Network Monitization archives - Uncommon Wisdom

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network monitization

Apr 13 2009   12:56PM GMT

Time to improve operations or cap services



Posted by: Tom Nolle
OSS, tiered pricing, mergers and acquisitions, network monitization

There are more and more signs, in the mergers and acquisitions space in particular, that vendors are finally getting smart on the network and operations management problem. Operators need to raise top-line revenues, lower costs, or both.

Since supporting the top line has proved elusive or impossible to the network vendors, that means they will either have to improve operations or see their customers cut capex. The fact that AT&T and Time Warner Cable are already looking at tiered pricing and caps is a strong signal that the time for a decision is near.

Once providers take the PR hit by introducing pricing tiers/caps they will not go back even if revenues or operations costs can be improved later. We estimate there is likely only about nine more months to fix the monetization problem before operator solutions like reducing traffic through caps will take hold.

The question now is whether the equipment vendors will step up and play a role or cede it to OSS specialists; the Tektronix acquisition of a mobile data customer experience management firm suggests that many think equipment vendors will miss the OSS opportunity as they are missing the service-layer opportunity.

Jan 28 2009   4:10PM GMT

On Verizon’s and Tier One revenue…concerns beyond the economy



Posted by: Tom Nolle
Verizon, FMC, FiOS, network monitization, wireless, Broadband, VoIP

Verizon wasn’t able to match analyst estimates for growth in Q1, but the company’s wireless unit increased revenues by 12%, even while subscriber growth slowed and losses increased slightly.

In the wireline area, Verizon continued to lose both business and residential fixed lines to mobile, to cable and (relatively few) to VoIP. FiOS reported strong numbers and good growth, but there are concerns that even this most successful of the telco TV offerings may not grow fast enough to generate the revenue and profits to offset wireline declines.

Verizon has been bringing out VoIP and femtocell add-ons, as other reports on this blog show, and we believe the company is preparing to make a more elaborate VoIP and FMC offering available. Its Voicewing product apparently has been withdrawn.

While revenues for Verizon and other Tier One providers are up, which would not put direct pressure on capex, we believe service providers, including Verizon, are very concerned about the declining voice margins, declining mobile growth, and the failure of their monetization strategies so far. These factors will have far more influence on spending in 2009 and beyond than the economic problems.