To Revolutionize and Simplify Customer Experience and Sign-Up Process for Network Operators and Subscribers Worldwide
Las Vegas, Nevada, Calix ConneXions, October 2023 – GOCare providing innovative software solutions to the broadband and utility industries, including a complete digital experience platform, proprietary SMS Chat functionality, Secure Payments, multi-platform NPS scoring, and a sophisticated analytics engine, and COS Systems, a leading provider of network management and billing solutions for Network Operators, Service Providers and Open Access Networks are excited to announce a strategic partnership as well as a Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations that will take place on the expo hall floor of ConneXions.
This collaboration brings together two industry leaders to revolutionize and simplify the customer experience and sign-up process for Service Providers and their subscribers worldwide.
The PoC addresses customers’ overwhelming preference for digital channel engagement and the convenience of those channels for prospective customers, existing customers, and operators alike. Combining COS System’s address-search functionality (showing where fiber is available), with GOCare’s intelligent data capture and flexible digital experience platform, the companies provide operators and their subscribers with a world-class customer experience and easy access to available services. The integration makes it easy for operators’ subscribers to sign up for service by using digital channels such as SMS, WebChat, Social Media interactions, and even email to both get information about fiber services available in their area and eventually sign up via those digital channel engagement mediums.
COS Systems Business Engine, a proven network management solution (BSS/OSS) supporting Service Providers, Operators, and Open Access Networks with an automated end-to-end solution to streamline fiber network management will integrate seamlessly with GOCare’s analytics engine to enable operators to search for and sign up for services using the digital mediums most comfortable to their subscribers.
“In a landscape where ISPs must constantly adapt their interactions with networks and subscribers, our decision to partner with GoCare has us very excited. This partnership signifies more than integration; it opens new avenues for enhanced communication and customer experiences, while reducing operational expenses and time for ISPs and network owners. COS has always championed automation, and finding a partner in GOCare, who shares this ethos, means our combined software capabilities will empower operations to engage with customers through contemporary channels like SMS, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, with the scope for further expansion. It’s about efficiency meeting innovation for superior service delivery,” said Mikael Philipsson, CEO of COS Systems.
“In today’s competitive broadband marketplace, ‘being easy to do business with’ is critical”, stated Rick Perkins, CTO of GOCare. “The PoC between GOCare and COS Systems simplifies customers’ expression of interest to a service provider and accelerates the timeline of service delivery without the friction of legacy processes like web searches, filling out forms online or even phone calls, IVR, hold times, and more” added Rick. Furthermore, service providers are able to determine consumer demand beyond their footprint for future smart builds through this important integration between GOCare and COS Systems”, concluded Perkins.
COS Systems and GOCare are committed to helping operators worldwide deliver exceptional broadband services with unmatched reliability and performance. The partnership will focus on providing a best-in-class customer experience to meet the evolving needs of service providers and their subscribers.
About COS Systems:
COS Systems is a leading provider of cloud-hosted network management and billing solutions for service providers. COS Business Engine is a proven network management solution (BSS/OSS) supporting Service Providers and Open Access Networks. The end-to-end platform provides subscribers self-service and digital sales and marketing through an online marketplace. Service orders will be automatically activated within a minute, and billing follows with no operator interaction. It offers a great user experience, increasing take rates and revenue. COS Systems has a global customer base and serves a wide range of service providers, including municipalities, utilities, network operators, and fiber ISPs. Learn more about COS Systems at www.cossystems.com.
About GOCare:
GOCare provides software solutions to the broadband and utility industries. Our SaaS portfolio includes a complete digital experience platform, proprietary SMS Chat functionality, Secure Payments, multi-platform NPS scoring, and a sophisticated analytics engine allowing our clients to benchmark their performance against other similar operators. GOCare was founded by industry veterans and incorporates its mission of “By Operators, For Operators” into how they partner with broadband industry leaders such as Vexus Fiber, Point Broadband, Bluepeak, and many others. For more information visit www.gocarecx.com.
