Swisscom Orders Network Optimisation Software

Swisscom Mobile is deploying Actix's Infrastructure Verification Solution (IVS) for its GPRS network, Actix' Rollout Verification Solution (RVS) for its UMTS network and Actix' Actix Radio Link Analysis solution (RLAS) for its GSM network. Swisscom has been using Actix' solutions centrally for the past 18 months, and will now be deploying IVS, RVS, and RLAS to all its regions. By using Actix' solutions across all of its networks, Swisscom is able to embed key processes into software, significantly improving the productivity of engineering teams, leading to reduced operational expenses for Swisscom and improved Quality of Service (QoS) for its subscriber base.

Using the IVS solution, engineers can trace performance information across the entire network, from the air interface to the core network, giving them the ability to not only optimize the performance of the network, but to quickly identify and fix core network, subscriber, handset and Internet destination-specific problems when they occur.

Actix' UMTS RVS technology is currently being used by Swisscom to verify its 3G Radio Access Network (RAN) infrastructure, and will continue to be used throughout the pre-commercial phases of rollout, as well as to verify and troubleshoot service levels of the commercially launched network.

Swisscom will also use Actix' RLAS solution to optimize handovers that will occur between its 2G and 3G networks, and to continue to optimize the performance of the GSM radio network.

Michael Schmocker, Senior Engineer, UMTS Performance Management, Swisscom, said, "Almost all the hardware and software technology involved in deploying a UMTS 3G network has been developed recently, which makes it more challenging than deploying a 2.5G network. When working with such a wide range of new technologies, it is critical to be able to interpret the data being generated by the network and captured by a variety of data gathering tools." Schmocker continues, "While Actix' solutions are functionality-rich, they can also be used straight out of the box. Actix' UMTS product portfolio has been developed from a base of understanding that exists from the company's previous and ongoing development of its GSM and GPRS products. It is an established product that does not have basic functionality difficulties that many of the other newer tools have."

Posted to the site on 5th May 2003