Intelligent SME.tech Issue 20 | Page 39

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dispersed infrastructure that forms the premise of its network . There has never been more of a need for Field Service Management ( FSM ) solutions in the telcos industry than there is today .
This infrastructure needs to be maintained and kept in running and working order . Much of which can be automated with the right software tools , but much of which still needs to be done with people ' s manual intervention / assistance . FSM systems that support maintenance scheduling , equipment optimisation , dispatch , mobility and even the collation of data from smart Edge devices are a necessity .
Heman Kassan , Chief Commercial Officer at Technodyn International ( IFS )
Telcos are not looking for vendors to oversell a host of systems that support individual requirements . They require solutions that encompass the complete life cycle , from dynamic intraday field workforce scheduling and mobile execution , long-range maintenance planning and highly complex project-based business with longer-term resourcing and procurement , through to complete asset life cycle management . And they want this in a single system able to draw data from disparate environments .
The security risk comes in due to the growing network footprint and the sheer volume of devices that can now connect to a network . With 5G services , operators widen their network ' s data net and speed , volume and diversity . The same goes for digital services such as direct routing across a data network . A Software-Defined Network may assist an operator in reducing latency , redundancy , privacy and sovereignty , but it does increase the risks of cyberattack .
This is partly because the skills required by the telcos industry are hard to come by and operators don ' t want to take the skills they do have and subject them to continual training on new systems . They already have to upskill their people on the new digital services they are offering to their customers . �
Telcos will need to ensure that they add new services , add new security policies , adopt a Zero Trust approach and make security intrinsic to the networking and application fabric they are building . It is a big switch for an industry that had to secure switches and hardware for years .
Managing people and assets
While the digital prowess of telcos grows , so does the need to manage the geographically
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