Connect-World Complimentary edition, Asia-Pacific II 2009 - Information and Communication Business Technology

All articles are available for download at www.connect-world.com

Antennen · Electronic

Kathrein leads the world in antenna technology, offering a broad range of products for use in mobile communication systems.

Kathrein professional products include antennas, TMAs, filters, combiners, amplifiers and accessories.

All major system sup-pliers and more than 240 network operators around the world rely on Kathrein’s superior quality, state-of-the-art technology and almost 90 years of experience.

Kathrein offers you the very best solutions for all your antenna system requirements!

KATHREIN-Werke KG · Telephone +49 8031 184-0 · Fax +49 8031 184-820Anton-Kathrein-Straße 1-3 · PO Box 10 04 44 · D - 83004 Rosenheim · Germany

Internet: http://www.kathrein.de

KATHREIN Indochina Co. Ltd. 17/151 Moo 1 Sukonthasawat RoadTH Latphrao District, Latphrao, Bangkok 10230 Fon: +66 2 5788 3003 / 2523 Fax: +66 2 5709 289 Email: [email protected]

KATHREIN SEA (M) SDN BHD No.16-2, Jalan USJ 21/6UEP Subang JayaMAL 47630 Subang Jaya / Selangor Darul EhsanFon: +60 3 8024 8089 / 9089Fax: +60 3 8024 7089Email: [email protected]

Mobile broadbandMobile broadband evolution 4by Alan Hadden, President, Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA)

Business solutionsThe economy and ICT innovation 8by Bernard Yee, Vice President, AT&T Asia Pacific

Software and servicesDelivering software-plus-services 10by Geoff Thomas, General Manager, Communications Sector, Asia Pacific, Greater China, India and Japan, Microsoft Corporation

Enterprise mobilityMobilising the workforce 13by Paul Blinkhorn, Australia Country Manager, Vice President of Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility business, Australia and New Zealand and Asia-Pacific Channels

Mobile business communications 16by Tan Choon Seng, Vice-President, Asia-Pacific, Applications & Software Sales, Avaya

WiMAXWiMAX: boon for businesses everywhere 20by Michael Lai, CEO Packet One Networks Sdn Bhd.

Converged TVThe next television revolution 23by Dario Choi, Executive VP and General Manager, Tandberg Television Asia-Pacific; Ericsson Group

Mobile messagingThe power of messaging 25by Boudewijn Pesch, Managing Director, Acision Asia Pacific

Mobile bankingMobile banking - sense, dollars, and cents 28by Chris Carr, Vice President, Sales, Southeast Asia Pacific, Nokia

Mobile servicesMobile services on the move in Asia Pacific 31by Dr Abdul Razaque Memon, Director, Solution Marketing, Application Business Division, Alcatel-Lucent Asia Pacific

Virtual computing Virtualization trends in ICT for business 34by Andrew Dutton, General Manager - VMware Asia Pacific

Infrastructure collaborationCollaboration - the catalyst for growth 37by Wilfred Kwan, Chief Technology Officer, Pacnet

Network sharingNetwork sharing in Asia 40by Simon Kong, Business Development Director, Asia Pacific region, Omnix Software

Network support Product innovation, performance and support 42by Adam Judd, Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, Juniper Networks

Broadband standards Standards for Broadband Convergence 44by Robin Mersh, Broadband Forum Chief Operating Officer

Next-generation networksSolutions for next generation wireless 46by Ben Cardwell, VP, Asia Pacific and China, Andrew Wireless Solutions

ConnectionsFrom the Editor-In-Chief’s deskby Fredric J. Morris

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Asia-Pacific issue II 2009 n 01

Antennen · Electronic

Kathrein leads the world in antenna technology, offering a broad range of products for use in mobile communication systems.

Kathrein professional products include antennas, TMAs, filters, combiners, amplifiers and accessories.

All major system sup-pliers and more than 240 network operators around the world rely on Kathrein’s superior quality, state-of-the-art technology and almost 90 years of experience.

Kathrein offers you the very best solutions for all your antenna system requirements!

KATHREIN-Werke KG · Telephone +49 8031 184-0 · Fax +49 8031 184-820Anton-Kathrein-Straße 1-3 · PO Box 10 04 44 · D - 83004 Rosenheim · Germany

Internet: http://www.kathrein.de

KATHREIN Indochina Co. Ltd. 17/151 Moo 1 Sukonthasawat RoadTH Latphrao District, Latphrao, Bangkok 10230 Fon: +66 2 5788 3003 / 2523 Fax: +66 2 5709 289 Email: [email protected]

KATHREIN SEA (M) SDN BHD No.16-2, Jalan USJ 21/6UEP Subang JayaMAL 47630 Subang Jaya / Selangor Darul EhsanFon: +60 3 8024 8089 / 9089Fax: +60 3 8024 7089Email: [email protected]

02 n Asia-Pacific issue II 2009

CONNECTIONS

Information and communications technologies, ICTs, have always had a significant impact upon businesses. Today, they can be the business. Virtual businesses abound and even their services or products can be virtual; only the money is real. The savings and earnings that advanced ICTs bring to businesses, both real and virtual, are transforming business models, creating new markets and providing new opportunities for millions of workers. The Asia Pacific region has long been among the earliest adopters and most effective users of technology. This issue of Connect-World Asia Pacific will explore the use and promise of ICTs for business in the region.

This issue of Connect-World Asia-Pacific II 2009, dedicated to information and communication business technology, examines the implications of these far-reaching converged systems and the impact they have not only upon users, but upon the complex ecosystem that will make these innovative communications systems possible - the networks, communications equipment, user devices, software and business applications.

The theme of this issue of Connect-Word Asia-Pacific II is - Convergence, communications and business innovation.

Fredric J. Morris, Editor-in-Chief, Connect-World

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means elec-tronical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from the publishers. The content of this publication is based on best knowledge and information available at the time of publication. No responsibility for any injury, death, loss, damage or delay, however caused, resulting from the use of the material can be accepted by the publishers or others associated with its preparation. The publishers neither accept responsibility for, nor necessarily agree with, the views expressed by contributors.

Connect-World is published under licenceby WORLD INFOCOMMS LTD

Executive Office: • Global House, 12 Albert Road,

London E16 2DW, United KingdomTel: +44 20 7540 0876 • Fax: +44 20 7474 0090

email: [email protected] • URL: www.connect-world.com

ISSN 1462-2939

Connections

Editor-in-Chief: Fredric J. Morris [email protected]

Publisher: David Nunes [email protected]

Editorial Department: [email protected]

Production Department: [email protected]

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Mobile broadband

Mobile broadband evolutionby Alan Hadden, President, Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA)

Mobile broadband’s rapid adoption is due to the standardisation of high-speed transmission technology, and to the widespread availability of lower-cost, more ‘intelligent’ network equipment and user devices. It is also due to growing mobile Internet access for services including social networking and multi-media applications. Regulators throughout the world are freeing spectrum for mobile broadband. The switch from analogue to digital TV will make significant amounts of spectrum available, the so-called ‘digital dividend’, which can be used for mobile broadband.

Alan Hadden has been President of the GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) since its formation in 1998; he has 22 years’ experience in the mobile communications industry. Previously, Mr Hadden was on the senior management team of a UK PCN/GSM 1800 operator and involved in the start-up, launch, and expansion phases. He assisted key stakeholders and overseas regulators to establish 1,800 MHz as a mainstream band internationally for cellular services and with the market entry of new mobile businesses. Mr Hadden represented the company in key UK industry forums, and internationally at ETSI, the GSM Association and the UMTS Forum. Before then, Mr Hadden was Industrial Advisor to the UK communications regulator, where he represented views influencing regulation and standardization at national and international level. Mr Hadden’s second book, Mobile Broadband with HSPA, LTE and Beyond: Services, Markets and Business Opportunities, will be published later this year.

The mobile industry is engaged in a huge global undertaking to make the Internet mobile. It is true that for some years we had the ability to connect to the Internet while on the move or away from our office or home, but this was not always smooth or compelling, and in most cases did not match the experience of fixed line access. All that changed as the capabilities and performance of initial 3G systems were extended to deliver a true mobile broadband experience.

3G/WCDMA represented the first step into mobile broadband; the first commercial system, launched in Japan in October 2001, was capable of 384 kbps peak data speed in the downlink direction. HSPA - High Speed Packet Access, the first evolution of 3G/WCDMA, is the leading 3G system globally, with well over 70 per cent share of the commercial networks market. Around 95 per

cent of the world’s 3G/WCDMA networks have been upgraded for HSPA - there are now more than 250 commercial HSPA networks in 110 countries. More than 70 per cent of HSPA networks support peak downlink speeds of at least 3.6 Mbps, including more than one-third of networks which can support 7.2 Mbps or even higher data throughput.

Users are flocking to mobile broadband. Operators throughout the world report that HSPA is driving higher data usage and ARPU growth on their networks. There are now more than 100 million HSPA subscriptions worldwide; it is only three years since the first HSPA network was launched.

The early availability and rapid expansion of the supporting eco-system, particularly in the range and choice of HSPA user devices, have contributed enormously to the spread and

take up of the mobile broadband market. We have identified 1,409 HSPA user devices on the market - a 121 per cent growth since April 2008. The number of suppliers increased from 110 to 169 companies in the same period.

HSPA network deployments worldwide (GSA: January 2009)

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Mobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessMobile broadband

Mobile phones including smartphones 575UMPCs 23PC data cards and embedded modules 149Notebooks 307USB modems 189Wireless routers/gateways 131Femtocells 19PMPs 10Cameras with HSPA connectivity 6Total 1409

HSPA devices by form factor (GSA: March 2009)

Sixty-eight HSPA networks entered commercial service in 2008. The introduction in 2009 of Evolved HSPA systems, also known as eHSPA or HSPA+, increases HSPA’s maximum peak downlink speed to 21 Mbps. The previous maximum peak was 14.4 Mbps. HSPA+ uses a higher-order modulation called 64QAM, which calls for a network software upgrade. The first HSPA+ systems entered commercial service in Australia and Austria, and several more will follow during 2009. Here are now six user devices that support HSPA+.

In the future, HSPA Evolution will use Multiple-Input/Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna technologies, and multi-carrier functionality. With these improvements, even higher downlink speeds will be possible. MIMO will provide 42 Mbps peak downlink on a 5 MHz carrier when devices that support this speed become available. On the uplink, today’s peak of 5.76 Mbps increases to 11 Mbps using HSPA+ 16 QAM modulation (instead of QPSK), and further evolution beyond 20 Mbps is expected.

LTE (Long Term Evolution)

LTE will significantly improve network efficiency and offer higher capacity, data rate, throughput enhancements and reduced latency; it will support new services and features requiring higher levels of capability and performance. LTE enhances such demanding applications as interactive TV, mobile video blogging, advanced games and professional services. LTE reduces the cost per Gigabyte delivered, which is essential for addressing the mass market and forecast traffic growth. The new system supports a full IP-based network, and works with legacy 3GPP systems (GSM, GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA-HSPA) and other radio access technologies.

LTE is the natural migration choice for GSM/HSPA network operators; it is also the next generation mobile broadband system of choice of many leading CDMA operators, which will be at the forefront of service introduction.

LTE is on track, infrastructure vendors are now shipping LTE-compatible solutions to customers in Europe, Asia and North America. A GSA survey confirmed that 26 network operators have committed to deploy 3GPP LTE systems. Up to ten LTE networks will launch commercial services in Asia, Europe and North America during 2010.

Mobile broadband spectrum

WCDMA systems including HSPA are deployed in the 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, and 2100 MHz bands. Most 3G/HSPA mobile broadband networks operate in the 2100 MHz band. New spectrum in the IMT extension band 2.50 - 2.69 GHz 2.6 GHz band is becoming available and of particular interest for high capacity mobile broadband access using such LTE.

Using lower frequencies, e.g. 900 MHz or 850 MHz, provides a much larger coverage area compared to 2100 MHz. The 900 MHz band is widely used by GSM systems throughout Europe, Russia and CIS countries, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. 3G/HSPA deployment in the 900 MHz band (UMTS900) significantly reduces the number of cell sites needed to cover rural and suburban areas, which means substantial CAPEX and OPEX savings for 3G deployments. Many operators choose the complementary combination of 900 MHz and 2100 MHz, deploying 3G/HSPA in the 900 MHz band for lower cost wide area coverage, and 3G/HSPA in the 2100 MHz band for capacity in urban areas. Similar cost and coverage benefits apply for UMTS deployments in the 850 MHz band, such as those in Australia, across the Americas, and in some Asian markets. In the Americas, operators may also utilize the 1900 MHz band, or the 850/1900 MHz combination. In some countries, 900 MHz is also allocated. In Australia, Telstra has commercially launched the world’s biggest UMTS850 network using the 2100 MH band, while Optus uses the 900/2100 MHz combination. The 850 MHz spectrum is also available in Africa, Russia, the Middle East and Asia.

Deployment of WCDMA-HSPA systems in the 900 MHz band requires regulatory approval in many countries, since this band is typically reserved for GSM use. Regulatory actions have been taken, or are underway in several markets and many countries now permit UMTS900 systems. By March 2009, eight UMTS900 systems had entered commercial service: Elisa (Estonia), Elisa (Finland), DNA (Finland), AIS (Thailand), Optus (Australia), Vodafone (New Zealand), Siminn (Iceland) and Digitel (Venezuela). Several more networks are in deployment. According to the GSA, 115 UMTS900 devices have been launched. UMTS900 is on

the roadmap for most device manufacturers, and is becoming standard in most new 3G phones and data modems destined for Asian and European markets.

The digital dividend

The ‘digital dividend’ refers to spectrum in the 470 - 862 MHz bands currently used for TV broadcasting that will become available as a result of the switch from analogue to digital terrestrial transmissions. In Europe, Belgium (Flanders region), Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden have switched over from analogue to digital TV transmissions. The EU 2012 target for switching-off analogue TV is expected to be met by almost all member states. Mobile network operators and governments expect it will be more economical to deploy mobile broadband in rural areas due to the favourable propagation characteristics of lower frequencies. In urban areas, indoor coverage also improves using these lower frequencies. By using part of the digital dividend frequencies, the mobile industry could dramatically speed up the rollout of broadband communications, increase coverage, and boost economic activity and productivity. This would still leave plenty of spectrum for broadcasters to develop and enhance their digital TV services.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference WRC-07 allocated the upper UHF sub-band of 790-862 MHz to Mobile Service for IMT use on a Primary basis in Region 1, which includes Europe, Africa, Middle East, Russia, and CIS countries. Finland, France, Sweden and Switzerland have confirmed they will allocate spectrum in the 790-862 MHz band for mobile broadband services. Consultations are underway in many other countries, including Germany and the UK. In North America, US implementation of the digital dividend began with the auction in 2008 of spectrum in the 700 MHz band. Verizon Wireless has confirmed plans to roll out LTE in the frequencies they obtained in that auction, as will AT&T Mobility.

Users have confirmed their appetite for mobile broadband. Current demand is being satisfied with HSPA. In 2009, further improvements in network efficiency and performance arrive with HSPA+. LTE is the next step and is necessary for growth and reducing costs, with first networks expected to launch in 2010. Ensuring access to new spectrum including 2.6 GHz and digital dividend frequencies is critical to supporting growth and extending broadband access to mass markets. n




Business solutions

The economy and ICT innovationby Bernard Yee, Vice President, AT&T Asia Pacific

Companies are retrenching to face the economic slowdown. They are favouring solutions that substitute capital expenditures for operational expenditures. Services such as utility computing and managed IT services, which scale up - or down - instantly to meet changing demand and are paid for according to usage are growing in popularity. The use of communications technologies that enhance productivity and accelerate business processes, such as unified communications and videoconferencing - which can reduce travel - are growing as well.

Bernard Yee, Vice President of AT&T Asia Pacific, is responsible for managing the direct sales and channel sales teams across 13 markets in the region, including Japan. Mr Yee has held the various management positions within AT&T including Regional Managing Director of Consumer Markets Division of AT&T Asia Pacific and head of Marketing and Product Management. Mr Yee joined the Internet and Online Services Division of AT&T Asia Pacific and was soon promoted to head the company’s merger and acquisition activities in Asia Pacific.

Mr Yee holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Auckland and is a Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand.

It is no secret that in these challenging economic conditions, companies are retrenching their operations and looking to do more with the resources already at their disposal, so IT budgets are constantly scrutinized. Companies are looking at ways of moving capital expenditure to operating expenses to meet the same business goals. Chief information officers (CIO) of multinational companies (MNCs) face even tougher challenges in these times. They need cost-effective IT solutions to deploy seamlessly across multiple locations in a consistent manner.

