Throughout the incredible journey of the telecom OSS/BSS sector over
the last 10 years, VanillaPlus has remained a reliable source of both key
news but also informative, objective and thought-provoking assessments of
the key trends which have shaped our industry. I am looking forward to
VanillaPlus and their more recent Stream journal continuing to play a key
role in providing valuable insights as we enter one of the most exciting
phases of the telecoms OSS/BSS market evolutions.
Kieran Moynihan
Vice President & CTO Telecoms
IBM Tivoli Division
Marketing & Search
Amdocs unifies its m-commerce, search and advertising
Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), a leading provider of customer experience systems, has
introduced the first unified platform for mobile service providers to offer
digital marketplaces connecting advertisers, publishers, merchants and
consumers. Talking to VanillaPlus Magazine at Mobile World Congress in
Barcelona, Spain, Moshe Kamar, general manager of the new Amdocs division
reported that the new platform from its Advertising, Commerce and Entertainment
(ACE) division integrates the Amdocs Search and Digital Advertising system with
the mobile commerce systems of Amdocs Qpass to offer service providers new
business models and revenue streams, such as ad-sponsored content.
The Search and Digital Advertising solution was launched in January as a key
part of the Amdocs Customer Experience Systems (CES) product portfolio. It
leverages service providers’ valuable assets, including subscriber data and
network infrastructure, to provide the end customer with more targeted and
personalised advertising. By combining the solutions with Amdocs Qpass, its
digital commerce offering that has processed nearly one billion transactions
since 2003, service providers can offer consumers a fully personalised
experience with both targeted ads and content recommendations.
Unlike other
siloed platforms, Amdocs’ unified solution enables service providers to support
and offer complex and evolving business models, streamlining processes and
offering consumers exciting new ways of interacting with digital content. For
example, service providers can offer a wide range of purchasing options, from fully
consumer-funded to ad-sponsored content.
Said Kamar: "Four key assets were working in silos; Amdocs Qpass, the
Advertising & Media Division, Search & Digital Advertising, andn Open
Market which allows merchants to distribute digital goods, as well as charging
to the phone bill."
Service providers will also find experienced insight from the Amdocs Consulting
Division to help effectively introduce and optimise the revenue potential of
new services through counsel on process analysis, best practices, partner
assessment and business relationship optimisation, and data analysis.
“Combining our solutions into one ecosystem helps service providers offer a
more cohesive and personalised experience for their customers without heavy
investments in negotiating digital commerce relationships,” said Charles Born,
vice president of corporate communications for Amdocs. “With 25 years of
unmatched expertise in delivering solutions to the world’s leading service
providers and the deep relationships we have with content providers through
Qpass, Amdocs’ comprehensive solution helps service providers quickly establish
themselves in the value chain in the most efficient manner.”stablish themselves in the value chain in the most
Addressable advertising may soon be adopted in cable and IPTV services
Growing broadband penetration, changing consumption habits, service convergence and the rise of
multiple service operators (MSOs) are creating a diverse landscape
for
entertainment consumption. Advertising continues to play a significant
part in revenue generation, but there is considerable pressure
to adapt to new
business models using advanced technological solutions.
This is one of the conclusions of Datamonitor’s new report, “The Advanced TV Advertising Market, 2008”. It addresses
technological evolution, new business models, the competitive
landscape and developing implications for advanced advertising in the
near term. The report highlights the business case for investing in an
on-demand addressable
advertising solution, and assesses potential return on investment (ROI)
for digital cable and IPTV operators in developed pay-TV markets.
Chris Khouri, Media and Broadcasting Analyst and author of the report, says: “As
traditional forms of advertising begin to lose some of their
effectiveness due to multi-platform distribution and audience
fragmentation, there is increasing pressure
to create effective
solutions to combat
these challenges.
“One
method is through addressing channel mediums (the use of the
distribution network) as being just as important to target the correct
audiences as the content itself. This involves boosting the
effectiveness of
advertising (producing higher ROI Positives) in order to charge higher
cost per thousand (CPM) premiums to raise net advertising revenue
(NAR). Home addressable advertising is a potential method to tackle
this issue by targeting specific households with relevant advertising
spots,”
he
says.
Broadcasters are not expected to need to make large
CapEx investments for home addressability
VOD,
both free-to-view and pay-per-view (PPV), is a pivotal service in a
cable and IPTV operators product portfolio. Furthermore, most major
tier 1 and tier 2 operators are expected to be making, or
have budgeted to make, the transition towards newer enhanced DPI
solutions, such as switched video broadcast (SVB). Bearing in mind
these developments, capital expenditure (CapEx) into specific hardware
and software solutions has, in many cases, already been made.
Addressable on-demand advertising
uses much of the same software and hardware solutions (excluding
campaign management, etc) of traditional VOD services.
