This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Dario Betti, CEO, Mobile Ecosystem Forum
The telecommunications landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by a myriad of factors ranging from privacy and security concerns to the rise of artificial intelligence and the imperative for environmental sustainability. The sector can expect far-reaching implications for how … [visit site to read more]
The Indian government has extended the customs duty exemption given to vessels engaged in laying submarine cables to 30 September. The exemption was originally due to end on 31 March.
Industry body the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) welcomed the extension – not too surprisingly, given the growing reliance on submarine cables by operators to transfer data internationally.
However the telecoms industry did not receive such good news from India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman when she unveiled this week’s interim budget, even though it contained plans to spend nearly US$134 billion on infrastructure and focus on long-term reforms to drive growth and contain the fiscal gap.
The fiscal deficit target for the next fiscal year has been reduced to 5.1% of GDP compared to the revised deficit estimate of 5.8% for the current fiscal year. The budget included no new taxes and increases in spending in areas like education, health and housing.
In addition, the interim budget did not make any changes to taxes and levies on the telecoms sector. However, that industry may be looking forward to a better result in the full budget to be presented after the elections in July.
As India’s Economic Times news service points out, the industry would like quite a lot of changes: a reduction in regulatory levies like the license fee, deferral of the Universal Service Obligation Fund USOF contribution till the existing funds are exhausted, exemption from basic customs duty (BCD) on telecom equipment, waiving of goods and services tax (GST) on regulatory payments and refund of Input Tax Credit (ITC), among others.
Currently, the Economic Times says, operators pay 8% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as a license fee to the government.
EU launches Nostradamus – prepares Europe for a quantum world: A Deutsche Telekom-led consortium has been given a mandate by the European Commission to create testing infrastructure for quantum key distribution.
Nokia doubles down in Germany with €360 million investment The Finnish vendor says the investment will cover chips, software, and hardware as part of a four-year European IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) project.
Deutsche Telekom and BREKO clash over duct access rights: As regulators continue to debate the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, industry association BREKO is clashing over potential changes that they say will lead to overbuild by incumbent operator Deutsche Telekom.
Telefónica increases stake in German unit to 93%: The Spanish operator group upped its stake in its German business by roughly 21% for €1.5 billion following a public tender process.
Vodafone Germany and Autobahn collaborate on 5G rollout: Vodafone will add 150 new 5G sites by the end of 2026, aiming to cover the entire German motorway system by 2028.
“Germany’s telecoms market is likely to see further consolidation and evolution as funding and investment are prioritised for the new year. Shared access to infrastructure, via open access, is likely to remain a key topic this year as well as avoiding overbuild – you can read in more detail on the disagreement between BREKO and Deutsche Telekom over duct access rights in our round up of German news above.
Away from the fibre market, we’re also taking a look at developments in mobile, from Nokia’s increased investment in Germany to the collaboration between Vodafone and the Autobahn to extend the 5G network across Germany’s motorways. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest industry news from Germany and further afield.”
– Rowan Thomson, Senior Conference Producer of Connected Germany, Total Telecom
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Want to keep up with all the latest developments in the German telecoms market? Join the ecosystem in discussion at this year’s Connected Germany conference live in Munich
Drawing on over 20 years of experience in the communications industry and a diverse portfolio of hundreds of clients, we have gained valuable insights into the trends and indicators of success in our long-term partners. Agility, superior customer service, and value-added solutions are all crucial markers of success; but we have found that tapping into a niche market is what can truly catapult sales to new heights.
A niche market allows you to concentrate on a focused target audience, enabling you to tailor your solution and refine your marketing strategy to maximize sales and profits. With a product perfectly polished for their needs, you position yourself as the go-to solutions provider for that particular niche. Repeat this process across several niches to establish yourself as an industry giant.
So, how do you uncover these niches? The key lies in moving beyond your conventional target audience and identifying the vertical industries that desperately, while not so obviously, need Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). Once you open their eyes to the features and benefits your solution offers their business, you will find your solution flying off the shelves like hot cakes.
Get ready to turn your gameplan upside down and dive head first into these verticals as we guide you through a journey of exploring untapped markets and the opportunity to jumpstart your growth and accelerate your success.
