Telecom Platform Consolidation
What Is Telecom Platform Consolidation?
Telecom platform consolidation is the process of moving customers from several voice platforms onto one, so a service provider runs a single platform for its customer base. It often follows an acquisition, or a period of selling a new platform to new customers while existing customers stay on a legacy one.
Why do service providers consolidate platforms?
Running two or more voice platforms side by side may require two sets of integrations, billing workflows and operational knowledge. Consolidating on one platform can:
Reduce duplicate licensing, hardware, support contracts and specialist skills
Give the provider a single environment for new services, integrations and onboarding
Simplify support, training and day-to-day operations
Allow applicable legacy-platform costs to end once the remaining platforms are retired
Common consolidation scenarios
Scenario | What it looks like | Typical starting point |
|---|---|---|
Parallel platforms | New customers are sold on NetSapiens while existing customers stay on Metaswitch or BroadWorks | Move the remaining legacy customers into the existing NetSapiens environment |
Post-acquisition | An acquired provider brings its own platform and customer base | Discovery of the inherited environment, then staged migration |
Several legacy platforms | Customers are spread across more than one legacy platform | Map each source structure to one target design before moving anyone |
Multi-tenant and reseller environments | Partners and their customers sit across several platforms | Agree the reseller and domain structure first, then migrate by reseller or domain |
What does consolidation involve?
Consolidation is usually a series of migrations toward one destination rather than a single project. A typical approach:
Discovery of each source environment, including data access and undocumented settings
Target design for how customers from every source will be structured on the destination platform
Standardization of configurations, dial plans and device setups, with agreed exceptions
Staged migration in waves, with validation before each cutover
Billing alignment so invoices stay accurate while customers move
Retirement of each legacy platform once its customers have moved
Vox Matic helps move remaining Metaswitch or BroadWorks customers into an existing NetSapiens environment, potentially allowing applicable legacy-platform costs to end sooner. See NetSapiens consolidation. For a deeper look at the decision, read our guide to telecom platform consolidation and consolidating telecom platforms after an acquisition.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a migration and consolidation?
A migration moves customers from one platform to another. Consolidation is the goal of ending up on one platform, and it often involves several migrations.
Do all customers need to move at once?
No. Consolidation is usually staged, with customers moved in waves organized by reseller, domain, size or complexity, depending on the environment.
Can we keep running both platforms?
Yes, but running platforms in parallel can mean ongoing costs for two sets of licensing, integrations and operational knowledge. Planning consolidation can allow those costs to end on a known schedule.
Related terms
Already running NetSapiens alongside a legacy platform?
See how Vox Matic helps providers consolidate into NetSapiens.
NetSapiens is a trademark of Crexendo, Inc. Metaswitch and BroadWorks are trademarks of their respective owners. Otto™ and Forge™ are trademarks of Vox Matic. Vox Matic is an independent migration services provider. References to third-party products are for identification and interoperability purposes only and do not imply endorsement, except where an authorized partnership is expressly identified.