Telco 2.0™ Executive Briefings

Examples, case studies and 'Use Cases' of business model innovation from telecoms and other markets. Please see below for current content, and for future content please see here.

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Free Mobile: A Prototype for Disruption?

Free.fr’s entry to the French mobile market has achieved extraordinarily rapid market share gains and resulted in comprehensive disruption. An analysis of its technology, tactics, and business model, and a high-level assessment of the applicability of its approach to other markets. (February 2013).

Monthly ARPU in France & EU Markets Feb 2013

Telcos in the Cloud: 3 strategy groups and 3 future scenarios

In this extract previewing our upcoming report ‘Cloud 2.0: telco strategies in the Cloud’ we outline the three main groups of telco cloud strategies identified (Hunters, Gatherers and Innovators), and three future market scenarios (Cloud Layers, CloudBurst and CloudFail). (October 2012)

Telco 2.0: From infrastructure to customer intimacy and innovation Oct 2012

Strategy 2.0: From infrastructure to innovation and customer intimacy

In this preview from Part 2 of 'A Practical Guide to Implementing Telco 2.0', we outline the structural, cultural and strategic challenges of building new competences, and a service development process designed to overcome classic industry weaknesses in infrastructure businesses such as telcos and broadcasters. (October 2012)

Telco 2.0: From infrastructure to customer intimacy and innovation Oct 2012

Cloud 2.0: the fight for the next wave of customers

The fight for the Cloud Services market is about to move into new segments and territories. In the build up to the launch of our new strategy report, ‘Telco strategies in the Cloud’, we review perspectives on this shared at the 2012 EMEA and Silicon Valley Executive Brainstorms by strategists from major telcos and tech players, including: Orange, Telefonica, Verizon, Vodafone, Amazon, Bain, Cisco, and Ericsson (September 2012).

Cloud Growth Groups September 2012

Innovation Strategies: Telefonica 2.0 Vs. Vodafone 2.0

Telefonica and Vodafone are both European-based tier 1 CSPs with substantial revenues, cash flows and subscribers. They have both expanded beyond Europe – Vodafone into Africa and Asia and Telefonica into Latin America. However, their Telco 2.0 strategies are rather different. In this extract from our forthcoming report, A Practical Guide to Implementing Telco 2.0, we outline their Telco 2.0 strategies and their benefits and risks. (September 2012)

Telefonica Strategy 2.0 Chart

Mobile TV: going 'Round The Side' of telco networks?

Dyle TV, a new mobile TV broadcast network (supported by Fox), was presented at the Silicon Valley Brainstorm against the backdrop of Cisco's VNI (Visual Networking Index) research on forecast growth in mobile video traffic. It was argued that Dyle's model can both take the pressure off mobile operator data capacity by taking video traffic ‘round the side’ and make good use of TV broadcasters’ spectrum. Could this model work, not only in the US but elsewhere around the world? (May 2012)

Doc Searls, Telco 2.0 Video Still April 2012

Digital Commerce 2.0: Silicon Valley Executive Brainstorm 2012, Day Two (Wednesday 28 March)

Harnessing personal data to revolutionize Payments, Advertising and Retail Experiences. Presentations, votes, output and analysis from the Digital Commerce 2.0 stream of the New Digital Economics Brainstorm, 28th March 2012, in San Francisco. (March 2012)

Digital Commerce 2.0 Silicon Valley March 2012

Strategy 2.0: Google's Strategic Identity Crisis

Google's shares have made little headway recently despite its dominance in search and advertising, and it faces increasing regulatory threats in this area. It either needs to find new sources of value growth or start paying out dividends, like Microsoft, Apple (or indeed, a telco). Overall, this is resulting in something of a strategic identity crisis. A review of Google's strategy and implications for Telcos. (March 2012)

Google's Advertising Revenues Cascade

Connected TV: Forecasts and Winners/Losers (UK Case Study)

Our in-depth look at the UK’s highly competitive digital TV market which reflects many global trends, such as competition between different types of content distributor (LoveFilm, YouTube, Virgin Media, BBC, BSkyB, BT, etc.), channel proliferation, new devices used for viewing, and the increasing prevalence of connected TVs. What are the key trends and who will be the winners and losers? (August 2011)

Chart from Connected TV Figure 2 telco 2.0

LTE & Wholesale: Time to Get Aggressive?

We examine four examples of the growing trend of wholesale-oriented LTE operations, their key challenges and opportunities, and recommend that incumbent operators should be more aggressive in wholesale. (May 2010)

Android: Google's Anti-Apple Virus?

