Monday, 1 August 2016

Three steps to improve telcos’ customer experience in an increasingly agile world

increasingly agile world

(c)iStock.com/RapidEye
As customer experience fast becomes a key determinant of success for CSPs, every individual within an organisation will hold some responsibility over it and there is more pressure than ever for businesses to invest in new solutions to manage the needs of their customers. In order to drive Customer Experience Management (CEM) forward in today’s increasingly agile world, CSPs must work to reshape business models to understand the fast changing needs of their customers and provide enhanced services that will enrich the customer experience.

Foster customer experience as a ‘culture’

In order to enhance every element of the experience and ensure the customer remains at the centre of all business decisions, CSPs will need to foster customer experience as a ‘culture’. It will be extremely important that the C-level leadership within the business provide the right direction and vision for the company. Leading by example, this influence filters down through the rest of the company so that the importance of CEM embodies everyone within the organisation. To achieve this, CSPs will need to re-position their systems and processes to support more integrated product management strategies. It is also important that businesses take the opportunity to learn from their customers through their smart devices and ensure they have efficient business processes and infrastructure in place to make use of real-time customer feedback.
Constant incremental innovation and learning from customer behaviour is a necessary pre-requisite to predicting what the customer will need in the future. At Tecnotree, we work with our customers to utilise information available through the standard BSS stack to enhance the customer experience throughout the customer lifecycle. By understanding their customers’ behaviour, CSPs will be able to alter or create products quickly, while ensuring relevance to the end-user by recommending products, services and actions that will enable better engagement.

Shift telco business models to improve CEM

One of the biggest steps that CSPs are taking to contribute to customer experience is through the move to subscription based revenue models. Various try-and-buy and freemium business models are now widely available in the telecom space and CSPs have been forced to respond, both in terms of their end-user offerings, as well as packaging traffic and other services to their OTT partners. With traditional metered subscriptions still largely being the backbone of the CSP business model, some creative thinking will be required for them to adopt new strategies to improve CEM.  
CSPs have currently found it difficult to have traditional metered subscriptions and freemium models work side by side, but we are beginning to see more interest in exploring “Internet style” models through parallel brands or “friendly MVNOs”. With these types of approaches there is a possibility for CSPs to have the best of both worlds and explore new ideas without prematurely jeopardising their core business revenues.

Enhance partnership models

Until recently, many CSPs have been somewhat stuck in the past, using mainstream partnering models that still reflect the premium SMS era structures. However, in some markets we are now beginning to see CSPs taking a more proactive approach to bundling services with OTT partners. One factor in this trend is Facebook’s strong push for its Basic Services concept, which in some areas seems to act as a catalyst for bringing CSPs and non-Facebook-affiliated OTTs together.
From a wholesale standpoint, to enhance customer experience this means that the entire value chain must align in the way that network access and services are packaged and priced. In order for small and agile OTT partners to remain interested, retail and partner revenue share, together with roaming, packaging and pricing, must be transparent and predictable, especially where partners are operating across operator and geographical boundaries.
Putting customer experience at the forefront of a CSP’s business will be a challenge, however by modernising processes and prioritising the need to have scalable business models in place, they can identify opportunities for investment and form the strategic partnerships needed to grow new revenue streams. It is also important for CSPs to create a company culture that understands its customers and listens to their feedback, to ensure that products are relevant and best meet customers’ needs. By addressing these changes and adopting an approach that looks beyond their traditional offerings, CSPs will be able to reshape their business, expand service portfolios, and thus grow customer value in order to succeed in a highly competitive landscape.
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Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Airline passengers prioritise wifi over all other in-flight services combined