As MNCs look to meet these challenges, CIOs are re-evaluating the way they manage their current resources. The outcome is likely

to be a shift in their procurement strategy favouring flexible, capital-light approaches, such as utility computing and managed IT services. At the same time, with a greater emphasis placed on doing business more efficiently, there is likely to be a renewed focus on communications technologies with the potential to enhance productivity and accelerate business processes, such as unified communications and videoconferencing.

Utility computing

Among these technology solutions, perhaps the most compelling is utility computing. It is part of a broader trend that of remotely distributing computing resources to individuals and organizations. In simple terms,

the idea behind utility computing is to provide enterprises with access to IT resources, on demand, over the network. Enterprises pay for only what they need. Utility computing can take many forms. Telecom companies offer enterprise-class value added and managed services through Internet data centres, allowing MNCs to flexibly scale up and down their computing, storage or web hosting capacities as the need arises. These services also include managed networking, managed communications environment, security management and application acceleration.

Most enterprises have seasonal business cycles, but their need for computing resources can fluctuate for a variety of reasons and is often unpredictable. By providing metered,


Mobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessBusiness solutions

on-demand IT resources, utility computing allows companies to save costs, avoid having to make large capital outlays on IT infrastructure and squeeze a better return on investment from their existing infrastructure. These on-demand services could prove useful, for example, to online retailers gearing up for holiday sales, employers with annual open enrolment for employee benefits or game publishers running online games.

Virtualization as a catalyst

Utility computing is certainly not a new concept, but innovation and the proliferation of storage and server virtualization is making this service increasingly viable for MNCs. For most MNCs with globally distributed operations, building and managing multiple data centres is probably the single-most complex, resource draining and expensive component of the IT environment. Virtualization has become the key to making the most efficient use of those assets. Virtualization enables higher utilization of existing computing and storage resources. It allows MNCs to gain seamless access to alternative resources, such as utility computing services, over the network. The result is an IT environment with higher availability and scalability.

Unified communications bring it together

As the current economic environment has driven many enterprises to tighten travel budgets, technologies that help MNCs make better use of their human resources by facilitating remote collaboration and enhancing worker productivity have also gained prominence. Unified communications is one area that seems particularly compelling, given its potential for creating a seamless collaboration platform.

Unified communications aims to integrate all forms of communications and the migration of all communications to data-centric networks has facilitated this goal. As the adoption of Internet-based telephony and videoconferencing has grown along with web-based collaborations tools, an opportunity has emerged for the development of a common platform on which voice, video and text-based communications tools, like email, can all reside together to create a unified user experience.

By integrating their disparate communications mediums, enterprises can reduce communications-based disruptions and enhance collaboration among workers, leading to greater productivity. In addition,

unified communications solutions can be integrated with business applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM); this greatly enhances the ease with which workers can access business data, especially outside of the office. This could ultimately enhance operational efficiency and customer service. According to research firm Gartner, as unified communications environments become more pervasive, it will reduce the number of different communications vendors with which a typical organization works by at least 50 per cent.

Videoconferencing

Among the communications tools available to MNCs, high definition videoconferencing technology such as Cisco’s telepresence solution, may have a greater role to play as workforce and travel budgets shrink. Thanks to a convergence of factors - including improvements in video streaming technology, the falling prices of high definition video display panels and the proliferation of broadband connections - businesses can now offer an exceptionally lifelike and immersive videoconferencing experience. This translates to reductions in travel expenses, a smaller carbon footprint and hence a more sustainable business. In addition to enhancing the virtual meeting experience, the fine detail delivered by high definition videoconferencing also opens the doors for its use in a variety of critical applications by a wide range of industries. A garment manufacturer in China could, for example, use high definition videoconferencing to highlight - down to the last fibre - its craftsmanship to a client in the United States, or remotely collaborate in real time with design teams in other countries to put the finishing touches on a product. In healthcare, high definition videoconferencing can make medical specialists more productive by allowing them to conduct visual diagnosis of patients or remotely provide advice in live surgical operations.

In the educational sector, pin sharp, life-size videoconferencing images can facilitate a more effective remote learning process. These are only a handful of the ways in which videoconferencing can help many different types of businesses work more efficiently and effectively. According to a study by Frost & Sullivan, the global videoconferencing systems and services market is likely to expand from US$1.63 billion in 2007 to US$4.2 billion by 2012.

MNCs need to adopt a flexible and cost-effective IT procurement approach that

transforms operational processes to do work more efficiently. The growing demand for managed IT services and advanced communications solutions serves as proof that they are responding to this challenge.

On the other hand, the challenge for managed IT service providers will be to develop solutions which are tailored to fit the needs of different industry verticals, customizable for individual enterprises, and tightly integrated into business processes, while adhering to an IT best practice framework.

In the coming years, there is likely to be progress on this front, as managed IT service providers continue to innovate and create value-added services designed to help improve application performance, IT governance and business value creation. In so doing, we expect managed IT service providers to move up the value chain to become the trusted IT partner to MNCs over the longer term through the managed and hosted services market. n

Connect-World is celebrating its 12th anniversary

Through the years, Connect-World’s authors told of the rise of mobile, of fibre, of wireless and of broadband; they told of the dot.com meltdown, ofdigital inclusion and conver-gence, of standards and break-throughs, the rise of IP and the fall of switching and of the regulatory turnaround.

In every issue of Connect-World heads of state, ministers and regulators, heads ofinternational institutions and leaders of industry speak of what the ICT revolution, as it happens, means to the people in their regions of the world.

www.connect-world.com


Software and services

Delivering software-plus-servicesby Geoff Thomas, General Manager, Communications Sector, Asia Pacific, Greater China, India and Japan, Microsoft Corporation

The ‘connected lifestyle’ depends upon user-centric s voice, video and data services integrated into innovative Web services, available on a wide variety of fixed and mobile devices, that expand and facilitate the user’s personal business and social lives. Such services will help service providers attract and retain individual and enterprises subscribers. Increasingly, these services will be resident on the Web, - the ‘cloud’, not the device, as software as a service (SaaS); and operators will offer a combination of software plus services.

Geoff Thomas is the General Manager for Asia Pacific, Greater China, India and Japan within the Communications Sector at Microsoft. He is responsible for sales and marketing, business development, consulting and support services for leading telecommunications companies, service providers, and media and entertainment companies in Asia. Mr Thomas is a Microsoft veteran of over 17 years; since joining Microsoft in Sydney as an account manager in 1991, he has held various positions in Asia Pacific and the US, spanning the enterprise, SMB and channel segments.

Geoff Thomas holds a Bachelor of Business degree from Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education in Sydney, Australia, majoring in accounting and finance.

The trend towards a connected lifestyle is already a reality today - people are tapping the networked world for everything, from remote access to business email, to shopping and research, to watching a movie or catching up with friends. They want to stay connected with each other and to information, anywhere and at any time. The connected lifestyle presents a world in which information and entertainment can flow to the user, where, when and how they want it.

We know that traditional telecommunications services such as voice, video and data are being integrated with innovative Web services to create myriad combinations of services. Service providers are also beginning to deliver connected services over a wide range of devices, to further drive demand.

To succeed in this connected age, service providers need to focus on connecting people

and being more user-centric. What this means is that all devices must be ‘service connected’, whether it is a PC, mobile phone or a handheld device. This will allow people to get the latest software, browsing applications and data easily and, as well, allow them to personalize content to their specific interests and lifestyles.

In the highly competitive telecoms market, innovative services will be a key differentiator to help service providers retain and attract subscribers. The key to delivering these unique, personalized services is software, and service providers will increasingly rely on the magic of software to deliver a range of services to large enterprises, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and consumers.

We envisage operators offering hundreds of services that bring together different applications and content, from a variety of

sources, to form composite services; in this world, the combinations of potential new services are nearly limitless. We see the telecommunications industry continuing to evolve and service providers adapting new ways in which they approach the services’ marketplace to expand their offerings to end-users.

Services in the Cloud

Vanson Bourne Ltd conducted a global study in 2008 to look at how small businesses use and manage their IT, as well as their attitudes toward hosted IT services. The study took a snapshot of small business IT behaviour in 11 countries worldwide - Australia, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, United Kingdom, Canada, and the USA. The results showed that SMEs in the Asia Pacific have a good understanding of IT and how to use IT in their business.

COULD BETHE MOST

PRODUCTIVEWEEK...

OCTOBER 5TH

TO 9TH 2009

YOUR PROFESSIONAL

LIFE !

...OF

But only if you spend that week at ITU Telecom World 2009. Because no other event o� ers such a wide range of ideas,knowledge and experience. No other event gives you direct access to the full cross-section of ICT decision-makersfrom government and industry. And no other event will be more essential in helping you plot a strategic course inthe rapidly-evolving ICT industry. In a world where knowledge is currency and meeting the right people is gold,this global summit is sure to provide you with the best return on investment. Geneva, 5-9 October 2009 – don’t miss it.

www.itu.int/world2009

5_9_october_2009_210X297mm.indd 1 4.12.2008 17:43:40


COULD BETHE MOST

PRODUCTIVEWEEK...

OCTOBER 5TH

TO 9TH 2009

YOUR PROFESSIONAL

LIFE !

...OF

But only if you spend that week at ITU Telecom World 2009. Because no other event o� ers such a wide range of ideas,knowledge and experience. No other event gives you direct access to the full cross-section of ICT decision-makersfrom government and industry. And no other event will be more essential in helping you plot a strategic course inthe rapidly-evolving ICT industry. In a world where knowledge is currency and meeting the right people is gold,this global summit is sure to provide you with the best return on investment. Geneva, 5-9 October 2009 – don’t miss it.

www.itu.int/world2009

5_9_october_2009_210X297mm.indd 1 4.12.2008 17:43:40


Software and services

Most businesses in China, Australia and Japan (83 per cent, 60 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively) agreed that IT was important for most small businesses. They currently used mobile email services, and recognized software as a service (SaaS) as a cost efficient way of getting business-class communications services without large investments. Not only did these SMEs believe that buying software on a subscription basis reduced the reliance on IT skills and offer enterprise-class security protection, they also felt that SaaS allowed them to focus on their core business priorities.

These findings were reinforced by a recent IDC report that anticipated cloud computing services to increase in 2009. The firm also anticipated that services in the cloud will form a quarter to a third of all incremental global IT spending by 20121. Cloud computing is a general concept that incorporates SaaS, Web 2.0 and other recent, well-known technology trends using the Internet. This mode of acquiring and consuming IT services on a subscription basis has become ever more apparent at this time of global economic uncertainty.

Software-plus-services

As businesses become more Internet-literate, and the case for using online software will drive strong demand for service providers, we can expect an increase in Software-plus-Services that will bring together a set of both on-premise and service-based IT capabilities, enabling service providers to optimize the portfolio of software and services across their network infrastructure.

For example, SingTel and Telstra have chosen to broaden their service offerings in the SaaS space.

SingTel’s Hosted BizExchange service, a hosted messaging and collaboration solution offers subscribers all the rich features and functions of a corporate mail system.

Telstra is working to bring together business software applications, mobile services and devices, and integrated computer and telephony services over Telstra’s Next IP™ and Next G™ networks.

The alliance will enable Australian businesses and government organizations to access business software applications hosted ‘in the cloud’ and made available through a simple per-user subscription service; access corporate-grade, secure all-in-one mobile email, calendar, contacts, web browser, business software and mobile phone solutions; and integrate telephony services with familiar email applications.

The first solution from this alliance is the Telstra Mobile User interface. It will give Australian customers simple ‘one click’ access to the applications and services they regularly use via a set of touch-enabled menus and scrolling applets that users can flick across their home screen. The interface will bring the most popular applications to the home screen, including address book and email, mobile office applications and Telstra’s mobile services including Big Pond, Mobile FOXTEL from Telstra and Sensis Search. Customized touch applets such as Picture Show, World Clock and Tasks will also be available on the new interface providing targeted information to Australian consumer and business customers.

In India, Bharti Airtel launched an online desktop that gives access to a personal virtual desktop from any computer connected to the Internet, allowing users to rent software per month. This initiative will pave the way for easy and affordable access to computing and broadband in India, and will be available to all Airtel broadband customers across 95 cities in the country.

Next generation services

To make things even more exciting for operators and mobile users, services recently announced at the Mobile World Congress will enable people to access, manage and back up the personal information on their devices to a password-protected Web-based service. With automatic syncing and backup, users can ensure that their contacts, appointments, text messages and other information are up to date and easily restored should they lose or upgrade their phones. Consumers will also be able to automatically upload photos and video from their phones directly to a Web-based service, making it simple to preserve content that, in the past, would have lived and died on the phone.

In addition, consumers can easily find, install and experience applications that fit their needs and make the phone truly personal using Web-based services that provide rich, integrated, sites for searching, browsing and purchasing mobile applications from mobile phones or from PCs.

A service ecosystem is needed to create and bring to market the most compelling services, to bring together service providers with independent software vendors (ISVs), developers, system integrators and network equipment providers. Such an ecosystem will establish a global marketplace for services where developers and other players can collaborate to drive innovation.

The SingTel-sponsored Mobile Connected Services Accelerator is one such initiative. ISVs were shortlisted to incubate, and ultimately commercialize, new types of consumer, business and mobile services for smartphones and mobile broadband PCs. As a result ISVs, V3 Teletech and Formotus, developed two new mobile LBS applications for the logistics and transportation sector. Celcom in Malaysia is also participating in a programme to incubate and nurture Malaysian mobile application developers, and provide them with compelling business opportunities.

The way forward

Service syndication seems the most logical and sustainable business opportunity to address growing demand for more easily consumable services. Syndication describes the business agreements between the various providers and vendors in the services supply chain that come together to provide a service. These agreements provide a definition of service, utilization of the service, commercial agreements, and any applicable service level agreements resulting in a seamless end user experience. n





IDC Predicts Current Economic Crisis Still Provides For Pockets Of Opportunities Within The Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan) Region in 2009, IDC, Dec 12, 2008, 1. http://www.idc.com/AP/pressrelease.jsp?containerId=prSG21576608


The British historian Arnold Toynbee summarized history as ‘challenge and response’. It is indeed true that nations and organisations alike that wish to be at the forefront must respond to the challenges by walking the innovation edge. Advancements in enterprise mobility technologies present a compelling opportunity for enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region and the chance to innovate their enterprise structures and the way they conduct their business.

The Asia Pacific region includes mature markets like those of Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan, which now present some of the best use cases in the world, and emerging giants like China and India, who combined together present the single largest market for telecom and mobility technologies. Together they constitute a billion strong wireless subscriber base. China had 649.72 million subscribers at the beginning of the year. India had 376.12 million wireless subscribers and 413.85 million total telecom subscribers. These numbers and human enterprise are creating new paradigms in each market; China has emerged as the global manufacturing hub and India is fast becoming the services industry hub of the world.

Asia-Pacific countries have the choice to leap frog the technology evolution path and adopt today’s most advanced telecom ecosystem. As enterprise mobility technologies mature, more and more Asia Pacific businesses, including small, medium or large enterprise will be able to leverage ‘true’ mobility and access the best most advanced applications. According to IDC, businesses are demanding more value from vendors and have a greater focus on total cost of ownership. The global economic meltdown is forcing businesses to re-think their IT policies and IT investment plans, focusing on cost-efficient, long-term options. There are a number of examples of class leading use of mobility technologies by restaurants, the hospitality, retail and logistics and healthcare sectors, where there is growing uptake of wireless local area network (WLAN) and mobility technologies. Outstanding examples include Sir Run Run Shaw hospital in Beijing, China and Bumrungrand hospital in Thailand.

It is remarkable how quickly the world has progressed since the mobile phone became a mainstream reality more than twenty years ago. Those once clunky devices coincided with the arrival of email and the Internet as

a set of technologies which have transformed the way we communicate, share information and conduct business.

Communication has always been essential to human activity; today we take for granted all that mobile phones can do. We access email, take photographs, send text messages, use the Internet and listen to music on our mobile phones. We wonder how we ever managed without this transformation in mobile communications - and mobile evolution is still under way.

Ubiquitous wireless technology has taken connectivity to new levels and digital standards have opened a world of opportunities for the enterprise. Significant wireless bandwidth and converged networks have opened new possibilities in workforce mobility delivered via powerful handheld devices.

However, there is a significant difference between true mobility and portability, which is more common.

