Posts Tagged ‘Management’
USA: Ranking of pre-paid mobile customer satisfaction gives top place to NET10, TracFone and Boost Mobile
August 1st, 2009 | 
Author: NET10, included in the study for the first time this year, achieves a score of 774 on a 1,000-point scale and performs particularly well in three of the six factors that drive overall satisfaction: performance and reliability; cost of service; and account management. Also ranking at or above the industry average in rank order are TracFone, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Alltel and T-Mobile.
“NET10 differentiates itself from other companies by simplifying the wireless experience with straightforward pricing, virtually no roaming charges and robust nationwide network coverage,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at J.D. Power and Associates. “Users find they don’t have to worry about restrictive calling areas and can maintain their account without hassle.”
The study finds that product offerings in the prepaid segment have changed dramatically during the past year, with many wireless carriers increasing their offerings of monthly plans–some of which mimic traditional contract plans, while others offer unlimited calling and texting. More than 40 percent of non-contract plans are monthly plans, compared with less than 30 percent in 2008.
In addition, overall satisfaction among users of pay-as-you-go plans (756, on average) is considerably higher compared with users of monthly plans (742, on average), driven by satisfaction with the performance and reliability and account management factors.
The study also finds several demographic differences that distinguish pay-as-you-go users from users of monthly prepaid service. The average pay-as-you-go user is older, more likely to be retired and has fewer wireless phones in their household. The average monthly prepaid plan user more closely resembles the average contract plan user–desiring a large network, mid-range feature phones and messaging, but without the commitment or penalties of a contract. Two-thirds of monthly plan users report that they have switched service from their former contracted service carrier.
“As the non-contract wireless market continues to evolve, users need to be sure to explore all of the alternatives available to them in order to determine the appropriate plan that suits their needs,” said Parsons. “With this increased breadth of options, wireless users can find a plan that optimizes their wireless experience and meets their budget without requiring them to sign a contract.”
The study also finds the following key non-contract wireless usage patterns:
* Pay-as-you-go users spend an average of $35 for each airtime purchase, a decrease of $5 from 2008.
* Monthly non-contract users spend an average of $25 less per month than do those with contracts. Monthly non-contract users report spending $56 per month compared with an average monthly service cost of $81 for contract users.
* Non-contract users report using 320 minutes per month–a notable increase from 233 minutes in 2008. Pay-as-you-go users report using an average of just 145 minutes, while monthly non-contract users report an average of 573 minutes per month.
*During the past 12 months, 16 percent of non-contract users have switched carriers. *More than half (51%) of these users previously had contract service.
*Switching intent within the next year remains steady at 12 percent, compared with 13 percent in 2008. Among users intending to switch, 24 percent intend to switch to contract service.
The 2009 U.S. Wireless Prepaid Customer Satisfaction Index Study, now in its fourth year, measures customer satisfaction with current non-contract wireless service across six key factors. In order of importance, they are: performance and reliability (28%); cost of service (19%); account management (17%); initial activation (15%); offerings and promotions (12%); and customer service (9%). The study is based on responses from 4,229 wireless users who currently subscribe to non-contract service plans. Findings are based on a continuous fielding period between January and June 2009.
Customer Satisfaction Index Rankings (Based on a 1,000-point scale)
J.D. Power.com Power Circle
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Provider Index Score Ratings For Consumers
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NET10 774 5
TracFone 773 5
Boost Mobile 771 5
Virgin Mobile 755 4
Alltel 751 3
T-Mobile To Go 750 3
Industry Average 750 3
Verizon Wireless 741 2
AT&T GoPhone 735 2
Cricket 732 2
MetroPCS 730 2
Posted in Communications | 
Tags: airtime, amp, blog, blogs, budget, car, consumers, customer satisfaction, Customer Service, Management, Mobile, Network, network coverage, roaming charges, t mobile, Wireless, wireless carrier, wireless carriers | 
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CDNs: Limelight now offers turnkey customizing and monetizing media delivery in a mobile world
According to Nielsen(1), US consumers are watching more content per month than ever before, and viewing is wide spread across three screens: traditional television, Web browsers, and media-enabled mobile devices. As audiences continue to fragment across devices, publishers need a simple way to deliver content wherever those audiences go. LimelightREACH and LimelightADS solve this problem by using contextual awareness and an intelligent delivery platform to customize media assets on the fly. The technology delivers a high-quality playback experience for consumers and new targeted revenue opportunities for content publishers. This means publishers can create content once, yet distribute and monetize it across many networks and connected devices.
