Feature Article

Free eNews Subscription>>
February 14, 2013

Smith Micro's CommSuite to Lure Mobile Carrier Customers Back to Carrier-Based Voice, Video Services

With more people using their smartphones, tablets and phablets, fewer of them are using the traditional mobile phone networks to communicate. Smith Micro has announced the availability of CommSuite to help carriers boost their slipping revenue.

“There is no reason for operators to be left out of the huge market for video and social messaging that is being swept up by over-the-top providers today,” said Jim Mains, senior vice president of global products and programs, Smith Micro Software. “With the footprint they have in the market and prime real-estate on the device, operators are in a unique position to offer a more convenient, richer way for subscribers to communicate. CommSuite not only provides the video messaging features to compete with over-the-top apps, but also offers expanded revenue opportunities through advertising, in-app service purchases, and add-on content, such as personal avatars for a customized messaging experience.”

The problem is that while mobile device users are using advanced communication platforms like Skype, the revenue is going to other companies instead of mobile carriers. CommSuite is intended to bring these subscribers back into the fold.

The increasing focus on Internet-based applications is taking away from the traditional bread and butter of mobile networks: text messaging. The research firm Ovum predicts carriers to lose $54 billion by 2016.

CommSuite offers video mail, videocasting, visual voice mail and voice-to-text for transcribing voice messages to SMS messages. The platform also offers voice SMS messages, which allows users to send voice messages to each other as if they were text messages.

Carriers can use advertising plug-ins to add revenue, and add more features with a Software Developer Kit.

Users can access the features through a single integrated application. They can share their video, voice and text messages through various social networks and e-mail, and share video with any user with a video-capable phone, personalizing messages with animated personas.

Operators have the potential to increase ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) and raise customer loyalty. Since customers can “try and buy” the features, this can drive increasing customer adoption. The service is also scalable and reliable, with support for Rich Communications Services (RCS).

Carriers can also optimize their capacity by integrating with Smith Micro’s NetWise traffic management software.




Edited by Braden Becker


FOLLOW MobilityTechzone

Subscribe to MobilityTechzone eNews

MobilityTechzone eNews delivers the latest news impacting technology in the Wireless industry each week. Sign up to receive FREE breaking news today!
FREE eNewsletter