According to Deloitte’s 2021 Connectivity and Mobile Trends Survey, the average U.S. household has 25 connected devices across 14 categories. Globally, the number of connected devices is estimated to reach 38.6 billion by 2025.
More devices will inevitably lead to more vulnerabilities around privacy, data, and hardware protection. A study from McAfee found that more than half of U.S. consumers (58%) already do not feel secure when it comes to their mobile security and only about 1 in 3 (36%) have a clear understanding of the information stored in their mobile devices.
As service providers have proven themselves as true stewards of consumer data protection and privacy, it’s up to them to help consumers feel confident about how their data is being used. After all, broadband cable and telecom companies are in a new era with consumers expecting value-added services that go beyond 5G and fixed wireless offerings.
The demand for personal cloud data protection, hardware insurance, home and network security allows service providers to grow their trusted relationship with consumers and capitalize on the global personal cloud market that is expected to be valued at $220 billion by 2032.
Drive revenue and enhance customer engagement
By providing both mobile and fixed wireless connectivity, service providers are uniquely positioned to become the trusted end-to-end solution of total protection services for subscribers at home and on the go. A personal cloud platform will help service providers accelerate the adoption of fixed wireless 5G service and data protection plans.
Today, subscribers want one-stop convenience. They don’t want to worry about exceeding cloud usage limits or managing multiple cloud accounts, multiple cloud bills, and multiple cloud passwords. To meet these customer demands, operators should offer reasonably priced bundle deals that include unlimited personal cloud storage for everyone on a multiline group data plan.
As photo and video technologies continue to advance, thereby increasing image quality and resulting in larger file sizes, transferring storage-intensive content from the device to the cloud is imperative. Unlimited cloud storage gives users the flexibility to offload photos and videos and free up space so they can create new content.
A central cloud solution will allow a subscriber’s entire family to share cloud storage across multiple devices and make it easy for subscribers to safeguard important documents – such as insurance policies, deeds, home surveys – through the creation of password protected folders.
Data protection through private folders
The ideal cloud solution will encrypt data while in transit and at rest, allow users to manage data sharing controls, and automatically backup content for greater ease of use and peace of mind. Service providers such as Verizon and AT&T have also implemented private folders in the cloud for advanced security.
Private folders offer a safe repository for confidential content which can include legal documents such as images of passports, vaccine cards, social security cards, driver’s licenses, insurance information, etc. Providing an extra layer of data protection, the information stored in private folders is only accessible from a user’s mobile device and requires a PIN or biometric data to access. As content in private folders can be moved and organized into different folders as necessary, users can easily manage documents and find important files faster than searching through their camera roll.
Value-added services for operators and subscribers
Overall, a personal cloud platform is a value-added service that helps operators drive revenue while building a loyal customer base. When operators have millions of active users leveraging cloud, it becomes a channel for cross selling security services, insurance, merchandise such as prints and gifts, and other carrier services, leading to a significant increase in ARPU. As a result, service providers can deliver more value to customers, protect data, and improve the sharing experience across devices and between individuals.
A personal cloud platform not only enables users to backup and store data, it also allows users to manage and optimize their content. Nowadays, the digital data and content on mobile devices is more important to users than the devices themselves. Therefore, the capacity to safeguard that content in a personal cloud has become a must-have instead of a feature that’s simply nice-to-have for consumers. If digital data is not properly backed up, the loss of a mobile phone, tablet or laptop could result in the permanent and heartbreaking loss of family photos and videos, only copies of legal documents, and all contact phone numbers.
Giving subscribers reassurance that their content is safe is priceless. Additionally, reconnecting subscribers with meaningful moments in their lives and driving personalized experiences through new cloud features will allow service providers to stay ahead of the competitive, ever-growing space for cloud.