Extensive research done by Markets and Markets (Unified Communication and Collaboration Market, with Covid-19 Impact Analysis) reveals that the healthcare industry is a fast-growing vertical market for Unified Communications solutions. Projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.5% between 2021 and 2026, the Unified Communication and Collaboration Market within the healthcare sector is overflowing with opportunity.
Before you start calling the local clinics and hospitals, let’s delve into two compelling reasons why Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) aligns with the needs of healthcare businesses and explore the offerings you can bring to the table.
In an industry where patients are essentially customers with a heightened vested interest in the service they receive, effective communication is paramount. One way to improve patient communication is with an easier appointment scheduling process.
Offer a Contact Center solution with omnichannel capabilities to your healthcare customers to open up their channels of communication and streamline the scheduling process. This will allow patients to schedule appointments not only over the phone, but via online portals or mobile apps as well.
Your Unified Communications mobile app can serve the healthcare industry in a few ways. Most healthcare facilities depend on a diverse team of professionals, including physicians, nurses, specialists, and administrators.
Keeping all of these parties in contact is a challenge, but mobile communication will help. Not to mention how revolutionary gloCOM GO could be to on-call physicians and nurses that want to lessen their technological load while still keeping their personal and professional lives separate.
This is just a glimpse into the myriad ways Unified Communications can be positioned for success within the healthcare industry. Of course HIPAA and other regulations come into play, so you are responsible to do your due diligence on how to comply with local legislation.
Find out more about selling UC solutions to the healthcare industry.
The same Markets and Markets study found that the Logistics and Transportation vertical, which includes real estate and rental, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.1% during 2021-2026, reaching a projected value of 10,943 million USD by 2026. Opportunity abounds in this underserved yet highly lucrative vertical.
Let’s delve into two key advantages you can offer to real estate and property management businesses, setting the stage for a successful partnership:
Recognizing that real estate agents do not spend much time at a desk, our gloCOM UC app provides advanced communication and collaboration tools accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.
This empowers users to transform any location into their office. Whether meeting with clients, showing properties, or on the move, gloCOM users can effortlessly handle calls, participate in virtual meetings, send faxes, and manage voicemail from any device and available network.
A report from the National Association of Realtors found that 92% of home buyers and sellers prioritize agent responsiveness as “very important”, ranking just below honesty and knowledgeability. You can empower real estate agents to become more responsive with a tailored UC solution.
A contact center solution with omnichannel features ensures maximum availability by offering diverse lines of communication, such as voice, email, instant messaging, and social media. Advanced Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) systems guarantee prompt and personalized handling of callers, even if that means routing them to a specific voicemail box occasionally.
These insights merely scratch the surface of our ideas and strategies for selling VoIP solutions to real estate agents. Not to mention property management companies that need better ways to deal with tenant communication, inspections and maintenance, and emergency responses.
Learn more about selling Unified Communications solutions to the real estate & rental Industry.
In the fast-paced realm of the hospitality industry, which encompasses lodging, food services, and transportation, the demand for impeccable service often collides with the challenges of managing unrealistic customer expectations.
The good news is that you can empower hospitality businesses to offer the very best service possible while mitigating the inevitable challenges that customers will encounter.
One way to make customers feel better about their experience in the hospitality industry is by asking for their feedback. Present a UCaaS solution equipped with omnichannel features that open up seamless lines of communication.
Automated messaging can be utilized to request surveys and feedback at various points during the customer journey. A solution that consolidates all customer interactions, questions, and feedback into a unified platform not only enhances the effectiveness of future communications, but also minimizes frustration for both agents and customers.
The hospitality industry already juggles so many moving pieces, you can make their lives easier by simplifying their operational landscape with a unified interface. CRM integration streamlines customer interactions by maintaining a comprehensive record of all communications and bringing it up in a pop-up window when a customer is on the phone.
Additionally, if you choose to develop Payment Management Systems (PMS) integration, you can reduce complexity by consolidating interfaces and making everything available in one solution.
We have the pieces needed to support the hospitality industry in delivering a superior, realistic customer experience.
Find out more about selling Unified Communications solutions to the hospitality industry.
The restaurant industry has undergone significant transformations over the past three years, from enduring major financial challenges in 2020, to the widespread discovery of online ordering and food delivery or pickup, to the subsequent resurgence in dining-in, but with higher expectations of streamlined service.
This changing landscape has presented considerable challenges, but UCaaS providers like you and I are well-positioned to offer tangible solutions to the evolving needs of the restaurant industry.
