Cost optimization, customer service, smart devices, and mobile app ecosystems
will be the top telecom trends to watch in 2012.
In 2012 cost optimization will become increasingly prevalent, operators will
make customer service improvements, and smart devices and mobile app ecosystems
will continue to be a catalyst for significant changes in operator strategy.
“Cost optimization is growing in importance as operators will face tougher
competition and margin pressures during the next 12 months. Early action is
being taken through relatively simple measures such as passive network sharing
and the outsourcing of non-core functions. However, in this tough new data
world, operators should consider more aggressive cost optimization strategies
such as backhaul and active infrastructure sharing in 2012,” said David
Kennedy, Ovum research director.
The other key telecoms trends in 2012 will include an explosion of interest in
customer service. Customer service can be a key distinguishing factor for
telcos, but any efforts must involve the entire organization and ultimately
result in cultural change.
Numerous operators are spending heavily to improve customer service. This
includes investment in areas such as 24/7 customer service, weekend customer
service/fault repair calls, and addressing customer problems over social
networking services such as Twitter and Facebook.
The smart device market will continue to act as a catalyst for significant
changes to operator strategy, and will affect network investment, service
pricing, and value-added service offerings. App functionality and content will
become ever more reliant on the network and cloud services.
The smart device market is consolidating around four platforms: iOS, Android,
Windows Phone, and BlackBerry. Consumers are no longer content to purchase a
device based on hardware features and price alone, and successful devices will
provide vertical integration of device, applications, content, and online
services into the platform.
The need to provide a complete device platform is as pressing for vertically
integrated handset vendors (Apple and RIM) as it is for platform providers
using a licensing model (Google and Microsoft).
Network data management will be vitally important, and notes that the trend
towards the bundling of services will accelerate in 2012.
More bundled strategies will emerge in 2012, particularly from second tier
operators, since many incumbents already have services in place. Bundling
opportunities will be especially evident among mobile-only operators in
countries where fiber NGA networks are being deployed.
By Telecomlead.com Team
[email protected]
