Ericsson on Monday announced it had won a six-year contract to upgrade Orange Polska's OSS systems, and separately unveiled a fresh collaboration in the field of 5G research.
The Polish operator hired Ericsson to deploy its OSS software suite, which the infrastructure company said provides tools covering network planning, inventory, fulfilment and assurance. Ericsson said the software will enable Orange to process operational data faster and more reliably, and develop new tools in a cost-effective manner.
Valter D'Avino, head of Ericsson for Western and Central Europe, said the deal will provide Orange Polska with "the agility to optimise their operations and ensure improved end-user satisfaction." For Ericsson, the contract "is a next step in OSS/BSS transformation in Central Europe," he added, noting that operators in the region have a growing need for "flexible, reliable systems that help grow the business."
The infrastructure company said around 2.1 billion subscribers are served by its OSS/BSS systems, and that at least 900 Ericsson OSS systems are in use today.
Ericsson is also due to provide consulting and system integration services as part of the Orange Polska agreement.
In a separate announcement, Ericsson revealed it has teamed with commercial vehicle maker Scania and Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology) to jointly develop future transport services as part of a research programme named "5G for Sweden" that was launched in March.
The trio plans to explore technologies covering autonomous buses and traffic management systems in a deal that runs through June 2021.
Sara Mazur, head of research at Ericsson, said the research aims to "validate and evolve technologies and solutions that can benefit transport infrastructure in the future."
The infrastructure company will work closely with Scania to "develop and introduce new products and new business models" for the transport industry "as well as other new markets," Mazur added.
For more:
- see this Ericsson announcement on Orange Polska
- view this separate transport research release
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