By: Nancee Ruzicka
Making Virtualization OperationalIn the coming year, there will be hard questions asked of those responsible for defining and evaluating strategies for the wider rollout of Network Function
Virtualization (NFV) and its complex cousin Software Defined Networking (SDN). Any business case for widespread implementation of virtualization must address business and operational challenges as
well as risks to existing customers, infrastructure, and revenues. The savings arguments derived from data center implementations don’t begin to capture the challenges faced by network operators
contemplating virtualization in the public network…
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By: Nibha Aggarwal
If there ever was an industry that epitomizes the term ‘big data’ both in scale and potential, communications would be it. Service providers sit on massive amounts of data by nature of
the business. The potential to turn this data into an economic asset that will allow the business to operate more efficiently, and serve and sell to customers more effectively, is particularly
huge. It presents an opportunity for service providers to understand each customer as an individual, pre-empt or mitigate their care needs, and identify the most beneficial moments of truth
to offer new products and services…
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By: Catherine Michel
The digital age has spoken The ever-shifting market demands of the digital economy require extreme business agility to attract and keep customers happy. Customers want instant access to the
latest available offerings through any channel, the ability to personalize those offerings to their preferences, and the instant gratification of getting what they bought at the point of
sale. All of this against the backdrop of insatiable customer demand for innovative, bandwidth hungry applications delivered to a wide range of devices…
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By: Bernard Breton
At the moment, the wheel of technology innovation has stopped on the Internet of Things (IoT), a construct built on the concept of machine-to-machine communications to connect everything from
desktop computers to mobile devices, and even everyday devices like lights to laundry machines. We're already well past the hype phase with the IoT, too – to borrow language from the technology
adoption lifecycle, the IoT “Innovators” and “Early Adopters” have long since left the station. In fact, thanks to the growing traction around consumer wearables like smart glasses, watches and
wristbands, and other connected and intelligent devices, the IoT has transitioned into the mainstream…
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By: Jesse Cryderman
We are living in an era of rapid change. The nature of communications networks is changing, thanks to virtualization technologies. The nature of a service provider is evolving. Devices
themselves, and their communication abilities are being transformed. Against this backdrop of shifting definitions, one thing that became clear in the telecommunications in 2014: Green is
mainstream. Whether it flies under the moniker of sustainability, green, environmentally conscious, or corporate responsibility, companies in the communications and entertainment technology space
are spending big on green solutions and it’s not just for show…
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By: Jesse Cryderman
Long-term evolution, better known as LTE, had a blockbuster year in 2014. More than 110 commercial LTE networks went live, and global LTE subscriptions topped 250 million in the first quarter
of 2014. LTE is now commercially available in more than 107 countries, and mobile network operators added 109 LTE networks between June 2013 and June 2014. As you can see below in Figure 1,
LTE is everywhere. According to 4G Americas, Europe leads in LTE networking deployments with 115 networks. The U…
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By: Brad Bush
Social media is now nearly twenty years old, and this very smart “young adult” is going to college now. Social marketing has grown up alongside social media, amplifying the most effective
marketing of all – word of mouth. Marketers are now working every conceivable way to get consumers to love a product or service, a sale or event, and love it so much they start
sharing it over multitude of channels, through words, pictures, videos, and even virtual “binge buying” and “binge watching…
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By: Jesse Cryderman
Believe it or not, the smartphone revolution is only about seven years old. It kicked off in 2007 with Apple’s prescient slogan, “This is only the beginning”, and the release of the first
iPhone, which pulled smartphones as a whole out of the geek toy box and into the realm of mass-market acceptance, changing the world as a result. Smartphones combined the power of the PC with
cellular connectivity, creating an always connected society with an ever-increasing appetite for data, media and interaction…
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By: Paul Mikkelsen
It’s an exciting time in the wireless industry. Fixed and cable operators are strengthening their positions toward mobile operators in many markets due to the increased demands for broadband
capacity. At the same time, all traditional operators are meeting increased competition from over-the-top (OTT) providers that often also introduces alternative revenue models into the equation,
including advertising-based concepts. As if this shouldn’t be enough, Wi-Fi technology has taken the telecom landscape by storm, reshaping and impacting strategies for many carriers literally
overnight…
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By: Dr. Andy Tiller
Imitator is InnovatorChina has expressed its aim to build an innovation economy, and the evidence would suggest that the country has gone some considerable way towards achieving its ambition.
China may have grown into a technology powerhouse by initially following the example of the West, but the country is now carving out its role as a global leader in mobile Internet: setting trends
in telecommunications, mobile devices and social commerce. At a recent meeting about copyrights in China, State Internet Information Office VP Peng Bo stated that China was becoming a
“fast-lane innovative nation…
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By: Tim Young
“I don't set trends. I just find out what they are and exploit them.” -Dick Clark I always like to begin my monthly letter with a little quote. A little nugget of wisdom about that issue’s
theme helps to convey the essence of our entire editorial line-up, plus it’s a lot of fun to dig around for just the right quote. That’s not so hard a job when you’re looking for quotes about
visions for the future or the power of technology or the value of art. People love talking at length about the unique value of what they do or the unifying power of some vaunted notion…
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By: Jesse Cryderman
Operators broaden global reach Wireline service providers around the world are looking for ways to become more entrenched in the wireless lives of their customers. From in-home networking
solutions to public Wi-Fi, cable companies are adding more. The biggest play, of course, is to add a full-fledged wireless business to the portfolio. In the UK, BT may be nearing that goal. The
company was rumored to be in talks with O2, Telefonica's UK wireless brand. In late November, BT confirmed speculation with a short statement…
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