Openet's Wi-Fi Offload Solution Deployed for 1.9M Subscribers

 
Openet announced that its "Network Selection Intelligence solution has been deployed by a leading Southern European wireless, wireline, broadband and cable TV operator. The operator selected Openet’s end-to-end solution, based on the ANDSF standard [see "Openet Acquires Routing Policy Technology" - here], to provide intelligent Wi-Fi management and offload capabilities to optimize the mobile data experience for its customers while dramatically reducing network costs".

Related post - "Ovum: Operators Look for a Device-based Policy Solution for Wi-Fi Offload" - here.

"This operator has turned to Wi-Fi management techniques as a way of cost effectively improving the mobile data experience for its 1.9 million customers. Openet’s Network Selection Intelligence solution can seamlessly integrate with existing network elements and applications to significantly reduce costs from interconnection fees, and use of a less expensive access technology. The solution will also ensure all customers benefit from the best available network capacity and enjoy an optimal mobile data user experience".

See "European Cable Operator Deploys Openet’s Network Selection Intelligence Solution" - here

Openet and Smith Micro Show Intelligent Wi-Fi Offload Interoperability

Openet, working with Smith Micro Software (see "Smith Micro Helps MNOs with Smarter Offloading" - here), announced "completion of successful interoperability tests leveraging standards-based methods to deliver intelligent Wi-Fi offload and traffic optimization for heterogeneous networks .. The interoperability test utilized Smith Micro’s NetWise™ I/O Toolkit and centered on Openet’s Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) server [see "Openet Acquires Routing Policy Technology" - here], a 3GPP and OMA standards-compliant component of Openet’s Interaction Gateway. The server interacts with on-device agents to dynamically coordinate network selection based on device, network, and subscriber contextual information. Network selection decisions can incorporate any information source; examples include the quality of Wi-Fi and radio network signal, or specifics from the subscriber’s service plan agreement.

Openet’s Interaction Gateway [see "Openet Extends Policy Enforcement to the Device; Reduces Signaling Congestion" - here] provides integration with operator policy and charging control systems as well as intercommunication through the S14 interface with handsets that support ANDSF to coordinate device policies. Openet’s capabilities extend ANDSF with additional policy and charging options, in the context of device usage, for discovery and intelligent network selection. The solution also provides analytics for network and device performance, assisting operators to better the quality of users’ experience".


See "Openet, Smith Micro Validate ANDSF Interoperability for Intelligent Wi-Fi Offloading and HetNet Optimization" - here. 

Openet Acquires Routing Policy Technology

Openet announced the acquisition of ".. Dublin, Ireland based Forkstream (founded in 2012 by John Fitzpatrick, pictured, and Hamid Nafaa] .. Forkstream’s technology enables operators to define policies for routing mobile data streams within and between different access networks while ensuring a seamless user experience. Forkstream’s client side technology interacts with the network core via Openet Interaction Gateway, enabling operators to manage network access policies using their Policy Controls Rules Function (PCRF). The technology is fully compliant with 3GPP Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) standards that enable consumer devices to discover and communicate with non-3GPP networks such as WiFi or WiMAX .. Forkstream technologies extend the functionality defined within the 3GPP standards to include dynamic network selection as well as analytics and monitoring".

See "Openet Acquires Forkstream" - here.

NSN and Ericsson Offer Smarter Wi-Fi (Traffic Steering)

Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Network announced the following on the same day: 

• Nokia Siemens Networks is enhancing ".. its Smart Wi-Fi solution to provide the industry’s most comprehensive traffic steering capabilities between cellular and Wi-Fi networks. The company is also launching a new 3G Femtocell Access Point for seamless connectivity in residential areas. By enhancing cellular networks with Wi-Fi and residential access points, operators can ensure seamless connectivity and positive customer experience across all networks .. The new Smart Wi-Fi capabilities and its flexible client-server architecture will also boost early implementation of ANDSF by bringing ANDSF software support on existing smartphones and devices. The new capabilities also support IT-based HotSpot 2.0 ANQP***, which will enable devices to select the optimal Wi-Fi access point for best mobile broadband quality when the operator decides to steer subscribers to Wi-Fi".
  