Despite the possibilities afforded by technological evolution, mobility is still

Mobilising the workforce by Paul Blinkhorn, Australia Country Manager, Vice President of Motorola’s Enterprise Mobility

business, Australia and New Zealand and Asia-Pacific Channels

There is a significant difference between mere mobile communications and a truly mobile business environment. By fully integrating all of an organisation’s communications and systems, employees, wherever located, can easily access whatever corporate applications and data they need to do their job. Further, fixed mobile convergence makes it possible to reach an employee, using a single number, no matter where they are. Enterprise grade mobile devices can be managed, secured and updated remotely for the entire organisation in a matter of minutes.

Paul Blinkhorn is Motorola’s Australia Country Manager and Vice President of its Enterprise Mobility business in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region. Mr Blinkhorn has 30 years’ experience in the ICT sector. Mr Blinkhorn joined Motorola from Palm where he was the Vice President and Managing Director for Asia Pacific. Prior to Palm, Mr Blinkhorn served at Compaq/HP in various leadership roles, including Vice President, Asia Pacific, responsible for the Industry Standard Server Division, Vice President and Managing Director for Compaq Asean, Managing Director for Compaq New Zealand, and Sales Director for Compaq Australia. Just prior to Compaq’s merger with HP, Mr Blinkhorn was Vice President of the Access Business Group. Prior to Compaq, Paul held senior management positions at Olivetti Australia.

Mobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessEnterprise mobility


Off ic ia l Host SponsorWorld Forum Chairperson

Vivek Badrinath Executive Vice President, Networks, Carriers, and PlatformsOrange

3

Carl-Henric SvanbergPresident and Chief Executive OfficerEricsson

BBWF18


Mobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessEnterprise mobility

dominated by consumer-grade devices offering traditional voice, or voice and data services. Few note the highly sophisticated mobile devices that couple basic communications with access to critical business systems and data. Industries such as supply chain and retail have harnessed this technology for years, giving true mobility to their workforces and directly improving their bottom line. For example, transport and logistics workers use enterprise-grade mobile devices to scan barcodes on freight and instantly update back-end inventory systems giving the end customer real-time track-and-trace visibility.

The traditional mobile phone has done all it can for the enterprise. Now, with convergence, management can get more from its mobile investments. Enterprise functionality is now found in the form factor of consumer-grade devices and true mobility is ready for the mainstream.

True mobility

To get the most out of mobility, it has to provide a real-time connection between enterprise voice and business systems and the workforce. Communications alone is only one part of the enterprise mobility equation. Giving staff the power to interact with business-specific applications and databases away from their desks is a key driver of productivity and operational efficiency.

A truly mobile workforce can access all enterprise tools - phone, email, real-time back-end applications - on a single device built for everyday business anywhere, anytime. Instead of having voice and computing on different devices, workers inside and outside the company are fully connected, on a single device, to all the company’s ICT applications. This shifts the focus from mobile business communication to true mobility.

When a company adopts mobility, their needs are quite different from those for consumer voice and data communications. Enterprise applications call for highly secure devices that can be remotely managed. Next generation mobile solutions are designed to meet rigorous enterprise demands in a manner that consumer-grade devices cannot.

The concept of enterprise-grade true mobility often brings to mind clunky brick-like devices that are difficult to manage. However, today’s mobile enterprise devices have consumer-style ergonomics to bring true mobility to new industries such as health and mobile field force automation.

What is new with true mobility?

True mobility exploits converged next generation networks and creates significant business opportunities for telco operators.

There is an untapped market for operators and application service providers who specialise in developing tailored mobile solutions for business.

Real-time connections to business systems improve workforce productivity and overall efficiency wherever operations take place or business is transacted. It empowers the individual worker, and gives access to critical information so they can make better decisions.

Armed with a comprehensive set of productivity tools, workers can strip time and duplication from daily processes. Data can be captured instantly and paper forms and associated manual errors are eliminated. Business systems are kept up to date with more accurate, real-time data.

Managers find that sophisticated mobile solutions increase visibility into the business. Management can incorporate real-time facts into decisions, improving throughput and production management. Inventory levels can be reduced and turnover increased, by responding to peaks and troughs in demand more efficiently. In turn, staff can be scheduled more economically to help control labour costs.

The ability to scan product barcodes out in the field increases quality in the information chain, especially for the track-and-trace applications that are critical in industries where government regulations require end-to-end product traceability. For example, in the pharmaceutical industry, the ability to scan samples in a doctor’s office reaches beyond streamlining data collection to allow rapid location and recall of counterfeit products.

At first glance, consumer style devices (mobile phones, smartphones and PDAs) appear more cost effective than an enterprise-class device. There will always be workers who need nothing more than voice and occasional email communication; however, for road warriors and other mobile employees who need constant access to information located in critical back-end systems, it pays to consider the mobility solution’s total cost of ownership.

There is constant pressure to make business more efficient, use less dollars and resources. Merging phone, PDA and laptop into a single device translates into less management time and cost.

Typical consumer devices are not rugged enough for the enterprise; they are designed as commodities with a 12 to 24 month lifecycle. An enterprise-grade integrated voice and data device can last up to seven years, more than three times longer than a consumer device and provides service cover that extends beyond its expected lifespan. This is critical to CIOs

looking to secure and maintain a standard operating environment (SOE).

Labour costs for configuration and troubleshooting on consumer devices can reach up to US$100 per device. By comparison, enterprise devices are configurable, automatically, over the air. Remote management solutions provide IT with centralised end-to-end control of devices, and the ability to stage and update thousands of devices in minutes rather than months.

Central management facilitates the handling of security issues raised by business mobility. With immense amounts of data being transferred wirelessly, or stored in phones and laptops, virus protection and management are a major concern. Traditional mobile devices are not built with the security of sensitive data in mind. A lost PDA containing confidential emails is a major security breach. Centralised device management is a deciding factor in many organisations’ decision to take on true mobility. Workforces cannot do business anywhere, anytime unless their data is safe. This is only possible when IT can monitor devices 24/7, quickly update patches to eliminate weaknesses, detect, lock and wipe devices that may be lost or stolen, or enable a mobile virtual private network (VPN) to ensure the security of highly sensitive data. Overall, going beyond the limited functionality of consumer devices introduces a host of benefits that influences spending, efficiency and productivity.

Unshackle staff

There is so much more to the anatomy of mobility than voice, email and calendars. Its evolution during the previous twenty years is only the tip of the iceberg; new paradigms in cloud computing, GPS enabled location-based services, virtual healthcare, customer service and business transparency have only begun to be explored.

The integration of robust voice and data capabilities into a single, enterprise-grade device and the virtual services made possible by fixed mobile convergence are pushing enterprise frontiers. E-health, field automation and e-education delivered via highly powerful mobile devices are possibilities that go beyond traditional mobility and are fast becoming a reality.

In the face of economic challenges, the adoption of true mobility will grow rapidly as organisations seek ways to make workforces more efficient and cost less. When workers can access business applications in the field, the benefits will extend throughout the business and to the bottom line. n

Off ic ia l Host SponsorWorld Forum Chairperson

Vivek Badrinath Executive Vice President, Networks, Carriers, and PlatformsOrange

3

Carl-Henric SvanbergPresident and Chief Executive OfficerEricsson

BBWF18


Enterprise mobility

Mobile business communicationsby Tan Choon Seng, Vice-President, Asia-Pacific, Applications & Software Sales, Avaya

Mobile corporate communications boost employee productivity outside the confines of the office. By connecting staff, customers and management, they help companies service their customers better. Corporate mobility solutions offer multi-modal access to the tools and applications businesses rely on to be productive - regardless of where their employees are located or what device they have at hand. Corporate mobility solutions include five essential components: calling and conferencing management; one-number accessibility; messaging management; contact and information management; and personal efficiency management.

Tan Choon Seng is the Vice President for Applications and Software Sales for Avaya in Asia-Pacific. Prior to this, Mr Seng was the Regional Director for Avaya ASEAN where he was responsible for their Unified Communications and Contact Center applications sales.

Mr Seng spent the last 20 years of his career in the IT and CRM/Call Center industry working with a broad spectrum of clients.

In today’s economic climate, organisations are challenged to produce more with fewer resources. Productivity needs to be managed so customers receive a level and quality of service that not only meets, but exceeds expectations. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that not only field resources be productive and utilised at all times, but that customers have the ability to contact businesses when and how they want to. When putting in place technologies and policies to streamline processes and reduce costs, companies need to ensure they take the necessary steps to maintain the delicate balance between maximising efficiency and delivering top quality service.

One possible solution to this challenge is mobility. Mobility solutions connect staff, customers and management in the most

effective ways. Mobile technologies can also help businesses of all sizes realise competitive advantage by enabling employees to be productive outside the confines of the office, and increasing the efficiency of business communications, which in turn allows companies to deliver better levels of service to their customers.

What is mobility?

Mobility can mean different things to different people. For some, mobility is defined as phone or email access while on the road. For others, mobility is the breakdown of the physical constraints of the workplace so that business, in all its complexity, can happen anywhere, anytime. For the sake of this piece, I will focus on the application of mobility as an enhancer of business communications,

whether in - or outside - the confines of the traditional office.

The mobility challenge

Mobility can be defined as providing universal, multi-modal access to the tools and applications businesses rely on to be productive - regardless of where they are located or what device they have access to at the time. Enterprises today face the challenge of balancing efficient integration of office communications with a variety of devices without jeopardizing manageability, security, or control. Flexibility, speed and better customer contact translate into better service and more importantly better relationships with customers, a vital step in protecting the customer base.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE


From a technical perspective, effective mobility is comprised of five essential building blocks: calling and conferencing management; one-number accessibility; messaging management; contact and information management and personal efficiency management. Each of these features delivers a critical benefit to the business and the customer.

The first element - calling and conferencing management - is the ability to launch or initiate conferences from any phone in any location. Business today often requires a variety of participants calling from different locations, so having the ability to conduct conference calls from anywhere gives businesses the opportunity to close deals while in transit. In addition, effective conferencing can save money by replacing the need to travel.

Calling and conference management is one layer, but having one-number accessibility is crucial. One-number accessibility allows the redirection of any incoming call to a mobile phone, laptop, or PDA, making it possible to reach on-the-move employees by using only their direct office number. By eliminating the need for multiple access numbers, communication is streamlined and time spent doing business rather than trying to locate someone. In fact, in the Asia Pacific Mobility and UC Survey 2008, conducted by IDC, the Asia Pacific managers considered being ‘always reachable’ as the most important benefit of mobile technologies. The great majority of respondents saw ‘always reachable’ as the most important benefit, while managers perceived satisfying customers as the most important benefit of mobile technologies in 2005. The survey also revealed that managers perceived mobile technologies as not just relevant for managers that deal with customers, but also for employees at large. They saw the value of being responsive towards both customers and co-workers.

While accessibility is an important feature, effective management is the spark that really makes mobility useful. Management involves three components: messaging; content and information; and personal efficiency.

In terms of accessibility, messaging management brings about universal access to any and all messages, so that voice, email or fax messages can be viewed from a PC, phone, or other wireless device and managed from any location. Message management

provides a common platform, so information is quickly and efficiently delivered to its intended users, regardless of what form it is initially received in.

Contact and information management also plays a key role by enabling users to connect to company directories and databases from any location, improving collaboration and problem solving in real-time, without the need to be in the office. Being easily reachable is useful, but enabling users to access entire corporate networks while on-the-go takes business productivity to another level.

Finally, personal efficiency management plays a part by allowing users to manage appointments and tasks through rules-based controls that distinguish between urgent requests and routine interactions, thus maximising efficiency. This helps users make the most of their time by focusing on important activities first. In the same IDC survey in 2008, 81 per cent out of 626 respondents indicated ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ when asked if mobility improves productivity, compared to only 61 per cent in 2005. The biggest increase in positive attitude towards mobility as a means of improving productivity was registered in Hong Kong (80 per cent), Australia (80 per cent) and India (70 per cent).

Management is an important component of making mobile working useful, so it is no surprise that customers who have deployed enterprise mobility cite this as the strongest benefit. Effective manageability ends the dependence on consumer-oriented wireless network features, so work can truly happen anywhere, anytime. In addition, it lets companies choose the path that is most appropriate for them to deploy enterprise mobility, minimizing technical disruption and preserving existing investments in wiring and phones. Facing the mobility challenge

The many mobile technologies available today offer great value, but can fall short of expectations if not managed in a strategic manner. Enterprise-class mobility solutions need to be simple to use and administer, as well as have consistent user capabilities and experience across all modes of work and devices. In addition, devices must be integrated with other devices, networks and systems, as well as into enterprise processes and business operations.

Business does not happen in isolation, so users must not only be accessible, but connected to each other as well. More importantly, solutions need to be consistently reliable - halfway attempts erode benefits and compromise the usefulness of mobility. Mobility is at its most effective if it is invisible and ease of management and holistic accessibility are the keys to making this happen. Mobility sets companies apart in the business world. Making staff truly mobile is an excellent way for an organisation to deliver efficient office communications by offering increased flexibility. Through the careful combination of accessibility and management features, mobility can break down walls and extend business into the world outside the traditional office. n

Enterprise mobility





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WiMAX

WiMAX: boon for businesses everywhereby Michael Lai, CEO Packet One Networks Sdn Bhd.

Technology, especially wireless broadband such as WiMAX, lets businesses anywhere compete on an equal footing with well-established global companies. With broadband, workers can work from any convenient location, making productive employment possible for home-bound workers who would otherwise be excluded from the market. Online businesses no longer need to shoulder the cost of expensive office space for their workers or fully staffed showroom space and with cloud computing, IT services can be obtained online without expensive capital investment or fixed expense.

Michael Lai is currently playing a dual role as CEO of Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (P1), a provider of WiMAX enabled broadband services, and as CEO of Green Packet International, a global next-generation mobile broadband network solutions provider. Mr Lai has over 20 years of experience in the information and communications technologies sector.

Michael Lai is an Electrical Engineer by training with a Masters in Business Administration.

In my life, I have seen plenty of change. The infusion of technology into our daily lives has been remarkable, to say the least. We have moved from wired telephones to cell phones in less than a decade. Today, working professionals are more comfortable with keyboards than pens, and the Blackberry has replaced the organizer as the on-the-go productivity assistant of choice!

Few innovations have as profoundly affected the way we live and do business as the Internet. Noted venture capitalist and ‘techno-preneur’ Bill Schrader once said, “Almost overnight, the Internet’s gone from a technical wonder to a business must.”

That remark is even more profound today. Throughout the world, the availability of broadband Internet access has had a positive impact on the economy. By using the Internet,

businesses have expanded their markets and become increasingly globalised, more productive and profitable. This trend has been so consistent that all countries share the common desire to promote the Internet economy as a means of achieving economic growth and raising national prosperity.

In the Asia Pacific region, the Internet has opened new market and spread the growth of information and knowledge among our population. Still, as things stand, the broadband penetration rates throughout the

region vary. In Malaysia, the household broadband Internet penetration is currently only around 20 per cent, but in developed countries such as South Korea and Singapore, household broadband penetration rates are more than 97 per cent and 89 per cent respectively (http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/0809/). Without ubiquitous broadband Internet access, the inequalities between people who are connected and those who are not are quite apparent. It goes without saying that we need to close this digital divide, and it is to this end that the various governments

“WiMAX broadband will provide businesses with opportunities for cost reduction across their entire operations. Expanded markets and increased competition through online procurement services will reduce the cost of raw materials.”


Mobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessWiMAX

in the region have actively pursued policies to ramp up broadband Internet penetration in their respective countries. In Malaysia, for instance, one of the latest initiatives is to deploy WiMAX with the aim of achieving 50 per cent household broadband Internet penetration by 2010 - a two and a half-fold growth in the next two years (based on February 2009 figures, which measures current household penetration at slightly above 20 per cent).

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) has a range of up to 50km and, in Malaysia, operates on the 2.3 GHz spectrum and 802.16e standard, known as Mobile WiMAX. As a wireless technology, WiMAX can deliver broadband Internet access without the need for the laying of costly cable infrastructure, and is therefore particularly suitable for use in Malaysia, where a significant part of our population still lives in rural areas.

WiMAX-enabled business environment

For a long time, broadband Internet access, in the form of often costly leased lines, was a privilege available only to businesses and companies in selected urban locations. Thousands of rural businesses made do with dial-up Internet access - which only clocks in at 56Kbps or less! Without broadband Internet access rural businesses cannot easily send or receive large files via email, or use VoIP to reduce their phone bills. WiMAX will change all this. Businesses with true broadband access will be able to easily market themselves wherever, whenever they wish. Simply put, WiMAX will provide a level playing field for individuals, SOHOs (small offices / home offices) and SMBs (small and medium businesses).

