As telecom operators migrate from 4G networks to 5G networks and incorporate a more cloud-based networking model, there is more incentive for them to upgrade their CX systems. Because 5G networks are much more complex than 4G networks, having more automation in their CX systems helps ease any potential complications.

Historically, mobile operators have deployed separate CX systems for their postpaid customers, their prepaid customers, and their enterprise customers. The result left them with a bunch of siloed CX systems that do not communicate with each other.

But now operators are realizing they need to have end-to-end CX systems that are integrated, automated, and cloud-based. “Everyone wants a CX cloud,” said Thimaya Subaiya, SVP/GM, global CX and services at Cisco Systems, adding that integration across the network is now considered a critical element of any CX deal. That is why Cisco acts not only as a vendor, but also as a strategic business partner with its customers to make sure the outcome is successful.

And Subaiya said that needing CX systems that are integrated is something that even small providers want, not just the Tier 1s. “Even a small company realizes that integration is necessary,” he said.

The company recently inked a deal with Dish Network, which is in the midst of deploying a greenfield nationwide 5G network in the US. The agreement calls for Cisco to assist Dish with its design and delivery of private 5G services for enterprises and the deployment of Dish’s transport network. In addition, Dish will use Cisco’s virtualized routers running on Amazon Web Services (AWS), as well as its virtual cell site routers that will be at the tower. But perhaps most importantly, Cisco is going to help Dish build a DevOps organization that will incorporate automation and efficiency. For example, Cisco will work with Dish on zero-touch onboarding and enable the operator to quickly move from development to pre-production.

“From the beginning of the process it’s been about co-innovation,” said Scott Miles, senior director, customer experience product management at Cisco, adding that the Dish deal involves virtual routing so that all the software components reside in the AWS cloud.

The goal, according to Miles, is to create a lean infrastructure that is automated and adaptive. “We are in a tectonic shift,” he noted, adding that moving to a more disaggregated network structure, where the radio access network (RAN) is open, is creating an opportunity for operators to also adopt a more automated cloud-based CX system.

Subaiya added that by implementing a CX cloud, the same critical customer data is available across the platform, regardless of location. And that allows different divisions to look at the same information so they can work more collaboratively. Plus, the data can be extracted and made available through application programming interfaces (APIs).

Security is at the forefront

But even though data can be made available through APIs to other systems, security is still at the forefront. “Security will always be a focus,” Miles said, “but we have well proven methodologies that are in place.”

Plus, operators are starting to see the value in integrating their security layer into their CX platform. “Integration is at the forefront of everything we do,” Subaiya said, adding that every area of the network, whether it is the transport layer or the RAN, needs to have access to the insights gathered from the other part of the network. Cisco itself has spent the past few years transitioning from being primarily a hardware and storage business to a software company. And during that transition, the company invested more in its CX business. “This is an ongoing journey. We will continue to invest in the CX side of the business and we will be the industry standard in CX,” Subaiya said.