Built for Operators.
Auto discovery, network technologies, equipment modelling,
and integrations: the full technical reference for S2C and S2C Designer.
VC4 also provides a Product Description for its clients, sharing a deeper knowledge of the platform.
Plan & design.
VC4 Service2Create (S2C) is network inventory management software used by telecom operators, enterprises, and utilities to plan, design, and document fiber, optical, IP, and mobile networks. For network planning and design, S2C provides automated network discovery and reconciliation, vendor-independent network interfaces, and built-in workflow management, so every change is planned on inventory data that matches the live network.
Auto Discovery & Network Reconciliation
Discover what is really in the network: S2C polls live network elements, compares the result with registered inventory, and reconciles every difference, so your documentation always matches reality.
Network Interfaces
How S2C models physical and logical interfaces across vendors and technologies, from ports and patch positions to channelised structures.
Workflow Management
Orders, changes, and trouble tickets follow configurable workflows with full audit trails, keeping every network change controlled and traceable.
Auto Discovery & Network Reconciliation
S2C connects to the live network through SNMP, CLI, NETCONF, and vendor EMS/NMS interfaces, and reads what is actually deployed: equipment, cards, ports, and logical configuration.
Every discovery run is compared against the registered inventory. Differences surface as reconciliation tasks, and an engineer approves each correction, so the documentation converges on reality instead of drifting away from it.
Network Interfaces
S2C models every interface type in one consistent structure: physical ports, patch positions, channelised hierarchies, and the logical interfaces that ride on them.
Vendor templates define cards and ports down to connector level, so the same model works across Cisco, Nokia, Huawei, Juniper, Ericsson, and hundreds of other vendors.
Workflow Management
Orders, network changes, and trouble tickets follow configurable workflows inside S2C, with statuses, assignments, and approvals that match how your teams actually work.
Every step is recorded. Reservations protect planned capacity, and completed work updates the inventory automatically, so process and documentation never diverge.
Your network, auto discovered & reconciled.
The Network Auto Discovery & Reconciliation whitepaper explains how S2C keeps inventory aligned with the live network: methodology, protocols, and rollout best practice.
How does auto discovery keep our inventory in step with the live network?
S2C connects to the network management systems, element managers and controllers you already run, on a schedule you configure, and captures physical structure, logical resources, configuration and status. Discovered changes are raised as classified discrepancies, missing, extra or mismatched, rather than silently overwritten, and every correction goes through an approval workflow with a full audit trail.
Can S2C model a multi-vendor network in one inventory?
Yes, that is the core design: one data model spans the physical, logical, service and asset layers across vendors and domains, so a service can be traced end to end regardless of whose equipment carries it. Discovery adapters cover the major vendor families across optical, IP, access, microwave and mobile estates, and one customer runs more than 25 network management interfaces into a single S2C inventory.
Can our own team build and change workflows for orders, changes and tickets?
Yes. The workflow engine covers service orders, provisioning, trouble tickets and planned works, with approval chains, SLA timers, escalation and conditional branching, all as configuration rather than code. VC4 delivers a starting set in a discovery workshop, then trains your team to own them.
Every technology.
S2C documents every network technology in one inventory: fiber and FTTH/FTTx outside plant, GPON access trees, WDM, DWDM, CDWDM and OTN optical transport, and MPLS and IP services. Physical, logical, and service layers stay linked, so operators can trace any service to the exact fiber, wavelength, or subnet it runs on.
Fiber, FTTH, FTTx & GPON
Every duct, cable, splice, splitter and ODF on one map, with each GPON tree traced from OLT port to ONT, so crews find faults and free capacity fast.
WDM, DWDM, CDWDM & OTN
See which wavelengths are in use or free on every span, and trace each lambda and its OTN path from client port to line side before you sell capacity.
MPLS & Internet Protocol
MPLS VPNs, IP subnets and VLANs held in the same inventory as the fiber and equipment beneath them, so you know which customers a router or fiber fault takes down.
Fiber, FTTH, FTTx & GPON
S2C geo-references the complete outside plant: trenches, ducts and subducts, cables, splice closures, ODFs and splitters, with each GPON tree modelled from the OLT PON port through every split to the ONT.
Planners see real port and fiber availability before they design, and field crews get strand-level splice schemas and drop points, so connections are made right first time and records stay as-built.
WDM, DWDM, CDWDM & OTN
Optical transport is modelled layer by layer: fibers carry WDM, DWDM and CDWDM wavelengths, wavelengths carry OTN containers (OTU and ODU), and OTN carries the client services your customers pay for.
Trace any lambda end to end across amplifiers, ROADMs and regeneration points, with utilisation at every layer, so you sell spare capacity with confidence and avoid stranded wavelengths.
MPLS & Internet Protocol
MPLS services and VPNs, IP plans, subnets and VLANs are registered in the same inventory as the transport and physical network, so every logical service traces down to the port, wavelength and fiber it rides on.
When a router, card or fiber fails, or planned work is due, you see straight away which VPNs and customers are affected, and IPv4 and IPv6 addressing stays conflict-free as the network grows.