The benefits of a WiMAX-enabled business environment extend beyond the confines of the office. WiMAX will liberate workers from the office and allow them to choose where they work - at home or on-the-go. Telecommuting will open new opportunities for many people who otherwise might not work and as professionals; these could be parents who want to stay at home with their children or the handicapped, weak or ill who

cannot easily travel. By working from home, these people can become active members of the workforce and significantly improve the quality of their lives. From a manpower perspective alone, this will have a dramatic effect upon the region’s productivity; from a human perspective the effect will be priceless.

Talking about the human perspective, the ability of WiMAX to touch and enrich lives and empower people is just one of the many wonderful benefits of the technology. The fact that WiMAX has the ability to unlock the potential of the less able, previously sidelined, segments of society can really drive our nations forward, as we harness previously neglected, unusable, human capital.

Even small businesses will find that WiMAX will open doors for them. Through eCommerce, these businesses will be able to sell their goods in the global marketplace. For example, a plastic bottle manufacturer will effectively have a world-wide audience at its reach. The global nature of the Internet means that as long as they harness the right Web platforms, SMBs can compete on a level-playing field with their bigger competitors.

WiMAX-enabled business transformation

WiMAX broadband will provide businesses with opportunities for cost reduction across their entire operations. Expanded markets and increased competition through online procurement services will reduce the cost of raw materials. For many businesses, broadband Internet access will dramatically reduce their time-to-market by cutting down the time it takes to send, receive and process routine business communications such as purchase orders, invoices and shipping manifests. Beyond routine communications, WiMAX-enabled business will be able to develop enhanced levels of close collaboration through the sharing of complex information between their personnel and their partners. WiMAX will facilitate the exchange of documents in real-time so changes can be discussed and rapidly approved and transactions completed much more quickly.

The recent emergence of cloud computing also offers businesses new opportunities

to leverage previously unaffordable ICT technologies and achieve greater efficiencies in their operations. Through cloud computing, businesses both large and small can access the IT resources they need as a service, and pay for it as they use it, and eliminate expensive capital investments.

The Internet economy

The Internet has vastly increased the range of products and services that are readily available to us - from books and electronic goods to banking and VoIP services - the choice, and the power that comes with that choice, are ours. Due to easier and more effective price comparison and an increased range of goods for the buyer to choose from, competition on the Internet is very keen. Businesses that compete in online markets for goods and services have to be very efficient.

While the Internet has driven prices down to the benefit of consumers, it has also benefited businesses. A store does not have to be in a prominent, expensive, shopping complex to reach its customers. By having a presence online, the store is effectively wherever their customer is. This has reduced the cost of keeping inventory, which in turn has allowed businesses to sell items they could not carry in a brick-and-mortar store. Just think how much space Amazon.com would need if it were a real world bookshop. Staffing costs are also low, as you no longer need to hire sales personnel to keep the physical store going. And, better yet, the Web store never closes - you can generate sales leads and sell to customers round the clock.

As WiMAX is rolled-out across the region, giving more citizens broad access to the Internet, there is every reason for us to expect that the Internet will reach further into our daily lives. Asians have had Internet access for over a decade now, but we have yet to unlock its full potential. WiMAX is the golden key that will open that gate. n

“For a long time, broadband Internet access, in the form of often costly leased lines, was a privilege available only to businesses and companies in selected urban locations. Thousands of rural businesses made do with dial-up Internet access - which only clocks in at 56Kbps or less!”



Over the last decade, Pay TV platform operators have adapted their technologies and business models to incorporate digital TV, interactivity, video on demand (VOD), personal video recorders (PVR), and more recently, HDTV (high definition television). Not surprisingly, most of these innovations have been focused on the home television set - which is where the TV industry has traditionally made its living.

The changes during the next ten years will be equally exciting - and possibly even more significant. That is because television will start to converge with fixed-line and mobile telecoms, and entertainment and communications will blend into unified service propositions. Viewers will be offered Internet-sourced video alongside traditional television and VOD as part of an increasingly personalized TV experience. Consumers will be able to access their converged multimedia

services on television, through their PC or on handheld devices including mobile phones.

There is a whole generation of consumers - the so-called digital natives - who are waiting for these changes. Brought up in the post-digital, post-wireless, post-Internet world, they think and behave differently than their parents. A global study covering 35,000 consumers identified four key requirements for next-generation TV. These are ‘TV that is personal’, ‘TV that connects me to everything’, ‘TV that is high quality’ and ‘TV that is worth the money’.

‘TV that is personal’ means people want to control what they watch, when they watch it, and which devices they watch it on. They want the ability to time-shift their viewing and want to be able to transfer content from one device to another - for example, from the home television to their mobile phone

when they leave the house. They only want advertising messages that are relevant to them, and they want user-generated as well as professionally produced content because, for them, entertainment is entertainment.

During this extensive consumer study, it became obvious that younger consumers want to communicate, share content, view content and even produce content - all at the same time on the same device. ‘TV that connects me to everything’ is the vision of customers that live their lives online and on three screens.

Taken together, these demands add up to what we call the individual television experience. Digital natives will be early adopters but history tells us that new multimedia behaviours and expectations are learnt within families and workplaces, and cross generations. For this reason, all television

The next television revolutionby Dario Choi, Executive VP and General Manager, Tandberg Television Asia-Pacific;

Ericsson Group

Consumers want an integrated multimedia experience combining fixed and wireless networks to deliver both entertainment with communications. Accordingly, television will converge with fixed-line and mobile telecoms, and entertainment and communications will blend into unified services. Open standards for IMS/IP-based convergence will provide Internet-sourced video alongside traditional television and VOD as part of an increasingly personalized TV experience. Consumers will be able to access their converged multimedia services on television, through their PC or on handheld devices including mobile phones.

Dario Choi is the Executive VP and General Manager of Tandberg Television, Asia Pacific, which is part of the Ericsson Group; he is part of Tandberg Television’s global executive management team. Previously, Mr Choi served as the Senior Sales Director, responsible for overseeing the development of Tandberg Television’s sales and business opportunities in SE & NE Asia. He joined Tandberg Television from SkyStream Networks where he was Managing Director of Asia-Pacific. Dario Choi was elected for a two-year term on the CASBAA - The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia - Council of Governors.

Dario Choi earned an Electrical Engineering degree from University of Alberta, Canada and is a member of the International Engineering Consortium and the ISP-Satellites Forum.

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Converged TV

providers - including cable and satellite operators - will have to evolve their services.

We do believe, however, that telecoms companies will lead the way, partly because they are IP-centric, partly because of their wireless heritage, but mainly because they have the most to gain from change. They are late entrants in the Pay TV market, but by pioneering converged TV experiences, they can take a leadership position and revolutionize triple-play services.

A strong IPTV service with HDTV, interactive TV, PVR and VOD is the starting point on the journey to the ‘individual television experience’. Next, telcos must adapt their networks and delivery technologies. Open standards, and especially IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) and OIF (Open IPTV Forum) conformance, will be key enablers.

IMS is providing an open standards approach to converging services between multiple devices and provides a common platform for next-generation TV and multimedia services. IMS can be exploited to deliver communication enablers such as presence, messaging, multimedia telephony and chat, among other things.

There are several examples of IMS-enabled IPTV applications that meet the expectations of an individual television experience. IPTV services can recognize the presence of consumers and their buddies across multiple devices and networks. Someone can access music files stored on their home PC from their mobile phone, using a combination of IMS and DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) standards to instigate an upload/download or streaming session for any multimedia content. Thus users can access television, pictures, personal video, and such like, any time and virtually anywhere.

When IPTV middleware is pre-integrated with IMS it opens the way to a number of service innovations. One example is broadcast reminder, where a consumer sets a programme reminder and, if the television is off when the reminder is due, a message is sent to their mobile phone. Another is extended parental control, where children can request permission from a guardian to watch a VOD movie that is outside their age rating thanks to SMS messaging between a set-top box and mobile phone. IPTV operators are trialling IMS-centric middleware today with a

view to developing services like this. We view open architectures and standards-based interoperability as a prerequisite to these next-generation services. The Open IPTV Forum’s forthcoming standard will encourage the openness; flexibility and scalability that operators need to deliver more mobile and personalized TV experiences. The OIF encourages innovation and partnership.

The Open IPTV Forum is a pan-industry initiative working to produce end-to-end specifications for IPTV. It is open to participation by the communications and entertainment industries and the consumer electronics industry. Until now, there has not yet been a mass uptake of IPTV services, partly because the IPTV industry still has no common IPTV solution standard; the OIF efforts should finally turn IPTV into a mass market service.

Creating the next generation TV experience requires more than standards, however. It makes new demands on industry vendors because triple-play providers developing converged services need partners with a combination of skills taken from the world of telecoms and television. They need suppliers who understand both fixed-line and wireless, and they may well require companies with the ability to build hybrid network solutions that combine IP with satellite, cable or digital terrestrial.

The next generation of television will be interwoven with fixed and mobile telecoms services so it makes sense that vendors must have experience beyond just television, mobile or fixed-line telecoms. To help network operators exploit the convergence opportunity, vendors need a deep-rooted knowledge of how to build revenue-generating services across multiple networks, with systems integration excellence in each segment and

- crucially - an umbrella understanding of how they fit together to create the consumer experience of the future. This sort of vendor is what we refer to as a ‘Prime Integrator’.

The march towards the individual television experience has already begun. Consumers are watching more on-demand and time-shifted content and, as well, more television on the move. They like to send text and instant messages to friends while watching video on TV or online. Network operators have to find ways to integrate these services better.

Consumers have limited budgets and will only commit so much of their money to subscriptions, so operators know that advertising must be part of the revenue-generating model for next-generation services. Telcos need to prepare the ground for advertising models that can exploit a

‘unicast’ environment (content not broadcast to all, but sent directly to each user upon request), with support for VOD advertisement placements, telescoping adverts and targeted advertising, as well as local and linear advertising. Cross-platform advertising will play an increasingly important role in converged service models.

Advertising can contribute towards the cost of the evolution of networks that support the individual television experience. We believe it will be important to support unified advertising campaigns through campaign management, asset management

and delivery solutions. As operators deliver multi-screen television experiences they will also need more sophisticated content management systems (CMS). The CMS will need to handle video and advertising assets, and content rights, across multiple platforms to multiple types of screen.

The individual television experience will increase telco customer loyalty, attract new subscribers and grow revenues. By delivering innovative services, IPTV providers can avoid competing on price and sustain growth through recession, recovery or boom. Although this change will be driven by digital natives, all consumers will adapt their behaviours. Although telecoms operators will pioneer the personalisation and mobilisation of TV, cable and satellite will soon follow their lead. Convergence will fundamentally change how everyone consumes media and how everyone delivers it. n


Innovation in messaging

Text messaging is one of the most successful data applications for mobile operators; its volumes increase year after year. However, price erosion in messaging has put pressure on margins and the mobile industry is frantically searching for new services with opportunities for revenue growth. I Ovum states that no other service generates revenues that are even close to those from text messaging. In 2009, SMS will generate 80 per cent of worldwide messaging revenues.

Besides exploring new ways to increase existing text messaging revenues, operators need to consider an evolutionary approach using text messaging as a starting point. Future revenue growth can be obtained through differentiation and by creating new business on existing text messaging channels.

Mobile messaging has not reached its limits; the time is right to leverage the unique values of mobile messaging beyond person-to-person traffic. In fact, messaging revenues have the potential to double by 2011, reaching a market size of US$165 billion.

The future of text

The success of text messaging is often attributed to its ease of use, reliability and transparent pricing. Yet, some argue that rich Internet-based messaging services will take over its dominant position in a few years; the trends bear this out - mobile broadband coverage has increased dramatically and market share of Internet enabled mobile devices now surpasses the 25 per cent mark.

On the other hand, text messaging is not showing any signs of slowing down. In May

2008, Ovum increased its volume predictions on text messaging for 2011 by over 60 per cent. The popularity of text messaging has turned it into a key operator tool for subscriber acquisition and retention, but this has resulted in near flat fee pricing. The truth is that it will not decrease in volumes or usage, but operator margins are threatened. However, if the right solutions are put in place, operators can increase their text-messaging results.

Differentiation and margins

Over the past 15 years, most operators have adopted a similar strategy of positioning text messaging as a new service. In recent years, however, messaging has reached mass-market adoption and turned into a commodity. To address this challenge, operators need to do what every business does when faced with commoditization. Operators must differentiate

The power of messagingby Boudewijn Pesch, Managing Director, Acision Asia Pacific

Text messaging volumes increase yearly, but competitive price erosion in messaging has reduced margins. Nevertheless, a number of new services might reverse this trend. Mobile operators need to personalise their messaging services by offering subscribers a variety of new features. Operators can build revenues by extending messaging to fixed terminals via the PC or via cable TV and by offering Internet-based instant messaging to heavy users such as teens. Messaging-based business applications, including mobile marketing, are also important revenue generators.

Boudewijn Pesch is the Managing Director of Acision Asia Pacific. Mr Pesch joined CMG in 1998 as the Chief Representative, and was later appointed Managing Director of CMG Asia-Pacific. When CMG merged with Logica, becoming LogicaCMG, Mr Pesch was named Director for LogicaCMG’s Telecoms Products business and expanded its business presence in new markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand. When this business was bought by Atlantic Bridge Venture, and established as Acision, Mr Pesch assumed his present post. Prior to joining CMG, Mr Pesch was the General Manager of the Detron Group in Asia Pacific. Mr Pesch also served in a consulting position with VB Group in The Netherlands.

Boudewijn Pesch earned a Masters degree in management studies and a Bachelors degree in engineering.

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Mobile messaging

their mobile messaging portfolio by further refining the service positioning to address the different messaging needs of various user segments.

At the same time, it is crucial to avoid disruption of SMS’s key asset: simplicity. Confronting subscribers with complex features easily results in poor adoption rates. By gradually differentiating mobile messaging, operators will ensure text messaging relevance across their entire subscriber base and increase overall revenues. To realize the required margin growth, it is crucial to minimize the costs associated with service differentiation.

Based on this vision, we have defined a text messaging strategy aimed at doubling the messaging revenues. This strategy consists of five key elements that will drive subscriber and channel revenue.

Personalize the messaging experience - By offering personalised messaging services, operators can charge for a number of new features that are already proving to be effective. Currently, a vast majority of subscribers use several messaging services. Through email and instant messaging, users are increasingly familiar with features such as automated replies, forwarding, signatures, threaded messaging and presence information, and these should be applied to text. The demand for personalized messaging is tremendous. Research indicates that 57 per cent of Filipino respondents are extremely or very likely to use such features. Initial launches of personalised messaging services have shown a text messaging revenue growth potential of up to 15 per cent. An example of such a personalised service launched by SingTel and Maxis in 2008 is Auto-copy. This service automatically forwards copies of text messages received to another phone number or email address.

Extend mobile messaging to fixed - Besides the mobile phone, many subscribers use a range of fixed devices such as PCs and TV sets daily. When offering access to text messaging on these devices, the barrier to use text messaging would be even lower. Extending text messaging to fixed devices gives operators a way to earn service revenues in the fixed domain. The additional user interface can also earn additional billable text messaging for the operator. The enhanced user interface may improve advertising effectiveness and the user’s abilities to personalize the messaging experience. Finally, it allows delivery of text messages via third-party bearers such as a cable or DSL Internet

connection. Delivering messages using a fixed network substantially reduces costs by reducing the traffic on the mobile operator’s radio network.

Widgets as extension to SMS - PC and Web-based widgets enable users and Web developers to control how to position certain third-party applications. This drastically limits the barrier to use these applications. It is no surprise that in June 2008 alone, over 600 million people communicated through widgets. If operators were to allow text messaging through widgets, it would help them increase the value of text messaging and realise the opportunities mentioned above.

Instant messaging as extension of SMS - Most people associate think of messaging with dominant brands such as Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger in mind. In recent years however, the IM landscape is getting ever more diverse. A long list of social networks, mail providers, niche communities and mobile operators has launched their own IM services. Operator IM may not be a new killer application, but it is a logical extension of mobile messaging for mobile and fixed Internet users.

Use messaging to mobilize the Web - Usage of the Internet among teenagers has grown to a staggering 12.5 online hours per week. Yet the average teenager is available at least 112 hours per week through his mobile phone. In other words, teens are almost ten times more likely to be available through their mobile phone. Clearly, the mobile channel can become a crucial link, enabling people to interact at any time. As a result, a value-added services market has taken shape since the 1990s. However, there are still many Internet-based service providers that do not mobilize their service offering through mobile messaging.

Mobilize business applications - On average, 5.5 per cent of patients do not show up for their appointments at their doctor’s office. A simple text-messaging reminder would substantially reduce the number of no-shows and the associated costs. Incentivated Ltd, a mobile marketing agency, proposed a simple SMS reminder service for UK-based optician and helped to generate US$8 million in savings.

