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Industry White Paper

How Centralized Signaling and Routing


Control Platforms Solve Legacy SS7 Issues

April 2015

2015 NetNumber, Inc

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 3
2 MARKET DRIVERS AND BUSINESS CHALLENGES ............................................................ 4
2.1 SS7/STP Challenges ................................................................................................................... 4
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4

STP vendors exiting market ........................................................................................................4


STP vendors requiring major upgrades to purpose built or proprietary platforms .......................4
Major increases in legacy STP support charges .........................................................................5
Some STP vendors have applications tightly coupled to their proprietary platforms while others have
3rd party applications ..................................................................................................................5

2.2 Network Evolution Challenges ..................................................................................................... 5


2.2.1
2.2.2

Due to hybrid nature of network, interworking is required ...........................................................5


Network security SS7 & Diameter ............................................................................................8

2.3 Operator Choices ........................................................................................................................ 8


2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3

Take a risk with end-of-life STPs .................................................................................................8


Replace / Upgrade existing STPs with SS7-only STPs ...............................................................9
Replace existing STPs with solutions that evolve to Diameter, SS7, Number Portability and other
applications and protocols, as required .......................................................................................9

3 CENTRALIZED SIGNALING & ROUTING CONTROL: SOLVING THE NETWORK


SIGNALING DILEMMA ........................................................................................................... 10
3.1 CSRC Multi-Protocol Support .................................................................................................... 10
3.2 CSRC Signaling Based Applications ......................................................................................... 10
3.3 CSRC Virtualization Concepts ................................................................................................... 10
3.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 11

4 WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A CSRC SOLUTION ..................................................................... 12


4.1 Experience in Providing Network Signaling Solutions ............................................................... 12
4.2 Company Focus on Signaling Solutions and Applications ........................................................ 12
4.3 Multi-Protocol Routing Support .................................................................................................. 12
4.4 Number Portability ..................................................................................................................... 12
4.5 Network Evolution ...................................................................................................................... 13
4.6 Network Simplification ............................................................................................................... 13

5 NETNUMBER TITAN .............................................................................................................. 16


5.1 Experience ................................................................................................................................. 16
5.2 Focus ......................................................................................................................................... 16
5.3 Multi-Protocol Support ............................................................................................................... 17
5.4 Number Portability ..................................................................................................................... 17
5.5 Network Evolution ...................................................................................................................... 17
5.6 Network Simplification ............................................................................................................... 17

ABOUT NETNUMBER ................................................................................................................. 18

2015 NetNumber, Inc

1 Introduction
The telecommunications signaling methodology is evolving from SS7the most enduring and feature-rich
signaling methodology in historyto Long Term Evolution/Evolved Packet Core (LTE/EPC) Diameter
networksthe fastest deployed network technology in history according to the GSMA. On the surface this
may seem to be old news, especially since SS7 networks and their supporting equipment have been in
service since the mid-1980s. However, SS7 networks are still providing services to approximately 3 billion
subscribers worldwide. In fact, SS7 networks and their services must be supported until the transition to
next generation networks is complete. The issues regarding the ongoing support of the SS7 network and
the migration to Diameter-based networks are:

Many traditional SS7 equipment vendors are redirecting their products and support away from their
legacy SS7 products to the next-generation Diameter products.

The number of SS7 Signal Transfer Point (STP) equipment vendors has dwindled to five.

Many SS7 STPs use proprietary hardware platforms.

Due to the lack of components some vendors have announced that major costly upgrades to their
equipment are required.

Very few protocol routing products support both SS7 and Diameter routing on the same platform.

The tight coupling of applications like Number Portability to STP proprietary architectures.

All of these complications are occurring when operators are investing in new networks, budgets for legacy
equipment are limited or nonexistent, and the Average Revenue per User (ARPU) is decreasing on a global
scale.
These topics and others will be discussed in this paper.

