Network operators should diversify into more profitable areas

US based Networks Company Juniper Networks transforms the business of networking by converting a commodity -bandwidth - into a dependable and secure corporate asset. Founded in 1996 to meet the stringent demands of service providers, Juniper is now one amongst the best of breed network focused companies worldwide and is relied upon by network operators, government agencies, research and education institutions and information-intensive enterprises as the foundation for uncompromising networks. Zia Askari spoke to Girdhar Java, Country Manager - India SAARC about the company’s focus and the current market scenario in the Indian region.

What is the focus for Juniper and what are the enhancements that have been made in its product line? 



We have a clear focus for the company and that is to increase the revenue streams for network operators with the help of our products and offerings. We have expanded our suite of offerings in the security arena and have made certain enhancements in the product line. We have a Model for Integrated Network Transformation (MINT) and it provides a business and network framework that enables service providers to transition from a commodity transport business model to a more lucrative, value-added services model. Juniper Networks is concurrently announcing several new capabilities that enhance the product portfolio throughout the MINT framework.

MINT outlines a holistic approach for revitalizing existing services and for the creation and delivery of new services. These

existing services might include Public Internet, Frame Relay, ATM, and voice. By alleviating the capital risks associated with having to introduce new facilities for each new service, MINT facilitates the rapid creation of innovative, value-added services to mass and niche markets. Examples include online gaming, on-demand content delivery, and small business extranets. Simply stated, MINT provides a revenue-driven roadmap to a service-rich, cost-efficient, integrated infrastructure.

For network operators is there a need to diversify into areas where margins are higher?



Yes, there is a big need for network operators to diversify into areas where there are more margins, and we are taking this issue very seriously. We are in fact devising ways where a network operator can increase its revenue streams and have more margins with the help of our products and solutions.

In the coming months there is going to be a big demand for network security outsourcing in the Indian sub-continent. This demand is going to be driven by the fact that a lot of big corporate have gone real deep into their own area of operations and hence there is no way that they can cater to their own network needs. So there would be a big market for network outsourcing. The idea would be to let corporate do what they do the best and leave the network related problems for the network operators.

What are the areas for you where a customer can be engaged more deeply?



All our customers are equally important to us but there are certain areas like MPLS, IPSEC, NAT, flow monitoring, filtering and rate limiting where we can engage our customers more deeply.

Adaptive Services Physical Interface Card (PIC) and enhanced Tunnel Services Module bring integrated, high-performance Network Address Translation (NAT) and Stateful Firewalling to our J-Protect portfolio Monitoring PIC (M-PIC) delivers integrated high-performance Flow Monitoring to the J-Protect portfolio.

Managed security services have clearly become an integral part of a service provider's portfolio. The success of these services depends heavily on the provider's ability to protect not only the user, but also their own network assets. We believe that Juniper Networks J-Protect solution delivers the integration and scale required to address this multi-faceted requirement.

How is the adoption of 3G going on in the country?



3G holds immense potential for various businesses including network operators, ISPs, IT hardware and software vendors, system integrators and most importantly the consumers who will be able to access a host of applications on their mobile phones.

Any technology adoption is driven by its demand and the same is true with 3G. The adoption for 3G will be driven by its demand and demand can only be generated if we have a sizable number of applications and solutions running on 3G technology. As of now there are not many such applications available but in the coming years this will change and we will see more lucrative applications and solutions in the arena.

What are the challenges that an operator faces while upgrading from 2G to a 3G infrastructure?



To support the new features introduced by GPRS, the existing GSM network must be enhanced with the addition of a new set of network elements, such as Packet Control Unit (PCU), the Serving GPRS Support Nodes (SGSN) and the Gateway GPRS Support Nodes (GGSN). This new system is totally based on a packet-switched approach, and it is usually linked to other packet data networks like the Internet, X.25 network or other GPRS networks.

Monitoring, performance testing, simulation and emulation are crucial steps in the process of verifying the functionality and efficiency of individual GPRS network elements or an operator's entire network. The new requirements added by the GPRS layer introduce new challenges for operators. In particular, each element must be verified for interoperability.

All the technology is available but the only limiting factor is the number of application that we are ready to port. If we look at today’s scenario, SMS is one of the favorite applications for mobile operators and that apart there is no other application that has been accepted so well in the marketplace.

As network operators continue to consolidate across the industry what are the issues that present challenges in front of them?



The corporate communications landscape is changing. A lot of big companies have gone in for consolidation in this industry and this poses a lot of challenge in front of them. First and the foremost is the challenge of addressing a widely spread geography like India. Then there is the issue of Capex - in order to address different markets within the country, infrastructure needs to be in place and this requires a lot of upfront investments this is another challenge in front of network operators.

(CNS)