A Process Model for the Integration of Over-The-Top and Communications Service Providers

The problem between Over-the-Top (OTT) and Communications Service Provider (CSP), namely for multimedia streaming services, is not new and has been a topic much discussed in the TM Forum. At time of writing, a technical solution that would benefit both parties has not yet been presented. With the existing model (no operational integration), both OTTs and CSPs are dissatisfied. This paper proposes a technical solution that can be beneficial to both parties and can potentially solve the existing conflicts. The solution presents the high-level design of Business Processes to integrate the OTT Service Platforms in CSP Operations. Some hypothetical, but close to reality scenarios were defined in order to show how the model could be applied. The design of the models incorporates information and suggestions collected from Portuguese CSPs. To evaluate the accuracy of the methodology, a set of interviews were conducted with industry experts, who evaluated each model of the solution. A set of surveys from users of these types of services was also conducted, in order to understand their opinions about the ideas used in the construction of the model.