Achieving Agility and Control in Service Activation: A MENA Operator’s Self-Sufficiency Journey

In rapidly expanding mobile markets, telecommunications operators are tasked with balancing swift growth alongside operational stability—effectively scaling networks while ensuring controlled service deployment. One mobile operator within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region successfully navigated this challenge by embracing a proactive approach to service provisioning.

This case study examines how the operator collaborated with Evolving Systems to implement the Tertio® Service Activation solution. This initiative enabled the operator’s internal teams to achieve self-sufficiency, expedite service deployment, and decrease operational expenses.  

Background: Innovation-Driven Growth

As a pioneer in its market, the operator established its reputation by introducing cutting-edge technologies and services. With a subscriber base exceeding four million and mobile penetration still at an early stage, the operator rapidly emerged as a significant player in the region.

The operator’s market success necessitated the establishment of a robust operational framework capable of supporting rapid expansion and facilitating prompt, controlled launches of new technologies. This required a scalable infrastructure and the autonomy to manage service activation efficiently.   

The Importance of Self-Sufficiency

The operator’s strategic objective was cultivating internal competencies and enabling ongoing innovation without excessive dependence on external vendors. Two primary factors influenced this objective:

1. Leveraging Local Talent: The operator had access to a substantial pool of skilled IT professionals and aspired to minimize the costs and delays commonly associated with external consultancy.

2. Maintaining Agility: As an organization driven by marketing, changing market conditions frequently influences product rollouts. The IT department required the capability to manage timelines independently and respond proactively to business demands.

To realize this vision, the company sought a flexible solution architecture that combined cost efficiency with operational control, supported by a long-term vendor partnership.  

The Solution: Shared Ownership and Structured Enablement

Evolving Systems collaborated with the operator to design a service activation architecture tailored for internal ownership and long-term scalability. Central to this solution was a customized deployment of Tertio Service Activation, supported by two critical components:

1. Tertio Activation Designer: This tool empowers both engineers and non-developers to define and modify service activation flows through a low-code, graphical interface.

2. Tertio Service Composer: This framework offered a centralized repository for service definitions and configurations, with built-in version control and auditing tools.

The solution ensured the following:

• Evolving Systems would oversee integration with forthcoming network platforms.
• The operator’s internal teams could configure services and establish business rules independently.
• Internal enhancements would receive continued support under Tertio’s standard product lifecycle, mitigating the risks associated with unsupported customizations.  

Knowledge Transfer: Accelerating Independence

To facilitate the operator’s objective of achieving complete self-sufficiency, Evolving Systems delivered a comprehensive training and enablement program comprised of:

• Standard product training modules to provide a solid foundational understanding of the platform.
• Custom technical workshops tailored to the operator’s specific use cases, thereby facilitating the translation of training into practical, actionable skills.

This hybrid approach enabled the internal team to develop confidence in managing and evolving the Tertio platform within live production environments.  

Outcomes: Long-Term Agility and OSS Control

With the system fully operational and internal teams empowered, the operator realized several significant outcomes:

• The capability to independently configure and launch new services.
• Complete authority over activation rules and process logic.
• Ensure that internal enhancements remain fully supported within the established upgrade path.

Consequently, this solution represents a scalable, vendor-aligned architecture that continues to evolve in alignment with the operator’s business, thereby supporting swift service rollouts and enhancing operational autonomy.  

Conclusion: A Repeatable Model for Self-Sufficient Provisioning

This journey illustrates how telecommunications operators in high-growth regions can enhance their Operations Support Systems (OSS) while effectively managing costs and preserving strategic flexibility. The operator has developed an agile, resilient, and future-ready provisioning framework by integrating a versatile activation platform with proficient internal resources and systematic enablement processes.

Interested in taking a similar path to OSS independence?

Explore the Tertio Service Activation solution, or contact our team to discover how we can assist you.