The first time I attended the WeDo Technologies’ Worldwide User Group (WWUG) was back in 2007. As part of the Orange Netherlands Revenue Assurance team I was implementing the RAID solution at that time. During autumn that same year, T-Mobile Netherlands bought Orange and was also contemplating using WeDo Technologies’ platform. Having already worked with WeDo Technologies, I had a fairly good idea of how it worked but the user group the following year gave us the opportunity to see everything WeDo Technologies had to offer, and figure out if it made sense as a partner for T-Mobile. Six years later, T-Mobile is still working with WeDo Technologies and I have been to every user group since.The reasons that I find this such a useful event are varied but essentially come down to problem solving, sharing experiences and knowledge building. To the first point, product demos with WeDo Technologies architecture and development team are available throughout the event and this is something I have always found particularly useful. Rather than just a generic demo that you would see at a trade event for example, these sessions give you an opportunity to really talk about specific day to day problems you are facing and the team are more than happy to offer their help in finding a solution using the platform. This can even end up influencing new product development over time. This WWUG I have already booked three demo sessions.
The event also offers the chance to get into a room with revenue assurance professionals from leading operators around the world to share experiences. Where I have found this to me most useful is when gearing up for new services or technology. LTE for example was a big talking point last year. Speaking to professionals at different stages of deployment, and facing it from a revenue assurance perspective allowed me to draw from those experiences when going through T-Mobile Netherlands’ own deployment this year.
In the same vein, the LTE workshop offered by WeDo Technologies’ consulting division Praesidium was immensely helpful for building knowledge that helped in the deployment. The advice given by the WeDo Technologies team, together with input from those that had and were planning to deploy LTE provided me with the background knowledge to ask the ‘tricky’ questions when it came to making our own preparations, and in turn minimise risk associated to our customers.
With my seventh visit to the WWUG just around the corner, I expect LTE will still be a key talking point among attendees this year. I am also hoping to see more conversations around wider issues such as roaming and managed services which my colleague Jana Lackova will be presenting on at the event. I am especially interested in hearing Steve Cotton from the TM Forum discuss some of these issues during his presentation, as well as seeing how they are approached by fellow customers and WeDo Technologies professionals in their sessions.
Whatever the event brings, I am sure I will be leaving with new solutions to the challenges we face at T-Mobile along with some new friends from the ever expanding group attending the event. And probably a sore head from the wonderfully organised socialising!
Let Us Know What You Thought about this Post.
Put your Comment Below.