Partner Video: Telecom network management is shifting from asset-centric to a flow-centric approach. What does that mean?
Telecom operators have traditionally managed networks by focusing on physical assets such as ducts, cables, routers and fibre. But customers do not experience those assets individually. They experience the services delivered across them.
In a conversation with Mobile Europe, Jean-Francois Allard, Director Pre-Sales Utilities & Communications EMIA at Octave, explains why operators need a clearer view of how services travel through the network and which assets they depend on. He also discusses how this approach could support more automated network operations.
Octave officially launched in 2026 following a spin-off from Hexagon. Allard says the company is not a startup, since it brings decades of experience delivering software to major infrastructure operators.
For Allard, the shift is not about abandoning asset management. Accurate records of cables, routers, fiber and other infrastructure remain essential. The next step is to connect those records with information about the services that use them.
“The value is no longer the single or the individual component. The value is in the service delivered end-to-end,” he says.
This matters most when something goes wrong. Knowing that a cable or router has failed is useful, but operators also need to know which services depend on that equipment, which customers are affected and what can be done to restore service.
Allard describes this broader view as flow intelligence. It connects network topology, dependencies and service information so operators can see how services move across the infrastructure.
Operators do not need to replace their existing systems to do this. They can start with an accurate network inventory, then connect information from planning, construction, operations, assurance and service systems.
The result is a clearer picture of the impact of network changes or failures. Operators can identify affected customers, see which services are at risk and make better-informed restoration decisions.
Allard also sees a role for flow intelligence in AI-driven and more automated networks. AI systems need context to make useful operational decisions. A database may show that an asset exists, but that information is much more valuable when the system also understands what the asset connects to and which services depend on it.
For Allard, the future of telecom network management combines both views. Operators still need accurate asset information, but understanding service impacts will be crucial, particularly as networks become more complex and decisions more automated.
For more information about Octave, visit www.octave.com