A survey conducted by Inmarsat and GfK has concluded in-flight wifi is by far the most sought-after amenity by passengers, ahead of meals and in-flight entertainment.
The survey covered 9,000 passengers in Europe, APAC and Latin America who had taken a flight of any length in the past year and carried at least one personal device on board the aircraft. 92% of those wanted connectivity and, when asked to pick a single service, including meals and traditional entertainments systems, 54% of them went for wifi.
While ambivalence towards airplane food is understandable, such is today’s reliance on connected devices that it seems even being offered a bunch of premium content is no substitute for being able to get online in the air. 83% of respondents said they will select an airline based on in-flight wifi two thirds of them said they’d be willing to pay extra for improved quality and reliability. 78% of respondents expect connectivity to replace in-flight entertainment within a decade.
“Demand for broadband in the sky has reached such unprecedented levels around the world that airlines, as well as those in the business aviation and aircraft lessor markets, need to meet passenger expectations or risk losing out to their competitors,” said Leo Mondale, President of Inmarsat Aviation.
“Our survey clearly demonstrates that passengers demand a highly reliable service. Quality is the essential ingredient that determines whether or not passengers choose to go online during flights. Airlines are therefore under pressure to select the right partner to support them in delivering a reliable and cost effective service.”
Mondale obviously thinks his company is that partner. As expectations of ubiquitous connectivity grow satellite is coming to the fore as a way to fill not-spots and bring connectivity to remote environments. The satellite connectivity market seems to be booming and in-flight connectivity especially looks set to be highly competitive.
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Monday, 4 April 2016

Orange/Bouygues merger off as talks fail





The potential merger between French telcos Orange and Bouygues is off after months of negotiations drew to a close with no agreement in place.
Discussions over the merger have been ongoing since January which would, ostensibly, have created the country’s biggest telco owning the majority of the market. Leaks and media speculation forced the telco in to publicly stating board-level talks were underway, and last week Orange said talks would conclude over the weekend.
Indeed, the talks have concluded, but not with the confirmation of a deal expected by many. Instead, a statement released by Orange simply said: “After in-depth discussions, the Board of Directors of Orange has concluded that an agreement regarding a possible consolidation with Bouygues Telecom has not been reached. The decision has therefore been taken to end the discussions with Bouygues that have been ongoing since 5 January 2016.”
There were concerns over the consequences such a large consolidation effort would have on the French market. With two large players forming to hold an outright majority of French consumers, one of the key sticking points of the discussions was over the distribution of Bouygues assets to the other two players, SFR and Free, to maintain an even playing field.
Bouygues’ statement upon the conclusion of discussions offered some insight into its concerns. It said it “attributed great importance” to the level of its equity stake in Orange that would enable it to become a significant shareholder capable of supporting Orange’s growth over the long term, as well as its own valuation. Therefore, its Board of Directors drew a swift close to the talks.
“After three months of discussions with Orange, it was not possible to find agreement on all of these points,” it said in a statement. “In a market where the possibility of consolidation is now ruled out for the long term, Bouygues Telecom will continue its standalone strategy, which has already resulted in a return to growth in sales and EBITDA in 2015.”
It would seem concerns over Bouygues’ influence and valuation as a result of a joint venture with Orange could well have been the obstacle which neither party could overcome. Stating consolidation is now ruled out for the long term is a fairly clear indication that this saga won’t be revisited anytime soon.
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Wednesday, 9 March 2016

Google in talks with telecoms to pilot Project Loon in India








Google is currently talking with several Indian telecoms to help launch Project Loon, which uses balloons instead of cellular towers to provide affordable Internet access in remote areas. According to an article in the Economic Times, the company is in discussions with BSNL and other companies to pilot Project Loon in India.
Rajan Anandan, the managing director of Google India, told the newspaper that the company “can’t do a Loon pilot without partnering with a local telco. We are talking to a number of them,” adding “the government has been very supportive–we are working on a pilot and we are working our way through it. In India, the important thing is to work through things.”
Project Launch was announced in 2013 by Google X, the company’s incubator, with the ultimate goal of providing “balloon-powered Internet for everyone.” Helping people get online isn’t just an altruistic move by Google—it also helps the company build a market for its services in emerging economies.
Comparisons between Project Loon and Facebook’s Free Basics are inevitable because both projects were launched by American tech giants in order to bring Internet access to rural or underserved areas around the world. Free Basics also partners with local telecoms, but it provides access to only certain websites (including Facebook). This triggered concerns that Free Basics violates the principles of net neutrality. As a result, the program was blocked by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India earlier this month.
One important difference between the two is that Project Loon’s balloons provide LTE connections that share cellular spectrums operated by telecom companies. It may be able to avoid the problems faced by Free Basic’s by enabling free or cheaper connections to the Internet instead of a limited list of sites.
To be sure, that doesn’t guarantee that Google’s project will completely avoid regulatory issues in India. The Economic Times reported last December that the government has raised concerns about technical and security issues. Google’s chief executive officer Sundar Pichai has met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other government officials, however, and that may help pave the way for Project Loon to succeed.
According to a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India, there are currently over 402 million Internet users in the country. While the number is growing rapidly, thanks largely to inexpensive smartphones, that means two-thirds of India’s population still lack regular online access.
Featured Image: Photo from Project Loon's Google+ profile
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Monday, 15 February 2016

