[July 02, 2013] Ovum warns that telcos who ignore Big Data do so at their peril Tweet Jul 02, 2013 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- Predicting and reducing churn, promoting loyalty, upselling and cross-selling offers, and personalizing services are all key areas where telcos can leverage Big Data analytics for business benefit, says Ovum. Yet, one of the major reasons why this hasn't occurred is because of a traditional stumbling block - telco organizational and data structures. In new research* investigating how telcos can monetize customer data, Ovum reveals that a well-executed Big Data analytics project requires flexible business structures and logical processes, not siloed structures with artificial constraints (i.e. internal politics) that have been defined by the network domains. In order to succeed, telcos also need to become more data-centric and take lessons from the leaner and more agile data analytics models that are currently being pursued by over-the-top operators. Only once this issue has been resolved will telcos be able to effectively monetize the increased volume, variety, velocity, and value of the network, subscriber, and business data that they collect as part of their businesses. "The proliferation of smart devices and services has led to a considerable increase in the number of customer-telco interactions. This is happening through multiple channels, which is forcing telcos to sharpen their focus," says Clare McCarthy, head of Ovum's Telco Operations practice. "As a result, mining a greater volume and variety of data, and doing so in realtime, is becoming a powerful competitive advantage for telcos." However, according to the research, many telcos still lack the necessary data management and analytics skills in-house to make their data work for them. As data scientists are in high demand and short supply, this area is ripe for vendor support, either with pre-integrated solutions or hosted services. Telcos are generally turning to one of four sources for their Big Data analytics needs: their existing OSS/BSS providers, trusted IT vendors, telco analytics specialists, or incumbent network equipment providers. Each carries its own particular competencies and strengths in vying for a share of a Big Data analytics market that Ovum forecasts will be worth US$7.7bn in 2018. "Transforming ingrained operating models and business processes is a difficult task for telcos, and many are not entirely sure what they are transforming towards. Therefore, choosing a business intelligence and analytics solution and partner will be one of the most important strategic decisions that they face in the next year," concludes McCarthy. NOTES TO EDITORS *Big Data Analytics and the Telco: How telcos can monetize customer data This report examines how forward-thinking telcos are using Big Data to improve the customer experience and increase revenues. It also identifies some of the leading Big Data analytics vendors and examines their current solutions. To speak to an Ovum analyst please contact Claire Booty in the Ovum press office on +44 (0) 20 7017 7916, or email [email protected] ABOUT OVUM Ovum provides clients with independent and objective analysis that enables them to make better business and technology decisions. Our research draws upon over 400,000 interviews a year with business and technology, telecoms and sourcing decision-makers, giving Ovum and our clients unparalleled insight not only into business requirements but also the technology that organisations must support. Ovum is an Informa business. ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.com on the world wide web. Inquiries to [email protected]. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]