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2 Market Drivers and Business Challenges


Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the fastest deployment of mobile communications technology in history. The
GMSA states in their study Evolution to LTE Report dated January 7, 2015 there are currently 360
commercially launched LTE networks in 124 countries with 373 million subscribers. Additionally there are
566 operators in 166 countries committed to deploying LTE. This report goes on to say there are currently
497 million LTE subscribers worldwide. GSMA Intelligence reports as of February 9, 2015 there are 3.69
billion unique mobile subscribers worldwide. These subscriber numbers indicate that currently only 13.5%
of the mobile subscribers worldwide are served by LTEthe remaining 86.5% or 3.3 billion are served by
2G/3G SS7-based networks. By these numbers, the reported demise of the SS7 network and services is
still premature and the hybrid nature of telecommunications signaling (SS7 and Diameter) will continue for
quite a while.

2.1 SS7/STP Challenges


2.1.1 STP vendors exiting market
Todays STP equipment vendor market is characterized by an extremely small number of vendors. The
reduction in the numbers of STP vendors is the result of many long-term legacy STP vendors decisions to
exit the network signaling infrastructure market.
The decision of SS7 equipment vendors to no longer support their legacy products is having a major impact
on network operators. Their use of the product life cycle to announce their decision to their customers is
designed to provide the customers with sufficient time to make the decisions regarding the network in
general and more specifically the SS7 signaling products. However, with a dwindling number of vendors to
choose from, the shrinking SS7 budgets, and the desire to migrate to LTE/EPC Diameter networks are all
factors making these decisions very complex.

2.1.2 STP vendors requiring major upgrades to purpose built or proprietary


platforms
Throughout history proprietary hardware concepts were the mainstay of telecommunication equipment and
equipment vendors, however, today the paradigm has changed to the use of Commercial Off The Shelf
(COTS) processing for telecommunication products/solutions. The COTS approach has the following
benefits: reduced power consumption, reduced footprint, increased cooling efficiencies and efficiencies in
buying scale.
Currently many STP vendors still rely on proprietary hardware platforms to support their SS7 routing
capabilities. These platforms are creating legacy silosonly supporting their originally designed functions
and protocols. These proprietary platforms have some major drawbacks: parts are becoming harder to
source, architectural designs are not inherently IP-centric, and the design methodologies were specific to
SS7 and do not lend themselves to next-generation protocols such as Diameter.
STP vendors are having difficulty in obtaining parts to support their proprietary hardware architectures. The
design of many telecommunications products can be described as software design tied directly to
proprietary platforms. Over time with the advances in technology, older components used in the initial
design become harder to source. When this condition occurs the equipment vendor has little recourse but
to redesign the equipment to use more readily available components.

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After the redesign of proprietary equipmentsome STP vendors require their customers implement these
upgrades to remain on support contracts. Network operators only have three choices regarding this
upgrade strategy:

Stay with their existing installed products and risk network and support issues that may arise or

Implement the upgrades and absorb the financial impact.

Migrate the STPs in question.

None of these choices is optimal in an environment when operators are investing in next generation
networks and subscriber ARPU is declining.

2.1.3 Major increases in legacy STP support charges


Operators are facing yet another financial issue in supporting the legacy SS7 equipment and network.
Some STP vendors have announced major increases in support contract charges. These increases
coupled with the requirements to upgrade hardware are causing major concerns in the operator
community, including how to contain legacy SS7 network costs and how to maintaining the viability of the
SS7 network until the complete transition to LTE or IMS networks occur. As the data referenced previously
indicates this transition could take a significant amount of time. All of the issues related to the SS7 network
have to be balanced with the subscribers quality of service especially in todays highly competitive
telecommunications landscape.

