At the heart of any attempt to generate revenues is the need to monetize new services. Our OSS/BSS/CEM coverage addresses this by looking at the billing and operation market dynamics, and the implications for the customer experience.
Amdocs unveiled a new set of enhancements to its MFS solution, including online merchant checkout payments that target the burgeoning demand of operators and financial institutions to deploy mobile payment services that meet the distinct needs of users in developing regions.
Amdocs still must prove it can generate the channels, including mobile device and OS partnerships, to drive mobile ecosystem acceptance of its MFS, especially against proven mobile wallet solutions from rivals such as Ericsson and Huawei, as well as alternative credit card and web-based payment (PayPal) methods.
During Mobile World Congress 2015, Amdocs rolled out a set of new enhancements to its Mobile Financial Services (MFS) solution. The enhancements included support for online merchant checkout payments, one-click bulk transactions, unified wallet, and priority wallet features. The solution is delivered over a public or private cloud, supporting a single mobile wallet that allows users to manage and control their finances. As a result, MFS enables online merchants to expand their payment channels and enable consumers to use their mobile wallet accounts for online transactions. Continue reading “Amdocs: Banking on New Enhancements to Its Mobile Financial Services Solution to Gain Mobile Ecosystem Clout”→
Selling NFV as a tool for helping operators grow their revenues – vs. save on OpEx and CapEx – is something vendors have struggled with.
Monetizing NFV, however, needs to be seen as a core part of the technology’s value proposition, by vendors and operators, alike.
Last week, in the aftermath of Mobile World Congress, we had a customer reach out to ask about memorable demos and announcements focused on customer experience, monetization and network functions virtualization (NFV). It wasn’t immediately clear if the question was about multiple, distinct topics or about virtualization in the service of customer experience and new revenues. While awaiting a clarification, however, a friendly debate around the relationship between virtualization and monetization developed between our Service Provider Infrastructure analysts. I’m not sure that we all ended up on the same page, but I think it’s fair to say some conclusions and points of agreement were reached. Continue reading “Monetizing NFV: Why is it So Hard?”→
• At MWC 2015, Huawei promoted its Business Enabling System (BES), a framework using assets like pre-integrated software modules, analytics, and API management designed to drive operator adaptation to and influence over B2C/B2B/B2B2x digital ecosystems.
• Huawei needs to produce proof of concepts (PoCs), use cases and endorsements that demonstrate operators are ready to use the BES as the integral framework required for replacing the traditional BSS and drive their overall digital transformation.
Huawei used the MWC 2015 event to promote its BES. Or more accurately, re-promote the BES framework it has championed for at least a year now (please see: Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2014: BSS Transformation Drives Huawei BES Vision, May 5, 2014). To Huawei’s credit its core message has remained consistent in advocating that the BES hierarchal architecture design – using integrated business processes adaptive to value chains, customer experience, infrastructure, and digital/non-digital services – is essential for replacing the limitations of the traditional BSS. Such legacy BSS limitations include multiple silo-bound processes predicated on delivering telco services like voice and data but not Internet-centric digital services (e.g., Baidu, Google, Alibaba, Amazon) and dependence on inflexible processes that limit operator agility.
Since Huawei has invested heavily in its BES framework, how can it differentiate and drive its BES proposition within the global digital ecosystem to prove its indispensable role in driving operator BSS and business model transformation?
• Crystallize Portfolio Details: Huawei’s outbound marketing of BES continues to lack some crucial upfront portfolio details. Through inquiries to Huawei, it has become evident that portfolio elements such as service delivery platform (SDP) and cloud infrastructure products (e.g., servers, cloud engine switches, storage platforms) play key roles in addition to designated BSS-to-BES transformation products (e.g., revenue management, business analytics, customer management). Huawei’s vision and messaging would benefit from a tighter presentation of the portfolio assets needed for BES implementations.
• BES and SDN/NFV?: In laying the groundwork for operator adoption of BES the linkage to meta-technology initiatives, such as SDN/NFV, SoftCOM and digital service platforms, remains tacit but scattered. In particular, Huawei needs to specify how BES interworks with NFV orchestration and SDN hypervisor technology to assure its primacy in operator digital services planning and pre-empt rival attempts to use SDN/NFV as a wedge against the framework.The Huawei BES framework proposes the transformation of the traditional BSS into the BES framework. What are the major considerations that operators need to consider in evaluating BES?