Operators have addressed the mobile enterprise opportunity mainly through technological innovations such as the wireless application protocol (WAP) and push email. This has resulted in a plethora of device specific applications with low reliability

and high integration costs. Consequently, enterprise mobility has brought little or no productivity improvement for the average business.

The opticians example illustrates that the real opportunities may be much closer than the solutions implemented so far. Combining the reach and reliability of text messaging with the relevance of data in enterprise applications promises a quantum leap in enterprise productivity.

Set up a mobile marketing business - Operators can already play a pivotal role of mobile operators in the mobile advertising value chain. They own the customer relationship and access channels, the advertising inventory, the location information and the customer profile. This profile is much more than the phone number. It involves usage behaviour, demographics and content preferences.

Furthermore, the operator controls the main vehicle for the digital dialogue: mobile messaging. According to IAB, 95 per cent of text messages are opened compared to 25 per cent of emails. This puts mobile operators in a very strong position indeed when competing for advertising budgets.

At the same time, operators are anxious to protect existing service revenue streams, which remain the most significant part of their business. To date, mobile advertising is making slow but steady progress towards the forecasts of becoming a US$19 billion dollar industry.

In summary, advertising revenues will never be adequate to replace service revenues, but are a welcome supplement for operators. Mobile operators are uniquely positioned to monetize the best advertising inventory in the world. Combining customer location and profile enables the delivery of unprecedented levels of advertising relevance and reach. By addressing the essential enablers mentioned above, the competitive position of operators in the advertising market could be second to none.

The future of messaging continues to be bright despite the current economic slowdown, and mobile operators who recognize the potential of messaging can effectively extend their revenues by leveraging their existing assets and exploiting the potential still left in today’s mobile services, allowing them to remain agile and profitable. n

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Futurecom, the most qualified Telecom and IT Event in Latin America.

An undertaking that gathers the Market Strengths and offers the attending Companies, Professionals and Executives a stimulating environment for the

development of Businesses, Know-How and Relationships in Brazil.

14.3OO Attendees from 42 countriesInternational participation with outstanding presence of “C-levels”25.OOO square meter Exhibition 4.8OO Seminar DelegatesMore than 3OO Speakers and Panelists7 Conference Rooms with Simultaneous Presentations and Translation

Event Overview


Mobile banking

Mobile banking - sense, dollars, and centsby Chris Carr, Vice President, Sales, Southeast Asia Pacific, Nokia

By automating their services, banks have reduced both costs and errors, and the manpower needed to process transactions and handle cash. Many clients now handle most of their banking needs at home or the office. Automated banking has made it possible to cut costs whilst improving services. Mobile banking takes the convenience and savings to a new level, and economically extends banking services to remote regions that low-income users’ banks were never able to serve before, thereby promoting their economic development

Chris Carr is Nokia’s Vice President of Sales for Southeast Asia Pacific. In his previous role, Mr Carr was General Manager of Nokia Singapore. Since joining the company Mr Carr has worked for Nokia in both Asia and Europe.

Chris Carr holds a Bachelor of Business Administration - Major in Finance from Philip Institute of Technology (now known as RMIT).

For many of us, it has been quite a while since our last visit to a bank branch.

Millions are already banking online. The on-going substitution of cashless systems over notes and coins is driving this trend. From the comfort of their home or office, people can transfer funds, pay bills, renew fixed deposits, update contact details, and do many more transactions that now help them stay clear of those long-winding queues inside bank branches.

With mobile devices taking on more and more functions previously possible only with personal computers, banking conducted using mobile devices, or mobile banking, for short, is the next logical step to take.

This is not to say that banks can now shut down most of their branches. We might have seen this happening to a certain extent with online banking and ATM machines becoming the main customer touch points.

Rather, we are seeing another trend: banks are keeping their physical branches, but have reconfigured them with more private counters and comfortable chairs, to allow for more personalised services for their customers. No longer are bank branches simply an imposing wall of counters manned by a row of sullen tellers dishing cash to equally sullen customers.

We like to think that the most significant and tangible benefits that mobile banking will bring, is for the hitherto ‘unbanked’ people


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in emerging economies, where the rural, remote, nature of the region makes for a less compelling business case to open a local branch.

There is also another reason that might have been easily overlooked: for those with hardly any experience banking, visiting a physical bank branch can be an encounter filled with apprehension.

Mobile banking, done in the privacy and comfort of one’s own environment, will go a long way in helping to overcome this barrier.

The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a Washington-based international body that aims to help the poor become more financially savvy, notes that in some countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, there are already more people with mobile phones than bank accounts. Based on this alone, we do not see the need to make a strenuous argument for mobile banking.

Mobile phones have the potential to transform this situation by providing basic financial services to people with low incomes. In many developing countries, people already use pre-paid airtime as a virtual currency. For example, if bread costs one dollar, a customer may pay the baker by transferring pre-paid airtime worth one dollar when they buy the bread. A credit system could also help people access mobile phones by facilitating small loans. The cost of buying a phone is a significant expense for most people, though it is likely to be small in comparison to the running cost. If the barrier to access is cash flow rather than cost, issuing small loans through the phone credit system could help.

A good example of how solution providers can meet the banking needs of emerging markets is through the use of mobile technology such as NFC. When Near Field Communications (NFC) are fully integrated into mobile phones, such devices will enable information sharing, service initiation, payment and ticketing capabilities with one simple tap of the device. NFC devices can help to provide social security and banking services in areas where there are no computers or Internet services. Pilot studies in Africa and Asia have demonstrated the potential for mobile devices to deliver basic financial services in developing countries.

Many industry partners are also already thick in the action. For example, Bangladesh Bank, in consultation with the relevant industry

partners, is putting in place a legal framework covering fund transfers using mobile devices. For this South Asian country, such a system is needed to safeguard the hard-earned money remitted back by its large overseas population; the system, appropriately regulated, will increase the speed with which recipients can access their much-awaited cash quickly, and safely.

In a sense, Bangladesh is not the first to the party, and the party will get livelier.

To put the immense opportunity in perspective, there are more than six billion people in the world today. Soon there will be four billion mobile phones, but only one billion bank accounts and one billion credit cards. In many parts of the world people still rely on cash and this results in several limitations. With mobile technology, electronic means of payment will be available for the very first time to hundreds of millions of individuals, many of whom will come from rural communities in emerging economies.

You might ask: Why should banks bother with these potential users? We can assume that they will not be depositing millions of dollars each, nor taking out similar amounts of loan to begin with. However, let’s not overlook that banks are the hearts of an economy, they help manage the blood circulation - in the form of funds - safe-keeping them for those who do not have immediate needs, while lending to those who need to put the funds to immediate use.

Thus, banks grow with the communities that they reside in, and communities can grow in function of the banks that support them.

Meanwhile, the growth of mobile banking is gaining momentum, and will continue. Various forecasts by industry analysts point at this. For example, Juniper Research expects 816 million mobile banking users by 2011, a ten-fold difference from 2007.

Similarly, Fiserv, Inc, which provides IT services to financial institutions, released a commissioned survey in September 2008, which shows that three-quarters of the respondents (sample size of 1,007, regular American mobile users 18 years and above) will consider using mobile banking services if offered. A similar survey, done in March 2006, put the figure only at 49 per cent.

Mobile banking has been around for nearly a decade, but it did not get off to a strong start.

But, that is way behind us.

Some issues remain, like revenue and cost sharing among the various parties involved, but other equally important ones, like security and ease of use, are already nicely addressed.

We can only say that things are always improving. Vendors and industry players have not been sitting on their hands doing nothing, and there has been significant and continuous improvement in the technology, the systems, and the experience.

The financial industry is now undergoing some significant changes. The industry - in trying to overcome the current problems - will take long, hard, looks at various spending needs. Obviously, investments in channels and systems that make business sense will get the priority. This is now an opportunity to expand their reach to customers, and mobile platform is an obvious way to do so. n


GIL 2009: Asia PacificKuala Lumpur, Malaysia

October 2009Growth, Innovation & Leadership:

A Frost & Sullivan Global Congress on Corporate Growth

Frost & Sullivan’s premier client event GIL – Growth, Innovation and Leadership supports seniorexecutives in their efforts to accelerate the growth rates of their companies.

Each year, thousands of CEOs and their growth teams return to engage in this global communityto explore actionable strategies, solutions, and growth processes that they can put to work inbuilding a solid Growth Acceleration System.

GIL 2009: Asia Pacific is a "must attend" for any organisation seeking fresh perspectives, new ideasand innovative, practical solutions to stay ahead of the curve.

Register Today!www.gil-global.com

Email: [email protected]: ( 3 ) 6207 1027

Capturing innovative ideas for growth.

GIL 2009: ChinaShanghai, China

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GIL 2009: EuropeLondon, UK

GIL 2009: Middle EastDubai, UAE

GIL 2009: North AmericaPhoenix, Arizona

GIL 2009: IndiaBangalore, India


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A vast majority of people across Asia Pacific still use mobile handsets only for voice communication and text messaging. For instance, in China and India, where mobile penetration is lower than 45 and 20 per cent respectively, voice and text messages are key consumer priorities. Mobile penetration in the countries of Asia Pacific differ greatly: in developed countries mobile penetration is between 70 to 110 per cent*, but in developing countries mobile penetration is less than 70 per cent*.

Mobile services in developed regions

In Japan and Korea, 70 to 75 per cent* of mobile data revenue came from non-SMS traffic. Text-based data browsing started in

Japan with i-mode - a key consumer attraction. Content and location search applications easily find shopping and commercial sites and the majority of Japanese consumers prefer to use mobile email instead of SMS-based text messaging.

Smartphone Services

Globally, the Apple iPhone and Google’s Android G1 have changed the way consumers use their mobile devices and enhanced the user experience. Instead of just voice and text, they now easily access multimedia content. This has increased mobile data browsing traffic dramatically. There are now hundreds of applications available to download and install on iPhone through widgets. This has

also brought new revenue streams for content providers that sell their content online through virtual stores, for software developers selling their software online and, via search engines, generated advertising revenue.

Some operators (for example, CHT Taiwan, Softbank Japan, SingTel Group, Vodafone and Telstra in Australia) have already launched 3G-iPhone-based devices and services. Google-related Android partnerships and launches have also been announced. Blackberry, LG, Nokia, Palm and Samsung have launched their touch-screen mobile devices. New services will use a variety of operating systems including Microsoft Window Mobile, Symbian, Linux, Java-based, and so on.

Mobile services on the move in Asia Pacific

by Dr Abdul Razaque Memon, Director, Solution Marketing, Application Business Division, Alcatel-Lucent Asia Pacific

Data makes a tremendous contribution to the bottom line of Asia Pacific’s mobile operators. SMS generates the majority of data revenues in most of the world, but in Japan and Korea, almost 75 per cent of mobile data revenue is not SMS driven. Multimedia content from online virtual stores and search engines generate advertising revenue. Mobile streaming, mobile TV, mCommerce, eCommerce, new mobile payment systems, lifestyle and social networking and Web-based communications (IM, email, and so on.) are also becoming important revenue sources.

Dr Abdul Razaque Memon is the Director of Solution Marketing throughout the Asia Pacific region for Alcatel-Lucent’s Application Business Division. Dr Abdul Razaque Memon Abdul has over 15 years of industry experience; he has held a number of senior positions in sales and marketing focusing upon converged solutions (VoIP, NGN, IMS and IPTV, Mobile TV, VAS, Content, Advertising) for fixed and mobile network operators. Dr Abdul Razaque Memon has long been actively involved in strategic IPTV & Mobile TV projects and played a key role in growing the fixed network transformation business in Asia Pacific.

Dr Abdul Razaque Memon completed his Doctorate in Computer Engineering at the Xian Jiatong University in China.

GIL 2009: Asia PacificKuala Lumpur, Malaysia

October 2009Growth, Innovation & Leadership:

A Frost & Sullivan Global Congress on Corporate Growth

Frost & Sullivan’s premier client event GIL – Growth, Innovation and Leadership supports seniorexecutives in their efforts to accelerate the growth rates of their companies.

Each year, thousands of CEOs and their growth teams return to engage in this global communityto explore actionable strategies, solutions, and growth processes that they can put to work inbuilding a solid Growth Acceleration System.

GIL 2009: Asia Pacific is a "must attend" for any organisation seeking fresh perspectives, new ideasand innovative, practical solutions to stay ahead of the curve.

Register Today!www.gil-global.com

Email: [email protected]: ( 3 ) 6207 1027

Capturing innovative ideas for growth.

GIL 2009: ChinaShanghai, China

GIL 2009: Latin AmericaSao Palo, Brazil

GIL 2009: EuropeLondon, UK

GIL 2009: Middle EastDubai, UAE

GIL 2009: North AmericaPhoenix, Arizona

GIL 2009: IndiaBangalore, India


Mobile services

The GSMA RCS (Rich Communication Suite) consortium brought network and software vendors, service providers and CPE vendors together last year to ensure operators can go-to-market with a minimum set of rich communications features (presence; enhanced and network address book; instant messaging; chatting and content sharing) that are interoperable among different operator networks based on different network and client vendors. The roadmap for new features like fixed IMS connectivity and converged IP messaging based on RCS looks promising for all devices.

Mobile streaming and TV

Mobile streaming and mobile TV are changing the way users watch TV. Japan has a number of mobile TV free-to-air digital channels and is a market leader in the service. Korea launched its unicast (individual transmission direct to each subscriber) and broadcast mobile TV service with success. Australia’s Telstra launched mobile TV service on its unicast next generation 3G network-based on a rich media client. Consumers are using the mobile TV service on the move (train, buses, and pause). Singapore’s mobile TV service recently launched unicast service and broadcast trials are in progress. Hong Kong and Taiwan are preparing to auction mobile TV licenses in mid-2009.

Content and advertising

Content selling and advertising business models are the keys to operator success in the Asia Pacific market. Most Asia Pacific operators already sell content customised to fit mobile screens through their Internet portals. Market studies show that searches for specific content on mobile devices are still not accurate, so searching and browsing can cost more than the online content. Personalized and targeted mobile advertising helps operators increase their APRU and provide ‘stickiness’, with consumers viewing advertising they like.

Mobile commerce and eCommerce

Mobile commerce and eCommerce are innovative services; they are widely deployed in Japan and Korea in different forms. The use contact-less touch and pay cards (EDY, Suica, iD, Pasmo, QUICPay, USIM-card, Korea Smart Mobile T Money) and cards added to 3G-based mobile phones to create m-wallets (mobile wallets). Card readers are deployed in banks, retail and convenience stores. Japanese vendors and SKT have also signed partnerships to offer m-payment services for overseas markets.

Hong Kong and Singapore rolled out ‘touch and pay’-based smartcards called Octopus and EzLink - cards used to pay for transportation, retail stores, food chains, and so on. Taiwan focused on NFC-based (near field communications) trials and deployments along with VISA and MasterCard and partnered with HTC, Nokia and BenQ to embed NFC in smartphone handsets. Australian operators are currently running similar trials with banks and credit card companies.

Lifestyle and social networking

iPhone’s intuitive and streamlined user interface is delivering Web-based social networking to consumers on-the-move. Subscribers have started to surf the Web more, using mobile 3G networks and operators, in turn, are offering more attractive data packages.

A tight relationship between social networking (Facebook, Myspace, Orkut, Piczo, bebo) and smartphones helped usage grow exponentially throughout 2008. Many Japanese and Korean consumers browse social networking sites with smartphones - updating their status, photos and video clip and commenting on their friends’ Web pages. Social networks are developing sophisticated revenue models through product placement, sponsorship, physical retail, virtual retail, data mining, VAS charges and advertising.

Web-based communications

Consumers will adopt Web-based communications and applications that integrate the Web 2.0 IMS services via widgets. Dynamic personal profiles with context and mood, click-to-communicate, instant messaging (IM) centres, SMS, email and network address books with contacts imported from mobile, Internet and presence rich information on PC, desktop and mobile smartphones.

Integrating IMS communication capabilities into a service provider’s Web portal, makes applications like address book management, presence, IM and click-to-dial available on Web page or a mobile.

Web 2.0 widget.

Mobile Web-search

Mobile Web searches let subscribers find their own content quickly and efficiently. Mobile content companies have started to work with operators such as Mobile Content Networks. Yahoo Japan announced a similar partnership to provide high value search results.

Future services

Expect to see the personalization of services. Social networking sites will offer address books and communication. The deployment of social-support services and the provision of converged services will grow. Video services, touch screen-based services, voice recognition-based browsing and services, LTE (4G) mobile broadband and advanced handset that take better advantage of networks will be common.