2.1.4 Some STP vendors have applications tightly coupled to their proprietary
platforms while others have 3rd party applications
Over the history of SS7, different applications have been specified. Some of these applications were made
mandatory by governmental agencies around the world. One such application is Number Portability (NP)
used in both the wireline and mobile environments. There have been different approaches to delivering
number portability applicationsbuilding the NP application directly on the STP platform, acquiring a 3rd
party application or developing the application as part of the overall company produce strategy.
Some traditional STP vendors have developed the number portability application and integrated it as part of
their STP platform. Initially this was thought to be an efficient delivery methodology, however, as the
quantity of database entries increased this concept did not scale very well. In order to solve STP issues it
becomes necessary to either decouple the number portability application from the STP or to replace the
STP / number portability combination. Both of these scenarios will be discussed later in this paper.

2.2 Network Evolution Challenges


2.2.1 Due to hybrid nature of network, interworking is required
The hybrid nature of telecommunications networks is caused by the development of new network
topologies, the need to keep existing networks viable, and operators desire to keep OPEX and CAPEX as
low as possible due to decreasing ARPU.
The hybrid nature of the network will continue until the transition to the new networks is complete. The
hybrid nature of these networks has increased the importance of interworking. The interworking scenarios
required are SS7 MAP to Diameter, SS7 Camel Application Part (CAP) to Diameter, and RADIUS to
Diameter.
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SS7 MAP to Diameter interworking is required for the operations and roaming between from 3G SS7-based
networks and 4G LTE/EPC Diameter-based networks. The Diameter to MAP interworking capability is
specified by 3GPP TS 29.305 v12.1.0 (2013-12). TS 29.305 describes four scenarios for interworking:

Scenario One: S6a/S6d - Pre Rel8 Gr interworking scenario with one IWF. This scenario is used
in two cases:
1. Between operators when the home network is a legacy SS7-based network and the
subscriber is roaming into an LTE/EPC/Diameter-based network.
2. Within a single service providers network when the network consists of both SS7 and
Diameter segments.

Visited#EPS/Diameter#
Network#

Home#Network#

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or#
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FuncDon#

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Gr#
HLR#

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Scenario 1

Scenario Two: S6a/S6d - Rel8 Gr interworking scenario with one IWF. The interworking function
provides a protocol conversion between either the MME S6a Diameter interface and the HLR SS7
Gr interface or the SGSN Diameter S6d interface and the HLR SS7 Gr interface.

Visited$EPS/Diameter$
Network$

Home$(UMTS/GPRS/EPS)$
Network$
Release$8$

MME$(S6a)$
or$
SGSN$(S6d)$

Diameter$
S6a/S6d$

DSC$
With$SS7/MAP$
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Func<on$

SS7$MAP$
Gr$
HLR$

EPC$

Scenario 2

Scenario Three: S6a/S6d - S6a/S6d interworking scenario with two IWFs. This case assumes that
both networks are LTE/EPC/Diameter-based networks and the transport of information between
the networks is based on the SS7/MAP Gr interface.

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Visited)EPS/Diameter)
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or)
SGSN)(S6d))

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S6a/S6d)

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)
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Scenario 3

Scenario Four: S13/S13' - Gf interworking scenario with one IWF. This scenario defines two
mapping cases:
1. Between the MME S13 Diameter interface and the EIR Pre-Release 8 SS7 Gf interface.
2. Between the SGSN S13 Diameter interface and the EIR Pre-Release 8 SS7 Gf interface.