• BES Integration Options: Operators must evaluate Huawei’s BES proposition in the context of understanding how much of the Huawei portfolio in areas such as SoftCOM, distributed cloud data centers and SDN/NFV integration would be required to achieve adaptation and success within the global digital ecosystem. For example, the Huawei BES framework can play a pivotal role in adoption of the Huawei SoftCOM architecture (i.e., cloud-centric business model) to assure the scalable, elastic architecture required for operator agility in driving the digital value chain. How BES supports the cloud orchestration required across the B2C/B2B/B2B2X digital ecosystems will prove essential in generating operator confidence toward adopting the framework.
• Vertical Applications: Operators need to vet the Huawei BES framework in its potential to drive the targeting of vertical markets. Unlike many of its key competitors, Huawei does not customarily target customers in vertical markets directly. Since Huawei does not work directly in vertical markets, it might be fair to question the depth of its understanding of vertical market requirements. As one of Huawei’s objectives is to help its operator customers to penetrate verticals, then these customers need to know that the advice they will be getting from Huawei comes from a place of proven deployment experience. Huawei can count on rivals using vertical competencies as a differentiator in selling against the BES framework.
Overall Huawei needs to include progress with operator trials and PoCs, let alone operator endorsements and use cases, to fuel the year-plus marketing momentum behind BES. Otherwise Huawei risks entrapping BES in an early downward spiraling hype-cycle that creates the ecosystem impression that the framework lacks prime time readiness because it was too heavily promoted ahead of operator willingness to adopt BES on a robust, wide scale. Continue reading “MWC 2015: Huawei’s Business Enabling System (BES) – Ready for Digital Prime Time?”→
Mobile World Congress will once again be dominated with the move to NFV-based architectures, but this year we’ll see far more differentiation between vendors
“Older” technologies like IMS and DPI are finding new momentum and application in this brave new world; every IP-based technology has a part to play
It’s the time of year once more when Mobile World Congress dominates the telecoms industry landscape. It’s hard to maintain “business as usual” while constantly buzzed by frantic attempts to arrange and re-arrange meetings as companies vie for airtime with customers, prospects, analysts and press during four days of feverish networking. Continue reading “MWC 2015: The “Same but Different” from MWC 2014: Time For More NFV Vendor Differentiation”→
CES 2015 was dominated by high-profile telecom trends – IoT, Connected Cars, 4K Video – along with a growing number of potentially connected devices (EG, robots and drones)
Mobile World Congress 2015 should see a focus on the technologies needed to execute on the trends of CES, including LTE-A and 5G
With less than a month to go before MWC 2015 kicks off, we will soon start to see reports and analyses of what will likely be the show’s big themes. It turns out that nobody really likes a surprise. Or maybe they just want to come to Barcelona prepared so that they can plan early to hit all the important booths, exhibits and keynotes. In any case, if you’re one of those people who wants to start outlining your MWC wrap-up reports even before the show begins, you’ve got a few options for predicting its dominant themes. You could just assume that the major themes of 2015 are likely to be extensions of what we saw in 2014. That’s probably a safe bet. With vendors trying to get their MWC messaging out long before the noise of the show (see ) you can just see what gets announced over the next few weeks. Or, you can look to themes that emerged at CES and extrapolate from there. Continue reading “MWC 2015: The Trends of MWC Were Telegraphed at CES”→
Every year, we write many analyses which “get lost in the shuffle” – read many fewer times than our average report.
The topics of these reports are varied – SDN/NFV, video, OSS/BSS, services, small cells – but all include important insights for telecom vendor and operator success.
Where we looked at some of our most read reports from 2014 in an earlier report, it may be even more important to look at the reports that weren’t so well read. Just like the “cool kids” back in school, the top reports showcase what everyone was paying the most attention to. Those reports at the bottom of the list, however, tell an equally important story – specific topics that may be getting ignored, at the peril of telecom stakeholders (think the “not so cool kid” from high school that ended up changing the world). Continue reading “2014: The Technologies, Themes, Topics (and Reports) You Spaced On!”→
In 2014, SDN and NFV dominated our “most read reports list,” speaking to what was on the minds of telecom carriers and vendors around the world.
A preoccupation with virtualization (network and/or function) could be dangerous if it distracts from other key network technology evolutions.
By definition, some of the analyses we pen will get more attention than others. That attention may be due to any number of factors – the time at which the report was posted, the author, a particularly engaging title – but it’s only natural to assume that the topic of a report is what drives the greatest interest.
Summary Bullets:• Comarch used its recent Comarch User Group event to tout the location-detection and customer loyalty benefits of its Comarch Beacon technology.
• Comarch can improve the channel prospects of its Comarch Beacon solution by enlisting and touting operator and iOS/Android developer support.