From customer service to the trench
Every service is traced down through each layer to the physical route it runs on, so a cable cut shows exactly which customers are affected.
Can you model fibre down to individual strands and splices, on a map?
Yes. S2C models route, duct, cable, tube, strand, closure, splice, ODF and port as connected objects, with used, free and reserved fibre detected automatically, all presented on the native network map. Outside plant and inside plant are continuous in the model, so a path traces from the customer port through every splice to the far end.
Does S2C support WDM, OTN and optical transport networks?
Yes. Wavelengths and optical transport are modelled alongside the physical layer, and discovery adapters connect to the major optical management systems so circuits can be traced across layers. S2C runs WDM and OTN inventories in production, including subsea cable systems modelled together with DDF, ODF and GIS.
How does S2C handle MPLS and IP networks?
Discovery captures logical resources including VLANs, VRFs, IP addressing and LSPs, and links them to the physical equipment and fibre beneath them. IP address and numbering resource management is a standard capability, and multi-layer tracing shows how an IP service actually rides the transport network.
Can S2C find single points of failure and check protection?
Yes. S2C calculates topology, protection schemes and service dependencies across every layer, so it flags where protection is missing and where routes that should be diverse share the same cable or path, for example a worker and protect route in one fibre cable, or two services sold as backup for each other that run over the same link. It supports MSP, MSPRING/BLSR, SNCP/UPSR, DNI, 1+n card protection and Mesh/ASON, and shows which services would switch to protection and which would go down.
Equipment, modelled.
S2C models network equipment the way it is physically built: vendor equipment libraries for optical, IP, mobile, and access hardware, racks, shelves, slots, and cards inside every site, and ODFs, DDFs, and patch panels with port-level administration. Every card, port, and cross-connect in the network is documented, searchable, and ready for impact analysis.
Telecom Equipment Types
Vendor equipment libraries covering optical, IP, mobile, and access hardware, with card-level and port-level templates ready to use.
Network Equipment Building System
Racks, shelves, slots, and cards: how S2C structures equipment builds inside sites, technical rooms, and street cabinets.
Managing Distribution Frames
ODFs, DDFs, and patch panels with full port administration, so every cross-connect in the network is documented and findable.
Telecom Equipment Types
S2C ships with vendor equipment libraries covering optical, IP, mobile, and access hardware: Cisco, Nokia, Huawei, Juniper, Ericsson, and hundreds more.
Every type is modelled to card and port level, so new equipment is registered by picking a template instead of drawing it from scratch.
Network Equipment Building System
Sites, technical rooms, and street cabinets are modelled as structured builds: racks hold shelves, shelves hold slots, slots hold cards.
That structure gives every piece of equipment an exact physical address, from the building down to the port, ready for field work and capacity planning.
Managing Distribution Frames
ODFs, DDFs, and patch panels are administered with full port detail: every position, every jumper, every cross-connect.
Engineers find free positions instantly and trace any connection through the frame, so patching work is planned on facts, not site visits.
Can S2C model equipment down to rack, shelf, slot, card and port?
Yes. The model covers site, building, floor, room, rack, shelf, card and port, with chassis, slot and pluggable optic detail including model and serial number, built from equipment templates so new installs follow your naming conventions. Newly discovered equipment lands in the correct hierarchy and geographic position automatically.
How does S2C track equipment lifecycle and end of life?
Every object carries a lifecycle state, and you define the states and transition rules per equipment type, with approvals where you want them and a full audit trail. Before any status change, S2C checks it is allowed: a connection cannot go In Service while its card or equipment is still Planned or Ready for Service. Vendor, contract and warranty data supports end-of-life and end-of-support alerting, feeding replacement and capital planning.
How are ODF and DDF ports administered in S2C?
Distribution frames and their ports are modelled as connected objects, so a fibre path runs from the splice into the ODF port and onto the card without a break in the model. Port-level reconciliation keeps frame records honest, and ODF and DDF administration is delivered scope at operators including national FTTH networks.
Everything you need to design a build.
S2C Designer gives planners a complete toolkit for outside-plant and fibre design: routing, capacity, materials and hand-off, all connected to live inventory.
Design on the live network.
Plan FTTH, P2P fibre and duct expansions directly in GIS context, against real trenches, ducts and capacity, not a stale copy of the network. Every object you place is validated against what already exists.
Connected systems.
API & Bulkloader
A full REST API for reading and writing inventory data, plus the Bulkloader for high-volume imports, migrations, and nightly synchronisations.
Interfaces to Other Systems
Connect S2C to the rest of your OSS/BSS landscape: alarm management, CRM, billing, provisioning, and GIS systems, with proven integration patterns for each.
API & Bulkloader
The S2C REST API exposes the full inventory for reading and writing: query objects, create services, update attributes, and automate anything you would otherwise do in the UI.
The Bulkloader handles volume: initial migrations, nightly synchronisations, and mass updates from upstream systems, with validation on every row.
Interfaces to Other Systems
S2C connects to the rest of the OSS/BSS landscape: alarm management, CRM, billing, provisioning, GIS, and monitoring systems all read from and write to the same inventory.
