Driving innovations across the broadband segment is the key network component, the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) which enables Operators to define and configure new features and roll out new products into the market. Infonetics Research, an international market research and consulting firm, has released its latest Policy Management Software report, which tracks policy management software that implements the PCRF system across wireless (3G, 4G broadband) and fixed-line broadband and cable broadband networks. The following are some excerpts from the report:
MARKET HIGHLIGHTS Infonetics expects 41% growth in the global policy management software market in 2013 to top $1 billion for the first time, with significant momentum coming from operators implementing policy as part of network modernization initiatives Policy management will play a key role in software-defined networking (SDN), enabling data abstraction from a range of network sources, including network subscriber databases, DPI, and probes Oracle’s acquisition of Tekelec has created another potentially powerful player in the integrated policy/charging space, particularly given the software giant’s customer relationship management, service fulfillment, and analytics assets To address mobile security, WiFi offload, and better management of signaling congestion, partnership and M&A activity is expected to continue, centering on incorporating policy enforcement at the device level |
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“While operators continue to implement policy management for their 3G networks—particularly in emerging markets struggling to deal with a rapid influx of smartphones—we’re seeing a bump in investment due to the ramp-up of LTE deployments,”notes Shira Levine, directing analyst for service enablement and subscriber intelligence at Infonetics Research. Levine continues: “Many operators view policy less as a technical play and more as a tool for monetizing their network investments and enabling the quality of service required for new LTE-based services like voice over LTE (VoLTE).”
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