A new study undertaken by global real-time BSS leader Openet found that inflexibility of existing systems are a major inhibitor for the implementation of personalized, real-time offers to drive upsell opportunities. The survey which was conducted among 101 operators, highlights the frustrations faced by operators who recognize the need for more real-time functions, better customer engagement and faster product development, but who cite a lack of BSS agility as their biggest barrier.
Legacy systems are also found to be the largest hindrances for Operators to move to digital services, says the study.
Operators surveyed anticipate that their most lucrative new revenue sources in 2016 will come from providing multi-play offers. This is closely followed by selling digital life services (e.g. home automation, and security services) to their existing customer base – provided their BSS can keep up and monetize new offers. Operators recognize that there is a significant level of danger and a need for rapid BSS transformation, with 65 percent fearing mobile data commoditization in the next two years.
Other key findings:
• Operators now view VoIP and messaging OTTs as their fiercest competition in maximizing the effectiveness of digital services.
• 57 per cent of operators feel quite well prepared for the battle, citing their network as their key area of competitive advantage.
• More than half the operators surveyed have tried to leverage real-time data to create targeted customer offers and services.
• However the majority (70 per cent) confessed that they are either worse, or much worse, than OTTs at personalized customer engagement.
Barry Marron, GVP Marketing, Openet
These findings highlight a real mismatch between positive intentions from the operator community to leverage all the advantages of targeted, real-time offers and the technical realties of making it happen. In an age of virtualized BSS technology, technology need no longer be an inhibitor to digital transformation and customer centricity.