Telco 2.0™ Executive Briefings

Telco 2.0™ 'two-sided' telecoms business model The main forces acting on the Industry and their consequence for Two-Sided Business Models in Telecoms. Includes:

New Business Models and Lessons from other Industries
Capital Markets and Economy
Big National Infrastructure
Green Technology
Mobile Broadband and Digital Content
Emerging Markets

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Telco 2.0: how to accelerate the implementation of new business models

Opportunities exist for operators to support third-party businesses in Customer Profiling, Marketing offers, ID & Authentication, Network QoS, and Billing, Payments & Collection. However, our in-depth research among senior execs in ‘upstream’ industries (e.g. retail, media, IT, etc.) and telcos shows that poor communication of the telecoms value proposition and slow implementation by operators is frustrating upstream customers and operators alike. Our independent new analysis (kindly sponsored by Openet) identifies strategic customer segments for telcos building new ‘Telco 2.0’ business models, key obstacles to overcome, six real-world implementation strategy scenarios, and strategic recommendations for telcos. (April 2012)

Google's Advertising Revenues Cascade

Silicon Valley 2012 Overview Report: the money's moving, but are telcos?

It was exhilaratingly clear at the Silicon Valley Brainstorm, March 27-28 2012, that critical inflection points are being reached in many key areas of the digital economy: the challenges are increasingly well defined, and the intellectual, practical and economic resources being employed to solve them have the quality, power and resources to succeed. The tantalising question for all was “how do we position ourselves and implement strategies that will enable our business to be one of those to profit from (or at least survive) these changes?” Our top-level take-outs from the event. (April 2012)

Google's Advertising Revenues Cascade

Digital Economy 2.0: Silicon Valley Executive Brainstorm 2012, Day One (Tuesday 27 March)

Shifting Profit Pools and Strategic Opportunities . Presentations, votes, output and analysis from the Digital Economy 2.0 stream of the New Digital Economics Brainstorm, 27th March 2012, in San Francisco. (March 2012)

Digital Economy 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

SAP Strategy Profile: Enabling Telcos to Operate at ‘Internet Speed’

Our top-level review of SAP’s vision of how it will enable telcos to ‘operate at internet speed’ against Telco 2.0 principles and the six key opportunity areas identified in our strategy research report, ‘The Roadmap to New Telco 2.0 Business Models’. We also challenged SAP to build a Proof of Concept implementation of a complex multi-sided business model with a leading European mobile operator within one month. How did it go? (February 2012, Foundation 2.0)

Six Opportunity Areas within the Telco 2 Platform

How to Spot a "Business Model Problem"

What is a ‘business model problem’? How can you tell when you’ve got one? What are the key business model challenges faced by telcos today, and how should they address them? (February 2012, Foundation 2.0)

Rabbit in Headlights

Facebook: what the pre-IPO S-1 filing revealed

New figures released in Facebook’s S-1 filing for its IPO stack up with Telco 2.0’s previous analysis of Facebook’s performance for our report ‘Dealing with the Disruptors’. This further strengthens our views that many mooted valuations are overblown, and that Facebook will seek new sources of value in communications. (February 2012)

Dealing with the 'Disruptors': Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft/Skype and Amazon (Updated Extract)

An updated extract from our 284 page, 124 chart, strategy report that analyses the business models, markets, objectives, strategies and modus operandi of the major adjacent players, and their current and future impact on the telecoms industry. The report identifies the areas and options for competition and co-operation, and outlines potential strategies for interacting with each player. It also draws the combined activities of the digital empires - telcos, so called 'OTT players' and others - into the context of the new 'Great Game', the battle for power and value in the emerging digital economy. (Page updated February 2012, report published November 2011.)

