Nokia and Orange Polska to pilot transformation of legacy voice network to all-IP

Nokia and Orange Polska have successfully completed a pilot project to prepare for the mass migration of Oranges legacy public switched telephone network (PSTN) services to an all-IP network ready to support current and future broadband needs.

The two companies conducted a pilot to migrate 4,000 subscribers in a suburban area of Warsaw, leveraging Nokia PSTN Smart Transform professional services capabilities along with a Network Migration Operating Center in Poland. All legacy PSTN services were successfully migrated to a modern unified IP network, with no impact on customer experience, enabling Orange to achieve significant operational benefits including energy savings and real estate optimization.

This pilot is an important milestone for all-IP network transformation program readiness. Within the scope of the agreement, Nokia, a key supplier for Orange Polska, is committed to customize migration tools, processes and the Migration Operating Center organization to support the All-IP program of Orange Polska.

Bringing the speed, reliability and capacity of IP communications to Poland will allow Orange Polska to offer voice and high speed Internet services and leverage unified access and core network platforms to deliver a better, richer customer experience. Poland is one of Orange Groups leading pilot technology markets in a larger global effort to implement an All-IP Transformation Program to replace legacy systems.

To make this strategy a reality, the network and technology must evolve to provide customers with an unmatched experience where they can fully embrace, engage and live the digital revolution.

Nokias PSTN Smart Transform solution specifically addresses the challenges operators face when migrating legacy PSTN services to all-IP.  It provides consulting and design services that will enable the development of comprehensive PSTN transformation plans for operators to protect the business value of high-margin voice services, while optimizing costs, removing network complexity and risk, and growing revenue. The solution offers industrialized planning and migration services adaptable to any customer situation, using proven methodologies, processes and patented tools to transfer users from PSTN services to new, IP-based voice services.

Rafal Dziedzic, Director Technology and Operations Strategy, Orange Polska said: "Implementation of the All-IP program supports Orange Polskas ambition to retain leadership in the digital economy and ultra-broadband innovations in Poland, and will streamline our network and services operations to deliver simplification and optimized costs to better serve our customers. Nokia possesses the necessary global experience and local resources to support Orange Polska as its All-IP partner. We successfully piloted the PSTN Smart Transform migration solution with Nokias Migration Operations Center, with the intent to then develop a mass migration program leveraging this joint experience."

Federico Guillen, president of Nokias Fixed Networks business group, said: "Migrating away from traditional PSTN networks is a process that can be extremely difficult, complex and expensive without the right expertise. At Nokia, we deliver a set of transformation services based on fully automated processes and tools to ensure a smooth migration, avoiding costly errors and ensuring zero user impact. Orange can leverage our experience and knowledge of both PSTN and all-IP networks, along with the tools and processes tied to our PSTN Smart Transform solution, to accelerate their transformation efforts. This will ultimately help them drive operational savings and create additional revenue opportunities that fuel business growth."