News

05 April, 2019

Swisscom on a roll down elastic path to digital transformation

Communications service providers (CSPs) in mature western European markets face intense competition, substantial legacy to manage and maximise and the continuing requirement to bring innovative new services as well as new infrastructure to their customers. However, as George Malim finds in an interview with Sven Friedli, the head of architecture management and technology transformation at Swisscom, these experienced CSPs are neither unarmed nor unaware when it comes to the battle for success in digitally-transformed telecoms.

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15 March, 2019

Application of AI enhances field service management for 5G, IoT and beyond

As communications service providers (CSPs) gear up for 5G and look to support IoT businesses as a new business line of their own, field service engineers will be under more pressure than ever. However, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are being applied to the discipline of field service management to optimise field service performance through a blend of intelligent routing, remote assistance and performance analysis. VanillaPlus managing editor George Malim talks to Paul Whitelam, the senior vice president of global marketing at ClickSoftware, to catch a glimpse of the field service management of the future.

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14 March, 2019

Deliver the personalised experiences today’s customers demand

Customers today have more options than ever about where they spend their money, writes Jonathan Wax, the vice president for EMEA at Nexidia.

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12 March, 2019

DSP chooses Netcracker to aid CSP transformation

Yes, the headline is the right way around.

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20 February, 2019

Use insight to make the user experience better

The customer is king. How many times have we heard that over the years? And yet it’s more true now than ever, writes Francesco Venturini, the global industry senior managing director for communications and media at Accenture. With seemingly limitless choice at their fingertips, customers want more and if you don’t give it to them, they’ll move on to someone that will.

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19 February, 2019

What does mobile app fatigue mean, and can it be stopped?

A by-product of the invention of smartphones, the mobile app ecosystem now encapsulates millions of app developers and billions of smartphone owners who use these apps every day, writes Mark Jackson, the director and industry principal for telecoms & media at Pegasystems. There was a recent period where businesses just had to be seen to have an app to curb potential concerns about alienating younger demographics, but these attitudes are beginning to wane. Up until now, app use has been increasing, but this is set to change. Is 2019 going to be the year that we see a big app shake-up that could be terminal?

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14 February, 2019

Research reveals CSPs replace prepaid base every two years

A new has revealed the hidden reality of the prepaid mobile market in developing economies, writes George Malim. Though prepaid is the dominant form of mobile connection – accounting for 71% (5.7 billion) of global mobile connections and 32% (US$265bn) in service revenues in 2018 – the study found that communications service providers (CSPs) in eight developing markets wasted US$670m last year replacing lost customers.

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23 January, 2019

Speak to me! How digital virtual assistants could open the door to AI for CSPs

The use of basic artificial intelligence (AI) in serving customers is already prevalent among communication service providers (CSPs). Typically, the technology is deployed in chatbots and automated digital workflows to help customers complete straightforward tasks, such as registering a change of address, write Luke Mills, managing director, and Stein Hanstveit, senior manager, at Accenture.

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16 January, 2019

The long and winding road to 5G begins with 4G optimisation

The close of 2018 saw the UK operator O2 leave its customers without access to 3G or 4G data connectivity for more than 24 hours. The ensuing uproar underlined the critical importance of mobile broadband to all UK consumers, writes Tony Gillick, the vice president of solutions management at Openet.

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03 January, 2019

CSPs add value to SD-WAN by achieving full QoE visibility

Quality of experience (QoE) has long been evasive for communications service providers (CSPs), especially when it comes to ensuring that the quality of service they provide matches the QoE users are subjected to, writes Michael Rezek, the vice president of business development and strategic partnerships at Accedian.

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