Policy 2.0: Application-Centric Policies

Policy servers are a key instrument for network operators. Policies enable them to control access to services, to regulate the service experience, and to ensure that the correct charging rules are applied. Effective policy frameworks also create new opportunities to exploit emerging “two-sided” business models. Policy will move from being essentially a defensive tool to a business asset.

Under this model, Policy 2.0 will foster innovation as network operators provide access to policy frameworks to third parties who are willing to pay for service guarantees for their own customers. Current solutions do not extend to client devices, where services and applications are actually consumed by users, and this poses a challenge. Without access to client devices, network operators cannot monitor data and application consumption, or control sessions to ensure optimal experience. They cannot guarantee to deliver the policy they seek to enforce, either internally or to external customers.

The solution is to deploy GoS Agent on client devices and GoS Manager in the network core, connected to the PCRF, typically via the Gx interface. The combination of GoS Agent and GoS Manager gives network operators both visibility AND control of all traffic, right down to the end user device. This enables network operators to monitor and enforce policies effectively for their own services and as a service to third parties.

By deploying GoS Agent and GoS Manager to complement and extend the policy framework, network operators are able to:

• Create differentiated policies that can be enforced in client devices
• Identify, protect and prioritise preferred user traffic
• Control upstream, user generated traffic, ensuring revenue-generating applications perform as expected
• Innovate new service offers based on visibility and control of user traffic
• Deliver services to specific devices on the customer LAN
• Ensure embedded applications perform as expected
• Reduce costs through efficient network optimisation and management
• Generate revenue with assured, sticky services

GoS 360° provides the only means by which dynamic policy decisions can be made and enforced at client devices.

• Video / VoIP clients in mobile portals for social networking
• Application identification
• IPTV delivery to Set-Top-Box
• Gaming
• Device identification and discovery