Big Data was a much discussed concept across IT management during 2010. In fact the effect of big data and the non-stop massive growth has been a very real challenge for CSP data infrastructure and technology teams for quite some time. Global tier 1 providers have been experiencing activity levels of billions of call data records per day for some years to the point where custom database technologies are now being developed and modified each year. Peta-byte scale database systems holding years of Call Data Records (CDRs) and Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs) are now considered the norm at many tier 1 providers. When you consider the more Continue reading →

Communication service providers (CSPs) have long talked about achieving better “business synergy” through greater cross-departmental coordination and sharing of data. Unfortunately “synergy” never seems to get a high enough priority. Historically, different departments in a CSP—finance, billing, marketing, network engineering—have built or bought their own systems, with little thought as to how to share data and make it truly useful across the organization. Continue reading →