MWC 2013, SPAIN: Aerotel Medical Systems, a leading global supplier of advanced remote monitoring solutions for telehealth and telecare, will present new mobile health (mHealth) applications and other eHealth and telehealth solutions at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 in Barcelona, Spain, from February 25-28, at Hall 5, Stand 5H70 (Israeli National Pavilion).
The newest addition to Aerotel’s growing mHealth portfolio is a new release of Mobile-CliniQ – an Android-based mobile health monitoring application that allows the monitoring of various parameters and communicates with vital sign monitoring devices via a Bluetooth interface. Data is automatically transmitted via the cellular or Wi-Fi network to a medical monitoring center.
This smartphone application enables remote monitoring of various health parameters such as electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, blood glucose level, weight, spirometry values and more.
An easy-to-use and flexible solution, the new Mobile-CliniQ enables healthcare providers around the world to deliver enhanced mobile health services, save critical time, and provide a more personalized service. Mobile-CliniQ comes in two flavors - for individual users and for medical professionals.
“The mobile health market offers significant growth opportunities and is appealing to both healthcare service providers and mobile carriers,” said David Rubin, Aerotel Medical Systems president and CEO. “Aerotel strives to be a leader in this area and will continue to innovate and introducing new solutions. With Mobile-CliniQ, personal health services become a reality for today's mobile lifestyle.”
Additional innovations to be presented by Aerotel in Hall 5, Stand 5H70, (Israel National Pavilion), include:
Wireless homecare hub – Connect-Cell is a highly flexible wireless homecare hub for chronic patient monitoring and disease management, enabling users to easily transmit vital signs data via the cellular network (GPRS) to a central monitoring center.
Wireless ECG – Aerotel’s HeartView Personal hand-held 12-lead ECG monitor with Bluetooth connectivity. The solution enables easy and effective transmission of clinical information to a remote monitoring center for interpretation and immediate care.
GeoSkeeper – a personal GPS location and tracking system which offers a new level of safety beyond existing PERS (Personal Emergency Response System) and traditional social alarm systems.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Global telecoms operators risk losing investors’ confidence unless they overhaul their performance metrics
ENGLAND & SPAIN: The fast-changing changing nature of the telecommunications sector is driving the need for substantive changes in the ways operators measure and report their operational and financial performance according to Metrics transformation in telecommunications, a new report by Ernst & Young to coincide with the World Mobile Congress.
Current metrics have not kept pace with business model changes and operators must align information assets and reporting to an environment where they are offering a growing range of data-centric services.
Jonathan Dharmapalan, Ernst & Young’s Global Telecoms Leader says: “As traditional markets are now hyper-penetrated, the business case for investment by operators is no longer driven by net additions and penetration of legacy services. Shareholders and analysts are looking for new sector growth stories in the wake of the infrastructure upgrades, yet institutional investors’ view of the telecoms sector remains fundamentally ambivalent, reflecting uncertainty over the trade-off between the costs and value of new growth opportunities in data.”
Telecoms needs to move beyond its defensive positioning with investors
Capex guidance for many operators remains conservative, despite rising demand for new data services. A subdued perception of growth potential has seen telecoms stocks characterized as a defensive play offering strong cash flows. However, even this view of the industry now under pressure in the wake of dividend cuts announced by leading players.
A comparison of major telcos’ share performance over the past five years highlights defensive qualities giving way to underperformance in 2012. Overall, the industry’s performance has been resilient but unexciting over this period. Only 11 percent of respondents cited telecommunications as a top sector to invest in, compared to technology (20 percent), oil and gas (26 percent) and consumer products (27 percent) according to the new Ernst & Young’s Institutional investors survey 2013.
Comments Dharmapalan: “Metrics need to reflect take-up of new services while also providing greater granularity in terms of profitability of data services. For example, smartphone take-up has proved to be a double-edged sword given the effect of device subsidies on margins.
"At the same time, new types of coverage and penetration metrics will be needed to communicate the socio-economic benefits of new infrastructure. Ultimately, new performance metrics can do much to help investors evaluate the sector and its transformational qualities in the years to come.”
Current metrics fail to capture growth and profitability
Performance metrics commonly used across the industry, such as net additions and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), are no longer sufficient to provide management and investors with a compelling story. Instead, telecoms operators need to provide the evidence that the business model is performing well and that there is a solid track record of growth and an actionable plan to sustain profitability.
In addition, many new connections are now being generated by multi-SIM consumers and by enterprise and machine-to-machine connections, blurring what a net addition means. These new types of connectivity also have very different usage revenue and margin profiles compared with traditional customer base.
Adrian Baschnonga, lead analyst, Global Telecommunications at Ernst & Young says: “Successful players in the future will differentiate through their ability to up-sell new services to existing customers in both the consumer and enterprise markets. Metrics such as revenue generating units (RGU) per subscription have already been successfully leveraged by cable companies – operators should find new ways to communicate the benefits of a widening services portfolio.”
A wider set of financial metrics is vital
On the financial side, operators should consider moving beyond earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as a primary metric. Core earnings do not factor in capital expenditure, which is very much a key concern for investors as they consider the infrastructure upgrades required to support new demand scenarios.
