US-based communication software vendor Amdocs struck a deal to buy network assurance and optimisation specialist Mycom OSI for $188 million, a deal which brings SaaS-based cloud and service assurance offerings into its portfolio.

Mycom OSI sells assurance applications to customers with 5G networks in the process of becoming virtualised, containerised and software-defined.

The company’s service assurance suite includes performance, fault and service quality management features employing AI and machine learning (ML) to detect and predict problems.

“As the network and services of the 5G era become increasingly dynamic and complex, a holistic, end-to-end approach is key and can only be achieved with a powerful AI-backed assurance solution suite,” stated Amdocs president and CEO Shuky Sheffer.

As mobile operators migrate towards hybrid, disaggregated networks many of them are working with vendors and system integrators to leverage AI and ML for predictive maintenance and performance management.

Amdocs expects the deal to close in its fiscal Q4 2022 (calendar Q3), subject to customary closing and regulatory conditions.