Mobile services in developing regions

Voice and messaging

Voice and messaging traffic volume and revenue are cash cows for operators, even in the economic downturn. The Philippines lead the SMS market; each user there sends an average of 750 messages* each month. As mobile phones are equipped with cameras and other multi-media software, IM and MMS usage has risen sharply. In the China market, person-to-person, application-to-person related messaging like news alerts, ring tones, promotional video clips and enterprise messages also grew at the annual rate of ten per cent.

Blackberry

Blackberry email has changed the way people communicate in the enterprise and SME domain. When outside their country, people stay virtually connected with the company and employees almost 24 hours a day; this has increased productivity substantially. It is now available from Southeast Asia to Indo-China and from China to Mongolia. One recently announced deployment is with Viettel in Vietnam, where a single solution is provided to cover the SME and large enterprise markets with advanced encryption and secure IT policy controls. The solution also links individuals with popular email accounts such as Yahoo Mail, Google Mail, and so on, from a variety of single devices.

Mobile commerce and eCommerce

Mobile-commerce in Southeast Asia and India have totally different formats; they charge low transaction fees there and use low technology handsets - like 2.5G phone SMS - to offer basic banking for rural and unreachable markets.

Different business models are used with mobile payment-based solutions - depositing, withdrawing and transferring money in stored in the customers’ accounts. Different revenue splitting models were created between

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operators, banks and credit card companies, as well as merchants.

The Philippines, a large developing country with limited fixed infrastructure, but high usage of mobile phones, has become a SMS leader with low SMS charges, and early adoption of m-payments.

The SMART system serves a large migrant population. To send money home subscribers use the SMS-based m-payment solution called Smart-Load - ‘Smart money packages’ - to remit money to a bank account and then to a Smart money account. This account has features like person-to-person transfer, transfer to retailers, multiple subscribers accessing one account, airtime purchase and airtime transfer to family and friends. International remittance was added in 2007 with the help of banks and overseas operators. Government and monetary authorities supported the move.

China’s Yeepay e-payment solution is based on IVR (Interactive Voice Response) call centres; it is a telephone-based system that transfers payments. China has also a gaming and virtual money system - called Linden

and QQ coin - which allow participants to purchase online games and other items using virtual money. Roughly US$900 million is in the virtual money market. The monetary authority and the People’s Bank of China are barring trading of virtual money to buy real goods.

Indonesia and India have also started m-payment services with government support. Large numbers of overseas workers remit small amounts to rural areas, where bank facilities do not exist, or to enjoy lower transfer costs than banks offer. Transfer facilities include account balance checking, and instant third-party transfers with SMS-based confirmation to both parties. These services have rapidly grown by over 35 per cent.

Mobile TV and streaming

Thailand, China and other countries have begun to launch mobile streaming service in major cities, with major operators creating partnerships with content vendors; consumers have shown interest, but growth is still slow.

Mobile-based services are growing rapidly in Asia Pacific; new ways to utilize mobile infrastructure and new business models are emerging to drive the mobile services market.

Mobile multimedia content services and Web 2.0 applications are becoming a reality. Some applications start in developed countries and move to developing countries, while other services like mobile payment progress the other way around. n

* in-Stat’s Mobile Social Networking and the Millennial Generation 2008 and IDC Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) Mobile Service 2008-2012 Forecast Update were referenced in this article.

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Virtualization trends in ICT for business by Andrew Dutton, General Manager - VMware Asia Pacific

Virtual computing refers to computing services available when and where needed, on whatever scale is called for. Companies can make all their computing resources throughout the world virtually available to their staff no matter where located. Cloud computing is virtual computing available through the Internet for a wide variety of applications. Users can access their ‘own’ virtual desktop - even on a smartphone - wherever they are, and through it, get whatever secure storage or high-end application processing facilities they need.

Andrew Dutton is the General Manager of VMware’s Asia Pacific and Japan region; he is responsible for strategic planning, business development, sales, channels, services, finance and marketing. Mr Dutton brings more than 27 years of global management and sales experience in various industries, including IT and financial services. Prior to VMware, Mr Dutton was Computer Associates’ (CA) Senior Vice President and General Manager of International Business, responsible for the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ) regions. Mr Dutton also served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for BEA Systems EMEA. Earlier, Mr Dutton held a number of senior management positions at IBM including as Vice President and General Manager for IBM’s Asia Pacific Software Group. Mr Dutton was a member of IBM’s Senior Management Group. Mr Dutton’s earlier posts included Chief Financial Officer and Director of Information Technology for Australia’s Norwich Union Financial Services Group, and Group Manager of Business Development for Visa International’s Asia Pacific region.

Andrew Dutton holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Sydney University.

As the woes of the world economy extend into 2009, governments and businesses will be increasingly forced to do more with less. This is one of the key value propositions of virtualization, and as a result, virtualization is increasingly at the top of the list of strategic priorities for information technology (IT) and communications organisations worldwide.

Many begin their virtualization efforts with server consolidation to reduce hardware power, cooling, and facilities expenses. Now, organizations are continuing virtualization with server consolidation and extend its use to the desktop, storage and networking areas, to provide more flexible and economical business continuity, security, and application of service level agreements.

Here are the ten top trends in virtualization that I believe are worth watching out for in 2009:

Virtualization of the enterprise desktop

The desktop dilemma - deciding whether to give employees thick or thin clients - will begin to be resolved in 2009. Thick clients, including fully loaded personal computers (PCs) and laptops, provide employees with a rich set of applications, but applications distributed across thousands of PCs that

must be individually provisioned, updated, patched and secured are a challenge to manage. Thin clients are cheaper, more secure, and more cost-effective to manage, but traditionally have not been able to deliver the richness, flexibility, or compatibility of thick clients. Most businesses provide thin clients only for employees, such as call centre staff, who can be productive in this more restrictive environment. New virtualization-based approaches solve this dilemma by delivering rich, personalized virtual desktops to any device, thick or thin, but simplify management by hosting virtual desktops in the data centre. Virtualization is the essential for efficient, manageable desktops in an increasingly mobile world. In addition, better remote display protocols and use of the local machine’s computing resources create a better user experience, and the combination of online and offline modes will let employees work while travelling or when without higher-speed network access.

Virtualization-aware storage

Storage is critical to the virtual data centre; advances in virtual storage will dramatically increase the flexibility, speed, resiliency and efficiency of virtual data centres in 2009. New virtual storage solutions automate handoffs between the virtualization platform

and the storage infrastructure, simplify storage operations and maximize efficient use of storage infrastructure. We expect solutions that offer native array support for common storage operations on virtual machines such as replication and migration, thin provisioning and de-duplication capabilities to optimize storage usage - especially important for desktops and virtual storage arrays solutions.

High-end application virtualization

A combination of hardware and software advances will remove performance concerns regarding the highest-end, most mission-critical, applications in virtual environments. New chip advances such as Intel Extended Page Tables (EPT) and AMD Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI) - are particularly helpful for memory-intensive applications and high-performance computing. In addition, the ability to purchase applications as pre-packaged virtual machines, and improvements in the licensing and support policies offered by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), will continue to drive the trend towards application virtualization.

Virtualization of multiple data centres

Increasingly, global companies will dynamically virtualise their computing

Virtual computing



capacity across multiple data centres. British Telecom (BT), for example, is building a next-generation, cloud computing-ready infrastructure that pools business processes, applications, IT infrastructure, user access, and the network in a self-healing, automated, service-oriented infrastructure with integrated service-level management and built-in business continuity. The system provides dynamic geo-balancing across BT’s data centres in North America, South America, the UK, Europe, Asia and Australasia. On the user level, it enables virtual desktops to follow users as they travel. On the enterprise level, it enables workloads to be automatically redistributed to meet capacity needs and take advantage of eco-friendly locations where electricity can be tapped at much lower costs. This level of data centre orchestration will become increasingly common, driven at first by the disaster recovery needs and the need to instantly migrate workloads from one site to another in the event of a failure. We are now seeing the first signs of follow-the-sun virtual machine migration and orchestrated use of secondary and off-premise data centres for peak loads. This will naturally ramp up to enable cloud computing services that can import and export industry-standard virtual machines to provide additional computing capacity on short notice. Virtualization-aware networking

Major network and virtualisation software vendors are working together to deliver joint data centre solutions that improve the scalability and operational control of virtual environments. Distributed virtual software switches will be an integrated option in this sort of infrastructure. In parallel, companies are collaborating to integrate virtual desktop solutions with application delivery networking solutions to improve the performance of virtual desktops delivered across wide-area networks (WANs). Networking vendors are now optimizing for virtualization network traffic, remote display protocols are becoming more effective, and networking management tools will monitor and manage at the virtual machine-level.

Virtualization in smartphones

The benefits of virtualization will extend to mobile phones. Ultra-thin hypervisors will provide a thin layer of mobile phone embedded software optimized to run efficiently on low-power, memory-constrained, mobile phones. Hypervisors will decouple applications and data from the underlying hardware; this will help handset vendors accelerate time to market and pave the way for innovative applications and services. Today, handset vendors spend significant time and effort getting new

phones to market due to the use of multiple chipsets, operating systems, and device drivers across their product families. Today, the same software stack cannot be used in all phones; it must be ported separately for each platform. Virtualization will enable vendors to deploy the same software stack on a wide variety of phones regardless of the hardware. Virtualization for mobile phones will also enable end users to run separate profiles for personal use and for work on the same phone. This will improve both the security and cost-effectiveness of mobile phones as communication and computing devices.

Virtualization-focused security

McAfee, Symantec, and Trend Micro recently demonstrated new virtualization-focused security solutions, leading a growing trend. Traditional firewall, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), and virus detection offerings are now shipping as virtual machines. Customers are increasingly utilizing trusted platform modules (TPMs) to attest to embedded hypervisors. There are now application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow third-party products provide security for virtual machines by deploying a single instance of an antivirus application per physical host - instead of one per virtual server - and this is driving security advances for virtualized environments.

Management tools for virtual data centres

Today, there are management tools for a wide range of virtualization management operations, including virtual machine discovery and configuration management, monitoring, performance management, provisioning, and resource management. These products - combined with standardized, hardware-independent virtual machine containers that can be easily changed, moved and manipulated - have helped some virtualization users automate many IT processes and increase data centre management productivity by two to three times compared to physical environments. Going forward, additional APIs and integration technologies (e.g., user interface plug-in architectures) that facilitate the integration of management functions into virtualization platforms will enable end-to-end management processes spanning heterogeneous data centre environments, a wide variety of application stacks, and physical and virtual use cases. This is coming quickly, as leaders such as BMC, CA, HP and IBM have all announced such products.

Green data centres drive virtualization

Power and cooling are critical data centre concerns. “Upward-spiraling infrastructure demands and increasing energy costs mean

that the energy proportion of IT costs could double by 2012,” said a recent Gartner research report (“U.S. Data Centers: The Calm Before the Storm,” 25 September 2007). “By 2011, more than 70 per cent of U.S. enterprise data centers will face tangible disruptions related to floor space, energy consumption and/or costs”.

Server consolidation, through virtualization, is one of the best ways to reduce power usage, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Many users are able to run 15 or more virtual machines on a single server, thus increasing the utilization of servers from 10-15 per cent (the average utilization rate for non-virtualized servers) to 70-80 per cent. With fewer physical servers, users save 70-90 per cent in energy consumption. This means greener IT, cutting data centre power consumption by 70-90 per cent and radically reducing CO2 emissions. Each server removed saves around 7,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of power and eliminates four tons of CO2, which is equivalent to taking 1.5 cars off the road or planting 55 trees in a year. Going forward, customers will leverage virtualization for even greater power savings through dynamic management of resources. When a cluster of virtual machines needs fewer resources, distributed power management (DPM) features consolidate workloads and puts hosts in standby mode to reduce power consumption. When workloads increase resource requirements, DPM brings powered-down hosts back online to ensure service levels are met.

Virtualisation and the cloud

The IT industry is moving toward a vision of cloud computing, and virtualization is the infrastructure on which it is being built. Enterprise data centres are starting to evolve into highly automated private clouds. The pooling of computer resources on a virtualization platform essentially turns the pooled resources into a single, giant computer. Idle computing capacity can be sold on the Internet to public clouds or cloud services providers, or access to extra computing capacity can be outsourced as needed on a just-in-time basis. Standards are the key to the success of public clouds; they provide compatibility at the virtual machine layer for easier entry and exit from the cloud, and standards make it possible to move applications in and out of public clouds without modification. In 2009, these advances will accelerate to enable companies both large and small to safely tap computer capacity inside and outside their firewalls - how they want, when they want, and as much as they want - to ensure quality of service for any application they want to run, internally or as an outsourced service, when additional capacity is required. n

Virtual computing


Mobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessInfrastructure collaboration

A quick glance at the current telecommunications landscape reveals that the age where one global service provider can do it all is clearly history. It is evident that the new business paradigm embraced by the telecommunications industry is that of partnership and collaboration.

Collaboration for growth

David Reed, the American computer scientist, who was involved in the early development of the fundamental TCP/IP networking protocol, captured this shifting business paradigm in what is now known as Reed’s Law. By allowing users to form groups, the utility of

large networks can scale exponentially with the size of the network.

The benefits of Reed’s Law have been embraced by today’s business leaders, including those involved in telecommunications and technology.

Findings from Frost & Sullivan’s recent CEO survey show that 58 per cent of respondents acknowledged that forming ‘strategic partnerships’ is a key strategy for success. Yet beyond simply acknowledging and recognizing this strategy, 54 per cent of respondents noted that it was one of their top three strategies for future growth. These

CEOs were certainly not alone in their views on collaborating for growth.

According to an article entitled, “Which kind of collaboration is right for you?”, in the December 2008 edition of the Harvard Business Review, the authors, Gary P. Pisano and Roberto Verganti, said “no companies innovate alone” and acknowledged how a variety of companies have worked with partners to create new technologies, products and services. For example, they cited how technology giant IBM has successfully set up a number of consortia with other companies to develop next-generation semiconductor technologies.

Collaboration - the catalyst for growthby Wilfred Kwan, Chief Technology Officer, Pacnet

Few expect a network service provider to cover the world alone. Carriers are tuning to collaborative strategies in order to drive continued growth of the industry through challenges of the global economy. Recent studies show strategic partnerships are considered the best way to finance big projects and bring needed expertise onboard. During the telecom boom earlier this decade, many collaborative projects were driven by investors, not users; today, partners with a vested interest in the services provided are sought.

Wilfred Kwan, Pacnet’s Chief Technology Officer, is responsible for Network Operations, Engineering, IT, and Product Management. Mr Kwan previously served as Chief Technology Officer at Asia Netcom, and earlier as Senior Vice President of Network Operations in Asia for Global Crossing. Mr Kwan’s two decades of experience in the telecom industry ranges from software development and integrated circuit design to product development, network planning and operations. Mr Kwan joined ANC from WorldCom Asia Pacific, where he was the Director of Operations. Mr Kwan has also held various management positions with Global One, Lucent Technologies, Motorola and Nortel. Mr Kwan is currently a member of OFTA’s advisory committee in Hong Kong.

Wilfred Kwan earned both his BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and has an MS in Financial Management from the University of London.


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Phone: 888 559 8017 (USA) / +27 21 700 3500 (International) Fax: 413 487 6276 (USA) / +27 21 700 3501 (International)

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Regulatory affairsMobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessInfrastructure collaboration

Against the backdrop of the current economic crisis, strategic partnerships are even more important to a company’s growth strategy.

Subsea collaboration

The idea of partnership and collaboration to roll out new infrastructure might not be an entirely new concept in the telecommunications industry; in the past many international projects have been collaborative. Yet, in the subsea cable industry, many of the cables built at the start of the decade were owned by standalone companies.

If you look back at subsea cable investments during the heady days of telecoms from 1998 to 2001, you could easily find more than ten cable projects that cost more than US$1 billion each, which were funded by single, standalone companies.

Nevertheless, there is a stark difference in today’s subsea cable investments. Subsea cable projects today are definitely more collaborative and rational. Just look at the US$7 billion or so that is being spent on new cable projects in the coming three years and you will see that almost all of them are being built by consortia with three or more partners.

Earlier in 2008, Bharti Airtel, Global Transit Ltd, Google, KDDI, Pacnet and SingTel, announced that we were partnering to build Unity, a new US$300 million trans-Pacific subsea cable connecting Chikura, Japan to the west coast of US.