Visited(or(Home((EPS/Diameter(
Network(

Home((PreCRelease(8)(
Network(
PreCRelease(8(

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or(
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Scenario 4
Network operators have been using CAP to provide mobile subscriber prepaid services. With the evolution
to LTE/EPC Diameter-based networks interworking between SS7 / CAP and Diameter is required. Without
this interworking, operators would be faced with having to support multiple siloed charging systems.
Currently there is no industry specification for CAP to Diameter interworking. Therefore, this interworking
capability is left to the operators in conjunction with the network equipment vendors. Platform flexibility is
key to solving interworking issues.
Any discussion around Diameter interworking should also include Diameter-to-Diameter interworking. In
todays environment vendors may interpret the Diameter specifications differently yielding Diameter
implementations that are incompatible with each other. This problem is exacerbated at the network edge
where multiple networks converge. Service providers have little knowledge of the equipment and its
software version in the foreign interconnected network. With the growth in LTE/EPC Diameter-based
networks and the increase in roaming agreements between network operators, the importance of Diameterto-Diameter interworking cannot be understated.
The Diameter protocol was developed to overcome deficiencies in the RADIUS protocol however its
implementation has to be a phased approach. This is especially true for the legacy networks where
RADIUS has been used for quite some time. Some networks like WLAN still specify the use of the RADIUS

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protocol. Given these facts and the need to communicate with RADIUS-based networks and equipment it is
imperative to have a Diameter to RADIUS interworking capability.
In order to overcome the issues related to the hybrid nature of todays telecommunications networks and
their disparate protocols, the ability to provide interworking functions is extremely important. At a minimum
the interworking capabilities need to encompass SS7 to MAP, SS7 to CAP, Diameter to Diameter and
RADIUS to Diameter. With the inclusion of the interworking capabilities operators can seamlessly integrate
services between segments of the hybrid network.

2.2.2 Network security SS7 & Diameter


When the SS7 protocol and network were designed, access was limited to operators and extremely trusted
partners such as hub providers. The addition of mobile protocols (MAP & CAP) coupled with the transport
of SS7 over Internet Protocol (SIGTRAN) has opened access to the network. This more open access has
opened the network to attacks. These attacks can be categorized as:
1. Obtaining subscribers International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
2. Tracking a subscriber location
3. Disrupting a subscribers availability
4. Intercepting subscribers text messages (SMS)
5. Intercepting outgoing calls
6. Redirecting incoming calls
7. Denial of service for incoming calls to Mobile Switching Centers.
All of these scenarios and more exist on the SS7 network today, moreover since the same methodologies
are used in LTE/EPC Diameter-based networks these security threats exist there as well. These threats are
more related to signaling messaging than to message transport.
To protect against these threats it is necessary to have a flexible, software-based policy and analytics
system since messages used in the attacks are for the most part necessary for operations within the mobile
environment.

2.3 Operator Choices


2.3.1 Take a risk with end-of-life STPs
Of course, some operators may decide to take a risk and leave end-of-life STPs in the network to provide
network and subscriber services. The problem with this approach is in maintaining the integrity of the
network with equipment that has reached end of life. If anomalies occur within the network it may be
difficult or impossible for operators to recover network functionalities. The competitive nature of
telecommunications, both mobile and wireline, coupled with decreasing ARPUs are requiring operators to
be more vigilant in their approach to the subscriber quality of service/experience. In this light, any networkor subscriber-related issues could further strain operator revenues especially as they are related to
subscriber churn.

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2.3.2 Replace / upgrade existing STPs with SS7-only STPs


If the risk of leaving end-of-life products in the network to perform critical functions is too great the next
cases to investigate are:

Replace the end-of-life equipment with like-for-like equipment or

Implement costly upgrades to make existing proprietary platform STPs consistent with vendorrequired support standards.

The problem with both of these scenarios is that operators would have to increase both OPEX and CAPEX
expenditures for equipment thats usage and value are going to decrease over time. Additionally, this
approach does not provide an evolution path to next generation networks such as LTE/EPC Diameterbased networks or Voice over LTE (VoLTE) networks.

2.3.3 Replace existing STPs with solutions that evolve to Diameter, SS7, Number
Portability and other applications and protocols, as required
The final scenario would be to replace the functionality with the same functionality but on a platform that
would:

Support Capping or replacing the problem functionality

Allow Evolution to next-generation networks

Introduce new network concepts that will


o

Reduce network costs and complexity

Increase service agility.

These solutions are known as Centralized Signaling and Routing Control (CSRC) solutions. Within the
telecommunications industry the term Cap and Grow is well known and understood. However CSRC
solutions takes this terminology to a new level Cap, Replace, Evolve and Grow Efficiently.

