There is much talk about how operators will use big data techniques to improve their analytics on cellular networks, but as Wi-Fi becomes integrated into the carrier network, similar tools will be needed for WLAN too. Carrier Wi-Fi specialist Ruckus Wireless has risen to the challenge with the launch of SmartCell Insight, an analytics platform designed to archive operational data generated by huge numbers of access points over many years.
The analytics applied to all this data can help operators track the long term health of their public or enterprise networks and monitor behavior patterns and efficiency. This should help them to predict future usage trends and plan their systems accordingly to maximize quality of service and, therefore, customer retention and new services.
Ruckus claims SmartCell Insight is the first carrier-class Wi-Fi analytics platform and offers a new, big data-based approach to monitoring and troubleshooting large WLANs. It is centered on a software-based reporting, data repository and analytics engine developed specifically for service providers and large enterprise networks.
‘Operators want and need this level of visibility to assess if the Wi-Fi networks they are building are actually meeting the objectives of their business,’ said Ruckus CEO Selina Lo. ‘SmartCell Insight is the first carrier solution on the market to do this by delivering detailed analytics in an easy to use, customizable and highly scalable fashion.’
Sami Susiaho, head of edge technologies at UK satellite TV provide BSkyB, commented: ‘The industry has not thought of carrier class Wi-Fi before, meaning Wi-Fi that is guaranteed to be better than cellular. Knowing what is going on in the Wi-Fi network is essential to delivering a carrier quality Wi-Fi service, but this information can only be used effectively if the insight lives and is easily accessible within the Wi-Fi network. We aren’t interested in more data crunching, stat spewing software. Rather, we are looking for Wi-Fi data and analytics capabilities that help us understand what’s going on and tie directly into our Wi-Fi infrastructure so we can take action and automate changes that might be required.’
Of course, the next step will be for carriers to demand such a solution for Wi-Fi access points and elements from multiple vendors, since one of the attractions of harnessing WLAN is to break the lock-in of a few cellular suppliers. And those suppliers are also moving into Wi-Fi, as seen in Ericsson’s purchase of Ruckus rival BelAir, and starting to include Wi-Fi, along with cellular and wireline equipment, in their own big data back office solutions.