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Ericsson – OCS AltamirA: telecommunications services pricing platform (prepaid and postpaid)
AltamirA is the real-time pricing platform of the Telefónica group's prepaid management system, worldwide.
Panel has collaborated with Ericsson since 2011 as the main technological ally in AltamirA's software evolution, it is also responsible for the N2 and N3 support service and collaborates as the only test provider in product certification.
THE CHALLENGE
Evolve a product built from different adaptations for more than 15 years, with a high technological debt for the client.
AltamirA is an OCS (Online Charging System) that, as defined by 3GPP, is a network subsystem capable of supporting the needs of an operator's client, assessing in real time any type of service that any client uses through any form of access.
In this case, it is a product built from the evolution of different adaptations over more than 15 years, which meant a high technological debt for the customer and too much weight for Legacy systems.
The Time To Market (TTM) was insufficient, with low productivity in the evolutions, and the platform maintenance cost model was not sustainable. Likewise, each country to be deployed forms its own and differential identity, which implies the need to adapt to a specific regulatory framework in the different countries and to a configuration of highly heterogeneous production environments.
Furthermore, in the deployment strategies, the system is evolving to bring production operations to the operators' private clouds.
THE SOLUTION
The progressive reengineering of the main nodes of the platform.
The solution that was jointly adopted consisted essentially of the progressive reengineering of the main nodes of the platform.
Likewise, a Transformation Plan was executed that involved:
- A methodological reorientation in software engineering towards a Lean conception, integrating quality assurance services (SQA) from the beginning of the life cycle.
- The orientation of SW production models towards industrialization standards, incorporating the automation of unit tests, continuous integration techniques and productivity measurements.
- New relationship models, which implied the re-definition of KPIs and ANS, new specification models, quality certification processes, and comprehensive demand management models.
The evolution in this project continues with the following improvements:
– Adapting the system to the Cloud strategies of the operators:
- Deployments on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
- Containerizing the system to adapt it to its deployment on Kubernetes / Openshift.
– Implementing performance improvement strategies with new low-cost cache systems.
– Continuously adapting the system to the evolution of telecommunications (5G, etc.)
The AltamirA system manages services for more than 100 million users worldwide, and is in production 24 × 7 in more than 15 countries.
SUCCESSES ACHIEVED
Specialized knowledge in signaling protocols, network activation, Telco service pricing and development of massive and complex processes in real time.
Evolution of the SW of the AltamirA platform from our factories and expert centers.
24 × 7 coverage to support and maintenance N2 and N3 of the platform with worldwide reach.
Integration of the platform into Ericsson's advanced production models.
Support for the redesign and new roadmap of the platform to adapt to the new etom standards, and automation of tests with our solution Zahorí.