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SS7.
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.
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CSRC: Diameter, SS7 & Number Portability

2015 NetNumber, Inc

3 Centralized Signaling & Routing Control:


Solving the Network Signaling Dilemma
In her Centralized Signaling and Routing Control Market Outlook, Diane Myers of Infonetics Research
wrote, The convergence of IP and legacy networks creates a complex signaling environment. CSRC
platforms facilitate interworking between the two by enabling operators to manage both legacy and nextgen signaling protocols, including SIP, Diameter, SS7, and RADIUS. Myers continues, The centralized
signaling and routing control (CSRC) market is not new, but the platforms are expanding as operators look
to scale networks more efficiently with the rise in mobile broadband traffic. CSRC platforms are a class of
solutions designed to help operators relieve congestion and simplify network management as they bridge
legacy networks and next-generation IP.

3.1 CSRC Multi-Protocol Support


The addition of network protocols such as SS7, SIP and Diameter and their respective routing functions
allows the CSRC platform to solve complex routing scenarios such as network congestion, interworking
between protocols, and a single point of interface for implementing both intra- and inter-network routing
rules. The CSRC routing functions help operators reduce network costs and complexity while improving the
network quality of service.

3.2 CSRC Signaling-Based Applications


The inclusion of signaling-based applications, both legacy and next generation, into the CSRC platform
provides operators with a plug-and play-approach to capping or replacing legacy network functionality and
evolving to next-generation network functions. The CSRCs multi-protocol support coupled with signalingspecific applications provides a single platform for managing protocol routing and protocol-based
applications, thus reducing operations costs, decreasing network complexity, and increasing service
implementation velocity.

3.3 CSRC Virtualization Concepts


Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is a major part of the telecommunications networking dialog today.
However, the discussions usually center around the virtualization of individual network functions. In the
CSRC concept of network signaling, control, and application this might be very shortsighted. If each of the
functions provided by the CSRC are individually virtualized, the result is a complex network of individual
virtualized functions known as silos. A more efficient approach is to virtualize the CSRC platform and its
associated applications yielding a much simpler and efficient network design. The result of this type of
design is:

Reduced network costs

Improved network reliability

Decreased time to market of services

Increases service revenues.

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3.4 Conclusion
The signaling and control plane of the telecommunications network is the heart of the network and without
it nothing happensno calls are made, no data services are set up, and no billing occurs. Given the
importance of signaling and control the CSRC concept and solutions:

Simplify administration of subscriber, routing and policy data

Provide a single point of provisioning of the signaling-control layer which enables faster
introduction of new services

Enable enhanced applications based on multi-protocols

IMS core signaling, EPC/Diameter based signaling, network interconnections and roaming

ENUM, DNS, SIP, Diameter, C7/SS7, SIGTRAN

Allow efficient evolution for legacy networks and protocols to next-generation networks and
protocols.

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4 What to Look for in a CSRC Solution


When looking for a source to provide solutions to the SS7 issues, provide evolution to next-generation
signaling networks, and simplify the telecommunications-signaling infrastructure, it is important to consider
the following requirements:

4.1 Experience in Providing Network Signaling Solutions


Numerous issues have arisen in the initial stages of LTE/EPC/Diameter deployment including network
scalability, exponential increases in signaling traffic, network outages and incompatibility of interconnected
network elements. Given these challengesand their similarities to conditions that occurred in the
deployment phases of SS7it is crucial to select network equipment vendors with considerable experience
in legacy telecommunications signaling such as SS7.

