Network operators need to ask themselves difficult questions about where they add value in the communications ecosystem and how they are going to shape their businesses to drive profitability. We’ve reached a point as an industry where business models need to evolve and develop to best meet the market conditions of today and in the future.
Network outsourcing can help to address these changing roles and creates new opportunities to drive profitability. Whether it is last mile connectivity, interconnection hubs or global infrastructure, network outsourcing offers local and global operators a flexible, sustainable and future-proof way to grow their businesses.
Operators that use a mix of owned and outsourced assets are insulated from changes in customer demand and are able to leverage specialised expertise to develop and evolve their operations. By refocusing their business away from expenditure on infrastructure development and maintenance and to customer needs, these operators can make themselves stronger, more agile and far more competitive – in short fit for whatever the market presents in the future. Outsourcing can be the start of a new phase in the business development, one where profitability is paramount.
To help operators decide if outsourcing is likely to be effective for them as an alternative to owning and operating their own network, here is a checklist of questions to ask:
- Where do I truly add value in the communications ecosystem?
- How am I going to shape my business to drive profitability?
- How can I best improve customer retention and stickiness?
- Which business model enables me to face up to the market conditions of today as well as tomorrow?
- How can I capitalise most effectively on new opportunities as they arise?
- How can I insulate myself from unpredictable changes in patterns of demand, as well as the difficulties of keeping up with rapid evolution in technology?
