Today’s home networking requires Internet service providers to be agile and aware of the changing needs of subscribers. Consumer premise equipment (CPEs) is a major barrier that hinders service providers’ ability to efficiently deploy network wide services and software updates. Intelligent Wi-Fi solutions like Optim greatly broaden the scalability of software deployment to CPEs.
Increasing Demand for Intelligent Home Wi-Fi
Research from Parks Associates shows that when selecting a Service Provider, subscribers prioritize their increasing connectivity requirements and security protection for their devices. By 2025, there will be an average of 20 connected devices in US broadband households. With these connected devices comes WiFi congestion and increased security risks to the WiFi network. Parks Associates found that 61% of subscribers find an ISP service that protects devices from security threats like viruses or hacking valuable. In addition, 44% consider an ISP service that monitors or improves home Wi-Fi valuable. With these statistics in mind, it’s clear that investing in subscriber facing network management tools and security solutions is essential to remain relevant in the home Wi-Fi networking market.
But how does the service provider deploy these in-demand services to existing CPEs across an entire network of subscribers without a major investment in hardware? The answer resides in the cloud.
Cloud-Based Intelligent Wi-Fi Management
Optim’s cloud-based system embraces the concept of disaggregation, taking an open-source approach to Wi-Fi where software is not intrinsically coupled with hardware. This means that by leveraging the cloud and dynamic software management tools, service providers can actively update software across the network, regardless of CPEs. An effective cloud-based Wi-Fi management system must target three key components in order to make deployment to subscriber home Wi-Fi networks both fast and cost efficient:
- High Scalability – As Wi-Fi continues to evolve and grows more complex, it is important for Wi-Fi management solutions to be agile. Cloud-based Wi-Fi management has the flexibility to adapt to changing subscriber needs. Scalable solutions allow service providers to deploy value-added services and important software updates quickly. This faster-to-market approach also improves service marketability and establishes the provider as a leader in digital trends.
- Third Party Compatibility – Subscriber homes are a variable, making the process of deploying updates to CPEs a challenge. With intelligent Wi-Fi management, service providers need a portable application independent of the platform. This eliminates the enormous expense of replacing legacy CPEs and third-party hardware.
- Zero-Touch Rollouts and Automation – Network components and configurations need updates. Cloud-based Wi-Fi management allows service providers to regularly deploy up-to date versions of the latest services. Zero-touch roll out updates can easily be selected and run on CPEs instantly, with little-to-no impact on the subscriber. Updates that would have taken months can now be performed in minutes.
Significant Cost Savings with Optim
Optim Managed Assurance Platform was designed to make home Wi-Fi smarter and easier to navigate for the subscriber and service provider. Optim’s dynamic software management revolutionizes software deployment processes, streamlining the building, testing, and rollout of new software and services. Following the rapid deployment of new software and services, service providers can expect a ripple effect of positive outcomes. In addition to saving significant money on operational costs and Wi-Fi CPE maintenance, service providers who prioritize updating their Wi-Fi offerings and improving Wi-Fi performance will see a positive impact on quality of experience (QoE).
In addition, subscribers are becoming more aware of the security risks associated with connected devices and Wi-Fi. Most people are wary of public Wi-Fi due to the security risks, but many don’t take the same precautions with their own home Wi-Fi networks. Rather than having the subscriber be responsible for updating their router’s firmware and keeping their network secure, service providers can turn to Optim to provide security protection at the subscribers’ router as well as in the cloud. This mutually beneficial approach keeps the subscriber’s data secure while also protecting the service providers CPE investment. The demand for advanced security solutions puts service providers in a position to boost their QoE by offering security solutions to their subscribers. This allows subscribers to skip the added expense of a third-party security solution and builds customer loyalty for service providers.
As Wi-Fi technology continues to change and subscriber expectations shift, service providers must lean into smarter solutions that allow seamless and efficient deployment. Between faster-to-market service updates and improved QoE, service providers who adopt intelligent Wi-Fi solutions like Optim can count on a strong return on investment.
Optim Managed Assurance Platform has been deployed to over 5 million homes as the first managed Wi-Fi and service level platform. Service Providers wanting to learn more about Optim’s scalable zero-touch deployment, should contact us today.
