The key points of interest at Mobile World Congress this year may be summed up by three key words: architecture, devices, and services
Distributed architecture and virtualisation opens up possibilities for new forms of service delivery and content provision, and for greater engagement between communications service providers (CSPs) and consumers of communications services.
Think of how software-defined networking (SDN) already offers greater network control and opportunities for network interrogation. Think, then, of the agility that comes with virtualised radio access networks (VRANs), virtualised IP multimedia subsystems (VIMSs) and that which might even come from new entities such as virtual – yes, virtual – mobile virtual network operators (VMVNOs).
From old to new
At the top end, the communications industry can offer ecosystems that are truly based on an Internet of things – even, for example, as Bell Labs president Marcus Wheldon has proposed, the possibility of search for objects as well as text.
At the legacy end, software integration and enhanced controls deliver to operators levels of agility now that might not have otherwise been available for five, six, or 10 years – or whenever the next big capex round might take place.
Getting closer
Allied to this are deeper relationships with consumers. For example, Comverse enables network users, both pre- and post-paid, to structure consumption through online interfaces.
On the device side, of course there are the wearables and phones from Samsung, LG, Sony and others – but the real interest is Nokia's latest step into the device market with the Nokia X, an Android phone that is designed to look and feel like a Windows phone. This is interesting because whilst Windows is clearly the more robust platform, Android is the cheaper option and hence the option with wider appeal.
Nokia has recognised the potential in capturing market share for lower-end device users – in order to widen its base but also to up-sell to its superior handhelds, the Lumias.
