While the core component of any communications provider's business may be its network
the focus now is shifting from connectivity to the customer experience.
With cloud computing, communications executives can now offer
not only traditional communications products and services but can empower
customers, partners and employees by investing in cloud-based solutions.
Cloud represents an unprecedented opportunity for communications providers
to transform—flexibly and economically—
their service portfolios, business models, and operations.
Watch the videoCloud computing provides inventive new ways for CSPs
to better leverage and further monetize their existing assets.
Enterprises of all sizes, especially small and mid-sized businesses,
are poised to benefit greatly from the advent of cloud-based services,
which can now provide them easy access to a wide array of
productivity and interactive collaboration services and business applications,
most of which have been previously out of reach.
CSPs, with their large customer bases, sophisticated business
and operational support systems, robust networks and self-service web portals,
are well positioned to benefit from their natural advantage
as communications service providers to evolve into cloud service providers.
In this rapidly evolving and ever-dynamic landscape, cloud provides a
golden opportunity to breathe new life into a service provider's business.
Watch the videoIn addition to what they can do with cloud,
communications providers can deliver more relevant
and valuable services to their customers in a number of ways.
They can integrate the unique data and assets only they have–
such as a user's location and presence–
to create new service mash-ups or improve web applications
by enhancing their functionality and value with useful information.
CSPs can also put previously unavailable
long-tail commercial content within popular reach,
driving customers to their website
by increasing the value they provide to subscribers.
They can also create a more convenient experience
by making services accessible anywhere at any time on virtually any device
and providing more flexible payment plans and capabilities.
CSPs can empower users by enabling them to control what they access
and by delivering services that they can configure
and personalize quickly and easily.
And they can open up networks to external application providers
to enable the development of new services and apps that incorporate
communications capabilities, such as location, context, and presence.
The market is evolving. And only the most strategic, decisive and agile providers
will be positioned to capitalize on the rapidly increasing demand
for new business and consumer services and applications
with improved user experiences.
Watch the videoCommunications providers must enrich their service portfolio
to help distinguish their brand and create new value for users.
To do this, CSPs must view communications services from a different angle:
As other systems evolve, new opportunities arise for agile communications providers.
In tomorrow's healthcare industry, information and data intensive imagery
can be quickly and easily shared with physicians and health care institutions
via digital transmission over ultra-high-capacity networks.
As governments today try to reduce traffic congestion and emissions,
they're turning to automated systems that monitor traffic flows
to help reroute traffic using GPS sensors and wireless transmitters
and to prompt travelers to use mass transit alternatives.
Remote wireless devices can be leveraged for smart metering,
and much better management of energy resources.
And as mobile devices evolve into more secure commerce devices,
customers can bank and shop wherever they happen to be.
The systems of a smarter planet are dependent upon
communications service providers to keep them connected.
By improving how people and things communicate,
CSPs improve how we work, how we play, how we live.
A smarter planet is built on smarter communications.
Watch the video