#4 COS Christmas Calendar — Whitepaper Investing in Fiber Infrastructure
#4 Is our latest whitepaper, “The difference between hitting a home run and striking out in your fiber investments”.
Investing in fiber infrastructure has gained popularity among investors, resulting in many closed deals in recent years. The trend shows that there will be even more investments in renewable energy and digital infrastructure areas next year!
The whitepaper presents three critical considerations for a successful fiber infrastructure investment:
#2 COS Christmas Calendar — Take Your Chance and Win
Who doesn’t want (another) nice hat? If you would like to win one of these – let us know here what you like about COS
CEO Mikael Philipsson relocated to the States
A lot is happening in the industry in the US at the moment – The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access and to bridge the Digital Divide, and our US team is growing. To be at the right place at the right time, our CEO Mikael Philipsson has moved from Sweden to Florida and below you find a short interview with him where he tells us about his plans for the coming months:
Good morning Mikael, you moved from Sweden to Florida a couple of weeks ago – can you tell us a little bit about your background and your move to the US?
Good morning! Well, first of all, it is very exciting to be here in the States as it makes it much easier to drive our expansion in the US and Canada. We moved here at the beginning of August, so we have had some time to get used to the nice and sunny Florida summer weather. We already feel at home, and being closer to our US team is amazing.
My background is within the telecom industry, where I’ve spent a good 20 years. My main experience is from the operator side, as I was the CEO of a fiber operator that built fiber infrastructure across the Nordic region, addressing large enterprises and offering wholesale fiber to large carriers. About ten years ago, the company made a strategic decision to move into the residential market, and since then, has addressed millions of homes with it’s fiber-to-the-home offering.
With this background, having personally faced all the challenges you meet when scaling an FTTH business, I got very attracted to what COS had developed, and that quickly made me take the step from my initial position on the board of directors to taking on the role as CEO a little over two years ago.
COS’s software was built during the crazy fiber race that started in Sweden in the early 2000s when there was a need for solutions like COS Business Engine that enable extremely fast growth through automation and optimization of both the revenue side and the network operations. This combination is unique and what operators, who are the same situation as we were 10 years ago, are dreaming of.
The fiber race is taking off here in North America now, so this is really the place to be. We have been active in the US since 2013, and we have an amazing team here. We are expanding as we see a strong demand from fiber operators in the need for software to support their growth and optimize the KPIs driving their business.
What are your plans for the coming months?
I will focus on growing the team here, meeting up with customers/partners, and attending several conferences: in mid-October, I will attend INCOMPAS in Tampa and Calix ConneXions in Vegas at the end of October.
Finally, I am really looking forward to using my and the team’s joint experienc and software suite to help operators in this market to excel in the fiber race and to avoid the mistakes we made. Fiber infrastructure is a game-changer and hugely impacts all aspects of our society as exactly everything is digitized. COS Systems has an active role to play in this fiber race. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I and the team don’t want to miss!
Don’t hesitate to connect with me!
#1 COS Christmas Calendar — Improved Area Functionality
#1 is a really cool feature update! We have significantly extended the Area functionality in Business Engine. When expanding your network, you can use the demand aggregation features to allow potential subscribers to take surveys or pre-signup, making sure you build where you have committed subscribers. The Areas’s, often called “Fiberhoods” or “Service Zones”, status determines what the potential subscriber will be presented with when they search for their address in the Marketplace, and you can now define these yourself! Perhaps your fiberhoods go through the statuses show interest, signup, installation, connected? This update makes it even easier to tailor service offerings and promotions to these unique areas, even after build-out. As a bonus, we have made it possible for you to choose your own colors to indicate the status of the areas on the admin maps, and creating them is even easier with improved import and editing functionality.
Product Improvement of the Month
OBJECT HIERARCHIES
Our latest feature update lets you establish hierarchies for serviceable locations that have dependencies on each other.
For example, if you want to collect signups from potential customers in a multi-dwelling unit (MDU), you can create a parent-child relationship and hierarchy in COS Business Engine:
In this case, the “Parent Object” is the MDU, and the apartments are set up as “Children”.
