Is quantum computing the future of BSS systems?

The tech world is abuzz with the possibilities that lie within quantum computing. When the technology matures, it will hold immense promise for every industry and business process. So, will quantum computing give rise to all new ‘quantum billing’ and transform BSS systems? Saleh Bari certainly thinks so.

Everyone in the tech space seems to be quite fascinated with quantum computing. With classical computing limited by technology and hardware, quantum computing wants to take computing to the next level where complex problems can be solved easily and efficiently. Tech giants like Google and Microsoft are already pushing hard to bring quantum computing into the mainstream.

What is quantum computing?

To put it simply, instead of relying on ‘bits’ like traditional computers, quantum computers rely on quantum bits (or qubits). A quantum computer maintains a sequence of qubits. Quantum computing takes advantage of the properties of subatomic particles which can exist in more than one state at a given time. A single qubit can represent a one, a zero, or any quantum superposition of those two qubit states; a pair of qubits can be in any quantum superposition of 4 states, and three qubits in any superposition of 8 states. Because they can exist in any superposition of these values, qubits can store a lot more information than bits. Wikipedia offers a detailed explanation on the basics of quantum computing.

While scientists have built basic quantum computing, mainstream quantum computers are still many years away. When these do become a reality, it will be like having a super computer in every office.

The Impact of quantum computing

As we move towards the world of Internet of Things (IoT) and automated technologies, quantum computing will provide the firepower necessary to power new-age BSS systems. Although still at a nascent stage, the technology will have a lot of positive impact across industries. Quantum computing will also open up new possibilities in telecoms, space, medicine, big data and material design. Little wonder that diverse businesses like Nasa, Google, IBM, Airbus and Lockheed Martin, among others have invested in this technology.

Quantum computing will help businesses in areas such as:

Billing on demand – In traditional models, businesses produced the bill and then pushed it out to their users. Quantum computing powered BSS systems will allow customers to request and pay bills in real-time. Current real-time charging solutions still have a delay of milliseconds (most online charging systems respond within 15-200ms on average). However, the proliferation of devices in the IoT era would demand systems that respond within micro and maybe even nano or pico seconds. Quantum computing will help make it a possibility.

Customer Retention Modelling - Quantum computers could, in theory, give firms much better visibility over customer data in the long-term allowing to make more accurate predictions and reduce the need to tinker with their products, saving costs and possibly boosting profits

Campaign Modelling – Through accurate simulations, quantum computing can boost the ability to create campaigns and accurately predicate uptake.

Infinite CRM visibility – While most businesses today have a 360-degree view of their systems, IoT will spawn the need for better visibility into these systems. Since thousands of devices at home and at the workplace will generate a huge volume of data, quantum computing will become extremely important to process and analyse this data quickly.  

Improved Privacy and Security – With threats such as WannaCry ransomware exposing existing vulnerabilities, quantum computing will give rise to more advanced algorithms that will stop cyber-criminals and hackers from breaking the code.

Reduced hardware footprint - Currently, businesses require a big hardware footprint for BSS and network elements for large number of subscribers. Quantum computing will help organisations dramatically reduce this load. 

Quantum Billing – Next-gen billing systems

Billing systems have indeed transformed themselves over the years, and agile billing systems are truly driving innovation across BSS that have incorporated them. However, the next breed of billing systems based on quantum computing – let’s call them quantum billing systems – will truly have a transformative impact on traditional BSS.

Through faster computing speed, higher processing power and real-time batch processes, quantum billing systems will help businesses reduce the time required for complex billing calculations. This will be a win-win for both businesses and consumers as businesses will be able to roll-out innovating billing offerings whereas consumers will be able to manage their bills in a quick, automated and fashion.  

In fact, Quantum billing holds the potential to disrupt the very nature of existing billing systems and processes. Businesses can easily improve customer experience by offering billing on demand services. Quantum billing will also take away some of the costs associated with running traditional billing systems as more nimble options will be available. Billing will certainly become more competitive in the future and only those with the ‘quantum’ advantage will be able to stay in business.