A look at the future: Re-defining the communications partner ecosystem

Next Generation Communications Blog

A look at the future: Re-defining the communications partner ecosystem

The communications market today is more complex than ever - and more competitive than ever, with subscribers becoming less tolerant of what they perceive to be poor service. Because of a large number of alternative providers for both wireline and wireless services, carriers are must consider whether their traditional business models will continue to drive growth into the future.
 
The simple fact is that they are not. The services and capabilities that have, until now, served carriers well, are only a part of what subscribers are demanding - they want more services and applications, more access, and more integration with their various access devices and networks.
 
However, telecom operators can hardly meet these various needs alone - they simply lack the resources, and even if that were not the case, the time and effort involved would immediately put them behind their competitors. Instead, these new subscriber demands have created a phenomenon in the communications market, where telecom operators must develop new relationships within the community that previously were unheard of. Instead of seeking to build out networks to cover all areas, and instead of developing all applications and services in-house, operators must collaborate with other communications vendors - all of whom are in the same situation, and face the same concerns - to build mutually beneficial relationships to lower costs and time to market.
 
For mobile and fixed-line operators alike, one of the keys is forming strategic partnerships with each other, allowing each to deliver a full suite of multi-play services leveraging each other's networks and resources. The recent economic downturn forced many subscribers to turn to operators that were able to offer lower monthly charges by signing subscribers to bundled service packages. And despite a flattening of the economy now, that trend is not likely to change - once subscribers have enjoyed lower rates - not to mention reducing the number of vendors to deal with - the trend is, in fact, only likely to grow.
 
Mobile operators, for instance, should seek out fixed broadband providers, with whom they can develop bundled offerings. 
 
This new partnership and network sharing model will undoubtedly present its own issues - including resource management, network integration (subscribers will naturally want the benefit of converged services across their different access networks and devices), and billing and revenue sharing. But, with standards-based technology deployed by nearly every operator, and with interoperability work having already been undertaken between equipment vendors looking to drive IMS-based networks to market, the benefits that can be achieved greatly outweigh the pains.
 
For more on how network operators can adopt new business models - including the emerging trend for carrier network outsourcing - to leverage their infrastructure investments and remain competitive, read the Alcatel-Lucent white paper, The Coming Carrier Network Infrastructure - A Very Different Landscape.


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