After establishing these levels, individual apartments/customers can pre-sign up for services but will have to wait for the “Parent,” the associated MDU, to be connected and ready before these signups can proceed to actual orders.
A typical use case would be to sell to customers in MDUs where you don’t have the property owner’s permission to come into the building without overpromising.
Of course, this works in conjunction with Work Orders, which means that you can create installation workflows specific to MDU buildings to streamline that installation process.
We keep expanding our fantastic (US) team – Meet Marcus Kitchens
Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, and what is your background?
Hi! I’m Marcus Kitchens. I started my career as a GIS Analyst for a Houston, TX based firm after graduating college and interning @ Esri. After working in Houston for two years, I joined NISC as a MapWise Support Specialist. At NISC, I helped their members solve any mapping questions/concerns that they had. While @ NISC, I focused on the Telecom side of things. I spent three years @ NISC before I had the opportunity to work for Esri as an Account Manager for Local Government out of the St. Louis Regional Office. In this role @ Esri, I helped cities/counties (under 50k in population) in Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kentucky modernize their ArcGIS platform. I worked in this role @ Esri for (almost) 5 years before joining COS Systems as a Senior Sales Executive. I’m ecstatic to be a part of this great team @ COS Systems and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
What caught your interest in COS Systems?
COS’ end-to-end-automation approach is what ‘caught my interest.’ I’m a big fan of automation when it comes to helping people with their work. The GREAT team spirit and the dedication to customers at COS Systems piqued my curiosity, too. I love working with a fun team dedicated to helping their customers. So – COS Systems was a no-brainer. The chance of participating in Fika may have played a role, too 😉
What are your goals for the coming months?
To learn as much as possible about how our software works and how our software can help deliver services to the community! Also, I look forward to meeting my COS Systems colleagues and getting to know them.
Why should people contact you and press the “connect with Marcus” button?
We want to connect as many people as possible to fast and reliable internet. However, building, running, and operating fiber networks that can offer just that is extremely complex, and we have made it our goal to make it as automated, effective, and viable as possible. As part of the Sales Team, I would love to have a conversation about how COS Systems can make your job easier. No matter if you are a traditional operator who wants to offer your subscribers a better customer experience or if you own an Open Access Wholesale Network and want to increase take-rates and extend the number of services on your network – we can help automate your processes from beginning to end; from broadband survey and demand aggregation to zero-touch provisioning and automated, (wholesale) billing.
Tell us fun facts about yourself.
I can play the piano! I have 2 long-haired dachshunds that are a bundle of cuteness, but both of them keep me busy with their shenanigans. I LOVE riding bikes whether it’s mountain biking, gravel biking, road biking, or even an exercise bike! I love it all when it comes to biking. One of my dreams is to follow the Tour de France in person. I’ve been watching it on TV for 20+ years with my dad. I would love to see it in real life one day.
Press Release Joint White Paper by SNG, VALO and COS Systems
COS Systems, SNG, and Valo Publish Joint White Paper on Options to Bridge Broadband Gaps
November 9th, 2023, Umeå Sweden — Strategic Networks Group (SNG), Valo, and COS Systems today announced that they have published a white paper exploring the challenges that bridging broadband gaps in unserved and underserved areas entails, as well as presenting possible approaches to address them.
This whitepaper explores the challenges faced by localities (communities, regions, etc.) and presents four potential options to address their broadband gaps: do nothing, subsidize an ISP, become an ISP, or develop a digital infrastructure public-private partnership.
After thorough evaluation, the digital infrastructure public-private partnership (PPP) approach emerges as the most recommended solution because it leverages the strengths of both public and private sectors to ensure affordable broadband access is available to all.
The release of the white paper “Leaving No One Behind in an Increasingly Digital World–Options for Unserved and Underserved Areas to Bridge Broadband Gaps” is the outcome of a long partnership between SNG, COS, and Valo to enable stewardship of localities’ digital future that is sustainable, inclusive, and cost-effective.
Ensuring that no one in your locality is left behind in an increasingly digital world means that everybody can access reliable and affordable high-speed internet. This broadband connectivity has become an essential infrastructure for localities. However, there are still areas where broadband services are non-existent (unserved) or inadequate (underserved).