Google Apple Facebook Microsoft Skype Amazon Telco 2.0 Disruptor Report Cover

Vodafone CIO: 2012 a big year for customer data, analytics, and M-Commerce

Albert Hitchcock, Vodafone's Group CIO, believes there will be significant developments in customer experiece and M-Commerce (mobile money and advertising) starting in 2012, driven by improved use of customer data and analytics. He describes Vodafone's approach and early learning in a video interview from our recent New Digital Economics EMEA Brainstorm held in London. (Published January 2012, Foundation 2.0)

Albert Hitchcock Vodafone Group CIO

'Under-The-Floor' (UTF) Players: threat or opportunity?

The telecoms industry often puts so-called OTT (over-the-top) players like Google and Facebook at the forefront of its concerns, as they pose new competition for services and applications. But what about encroachment of companies “underneath” the telcos, displacing them from their core asset, the network? Telco 2.0 examines the strategic threats and opportunities from wholesale providers, outsourcers and government-run broadband networks. (January 2012)

UTF Image Jan 2012

Asia & Middle East: 'can do' Telco 2.0 Strategies

In 2011 we’ve really been struck by the ‘can do’ attitude of companies in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions towards Telco 2.0 strategies, and their desire to leapfrog legacy (Western) business models and technologies. This was highlighted at the New Digital Economics & CSG APAC Executive Brainstorm in Singapore, as were increasing similarities between APAC region business model challenges with those in Europe and America. (December 2011)

APAC and EMEA Telco 2.0 Image

LTE: Less Transforming than Expected

An analysis of the status of LTE, the next generation of wireless network technology, including a round-up of early operator trials, and views on prospects for key vendors by Telco 2.0 partners Arete Research. (December 2011)

Telecoms and the Eurozone Economic Crisis: a perfect storm?

What are the possible impacts on telecoms of further economic troubles in the Eurozone? Will it be recessionary business as usual or something much nastier? And how will it impact ‘Telco 2.0’ Strategies? (December 2011)

EMEA Messaging Decline reasons Nov 2011

Customer Experience 2.0: Learning from Amazon? (STL Presentation)

Customer Experience 2.0: Learning from Amazon?, Presentation by Phil Laidler, Director, Consulting, STL Partners. Can we learn from Amazon, or are we facing the fall of the Telco Empire at the hands of the OTT Invaders? Presented at EMEA Brainstorm, November 2011.

Customer Experience 2.0: NFC, the next mobile revolution? (STL Presentation)

Customer Experience 2.0: NFC, the next mobile revolution?, Presentation by Daniel Gurrola, VP Consumer Mobile Strategy, Orange. NFC should be a platform for a new generation of applications and services that will transform the industry. Presented at EMEA Brainstorm, November 2011.

Patent Wars, part of the 'Great Game' (STL Partners Presentation)

In Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Skype - the Great Game. Presentation by Keith McMahon, Senior Analyst, STL Partners, covering key patent wars between the leading technology players and telcos. Presented at EMEA Brainstorm, November 2011.

Cloud EMEA Nov 2011 BT Financial Sector

The 'Great Game' - Google, Apple, Facebook, Skype, Amazon (STL Presentation)

In Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Skype - the Great Game. Presentation by Chris Barraclough, Chief Strategist and MD STL Partners, covering some of the key insights from the Telco 2.0 Strategy Report Dealing with the 'Disruptors': Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft/Skype and Amazon. Presented at EMEA Brainstorm, November 2011.

CDNs 2.0: should telcos compete with Akamai?

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) such as Akamai’s are used to improve the quality and reduce costs of delivering digital content at volume. What role should telcos now play in CDNs? (September 2011)

Should telcos compete with Akamai?