New picture shows off the colours of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge

Want to know everything about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge? Here’s what we know so far, including the expected Galaxy S7 release date, new Galaxy S7 features and the latest Galaxy S7 specs info.
Samsung has built a name for itself as a premium smartphone manufacturer off the back of the Galaxy S-series, so everyone is excited to see what’s in store for the Galaxy S7 – set to arrive this month.
Fortunately, while Samsung hasn't confirmed anything officially, it did accidentally leak the Galaxy S7 Edge – whoops! More on that later.
Anyway, it’s always tough to tell what a company is working on in advance, but we’ve rounded up the very best in Galaxy S7 news, rumours, leaks, and also applied some educated guesswork.
Leaks are being turned out by the dozen in the run-up to Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event on February 21. Latest rumours point to a Snapdragon 820 processor, an 'Always On' display, a 3,600mAh battery for the Edge, a 12-megapixel camera, and a pressure-sensitive screen.
We've also started to see a sudden influx of renders arriving from various sources, which could suggest that Samsung has finalised the Galaxy S7 design and is providing build details to case makers.
The theory of an imminent release is furthered by a recent leak that suggested the handset will be unveiled in February at Samsung's planned MWC press conference, and go on sale in the UK on March 11.
Related: iPhone 7 - Everything we know so far

Read more at http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s7-release-date-rumours-news-specs-and-price#zB3GBC26Z9jzuZXp.99
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Wednesday, 3 February 2016

samsung s6 review

Samsung Galaxy S6 review - Android 6.0 incoming

The Galaxy S6's metal and glass body is a big step forward, as is the fast processor, but you can't upgrade storage or replace the battery
Katharine Byrne
1 Feb 2016
Expert Reviews Recommended Logo
Image 1 of 9
Samsung Galaxy S6 OLED display
Our Rating 
5/5
Price when reviewed 
600
SIM-free
Buy it now for 
£350

Page 1 of 3Samsung Galaxy S6 review - Android 6.0 incoming

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Specifications

Processor: Quad-core 2.1GHz & quad-core 1.5GHz Samsung Exynos 7420, Screen Size: 5.1in, Screen resolution: 2,560x1,440, Rear camera: 16-megapixel, Storage: 32GB / 64GB / 128GB, Wireless data: 3G, 4G, Size: 143x70x6.8mm, Weight: 132g, Operating system: Android 5.0
www.carphonewarehouse.com
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was a great phone in terms of technology, but there's no denying it felt like just another iterative change of what had gone before rather than something a bit more revolutionary. This year, we have no such qualms with the Galaxy S6, as Samsung has gone back to the drawing board and completely redesigned its flagship handset. Building it from high-quality glass and metal, the S6 feels like the premium handset that we've always wanted.
In fact, Samsung has brought us two new handsets this year, with the Galaxy S6 Edge and its curved display sitting above the regular S6. While the Edge may the phone that most people would love to have in their pockets, the standard S6 is £160 cheaper and has almost all the same features (save for the special Edge screen tabs). For many, then, the S6 is the phone you're more likely buy, as it's the best value.

