First things first: What is “Intent” again?

“Intent-based will play a critical role in achieving the zero-touch vision. It’s a market game-changer to pull customer-required services into quick realization.” -Telus

Intent is a well-known concept in programming and integration but it’s relatively new to the telecom industry. At Nokia, we believe it’s critical to explore and test intent-based APIs because it’s a way for CSPs to interact with enterprise customers in a more fluid and frictionless way. Specifically, intent-based operations and orchestration can automatically translate the business needs of the CSPs’ customer into network and service requirements. 

The goal: introduce an intent-based approach to operations to reduce service delivery complexity so CSPs can move up the value chain and participate fully in an expanding digital ecosystem of partners.   

You should have seen us in Copenhagen

In partnership with Telus, Verizon, BT Group and Salesforce, Nokia led an intent-driven operations catalyst at Digital Transformation World 2022 in Copenhagen. The catalyst, titled Translating customer needs into service and network intent, highlighted outcome-based use cases driven by the dynamicity of the 5G ecosystem and new B2B2X business models. 

For our part, Nokia demonstrated the importance of intent-driven networking with Nokia Digital Operations Center. Our solution integrated Salesforce’s BSS layer to Nokia’s underlying Orchestration Center OSS software via the new TM Forum 921 Intent API, in conjunction with traditional Network-as-a-Service APIs. This was done in an agile and flexible manner; and to maintain the contracted service-level agreements (SLAs), the catalyst showcased automated assurance with Nokia’s Assurance Center.

Phase 1 of our catalyst was a success; and we demonstrated this to over 100 CSP customers, who declared unanimously that intent-driven operations will be critical to 5G success. Overall, the results showed a more fluid integration between CSPs and enterprises; and Phase 2 of our catalyst is on the horizon. 

We’re riding this momentum and bringing our success to Bangkok

Following our success in Copenhagen, we have decided to continue with Phase 2 of our Catalyst at Digital Transformation World Asia. Telus, Verizon and Salesforce will join us again; and we have a new participating CSP, KDDI Research. Phase 2 of will focus on CSPs’ migration to autonomous networks by demonstrating:

• The negotiation process to be managed as part of the service order request
• The monetization aspect to be handled as part of the intent-based request
• The closed loop automation across the roundtrip of design, deploy and assure

CSPs are always looking for ways to lower costs and improve TCO efficiency; but the more strategic goals for CSPs right now are: 

• Unlocking new revenue potential
• Monetizing 5G investments
• Resource-optimizing new use cases

Figure 1. Unlocking the revenue potential from AI-driven, intent-based use cases

And…there will be more from Nokia & our partners

Nokia will also bring two additional catalysts to Digital Transformation World Asia 23.  One is “Channels and Market – Phase 2” and “5G Enablement through industry standardized APIs”

Channels and Markets – Phase 2

CSPs are well-placed to leverage their geographic network and market to build a new digital marketplace to combine connectivity and all types of non-connectivity services. By using TM Forum Open APIs and tapping into the work of network Standards Defining Organizations (SDOs) to incorporate partner and network services, products can be more easily visualized, marketed, and deployed, ultimately helping to drive growth.

Dynamic B2B2B marketplace enablement catalyst is focusing on making it easier for everyone to participate, in particularly it tackles the challenge “how does a CSP sell and ingest products that include capabilities of 3rd party suppliers”? The catalyst is a collaboration between Vodafone, CSG, Nokia and Microsoft. 

Here’s a short summary of the catalyst:

• Assembling new customer offerings by combining services orchestrated on CSP networks with services which are orchestrated by partners.
• Omni-channel API powered model for both assisted and self-service channels.
• Zero-code “design time” experience and proves a commercially viable “run time” experience

5G Enablement through industry standardized APIs

CSPs have been struggling to get a part of the multi-billion-dollar application business. Today, the telco industry tackles the issue by defining simple APIs for accessing telco capabilities. Such APIs allow developers at large to use these capabilities to build 5G and other advanced commercial applications in an easy way. This catalyst shows the combined usage of multiple Telco APIs allowing CSPs to monetize their network:

• CAMARA APIs: simple APIs that abstract the standardized and highly specialized Telco network APIs
• Simplified current TM Forum APIs to access a CSP’s operations and business capabilities
• New TM Forum simple APIs that expose a CSP’s operations and business capabilities, such as the TMF 921 Intent API, will drive further take up by application developers

This “biggest Catalyst ever” aims to demonstrate various ways for application developers to combine CAMARA and simplified TM Forum APIs to access a CSP’s network and operations capabilities. It implements a 5G application from which end-users can boost the quality of their data session on-demand in a billable way.

Nokia believes that through simple APIs (CAMARA, TM Forum, 3GPP), industry ecosystems of application developers, CSPs and telco suppliers will be able to build secure, advanced applications businesses. Beyond API simplification, Nokia aims to further simplify the application business through its Network as Code program.

See you at DTW Asia 

Nokia welcomes all CSPs joining DTW Asia to visit our catalyst booths and learn more about each scenario, how it applies to your respective business, and how Nokia can help you succeed in delivering new, innovative services in a dynamic B2B2B marketplace.