Considering
this, the use of addressable commercials does not involve a high degree
of capital investment. In fact, the use of enhanced DPI solutions and
addressable advertising is outlined as having
the potential to lower operational expenditure (OpEx) and improve
bandwidth efficiencies through a greater return on bandwidth (ROB).
Flash-based on-demand servers could lower OpEx for broadcasters
A
further development that is set to be particularly attractive to the
on-demand ad insertion players is the emergence of Flash-based rich
media servers. Flash-based servers benefit from having no
moving parts and are outlined by vendors as being around 100 times more
reliable, having 10 times lower power consumption demands as well as
allowing for easier upgradeability and scalability.
As broadcasters
strive to reduce OpEx in as many ways as possible, lower power
consumption and greater
reliability have a definite resonance in lowering total cost of
ownership (TCO) of an on-demand server.
Will Yahoo's play for mobile pay off? - New report
London, UK, 23 July 2008. Yahoo, the number two internet search engine, currently leads in mobile web
destinations due to an aggressive play to capitalise on the still emerging
mobile search and advertising space. Google,
Microsoft, AOL, and other players are all jockeying to be first to pocket
profits from the most lucrative market to arise since internet search and
shopping. Advertisers will spend US$1.8 billion on mobile media in 2007, which
visiongain predicts will rise to $17.5 billion by 2012.
In a new report,
visiongain explores Yahoo’s strategy in mobile in the medium-term future, and
discusses the significant opportunities and threats that the company poses to
current industry players. How will Yahoo affect your operations? Should you be working with the company
to leverage its expertise in mobile search and advertising, or would you be
better off working with one of its competitors instead?
Is Yahoo likely to launch a VoIP phone leveraging current partner eBay's
Skype or an enhanced version of its own Yahoo! Voice? 3 recently became the
first operator to offer a mass market device tailor-made for free
calling over the internet from a mobile. Now, all of Skype's 246 million
registered users can be reached for free with the 3 Skypephone. Will Yahoo
produce a similar device, or will it enter this deal in a very big way
considering Yahoo already has partnered with 3 to provide Yahoo! Go for Mobile
2.0 to 3 Group customers in the UK, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, and Denmark, with
other 3 Group markets expected to follow by year end? This report addresses
bleeding edge issues Yahoo and the industry face, providing insightful analysis
on deals, market plays, and future mergers yet to be explored in other
studies.
The report tackles several key questions:
• What are Yahoo’s strategic visions and future plans in
mobile?
• How will Yahoo’s model perform in the mobile landscape?
• What
are Yahoo’s current activities in this space?
• What strategies and
opportunities are open to Yahoo in mobile?
• Will Yahoo launch a VoIP or
cellular phone?
• Will Google’s text ads be overshadowed by Yahoo’s mobile
display ads?
For more information on the report contact Qahramon Ikromov at:
telecoms.conferences1@conferencesandreports.com
IBM software mimics PC features on mobile devices
London, UK. August 8, 2008 -- IBM today announced new software and services for mobile devices that closely mimics desktop features hitherto found only on PCs. The new offerings are reportedly designed to help business users and consumers make better decisions faster, while connecting friends, work colleagues and teams beyond what has been available in the PC era.
According
to a recent report from IBM's Institute for Business Value, the number
of mobile internet users worldwide is projected to reach 1 billion this
year, a 191% increase from 2006 and a compound annual growth rate of
24%. Up to 67% of all workers now use mobile and wireless computing.
To
capture this market, IBM is combining its software, services and
research expertise to develop new mobile products and services. The new
software includes products with business intelligence, collaboration,
social networking and business performance capabilities. In addition,
IBM is providing developers with new tools to make existing software
applications run on mobile devices. Its software is built on open
standards, to be used with most mobile platforms including BlackBerry®,
iPhone®, Windows Mobile®, and Symbian.
The key points to note are:
-
The new software includes products with business intelligence,
collaboration, social networking and business performance capabilities.
-
Mobility@Work can help employers increase productivity by as much as 30
percent and cut real estate costs, the second largest corporate expense
after salaries and benefits.
- Using any type of device like an iPhone, BlackBerry or laptop, users can reach into the cloud for resources as they need them.
- A video of the technology is available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgUwvzLc3W8
Amdocs to acquire ChangingWorlds for US$60m
November 6, 2008. Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), provider of customer experience systems, has announced that yesterday it signed a
definitive agreement to acquire Changing Worlds Ltd, a
privately-held provider of personalisation and intelligent portal solutions for
mobile service providers. Amdocs has also agreed
to acquire all of ChangingWorlds’ shares for US$60 million in cash, net of cash on
hand, subject to post-closing adjustments.
Additional consideration may be paid
later based on the achievement of certain performance metrics. The acquisition
is subject to conditions, and is expected to close by December 31, 2008.
