‘Adding value’ will be the key phrase this year, according to Evolve Telecom managing director Mark Gordon, with dealers having to significantly invest in their businesses in order to compete
“Adding value will be the central theme of 2012 as networks strive to expand their range of services. The maturity of the pure mobile market offers little opportunity for revenue growth so, with the convergence of mobile and fixed line and the availability of managed services, there will be a move to a world of service-based UC offerings.
“Alongside this we will see a shift away from capital expenditure to operational expenditure models for customers as fixed pricing becomes standard.
“The challenge for dealers lies in the cost, time and complexity of selling, implementing and supporting these solutions when compared to traditional mobile. For many dealers this will mean significant investment and scaling of their business in order to compete in this space. Customer service and understanding will be paramount to success.
“The challenge for operators lies in the enhancement of their networks to ensure the provision of the consistent high-speed connectivity required to support these products. There is a way to go to deliver exceptional customer experience for all those wanting to use these solutions.
“The advent of 4G and hosted services also affords networks an opportunity over the next three to five years to grow and conquer some of the traditional fixed-line space.”