Customer Experience with innovations in network services
Organisations are facing unprecedented challenges in the given economic environment. Their customer’s expectations are ever increasing where as the resource availability is fast plummeting.
Gone are the days when linear injection of resources, computing and infrastructure, would lead to more revenues and better satisfaction. In my recent interactions with clients these days, all of them are aiming for better services at optimum cost, more efficiencies in lesser time and this originates from their end-users. As the focus shifts from merely providing services to ensuring better customer experience that too right first time, telcos have to innovate, innovate fast or be obsolete.
I think this is the part of new rules of the game now, and is evident with the strategy telecom service providers have adopted: switching over to networked IT services, not because of merely protecting their market share but to realise the full potential of their core assets – “Network Infrastructure” and hence the customer experience. Service providers are evolving new Operating models - from providing vanilla network services to providing managed services to providing Utility type telecom services and this is what makes the telecom sector extraordinarily competitive, globally. While they evolve their service models, it is providing them with ample opportunities to transform their asset base, their capabilities so as to provide Software Services on network and connected infrastructure by leveraging the powers of virtualised landscape than relying on dedicated estates. Cloud Computing based platforms, for example, are fast becoming reality as they allow better utilisation and allocation of computing power and thus enabling QoS based computing resource availability in this regime of ‘on Demand’ rules of the game. In the end, this is aimed at better asset management, better customer management and experience. Winner remains the ‘customer’ but the telco too!
Are you seeing the same trend or the reasons of movement to this new regime?
Comments
I agree with your insights into the challenges faced by the Telcos. There are definitely new service areas that Telcos need to tap into to enhance the customer experience. These largely seem to be around Mobile content and delivery models. Location based services and community creation are key services that Telcos are looking at. With the market for these expected to reach 9 Billion USD by 2011, it is crunch time in the consumer segment.
As you have pointed out, it is not enough to just throw resources at the issues - the network making services available needs to be closely coupled with effectively delivering content and partnering with content creators to build that stickiness.
On the business segments; higher service levels and innovative on demand network services are needed by customers. The virtualised landscapes could be the key in harnessing compute power needed whilst maintaining low cost bases to drive profitability. The money markets have responded well to companies that are innovating in delivering network services coupled with content. The trick is to map the needs of business users and enabling networks that can deploy services much faster than ever before.
Does this hark back to SDP or is a next gen IN the answer? It seems the jury is still out on this one.
Commented by: Akshat Prasad | January 16, 2009 5:16 PM