Your Text is on Fire: OTT's to burn 40% SMS revenue by 2015

In four years' time, Telco SMS revenue will decline on average by around 40% across Europe and the Middle East according to the senior execs at this month's Telco 2.0 brainstorm in London. The main cause is competitive pressure from 'OTT' alternatives (Facebook, Skype, Google, BBM, etc). Mobile voice isn't that far behind, with a 20% decline foreseen. What can be done and what is the role of RCS-e? (More)

NEW Report: Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Skype - dealing with the disruptors

Our new 284 page strategy report, launched and previewed at our EMEA event in London, has attracted massive interest. It's our most important report yet, dealing with the players that some leading telcos are now calling their 'real competitors'. It includes a concise executive summary, in-depth analysis of the player's business models, and strategies for dealing with each. Here is an updated extract of the analysis and further details of the report. (More)

Accelerating New Growth Opportunities in Telecoms, Media and Tech

We're running our first APAC brainstorm 30 November - 1 December, at the Capella Resort, Singapore. This invitation only two day event focuses on strategies that accelerate new growth opportunities and business model innovation with a focus on the APAC region. Participants from Google, Yahoo, Disney, Amex, Western Union, plus representatives from most of the major regional telcos. We will be bringing you news and analysis from the brainstorm in coming weeks. (More)

STL Partners is recruiting: Experienced Research Associate / Junior Consultant

We are growing fast and seeking a new London based team member. Highly analytical with a very strong academic background from a leading university, you'll have 1-3 years in strategy consulting or research firm working for a blue-chip player. (More)

Telco 2.0 News Review: Skype-Facebook integration, Mobile data surge

• Strategy & Finance: UK indie fibre investors "certifiable" - Rothschilds
• Broadband Connectivity: Mobile data overcapacity or 20x traffic surge?
• Voice 2.0: Full Skype-Facebook integration launches
• Cloud Computing: Microsoft ditches Dryad, embraces open-source Hadoop
• Regulation: Police raids send Indian MNO shares plummeting

More on these stories and other news here.

Telco 2.0 'Roadmap' Report: $375Bn Growth or Brutal Retrenchment?

Over the last three years, the Telco 2.0 Initiative has identified new business model growth opportunities for telcos of $375Bn p.a. in mature markets alone. In that time, most of the major operators have started to integrate elements of Telco 2.0 thinking into their strategic plans.
 
In this groundbreaking new 284 page Strategy Report ‘The Roadmap to Telco 2.0 Business Models’, we plot the transformational path that telcos / CSPs need to follow to achieve the 'Telco 2.0' opportunities. It describes:

• six growth opportunity areas for the Telecoms industry;
• new categories of operators based on their potential to adopt the new opportunities;
• the primary strategies needed by each to evolve and thrive in the new industry environment;
• and highlights leading examples of telco business model innovation.

Please see here for more on the report, or email contact@telco2.net / call +44 (0) 247 5003 to find out more.

CDNs 2.0: should telcos compete with Akamai?

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) such as Akamai's are used to improve the quality and reduce costs of delivering digital content at volume. What role should telcos now play in CDNs? (More)

Handset IPR: a new 'Cold War' begins

The recent spate of deals (Google/Motorola, Nortel, Microsoft/Nokia) are the start of a long 'Cold War', where all parties are heavily armed, and risk destroying each other (and themselves) with overly aggressive legal actions. Telco 2.0 partners Arete Research analyse implications for the mobile device space and clarify some misunderstood issues. (More)

Cloud 2.0: don't blow it, telcos

Enterprise cloud computing services need great connectivity to work, but there are opportunities for telcos to participate beyond the connectivity. What are the opportunities, how are telcos approaching them, and what are the key strategies? (More)

Apps & Telco APIs 2.0: their role vs. Facebook, Skype and iMessage

Smartphone apps, and in future HTML5 web apps, present new distribution opportunities for telco services including voice, messaging, and payments, as long as developers are motivated to use telco APIs. How should telcos approach the 'App Economy' to best defend existing revenues and develop new opportunities? (More)

Connected TV: Forecast and Winners

Our in-depth look at one of Europe's most competitive digital TV markets which reflects many global trends, such as competition between different types of content distributor (loveFilm, YouTube, Virgin Media, BBC, BSkyB, BT, etc.), channel proliferation, new devices used for viewing, and the increasing prevalence of connected TVs. What are the key trends and who will be the winners and losers? (More)

Mobile CDNs and video distribution

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are becoming familiar in the fixed broadband world as a means to improve the experience and costs of delivering bulky data like online video to end-users. Is there now a compelling need for their mobile equivalents, and if so, should operators partner with existing players or build / buy their own? (more)

Strategy 2.0: The Six Key Telco 2.0 Opportunities

A summary of the six Telco 2.0 opportunities to transform telco's business models for success in an IP-based, post PSTN world: Core Services, Vertical Solutions, Infrastructure Services, Embedded Communications, 3rd Party Enablers, and Own Brand OTT Services. It includes an extract from the Roadmap to New Telco 2.0 Business Models, updates on latest developments, and feedback from over 500 senior TMT industry execs. (more)

M2M 2.0: the Money's in 'Enablers'

Our latest report on M2M 2.0 covers: M2M market growth, structure and dynamics; business models; the best role(s) for telcos; and leading thinking from Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Telenor, KPN and Swisscom. It describes how 'Service Enablers' are key to the telco opportunity in M2M in addition to connectivity. (more)

Apple iCloud/iOS: Killing SMS Softly?

Our analysis of how Apple's iCloud, iOS5, and MacOS developments build value and control for Apple's digital platform, and their consequences on other parts of the digital ecosystem, including the impact of iMessage on text messaging. (more)

Strategy 2.0: What Skype + Microsoft Means for Telcos

In theory, Microsoft and Skype together have the resources, the brands, the customer base and the know-how to shape the future of telecoms and become a strategic counterweight to Apple and Google. Can they do it - and what should telcos' strategies be? (more)

Cloud 2.0: Telcos to grow Revenues 900% by 2014

Telcos should grow Cloud Services revenues nine-fold and triple their overall market share in the next three years according to delegates at the May 2011 EMEA Executive Brainstorm. But which are the best opportunities and strategies? (more)