“Consumer viewing habits are evolving rapidly with the expectation that media should be available not just at home, but on the go. As a result, many of our customers are looking at aggressively expanding the reach of their online media in the mobile arena,” said Bill Loewenthal, vice president and general manager, mobility and monetization solutions, Limelight Networks. “Our solution is a combination of mobility products and robust, media-grade infrastructure that provides the scale necessary to support ever-growing audiences, and the field-proven success of mobile infrastructure technologies that target and personalize media delivery.”
LimelightREACH uses the company’s intelligent global computing platform to auto-detect end-user devices and deliver device-optimized media files, with no change in the publishing process, for the best consumer media experience. The solution enables publishers to distribute properly-formatted content to almost any media-enabled mobile handset — from early video-capable phones to smartphones such as the Apple iPhone™ 3GS or Palm Pre™ — using a single, Universal URL. Based on an ever-growing library of device profiles, LimelightREACH delivers the right file over the right protocol and network to the specific device that requested the content. Through an open architecture, LimelightREACH can be paired with Limelight Networks’ own media-grade content delivery service, or service from other major CDN providers.
LimelightADS helps publishers move beyond the Web browser to reach audiences in widgets, mobile applications, video games, and more. The service allows publishers to present dynamic pre-, mid-, or post-roll video and audio advertising into media that is delivered to mobile or connected users. LimelightADS works seamlessly with a publisher’s existing ad insertion process, integrating directly into leading ad decision engines like DoubleClick DART and Microsoft Atlas, and allowing publishers to maintain any existing management interface for measuring ad success. Publishers can change ads dynamically and even rotate multiple campaigns and advertisers within the same content segment. With LimelightADS, publishers remain in control, managing their ad sales and operations as they always have — whether they are using their own internal ad sales teams or are working through a trusted partner. Limelight Networks supports Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) mobile video standards.
LimelightREACH and LimelightADS Bring Device-Optimized Targeting to Mobile Media Delivery, Allowing Publishers to Customize Content and Advertisements for Individual Devices
see also LimelightREACH and LimelightADS
Posted in Communications |
Tags: 3g, advertisement, Advertising, amp, apple, application, Audi, blog, blogs, Computing, consumers, game, Games, iphone, Management, Marketing, microsoft, Mobile, mobile application, mobile applications, mobile device, mobile devices, mobile market, mobile marketing, mobile world, Network, online, palm, smartphone, Technology, video game, web browser, world |
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Enterprise mobility: 80 per cent of enterprises will overspend on wireless services over the coming half decade
“Our research shows that the majority of companies are not adequately managing their mobile users or services,” said Phil Redman, research vice president at Gartner. “They need to look more closely at their key user segments and requirements in order to match those needs with the right services and optimize their spending.”
Mr. Redman said that during the next year, companies should look to four main areas to manage their wireless costs:
Contracts
How enterprises buy services has changed in the past few years and more than 60 percent of midsize and large companies have moved away from buying individual plans, which are the least efficient in reducing costs. However, newer services, such as pooling plans, flat-rate plans, and zero–minute phones all need to be carefully evaluated to ensure that they are offering maximum value across the organization. Gartner also advises companies to move from individual liability plans (where the user is responsible for the payment and contract) to corporate liability plans that allow for better control of costs through the optimization of wireless services and corporate discounting.
International Roaming
International roaming costs become increasingly difficult to manage as companies extend international travel. Through 2010, 10 percent of users that travel internationally will make up 35 percent of the total service costs for companies that support travel. Although there are no “magic” solutions for reducing costs beyond reducing the number of users who travel, reducing the minutes used and making users aware of the costs, companies can negotiate with the carrier for roaming cost reductions and look to adopt mobile roaming plans. International data roaming can be even more costly with some bills reaching thousands of dollars in a short period. Gartner recommends that companies disallow all ad hoc use of international wireless data and instead promote the use of smartphones for e-mail or ask carriers for bundles for remote workers.
Mobility Management
Active management practices are important to organize services and control expenses. According to Gartner, the two main areas to focus on in management are policy — used to eliminate undesirable practices and promote a set or desirable practices and compliance across the organization — and the use of outsourced services, called telecom expense management (TEM), which provides extensive mobility management services to enterprises.
Desktop Replacement
Some companies are already beginning to integrate their cellular phones into their corporate system, which can support cost routing for reduced service calls or the elimination of desk phones. Both are part of fixed mobile convergence (FMC) plans, FMC being the intersection of where fixed and mobile unified communications (UC) meet and share services and functionality. In this scenario, instead of literally being “chained” to their desk, users will have the freedom of conducting business in a mobile environment but maintain enterprise functionality in the wireless device.