Comarch provided an update on its Comarch Beacon solution at its recent Comarch User Group event. The Comarch Beacon is designed to enable businesses to have personalized communications with customers within close proximity to the business location. The technology is supported by proximity-detection technology which supports two-way communications, including location-detection challenging indoor locations. The solution is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Since the Comarch Beacon product must contend with a vast array of overlapping and alternative IoT sensor solutions, how does Comarch plan to promote the solution?:
• Beacon Use Cases: Comarch sees its beacon technology having the most impact in the retailer segment. For example, within mall environments the beacon can pinpoint customer preferences upon their entrance at a store location to store management. This capability would apply to loyalty program and other opt-in participants. Likewise smart device users can access incentive programs and other useful data. These capabilities can appeal to operators keen on using location-based apps to improve their service packages as well as improve customer loyalty through retail partner programs that pool and share loyalty rewards and incentives.
• Indoor Detection: Unlike GPS technology the Comarch Beacon solution uses proximity detection technology that work within indoor environments such as shopping malls and resorts. The lack of indoor location detection has proven in a barrier in advancing adoption of location detection technologies for smart device applications and services. Comarch avoids obliging customers to cut their teeth on inconsistent and unproven location-detection technologies.
As Comarch develops and markets the Comarch Beacon solution, what are the key concerns and barriers the company needs to address to boost its market acceptance?:
• OSS/BSS Integration: Comarch may have missed an early sales and marketing opportunity to enlist operators to boost retail adoption of the Comarch Beacon solution, putting more focus on the retailers themselves. Since the Comarch Beacon technology requires compatibility with iOS and Android devices, operators have both the incentives and means to encourage retail/customer adoption of the technology. Moreover, as an OSS/BSS supplier Comarch can drive operator integration of IoT communications, such as beacons, within their evolving OSS/BSS implementations.
• iOS and Android Developer Influence: The Comarch Beacon technology relies on compatibility with iOS and Android smart devices. As a result, Comarch may need to prove it can influence the iOS and Android developer communities to support its beacon technology among a wide array of IoT beacon/sensor alternatives. Without such developer support, Comarch risks its Comarch Beacon technology becoming a pedestrian location detection app that underwhelms consumers and customers.
Overall Comarch can improve the channel prospects of its Comarch Beacon technology by proactively engaging and enlisting operators to use the solution to improve their own service packages and retailer relations. Furthermore, Comarch needs to show it can motivate iOS and Android developers to devote resources in the direction of Comarch Beacon to prove it can drive improving customer loyalty among retailer brands.
• Comverse unveiled its new Comverse Kenan Enterprise Monetization Realization Platform designed to advance operator and enterprise cloud BSS objectives
• The competitive prospects of the Comverse Kenan Enterprise Monetization Realization Platform are enhanced by complementary innovations in areas such as software licensing models and cloud security
Comverse recently introduced its Enterprise Monetization Realization Platform, powered by Kenan FX | CX | AX, at the TM Forum Live! Digital Disruption event. The newly overhauled Kenan suite targets emerging enterprise, operator and cloud service provider objectives to use cloud technologies to scale and differentiate their digital service packages. By delivering the Kenan module-based solutions via the cloud, Comverse asserts it enables operators to put focus on their customers and deliver services faster through a tailored approach that meets their specific business needs.
Since Comverse must compete against a wide range of BSS solutions that target monetization realization apps, how does the company plan to differentiate and advance its Enterprise Monetization Realization Platform within the operator, cloud service provider, and enterprise channels?:
• Kenan FX Revenue Management: Leveraging the Kenan FX product’s origins in multi-play postpaid billing and revenue management, Comverse positions the Kenan FX module as providing the on-premise financial framework required for comprehensive customer lifecycle management. Comverse can claim to produce the latest refresh of revenue management tools to differentiate against the sea of competing BSS solutions with revenue management modules.
• Kenan CX Cloud BSS: With its October 2014 release, Comverse asserts the Kenan CX provides the cloud BSS framework that meets the cloud security requirements of operators and their customers. This includes worldwide and regulatory support alongside billing operations service bureau resources.
• Kenan AX: The Kenan AX module is targeted for launch at the beginning of 2015. It is designed to provide a web framework for combined recurring and usage, any-time any-service modeling. The key differentiator Comverse claims is a carrier grade web architecture and design that avoids the limitations of third-party OTT web frameworks.
As Comverse touts its latest revenue management proposition further into the operator, enterprise and cloud service provider channels, what are the key concerns and barriers the company needs to address?:
• Licensing Model Innovation?: As Comverse fills in additional development details for its Enterprise Monetization Realization Platform during the course of 2015 it could boost the channel prospects of its solution by addressing the benefits of the Comverse software license model. With rivals such as Huawei ready to trumpet garnishment of BSS business from Comverse, it needs to produce software licensing innovation to complement its latest technical advances. Moreover key rival Ericsson introduced its Software 15A release to shepherd emulation of IT software models, such as better-defined software packages and transparent pricing models, into the telco space boosting its overall cloud proposition.
