Core Network or switching is the most critical component among all systems that exist in a carrier or service provider. This is because a single failure in the core network affects a huge number of subscribers. Although radio or access network is gigantic and complex in design, to a certain limit it is localized in their failures.

This is why measuring the core network performance and KPIs is a key issue that is always kept in most of the operator under strict monitoring and evaluation. Introducing UMTS in today's network is not initiating a lot of changes to the core network of the operator; however the new trend toward an IP backbone in the core network is a radical change that requires full attention.

VoIP and SIGTRAN have become recently a major trend in most of the modern network deployments and their inter-operability with legacy network is an issue, especially in the multi-vendor environment or in old networks where legacy GSM exists. Moreover, the call scenarios and protocol stacks are much more complex in the IP world and almost new to most of the experienced GSM engineers.

As a result of all the above, it is mandatory for most the core network supervisors to have automated tools to enable quick monitoring of their core network performance, drilling-down easily to root-cause of any emerging problem.

Alkan Telecom has developed the core network management system for many carriers and operators, either for traditional wire line network, international gateways, GSM, GPRS or UMTS.