Revolutionize the way restaurants handle orders and reservations by offering an omnichannel contact center solution. Opening more communication channels gives customers flexibility in how they place orders and make reservations while still allowing restaurants to manage and organize these processes in a centralized interface. A survey by Toast, a leading restaurant management software, found that 73% of diners agree that restaurant technology improves their experience.
As the restaurant industry continues recovering from the shutdowns of 2020 and grapples with increasing food and labor prices, cost savings will be paramount on their list of priorities.
Highlight the cost savings of VoIP compared to traditional phone systems, emphasizing that it also offers more features for the investment. With add-on apps, restaurants can pick and choose their communication solutions to fit their budget and have the flexibility to upgrade as their financial situation improves.
There are many more ways to support the restaurant industry in its post-pandemic recovery and resurgence.
Learn more about selling Unified Communications solutions to the restaurant industry.
The professional services industry encompasses businesses that provide services or expertise rather than tangible products, such as legal services or design. With communication at the core of these service-oriented businesses, your UCaaS solution holds significant potential to meet their diverse needs.
Integrating CRM software into your communications solution grants users instant and automatic access to pertinent information anytime communication with a client is initiated.
This feature is particularly useful for professionals managing multiple clients simultaneously, such as lawyers handling several cases or designers working on various projects. CRM integration empowers these professionals to engage with each client on a personal level, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Unified communications provides a level of flexibility that allows professional service providers to increase their availability and allocate more time to their core work. Transitioning from traditional in-person meetings to high-definition video calls reduces travel time while still preserving the personal touch that is crucial in professional services.
The ability to follow up with clients via text or a professional messaging system saves even more time, enabling the professional to focus on project completion and client acquisition.
If you are eager for more ways to support the professional services industry with your UCaaS solution, stay tuned for our upcoming blog post dedicated to exploring additional strategies to sell to the professional services sector.
Learn how and why to sell Unified Communications to the professional services industry.
The realm of finance and insurance is marked by a fierce need for security and compliance with stringent government regulations, so it is crucial to research your responsibility, takes steps to ensure compliance, and ultimately instill confidence in your customers. Once you have done these things, you can open up the world of Unified Communications to your finance and insurance customers.
The intersection of financial services and technology, often referred to as FinTech, opens up a realm of opportunities. One of the pillars of companies embracing Financial Technology is Cloud Computing – here is your opportunity.
Offer a solution that integrates cloud services into existing financial solutions, unlocking features such as chatbots, call recording and transcription, enhanced collaboration, and more.
Detailed recording and analysis of communication data is crucial to running an efficient financial institution or insurance company. Not only is this information important for compliance and regulation, it also enables managers to prepare and improve for the future.
Offer a contact center solution with call reporting and analytics to give your financial and insurance customers more control over their results and plans.
Your UC solution has the extensive features and integrative capabilities necessary to cater to the unique demands of the finance and insurance sector.
Find out more about selling UC solutions to the finance & insurance industry.
In the demanding field of repair and maintenance, where skilled laborers dedicate themselves to keeping essential machinery, equipment, and products operational for all of the other industries, efficiency is paramount.
Laborers often find themselves off-site, with little time for technological learning curves or communication delays. Your opportunity lies in providing a user-friendly communication solution that resolves the specific pain points of this industry.
Empower repair and maintenance workers with a solution that makes communication fast and easy so they have more time for their core work.
For a skilled laborer knee-deep in a critical job, the last thing they need is a time-consuming phone call in the office across the warehouse. With gloCOM GO, calls would be redirected to their mobile device, enabling them to choose whether to answer or divert to voicemail, ensuring minimal disruption to workflow.
The advancements in VoIP and cloud communications have significantly improved call quality. Offer repair and maintenance workers the benefit of high-definition voice and even video calling, complemented by advanced noise reduction features.
This allows individuals working in noisy environments, such as workshops or warehouses, to engage in calls without worrying about background noise.
The repair and maintenance services industry presents a ripe opportunity for selling communications solutions. Find out how to seize this opportunity.
The retail landscape in 2023 is marked by a shortage of employees and exceedingly high expectations for customer service, resulting in dissatisfied customers and employee burnout.
This perpetual cycle of discontent poses a significant challenge for the industry and its future. Enter your solution, designed to go beyond traditional communication hurdles, tacking real retail problems like employee burnout and inventory tracking.
