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Mobile devices. Mobile storage. Mobile connectivity. Our culture today is consumed with the idea of mobility – and for good reasons. Relying upon the freedom of mobile communications has powered the productivity behind our daily lives and our businesses. In such a mobile world, we might be surprised to find how much further we can and will go mobile.
Having spent those agonizing minutes watching a mobile web page load, we have all been victim to the soon-to-be prehistoric speed of an overloaded 3G network (see: http://bit.ly/fgnF5a). As such, we have also realized our dependency, as well as the need for, the high speed capabilities, reliability and services we experience from our grounded technologies. As LTE networks continue to launch, and even faster and more reliable networks are continually pushed to market, we believe these networks and services will continue to drive a shift toward an even deeper reliance on our mobile devices and the range of services and applications which will now be possible. Welcome to a new true mobility.
Already, only nine percent of adult Americans are “gadget-less” (AFP, 2011). We believe those in the communications industry now have to meet this new range of needs for a truly mobile consumer and workforce – one with more devices, faster speeds and a demand for a broader range of mobile services. In response to this demand, BroadSoft recently announced its BroadWorks® telephony application server (TAS) to meet the requirements of the GSM Association’s (GSMA) IR.92 specifications for delivering Voice over LTE (VoLTE). To further enable the seamless expansion of mobile communication offerings, BroadSoft additionally announced the availability of MobileMxD™ – an integrated suite of consumer and Unified Communications (UC) services optimized for 4G networks.
Through these offerings, mobile, fixed and converged operators can now capitalize on mobile communication applications across all major smartphone and tablet operating systems (iOS, Android, etc.) and 4G enabled devices. MobileMxD will initially feature several in-demand services, including:
- MxDFamilyCenter - A web-based application that enables individuals to personalize their communication services and will allow families to stay connected and informed
- MxDCallCenter - Call Center capabilities, including video calling, which will enhance the customer experience and improve customer satisfaction
- MxD Instant Messaging and Presence - Smartphone and tablet access to business contacts from an integrated corporate directory, as well as mobile presence & location indicators
- MxDMeeting - Web collaboration capabilities, including desktop sharing and the ability to initiate, manage and control and participate in meetings, from a smartphone or tablet
- MxDProVideo - Video-calling and conferencing anytime, anywhere and from any mobile device
Do you have an opinion on the future of mobile and unified communications? Please let us know your thoughts below, on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
Sources:
AFP. (2011, February 04). 85 percent of us adults own cellphone: survey. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i8G0TD-JN7TA8gWgRUIbI80eNwKQ?docId=CNG.f7e7d21b588872cfa9a0189c30680503.751
We called it right on LTE, back in November ‘09 – check out that post here…and this past month in Barcelona all the big players came on board. More than 40 mobile organizations announced their support for One Voice (which will now be called the Voice Over LTE Initiative or VoLTE) per the GSMA, the host organization of Mobile World Congress.
The benefits of LTE are obvious at this point and just about all of the providers now agree that a rapid move towards IMS standards is necessary. Many of the large providers are unveiling plans for roll-outs sooner rather than later. And Teliasonera and Ericsson have already launched the first 4G LTE network in Stockholm and Oslo. Verizon is working towards a commercial 4G LTE roll-out across 30 major markets by the end of 2010.
While this NYT piece reported from the MWC show floor suggests that carriers may only be committing to LTE in theory and holding back based on the extensive investment required for network upgrades, we think any carrier dragging their feet will be left in the dust. Consider that one of AOL’s tragic flaws in delaying high-speed service. As a result, subscribers dropped like flies.
Data volumes on mobile networks are surging, and this article from GigaOM points out that 3G networks aren’t keeping pace. If consumers don’t get a fast, quality experience they will abandon new applications and innovation will be stifled. Businesses and consumers are salivating for faster, more reliable access to multimedia communications that improve the quality of their professional and personal interactions. We believe that LTE will deliver on this promise and there’s no time to waste in bringing it to market. Innovation is calling and carriers need to answer the call.
We called it right on LTE, back in November ‘09 – check out that post here…and this past month in Barcelona all the big players came on board. More than 40 mobile organizations announced their support for One Voice (which will now be called the Voice Over LTE Initiative or VoLTE) per the GSMA, the host organization of Mobile World Congress.