It can be tempting to think of Android as in a two-horse race with Apple. Our analysis shows that the current and future impact of Google's highly successful mobile ecosystem play is much more complex. (March 2011)

Telcos vs. Internet Players: Act before it’s too late

There's less than 3 years for telcos to take advantage of key strategic ‘control points’ in their battle for sustainable growth in the communications and e-commerce markets, concluded delegates at the Telco 2.0 EMEA Brainstorm in November. How should they think differently about their value and where do they need to (re)focus their attention? Full report from the Brainstorm. (Executive Briefing, December 2010)

Cloud 2.0: "Worth $43Bn by 2013" Say Cisco

Cisco say Cloud will be worth $43Bn to telcos in the near future, and have realised savings of up to 40% in both Opex and Capex by transferring all of their own internal IT Services to the cloud - a good example of the Telco 2.0 innovator's principle of 'eating your own cloud-food'. Video interview with Simon Aspinall, Director Data Center, Cloud and Mobility Services, Cisco. (December 2010)

Making Sense of 'Cloud / xAAS': Seven Clear Examples

The point and value of Cloud Services can sometimes seem elusive. Here's a well received presentation that includes a simple, workable definition and seven case studies that illustrate different types of 'Cloud Services' / xAAS (e.g. Network, Platform-As-A-Service). (December 2010)

Vodafone 360 on Android, iTunes: Now Getting it Right?: Vodafone 360 was meant to be a new, social-network centred approach to managing the customer interface. Unfortunately, it was also bug-ridden and dogged by a lack of clarity of purpose. Now, its availability on Android Market and iTunes may create a strategic opportunity for Vodafone to access more customers. (August 2010)

Is Ribbit worth $105m to BT yet?: How is the strategic rationale for BT’s acquisition of Ribbit as their ‘Voice 2.0’ platform working out? We spoke with Crick Waters, Ribbit's co-founder and EVP. (July 2010)

New Strategy Report: Telco 2.0 Case Directory - 5 'Use Cases', 10 Case Studies: A new 255 page report describing 5 new 'Use Cases', detailed descriptions / mini business cases for new, near term Telco 2.0 applications. The report also details 10 Case Studies from Telecoms and adjacent industries that illustrate key principles and early market progress.

The Impact of Netflix: Can Telcos Help Hollywood?: As Apple’s business model transformed digital music, the success of Netflix’s subscription business model is changing the dynamics of the Film and TV industry. We examine how telcos can help Hollywood with online distribution to survive and thrive in these turbulent times. (April 2010)

RIM: how does the BlackBerry fit with Telco 2.0 strategies?: Our analysis of how RIM’s BlackBerry business model may offer operators interesting near term opportunities to manage smartphone data traffic costs, and partner with to exploit future ‘Telco 2.0’ opportunities. (March 2010)

Apple iPad: Business Model Analysis: Summary: What is the true significance of the iPad? A 'solution in search of a problem' or a ‘revolution in a tablet’? An analysis of Apple's strategy and business model, as it relates to digital publishing and the dangers for telcos. (February 2010)

Mobile Advertising and Marketing: Text-based Local Search Use Case: This new "Use Case" shows a practical and detailed new application of Telco 2.0 ideas to Digital Marketing, including the customer experience and outline business case. (Executive Briefing, January 2010)

Telenor’s Voice 2.0 Strategy: ‘Mobilt Bedriftsnett’ Case Study: Telenor’s new ‘Mobile Business Network’ integrates SME’s mobile and fixed phone systems via managed APIs, providing added functionality and delivering greater business efficiency. It uses a ‘two-sided’ business model strategy and targets the market via developers. (December 2009)

Amazon 2.0: Four Levels of Strategic Business Model Transformation: Amazon's stock continues to beat the bull market. Its success is based on a four level transformation to a ‘two-sided' strategy. What are the lessons for would-be platform players, including fledgling ‘Telco2.0s' and software platform owners? (November 2009, Foundation 2.0)

Use Cases 2.0: Five new business models in action: Detailed explorations of new concepts for: mobile marketing, mobile money, smart grids, mobile broadband, and SME services. (October 2009)

QQ: China's Monster 'Facebook' - on a screen near you soon: An analysis of QQ.com - a profitable Chinese social networking and instant messaging service with 1 billion usernames, 75 million peak concurrent users, and plans to grow beyond China. (October 2009)

Case Study: how to grow when your core market shrinks: Only the fit survive market changes, and evolving the business model to adapt is key. Strategy lessons for telcos and vendors alike from Boungiorno, a content aggregator that evolved to beat the shrinking portal services market. (October 2009)

Voice and Messaging 2.0: Innovators' Directory 2009: The Telco 2.0 review of the most significant non-telco Voice and Messaging innovators in terms of competitive threat, route-to-market partner opportunity, and opportunity to learn from. (Executive Briefing, Oct 2009).