In a retail environment where overworked and overly criticized employees are reaching their breaking point, providing a comprehensive communications system becomes a crucial means of support.
gloCOM GO empowers retail workers to call or message colleagues and supervisors directly from their personal devices, enabling them to seek assistance at the moment it is needed. With Contact Center features like whisper and barge, supervisors can intervene and offer support when team members are hitting a wall, preventing burnout and ensuring customer satisfaction.
A major driver of customer dissatisfaction in retail stems from a lack of information. Customers want to know where their order is, where the product they want to buy is, and they want to know now.
Integrating the inventory and ordering database into the communications system will ensure employees have access to critical information precisely when they need it. By offering proactive approaches to your retail customers, they will enhance customer satisfaction and decrease employee turnover.
The retail industry is grappling with challenges and needs all of the assistance it can get. Your communications solution has the potential to provide the support this industry requires. Stay tuned for our upcoming blog post where we will explore strategies for effectively selling VoIP to the retail sector.
Find out more about selling Unified Communications to the retail industry.
In conclusion, each of these vertical industries poses a lucrative opportunity for you to customize and sell your VoIP or UC solution. All it takes is a little creativity and marketing finesse, and you can help serve and support niche businesses in need of better communications. If you want help to get started, please contact us today so we can chat about your solution and opportunities.
Three bits of regional subsea infrastructure news this week: … [visit site to read more]
Service provider Telekom Malaysia is said to be exploring plans to build a new hyperscale data centre, expanding its capacity from the existing Klang Valley Data Centre (KVDC) and Iskandar Puteri Data Centre (IPDC).
The hyperscale data centre is likely to be a large facility offering at least 40 Megawatts (MW) of IT power capacity, catering to large cloud service providers and internet companies.
CIMB Investment Bank, which, according to the Edge Malaysia news service, announced the news, suggests that, by leveraging its extensive submarine and terrestrial networks as well as its strong local relationships, Telekom Malaysia may be able to attract strong strategic international partners to co-invest in the new data centre.
« Besides helping to partly fund the investment required, a strong strategic international partner could also share expertise in the design and operation of data centres that cater to hyperscalers and AI workloads, » CIMB said in a note earlier this week.
If Telekom Malaysia proceeds, CIMB, a leading ASEAN-focused bank and one of the region’s foremost corporate advisors, expects the group to develop the facility in phases. It notes, « If kicked off in 2H2024, the first phase could be ready for service by 1H2026. »
For the moment, this news awaits confirmation. However, data centre activity in Malaysia does seem to be ramping up. Among many similar announcements in recent months to appear in these pages, we reported last week that Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has formed a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Investment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop data centres in Malaysia.
HAUD AND ORANGE FORGE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST INTERNATIONAL A2P MONETISATION AND ENHANCE MESSAGING PROTECTION
Uppsala Sweden – HAUD, a leading telecommunications security company, has officially announced a transformative strategic partnership with Orange Wholesale commitment to identify, address, and mitigate revenue leakage across all channels within the Orange group, ensuring sustained protection and revenue growth across the entire portfolio of Orange operating companies worldwide.
As part of this long-term partnership, HAUD is set to deliver a comprehensive suite of services, to bolster Orange’s A2P Monetisation business. These services encompass vulnerability testing assessments, strategic consulting, and award winning security software deployment throughout the Orange group. HAUDs mission is clear – to fortify the identification and prevention of A2P revenue leakage across diverse messaging channels, securing and optimizing the A2P Monetisation ecosystem.
“The partnership with HAUD signifies a strategic move towards fortifying the integrity of our messaging platforms and maximizing revenue generation. HAUDs solutions ensure we can maximize revenue from our messaging platforms in partnership with our operating companies and affiliates, solidifying our commitment to providing secure and innovative services,” said Cedric Gonin, VP Global Business Support at Orange Wholesale.
The Smart Ecosystem is meticulously designed to prioritize the protection of subscribers and systems, against potential threats while ensuring sustainable, scalable revenue streams. By embarking on this strategic journey with Orange Wholesale, HAUD reinforces its commitment to pioneering advancements in telecommunication messaging security. The partnership marks a pivotal step towards fortifying messaging protection and maximising the value derived from A2P Monetisation initiatives within the global telecom landscape, “said Erik Angelow, CEO at HAUD.
