The global policy management market covering wireless (3G/4G broadband) and fixed-line broadband and cable broadband networks, reached $1 billion in 2013 and is on target to become a $2.5 billion market by 2018, according to Infonetics Research. Mobile broadband deployments and VoLTE are two key factors pushing this segment to expand, due to the service innovations and quality of service requirements. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand from fixed line operators to implement 'innovative pricing and service models' and network traffic controls, arising from the recent verdict on net-neutrality in US that allows operators to prioritize network traffic. Infonetics also reported that Huawei ranks top in terms of revenue for the policy management segment, followed closely by Ericsson.
“The explosive growth we’ve seen in the policy management market over the last few years has slowed to an extent in the more developed markets, where many of the major operators have made their vendor selections, often in conjunction with their LTE deployments, and ongoing spending is related to license expansions and additional use cases,” notes Shira Levine, directing analyst for service enablement and subscriber intelligence at Infonetics Research.” Levine continues: “However, momentum continues in emerging markets in regions such as Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe, where the competitive environment is often intense and growing smartphone adoption is driving mobile broadband consumption.”
