About the Client
A leading global subsea network operator delivering high‑availability international connectivity across multiple regions, supporting mission‑critical communications for service providers, enterprises, and cloud ecosystems.
Challenge
For the operator, network reliability is not optional since it is foundational to customer trust, regulatory compliance, and revenue protection. As traffic volumes grew and service expectations tightened, maintaining consistent performance across its transport network became increasingly important.
However, key OEM network elements were running on aging software versions. It accumulated flaws that steadily increased operational risk across the transport network, causing persistent alarms, repeated troubleshooting, and inconsistent service performance.
Meanwhile, an OEM vendor-controlled software upgrade process slowed response times and limited the operator’s ability to proactively address risks, allowing lifecycle gaps and operational issues to grow. This combination of rising instability and limited agility heightened the risk of service disruptions, making a faster, standardized, in-house upgrade capability a business-critical priority.
The subsea network operator sought a different approach: one that would strengthen resilience, reduce operational friction, and put upgrade ownership back in the hands of the operator.
The existing operating model created several business‑critical challenges:
- High vendor dependency
An OEM vendor‑led upgrade model limited operational control, introduced recurring costs, and slowed the organization’s ability to act decisively when change was required. - Prolonged upgrade turnaround
Extended upgrade cycles meant known software issues remained in production longer, increasing exposure to operational risk. - Lack of standardized execution
The lack of a consistent, documented end‑to‑end upgrade methodology led to execution variability across teams, increasing uncertainty during change windows. - Operational Noise
Legacy software contributed to recurring alerts and incidents, placing additional load on operations teams and affecting SLA performance.
The challenge extended beyond technology. It was about reducing risk, improving efficiency, and creating a more resilient operating model.
Solution
The operator partnered with TCTS to transition from a vendor dependent upgrade approach to a fully internal, standardized upgrade capability.
TCTS developed and implemented a DMAIC‑based, end‑to‑end upgrade playbook that institutionalizes best practices and risk controls across the upgraded lifecycle. The playbook incorporates
- Secure configuration backup mechanisms to safeguard network state
- A comprehensive compatibility assessment framework to validate readiness before execution and
- A standardized pre‑ and post‑upgrade verification procedures to ensure service integrity and performance consistency
This approach gives the operator full ownership of the upgrade lifecycle, replacing vendor‑led execution with a repeatable internal capability that reduces risk, improves predictability, and scales across the network.
Results
Reduced Cost and Dependency
~USD 20,000 in annual operating expense avoided by eliminating recurring vendor upgrade services
No ongoing reliance on external OEM professional services for standard upgrades
Faster, More Predictable Operations
Upgrade timelines reduced by ~40%, improving planning accuracy and lifecycle compliance
Greater flexibility to align upgrades with business priorities
Improved Network Stability
Fewer operational alerts and incidents following upgrades
Cleaner network operations and stronger SLA performance
Stronger Operational Confidence
Clear ownership of upgrade processes
Reduced escalation risk
Improved readiness for future network changes