ChangingWorlds’ technology,
combined with the Amdocs CES portfolio, will enable better customer experiences
by allowing end users to quickly get relevant information based on what they use
most, making it easier to navigate the internet on their phones and reducing the
time they spend looking for content. ChangingWorlds’ technology currently
addresses mobile devices, and Amdocs intends to expand the technology to three
screens (mobile, PC and television) to personalise the customer experience
across all touch points. ChangingWorlds and Amdocs share several customers
including Sprint, the Vodafone Group and Telefonica O2.
“Sprint is committed to
delivering the best possible customer experience across a wide range of data
services, including internet browsing,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice
president of product and technology development for Sprint. “Sprint and Amdocs
have worked together for years on a number of important projects designed to
enhance the customer experience. ChangingWorlds has been integral to our Sprint
Web offering and provides the technology and expertise that will help us
continue to deliver enhanced and personalised internet services.”
“Personalisation is a
cornerstone of Amdocs’ strategy to offer customer experience systems, and
ChangingWorlds is a recognised global expert in this area,” said Dov
Baharav, chief executive officer of Amdocs Management Ltd. “ChangingWorlds’ dynamic portal offerings surpass the traditional ‘one-
size-fits- all’ approach, and no single vendor can match its range and
sophistication of personalisation services.”
ChangingWorlds’
patented technology automatically builds subscriber profiles based on user
behaviour and usage patterns that require no user input or action to make finding
relevant content faster and involving fewer clicks. For example, a sports
enthusiast will see the link to latest information about his or her favourite football
team on their home page, while a classical music fan will see the link to the
upcoming concerts in their area.
“Amdocs and
ChangingWorlds recognise the power of the customer experience and the potential
for service providers to further exploit their place in the digital value
chain,” said David Moran, chief executive officer of ChangingWorlds. “Both
Amdocs and ChangingWorlds will continue to aggressively execute on the shared
vision of enabling service providers to offer the most compelling customer
experience, to grow revenue from data services and retain customers.”
The impact of the
acquisition on Amdocs’ non-GAAP earnings per share is expected to be neutral in
fiscal 2009. The impact on GAAP results will be finalised after Amdocs
completes the purchase price accounting for the acquisition. Amdocs may incur a
one-time, acquisition-related expense in the quarter to December 31, 2008 to
account for certain costs related to the acquisition.
VanillaPlus Recruiting: More Telecoms Writers Needed
Owing to recent expansion, VanillaPlus is looking for additional freelance writers with experience of writing in the fields of telecoms, media and entertainment. If you have the communications skills to match writing by the likes of Alun Lewis, George Malim, and Mark Dye we'd like to hear from you.
VanillaPlus takes complex information on a rapidly evolving communications industry from varied sources including news agencies, PR companies, network operators, independent system vendors, analysts and others. Our goal is then to assess it and communicate it in a clear, vibrant, and stimulating way.
A 'can do' attitude, good English and an enquiring mind are more important than engineering expertise, but you should find new technology stimulating. If this is you or you know someone suitable, please contact VanillaPlus's Editor, Jeremy Cowan on Tel: +44 (0)1420 588638 or Email: editorial@vanillaplus.com
Mobile advertising market offers massive potential, but ...
London, UK. December 2, 2008 -- A report from Frost and Sullivan has
found that mobile advertising could become a strong source of revenues
for the mobile industry. Mobile advertising market revenues are
estimated to reach €2.18 billion in 2012 in Europe.
Andrew
Grill, head of Business Development at Gigafone, the mobile marketing
company, thinks this report is spot on and finds it encouraging to see
analysts taking mobile advertising seriously. However, he urges people
to forget the numbers and concentrate on getting things right from
inception, or else face the consequences of failure.
Says Grill:
"The Frost and Sullivan report is correct to advise marketing
professionals to confront three main challenges in order for revenue
potential to be fulfilled. Unless some basic rules are followed it
could all go horribly wrong. Careful planning and consideration is
needed to take us into an era where mobile advertising is a convenient
part of everyday life and a great revenue generator for the mobile
industry.
"The three Ps of mobile advertising must be applied:
permission, preference and privacy. Consumers must have control over
the marketing they receive; it must not be invasive. People will decide
what they see, receive, and engage with, so we need to ask their
permission. People will decide what content they find relevant, so
inference and assumption have a limited lifespan, hence consumer
preference is fundamental. And finally, people will decide where their
data is stored and how it is used, so we need to respect their privacy.
We
must not bombard consumers with unsolicited advertising. The technology
is there but those in the industry need to be sensible with its
roll-out. Testing and receiving informed consumer feedback is of vital
importance in the early stages of mobile advertising.
"Mobile
presents enormous opportunities for advertising. The mobile is now
elevating itself as a medium that has the potential to overtake TV.
Let's get it right."
Gigafone is set to launch an Early Adopter panel to gain consumer feedback this month.