Handset IPR - a new cold war begins

The recent spate of deals (Google/Motorola, Nortel, Microsoft/Nokia) are the start of a long 'Cold War', where all parties are heavily armed, and risk destroying each other (and themselves) with overly aggressive legal actions. Telco 2.0 partners Arete Research analyse implications for the mobile device space and clarify some misunderstood issues. (September 2011)

Apps & Telco APIs 2.0: their role vs Facebook, Skype, and iMessage

Many popular communications apps such as Facebook, Skype and iMessage bypass telcos’ core networks by going ‘over the top’. Yet smartphone apps, and in future HTML5 web apps, also present new distribution opportunities for telco services including voice, messaging, and payments, as long as developers are motivated to use telco APIs. How should telcos approach the 'App Economy' to best defend existing revenues and develop new opportunities? (August 2011)

Apps & Telco APIs Figure 1 Drivers of the App Market Telco 2.0 Sept 2011

Facebook: really 'worth' $30 billion max - $100 billion is hype

Our maximum valuation of Facebook is $30 billion despite some of the 'hype' suggesting $100 billion valuations. In any event, Facebook will be under enormous pressure to find new sources of growth making further moves into telecommunications likely. See why in this extract previewing our next Strategy Report on 'Internet disruptors' covering Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Skype, and strategies for 'co-opetition' with them. (August 2011)

Strategy 2.0: The Six Key Telco 2.0 Opportunities

A summary of the six Telco 2.0 opportunities to transform telco's business models for success in an IP-based, post PSTN world: Core Services, Vertical Solutions, Infrastructure Services, Embedded Communications, 3rd Party Enablers, and Own Brand OTT Services. It includes an extract from the Roadmap to New Telco 2.0 Business Models, updates on latest developments, and feedback from over 500 senior TMT industry execs. (July 2011)

Telco 2.0 Six Key Opportunity Types Chart July 2011

M2M 2.0: Market, Business Models, and Telcos' Role(s)

Our latest report on M2M 2.0 covers: M2M market growth, structure and dynamics; business models; the best role(s) for telcos; and leading thinking from Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Telenor, KPN and Swisscom. It describes how 'Service Enablers' are key to the telco opportunity in M2M in addition to connectivity. (July 2011)

M2M Pie Chart Service Enablers July 2011

RIM: R.I.P. or ‘Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated’?

RIM’s shares have plummeted in value over the last four months, prompting an eruption of finger-pointing in the media and speculation of its demise or acquisition. In this analysis we examine whether the doom-mongers are right and what RIM’s recovery strategy might be. (July 2011)

Strategy 2.0: What Skype + Microsoft means for telcos

In theory, Microsoft and Skype have the resources, the brands, the customer base and the know-how to shape the future of telecoms and become a strategic counterweight to Apple and Google. Can they do it – and what should telcos’ strategy be? (June 2011)

Cloud 2.0: Telcos to grow Revenues 900% by 2014

Telcos should grow Cloud Services revenues nine-fold and triple their overall market share in the next three years according to delegates at the May 2011 EMEA Executive Brainstorm. But which are the best opportunities and strategies? (June 2011)

Mobile Broadband Economics: LTE 'Not Enough'

Innovation appears to be flourishing in mobile broadband. At the Telco 2.0 EMEA Executive Brainstorm earlier this month we saw working applications that enable a.) users to monitor and control their network usage and services and b.) operators to support 'dynamic pricing'. Despite growing enthusiasm for LTE, delegates considered offloading traffic and network sharing strategies as at least as effective in managing costs. (May 2011)

Telco 2.0 Strategy: New Growth needs New Metrics

‘What gets measured gets done’, and telcos need to use new metrics to uncover and develop new sources of value. They also need to make WAC a ‘JFDI’ initiative. These and other top level Telco 2.0 strategic themes from the May 2011 EMEA Telco 2.0 Executive Brainstorm. (May 2011)

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)

New Business Models: Half Future Telco Growth

Senior industry executives in Palo Alto at the 12th Telco 2.0 Executive Brainstorm agreed that half of the telco growth available in the next 3 years would come from the new business model opportunities identified in the ‘Roadmap to new Telco 2.0 Business Models’ report. The other half would come from improvements to the current business model. Headline findings in brief. (April 2011)

The Roadmap to New Telco 2.0 Business Models

This Strategy Report plots the transformational path that telcos need to follow to achieve the $375Bn p.a. 'Telco 2.0' opportunities. It describes the six growth opportunity areas for the Telecoms industry, identifies new categories of operators, benchmarks the primary strategies needed by each to evolve and thrive in the new industry environment, and highlights leading examples of telco business model innovation. It has 284 pages, including a 13 page Executive Summary and a detailed index. (April 2011.)

