Software Buying Choices: How do You Pick Between Open and Closed Platforms?

Have you ever debated whether to go with an open or closed platform? If so, you aren’t alone - the choice is one that internet providers and carriers grapple with time and time again. The fact is, both have pros and cons - but one offers the flexibility your business needs over time. 

Closed Platforms: Structure and Simplicity

From the beginning, closed platforms have been used to deliver solutions for specific use cases. For ISPs and carriers, these might be running network equipment, managing subscriber billing, and more. Acting as ready-made solutions and structures for different aspects of organizations’ operations, this type of platform is an enticing option for buyers. Meanwhile, from a development perspective, closed platforms allow for the protection of business models and control over user experience, capabilities, and more. However, all of these upsides come at a cost; the ability for individual organizations to tailor a closed platform to their specific needs is limited, and most have fixed subscription costs that don’t account for the particular ways they’re utilized - or not. 

Open Platforms: Dynamism and Customization

Enter open platforms. Developed in the early days of computing to encourage collaboration and innovation, they enable businesses to easily introduce customizations and integrations that meet their specific needs and workflows, while simultaneously reducing the time it takes to roll out new offerings like high-speed broadband. Open platforms also assist with cost management; users can mix and match solutions from different suppliers to secure the most competitive prices, and the ability to leverage automation and customization lowers operational and development expenditures. Dynamic and flexible, open platforms make long-term network growth seamless by scaling capacity and services on demand.

Making Your Choice

It can be easy to decide on using a closed platform for the sake of simplicity, a move that certainly provides short-term benefits. That said, a closed platform always limits choice, and the ability to have choices over time is critical to controlling costs and delivering high-quality services. 

In the world of ISPs and carriers, 7Sigma’s NOC360 allows users to harness the power of choice provided by open platforms for the benefit of their business and operations. By providing access to detailed network data that once seemed out of reach and the ability to segment visibility of information, NOC360 empowers all employees at an organization to see exactly what they need to, streamlining workflows and optimizing performance. The open platform’s extensive integration libraries - nearly 400 and counting - also enhance operational efficiency; users can view data from billing systems, DHCP management tools, and more in one convenient location, while automation tools can be used to speed up time-consuming tasks and boost organizational capacity. With deep insights and advanced customization and scaling capabilities, the NOC360 open platform is unrivaled in empowering ISPs and carriers to make choices that help them manage costs, grow, and boost performance over time. 

Learn More

Interested in finding out more about NOC360 and how it could work for you? Schedule a meeting with our team to get your questions answered.