Mentum Planet:
Market
leading, state-of-the-art
planning and optimization
software solution for wireless
access networks
Wireless network planning and optimization has evolved. Historically, RF planning software was used primarily for the design of greenfield networks. However, as wireless technologies have advanced, the expectations for planning tools have as well.
Today’s operator must evolve its network to offer advanced data services cost-effectively — and stay one step ahead of the competition. New technologies such as WiMAX and LTE present new opportunities, but their advanced features also provide challenges that need to be overcome through innovative design and optimization software.
Accurate planning and optimization software is more critical than ever. It is critical to successfully roll out state-of-the-art services, to build or expand networks and to implement optimization/densification activities. Operators have to balance the introduction of new technologies and related services against
Who Needs Mentum Planet?
• Network operators, system integrators and RF consultants • RF coverage, capacity and
performance engineers
Who Are Our Customers?
Mentum has more than 250 customers who: • Employ all wireless technologies • Utilize from 1-500+ software licenses • Are located in 90 countries in every
region of the world
Mentum Planet Supported
Technologies
• WCDMA and HSPA • CDMA2000 and 1xEV-DO
(Rel. O and Rev. A)
• WiMAX (mobile and fixed) and pre-WiMAX BWA technologies • GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• AMPS/TDMA, iDEN
• 4G technologies (LTE/UMB/WiMAX release 2) under development
the need to reduce costs and increase capacity — all while maintaining a high Quality of Service (QoS) for existing custom-ers. Meeting this challenge is crucial. It is the key to retaining customers, offering competitive services and increasing profits. Mentum Planet® is an industry leading
solution that delivers results. Mentum®
offers objective, vendor-agnostic advice on how to optimally deploy advanced wireless networks using the Mentum Planet planning and optimization toolset. Mentum combines the focus, flexibility and responsiveness of a smaller com-pany with the resources, experience and expertise of an industry leader. The result: our customers get the results they are looking for as quickly as they need them.
Building on Our Success
Building upon the world’s original planning solution, MSI’s Planet, Mentum Planet is the result of over 15 years of feature development and several years of strategic and targeted R&D effort.
Traditional Role
• Greenfield network planning
• Site planning and acquisition
• CAPEX planning
• Coverage planning
• Traffic planning
• Manual optimization/scenario
planning
• Frequency planning
• Visualization and reporting
Evolving Role
• New technology
deployment/overlay
• Convergence, merging
networks
• Optimization with ACP and
measured data
• Enabler for operational
efficiencies as a centrally
integrated and open data
management system
Planning
Expansion
Optimization
Evolution
The Evolution Of Planet
does not require substantial tuning. Where more survey data is available, the Mentum Planet General model is an excellent choice with a decade-long track record of proven accuracy. The Mentum Planet Universal model — developed by strategic partner France Telecom R&D (Orange Labs) — has proven extremely accurate, is easy to tune and delivers the industry’s fastest predictions in built-up urban areas and urban/suburban transition zones. Used in conjunction with Mentum Planet geodata and drive test data, it provides simula-tions with unparalleled accuracy, and models that can be confidently re-applied in areas with similar RF characteristics.
Advanced Open Software
Platform
Mentum Planet delivers a future-proof software architecture that enables rapid customization and integration, and deliv-ers improved client–server performance. Based on Microsoft’s .NET technology for Mentum Planet has evolved to become
the world’s most innovative network planning, optimization and data manage-ment platform, utilizing the most advanced software architecture available.
Exceptional Accuracy
The value of any simulation-based planning tool is its ability to emulate real-world conditions. Mentum Planet excels at accurately modeling changes prior to implementation so our customers benefit from efficient planning, accurate budgeting and optimal return on invest-ment in their deployed networks. In addition to industry-standard propagation models, Mentum Planet offers two remarkably accurate differentiating models. CRC-Predict, developed in conjunction with strategic partner Communications Research Centre Canada, is the result of more than ten years of effort. It is a unique macro model for use in suburban and rural areas that is extremely accurate and
MSI
Marconi
Ericsson
Mentum
1992: MSI’s first RF
planning software –
Planet
1999: Planet DMS, first
enterprise-grade
planning tool
2000: MSI acquired by
Marconi
2001: Marconi acquires
Northwood Technologies
and deciBel Planner
2003: Marconi launches
Planet EV with .NET
Windows Platform
2006: Ericsson acquires
Marconi, including the
Planet group
2006: Improved
integra-tion with other Ericsson
TEMS tools
2006: Further
develop-ment of next-generation
technologies: HSPA,
EV-DO and WiMAX
2007: CTS International
acquires the Planet
assets from Ericsson and
creates its new identity:
Mentum
2007: With focus on the
planning and
optimiza-tion market, Mentum
Planet is at the core of
Mentum’s growth
strategy
What sets Mentum apart?