Proven integration patterns, from real-time APIs to scheduled file exchange, keep every surrounding system working from one version of the truth.
One platform, an app for every role
Build Android, iOS, Windows and web apps with the Application Configurator, all running on the same S2C data and open APIs. Each user sees only the apps their role needs.
- Network Inventory
- GIS
- Leased Lines
- IP Management
- Telephone #Mgt
- Workflow / Order Management /TT
- Impact Analysis
- Warehouse and Spares
- Reporting
- NMS interfaces
- Restful APIs
app
app
app
app
IDP
Sites
Equipment
Connectivity
SVG
Reports
Dashboards
WF /Orders
GeoJSON
Attachments
Warehouse
Others
Which systems can S2C integrate with, and who builds the integrations?
S2C is built for integration: northbound REST and TM Forum Open APIs, southbound NMS and EMS adapters, plus interfaces to ERP, ITSM, fault and alarm systems, CRM, GIS and identity platforms. VC4 has built close to 200 interface adapters across its installed base, and each integration is delivered as a defined work package with a stated build and maintenance cost.
Does S2C have a REST API, and which standards does it support?
S2C exposes a documented REST API plus the TM Forum Open API set for resource and service inventory, service qualification, ordering, alarms and trouble tickets, and a GeoJSON endpoint for spatial consumers. The data model follows the TM Forum SID structure.
How do we load bulk data from spreadsheets or legacy systems?
The Bulkloader imports through configurable templates with pre-load validation rules, so rejected records produce an error report instead of corrupting data. Loads are reconciled against discovered network data, and every difference is classified and routed for correction before sign-off.
Run it your way.
VC4 Service2Create (S2C) runs on premises, on your own cloud infrastructure, or as SaaS hosted by VC4: the same network inventory management platform in every deployment model. Cloud delivery is EU-hosted and ISO 27001 certified, licensing is modular so operators can start small and scale, and video use cases show the platform working on real networks.
Cloud: SaaS Delivery
S2C as a service: EU-hosted and ISO 27001 certified, with automated backups, redundancy, and monitored uptime.
Starter & Professional
Two cloud editions sized to your network: start small with Starter and scale to the full module suite with Professional as you grow.
Video Use Cases
Watch S2C in action: use case walkthroughs, planning and design demos, and module deep dives from the VC4 team.
Supports high availability and disaster recovery
A high availability proxy, scalable application servers, paired database servers and a dedicated mediation layer keep S2C running, connected to your OSS/BSS systems, NMSs and network elements.
Can S2C run on premises, in our own cloud, or as SaaS?
All three, and it is the same product in each: on premises in your data centre, on your own cloud infrastructure, or hosted by VC4 as SaaS with database licensing included in the annual fee. VC4 provides a documented infrastructure specification for each option.
Can we start with one module and expand later?
Yes. Modules share one data model and one platform, so a partial deployment does not create a second silo and phase one is not a throwaway pilot. Modules and phases are priced separately, letting you commit budget in stages, and a module can even run alongside an incumbent inventory.
How long does an implementation take?
Delivery is phased so value arrives early: a short setup and discovery phase, then delivery phases by domain or module, each with its own scope, acceptance tests and sign-off. Every plan is backed by a task-level schedule and responsibility matrix, with hypercare after go-live.
Built to be trusted.
Carriers and utilities run their most critical network inventory management on S2C. We hold ourselves to the standards that demands: certified information security, EU data protection, and defence-in-depth across the platform.
Encryption
All data is encrypted in transit with TLS and at rest with AES-256, so your inventory stays protected end to end.
Hosting & Availability
Choose EU-hosted cloud or on-premise deployment, with automated backups, redundancy, and monitored uptime.
Access Control
Role-based permissions, SSO / SAML single sign-on, and full audit logging give you granular control over who sees what.
Testing & Response
Regular penetration testing, continuous vulnerability management, and a defined incident-response process.
What security certifications and practices does VC4 hold?
VC4 is ISO 27001 certified, develops against OWASP Top 10 and CWE/SANS Top 25 guidance, and handles vulnerabilities on a CVE and CVSS basis with committed fix timescales for high-severity findings.
How is access to S2C controlled, and does it support SSO?
Access is role-based down to module, object and attribute level, so a contractor or field user sees only a defined subset. Authentication integrates with your enterprise identity provider over OIDC, SAML2 or LDAP and Active Directory, with your own multi-factor policy applying, and an immutable audit trail records every change with user, timestamp and before-and-after values.
How does S2C meet GDPR and data-residency requirements?
Deployment choice keeps data where your rules require it: on-premises and private-cloud models keep everything inside your estate, and residency is stated explicitly for hosted options. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, log retention is configurable in line with GDPR, and you always own your data.
S2C technical comparison.
The S2C technical comparison maps every capability to the module that provides it, across all ten S2C modules: core inventory, GIS, IP management, leased lines, orders and trouble tickets, impact analysis, warehouse and spares, integration, reporting, and telephone numbers. Use it to scope exactly which modules your network inventory management deployment needs.
Ask a VC4 Service2Create professional.
Can't find the answer you need? Our team responds to integration, data model, and technology questions directly.