Metrics such as return on capital employed (ROCE) and return on invested capital (ROIC) are becoming more important tools through which performance can be assessed. In addition, new services offered by operators would benefit from evaluation through a wider set of financial metrics beyond EBITDA margin, which has been the mainstay of operator financial reporting for many years.
Migrating to new metrics will bring additional challenges
Operators are already starting to move forward to new industry metrics – the rise of Average revenue per account (ARPA) in the United States is one such example. Yet the need to build industry consensus on new metrics is paramount, while operators should also ensure that their systems and processes are able to capture new insights in a consistent way.
Dharmapalan concludes: “Looking ahead, as operators migrate to new metrics, they should bear in mind a number of key considerations. This involves evaluating which metrics should be used to communicate profitability at a time when margins remain under pressure, but also the internal challenge of ensuring that data can be collected in a consistent and robust manner. Greater levels of comfort with internal metrics will in turn spur more confident communications of performance levels externally.”
Current metrics have not kept pace with business model changes and operators must align information assets and reporting to an environment where they are offering a growing range of data-centric services.
Jonathan Dharmapalan, Ernst & Young’s Global Telecoms Leader says: “As traditional markets are now hyper-penetrated, the business case for investment by operators is no longer driven by net additions and penetration of legacy services. Shareholders and analysts are looking for new sector growth stories in the wake of the infrastructure upgrades, yet institutional investors’ view of the telecoms sector remains fundamentally ambivalent, reflecting uncertainty over the trade-off between the costs and value of new growth opportunities in data.”
Telecoms needs to move beyond its defensive positioning with investors
Capex guidance for many operators remains conservative, despite rising demand for new data services. A subdued perception of growth potential has seen telecoms stocks characterized as a defensive play offering strong cash flows. However, even this view of the industry now under pressure in the wake of dividend cuts announced by leading players.
A comparison of major telcos’ share performance over the past five years highlights defensive qualities giving way to underperformance in 2012. Overall, the industry’s performance has been resilient but unexciting over this period. Only 11 percent of respondents cited telecommunications as a top sector to invest in, compared to technology (20 percent), oil and gas (26 percent) and consumer products (27 percent) according to the new Ernst & Young’s Institutional investors survey 2013.
Comments Dharmapalan: “Metrics need to reflect take-up of new services while also providing greater granularity in terms of profitability of data services. For example, smartphone take-up has proved to be a double-edged sword given the effect of device subsidies on margins.
"At the same time, new types of coverage and penetration metrics will be needed to communicate the socio-economic benefits of new infrastructure. Ultimately, new performance metrics can do much to help investors evaluate the sector and its transformational qualities in the years to come.”
Current metrics fail to capture growth and profitability
Performance metrics commonly used across the industry, such as net additions and Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), are no longer sufficient to provide management and investors with a compelling story. Instead, telecoms operators need to provide the evidence that the business model is performing well and that there is a solid track record of growth and an actionable plan to sustain profitability.
In addition, many new connections are now being generated by multi-SIM consumers and by enterprise and machine-to-machine connections, blurring what a net addition means. These new types of connectivity also have very different usage revenue and margin profiles compared with traditional customer base.
Adrian Baschnonga, lead analyst, Global Telecommunications at Ernst & Young says: “Successful players in the future will differentiate through their ability to up-sell new services to existing customers in both the consumer and enterprise markets. Metrics such as revenue generating units (RGU) per subscription have already been successfully leveraged by cable companies – operators should find new ways to communicate the benefits of a widening services portfolio.”
A wider set of financial metrics is vital
On the financial side, operators should consider moving beyond earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) as a primary metric. Core earnings do not factor in capital expenditure, which is very much a key concern for investors as they consider the infrastructure upgrades required to support new demand scenarios.
Metrics such as return on capital employed (ROCE) and return on invested capital (ROIC) are becoming more important tools through which performance can be assessed. In addition, new services offered by operators would benefit from evaluation through a wider set of financial metrics beyond EBITDA margin, which has been the mainstay of operator financial reporting for many years.
Migrating to new metrics will bring additional challenges
Operators are already starting to move forward to new industry metrics – the rise of Average revenue per account (ARPA) in the United States is one such example. Yet the need to build industry consensus on new metrics is paramount, while operators should also ensure that their systems and processes are able to capture new insights in a consistent way.
Dharmapalan concludes: “Looking ahead, as operators migrate to new metrics, they should bear in mind a number of key considerations. This involves evaluating which metrics should be used to communicate profitability at a time when margins remain under pressure, but also the internal challenge of ensuring that data can be collected in a consistent and robust manner. Greater levels of comfort with internal metrics will in turn spur more confident communications of performance levels externally.”
Ford focuses on in-car entertainment
Jeremy Green, telco strategy analyst, Ovum
SPAIN: “Ford's offerings at MWC 2013 were less exciting than its announcements at last year’s event. The company made three announcements this year: a new SUV for Europe – the EcoSport; a global partnership with Spotify to integrate its services with Ford's SYNC AppLink voice-control platform; and three new infotainment content partners.