For further information, please contact:
Emily Morgan
emily.morgan@haud.com
About HAUD
HAUD stands as a distinguished leader in telecommunications security, dedicated to serving global Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Our comprehensive expertise spans a suite of award winning solutions, including A2P Monetization, Messaging Protection and Security, Messaging assurance, and SMS and Messaging Firewalls.
With an unwavering commitment to empowering our clients, HAUD facilitates the imperative to “Stay in Control” of network dynamics, wholesale revenue, and overall customer experience. As the enduring and trusted partner for telecom operators and messaging partners worldwide, HAUD delivers cutting-edge services that redefine the benchmarks of telecommunications security.
Four bits of last mile news and one federal contract of interest to keep up with: … [visit site to read more]
Indonesian operator Telkomsel announced it has formed a strategic partnership with Google to provide rich communication services (RCS), including a rich business messaging (RBM) feature aimed at enterprises.
Telkomsel signed of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday with Google for the development of RCS in Indonesia. Telkomsel’s parent company Singtel also signed the MoU, under which it will develop and offer RCS in Singapore.
RCS is the messaging protocol spearheaded by the GSMA, whose RCS Universal Profile is designed to enhance SMS and MMS with features such as more interactivity, better support for multimedia content, group chats, notifications for received and read messages, and typing indicators.
The RBM feature is designed to enable businesses to use RCS messaging as another application-to-person (A2P) channel to reach consumers, similar to how many businesses currently use OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp.
A recent report from Emergen Research said that businesses are increasingly adopting RCS because of its ability to engage customers effectively: “Research suggests that RCS messages are read 35 times more often than emails, and engagement with brands using RCS is 74% higher.”
The catch is that consumers need a phone that is compatible with RCS – which at the moment is limited to Android phones running Android 5.0 or later. iPhones currently do not support the RCS Universal Profile, although Apple announced in November that iPhones will start supporting RCS later this year.
“We hope that this service can support digital transformation in various types of businesses and open up new opportunities for business innovation in the future, » said Jason Choy, international director of Android and Business Communication Product Partnerships at Google.
Telkomsel’s RCS play comes almost three months after rival telco Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison launched Indonesia’s first RCS service in November.
The call to action comes after Ofcom announced plans to ban mid-contract price rises late last year
According to research from Which?, many mobile and broadband customers are set to face major price hikes this April, with the alternative being to face large fees to exit their contract.
As part of their mission to provide financial clarity for mobile and broadband customers, Which? analysed the mobile industry market data to better understand the impact of the price rises on customers. It found that, of all the mobile providers using CPI (Consumer Prices Index) as a foundation for their price increases, EE, Three, and Vodafone are all increasing their prices by 7.9% this year, costing customers up to an additional £27.36 per year.
In terms of broadband, the average BT customer will have the biggest price increase, up by 7.9% and increasing their bills by up to £35.92 per year.
“We think it is unconscionable that broadband and mobile providers are still planning to go ahead with this year’s inflation-linked price rises, which will impact millions of people, even after the regulator declared this practice causes substantial consumer harm and proposed a ban,” Which? said on its website.
“It’s outrageous that telecoms firms could yet again trap their customers between inflation-busting price hikes and punitive exit fees this April, despite Ofcom declaring this practice causes substantial consumer harm,” said Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy.
“Telecoms providers must do the right thing by halting unfair price hikes immediately, rather than piling more misery on their customers.”
Find the full Which? analysis here.
Back in December, Ofcom announced their proposal to ban inflation-linked mid-contract price rises to give customers more transparency regarding their future bills. Their research found that, as of April last year, four in ten broadband customers and over half of mobile customers were on contracts that were subject to inflation-linked price rises. Despite this, awareness of what this actually meant was staggeringly low; 55% of broadband customers and 58% of pay monthly mobile customers did not understand what inflation rates like CPI and RPI (Retail Prices Index) measure, and therefore do not fully understand how price increases are calculated.
Ofcom concluded that the price rises cause “substantial amounts of consumer harm” and proposed the rule change.
A period of consultation is currently underway, and the results are to be published in Spring.
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Also in the news:
EE dominates RootMetrics benchmarking study but loses 5G crown to Three
FCC updates spectrum rules to facilitate broadband access on ships and aircraft
UK government strikes deal with Vodafone over e& security concerns
