Unsurprisingly, a survey by UK based Apertio suggests that operators are looking to gain value from their subscriber data.
The survey found CSPs feel that to effectively compete with newcomers, as well as traditional competitors, they need to unlock the vast amount of subscriber data they hold and utilise it in real-time to create an integrated service and marketing model. The respondents recognised the value created by an informed view of the customer, with 76% stating that customer profiling is one of the most relevant areas where they can use the data, closely followed by identity management (64%). Such information puts the service providers in a privileged position, by being able to provide the user with services that are more useful and relevant to them, rather than the standard one-size-fits-all offering.
In addition, Dr. Ray Barghi, Sr. Group Manager for Subscriber Data management at Sprint goes on to say:
“By unifying subscriber data in a single repository, application complexity and integration issues are eliminated. CSPs can then take advantage of the expanded ecosystem of application and service developers open to them. Such moves will provide the catalyst for the creation and delivery of a new generation of innovative, relevant and personalised services.”
Such a repository will have to be:
- opt-in, so that users can add the valuable information that they wish to add. Think of how Facebook handles user profiles today.
- a shared standard, so that developers don't have to target the market on a carrier by carrier basis with customized versions of the application.
Otherwise, it's simply a non-starter.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