This joint whitepaper compares the various options available to localities seeking to bridge their broadband gaps and ensure equitable access to digital opportunities. Recognizing that a one-size-fits-all solution does not exist, the paper analyzes the advantages and drawbacks of each proposed option to help decision-makers make better-informed choices about their locality’s digital future.
“We are delighted to jointly announce this white paper highlighting different options to solve broadband gaps,” said Mikael Curri, founder and President of SNG. “We will continue to work with localities and the private sector to build a sustainable broadband and digital inclusion ecosystem.”
About Strategic Networks Group
If you want to learn more about digital infrastructure, public-private partnerships, digital inclusion, and how to get started, reach out to us at www.sngroup.com
About Valo
For more information on what it takes to set up, operate, or commercialize digital infrastructure, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at www.valonetworks.com
About COS Systems
COS Systems delivers cloud-hosted software to plan, build, and manage broadband networks globally. COS Business Engine is a proven network management solution (BSS/OSS) supporting traditional ISPs and Open Access networks.
Product Improvement of the Month
Object Birth Certificate
When a new service location has been installed, and the ONT is activated for the first time, the installer should test and document the new fiber connection’s quality. With the new Object Birth Certificate functionality in COS Business Engine, this task is automated, thereby saving manual work and eliminating the risk of human error.
The system saves relevant information automatically as part of the installation work order process, and the stored data can later be used for comparison if there is a problem with a service location.
Diagnostic Data from ONT Saved During Installation
When the ONT is connected to the service location in the COS Business Engine installation workflow, diagnostics information for the installed ONT is automatically retrieved and stored. This is done through the COS Zero Touch Provisioning integration with the hardware vendor EMS (Element Management System). The diagnostics information includes
Screenshot showing the COS installer portal and the step where the ONT is documented as installed at that specific address by scanning the ONT QR-code
(Screenshot showing the COS installer portal and the step where the ONT is documented as installed at that specific address by scanning the ONT QR-code?)
Speed Test Step to Verify and Document Upload and Download Speeds
If there is a service order waiting, the service will be automatically activated by COS Business Engine as soon as the ONT has been installed and turned on. Now the installer can run a speed test as a mandatory step in the work order process. It can be run against the ONT or any wifi gateway installed as part of the installation process. Speed test results are also saved within COS Business Engine.
Screenshot showing the COS installer portal and the step where the installer is required to run a speedtest once the installation has been completed and the service has been automatically provisioned by COS Business Engine.
Screenshot showing the COS installer portal and the step where the installer is required to run a speedtest once the installation has been completed and the service has been automatically provisioned by COS Business Engine.
Benefits – Improved Operation and Support Capabilities
The benefit of storing the performance data in the system is likely obvious. If there are problems with the service location, it’s easy for the person troubleshooting to go back and compare current values to the original values from when the ONT was initially installed and the service first activated.
Moreover, when a support ticket is created, a diagnostics snapshot is automatically retrieved and stored, including a link to the support ticket. This gives the support representative a unique edge in troubleshooting as they can review what the status was at the time the ticket was created and the customer experienced the problems. Perhaps to ONT was down due to a power issue, but is up and running again when the support rep is working on the ticket.
All stored diagnostics and speed tests for the service location are listed on the Object page.
Screenshot showing the COS Admin Interface, where the saved ONT diagnostic data is stored and time stamped under the “Historical Technical Information” list. The table below lists saved speed test results.
It is also possible to manually store diagnostics snapshots at any time from the admin interface and give them a descriptive name.
Screenshot showing the COS Admin Interface and the “Technical Info” page on a specific Object – service location, where the live data from the ONT is displayed.
Summary
Being able to see and compare historical diagnostics and speed tests is a great tool when troubleshooting and finding out if the problem was pre-existing or new or if the issue has already been resolved at the time of troubleshooting. As COS Systems documents this history automatically, you save time and eliminate the risk of human error such as with staff forgetting to document properly. Moreover, this functionality reduces the need for training of new staff and the time it takes for new staff to be up and running.
