Wireless Enterprise Strategies for Mobile Operators

About this title:

As mobile penetration in many developed markets approaches 90% and competition between 2G, 3G and virtual mobile operators makes it more and more difficult to squeeze additional revenues out of the consumer market, the corporate sector looks like nirvana. No one is more aware of the massive untapped revenue potential of the enterprise market than the mobile operators, who have invested heavily in GPRS networks to provide the 'pipes' for the advanced data applications corporate users demand. But making money from these pipes is proving much harder than they had anticipated.

One of the problems is the mismatch between what can be provided profitably and what enterprises actually want. While operators are trying to push generic applications such as corporate email and wireless internet access, users are asking for tailored, vertical solutions, which can be rolled out across their disparate, multinational operations. Moreover, enterprise customers want to see a convincing business case and a proven return on their investment.

Few people doubt that the wireless enterprise market will take off at some point. What everyone wants to know is - when? To get a fix on this question, BWCS has spoken to key network operators, aggregators and enterprise users and examined the progress they have made to date, the range of products and services currently on offer and the stumbling blocks that have been encountered along the way.

What are the key issues?

'Wireless Enterprise Strategies for Mobile Operators' seeks to answer the following key questions:

• What are the main drivers and inhibitors for wireless enterprise services?
• What services are currently being offered, and how are they priced and packaged?
• What lessons can be learnt from early implementations and pilot projects?
• How can mobile operators build up additional revenue streams in the corporate sector?
• What are the strategies deployed by leading operators to increase their presence in this market?
• Which strategies have been most successful, and which have failed to achieve their targets?
• What can operators do to overcome key barriers such as security, integration of legacy systems and the lack of appropriate solutions?
• What is the longer term outlook for the wireless enterprise market?

The wireless enterprise market

The corporate market is far more complex than the consumer market, where subscriber figures, ARPU and market shares are all monitored and published at regular intervals. Operators are tight-lipped about their corporate GPRS subscriber numbers - perhaps understandably, given the generally low take-up to date. There are no off-the-shelf solutions with advertised equipment prices and airtime tariffs. 'Wireless Enterprise Strategies for Mobile Operators' aims to piece together all these different elements to give a clearer picture of the market opportunity and help service providers and enterprise customers gain a better understanding of each others' position.

Whether you are an established player or new entrant, this report will assist you in planning or evaluating your enterprise strategy and help you assess and exploit the revenue opportunity presented by this lucrative but difficult sector.