The benefits of LTE are obvious at this point and just about all of the providers now agree that a rapid move towards IMS standards is necessary. Many of the large providers are unveiling plans for roll-outs sooner rather than later. And Teliasonera and Ericsson have already launched the first 4G LTE network in Stockholm and Oslo. Verizon is working towards a commercial 4G LTE roll-out across 30 major markets by the end of 2010.
While this NYT piece reported from the MWC show floor suggests that carriers may only be committing to LTE in theory and holding back based on the extensive investment required for network upgrades, we think any carrier dragging their feet will be left in the dust. Consider that one of AOL’s tragic flaws in delaying high-speed service. As a result, subscribers dropped like flies.
Data volumes on mobile networks are surging, and this article from GigaOM points out that 3G networks aren’t keeping pace. If consumers don’t get a fast, quality experience they will abandon new applications and innovation will be stifled. Businesses and consumers are salivating for faster, more reliable access to multimedia communications that improve the quality of their professional and personal interactions. We believe that LTE will deliver on this promise and there’s no time to waste in bringing it to market. Innovation is calling and carriers need to answer the call.
We have reached another tipping point in the telecommunications industry. SIP trunking is the fastest growing service in our space right now and we all have an opportunity to capitalize on this trend, but we must be smart about our approach.
SIP Trunking’s growth presents a new revenue opportunity, but only if the trunk offers services above and beyond PSTN quality voice. If a service provider simply provides VoIP connectivity, they will see their revenues erode. SIP Trunking offers service providers a tremendous opportunity to deliver valuable services to enterprises by providing new communication services in demand by the enterprise market. Enterprises are becoming more educated on SIP Trunking. Practically every large enterprise has read a case study that demonstrates how an enterprise can reduce their trunks by 30% – 40%, which is obviously a negative revenue proposition for the service provider. So service providers must develop a comprehensive managed service offering to enhance and complement their SIP Trunking service.
There are several market trends, which are driving adoption of SIP Trunking by enterprises. Over the next 5-years:
- Enterprise workforces will become increasingly mobile
- Video calling will be widely adopted
- High-definition voice will be the new standard for voice communications
- PBXs will migrate to unified communications
- Enterprises are demanding comprehensive business continuity capabilities
We can easily talk about how SIP Trunking is enabling new revenue opportunities for service providers of each of these trends, but in this post we will focus specifically on the prospects with Unified Communications.
ABI Research recently issued a report “Vertical Market Opportunities in Unified Communications,” which predicts that the unified communications solutions market will reach nearly $4.2 billion in 2014 – a sharp increase from 2008 when the market reached around $302 million.
We all know that Unified Communications (UC) is the integration of varied communication options, like voice, video, email, instant messaging and conferencing, on a single IP platform. The primary benefit of UC is the ability to speed the rate of communications, keeping everyone more closely connected and improves collaboration among employees.
Another capability of UC is the greater control it provides a user over their communications options. With a single Web-based account, individual users can decide when, where and how they can be reached — and users can define these parameters without the need for IT support. (See last week’s Broadband Ignite post: VoIP’s Success in 2009 and Beyond, which focuses on the user experience…and a smart network).
SIP Trunking enables the delivery of Unified Communication capabilities now, from the “cloud, offering service providers an immediate, new revenue opportunity versus shifting that revenue opportunity to the PBX manufactures. With a “cloud-model”, enterprises no longer need to purchase additional equipment to have a full-featured UC solution.
BroadSoft has tightly integrated our BroadWorks product with business applications from Microsoft, IBM, Google, Zimbra and Counterpath in order to enable service providers to offer “UC as a Service.” When service providers host UC in the cloud, enterprises can purchase UC on an as-needed basis. This approach eliminates the need for businesses to spend valuable CAPEX dollars to purchase on premises-based systems, and creates a new revenue opportunity for service providers.
Another business model for service providers is Aastra’s Clearspan product, which integrates BroadSoft’s BroadWorks platform. Clearspan enables enterprises to collapse PSTN connectivity from multiple sites into a single centralized SIP trunk while allowing for a graceful migration of enterprise users to UC without the immediate need to replace costly PBX phones. Service providers can deliver and manage these platforms for enterprises, regardless of their communications environment, PBX, IP or a hybrid.