COS Systems and GOCare Create Innovative Solution
To Revolutionize and Simplify Customer Experience and Sign-Up Process for Network Operators and Subscribers Worldwide
Las Vegas, Nevada, Calix ConneXions, October 2023 – GOCare providing innovative software solutions to the broadband and utility industries, including a complete digital experience platform, proprietary SMS Chat functionality, Secure Payments, multi-platform NPS scoring, and a sophisticated analytics engine, and COS Systems, a leading provider of network management and billing solutions for Network Operators, Service Providers and Open Access Networks are excited to announce a strategic partnership as well as a Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations that will take place on the expo hall floor of ConneXions.
This collaboration brings together two industry leaders to revolutionize and simplify the customer experience and sign-up process for Service Providers and their subscribers worldwide.
The PoC addresses customers’ overwhelming preference for digital channel engagement and the convenience of those channels for prospective customers, existing customers, and operators alike. Combining COS System’s address-search functionality (showing where fiber is available), with GOCare’s intelligent data capture and flexible digital experience platform, the companies provide operators and their subscribers with a world-class customer experience and easy access to available services. The integration makes it easy for operators’ subscribers to sign up for service by using digital channels such as SMS, WebChat, Social Media interactions, and even email to both get information about fiber services available in their area and eventually sign up via those digital channel engagement mediums.
COS Systems Business Engine, a proven network management solution (BSS/OSS) supporting Service Providers, Operators, and Open Access Networks with an automated end-to-end solution to streamline fiber network management will integrate seamlessly with GOCare’s analytics engine to enable operators to search for and sign up for services using the digital mediums most comfortable to their subscribers.
“In a landscape where ISPs must constantly adapt their interactions with networks and subscribers, our decision to partner with GoCare has us very excited. This partnership signifies more than integration; it opens new avenues for enhanced communication and customer experiences, while reducing operational expenses and time for ISPs and network owners. COS has always championed automation, and finding a partner in GOCare, who shares this ethos, means our combined software capabilities will empower operations to engage with customers through contemporary channels like SMS, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, with the scope for further expansion. It’s about efficiency meeting innovation for superior service delivery,” said Mikael Philipsson, CEO of COS Systems.
“In today’s competitive broadband marketplace, ‘being easy to do business with’ is critical”, stated Rick Perkins, CTO of GOCare. “The PoC between GOCare and COS Systems simplifies customers’ expression of interest to a service provider and accelerates the timeline of service delivery without the friction of legacy processes like web searches, filling out forms online or even phone calls, IVR, hold times, and more” added Rick. Furthermore, service providers are able to determine consumer demand beyond their footprint for future smart builds through this important integration between GOCare and COS Systems”, concluded Perkins.
COS Systems and GOCare are committed to helping operators worldwide deliver exceptional broadband services with unmatched reliability and performance. The partnership will focus on providing a best-in-class customer experience to meet the evolving needs of service providers and their subscribers.
About COS Systems:
COS Systems is a leading provider of cloud-hosted network management and billing solutions for service providers. COS Business Engine is a proven network management solution (BSS/OSS) supporting Service Providers and Open Access Networks. The end-to-end platform provides subscribers self-service and digital sales and marketing through an online marketplace. Service orders will be automatically activated within a minute, and billing follows with no operator interaction. It offers a great user experience, increasing take rates and revenue. COS Systems has a global customer base and serves a wide range of service providers, including municipalities, utilities, network operators, and fiber ISPs. Learn more about COS Systems at www.cossystems.com.
About GOCare:
GOCare provides software solutions to the broadband and utility industries. Our SaaS portfolio includes a complete digital experience platform, proprietary SMS Chat functionality, Secure Payments, multi-platform NPS scoring, and a sophisticated analytics engine allowing our clients to benchmark their performance against other similar operators. GOCare was founded by industry veterans and incorporates its mission of “By Operators, For Operators” into how they partner with broadband industry leaders such as Vexus Fiber, Point Broadband, Bluepeak, and many others. For more information visit www.gocarecx.com.