'Keeping legacy systems running in parallel with IP networks does not begin to address the increasingly urgent issue of cost transformation. Operators not already doing so have to plan a swift but effective soft landing for their legacy services.'
Rupert Wood, Principal Analyst
Much attention has been given to investment in next-generation networks and services but it could be a costly mistake to neglect legacy services. This report examines where and why legacy services figure on the road map to a next-generation world, assessing the actions that network operators and service providers should take to ensure returns from legacy activity. The report looks at current practice and answers the following key questions:
-Should core legacy revenue be defended prior to migration or should its decline be managed? -How long should legacy platforms – and therefore legacy services - remain in operation? -What role will legacy services and legacy emulation services have in a carrier portfolio? -How can the functionality of legacy connection-oriented services best be migrated onto next-generation platforms? -How can operators best deal with the security concerns around NGNs?
Who should read this report:
-Incumbent operators: assess the risks and opportunities associated with both the continuation and the transformation of legacy services. -Alternative operators: understand the implications for altnet legacy services in incumbent NGN strategies. -Policy makers and regulators: gain insight into how different NGN strategies can affect the landscape of legacy and IP services markets. -Investors and analysts: understand how different NGN strategies will affect the value of the legacy services market.