4.2 Company Focus on Signaling Solutions and Applications


The evolution of telecommunications signaling from SS7 to EPC networks has opened up the floodgates to
Diameter routing solutions including Diameter Edge Agents (DEAs) and Diameter Signaling Controllers
(DSCs). Most of these new entrants have varied experience: some are pure IP/Data companies, some are
billing or policy control companies, and others have built DSC products merely to support their primary
applications. With all of the new vendors in the signaling infrastructure, the decision of what product and
what company can be confusing. Even though there are different protocols in play (SS7, Diameter, SIP),
there are distinct similarities to concepts and issues that have occurred with legacy protocols such as SS7.
Given the similarities in routing concepts within the signaling infrastructure, it is extremely important to
choose a vendor with experience in routing and switching of telecommunications signaling protocols and
with a specific focus on telecommunications signaling and its associated applications.

4.3 Multi-Protocol Routing Support


As the telecommunications networks evolve from legacy SS7 networks to SS7 to Diameter and SS7 ISUP
to SIP, it is extremely important to provide multi-protocol support in telecommunications signaling routing
solutions. This multi-protocol capability allows:

Efficient migration from legacy networks to next generation networks

Like for Like services across networks

OPEX and CAPEX cost savings.

4.4 Number Portability


Since number portability has been deployed in numerous countries throughout the world, both in wireline
and wireless environments, it is extremely important to have a number portability application as part of any
solution to address the SS7 network issues and the evolution to LTE/EPC Diameter-based networks. The
number portability portion of the solution should not be based on proprietary hardware platforms but rather
follow todays direction of virtualization.

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4.5 Network Evolution


Along with the implementation of multi-protocols and applications such as number portability, network
signaling and routing solutions should provide networks operators with the ability to CAP/Replace and
Evolve their networks. This capability enables:

Cost-effective replacement of legacy signaling and routing products and applications

Implementation of next-generation signaling and routing solutions such as Diameter Signaling


Controllers

Interworking between legacy protocols and next-generation protocols

Consistent approach to Operation, Administration and Maintenance.

4.6 Network Simplification


The signaling network shown below is quite complex. This complexity is exacerbated when there are
multiple instances of each functional component. The complex nature of these interconnected networks
can be directly correlated to increases in operations costs, increases in service implementation times, and
reduced network reliability.

Converged Network (SS7, LTE, WLAN and IMS)

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In the following figure, all signaling, routing and subscriber database services are highlighted in blue. To
simplify the network, these common types of functionality should be consolidated using a CSRC platform.

Signaling, Routing and Database Services

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The next figure depicts a network implemented using the concepts of CSRC. The CSRC provides
operators with a platform that supports:

Multi-protocols

Evolution to next-generation signaling networks

Applications such as number portability

Simplification of network design and implementation

OPEX and CAPEX cost savings.

One Common Platform for


Centralized Signaling & Routing Control

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5 NetNumber TITAN
NetNumber TITAN is a CSRC solution that supports multiple signaling protocols in a single platform and
enables the following unique capabilities:
1. Signaling Control TITAN acts as signaling control engine for the signaling protocols supported
(typically Diameter, SS7/C7, SIP and ENUM/DNS including regional flavors and customer
additions).
2. Signaling Interworking TITAN offers the flexibility and the capability to interwork all supported
signaling protocols including, where applicable, real-time adaptations per message and/or
parameter.
3. Dynamic Service Chaining TITAN can invoke one or more service applications per session, call
or message dependent on dynamic decisions during service logic execution.
4. Common Databases TITAN provides the unique advantage that the same database information
can be accessed via all signaling protocols supported. This also includes access to external
databases via referral queries and the possibility for concurrent database queries.
5. OSS/BSS Simplification One central location to provision multiple signaling-control and network
database services. One central location for aggregation of CDRs from multiple signaling control
applications. One central location for integration with the network management system for alarms,
traps and monitoring.
6. Customer Defined Service Logic (RPL) TITAN JAVA SLEE programming capabilities offer
unique flexibility that allows customers to quickly modify both TITAN data structures and service
logic so that impacts on existing OSS/BSS systems can be minimized.
7. Full NFV integration Tight integration of the TITAN Master and Edge applications into VMware
and OpenStack service orchestration layers in Virtual environments in addition to TITAN CSRC
platform deployments on COTS hardware.