John Hibbard, a telecommunications industry consultant, pointed out that comparing consortia subsea cable projects back then and now, a key difference is in the constituents of the consortia. He noted that at the start of this decade, prompted by enormous technological developments in photonics, many entrepreneurs, leveraging the buoyancy of Wall Street, initiated submarine cable projects. More often than not, cables were then owned by parties who were not in the telecommunications sector but, frequently, from the finance industry. This meant that they were not a source of traffic, and these projects were seen as a potential for profit rather than the provision of infrastructure.

Today, there are very few cables owned

by parties who are not carriers or service providers who use the cable for their own traffic as well as that of others. As a consequence, there is now less fragility as the cables are effectively infrastructure investments.

The rise of digital content is also bringing about collaboration with new parties in subsea infrastructure rollouts. With the amount of digital content that we are seeing on our networks growing, it is no surprise that the digital content giants are looking for bigger, faster pipes. The Unity cable project, for example, has Google as a partner. This is just the beginning; we expect to see greater interest from digital content providers, especially those which deliver a lot of digital video content, in collaborative infrastructure projects.

Diversity and reach

Natural disasters, such as the earthquakes in January 2008 that caused damage to subsea cables and interrupted Internet connectivity in the Middle East and India, highlight the need for network diversity and redundancy. The Taiwan earthquake at the end of 2006 which damaged most of the region’s subsea cables, was another incident that led carriers to shift their focus towards the need for network redundancy to minimize the business and economic impact of such disasters in the region. The increasing reliance of modern-day commerce upon subsea infrastructure, is forcing enterprises to take into account the huge impact that network incidents may have on their returns.

According to a Gartner study, each hour of network downtime costs large corporations an estimated US$42,000. Since a typical business experiences an average of 87 hours of downtime a year, this results in a total loss exceeding US$3.6 million a year. As a result, carriers have been busy carving out collaborative partnerships through Network to Network Interface (NNI) interconnections to extend the reach and reliability of their networks.

For example, the EAC-C2C subsea cable infrastructure that provides connectivity to major cities in South-east and East Asia connects users almost anywhere in the

world - from Paris to South Africa to New York - by collaborating with carrier partners globally and delivering traffic through NNI interconnections. Likewise, carriers from other parts of the world partner to leverage EAC-C2C in reaching key countries across Asia.

Beyond infrastructure

Beyond building new subsea cable infrastructure, carriers and service providers are taking partnerships to a whole new level by rolling out new services made possible by collaboration. Few carriers now try to do it all on their own. They realize that by collaborating with technology partners, they are able to roll out new services with state-of-the-art technology and bring them to market faster than they would be able to do alone.

By collaborating with industry partners to rapidly roll out industry-leading services and by deploying application acceleration devices in high-speed network, customers can immediately enjoy the advantages of state-of-the-art application acceleration appliances on the network, without worrying about compatibility and configuration issues.

Looking ahead

As pointed out by Mr Hibbard, collaboration is certainly not a strategy that can be force fed. Collaboration only works effectively when there is win-win outcome for the collaborators. Unless fairness and equity exist, more energy will be spent on managing relationships to the detriment of the project. Collaborators must want to join willingly rather than have them join grudgingly because they see no other alternative. However, given the frequent announcements of new partnerships in telecommunications and technology, collaboration continues unabated despite the economic climate.

The possibilities for collaboration are truly limitless and we certainly expect to see new partnerships within the carrier industry, as well as new collaborative efforts beyond this space in the coming year. n

“The rise of digital content is also bringing about collaboration with new parties in subsea infrastructure rollouts. With the amount of digital content that we are seeing on our networks growing, it is no surprise that the digital content giants are looking for bigger, faster pipes.”

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

www.upaexpo.com

Plug into Profit 09 - Be part of the future of the Powerline Communication industry

Get connected!

Plug Into Profit 09 is the Universal Powerline Association’s global and premier conference and expo demonstrating the commercial benefits of the growing powerline communication (PLC) universe.

GET CONNECTED GRID IN-BUILDING IN-HOME

POWERLINES = PROFITSFind out how in San Diego!

Plug Into Profit 09 is the ONLY event to cover all Powerline communication markets:

• Understand how powerline communications technology can enhance your profits

• Learn about the latest developments and implementations that will influence the PLC market in the future

• Participate in a forum where you can share visions, strategies and solutions for this industry

• Be part of the driving force for an international interoperable standard for home networking and powerline communication technology

• Bring the family and broaden your knowledge at the conference while they have fun, fun, fun in San Diego!

Contact us!

Phone: 888 559 8017 (USA) / +27 21 700 3500 (International) Fax: 413 487 6276 (USA) / +27 21 700 3501 (International)

For registration, travel and accommodation information contactJimina Schmidt: [email protected] EXT: 3521 For conference and speaker information contact Christa Robijn: [email protected] EXT: 3561 For sponsorship and exhibition opportunities contact Gerald Schreiner:[email protected]: +44 207 0671829 (UK) / Fax: +44 20 7067 1807

OR REGISTER ONLINE AT www.upaexpo.com

NEW DATE September 1 - 2, 2009The Westin

San Diego, CAUSA

Hosted by: Host publication: Premier media partner: Produced by:

Gold sponsor: Bronze sponsor:

Endorsed by:

CALLING ALL POWERLINE PLAYERS

UPA MI 3.indd 1 11/05/09 12:07:11 PM


Network sharing

Network sharing in Asiaby Simon Kong, Business Development Director, Asia Pacific region, Omnix Software

Operators look to share network resources by partnering with competing operators to lower their expenditure on network infrastructure - currently more than 60 per cent of their costs. In Asia, government regulations and competitive reluctance are delaying the full-scale adoption of network infrastructure sharing. Despite these obstacles, the current economic climate and slowing revenue growth is making network sharing an attractive proposition. Sharing will let operators focus on branding and customer service and accelerate the introduction of new services and networks.

Simon Kong is the Business Development Director for Omnix Software Ltd in the Asia Pacific region. Before joining Omnix, Mr Kong was South East Asia Regional Sales Director for Commscope Solutions. Over the past 18 years Mr Kong has worked on landmark projects such as the KLCC Twin Towers, the Singapore Housing Development Board Complex and Bangkok’s New International Airport. Building Industry Consulting Services International (BICSI) appointed Mr Kong as its South East Asia District Secretary, before that, he was appointed by the Malaysian Commission for Multimedia and Communication to draft the Malaysian Premise Cabling Standards.

Simon Kong holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Microelectronics and Computer Science from Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Malaysia.

With the current economic climate taking its toll around the world, mobile network operators are considering new tactics to improve customer service and reduce churn while also lowering costs. One idea that has struck a chord with operators worldwide is network sharing, which sees competing operators partnering to lower their expenditure on network infrastructure.

Network sharing can take many forms and may involve the sharing of either active or passive network assets. Active infrastructure sharing includes all the electronic components deployed by operators, such as microwave radio equipment, switches, antennas and transceivers for signal processing and transmission. Meanwhile, passive infrastructure sharing refers to ‘dumb’ network assets like towers, air-conditioning equipment, generators, technical premises and pylons.

Unfortunately, active infrastructure sharing has proven notoriously difficult to implement. Operators in the Asian market, particularly in high-density populations like India and China, have competed for customers over many years on the quality of their networks and many still regard their RAN (radio access network) as a core source of advantage. Some countries have already banned RAN sharing, fearing that too much cooperation between operators could reduce competition.

However, passive network sharing has the potential to deliver huge cost savings to Asian mobile operators by reducing both their OpEx (operational expenditure) and CapEx (capital expenditure). Effective passive network sharing can reduce the number of new masts that operators need to deploy, while also spreading the cost of any new sites that do need to be created between multiple companies. This consolidation of network infrastructure between operators lowers

OpEx, by reducing the total number of masts in operation.

Yet, if there were no difficulties associated with network sharing, operators across Asia would already have instituted it. One problem is that the business case for network sharing remains to be proved and it is difficult to accurately predict since operators are not legally permitted to know the exact details of each other’s OpEx. Even so, Europe and the USA have seen a rapid growth in network sharing agreements, while in Asia the uptake of network sharing has been held back by a number of additional factors.

In many Asian countries, the incumbent fixed line and mobile operators, such as Telkomsel in Indonesia, are either partially or completely government owned. Additionally, these government-owned operators tend to have a majority share in their country’s network infrastructure. While Western operators


Regulatory affairsMobile accessMobile payment systemsNetwork sharingNetwork sharing

would welcome network sharing agreements, since it would allow them to rapidly expand their coverage in Asia, government linked operators in Asia want to have full control of their network infrastructure for fear of losing ground to these new competitors. The rapidly expanding and lucrative Asian market also means that domestic operators do not need to give ground to foreign telcos in exchange for investment. For example, China Telecom earned US$3.3 billion in profits last year, with total revenue of US$25.8 billion. This success has given many Asian operators the freedom to heavily restrict foreign investment in domestic networks. The Spanish giant Telefónica has struggled to acquire even a ten per cent stake in China Netcom, while Vodafone’s stake in China Mobile is only just over three per cent.

However, network sharing in the Asian market saw an immediate boost with the roll-out of 3G services in countries like China. Both Western and Japanese operators, who had already implemented 3G services in their home markets, were able to provide China with essential technology and experience and this allowed them to make in-roads into the Chinese market. This has left many Asian telecoms regulators now facing increasing pressure from foreign mobile operators with lucrative 3G contracts for network infrastructure sharing in light of the deregulation of the telecoms industry. This situation is complicated still further by the strict laws in many Asian countries governing the ability of foreign organisations to own land.

The pace of the uptake of network sharing in Asia will depend on individual governments. As with the issue of number portability, Asian markets will need governments to push the agenda forward and the incumbent operators will follow. Unfortunately, this is likely to be a complex process. For example, in Malaysia the drive towards network sharing will need to come from the top, since it involves many agencies or ministries of the government; and touches on disparate issues like land ownership, telecommunications and housing.

Political issues aside, Asian operators also face a number of technical challenges in implementing any network sharing solution. The merging of networks is made more complex for Asian operators because they will want to decommission a roughly even

number of towers, so that one of them does not risk severely compromising their network capacity. For example, if two operators have 200 towers in a region, they may want to merge to a network of 110 towers with both of them decommissioning roughly 45 sites. The greater complexity of a shared network will also result in higher infrastructure management costs. All the systems that manage considerations like lease payments, network compliance and maintenance have to become both transparent and cross-organisational when two or more operators are involved.

This raises another complication with network sharing: it is illegal for operators to share any information that might provide a competitive advantage, such as lease costs. Asian operators will therefore require bespoke asset management software that can process confidential information from both parties and provide the necessary answers based on undisclosed figures. This software needs to understand who is allowed to know what information, while also comparing the old OpEx costs with the new OpEx costs and the increased CapEx - thus allowing both operators to monitor the value of network sharing. This type of system necessitates that operators already possess some form of estates management software that can provide an accurate register of what their assets are. Asset management software can also be indispensable in advising the automatic planning tools that are used to calculate the optimum configuration for the new network structure and the order in which it should be reconfigured.

The size and geography of individual Asian countries can even come into play in determining how quickly network sharing will become common in Asia. Countries such as Singapore or isolated subsections of larger nations, like Hong Kong, will see a rapid increase in network sharing simply because land is scarce and the size of the country limits the number of sites that need to be managed. On the other hand, countries like India and China are still moving towards providing complete mobile coverage. However, if these countries could show the way in adopting network sharing, mid-sized Asian countries like Malaysia will almost certainly follow suit. Additionally, once Long Term Evolution (LTE) reaches the Asian market, operators may be forced to consider network sharing,

simply because implementing this technology will require more mast sites.

Network sharing can be an important way for operators to cope cost-effectively with the increasing demand on their networks. In Malaysia, mobile Internet and mobile broadband usage are predicted to skyrocket during 2009, with four million subscribers already accessing mobile Internet - 195 thousand through mobile broadband services. Similarly, China and India will see massive increases in mobile broadband uptake as their huge rural populations are granted mobile coverage; India has already seen a 167 per cent surge in mobile Web browsing in January 2009 compared to the previous year. The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to account for about 33 per cent of all mobile data traffic by 2013 due to the proliferation of wireless broadband-enabled laptops and mobile broadband handsets with higher than 3G speeds. A single high-end phone (such as an iPhone or Blackberry) generates more data traffic than thirty standard mobile phones and smartphone sales in the Asia-Pacific region have recorded a 2.3 per cent sequential growth, reaching 7.5 million unit sales in 2008.

Therefore, despite the obstacles to network sharing in Asia, the current economic climate and slowing revenue growth is likely to increase the incidence of operators participating in network sharing. It is an attractive proposition: with passive infrastructure sharing, operators are expected to save close to 30 per cent on CapEx and OpEx. Currently passive infrastructure accounts for about 60 per cent of an operator’s cost of doing business and, while the falling price of electronic components is lowering the cost of active infrastructure, rising property and material prices is increasing the capital cost of passive infrastructure.

As network sharing and outsourcing increases throughout Asia, operators will increasingly be able to focus more on branding and customer service to differentiate from the competition. By reducing the financial burden on Asian operators, network sharing can also accelerate the introduction of new services and facilitate the deployment of new networks, while lowering barriers to market entry and reducing call tariffs. This is then, by any measure, a very positive step forward for subscribers. n

“Network sharing can be an important way for operators to cope cost-effectively with the increasing demand on their networks. In Malaysia, mobile Internet and mobile broadband usage are predicted to skyrocket during 2009, with four million subscribers already accessing mobile Internet - 195 thousand through mobile broadband services.”


Network support

Product innovation, performance and supportby Adam Judd, Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, Juniper Networks

Technology sprawl, the uncontrolled proliferation of brands of servers, software, systems and devices increases the complexity of data centres, uses data centre space inefficiently, increases energy consumption, reduces performance, security and reliability and bites into profits. Equipment vendors do wonders with technology, new product development, and sales, but services to support these new products are often lacking, and their basic technical strategies are fragmented. Users need high-level professional support from vendors for overall guidance regarding operation, maintenance and advanced service needs.

Adam Judd is Juniper Networks’ Senior Vice president of Sales and Operations for Asia Pacific. Mr Judd joined Juniper Networks as part of Juniper’s acquisition of Unisphere Networks, where he co-founded its APAC operations and served as vice president for the theatre. He formerly held APAC management roles with Bay Networks and Nortel Networks.

Customers constantly demand innovation in services to improve performance and features and to lower complexity and cost. Yet, despite dazzling technological innovations, advances on the services side have not kept pace with product development. There is a growing gap between products, services and support. This gap contributes to a network innovation lag, impedes productivity and generates inefficiency and overhead. However, a new paradigm for proactive vendor services can overcome these problems.

Market outlook

Typically, the telecommunications environment is cluttered and decentralized. A mixed bag of hardware, together with a complex web of software, creates a virtual labyrinth of protocols, devices and applications. As a result, network operators bog down trying to find cost-effective solutions to the following problems:

• Growth/technology sprawl - Keeping pace with product advancement has resulted in the uncontrolled proliferation of mixed brands of servers, systems, and devices. Even normal growth causes a physical space crunch in the data centre and increases energy consumption. More networking, server and storage equipment eats into floor space, energy resources and, ultimately, profits.

• Infrastructure complexity - Underlying the physical issues of technology sprawl are its less tangible side effects: Growing complexity in the data centre slows application performance, delays business-enabling applications, and hinders innovation. In addition, servers, systems, and devices may be running different operating systems and using different management tools, requiring additional training and software to make new pieces of equipment work with one another and with the existing network. Of all the challenges businesses are facing, complexity

may be the most noteworthy because it impedes efforts to improve performance and reduce costs.

• Systems and software - Overburdened networks lack visibility across protocols, systems, devices, and applications. This problem, compounded by the excess of systems and applications, aggravates the management problem, increases the chance of human error and further reduces network efficiency.

• Security - Increasing demand for network access, including remote and mobile access, leaves organizations vulnerable to human error and security breaches, potentially compromising the privacy of millions. Security flaws are likely to continue, since one consequence of technology sprawl is a lack of consistent policies and the inability to apply, enforce, and integrate policies across different devices, networks, and systems.


Regulatory affairsMobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessNetwork support

• Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity - Businesses cannot afford lapses in service during system builds, network changes, application updates, or emergencies. Data centres require consistent, reliable protection and replication. The current problematic technological environment increases the likelihood of network downtime. On top of that, maintaining consistency requires costly bandwidth, and must be managed efficiently to balance performance and reliability with cost-effective solutions.

• Virtualization - While virtualization improves the efficient utilization of network resources, it can also exacerbate all of the previously mentioned problems by adding complexity, especially when using a variety of virtualization platforms in the environment. Obstacles to simplifying data centres will continue to mount because virtualization places greater demands on QoS, imposes low latency performance requirements, and stresses data centres, leading to, inefficient use of infrastructure resources, higher operational costs, downtime, and increased security risks.