And the benefits of UC to an enterprise are no longer just a gut feeling. Aberdeen Group recently conducted a study that quantified the benefits of UC to an enterprise, which are:
- 35% increase in knowledge sharing
- 35% increase in workplace flexibility
- 25% improvement of an organization’s competitive performance
- 16% increased of collaboration for decision making
- 11% accelerated speed of conflict resolution
All of these factors present a perfect storm for service providers to increase revenue opportunities, versus creating a commoditized service. They are well positioned to offer advance communication services today through SIP Trunking.
We are hosting a webinar tomorrow, December 2, 2009: Capitalize on SIP Trunkings’ Momentum where we will expand on the other revenue opportunities available with a comprehensive SIP Trunking solution strategy, including:
o Unified Communications
o Fixed mobile Convergence
o Video and Telepresence
o Teleworker Solutions
o Disaster recovery
o Customized communication applications with BroadSoft Xtended
BroadSoft’s goal is to enable service providers to deliver value with SIP Trunking, not simply enable the replacement of circuit switch calls. We will all lose if that is the strategy for SIP Trunking.
With a 10X increase in transmission speeds and a significantly lower cost per bit, Long-term Evolution (LTE) represents a tremendous opportunity for operators given the prospect of converting more than 4 billion mobile subscribers worldwide to 4G or fourth-generation technology. The evolution in wireless communications is driving operators to change the way voice services are delivered.
Voice over LTE is an important topic for providers today. LTE is all about data so trafficking circuit-based voice services onto IP networks is a big issue. There are a number of technical and business challenges associated with Voice over LTE. While there are questions over when Voice over LTE will be deployed, one of the big technical impediments until recently was a unified standard.
A few weeks ago a consortium of service providers, equipment vendors and device manufacturers came together in support of a standard for delivering voice and SMS services on LTE networks, One Voice. The One Voice specification will use components of the existing IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) framework (which already defines how to provide data, voice and multimedia content over IP) to route voice calls between circuit switched and IP networks…meaning LTE mobile calls will become VoIP calls.
Prior to One Voice, a competing approach — the VoLGA (Voice over LTE via Generic Access) initiative — was put forth as an interim LTE voice solution using existing circuit-switched networks …instead of IMS. VoLGA supporters claim this would allow operators to get there sooner rather than later. While we understand the problems VoLGA attempted to address, we think they’re greatly exaggerated. Since the One Voice announcement, many in the industry are now questioning the livelihood of VoLGA.
In our opinion, VoLGA’s time has passed. Here’s why…
- T-Mobile is the only operator backing VoLGA. Now compare that to the list of heavy hitters behind One Voice…AT&T, Orange, Telefonica, TeliaSonera, Verizon, and Vodafone.
- The addressable market for VoLGA is minuscule compared to that of One Voice. Handset manufacturers and network equipment vendors follow the lead of service providers. Given the first point, it is obvious where the opportunity is.
- Given VoLGA is a temporary solution, vendors are not likely to invest in it — innovation will occur with One Voice though.
- IMS is MORE mature than what VoLGA proponents pushed. BroadSoft has more than 50 live IMS deployments worldwide and with an inside view of 450+ providers’ network roadmaps, we can validate this is real. Many carriers in the US and most European providers have already deployed IMS.
As providers continue to lose landline assets and look to collapse their networks into one, IMS is critical. Since IMS simultaneously serves broadband wireline and LTE wireless networks, this provides operators with a path to service convergence. Fixed-line providers have been moving in this direction for some, and now converged and mobile operators need to follow suit. This is huge opportunity for them.
BroadSoft believes One Voice is the best approach for delivering voice and SMS services on LTE networks and will help accelerate the process of moving to all-IP. Providers should not be sidetracked with an interim solution that doesn’t address the primary goal.
UPDATE – It’s really dead now – Ericsson leaves VoLGA Forum, from Unsprung: http://bit.ly/4nSnAI
In the coming months, cloud-based enhanced services like Google Voice are poised to fundamentally change the landscape of the communications industry. This presents both a threat and opportunity to traditional, mobile and fixed line carriers, faced with decisions about adjusting their strategies in this new environment.