5.1 Experience
NetNumber, Inc. brings 15 years of experience delivering innovative signaling control solutions that enable
carriers to accelerate implementation of new services across multiple generations of networks, while
dramatically simplifying the core network and reducing operating costs. Today, NetNumber is the leading
provider of CSRC solutions to the global communications industry.

5.2 Focus
NetNumber offers telecom carriers and operators a strategic paradigm shift in the signaling and control
plane through delivery of the TITAN platform. NetNumber TITAN is a multi-protocol signaling platform that
supports 15+ well-defined signaling-control, centralized routing and network database services on a
common platform infrastructure. TITAN is one signaling-control infrastructure (system) that carriers deploy
just once and then leverage by adding multiple virtual network functions that encompasses all signaling,
routing, and database services.

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5.3 Multi-Protocol Support


The TITAN multi-protocol signaling-control platform supports 15+ next-generation signaling services on a
common ENUM, DNS, SIP, SS7/C7, SIGTRAN and Diameter infrastructure. By selecting TITAN for
STP/SG services our service-provider customers are investing in a future-proof infrastructure that
dramatically simplifies the transition from a TDM network to an IP network, and from a SS7/C7-based
signaling working practice to the new SIP / Diameter-based signaling paradigm.

5.4 Number Portability


As fixed line and mobile-number portability spread across the globe, carriers and operators are
experiencing both cost and quality problems associated with routing of calls and messages to numbers that
have been ported. The solution lies in discovering in advance of routing if a given dialed number has been
ported so that a call, session or message can be routed correctly. The NetNumber team has developed a
powerful set of tools that provide carriers and operators with the ability to eliminate ported-number routing
inefficiency.
NetNumbers number portability solution provides operators with an efficient solution that encompasses:

Any signaling protocol


o

AIN and INAP

MAP, CAP, WIN and PCS-1900

ENUM, SIP and Diameter.

Any data source


o

Local data

Referral data

Any routing number format

5.5 Network Evolution


As networks evolve to handle new digital services, the signaling requirements are changing. The signaling
infrastructure must support the next-generation IP and other new services enabled by Diameter, while also
interworking with legacy protocols SS7, ENUM/DNS and SIP. NetNumber TITAN is transforming how
carriers architect their core networks for next-generation services. A CSRC platform that supports many
network functions, such as TITAN, best enables a carrier to get to market faster, reduce OPEX investment,
and increase customer services.

5.6 Network Simplification


NetNumber TITAN is the industrys most robust CSRC platform, providing a common, virtualized
infrastructure for all signaling control, routing policy enforcement and subscriber database services in the
network. It uniquely delivers centralized provisioning and management combined with a powerful
distributed, in-memory database replication method that enables all signal processing to happen at the
optimal location in an operators network. TITAN represents a paradigm shift for building a radically
simplified core network where all signaling control services (ENUM/DNS, SIP, Diameter, SS7/C7, RADIUS
and SIGTRAN) are provided on a common platform.
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By deploying TITAN, the virtualization of individual silos is eliminate and the following benefits can be
realized:

Accelerate migration to next-generation networks and services

Increase service agility

Mitigate signaling surges

Reduce operating costs.

About NetNumber
NetNumber, Inc. brings 15 years of experience delivering innovative signaling control solutions that enable
carriers to accelerate implementation of new services across multiple generations of networks, while
dramatically simplifying the core network and reducing operating costs. Today, we are the leading provider
of Centralized Signaling and Routing Control (CSRC) solutions to the global communications industry.
The carrier-grade TITAN platform is used by more than 150 customers globally. NetNumber delivers its
TITAN solution directly to customers or as part of the solutions delivered by a growing number of industry
partners. The approach depends per project, situation and on customer preference.
Please visit www.netnumber.com or contact your local account representative via sales@netnumber.com

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