In brief

Samsung has completely revamped its phone line-up for 2015, with the incredible build quality and premium materials of the S6 proving to be a real winner. Samsung's own mobile processor is also incredibly fast and powerful, beating almost every other flagship smartphone when it comes to raw application speed, outstripping the LG G4 and HTC One M9 by miles. While the S6 Edge is the phone we'd want, this standard S6 is just as quick and has just as good a screen and camera, making it our joint-top flagship Android handset of the year; it even gives iPhone 6 readers something to think about. If this isn't the phone for you, then our best smartphone guide will have something suitable.
Security Flaws In Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Found By Hackers
Pros
Cons
  • Excellent build quality
  • High-quality screen
  • Very fast
  • Battery is not replaceable
  • No memory card slot
Samsung Galaxy S6 battery life

In detail

With the Galaxy S6 Edge launching at the same time, the S6 isn't just competing against other flagship Android phones; it's competing against its curved-screen brother. It's not an easy decision to make between the two, either. While the Edge, in our opinion, looks a lot cooler, you do have to take into account its much higher cost and work out if it's worth paying more for. With the standard S6, you're getting a flat screen, but it's fair to say that build quality and attention to detail is just as good as with the Edge.

Design and build quality

The Galaxy S6 is a big improvement on the S5, with the glass and metal design bringing the phone up to the quality we think its price demands. That's not to say that everything is perfect: as much as we love the phone's metal design, its smooth, rounded corners make it feel extremely slippery to hold, and it constantly felt like it was about to fall out of our hand.

Image 6 of 9
Samsung Galaxy S6 screen

It doesn't help that the S6 has a glass back either, as this provides very little purchase when you're using the phone single-handed. The S6 Edge, on the other hand, skirts around this issue by having a thinner, more angular frame to accommodate its curved screen, making it much easier and more comfortable to grip. We never thought we'd miss Samsung's faux-leather back panels, but we did like the amount grip they provided.
The phone's rounded edges also have the strange effect of making the S6 appear considerably fatter in your hand compared to the S6 Edge, despite the fact the S6 is actually 0.2mm slimmer, measuring 6.8mm compared to the 7mm on the Edge. It's a minor quibble, but it nevertheless serves as a reminder that the S6 Edge feels like the more premium product.

Image 5 of 9
Samsung Galaxy S6 USB port

There's not much in it in terms of weight, as the S6 weighs 138g while the S6 Edge weighs 132g. Either way, both trump the HTC One M9 and LG G4, as the One M9 measures 9.6mm thick and weighs a heftier 157g while the G4 measures 8.9mm and weighs 155g. Some will no doubt prefer the added bulk of the One M9 and G4, particularly if you're a little nervous about dropping it, but the S6 definitely feels more comfortable in your pocket.

Display

Fortunately, the S6 makes up for its small design issues with its stunning 5.1in Super AMOLED display. With a resolution of 2,560x1,440, the phone has the highest pixel density (577ppi) of any handset, beating the LG G3, which has the same resolution and a larger 5.5in screen. As we've come to expect from Samsung's AMOLED displays, colour accuracy and contrast were through the roof, as our colour calibrator returned an sRGB colour gamut score of 100% and a contrast ratio of Infinity:1. Likewise, blacks were a perfect 0.00cd/m2, so text and black backgrounds are as deep and inky as they come.
Screen brightness was a rather more contentious issue, as Samsung claims the screen can reach as high as 600cd/m2, which is higher than even most LCD screens are capable of producing. The HTC One M9, for instance, managed just 478.50cd/m2 on its highest brightness setting. AMOLED screens, on the other hand, are usually much dimmer, and our usual maximum brightness tests were very much in line with what we'd normally expect to see from this type of screen technology.

Image 1 of 9
Samsung Galaxy S6 OLED display

Here, we measured a peak brightness of 346.49cd/m2, which is nigh on identical to our readings from the S6 Edge. This is fine for using the phone outside, but it still pales in comparison to what an LCD can achieve. However, it seems Samsung has finally addressed this issue of outdoor usability, as our live brightness readings shot up to a massive 577cd/m2 when we took the phone outside and switched back to automatic brightness.
This is the first time we've seen this kind of brightness level on an AMOLED phone, and it really helps boost the clarity of the screen and keeps colours looking punchy when you're out and about. This will be good news for anyone who travels a lot or primarily uses their phone outside, as it effectively combines the best features of both AMOLED and LCD screen technology. We like that it's only available on Auto mode as well, as this should help keep the screen's power drain in check so you don't end up running out of battery so often.

