Leading Innovators AT&T, DT, Millicom, Orange, Singtel, Telefónica, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone Showcase Best Practices

Boston, MA – 23 November 2015 – Strategy Analytics—Mobile operator focus on innovation is more than just hype, and successful innovation programs are helping operators target revenue growth worth trillions, according to the Strategy Analytics Wireless Operator Strategies (WOS) service report, “Operator Innovation Strategies: Unlocking the next $1 Trillion.”

Key findings from the report:

• Leading innovative operators, such as AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Millicom, Orange, Singtel, Telefónica, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, have developed multi-pronged approaches to innovation, embracing both internal and external elements. These operators recognize the importance of engaging with a wider ecosystem in an open, collaborative environment to drive innovation across many areas, such as network technologies, consumer service and enterprise processes that utilize mobile access.
• Processes and a corporate culture that support innovation are just as important as know-how, capital and technologies.
• The 5G roadmap creates opportunities for innovation across multiple domains, with an emphasis on generating revenues through new service offerings that build on network innovation and collaborative ecosystem involvement.

Quotes:

Susan Welsh de Grimaldo, Director, Wireless Operator Strategies said: “Innovation is central to the survival of mobile operators in the evolving competitive landscape that includes over-the-top (OTT) companies grabbing customer mindshare and more value in the digital mobile value chain. The benefit mobile operators bring to innovation is that they offer a market for new services and products, as well as expertise and technology to drive from idea to prototype to productization for quick introduction in the market. Innovation strategies should embrace the needs of the operator’s business units and not focus solely on revenue generation—willingness to fail fast is essential.”

Phil Kendall, Executive Director, Wireless Operator Strategies , commented: “Operators should embrace innovation. No single innovation will generate trillions in return, but through multiple innovation approaches mobile operators have the opportunity to tap into market areas such as mobile broadband services, Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities that jointly represent trillions in value – and operators should seek to grow or retain their share of the value chain with innovation.”