Focus
Mentum is dedicated specifically to developing wireless planning and optimization solutions. It does not use these products to sell network equipment or consulting services. We work directly for the customer.
Dependability
Mentum is committed to the long-term success of Mentum Planet through best-of-class services and R&D efforts.
Leadership
Mentum anticipates and participates in the evolution of wireless and software technologies to offer the most benefit to our customers — both today and tomorrow.
[The world’s most innovative wireless network planning,
optimization and data management platform]
Windows®, it also ensures compatibility
with all major languages, middleware and databases, and streamlines workflows via integration with in-house and third-party systems through standard APIs.
Mentum Planet’s advanced platform also means it can be rapidly customized and integrated within an operator’s existing RF planning environment.
Enterprise-grade Database
Management
While traditional RF planning tools have been independent solutions isolated from other important data sources such as operations support systems (OSS), Mentum Planet seamlessly integrates network solutions and enterprise IT environments. With this innovative solution, operators’ RF and performance engineers are able to manage, access and utilize data more effectively.
The Mentum Planet integrated data man-agement system facilitates multi-user project collaboration and can provide a centralized database for all RF planning
projects. Maintaining applications and data on central servers makes upgrades, redundancy and workflows easier to manage — and helps our customers to better plan and optimize their networks. Mentum Planet Data Manager is extremely flexible, fully supporting thin-client architecture deployments based on Citrix® as well as standard
client/server architecture. It has been successfully deployed to support more than 500 concurrent users and allows each to share key data and to pull down, edit and only “check back in” the data they need to a central database.
Administrators can set access privileges for users, ensuring corporate design standards are maintained and the network database is not corrupted by an unauthorized user. Because data can be easily pulled using a scriptable data import/export function in other applications (including Mentum Ellipse®),
Mentum Planet integrates easily within the complex OSS ecosystem of wireless operators.
Advanced Traffic Modeling
Precise modeling of subscriber distributions is the key to simulating both interference and actual network performance. Mentum Planet’s advanced modeling helps illustrate how different user types will impact the network and facilitates the delivery of detailed traffic maps for use in planning or other optimization activities, such as automatic frequency or cell planning.
Mentum Planet’s unique Subscriber Manager enables simulation of real-world end-user behaviour. It includes support for subscriber location, operating environment, mobility and services used (voice, e-mail, web browsing).
For rapid planning analysis, or where known or estimated traffic loads are available, Mentum Planet can quickly perform advanced traffic modeling on single or multi-technology networks. For the latter, the software models off-loading traffic from one layer to the other.
OSS System
Data Manager
Mentum Planet
Server
Client
API Data Exchange • Site Configuration • Frequency Plan • Neighbour List • Interference Matrix • Etc.Performance Tools
Drive Test
Integration With Operations Support Systems
With detailed traffic input, Mentum Planet uses sophisticated network parameter modeling and algorithms to replicate actual network behaviour. The analysis provides detailed reports and maps illustrating how the radio network will perform under various configurations and loading scenarios, helping operators to understand how to cope with the increase in demand — and how to spend wisely to address it.
MapInfo Location Intelligence
A network operator’s primary asset is its network coverage and capacity. Mentum Planet offers unparalleled Geographic
Information System (GIS) features through its OEM version of MapInfo Professional®. As the only RF planning
and optimization tool with native MapInfo file support, Mentum Planet users have easy access to worldwide data and an advanced GIS toolset that provides a foundation for managing all geographic data in the planning environment. Widely used throughout the telecom sector, MapInfo Professional allows users to easily import and map data such as traffic patterns, measurement data and site locations and share outputs with other MapInfo® users — without
labourious import/export translation procedures. Mentum Planet’s own data formats are open and based on GIS standards, making them easily created and accessed through other applications. The ability to pull in marketing data and share engineering data through MapBasic® scripts across the operator’s
organization promotes the full potential of Mentum Planet. The MapInfo GIS foundation facilitates map data creation and editing, spatial data visualization, query and analysis, map plotting, Google Earth™ exports, access to web-enabled GIS data repositories and reporting.
