Service providers are rapidly transitioning to converged IP-based voice, video, data and mobile services and applications to deliver critical communications and entertainment to business and residential users. There are many reasons for this transition as flexible, efficient and costeffective IP-based service and applications offer compelling operational benefits. Additionally, IP-based services and applications allow providers a better mechanism for managing end-to-end quality of service (QoS) and end-user quality of experience (QoE).

Although next-generation IP networks are more complex than traditional time-division multiplexing (TDM) networks, providers can extract significantly more data that can be used to continually measure and monitor service performance and quality across these networks. By deploying an end-to-end converged service assurance solution, providers can collect key performance indicators (KPIs) and additional metrics from multiple points in the network and at the end-user level to truly reflect the performance and quality of any IP-based service.

As IP networks continually expand and subscribers rates grow exponentially, business owners and executives need greater visibility into service performance and a simple way of analyzing complex data in ever-increasing amounts to make smart business decisions. Significant challenges include the consolidation of data collected from various points of the network and interaction with the information to gain valuable insight into patterns, relationships and customer assurance impact. Additionally, with new IP-based services critical to business success, more organizational stakeholders, from technical to business managers to executive levels, are interested in the results and demand their own unique visualization requirements without information overload. The effectiveness of the data is ultimately determined by if it is the right data for the right people, in the right format, at the right time.