Public Wifi: Destroying LTE/Mobile Value?

By building or acquiring Public WiFi networks for tens of $Ms, highly innovative fixed players in the UK are stealthily removing $Bns of value from 3G and 4G mobile spectrum as smartphone and other data devices become increasingly carrier agnostic. What are the lessons globally? (April 2011)

Tablet Frenzy: Network Poison or Economic Palliative?

The success of the iPad2 has been seen by some as a sign of a paradigm shift in computing. With their theoretical appeal as a new portable medium for online video consumption could tablets have a significant impact on communications networks and economics? Here is Telco 2.0’s market outlook. (March 2011)

Arete Research: Getting to a Billion Smartphones in 2013

Smartphones have already transformed the device market but are growth predictions vastly underestimated? Arete Research explain how smartphones growth will mirror that of low cost handsets and reach a billion by 2013. (March 2011)

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)

Mobile World Congress: Microsoft CEO fails to land all punches, but...

Microsoft's pugilistic CEO Steve Ballmer came out fighting at the 2011 GSMA Mobile World Congress, but failed to register a convincing win. Is this the start of the old software champ's great comeback in mobile, or is the only way down? Our hunch may surprise you. (February, 2011)

Facing up to Facebook

Despite a >500 million user base and global media hype, Facebook needs more revenues than advertising can bring, and sees communications as a key area to target as its deal with Skype has shown. Telco 2.0's detailed analysis of Facebook's business model and strategy. (Executive Video Briefing, December 2010)

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)

$Multi-Billion Telco 2.0 Growth Opportunities in North America: Can Telcos Act in Time?

An initial summary of the key out-takes from the 10th Telco 2.0 Americas Executive Brainstorm (incorporating Digital Entertainment 2.0) held in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, October 28-29, 2010. 92% of participants agreed it is time to make either a step change in key functions (34%) or initiate a fundamental transformation (58%) in the next 12-18 months. (November 2010)

Facebook: Moving into Telco Space?

Telco 2.0’s analysis of Facebook’s business model shows that the social networking giant may need to turn to communications for much needed new revenues. (October 2010)

10 'Innovation Principles' for success in a disrupted marketplace: 10 generic action-oriented principles of innovation which are applicable to, and adoptable by, all companies within the disrupted Telco, Media and Technology industries regardless of their vision or strategy. (Executive Briefing, September 2010.)

Net Neutrality 2.0: Don't Block the Pipe, Lubricate the Market: ‘Net Neutrality’ has gathered increasing momentum as a market issue, with AT&T, Verizon, major European telcos and Google and others all making their points in advance of the Ofcom, EC, and FCC consultation processes. This is Telco 2.0’s input, analysis and recommendations. (Sept 2010, Foundation 2.0)

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)

Entertainment 2.0: New Sources of Revenue for Telcos?: Telco assets and capabilities could be used much more to help Film, TV and Gaming companies optimize their beleaguered business model. An extract from our new 38 page Executive Briefing report examining the opportunities for ‘Hollywood’ and telcos. (August 2010, Foundation 2.0)

Devices 2.0: 'Beyond Smartphones' - Innovation Strategies for Operators: Managing the role of new device categories in new and existing fixed and mobile business models is a key strategic challenge for operators. This report includes analysis of the practicalities and challenges of creating customised devices, best / worst practice, inserting ‘control points’ in open products, the role of 'ODMs', and reviews leading alternative approaches. (Executive Briefing, August 2010)

Mobile Devices: Fight Club: The device market has been transformed by smartphones and tablets but who do institutional investors see as the winners and losers? From our Partners at Arete Research

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.