• Cloud Security Credentials: Comverse is right on target to include cloud security as a highlight in the Enterprise Monetization Realization Platform rollout. Consistently, operators have identified cloud security as a top rolling concern in scaling cloud technology to support an expanding array of apps. However, Comverse needs to firm up its cloud security story and development to gain an upper hand on BSS rivals who have thus far neglected putting cloud security in the center of their BSS roadmaps for 2015 and beyond.
Overall Comverse can revitalize its BSS competitive prospects with successful execution of the Enterprise Monetization Realization Platform road map. The Kenan brand name continues to command customer respect in the revenue management segment enabling Comverse to boost the channel prospects of the new platform. Now can Comverse also produce additional innovations in areas such as software licensing and cloud security to further boost prospects for the new platform?
• Intel and Amartus target new operator service orchestration demands with an approach that relies on delivering run-time, programmable, end-to-end service orchestration for cloud, WAN, and SDN/NFV applications
• The Intel/Amartus partnership needs to devote more attention toward why operators need to adopt the Amartus Chameleon SDS solution against an array of orchestration alternatives and how it fits into operator NFV MANO plans Intel and Amartus recently issued a solution brief that targets delivering runtime, programmable, end-to-end service orchestration for operator cloud, WAN, and SDN/NFV applications. Intel and Amartus propose combining Intel Xeon servers with the Amartus Chameleon SDS (software-defined service orchestration) to meet the new service provisioning and orchestration demands of supporting SDN/NFV implementations. The pair have identified that operators require more than adoption of SDN/NFV to meet their emerging next generation service provisioning challenges.
As Intel and Amartus must contend against a wide range of service orchestration solutions, how does the pair plan to differentiate and advance their service orchestration proposition within the operator channels?
• Elasticity and Automation: Intel and Amartus target the top operator priority in using SDN/NFV to render their WAN and cloud services more automated and elastic. Both companies advocate adopting an end-to-end service orchestration approach that is purpose-designed to scale the new class of pay-per-use type of services enabled by SDN/NFV technology. This positioning enables Intel and Amartus to claim an orchestration solution that avoids the limitations of traditional OSS platforms due to their incompatibility with emerging SDN/NFV architectures and overall inflexibility.
• Unified Service Orchestration: Intel and Amartus advocate that operators adopt a unified software-defined service orchestration platform that is purpose-designed to support dynamic, run-time programmability for any service or technology. The integrated Amartus SDS/Intel Xeon server solution is already based on run-time programmable principles that can support model-driven service and network orchestration. This approach allows the alliance to assert their solution avoids the fragmented service support drawbacks of legacy OSS platforms due to their hard-wiring for specific services and technologies.
As Intel and Amartus market and advocate their service orchestration proposition further into the operator channels what are the key concerns and barriers both companies need to address?:
• NFV Orchestration Battles: Intel and Amartus will need to address how their service orchestration solution can meet emerging operator NFV management and organization (MANO) demands. Intel and Amartus must convince operators that their service orchestration proposition deserves to prevail over the plethora of competing orchestration solutions flooding the market today that seemingly defy meeting operator unified management objectives. To this end, the partnership needs to demonstrate support and compliance with NFV MANO requirements that avoid the over-hyped compliance claims of rivals that plagued the embryonic phase of NFV MANO development.
• Proving New Channel Competencies: Intel and Amartus must contend with a wide variety of competitors, including network and IT equipment suppliers, claiming some version of an end-to-end (E2E) service orchestration solution. This will make the partnership’s marketing efforts more challenging to execute successfully, since few if any rivals will concede the Intel/Amartus approach is unique. In particular, Intel must prove to operators it can meet the distinct demands of E2E orchestration on the network side of operations and not just the IT side. This could extend the sales cycles of the partnership as Intel sets out to prove its operator channel competencies extend beyond processors and servers and into virtual network function (VNF) infrastructure, VNFs and NFV MANO.
Overall Intel and Amartus can make inroads with their E2E service orchestration proposition since operators are in the midst of considering network architectural overhauls that span cloud, WAN and SDN/NFV considerations. However the alliance needs more than good timing to convince operators to adopt their approach since rivals will prove keen to dilute their E2E service orchestration claims. Moreover, operators may oblige Intel and Amartus to prove an extra level of competence in extending Amartus Chameleon SDS management compliance to the NFV MANO domain.
