Maximizing Real-Time Rich Communications Revenue

The cross elastics between voice calls and data use has lead to revenue anomalies in the carrier market. In building to Voice over LTE/VoLTE, the transition to the IP network will be complete, but will it be enough to maximize calling revenues?

Carriers can leverage rich communication services by going beyond existing voice and add services including video, contextual media sharing and presence. Attendees at the upcoming 4GWE Conference in Miami will learn about how to leverage these opportunities in sessions such as “The Case for Rich Communication Services: Maximizing Real-Time Communications Revenue.”

Before heading down to Miami for ITEXPO East this week, TMC CEO Rich Tehrani recently had a chance to catch up with Alan Duric, CTO and cofounder of Gojitek, a Telio holding company. Duric, who will speak as part of a panel at the 4GWE Summit and serve as a judge at StartUpCamp this week, shared his insights on the advancements of 4GWE in the past 12 months and discusses some of the challenges of . Their full exchange follows:

RT: What was the most significant technological advancement in the past 12 months and why?

AD: 2011 was great year for Telio and Goji. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are using  our recently launched Goji communications app (gojiapp.com) for Android OS and iOS, which has received an independent media award as a best product of the year. Previously available only to Telio’s subscribers in Scandinavia, Goji offers very high video and speech quality. Building on the success of our direct-to-consumer app, we have developed and will be focusing more this year on a white-label solutions and partnerships with mobile and triple play operators.

RT: What has been the biggest trend in your market segment and how is it impacting your customers?

AD: The most important trend has been the spectacular uptake of Android and iOS-based smartphones, which in a year became the predominant choice for the majority of users.

RT: What is the biggest challenge facing your customers today and how is your company helping address that challenge?

AD: Currently, one of the obstacles is Apple’s rigid policies with respect to openness of APIs, which limits access to dialers and some other parts of iOS. This is an issue our company

can’t solve. I believe it will be fixed by Apple due to pressure from Android OS (which has addressed this in a visibly better way), or through antitrust actions that are likely to come if Apple does not change practices with respect to openness of their APIs.

RT: How has the cloud impacted your business? How has it impacted your customers?

AD: The cloud has enabled a number of useful Goji features with respect to synchronized contacts, messages, etc. across different devices, which are also being backed up automatically with all complexity hidden from user.

RT: Will cloud-based communications expedite the end of the premises-based PBX market?

AD: I doubt it because there are still many use cases for enterprises in which it is simply suboptimal to have a number of features in the core of the network, which will also significantly increase complexity.

RT: What approach has your business taken to social media?  If you have implemented a social media program, have you been able to evaluate your program’s success?

AD: Our social media efforts are showing very good initial results, and we will be increasing our focus and activity in that area.

RT: Does every business need a social media presence? Why or why not?

AD: Yes, because social media are the websites of the 2010s. By having a good grasp on social media, companies can get almost instant feedback on their initiatives, products, etc. Companies focusing on B2B with large enterprises as end customers have less need.

RT: With Microsoft touting tight integration between its mobile and desktop OS, can it become a major competitor in the enterprise mobile market?

AD: Certainly. Also, Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype acquisition can further propel the company’s competitiveness, although Microsoft has not communicated a clear strategy. They need to polish marketing communications before hitting the market on a large scale.

RT: What can attendees expect from your company at ITEXPO?

AD: Stimulating conversations with potential partners in over-the-top voice, Unified Communications and telepresence, as well as ad hoc demos of our deployed solutions.

RT: Make one technology prediction for 2012 and consider its impact.

AD: Over-the-top services for voice and video (real-time and non-real-time) have reached critical mass in 2011 and are poised for phenomenal growth during 2012. This year, we will see proliferation of business models among OTT players.

The 4GWE session, “Birds of a Feather: The Case for Rich Communication Services: Maximizing Real Time Communications Revenue,” will be held this week in conjunction with ITEXPO East 2012 in Miami, on Feb. 1 from 4:45-5:45 p.m.