BroadSoft sees several possibilities:
- Resale – The traditional service provider engages in a resell arrangement with Google for Google Voice.
- Replicate – The traditional service provider replicates the Google Voice functionality and delivers a comparable offer.
- Differentiate – The traditional service provider combines the concept of Google Voice with assets that are unique to them.
The last option is obviously the one we recommend…. because there is a clear path for providers to pursue. Here’s why: while Google Voice certainly has a number of things going for it – the Google brand and the free factor being the most compelling, as well as integration with Google apps –there are a number of ways in which it falls short.
The most obvious is the need for a new phone number—an obstacle for both businesses and consumers. Another hurdle for both groups is the clunky factor—created by the fact that most Google Voice activities (voice call and SMS) need to be initiated through the web portal. The solution also lacks several important business features such as auto attendant, attendant consoles and corporate directories.
When you put these factors together and then consider the existing strengths that providers bring to the table – the trust factor, a proven track record of reliable service, and a traditional customer support model – service providers are well positioned to use the buzz and demand that Google Voice is creating to their own advantage.
Google Voice is not a passing fad – it’s going to catapult the market into wanting and soon after, needing enhanced VoIP services delivered from the “Cloud”. But who better to deliver on this promise than the service providers who have been doing this in small pockets for a more than a decade?
Many businesses once married to the idea of having everything on their own servers are starting to come around to see the value of hosted services. SIP Trunking is grabbing attention as the way to go in the interim, and perhaps long term for companies who prefer a hybrid solution.
BroadSoft works with nearly 200 service providers offering SIP Trunking. Figuring out which one can meet your business’ specific needs can be tricky. A couple of key questions can get you started. While price often plays a role, it shouldn’t be the only or even most important consideration. Especially if the least expensive offering is not SIPconnect compliant, doesn’t ensure business continuity and falls short in enhanced services.
A first step is finding out if the SIP trunking service is delivered over a managed IP network with SLAs. This guarantees a single point of contact for trouble shooting and resolving issues. It also means the provider can deliver expected voice Quality of Service (QoS), unlike services that run over the public internet, which are inherently less reliable.
Network infrastructure is another important criteria– it can be the difference between reliable uptime and frequent outages. For service provider to scale to millions of users and meet uptimes of 99.999%, they must have carrier class VoIP network infrastructure. This ensures service availability for all but 6 seconds a day or five minutes a year. Enterprise-grade platforms like Asterisk, SIP Express Router, or home-grown technology often don’t have the proven track record of delivering five 9s of reliability or scaling beyond a few thousand users. Don’t be afraid to ask a provider for historical network uptime statistics.
Providers who can support Business Continuity must have redundant trunk groups into an enterprise IP PBX. This supports automatic re-routing and load sharing, so even in an outage, employees can access communications networks no matter where they are located. In worst case scenarios such as a natural disaster, this enables a business to continue operations.
SIPconnect is the industry standard for SIP trunking. If a service provider is not SIPconnect compliant they cannot guarantee all of your PBX features will work properly with their SIP trunking offer, or that their service will continue to work when you upgrade your PBX software (typically twice a year). A proper service provider will be certified interoperable with all leading IP PBX vendors such as Cisco, Avaya, and Nortel.
Finally, enhanced services are critical for businesses to remain competitive. By supporting Video, Mobile extensions, Telecommuters, and Unified Communications, a SIP Trunking provider helps you increase productivity and efficiency across your company. Examples of this include lower travel costs and less time lost in transit for employees who can connect virtually through video to communicate, attend meetings and training sessions. Through Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC), a single number service eliminates multiple voicemail boxes and lost time associated with two devices. Network-based services eliminate CAPEX and are PBX vendor independent.
We’ll be diving deeper into this subject at our upcoming users’ conference, BroadSoft Connections 2009: Voice & Vision. The session, Tap Trunking’s Possibilities, will look at how a number of operators have used business continuity as part of their SIP trunking proposition and the impact it has made to the success of their services.
Michael Tessler
Scott Hoffpauir
Leslie Ferry
Alex Doyle
Curtis Hartmann
Shirish Andhare
Paul Adams