ESPN: Making ‘pay-for-content’ work – a telco opportunity: The sports network ESPN is a master of the paid content business model, building platform scale and success using premium content. What are the lessons from ESPN’s US and UK strategies for other service providers and content distributors? (September 2009)

Google Voice: one of the key battlegrounds for Telcos: Google Voice, managing Customer Data, and Location Services will be among the key battlegrounds where Telcos' emerging business models and Google are likely to clash, according to a new Telco 2.0 Briefing to be published in October. It is previewed here. (September 2009)

Vodafone business model: Increasingly ‘two-sided’: Vittorio Colao, CEO, presented his strategy last week at a Goldman Sachs investors conference. It appears highly aligned with Telco 2.0 principles, embracing new enablers for upstream customers, openness, and social networks. (September 2009)

Orange / T-Mobile UK Merger: An Investor's View: Orange and T-Mobile UK are merging, thereby consolidating two of the UK's five mobile operators. What are the likely benefits and consequences, and the implications from an investor's viewpoint? A guest article from Telco 2.0 partners Arete Research. (September 2009)

Mobile Advertising: 100 times more 'eyeballs' - Blyk's Wholesale Strategy: An analysis of Blyk's recent move from a retail to wholesale business model provides important lessons for the mobile marketing industry as a whole. (September 2009)

Digital Money: Agents are the Key to Mobile Money Transfer: New data from M-PESA shows clearly how its success is directly related to its network of trusted agents - a critical success factor for any mobile money project. (September 2009)

The 'Two-Sided' Business Model Use Case Project: The theory of 'Two-Sided' Telecoms Business Models is becoming increasingly well known. The Telco 2.0 "Use Case" research project is analysing both actual and potential practical examples in greater detail. (August 2009)

Case Study: Mobile Signature solution approaches key growth milestone: Mobile Signature, a live example of a two-sided telecoms business model is approaching a key inter-operability milestone. Here is a review of the progress, the model, and its potential. (July 2009)

Twitt-o-nomics: How will Twitter make money?: Twitter's business model seems to be the familiar - "Web 2.0 Flip" - build an audience and sell to someone who thinks they can monetize it. There are key lessons to be learnt from Twitter for Telcos and other service providers. (July 2009)

Mobile Payments: Lessons from the world's leading exponents: An analysis of M-Pesa and Wizzit - one a classic ‘Telco 2.0’ platform, the other an extension to traditional banking services – and lessons for telcos worldwide. (July 2009)

Voice 2.0: Beyond ‘Unified Communications’: Four leading Voice 2.0 platforms demonstrate the business model opportunities from delivering 'Communications-Enabled Business Processes' (CEBP) to the highly diverse enterprise and SME market. (July 2009)

Google - How (precisely) it profits from YouTube: New analysis demonstrates how YouTube contributes to Google's position and power in the 'Digital Economy' and what this means for telcos' online video strategies. (June 2009)

Nokia's Strange Services Strategy - Lessons from Apple iPhone and RIM: An analysis of Nokia's 10 year services strategy in the light of Apple and RIM's successes. (May 2009)

M-Banking: can Zain's new business model for ZAP rival M-PESA?: A major emerging market operator, Zain, has entered the mobile banking game with a radically different business model. (May 2009)

BSkyB Platform - Lessons: BSkyB’s platform shows a multi-sided business model in action, bringing value to both upstream and downstream customers and earning decent returns for shareholders. (Feb 2009)

Nokia and Symbian, Missing an Opportunity?: The recent purchase of Symbian by Nokia highlights the tensions around running a consortium-owned platform business.

2-Sided Business Model Use Cases - making it tangible: Explanatory presentation and brief on a set of ‘use cases’ we're developing that illustrate how telcos might exploit the 2-Sided Business Model Opportunity. (June 2008)

Vodafone: Too much data, not enough vo and fone?: Analysis of Vodafone strategy at a key time of leadership change. (June 2008)

Verizon Wireless’ volte-face: Virtue or Vice?: What are the business model impacts of Verizon Wireless moving to a "less closed" network attachment model? (November 2007)

Hidden Potential, France Telecom: How do major telcos respond to the challenges of Telco 2.0? France Telecom’s experience offers some answers. (July 2007)