Why subscriber data management is all that important? Let me share some insight. In multiple access, multiple devices system, where subscribers have numerous ways to communicate, it creates overhead for service provider to handle the multiple identities of subscriber. This is called as “multi-profile subscriber” in technical jargon. It becomes grand challenge for service providers/telecom operators to manage this multi-profile subscriber. And to tackle this challenge, around 200+ telecom operators have deployed Alcatel-Lucent’s Subscriber Data Management solution, which now handles more than 1 billion subscribers worldwide. Indeed a achievement!
What’s the most critical piece of information a telecom operator holds? Is it KPIs (Key Parameter Indexes) or Business analysis data? If you ask me- it’s subscriber information, which gives edge to operator. A subscriber data management solution converges multi-profile subscriber into one logical place and helps in better manage the critical piece of subscriber information. But can’t we do without SDM deployments?
Perhaps NO!
According to Frost & Sullivan report, in 2009 total world SDM market revenues reached $1.73 billion – a growth rate of more than 31 percent over 2008. It adds that market revenues are expected to rise to $2 billion by the end of 2010 and $2.78 billion by the end of2012. A 2009 ABI Research report predicts service providers will achieve $17billion in additional revenue worldwide through service personalization by 2014. Moreover operator’s spending on SDM solutions is likely to increase in coming years- thanks to market demand for personalized services and evolution of access network to 3G & 4G.
According to Mr. Gani Nayak, head of Alcatel-Lucent’s Interactive Media and Communications Applications Business, “We are increasingly seeing service providers open up their networks in a secure and controlled way to enable application and content providers to access their assets for the rapid mash-up and deployment of new, highly personalized services for subscribers. By monetizing subscriber data, service providers are entering into new business models with third party developers that provide greater relevance, enhanced brand image and more competitive position in Web2.0 value chain.” He also added that, “Service providers have begun to take a more holistic approach to subscriber data management and are today providing real-time access to subscriber profiles to support flexible personalization in new applications covering unified communications, digital media, targeted advertising, customer service and more. This can include account balance, location, services in use, device type and status giving a very complete picture of the subscriber’s preferences and interests”
Some of the key advantages of SDM implementations are:
- Gives consolidated real time views of subscribers and their behavior, which in turn generates new revenue by generating more personalized services and reduces churn.
- Helps in getting identity attributes such as location preference & other preferences for content providers, application developers and mobile advertisers, which in turn helps to improve end user experience.
- Saving of OPEX & CAPEX by combining multi-profile information into single logical resource.
- Easy access to single logical subscriber information resource across various verticals.
Subscriber data management is a key supporting element of Alcatel-Lucent’s strategic focus on Application Enablement, an industry vision and network approach that combines the trusted capabilities of network operators and the speed and innovation of the web to provide end users and enterprises what they demand — a richer and more trusted web experience. Alcatel-Lucent is helping service providers securely make their network resources available to third party application and content providers within a revenue share business model that allows them to share in application revenues – which until now have been going over the top of their networks. This addresses the sore point of increased telco costs associated with today’s data explosion. Alcatel’s SDM solution has already been deployed at Virgin Mobile, Sprint, Telefonica & Vodafone etc.
For more information email: [email protected]
(This article wouldn’t be possible without support of Mr. Mark Hudson, Alcatel-Lucent, who quickly shared the information with Telecomblogs. I would like to thank PR Team Alcatel-Lucent, Paris and especially to Mark for support.)