Capesso
Capesso
Capesso
Automated Cell Planning
Automated Frequency
Planning
Network Simulation
Core Package
Extensions to Core
Package
Renaissance
Included
HSPA
EV-DO
WCDMA
Measurement Data Package
Mentum Planet
Universal Model
Indoor/Outdoor Integration – iBwave RF-
vu
CDMA
WiMAX
3GPP
3GPP2
WiMAX
}
[ Mentum Planet uses sophisticated network parameter modeling
and algorithms to replicate actual network behaviour ]
Flexible Deployment Models
Mentum Planet supports a variety of deployment models through its unique software design and licensing system. A network administrator can opt for standalone workstation deployments, with or without a Data Manager to share project data. Or, alternatively, they can employ a centralized model supported through Citrix or Windows Terminal Services or some combination of both. Mentum Planet also offers a flexible licensing system that allows software licenses to be acquired on a named end-user basis or a pool shared for multiple users. The licensing system also offers a cost-effective commuter license option that supports disconnected operation of the software for use when away from the office.
Full Support for Advanced
GSM/GPRS/EDGE Networks
Mentum Planet provides comprehensive support for 2G+ technology and supports advanced GSM features such as adaptive
multi-rate coding (AMR) and advanced frequency-hopping planning methods. It also generates advanced interference matrices (IMs) based on histograms and provides an interference matrix manager to merge IMs from multiple sources (network measured, survey, modeled coverage and local knowledge). The optional Renaissance automatic frequency planning (AFP) solution, developed in conjunction with France Telecom R&D (Orange Labs) and proven on some of Europe’s largest networks, is a best-in-class frequency planning solution that lets the user optimize their spectrum utilization.
Renaissance delivers unmatched frequency plan quality and specialized features such as:
• Partial frequency retune capabilities
• Mixed voice and packet data scenario optimization
• Voice/data trade-off and area/traffic trade-off
• MAL and MAIO joint optimization
As a complement to Renaissance, Mentum Planet provides a unique GSM performance analysis tool based on powerful and rapid simulation techniques. It allows engineers to predict not only QoS for mixed voice/data networks, but also establishes bench-marks for various frequency plans and their relative QoS impact on the network.
Mentum Planet supports the analysis of HSPA network performance using detailed throughput predictions based on achiev-able data rates, coverage probabilities and end-user network utilization.
3. Enterprise, Centrally Hosted Client-server Solution 1. Stand-alone Thick-client Workstation 2. Thick-client Workgroup With Centralized Data Region A Region B
Mentum Planet Clients Mentum Planet Workstations
Mentum Planet Workstations
Mentum Planet Server Mentum Planet Server Mentum Planet Server Database Servers (Oracle or MS SQL)
Finally, Mentum Planet offers full multi-technology support. A single network can be composed of WCDMA and HSPA, along with GSM/GPRS/EDGE — allowing engineers to analyze the interaction between these layers and analyze performance of one layer against another. Mentum Planet is the ideal solution to meet the engineering and marketing requirements of a 3G network overlay over an existing 2G network.
Full Support for
3GPP Technologies
Mentum Planet offers options for WCDMA and HSPA analyses. Detailed inputs are possible through the Subscriber Manager plus a fast, efficient Monte Carlo engine, while quick analyses can be generated through a unique rapid planning analysis engine.
Mentum Planet allows operators to predict network performance by using all data available, whether collected through drive test or gathered in the form of OSS statistics. Its interactive planning features, including the CPICH pollution analysis tool, a spatial statistics engine and extensive reporting capabilities, provide a comprehensive toolset for all RF engineering tasks.
The intelligent system capabilities of the HSPA radio access layer are mainly implemented through adaptive scheduling and selection of Transport Format and Resource Combinations (TFRCs) as a function of radio conditions and resource usage. Mentum Planet can help improve the performance levels of new and existing networks with accurate modeling
characteristics that add value, minimize interference and enable the use of high throughput TFRCs.
Mentum Planet has HSPA capabilities supporting all deployment configurations including Rel. 99, HSDPA and HSUPA, and HSPA or Rel. 99 exclusively. With ongoing development in support of future 3GPP release evolution such as HSPA+ and LTE, Mentum continues its commitment to leading-edge support for the most advanced wireless technologies.
Comprehensive
3GPP2 Capabilities
In interference-limited CDMA environ-ments, it is important to understand the performance of every cell in the network and its interaction with other cells. With advanced traffic modeling, detailed PN analysis planning and PN conflict analysis, plus pilot pollution inspection and support for repeaters, Mentum Planet continues to lead the way in plan-ning capabilities for CDMA2000 networks.
