siliconindia | | OCTOBER 202119Today, the need for greater data integrity, intelligent decisions, operational efficiency with the adoption of Unified and Autonomous technologies has become business-critical for telcos and all industrieswith the desire to bridge the gap between the digital and physical world. The goal is obvious ­ renewing focus on customer engagement and experience through the highest quality of connectivity.VIRTUAL WORKSPACES ON THE RISE Given the rise in the work-from-anywhere situation during the pandemic, telecommunications kept virtual workspaces connected and going. In India, data traffic grew by approximately 60 times in the past five years, and in 2020, it further grew by 36 percent year-over-year, primarily due to the rise in 4G data consumption. This phenomenal growth in data consumption has driven the demand for enhanced broadband services. There is a higher need for robust and revolutionary technologies to keep-up with the demand and continue providing uninterrupted network facilitating seamless working conditions. This is where investments in unified enterprises that deliver the zero-touch unified customer to cash journeys will be the game-changer. ENTERPRISE OPERATING SYSTEM DELIVERING `THE UNIFIED ENTERPRISE' POWERED BY AI, ML & IOEWith the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, IoT, and Cloud into processes and systems, telcos are embracing a digital ecosystem. The question however remains ­ are telcos taking advantage of these advancements? According to IDC, 63.5 percent of telecom operators are making new technology investments in AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to reposition resources from mundane, time-consuming operations to higher value-adds. AI, ML, and RPA will help in predictive maintenance, detecting sources of excessive resource wastage, increasing asset security, routine report preparation & dissemination, responding to partner queries, reducing manual sales order processing, and others, thus driving optimal utilization of resources. Also, 4G & 5G deployments will act as a catalyst towards the integration of newer technologies.THE RISE IN NETWORK GROWTH ON THE BACK OF INCREASED MEDIA CONSUMPTIONAffordable smartphones, low data prices, and ease in the provisioning of services are some of the contributors to the Indian broadband market. Add to that, some lucrative packages that include unlimited calling, data, and OTT have driven the fixed broadband network growth. The pandemic saw an increase in technologies such as fixed wireless access (FWA) that have proven to be cost-efficient broadband alternatives, enabling digitalization and meeting the demand for mobile & data connectivity.THE WAY FORWARDThe pandemic has accelerated the need for unified solutions by at least five years. The telco leadership must look at adopting cutting-edge technologies that will enable them to be evolutionary and future-proof. Enterprise operating systems, although at a nascent stage, have the capability to accelerate the digital unification in the telecom sector. Imagine a day where telcos will be `The Unified Enterprise' leveraging the arrival of 5G. The need is greater than ever.
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