'We tackle technology issues in a home-network'

How can SupportSoft help accelerate broadband penetration in
India?

It is our observation that the time taken to activate a broadband connection
and the difficulty associated with it is one of the barriers to adoption of
broadband. SupportSoft helps tackle this problem by automating the broadband
installation process, while also helping eliminate costly service calls. Our
solutions offer self-healing, remote diagnosis and remote gateway management
capacities. This effectively cuts down a broadband consumer's activation time
from one week to just one day, without any technician's visit.

How is the new standard TR-069 going to revolutionize modem
management in home networking?

The TR-069 specification provides the necessary framework for efficient and
scalable deployment of new services using DSL broadband infrastructure,
including combined delivery of VoIP, IPTV and high-speed data services. Now one
can buy multiple modems from multiple vendors if they are TR-069 compliant as
the modems can be managed using the same management software. This is very
attractive to service providers as they have the opportunity to strike better
bargains with the hardware manufacturers.

How is SupportSoft enabling DSL modem vendors to adapt to the
new specification TR-069?

SupportSoft ServiceGateway is an award-winning product that enables the
management of TR-069 modem. Recently, we entered into a partnership with leading
next generation telecom network company, Huawei for making their customer
premises equipment devices TR-069 compliant. SupportSoft lab testing has
validated that Huawei's CPE devices and SupportSoft Service Gateway software
interoperate in accordance with the DSL Forum's specification.

Are you satisfied with the home networking activity in India?

The broadband penetration has not reached a satisfactory level as a result
home networking is not yet prominent. However, we feel India shows a lot of
promising growth and home networking will grow faster here than anywhere else in
the world in the coming few years. The primary gap is in terms of provisioning
and getting people connected. This is where we come in and hope to make
considerable difference in improving the numbers.

How do you address technology challenges in triple play
scenario?

We offer a suite of products that cover all triple play aspects. Our product
called ServiceVerify is intended to increased customer service adoption and
reduce churn via higher service quality. We are able to ensure reduction in call
center and truck-roll volumes by proactive identification and resolution of
problems before they impact customers. We offer self-service portal, tools for
customer service rep and resolve any triple play issues.

What are your plans to expand your customer base in India?

We are expanding our sales team, the support organization, and engineering
team. Currently, we have 100 people in India and this number will significantly
increase by 25-30% in near future. We haven't yet targeted the large
enterprise market here as we have done in the US and Europe, but we hope to make
inroads with our enterprise specific products that help manage desktops in large
enterprises.

Malovika Rao

malovikar@cybermedia.co.in