Fiber networks require huge upfront investment and have a payback period of many years. The business cases that support these investments always contain a degree of risk – most noticeably on the demand side, but costs can also be uncertain when digging in a new location.
Continue readingNetwork Virtualization: Implications for Cost Accounting
As CSPs deploy network virtualization, cost accounting will become more difficult. This post looks at why accurate cost attribution is essential in the telecoms sector and explores NFV-specific accounting challenges.
Continue readingService Provider Data Quality in Business Connectivity Market Reviews
Network inventory and CRM systems should be an excellent source of information for regulatory authorities in a review of the business connectivity market. However, in practice, service provider data quality is often poor, and cleaning up these data sets can appear daunting. Referring to recent work by Ofcom as an example, we show that with the correct tools and techniques, these issues can be overcome. Regulators can then obtain a detailed understanding of the market, including geographic variations in competitive intensity.
Continue readingDealing with Transformation in a Virtualized World
Communication Service Providers (CSPs) are under pressure to embrace network virtualization. But, the technology is still in its relative infancy, and deployment has proven to be more difficult than expected. We surveyed a cross-section of decision-makers in the telco industry. This article outlines our survey and key findings from our report, “The Future of Networks”.
Continue readingMonitoring and Mitigating Early-Life Churn
Early-life churn often accounts for ten to fifteen percent of all customer losses – we look at the reasons why customers leave and how service providers can address the underlying drivers.
Continue readingProduct Development Strategy: Internal Process Improvement
How business self-reflection aids in aligning long-term strategic priorities with continual business development for product-driven businesses.
Continue reading4 Ways Pay TV and SVOD Are Converging
Streaming video on demand and Pay TV players are looking across the fence and deploying strategies that mimic the other’s traditional business and operational models. In this article, we consider four areas that blur the boundaries and create a new playing field for all.
Continue reading5G New Radio – Emerging Spectrum Bands
The next generation of wireless communications is on the horizon, and the telecoms world is waiting to see exactly at which frequencies 5G will be implemented. Despite some unknowns and technological challenges, it is increasingly becoming clear that millimeter-wave (or millimeter band) will be a key enabler for 5G and it is going to be deployed in very early 5G use cases such as 5G fixed wireless. In this article, we explain the benefits of the different wave frequencies and delve into the activities of the key stakeholders who are shaping the 5G future from a new radio spectrum perspective.
Continue readingTake Sales Growth & ROI to the Next Level with Sales Analytics
Once you’ve harnessed your data and set up performance metrics, what can you do to take your analytics to the next level? In this article, we look at three examples of trends service providers can find in their advanced sales metrics that reveal ways to improve sales performance and quickly decide what to do next.
Continue readingSD-WAN and the Need for a Targeted Sales Strategy
Since our last insight on SD-WAN strategy for telecom providers, many top-tier service providers have launched SD-WAN products and are positioning their offers in the marketplace to grow sales across business customers for new use cases and regions. In this insight, we describe how to focus sales efforts to identify potential early and high-value adopters of SD-WAN.
Continue readingCartesian Introduces the Farncombe Security Audit™ Mark for Digital Media Content Systems
Overland Park, KS – September 1, 2016 – Cartesian® (NASDAQ: CRTN), a specialist provider of consulting services and managed solutions to the telecoms, digital media and technology sector, has introduced the Farncombe Security Audit™ Mark. The Mark signifies to operators and service providers that the digital media content system has undergone an extensive security review, and that a report is available on request.
Continue readingWhy Over-the-Top Video Providers Aren’t Concerned with Churn – and Why They Should Be
Over-the-top (“OTT”) video providers today downplay the fact that their customers churn at far higher rates than traditional service providers. While OTT video has some important differences from traditional Pay-TV, increasing competition and slowing growth will make customer acquisition a more challenging, and expensive, proposition for OTT providers. Understanding the true causes of churn and implementing some best practices can help OTT providers maximize profitability.
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