NETSCOUT Teams Up with IBM for Data-Driven Transformation

NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC., a provider of service assurance, security, and business analytics, has announced a collaboration with IBM.

Under the agreement, IBM will leverage NETSCOUT's Smart Data Technologies which includes its Adaptive Service Intelligence (ASI) patented technology to drive data-centric workflows and decision making for Communication Service Providers (CSPs).

The collaboration centers on NETSCOUT’s software-based InfiniStreamNG™ real-time information platform, which delivers unparalleled visibility into both physical and virtual networks by instantaneously converting high-volume network traffic into granular yet highly contextual subscriber meta-data or Smart Data at the collection point. Mutual customers will benefit by feeding NETSCOUT’s subscriber-centric Smart Data for voice, video, data and OTT services into IBM’s Telecom Analytics Solution.

NETSCOUT’s Smart Data combined with IBM’s analytics capabilities provides the “always on” multi-dimensional subscriber meta-data, enabling CSPs better understand the behaviors and motivations of their customers through a data-driven, customer-centric business model and drive network change. With this new integrated solution that utilizes NETSCOUT’s CORE to RAN network data view, CSPs gain better insight into customer needs, allowing them to innovate across core operational and service areas, including customer care, sales and marketing to ultimately reduce subscriber churn and strengthen and grow revenue. The solution will also enable CSPs to create new business models around customer behavior modelling as well as participation in broader ecosystems that will drive CSPs overall value.

This agreement allows IBM to offer selected models of NETSCOUT’s ISNG probes, via a pure software model. This OEM arrangement provides both NETSCOUT’s and IBM’s customers another channel to purchase NETSCOUT software along with IBM’s Telecom Analytics Solution as a bundled offering.

“Demand for proactively predicting customer behavior is on the rise, and along with it the need for flawless network performance in order to ensure the highest quality customer experience, which is critical to maintain loyalty and prevent churn,” said Anil Singhal, co-founder, president, and chief executive officer, at NETSCOUT. “By adding the rich data from NETSCOUT’s Adaptive Service Intelligence technology to IBM’s Telecom Analytics Solution, we are able to bring together network and subscriber data from multiple sources in a way that offers an unparalleled, end-to-end view of what the customer is actually experiencing. Communications service providers need smart, real-time performance data for smarter insights and smarter analytics. This partnership delivers it.”

“Communications Service Providers need to leverage vast volumes of information, so they can make more intelligent decisions and assure both exceptional customer experiences and network performance in today’s dynamic environment,” stated Gary O’Driscoll, Worldwide Lead, Telecom Analytics Solutions, at IBM. “This collaboration is part of a long-standing relationship between our two companies that focuses on a wide range of products including lab test equipment, field installations tools, and monitoring and troubleshooting systems. By working together, we are committed to providing more value to our shared customers.”