing existing lines, and enables them to calculate optimal paths and equipment locations before they begin digging and deploying. It also assists in minimizing planning and engineering costs, by conducting analysis in a fraction of the time it would take to do manually.
Michael Devlin (News - Alert), vice president of business development at VPIsystems. Was kind enough to respond to a series of questions about VPIsystems, as well as about the session he will be presenting in Miami Beach at the upcoming ITEXPO (News - Alert), this February 2–4.
GG: When you look back on 2008, was it a good year for your company?
MD: 2008 was an excellent year for products and services in global broadband FTTx planning and wireless backhaul planning.
GG: What was your firm’s biggest achievement last year?
MD: New accounts in Middle East and major wireless accounts
GG: What can we expect to see from your company for the next 12 months?
MD: Expanded solutions in broadband access planning, outside plant planning, and wireless planning.
GG: In your view, please describe the future of the IP Communications industry.
MD: IP communications will continue to expand opportunities for personalized services, anywhere, any time.
GG: How do the current market conditions affect your potential customers? Do you think they will hold off on purchasing new solutions or do you think the economic conditions will spur them to make purchases that will allow them to be more competitive?
MD: CAPEX spending will be more targeted and require more planning than in prior years.
GG: What sets your company’s solutions apart from the competition?
MD: Only VPIsystems offers planning that begins with broadband access and flows all the way through to the core network.
GG: You are on the schedule to present at the upcoming ITEXPO. What can attendees expect to learn in your session at the event this February?
MD: Attendees will learn and be able to answer the following questions: What is network planning? How often should it be done? What organizational mistakes are commonly made and how can you avoid them. What is cross domain planning and how can it be used effectively? How do Access demands affect the rest of the network? Examples from live deployments will be shared.
GG: If you had to make one bold prediction for 2009, what would it be?
Greg Galitzine is editorial director for TMC’s (News - Alert) IP Communications suite of products, including TMCnet.com. To read more of Greg’s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here.
Edited by Greg Galitzine