[ Mentum Planet is the ideal solution to meet the engineering and marketing
requirements of a 3G network overlay over an existing 2G network ]
With the optional CDMA2000 module, Mentum Planet delivers high accuracy in a comprehensive yet easy to-use feature set, making it the top choice of CDMA operators around the world.
Planning and managing high-speed data services poses unique challenges to RF engineers. The optional Mentum Planet EV-DO extension allows users to define and analyze EV-DO carriers in detail, providing a variety of outputs to assess achievable forward/reverse link data rates and coverage probability, and to find the optimal balance of coverage, quality and capacity. The EV-DO modeling and simulation capabilities are fully integrated in the Mentum Planet 3G Monte Carlo engine, thus allowing users to analyze data-only carriers in concert with other non-EV-DO-based carriers. Several reports and statistical analyses provide insight into the network
perfor-mance, allowing assessment of capacity challenges (e.g. reasons for blocked calls), network coverage (e.g. pilot coverage) and network quality (e.g. EV-DO data rates) all in the same project — and all using today’s network or tomorrow’s forecasted traffic and expected network configuration.
Worldwide WiMAX Leader
Mentum Planet was selected by the largest operator of WiMAX in the world, which means the product’s feature set for WiMAX planning and optimization has been tested like no other. It also ensures compatibility with leading equipment vendors in the WiMAX technology space. Mentum takes its leadership in this innovative technology seriously. In fact, we are a member company in the WiMAX Forum® to ensure our involvement in its
evolution. Currently, many of the WiMAX
Forum board members use Mentum Planet in their designs, an unofficial endorsement of Mentum Planet as the leading 4G RF planning and optimization toolset in the market.
Mentum Planet delivers comprehensive modeling of the WiMAX radio technology, including support for 802.16d and 802.16e, OFDM/OFDMA, diversity schemes and adaptive antenna systems. OFDM/OFDMA modeling is achieved through detailed modeling of sub- carriers, sub-channelization and other specific technology parameters. Mentum Planet for WiMAX includes innovative algorithms that can evaluate the impact of collision-based interference, power control, adaptive modulations and other advanced parameters on the performance of the network — all while accounting for radio propagation and traffic loading.
Mentum Planet offers advanced WiMAX modeling capabilities, including support of advanced antenna techniques for accurate coverage predictions in the most complex environments.
Mentum Planet also supports performance enhancing features of WiMAX and Smart Antennas. MIMO-A and MIMO-B are supported within the product, as well as phased array antennas and beamswitch antennas. Users can investigate mobility by assessing handover areas and neighbour lists for different sectors. For TDD deployments, Mentum Planet can automatically optimize network uplink/downlink resource allocations taking coverage, interference, traffic distribution and availability of various adaptive modulation schemes into consideration — resulting in maximiza-tion of ARPU/deployment.
Mentum Planet continues to invest in its WiMAX capabilities through custom developments for operators, algorithm design and feature implementations in conjunction with leading vendors and operators as it continues to pave the way to 4G.
Capesso – Automatic Cell
Planning Solution
Capesso™ is a fully featured, tightly integrated Automatic Cell Planning (ACP) tool developed by Mentum’s strategic partner Symena as an optional module for Mentum Planet. It addresses all stages of the network lifecycle and sup-ports GSM/iDEN, GPRS, EDGE, as well as CDMA2000/1xEV-DO and WCDMA/HSPA technologies.
Capesso builds upon the workflows and information available through Mentum Planet, including geodata, traffic maps and propagation predictions. Optimization criteria are mathematically balanced
against the cost, feasibility and value of potential changes to the network and the recommended plan is seamlessly used within Mentum Planet for analysis and further action.
Plans developed with Capesso are demonstrably better, delivered faster, and are more useful than plans devel-oped any other way. These optimized plans deliver significantly improved coverage, capacity and quality over manually-developed plans — with production-time reduced by up to 90%. Capesso can provide automatic planning for all major radio standards in a single package, as well as multiple networks simultaneously. While performing calculations at speeds that set the benchmark for the ACP competitive environment, Capesso offers an
auto-matic implementation planning report so that network improvements can be implemented in the optimal order.
Incorporating Measurement Data
All wireless operators base their plan-ning processes on a range of prediction and network-derived data. In addition to a series of features related to simula-tion-based activities, Mentum Planet provides solutions addressing all aspects of this continuum, including support for CW, scanner, test mobile, as well as OSS data in a single toolset. Purchasing the optional measurement data package provides customers with the Automated Model Tuner, Survey Manager, Test Mobile Tool and Survey Prediction Tool. Users can calibrate predictions using Mentum Planet’s Automated Model Tuning features in combination with
[ Mentum Planet was selected by the largest
operator of WiMAX in the world ]
Advanced automated toolsets such as Capesso for Mentum Planet allow engineers to quickly develop better network plans or improve existing networks.
measurement data. Processing and analysis of measurement data is provided through the extensive survey management features.
