BUSINESS ANALYSIS FOR TELECOMS PROFESSIONALS LEADER

SHOW AND TELL Post-MWC telcos need to go back to their brand strengths

Mary Lennighan Editor

Total Telecom

Google CEO Eric Schmidt admit- ted during a keynote address at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month, referring to Nokia’s decision to adopt the Windows Phone 7 platform for its high-end smartphone portfolio. The ‘Nokiasoft’ announcement,

“W

coming as it did just one day before the start of MWC 2011, could have led to the rest of the show being something of an anticlimax. Indeed, Nokia managed to dominate much of the discussion on the handsets side of things without having a meaningful presence at the show.

Nokia is going to need all of its brand clout

However, those that invested in

the mega-structure stands on the exhibition floor were determined that Nokia would not have it all its own way. New mobile devices— primarily smartphones and tablets —were unveiled thick and fast, with the likes of Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC and LG vying for eyeballs and column inches for their latest offerings. A tie-up with Microsoft could be

a step in the right direction for Nokia, but it has a long way to go to

e would have loved it if they had chosen Android,”

regain the ground it has lost in the smartphone landgrab. It is going to need all of its brand

clout to pull itself back up. Our analysis on p.6 shows that Nokia has slipped to eleventh place in a new global ranking of telecoms brands, compiled by Brand Finance for Total Telecom; just three years ago it headed the list. Instrumental in Nokia’s demise, in both brand value and smartphone market terms: Apple and BlackBerry, both of which entered Brand Finance’s ranking for 2011 with a flourish. Back at MWC, mobile operators

demonstrated that they are going back to their network assets, rather than content and apps, as the best way to generate new revenue streams. Our show review on p.19 outlines how operators are adjust- ing to life further down the value chain. Leveraging those network assets will see operators increas- ingly move into new verticals, such as m2m, m-health, the automotive industry and smart energy meter- ing. On p.16 we look at the potential for operators in the m2m space as well as business model challenges. And while operators are looking

to use their network capabilities to help companies bill for energy usage, they are also keen to improve their own efficiency. Deploying new technologies can lower energy consumption and, crucially, reduce opex, as our Technology Trends article on p.12 shows. n

CONTENTS NEWS IN BRIEF 3 Timeline

A roundup of some of the major stories reported in our daily news service, www.totaltele.com

BUSINESS AND FINANCE 6 Brand ranking

Telecoms companies invest considerable sums in their brands, with mixed fortunes. Our exclusive ranking with Brand Finance tracks the risers and fallers.

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS 12 Green networks

Europe’s major network operators are significant consumers of energy, but they could be part of the climate change solution as they adopt new, more efficient technologies.

NETWORK STRATEGIES 16 m2m services

Telcos are eyeing the chance to derive new revenues from machine- to-machine services, but they will need new models and scale to make margin.

LAST WORD 19 MWC review

This year’s Mobile World Congress saw operators going back to their network strengths.

STATISTICS 20 Prime numbers

Handset figures, fibre penetration and a key revenue milestone for mobile network operators.

MARCH 2011