Android 6.0 and TouchWiz

Samsung's TouchWiz interface on the S6 was more streamlined than ever before, with fewer pre-installed apps and widgets cluttering up your home screens. In fact, there were only two pages of pre-installed apps when we first turned it on, which will be welcome news to anyone who's suffered through the mountains of Samsung bloatware it used to install on its previous smartphones.
But that's enough about that, as Samsung is in the process of rolling out Android 6.0 for its current flagship smartphones. It's taken a while to come and it's not here quite yet, but with public beta testing and a rollout imminent in South Korea, we should see it on handsets here shortly. The interface has been brought up-to-date with some smart new icons and more use of white in menus, you can also switch the colour palette easily with new themes.
It includes all the latest features, such as Google's clever Now on Tap, which scans whatever's on your phone's screen and then provides useful additional information. For example, scan an email asking if you'd like to go and see a film that night and Now on Tap will automatically find the nearest screenings. There's also the hugely improved permissions system, which asks for permission to access your phone's system when required and lets you refuse access to individual parts (such as the camera) while still running the app.
Whether you have Android 5 or 6 you'll still find apps for S Health, S Planner, S Voice and Samsung's Smart Manager apps pre-installed, as well as Samsung's Galaxy App store and Microsoft's OneDrive and OneNote apps, but others such as Skype and WhatsApp are mere placeholder icons that act as shortcuts to the full download page on the Google Play Store, freeing up a bit more space on your phone while providing a gentle reminder about other useful services you might want to install. All of Microsoft's apps can be removed from the home screen and disabled in the app tray; this makes the icons disappear, although the apps are still technically installed and are still listed under Apps in the Settings menu.
Of course, as the screen on the S6 is flat, you won't find any of the extra features that the S6 Edge has, such as People Edge, the Information Stream or the Night Clock. To be honest, none of these are really must-have features anyway, so you're certainly not missing out on anything if you'd rather save the extra money.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Android TouchWiz multiscreen
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Monday, 18 January 2016

New Owners Inject $1bn in NITEL to Revive Telecoms Firm








  • Targets 4,000 jobs by March 2016
By Damilola Oyedele in Abuja รข€¨
About $1 billion has already been expended on the revival of Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its sister company, Mobile Telecommunication Limited (Mtel), which were recently acquired by NATCOM Development and Investment Limited from the Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL).
The injected funds and other efforts would see the company engage 4,000 employees by March, as it sets to roll out its mobile lines, and 4G/LTE services for broadband users.
The Chairman of NATCOM, Mr. Olatunde Ayeni, revealed these  during a presentation before the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Communication and Privatisation, where he added that the firm’s services would be rolled out on Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt before expanding to other parts of the country.
He disclosed  that the initial financial bid  was increased to $252.251 million from $221 million when juxtaposed with the liquidator’s reserved price of $256 million.
NATCOM acquired assets and licences of NITEL and MTEL, percentage interest held in South-Atlantic 3 (SAT-3) consortium, and identifiable assets capable of generating viable business units.
“NATCOM’s full submission was duly made to NITEL/MTEL’s liquidator and Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Enterprises on  November 7, 2014. NATCOM’s submission was accompanied by a bid bond in the amount of $10 million as stipulated in the liquidator’s RFP,” he said.
He disclosed that $10 million had been spent on SAT-3 system,  quarterly dues to the consortium, system expansion and upgrade since the acquisition, adding that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had assigned another set of microwave frequency ranges to NATCOM upon request for N176.8 million, computed on the basis of 800 bases station network in the first instance.
NATCOM was requested to pay an additional N6.6 billion to bridge the shortfall of the value of the Naira to the Dollar from N168 to N197, after the payment of the first installment of 30 per cent of the bid price within 14 days of approval by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) and balance within the 90 days,  Ayeni said.
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