  See "Mobile operators: make cellular and Wi-Fi work together" - here.

• Ericsson announced its "3GPP compliant Wi-Fi network access, control and management solutions. These enable mobile operators to easily incorporate Wi-Fi in their heterogeneous network strategy, while delivering a consistently high-performance user experience, even in high traffic areas. Incorporating Wi-Fi is a key focus of tier-one mobile operators ..  Key to the user experience is an Ericsson industry-first feature that automatically selects the best connection: real-time traffic steering. Ericsson's real-time traffic steering is a software upgrade that constantly assesses key performance indicators in both the mobile 3GPP network and the Wi-Fi network before dynamically and seamlessly shifting the consumer's smartphone connection between networks. This ensures the best user experience and optimizes network resources. Real-time traffic steering is a network-driven feature requiring no user intervention or additional device software. Ericsson also now supports access selection, a self-optimizing network (SON) feature enabling load-balancing between Wi-Fi and 3GPP networks to optimize the average user experience".
  
  See " Ericsson brings carrier-grade Wi-Fi to mobile broadband" - here.

Tekelec Enhances Policy Management with Device Control, OTT APIs and Analytics

Tekelec announced 3 new products - Mobile Policy Gateway, Application Manager, and Policy Analytics Platform, all integrating with its Policy Server ".. to create a “policy everywhere” framework that evolves policy well beyond fair usage and tiered services .. the new offerings enable service providers to introduce innovative services like subsidized or “toll-free” data, opt-in mobile advertising, customer loyalty/rewards programs, and application-based plans with partner ecosystems. They also extend the reach of policy to the smart device to provide intelligent Wi-Fi offload, manage chatty applications, improve device security, and give subscribers greater control over their applications".

• Mobile Policy Gateway extends policy directly to the device. The MPG combines a standards-compliant Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) with dynamic network and subscriber aware policy management. It turns smart devices into policy enforcement points, reducing the need for costly deep packet inspection (DPI) and policy enforcement (PCEF) functions in the network core.
   See also "Ovum: Operators Look for a Device-based Policy Solution for Wi-Fi Offload" - here and "Openet Extends Policy Enforcement to the Device; Reduces Signaling Congestion" - here.

• Application Manager allows service providers to securely expose network APIs, policies and subscriber data to OTT, on-deck, and service delivery platforms (SDPs). By converting web-based protocols (LDAP, SOAP, XML, HTTP, etc.) to Diameter, it creates a single point of control for two-sided business models with application providers.

• Policy Analytics Platform unlocks network intelligence buried in millions of policy event records. The data give network operations, IT and marketing departments granular business and network insight about how subscribers use and access services and applications.

See "Tekelec takes policy "everywhere" with three new products" - here.

Ovum: Operators Look for a Device-based Policy Solution for Wi-Fi Offload

 
An operator survey by Daryl Schoolar (pictured), principal analyst, Ovum on Wi-Fi offloading indicates that ".. many operators are still looking for features not currently available on a large scale". 

"Over half expect session continuity when moving between Wi-Fi and cellular networks, while over 90 percent are also looking for a device-based policy solution that would select the best network (3G/4G/Wi-Fi) based on cost, performance, and other policy-driven features.. Although most operators thought Automatic Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) and Hotspot 2.0 were important, only a small minority said they would deploy those solutions prior to their full standardization, even if the vendor said they were fully compliant with the standard".

Related posts:

• Smith Micro Helps MNOs with Smarter Offloading - here
• Kineto Wireless Makes Wi-Fi Offload Easier; Used by Orange UK and T-Mobile US - here
• Sprint Uses Birdstep for On-Device Access Management - here

ANDSF Solution, by GreenPacket

See "Ovum survey shows Wi-Fi offload as a growing part of operators’ infrastructure strategy" - here.