With the Test Mobile Tool, users can import, analyze, and post-process test mobile and scanner data to better leverage its value. CW and drive test data can be used within Mentum Planet to augment predictions through the use of the Survey Prediction Tool. This outstanding application inserts measured path-loss values where they are available (e.g. on a survey route) and interpolates neighbouring values based on specialized algorithms. The result is startlingly accurate predictions for Mentum Planet analyses rendered even more accurate by the efficient reuse of collected data.
Integrated Indoor/Outdoor
Planning
Mentum is working with the global leader in indoor planning solutions, iBwave. Mentum already distributes its complementary iBwave RF-vu plan-ning solution through its global sales channel, and as of spring 2008, the two companies will launch the world’s first integrated indoor/outdoor network planning solution. The joint offering will enable visualization of indoor systems (distributed antenna systems or others) from within Mentum Planet in order to understand the possible challenges to the outdoor radio access network. The integrated offering will bring together two complementary planning tools and will provide operators with
new ways to identify, understand and manage the business case for indoor systems. For those buildings where the return on investment makes sense, the joint solution will enable the calculation of indoor/outdoor interference and allow users to analyze the impact of indoor systems on reverse-link interference — as well as the impact of outdoor cells on indoor network performance. Once integrated with Mentum Planet’s Data Manager, the joint solution will deliver enterprise-level data management of indoor layouts, plans and coverage that enable complete data editing, versioning and data reporting.
Optimized Geodata
Mentum offers a suite of geodata products including clutter (land use), terrain, and vectors tailored for use in Mentum Planet. These data sets are developed in our GIS lab or are offered in conjunction with a select group of vendor partners worldwide.
As the single point of contact for the customer, Mentum can minimize costs while offering an extremely wide variety of services — from the exacting produc-tion of building heights at 1m resoluproduc-tion to the marketing analysis of urban sprawl and growth. The standard Mentum geodata offering includes 20m, 30m and 100m products, but higher resolution datasets are also offered to meet specific customer requirements.
Mentum Planet allows for a combination of predictive data with real-world measure-ments to provide network planners and optimization engineers with the most accurate representation of their network.
Predictions
Measurements
Specialized Services and
Differentiated Customer Care
The services Mentum delivers are focused exclusively around Mentum products, where the company’s in-depth knowledge provides unique and distinct advantages. Our team of highly trained professionals have years of experience delivering specialized solutions to the wireless industry.
Services offered include:
• Education services: Tool or
technology-based courses delivered on customer premises, at Mentum training centers, or through the Mentum Online Education Program • Implementation services: Project
planning, system integration and data migration delivered by on-site consultants or remotely with client access provided to internal IT systems • Technology or Mentum Planet
mentor-ing: Mentum engineers stay on site with operator’s engineers to improve operational efficiency through applied RF and tool knowledge transfer • Custom integration: Integration of
Mentum Planet within operator systems or development of specific features to tackle key workflows
Mentum delivers support to its global customer base through support centers located in Paris, Ottawa, Dallas and Hong Kong. Support staff blend a myriad of skill sets, including IT, RF design and software programming, to help ensure customer productivity on Mentum products. Mentum prides itself on after-sales support and uses leading technologies to provide the best support in the RF planning software industry.
Proven Leader
Mentum Planet is at the forefront of the RF planning and optimization software industry, and Mentum continues to win new customers across a broad spectrum of innovative, as well as tried-and-true, technologies.
Mentum currently serves over 250 cus-tomers around the world. The accuracy and technical depth of its software, coupled with ongoing research into broadband technologies, including OFDM technologies such as LTE, make Mentum a safe investment that will benefit users today, tomorrow and well into the future.
Mentum Partners
Mentum has strategic technology partnerships with:
[ Mentum can minimize costs while offering an extremely
wide variety of services ]
Mentum’s capabilities include:
• Worldwide sales, support and customer care
• Offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Ottawa and Dallas
• Specialized products/services around Mentum Planet and Mentum Ellipse • Implementation services
• Global customer care • Training and mentoring • Geodata
• A corporate commitment to deliver well beyond software — Mentum delivers results
www.mentum.com
sales
@
mentum.com
© 2008 Mentum S.A.
Mentum, Mentum Planet and Mentum Ellipse are registered trademarks owned by Mentum S.A. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
