Over-the-top services like WhatsApp have proved very popular, so how do mobile operators respond to this competition and give their customers what they demand? Do they wait for industry-wide acceptance on an OTT strategy or break ranks and go it alone? What is the OTT communications opportunity?

Featuring: Stephen Shurrock, Chief Commercial Officer, Telefonica Digital

(0)

Achim Berg heads up a part of the business and explains why Microsoft believes it is crucial to work more closely with operators and represent the consumer's interests.

(0)

Intel believes there are three critical aspects of the telecoms network. First increasing the level of performance that exists within the network and moving that as close to the consumer as possible. Second, creating on open platform; and third, how do you create an ecosystem that is focused on solving the problems of the operators and service providers?

Featuring: Rose Schooler, GM Communications Infrastructure Division, Intel

(0)

Radio frequency spectrum is one of the world's scarcest natural resources. It is finite and as the world goes mobile, network operators face the ongoing challenge of managing spectrum to deliver the best possible services with maximum efficiency at the lowest price. And that, as Mark Bole, the CEO of Mesaplexx explains to Martyn Warwick, is a difficult feat to achieve.

(0)

When Apple tasted success with its App Store model, mobile operators saw another part of their value chain being taken away from them, and fought back. But other than the Android Market, which again has no operator gain, these competing application stores have all fared badly. Attempts by operators to launch their own stores have not been successful. How can operators wrestle the initiative away from third parties? Or is it already too late, and if so, what is their best strategy to stay involved with the apps sector – given that they are so popular with users? Is the answer to focus on encouraging a new generation of apps for non-smartphones, or will that be the domain of the handset manufacturers? Is there any value in operator-controlled apps?


PARTICIPANTS:
Jose Nunez Valles, Head of BlueVia, Telefonica
Emma Mohr McClune, Research Director Consumer Services, Europe, Current Analysis,
Eric de Kroon, VP Devices & Products, WAC< (0)

In North America and Europe operators may already have missed their chance to get in on the apps boom, but we report from Asia that the window there may still be open. In any case, what operators must do is match the sort of experience provided phones like the new Nexus S, which is not only sleek and fast but, as we report from Europe, has NFC built in.  Electronic wallet anyone?

(0)