Mobile Operators See Big Potential in IP Service Assurance

[prnewswire] Mobile network operators are poised to increase their investment in mobile IP service assurance technologies as a way not only to improve quality of service (QoS), but also to stem revenue erosion from a variety of sources, including over-the-top services, according to the latest report from Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider.

The Business Case Builds for Mobile IP Service Assurance identifies and analyzes key issues that are driving network operators to deploy mobile IP service assurance tools. It looks at how carriers can use service assurance to save money and create new revenue streams, including offering tiered services in which customers pay a premium for QoS and bandwidth guarantees. The report profiles 16 leading service assurance vendors, offering insight into which companies are best positioned to remain or emerge as key players in this market.

"With service assurance tools, carriers can expand QoS beyond being just a money saver, such as in terms of reduced churn and customer-care costs, and into a money maker," notes Tim Kridel, research analyst with Heavy Reading Mobile Networks Insider and author of the report. "Service assurance is one of the few ways to escape the current race to the bottom in terms of data pricing and QoS, which will suffer even more when there is less money to pay for additional infrastructure and spectrum."

Service assurance tools can identify and resolve problems before they become noticeable to customers, as well as speed resolution of inbound customer-care calls, Kridel says. "Reducing the expense of managing subscriber data complaints is a major part of the business case for service assurance tools," he adds. "One wireline operator used service assurance tools to collect information detailed enough to improve the efficiency of service calls and truck rolls, saving $3.7 million per month."

Key findings of The Business Case Builds for Mobile IP Service Assurance include:

* Wireless carriers are investing in IP service assurance because they are increasingly dependent on non-voice revenue
* Service assurance is a powerful way for carriers to add value and avoid being marginalized as dumb pipes
* Carriers can use service assurance to co-opt the threat of over-the-top (OTT) services, such as mobile VoIP
* Business development and marketing staff can employ service assurance tools to provide strategic insights
* Enterprises and B2C companies use service assurance tools to verify wireless QoS
* The booming market for mobile IP service assurance is drawing attention from enterprise IT vendors

Mobile Operators See Big Potential in IP Service Assurance