Gartner Says 80 Percent of Enterprises Will Overspend on Their Wireless Service Costs Through 2014 – Gartner Outlines Four Areas of Focus to Better Manage Enterprise Wireless Costs
see also Gartner report “Best Practices for Managing Mobile Voice and Data Costs” (Costs $495)
Posted in Communications |
Tags: amp, blog, blogs, business, car, Communications, Compliance, Environment, Free, functionality, Management, Mobile, mobile users, mobile voice, research, smartphone, system, t mobile, Wireless |
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Enterprise IT: As more companies offshore their infrastructure work, more are experiencing the problems of the onshore-to-offshore transition
Yet as the shift intensified, problems associated with the transition to offshoring began to appear. Our most recent experiences1 helped us identify the common problems and ascertain the steps companies can take to deal with them and to raise the overall value of offshoring programs. The more difficult issues include a tendency to ignore the specific needs of offshoring infrastructure work, inadequate rigor in handling process flows and service hand-offs with partners, and a lack of clarity about the end-state operating model—what the operation will look like in 36 months. When plans stumble along these lines, implementation is delayed, service problems proliferate, and savings are deferred or minimal. One large media company learned all this the hard way when a piecemeal, ad hoc approach to an infrastructure-offshoring program forced its reimplementation from the ground up, with significant cost and time overruns. This company is not alone.
Posted in Communications |
Tags: application, Banking, blog, blogs, business, experiences, Mac, Management, Network, network management, Technology |
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Nigeria: Mobitel plans to roll out its 2.3GHz WiMAX service
It began with strong suspicions from government quarters, over how Mobitel, a company that recently applied for a waiver to the allegedly mountainous debts it was owing the federal government, could pay the 2.3Ghz licence money amounting to over One billion Naira, within one week.
Incidentally, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC came into the matter, whisking the Chief Executive of Mobitel, Mr Johnson Salako away, alleging that the waiver it got from NCC was gotten from the wrong quarters.
But last week, the court saw no reason why Salako would be in detention and ordered his immediate release.
Smarting from all that controversy, the company has announced plans to roll out services October this year and Salako has said that he was ready to put away the frustrations and trauma he went through during his eight days incarceration by the Economic and Financial crimes commission, EFCC, just to see that Mobitel rolls out cutting edge services that would bail Nigerians out of the telecommunications woods.
Salako was speaking at a press conference in Victoria Island organised to clarify issues surrounding Mobitel’s involvement in the estranged 2.3 Ghz Wimax licensing round concluded by the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC recently.
He was arrested by the EFCC over waiver granted his company by the NCC on the debt owed by the former management of Mobitel to the federal government.
According to Salako, “our focus now is to get the 2.3 Ghz license which we duly won and move on to providing Nigerians cutting edge services that would change things in the telecommunications life of this country. We do not want to join issues with any body be it the EFCC, NCC or the Ministry of Communications and I am putting my experience in the eight days incarceration behind just to see that Nigerians have the services we promised” he noted.
The detention of Mr Salako by the EFCC came as a result of allegations that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) acted wrongly in granting the former management of Mobitel a waiver over its outstanding fiduciary responsibilities to the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, Mobitel has sued the EFCC and the NCC, praying the court to determine whether it was under a lawful obligation to pay the bill inaccurately assessed in the Sum of N747,945,463 in excess of the N500,000,000 already paid by Mobitel to the government and otherwise declare that it is under no obligation to pay the sum of N298,678,250m included in the NCC’s bill to Mobitel for the Sum of N727,945,463 to the federal government.
In the suit, Mobitel also prayed the court to declare that the waiver and or concession granted it by NCC was in respect of fees that had not accrued.
Among many other wishes of Mobitel was that the court declared that EFCC lacks the powers and competence to recover the said sum of N242, 775,00 as outstanding fees from Mobitel.
However, the company has vowed that while the court case is going on, its primary obligation to the Nigerian masses must be carried out and so, slated October for roll out of ubiquitous services.
The readiness of Mobitel to commence operations in the highly competitive Nigerian market, may after all not be in doubt. Between the time the USMi group acquired the moribund mobitel and now, it has taken bold moves betraying a deliberate plan to challenge the mainstream players in the telecoms market today.
The management of Mobitel revealed that it had awarded contracts worth over $15 million to two companies, VocalTec and Alvarion to provide first phase of cutting edge VoIP platform and 50 base stations in four main Nigerian cities, respectively.
Mobile Week also gathered that the company had signed agreements with infrastructure maintenance/management companies, IHS and Helios Towers to prepare it for collocation . This is in addition to its business romance with Phase3 telecom on national transmission network as well as multi-million dollar contracts with Gateway Communications and also MainOne cable company for 5 year provision of 2.3Gbit fibre optic.
Perhaps its strength could be coming from a consortium of banks led by Skye bank, which was said to have generated additional financing recently, bringing the company’s investment to well over $100 million.
Posted in Communications |
Tags: 3g, blog, blogs, business, car, Communications, communications commission, Management, Mobile, money, Network, rim, transmission, wimax |
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