In the wake of all this technological expansion, networking companies are beginning to realize that they are trapped by their own network creations. Despite the staggering advances in fundamental technologies, until now there have been only modest improvements in services. Many networking companies, including product vendors and the service providers, which implement the vendors’ products and solutions, have only improved their service capabilities incrementally because they have had no avenue for true services innovation. They have implemented basic technical strategies that were fragmented and opportunistic. They have been boxed in by the complexities and cannot break through with a competitive services advantage because they did not see the connection to strategic services offerings.

The solution

Customers already know what to expect from the conventional service model: it is reactive, and it relies on customer input to identify problems, collect information, analyze situations, and then call in partners and vendors. Network outages that degrade and damage productivity, and downtime while

resolving issues, result in staggering losses. Most current service models are incapable of effectively resolving these problems, but an effective solution is on the horizon and some companies are leading with a new approach.

The industry has long recognized the importance of services and support, but attention to these two crucial aspects has historically lagged that of products, by service providers, vendors, and vendors’ sales channels. Primarily focusing on ever-newer technological products will not be sufficient to satisfy demand. Telecommunications companies must build a bridge between the products that already exist and enhanced services and support, in order to derive the most value from these products. This can only happen when the industry adopts a fresh paradigm of professional services.

Research and experience shed light on what customers require from this new service mode. A number of users invested in virtualization to reduce costs, but are instead experiencing the increased complexity that virtualization imposes. They are ready to invest in technology to improve data centre performance, increase productivity, and expand service delivery. Achieving these goals and sustaining performance in the face of growing workloads, managers require rapid problem identification and resolution, accessibility at all levels - application, system, platform, and network - and a consistent, user-friendly, provisioning interface with which to access network and data centre technology. In addition, companies cannot focus solely on reducing costs; they must also create enough space in the data centre to support new applications that will leverage their moneymaking capabilities. It may seem difficult, at first glance, to resolve these complexities, but experience shows that customers want three things from networking vendors: mitigation of risk, accelerated ‘time-to-value’ and enhanced operational efficiency. In short, users seek:

• professional services’ consultants to map out the entire process, ensure the shortest time-to-value, maximize return-on-investment and reduce risk;

• maintenance services’ teams ensure that in-house teams have the expertise to continuously adopt new technology and

manage change in the network - they need to be available 24/7 on a global basis to address operational efficiencies; and

• advanced services’ teams should be in place to work at a higher level and ensure that the network stays at peak performance, with ongoing consulting and proactive services.

In response to these needs, a new breed of proactive support services is coming to the market. Vendors can serve as a catalyst to raise the entire industry to the next level by providing proactive, intelligent, support services. This new category of services will alleviate the problem of complexity by incorporating the use of a single operating system platform. A single operating system platform can effectively integrate features and management to maximize transparency and control and address security concerns, while increasing profitability and reducing costs.

The new wave of support services will include self-analysis capabilities that can store and track potential risks, proactively notify customers of these risks, and provide the information that assistance centres need to open support cases and help resolve problems. It is time for the customers to have the power to determine their deployment needs; this support model will allow users to choose a particular level of engagement, from simply passing information and updates to co-branding with service and technology vendors. Proactive services that can use virtualization efficiently will manage multiple customers from a single point so that separate customers and their collected data and detected issues can be managed through a single console.

Given the potential for disaster that technology sprawl entails, it is clear that a new direction in support services is long overdue. Complexity must be combated with proactive, virtualization-ready, single-operating-system networks. The coming services paradigm achieves this goal with personalized services that proactively identify potential device problems, accelerate their resolution, reduce space needs in the data centre and, ultimately, reduce cost while increasing profits. n

“Customers already know what to expect from the conventional service model: it is reactive, and it relies on customer input to identify problems, collect information, analyze situations, and then call in partners and vendors. Network outages that degrade and damage productivity, and downtime while resolving issues, result in staggering losses.”


Broadband standards

Standards for Broadband Convergenceby Robin Mersh, Broadband Forum Chief Operating Officer

Businesses depend upon broadband for their advanced applications. Industry standards that keep up with changing technologies are fundamental to the development of high quality reliable services. The Broadband Forum has long set the pace for the sector by providing the standards that allow for the orderly merging of existing networks and new technologies into the hybrid networks the market demands. By specifying access integration, network architectures and management protocols they ensure service providers can engineer and support their multi-access networks.

Robin Mersh is the Broadband Forum’s Chief Operating Officer and, as such, is the senior full time executive. He has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 14 years. He started in sales and sales management for Cable & Wireless and then moved on to BT.

Mr Mersh has worked in business development and alliance management for various OSS software companies in the United States, mainly in network and service provisioning and activation for companies like Astracon, TTI Telecom and Evolving Systems. Robin Mersh received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.

It’s 2009, and everyone is talking about convergence. Each conversation is different though as convergence has many layers and aspects to be explored. At the Broadband Forum, we are also talking convergence - about how the rapidly emerging hybrid network market demands new standards for access integration, architecture conformity and a single management protocol and structure to ensure service providers can easily engineer and support their multi-access networks effectively.

Until very recently, the industry had a relatively simple division of the market

between DSL and cable. By the end of 2008, that picture was very different when fibre hit a major milestone of more than 50 million customers served, and it became very clear that PON (passive optical networks) and hybrid networks were alive and growing exponentially.

As business and application requirements drove more and more fibre and wireless into the networks, it was clear that supporting this growth would require new standards for integrating the access transport into the traditional network architecture especially at the access aggregation point. Since September

2003, the Broadband Forum has been making strides defining the global requirements for the multiservice architecture (Technical Report 58 [TR-058]) as well as developing the architecture requirements for Quality of Service (QoS) enabled IP networks (TR-059).

In April of 2006, the de facto standard for IP Ethernet Access Aggregation was published as TR-101. Migration to Ethernet Access Aggregation - TR-101 provided the roadmap for moving from ATM access aggregation to an Ethernet-based architecture. This has become a global standard for triple-play deployments for residential and business


Regulatory affairsMobile accessMobile payment systemsMobile accessBroadband standards

customers that use DSL as the broadband access technology. However, many of TR-101’s architecture specifications are access agnostic, and they are also widely used today with other access technologies, especially FTTx / PON (fibre to the ‘x’/PON).

TR-156 - GPON Access into TR-101 Access Aggregation - was developed and approved at the end of 2008; it brings one of the fastest growing access options in line with TR-101.

Eagerly awaited, TR-156 strengthens the TR-101 requirements as applied to GPON (gigabit passive optical networks) by providing more detailed and specific requirements. In order to reduce operational complexity and maximize equipment interoperability, a specified subset of the GPON’s flexible configuration arrangements facilitate the implementation of TR-101’s VLAN (virtual local area network) architecture options. Other parts of this specification enable providers to take full advantage of a GPON’s abilities, and to ensure a seamless integration of GPONs into traditional broadband networks.

The next area of importance in the hybrid network environment is management and support of the rapidly evolving digital home. As more broadband intensive applications took root, and the many user-to-many device environment expanded, more PON was rolled out and the management protocol originally designed for DSL environments was called upon to evolve as well to address PON and to serve the array of new devices hitting the market.

Customer WAN Management Protocol (CWMP), more widely known simply as TR-069, quickly became the management protocol used by major service providers around the world. This is because it is robust and has a variety of key attributes, such as:

• access neutral, bi-directional SOAP/HTTP-based messaging;

• bootstrap communication and device discovery capabilities;

• ability to set or get configuration information, diagnostics, status and performance info;

• firmware/image management;

• alerts based on changes to specific settings; and

• independent gateway data model in common with TR-064, extensible to additional devices and capabilities.

The benefits of TR-069 were also clear:

• empowered profitable and seamless service deployment;

• higher layer protocol - network (and device) agnostic;

• provided robust functionality;

• established well-defined extensibility mechanisms;

• adhered to standard web technologies; and

• applicable to full range of devices on home network.

Though access-neutral, TR-069 was recently enhanced with the release of TR-069 Framework for PON” TR-142. This provides a framework for the remote configuration and management of services of optical network termination (ONT) devices with IP-based services over PON and fibre access technology.

This management protocol evolves with the introduction of the latest devices, and the Broadband Forum addresses these new devices with data models that make each device readily recognized as well as remotely provisioned and managed via the TR-069 Auto-configuration Server (ACS) in the provider’s network.

The Femto Forum, 3GPP and the Broadband Forum recently released the world’s first femtocell standard, officially published by 3GPP, which is paving the way for the production of standardized femtocells in large volumes and enabling interoperability between different vendors’ access points and femto gateways. The new standard forms part of 3GPP’s Release 8 and is interdependent with Broadband Forum’s TR-069 extension; Femto Access Point Data Model TR-196. It incorporates a new data model for femtocells developed collaboratively by Femto Forum and Broadband Forum members.

Since TR-069 is already widely used in fixed broadband networks and in set top boxes (STBs), this will allow mobile operators to simplify deployment and enable automated remote provisioning, diagnostics checking

and software updates. The standard also uses a combination of security measures including IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange v2) and IPsec (IP Security) protocols to authenticate the operator and subscriber and then guarantee the privacy of the data exchanged.

This is just one of many new examples of broadband convergence that is being addressed, and the Broadband Forum is positioned to continue to be at the centre of next generation evolution. With a focus on integration and simple, effective road-ready solutions, the forum’s work empowers providers around the world to make intelligent infrastructure investment with the security of mind to know that their management platform can handle whatever comes next. n






Next-generation networks

Solutions for next-generation wireless by Ben Cardwell, VP, Asia Pacific and China, Andrew Wireless Solutions

Fourth generation (4G) - LTE and WiMAX - networks address the limitations of 3G and are currently in trials and rollouts. Operators expect 4G networks to handle more traffic at lower cost. The new 4G infrastructure equipment uses considerably less energy and is ‘greener’ than earlier networks. Infrastructure that optimises network performance and reduces management costs will help maintain operator profitability in an increasingly competitive market. Careful planning of both the backhaul network and indoor network coverage is essential.

Ben Cardwell is the Vice President of Asia Pacific and China for Andrew Wireless Solutions and is responsible for Andrew’s sales and marketing, in the Asia Pacific and China region. An 18-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, Mr Cardwell previously was director, Systems Engineering, Asia Pacific for Andrew. Prior to joining Andrew, Mr Cardwell served in various leadership positions within Research & Development, Product Management, Systems Engineering, and Field Sales with UTStarcom, Ericsson, and 3Com.

Mr Cardwell graduated from Davidson College, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics. He holds an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.

Fourth generation (4G) networks are positioned as the next generation of wireless networks; they can more efficiently deliver truly high-performance applications like multi-media, full-motion video, and other interactive communication modes. The main impetus for the new network infrastructure is that the current 3G networks have several things working against them:

• multiple standards that make it difficult to roam and interoperate across networks;

• 3G is based on WAN technology and is difficult to adapt to LAN or cell-based traffic;

• limited bandwidth;

• newer modulation schemes that cannot be retrofitted are now available; and

• 3G is not a full digital packet network that utilizes IP with converged voice and data capability

4G was developed to address all the limitations of 3G and it has seen much acceptance in the market, as evident in the numerous Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMAX trials and rollouts. However, to roll out 4G networks, you need 4G solutions to make these advanced networks work. The new 4G radio frequency and network solutions need to be agnostic in approach to standards, frequencies and technologies. In particular, operators are looking at:

• ways to reduce costs while increasing network growth;

• how to incorporate environmentally friendly solutions into the network; and

• how to deploy LTE and WiMAX the right way, the first time.

Operating cost issues

Today, reducing operating costs is critical to the health of an operator’s business. There are some new cabinet and tower based solutions in the market - including filters, amplifiers, antennas, repeaters and fully integrated base station RF offerings - covering various LTE frequencies. These are currently available for customer evaluation and should be market-ready when LTE begins initial trials and deployment in some markets later in 2009. Broad deployment of LTE should commence during 2010 and 2011. Similarly, WiMAX-enabled solutions, including antenna and cable products are currently in active use in live network applications.


While these products are fully functional, operators need to look at their networks from a management point of view and consider solutions that manage and optimize the network and help limit site maintenance and staffing. Imagine having a remote cell site control and monitoring solution that remotely audits network performance, sends alerts, and provides operators unprecedented control over remote electrical tilt antennas, amplifiers, thermostats, batteries and power levels. Imagine also, antenna systems that continuously re-balance traffic across all sectors or mobile localisation centres that help operators cost-effectively grow their networks with location-based services.

With today’s intense cost pressures, operators are looking for innovative technologies to help manage such concerns - not just to enable wireless communications, but to make them better and more profitable.

How about ‘green’?

Making next generation networks better and more profitable also means ‘taking the Green road’. Responsible corporate citizenship aside, operators are looking at the savings obtained by reducing their environmental impact.

For example, there is an increasing interest in hydrogen fuel cell cabinets, which eliminates the need for lead acid batteries and diesel generators, and in integrated cabinets with high-efficiency cooling technologies that drastically reduce energy consumption.

The use of high efficiency power amplifiers, which almost double current efficiency levels and minimize energy loss to heat, has a significant impact on operating costs while minimizing the environmental impact.

Next-Gen planning

Wireless operators deploying next generation technologies will be evaluating upgrades to their backhaul networks to handle the traffic from bandwidth-intensive communications, a process simplified by next generation microwave planning software solution.

The new solutions are designed to help network engineers easily deploy microwave links by analyzing, designing, optimizing

and maintaining a comprehensive database of their network. This means that wireless operators can minimize expenses by getting the most productivity from their engineering resources and avoid costly mistakes during the planning process. In addition, the new solutions enable efficient use of available spectrum by limiting interference in congested areas, and effectively future-proofing against wasted spectrum in the backhaul networks that support high data rates.

As part of their evaluation of LTE and WiMAX technologies, operators are evaluating the ability of their backhaul networks capabilities to support the higher data rates these 4G technologies generate. Those who need new microwave backhaul networks - whether it is 50 links or over 40,000 - will find the new solutions provide robust tools for effectively planning, optimizing and managing their spectrum.

Wide-area planning aside, what is interesting for the market are the introduction of products such wireless drive-test system and spectrum management solutions, that are specifically developed to support operators with their location planning, deployment and testing.

The new wireless test-drive systems make designing and testing indoor wireless coverage systems easier. For example, a portable transmitter imitates the wireless base station signals by broadcasting radio frequency (RF) signals that facilitate indoor coverage measurements. Network designers can use the transmitter to pinpoint the best antenna positions for indoor distributed antenna systems (DAS) and as a low power source for testing the design and functionality of RF repeaters and base stations.

The test transmitter is a highly effective tool for verifying in-building coverage, DAS and repeater system design; it helps customers maximize the performance of their indoor networks prior to final installation. These transmitters provide over 20 dBm of transmission power and support GSM, CDMA, UMTS and W-CDMA frequency bands with user-settable channel and message parameters. Users can configure them via WiFi connections, selecting the desired frequency and modulation schemes, can set the parameters as needed. For ease

of operation, the unit is switches between transmit and standby modes via the Wi-Fi connection.

Wireless test-drive systems let wireless operators view their own, or their competitors’, wireless voice and data services from the subscriber’s perspective by providing critical quality-of-service (QoS) measurements. They help to identify failed originations, abnormal ends, call setup time, and call quality for improving voice service levels. In addition, they also perform packet data testing for analyzing upload/download throughput speeds for data services and field personnel can use these systems to independently check network signal strength and identify base station locations and sectors.

Indoor network planning

There are now complete in-building wireless testing solutions available. For network designers, system installers and other in-building wireless professionals wishing, this can be an invaluable tool - it will help avoid costly, time-consuming, design and installation mistakes.

The system includes everything needed to confirm the proper design and placement of in-building antenna or repeater systems prior to final installation, helping ensure optimal indoor wireless coverage.

Network designers can use the system to conduct initial surveys of a building, detect ambient RF interference and signal weak spots, which can then be accounted for in the system design. In fact, the designer can walk through the building taking RF readings, and log the results on the building’s floor plan for analysis and design of the in-building coverage network. The transmitter can even be used for temporarily transmitting RF signals inside the building, in imitation of expected signal levels and to help with design.

Poor network quality is one thing that can ruin a customer relationship. However, with these tools at hand, operators can safeguard their network investments and be certain they will not unintentionally compromise the network’s quality. n

“Wireless operators deploying next generation technologies will be evaluating upgrades to their backhaul networks to handle the traffic from bandwidth-intensive communications, a process simplified by next generation microwave planning software solution.”

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