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Tag: digital communications

  • Automation is Key for Success of 5G at Scale

    Automation is Key for Success of 5G at Scale

    5G is more than a progressive step; it is a catalyst for individuals, society and industries to meet their digital aspirations. 5G goes beyond connectivity by providing a platform to collaborate across industries, and 5G networks will be at the center of an ecosystem that pushes society’s continued digital transformation forward. By design, 5G networks will be flexible and modular, with technologies such as network slicing, software-defined networks (SDN), cloud-native and cloud radio access networks (cloud RAN). A flexible architecture makes it feasible to increase overall network capacity as needed, completing the standardization of application programming interfaces (APIs) towards underlying infrastructure, which will be key for automated connectivity to a heterogeneous network. APIs have sparked a revolution in banking, finance, health care and other fields, and now it is communications’ turn.

    Communications service providers (CSPs) can’t lose sight of the imminent innovation coming from cloud and cloud-native software. 5G is where telco meets IT. Virtualization, cloud edges and containerized 5G deployment alongside a legacy network bring tremendous challenges with numerous interfaces, processes and complexities. The basic automation model that exists today will not be able to support the next-generation networks that come with a plethora of connected devices and the volume of traffic that must pass through. End-to-end, closed loop automation is going to be the catalyst that accelerates the space from network-centric operations toward customer-centric operations.

    Why Automation is Crucial in 5G

    5G drives incident-driven operations toward data-driven operations. It also drives human-triggered automation toward outcomes, triggers processes and initiates massive machine-to-machine communications. At the same time, the internet of things (IoT) has vastly increased the number of endpoints that need to be managed and, as network slicing comes to fruition, network slices will include SLA delivery models, which will be beyond humans’ ability to manage.

    As a result, CSPs must rethink the way their networks operate now and enhance their existing value-adds by complementing their existing, strong cellular expertise with software capabilities. As organizations integrate their networks with cloud assets, databases and application assets, they must focus on incorporating automation at every step to efficiently manage their 5G networks and enable new 5G offerings.

    AI/ML and Automation

    5G is evolving alongside AI and ML. The high speed and low latency of 5G along with AI and IoT are going to significantly impact the way we live and work. 5G and intelligent connectivity enable automation to go through a complete transformation from digitization to artificialization. ML is pushing CSPs from playing the role of digital service provider to becoming cognitive service providers. AI will augment human decision-making in telecommunications to achieve newer use cases. The power of AI can be used to identify features and qualities in the current environment from a large set of big data, then analyze the use cases and predict future network failures which will help to mitigate the impact of any possible failure.

    Enabling digital innovation is a high priority for CSPs as they transition from a prescriptive model to a declarative, API-driven and DevOps model. Success will ultimately depend on efforts to build the necessary organizational readiness. By leveraging cloud technology, managing risk, embracing openness and establishing a human-augmented AI model, CSPs can break silos in their network and enable this transition to happen.

    Are CSPs Ready to Embrace the New Era of Automation?

    In the 5G era, mobile will become even more central to our daily routines. According to a GSMA report, the economic value created by 5G connectivity will reach $1.4 billion by 2025 and 5G will contribute $2.2 trillion to the global economy over next 15 years.

    5G networks will require automation that can support multi-domain and multi-vendor technologies, as services such as network slicing will traverse across multiple network segments like radio, access, core and edge, which may contain a mix of virtual and physical network functions.

    On their journeys from communications service provider to cognitive service provider, many network operators today have orchestrated network and IT domains, but few have the capability to orchestrate end-to-end services, given the fact that physical legacy networks will coexist with cloud-native network functions. While network slicing and tailored connectivity are still in their early days, full automation will not happen without end-to-end service orchestration.

    To enable automation on every aspect of the network, CSPs must embrace fully interoperable, data-centric solutions that offer the visibility and monitoring that is expected of cloud-based applications. By working closely with customers, each network function can be built in microservices with fully automated testing and regression testing and by leveraging DevOps for carriers.
    5G is the catalyst that is converging telecom network engineering and operations with IT. The vast amount of data to be analyzed for insight-driven business models is forcing a cultural shift from pure network management to services management. Evolved, smarter networks, new agile and insight-driven business models all require that 5G automation be taken to the next level. Simply put, automation is not an option but a necessity.

