Converged Networks

By implementing subscriber-centric policy management from Bridgewater Systems, Service Providers can ensure a consistent subscriber experience across multiple networks, applications, and devices and achieve operational efficiencies with reduced costs for management and customer care.

Wireless and wireline carriers and cable TV operators continue to drive mergers and alliances, while looking for ways to capture more of the entire subscriber spend on data services with bundled services and special offers. But network convergence goes beyond bringing together fixed and mobile networks under partnership banners and operational consolidation across business units.

This convergence of technologies, operators, services, and subscribers is driving the need for service portability — delivering the right service and a consistent experience to the subscriber, over the best and most appropriate network for the device (for example, in fixed-mobile convergence deployments).

Bridgewater Systems products enable a unified subscriber view allowing Service Providers to manage subscribers across multiple access networks and applications. As a result, Service Providers can differentiate service offerings with bundled solutions, achieve management efficiencies with a common policy management infrastructure, and support multiple business models such as wholesale and retail services.

Solutions for Converged Networks at a Glance

• Vendor- and network-neutral products – Future-proof solution across multiple networks accelerates time to market.
• Built to increase operational efficiencies – Eliminates access network silos, as proven in Tier-1 Service Provider network.
• Common network, application platform solutions – Provides a consistent subscriber experience over multiple networks and applications, reducing customer care and improving time to market.
• Bundled services and applications across networks – Allows Service Providers to create targeted offers that will increase ARPU and improve subscriber retention.
• Streamlined interfaces to operational support and charging systems – Reduces provisioning time and alleviates the need for expensive changes to charging systems.
• Common authentication platform and scheme – Reduces customer care burden by unifying subscriber authentication across wireless and wireline networks.
• Support for multiple business models with a common infrastructure – Wholesale, retail, MVNO, etc.
• High-performance access core, roaming and handoff support – Supports fixed-mobile convergence scenarios, enabled with UMA/GAN, for example.

Network Access Control Products for Converged Networks
AAA Service Controller – Built around a powerful policy and profile engine, AAA Service Controller allows Service Providers to offer and control access to advanced and differentiated services across all access types and infrastructures.

Entitlement Control Products for Converged Networks

Application Policy
Application Policy Controller – Real-time control over the type of subscriber data that can be provided to any application — internal or third party — and the circumstances under which it is provided, enabling Service Providers to enrich the subscriber experience.

Network Policy
Network Policy Controller – A robust policy management solution that enables Service Providers to manage network resources using policies and business rules, controlling subscribers and their individual experiences.

Subscriber Management Products for Converged Networks
Home Subscriber Server – The master repository that maintains information for the authentication, authorization, and establishment of subscriber calls and sessions, the Bridgewater Systems Home Subscriber Server (HSS) is ideal for Service Providers evolving their networks to take advantage of the revenue enhancements and operational cost savings of the IMS and Multimedia Domain (MMD) frameworks.