Analyses, Commentary, Perceptions

With the advent of new technologies like 3G, 4G, WiMax and LTE, the mobile phone is slowly evolving from a portable telephone to a small, handheld device that is the converging point of all your communication needs -- work, personal and entertainment included! The technology advancements, especially the evolution of 3G over the past eight years, has been luring operators with the greater scope of high-margin, value-added services that they offer.

Cloud Computing is an emerging hot business support technology for the future; and as analyst firm Gartner puts it, it is one among the top-10 strategic technologies for the year 2010. Advantages like low-cost business systems, easy installation, low productivity lead-time and quick roll-out of services talk in favor of this futuristic business model. It addresses the evolving needs of communication service providers like on-demand and web-enabled systems that are service-provider oriented, technology solutions to adopt new business models that are economical, and single-point responsibility for supporting business systems and effective risk management. These advantages attract the attention of communication service providers (CSPs) to cloud computing and keep it in their focus, while they think about strategic technology solutions. These high expectations ultimately increase the responsibility of cloud service providers to meet the needs of the CSPs, even to a minute level.

This world of business is driven by the ever-demanding customer, and customers in turn, are driven by their convenience. While they can get things done anytime, anywhere, they wish to do so with their payments too. As mobile phone technology evolves and improves, consumers from all walks of life are making the most of the trends. Mobile users are on an exceptional rise the world over, and Gartner expects 103.9 million mobile payment users by 2011.

IMS technology, after spending a few years in its embryonic stage, has now moved to the growth stage of the product life. VisionGain believes that the technology is now gaining ground, and is in the process of being deployed in various forms by network operators across the globe. Several large cable and wireless operators in North America, Europe and Middle East are now in the process of adopting the IMS framework.

Pricing is a key attribute that initiates decisions in the case of service providers, manufacturers or customers. Across industries, pricing of products or services is seen as a double-edged sword since it can win as well as lose customers. When uncertainty prevails, it becomes so important that even a minute change in price will affect the top line and bottom line of companies. With the current chaotic state of the economy, companies across industries are looking for solutions that can help them address the issues in pricing, and in turn, enable them to win and retain customers.