  • Best Practices for Internal Communication in DevOps

    Best Practices for Internal Communication in DevOps

    DevOps has become a widely popular method of collaboration in the IT world. The combination of development, operations and quality assurance, DevOps requires every project have clear communication channels between development teams and individuals. In this article, we’re going to explore some of the best practices for internal communication within the DevOps structure.

    Software development is the game that runs on invention and communication. Therefore, communication methods and channels play a significant role in project success. Better communication between managers, engineers, developers and testers leads to better performance and more satisfying results. Each practice presented can help improve communication within teams and make your work more synchronized and efficient.

    Digital Communication Channels

    Scott W. Ambler notes in his communication diagram, e-mail communication is noted as more effective than any other documentation options, including paper memos, audio tapes and others. E-mail is the best way to share official documents and company memos, making it more suitable for external communication in the DevOps project. But while most individuals today are able to access their e-mail on their smartphones, and e-mail enables users to send large attachments and contact several team members at once, DevOps teams tend to rely on more interactive communication channels.

    Depending on the project needs and the preferences of team members, internal communication can be either through project collaboration apps, an intranet or even the usual communication apps or social media. Since Ambler’s diagram shows that video conversation is by far the most effective form of project communication (aside from face-to-face meetings), most project managers rely on apps with video-calling and videoconferencing functionality.

    Regular Meetings

    Regular meetings are the backbone of the DevOps communication. They can be organized in-person or through videoconferencing apps. Same as with the Agile Project Management structure, the DevOps team should meet at least twice a week. Preferably, the meetings should occur on a daily basis. The Monday or morning meeting can be used for assigning tasks to each team member and the Friday or end-of-day meeting can be used for assessing completed work and for future planning.

    Building Soft Skills

    Unfortunately, HR practices in many industries rely on stereotypes. One of the most prominent stereotypes about IT professionals is their lack of interpersonal skills. Although some engineers and developers fall into this generalization, their knowledge and interests go far beyond IT and technology topics. Still, even the most talkative and assertive members of the development team need to work on their soft skills to improve the team’s communication.

    Improved soft skills enable team members to collaborate more effectively and to develop strong working relationships. The first task of every manager is to find the soft skills already present in your team. This will give the team the chance to find the best opportunities for further development. After the initial skill appraisal, manager can enroll members in courses for assertive communication, negotiation and conflict-solving, depending on their needs and current capabilities.

    Importance of Time Management

    The whole DevOps paradigm strongly relies on effective time management. The implementation of the DevOps model often changes the whole development process and wipes out all the previous scheduling and time-management patterns. A good manager needs to motivate his or her team to change their long-held habits and pace their daily routines so they can keep up with the new organizational patterns.

    We already mentioned how regular meetings are essential for successful DevOps implementation. When organizing the meeting, schedule managers need to leave enough working time so each team member can effectively work on their tasks. Too many interruptions can break up the work process make it difficult for employees to focus. Effective time management relies on both team and individual needs and gives your team the flexibility to work as efficiently as possible.

    Use of Data Insights

    Internal communication on DevOps projects needs to be smart. It needs to be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely, and one of the ways to achieve this is to use accumulated data from current and previous projects. The thorough analysis of accumulated data can give managers more details on:

    • The average number of working hours the team will need to release a new app, make various updates or make patches;
    • How to make the team’s communication more efficient;
    • Identifying the areas where the development strategy is losing its momentum; and
    • Understanding how each task influences the project delivery.

    Constant adaptation and changes in work processes is the base for successful DevOps implementation. This ideal can be achieved only through effective communication between team members. Communication also requires time, so the only way to ensure effective DevOps work is to combine strategic skills, process development, excellent time management and smart data insights.

    About the Author / Nate Vickrey

    Nate Vickrey is a business consultant and an online author. He is mostly engaged in finding the best solutions and latest trends regarding company management and culture. Nate is also the executive editor at one Bizzmark Blog. You can follow Nate’s work on his Twitter page.