Future Broadband: “Happy Pipes”: worth $416Bn by 2020?: The worldwide broadband access market has the potential to grow to $416bn by 2020, if operators embrace the “Happy Pipe” concept. Headline forecasts and analysis from the Telco 2.0 Strategy Report “Mobile, Fixed and Wholesale Broadband Business Models: Best Practice Innovation, ‘Telco 2.0' Opportunities, Forecasts and Future Scenarios”.

New Telco Growth: is Time Running Out?: At a time when telcos are being re-rated as quasi utilities by investors, the importance of creating sophisticated and effective strategies for new growth is becoming ever more pressing. But the recent Telco 2.0 ‘Executive Brainstorm’ demonstrated that the clock is ticking fast and the opportunity could slip away from Telcos as nimbler competitors from adjacent industries take the value. (June 2010)

Optimising Mobile Broadband Economics: Key Issues and Next Steps: The Executive Summary and extract from a report on key issues for operators seeking to optimise mobile broadband network economics which were debated at the recent Telco 2.0 EMEA Brainstorm in London. (Special Briefing, May 2010)

Telco 2.0 in Hollywood: ‘There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills’: 'Hollywood' and Telecoms are eyeing the prospects of making (more) money from online video distribution. But how should they develop their strategies, and can they collaborate for greater mutual benefit? An initial report from the 1st Hollywood-Telco International Executive Brainstorm held in Los Angeles on 5th May. (May 2010)

Enterprise 2.0: Machine-to-machine - opening for business: Machine-To-Machine (M2M) appears to be finally coming of age and 'horizontal' / 'two-sided' business models look to be a key part of an effective growth strategy for operators. A Telco 2.0 summary and analysis of leading-edge progress, including an advanced case study from Telenor Objects, and new research from Intel, Ericsson and SAP, presented at the 9th Telco 2.0 Executive Brainstorm. (April 2010)

The 7 Top Themes of Telco 2.0, Spring 2010: There was a lot of brainpower, energy and great debate at last week’s Executive Brainstorm. Here’s our top level take of emerging themes on: M2M; Bloated Broadband Economics; Google, Apple and Facebook; Leveraging Consumer Data; The Capital Markets; Smartphones and Apps; and the ‘Roadmap’ for Change. (May 2010)

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)

Enterprise Voice 2.0: Ecosystem, Species and Strategies: Analysis of the structure of the Enterprise Voice 2.0 market ecosystem, the business models and value networks within it, and conclusions as to what operators can do in order to benefit from it. (April 2010)

Can Telcos Unlock the Value of their Consumer Data?: Telcos have a significant market opportunity to act as custodians of 'digital personas', giving consumers the power to exploit their own data. This is an extract from a special 100 page report containing expert contributions and detailed analysis on privacy issues, legal and regulatory frameworks, technological solutions, adjacent competition, and including ‘best and next practice’ and scenario analysis, from the 1st Telco 2.0 International Summit on Consumer Data and Privacy. (Special Report, April 2010)

Mobile Advertising and Marketing: Operator and Market Growth Strategies 2010: From SMS, through Smartphone and browser Apps, the potential of mobile marketing has long been understood and yet unfulfilled. This new report gives our forecasts, plus how Telcos can make the most of the powerful assets available to them to take a valuable role in this market before it is too late. Report extract included here. (Executive Briefing, April 2010)

M2M / Embedded Market Overview, Healthcare Focus, and Strategic Options: 'Machine to Machine' (M2M) / ‘Embedded’ solutions have high growth potential but face big barriers too. An overview of the market, focusing on the cost-crisis needs of the Healthcare Sector, and reviewing strategic options for Telcos and other communications industry players. (March 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)