Stratecast Q&A: A Back Office Health Report : Stratecast Analyst Karl Whitelock Assesses the Telecom

Stratecast Analyst Karl Whitelock Assesses the Telecom Back Office in a Q&A Session

Tim McElligott
04/08/2009

Continued from page 2

Do service providers appreciate how fast things are moving around them?

No, I don’t think they understand that yet. The speed of change has accelerated quite substantially from where we were just 12 months ago. They kind of get it, but then again they don’t because they feel they have such large numbers of customers. But there is change coming and the change will impact them. It will impact operators in the mobile space even more. That’s where all the cool stuff is. Many users are starting to question if they need a fixed broadband connection anymore. In certain areas of the world, not in the U.S., growth is significant still and people are coming online for the first time and experiencing mobile data services even though they have never before played with a computer.

Won’t there be cool apps in the fiber and IPTV realm as well?

IPTV is never going to hold the fascination that everyone thinks it will because the business case is not there. People will use the TV for things they like to use it for now. But look at the major networks like NBC.com. You can download any of the weekly shows and if you wait a week you can get them for free and download it to your mobile device.

What are some of the highlights of your talk at B/OSS World?

I’ll emphasize convergence. Understand that convergence isn’t just about telecom; it is the bringing together of IP computing, entertainment, advertising and opening the door to other industries to use all the capabilities now coming together. Convergence is pushing certain critical business drivers that are affecting and creating new capabilities. These drivers are device evolution, computing infrastructure, continuous upgrades, market consolidation, regulatory change and third-party development. People will be able to pick services from a long list rather than being dictated to. It is all about providing what customers want not what the operator wants to provide.

This is also opening the door for other industries, such as financial services, retail and even insurance. It is forcing change in BSS/OSS to where many functions, especially billing and provisioning, are now part of the service.