“Ford led with its EcoSport compact SUV, heralding it as one of its first European cars to use the SYNC AppLink system. Its developer program for the voice-control solution was launched at CES 2013 and boasted 2,500 developers after four weeks. Not a bad start, but the ecosystem will need further support before in-car applications become mass market.
“However, having Spotify on board will undoubtedly boost Ford’s in-car profile. The music giant’s 20 million users will no doubt appreciate the announcements, although how many of its users will be able to afford a SUV (or even influence its purchase) will limit adoption. The other partners announced (Kaliki, Glympse, and Aha) look to be interesting content add-ons, but again are unlikely to sway the purchasing decision.”
SPAIN: “Ford's offerings at MWC 2013 were less exciting than its announcements at last year’s event. The company made three announcements this year: a new SUV for Europe – the EcoSport; a global partnership with Spotify to integrate its services with Ford's SYNC AppLink voice-control platform; and three new infotainment content partners.
“Ford led with its EcoSport compact SUV, heralding it as one of its first European cars to use the SYNC AppLink system. Its developer program for the voice-control solution was launched at CES 2013 and boasted 2,500 developers after four weeks. Not a bad start, but the ecosystem will need further support before in-car applications become mass market.
“However, having Spotify on board will undoubtedly boost Ford’s in-car profile. The music giant’s 20 million users will no doubt appreciate the announcements, although how many of its users will be able to afford a SUV (or even influence its purchase) will limit adoption. The other partners announced (Kaliki, Glympse, and Aha) look to be interesting content add-ons, but again are unlikely to sway the purchasing decision.”
Geeksphone showcases Firefox OS developer preview devices
SPAIN: The Spanish company Geeksphone, dedicated to the design and manufacturing of next generation smartphones, announced today, during the opening of the Mobile World Congress 2013, that Firefox OS developer preview devices will be available at the official Geeksphone online store in the upcoming weeks.
Geeksphone will be present, during the MWC 2013, at the Spanish Pavillion, Congress Hall Square, Stand CS60. The new Firefox OS Developer Preview devices will be shown at its stand.
* Keon is equipped with a Cortex-A5 1Ghz processor, 3.5 inch multitouch screen, tri-band UMTS/HSPA, 4GB ROM, 512 MB RAM and a long-lasting 1580 mAh battery.
* Peak is equipped with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8225 chipset, 4.3-inch qHD IPS screen, 8 Mpx back camera and 2 Mpx front camera, as well as tri-band UMTS/HSPA and 1800 mAh battery.
In accordance with last January's announcement, together with Telefónica and Mozilla, Geeksphone will deliver the developer preview terminals incorporating Firefox OS, an innovative HTML5 based operating system that enables the open Web as a platform for mobile devices to free mobile platforms from the encumbrances of the rules and restrictions of existing proprietary platforms.
Firefox OS devices, including Geeksphone Developer Preview devices, will be showcased in Geeksphone stand at Spanish Pavillion, Congress Hall Square, Stand CS60; and also on display at Mozilla stand Hall 8.1, stand F20 and Telefonica booth 3B 108.
Geeksphone will be present, during the MWC 2013, at the Spanish Pavillion, Congress Hall Square, Stand CS60. The new Firefox OS Developer Preview devices will be shown at its stand.
* Keon is equipped with a Cortex-A5 1Ghz processor, 3.5 inch multitouch screen, tri-band UMTS/HSPA, 4GB ROM, 512 MB RAM and a long-lasting 1580 mAh battery.
* Peak is equipped with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8225 chipset, 4.3-inch qHD IPS screen, 8 Mpx back camera and 2 Mpx front camera, as well as tri-band UMTS/HSPA and 1800 mAh battery.
In accordance with last January's announcement, together with Telefónica and Mozilla, Geeksphone will deliver the developer preview terminals incorporating Firefox OS, an innovative HTML5 based operating system that enables the open Web as a platform for mobile devices to free mobile platforms from the encumbrances of the rules and restrictions of existing proprietary platforms.
Firefox OS devices, including Geeksphone Developer Preview devices, will be showcased in Geeksphone stand at Spanish Pavillion, Congress Hall Square, Stand CS60; and also on display at Mozilla stand Hall 8.1, stand F20 and Telefonica booth 3B 108.
Ericsson furthers M2M and video commitment
Steven Hartley, telco strategy analyst, Ovum
SPAIN: “Ericsson added to its flurry of recent announcements at this morning’s press conference at MWC 2013. Today’s announcements follow similar themes to their predecessors (M2M and video) and fit neatly with Ericsson’s vision for the “networked society”.
However, this is more than theory or a new product. Ericsson has revealed that operators are using the services, although in the case of M2M we question if there could be greater opportunities for Ericsson if it were to bypass operators, albeit at the risk of alienating its close customer relationships.
“The first announcement relates to M2M. Ericsson and SAP have combined to provide cloud-based management of M2M implementations. Ericsson’s Device Connection Platform & Service Enablement Platform is to be combined with SAP’s HANA platform in an offering to mobile operators that provides enterprises with end-to-end management of M2M solutions. Closer integration of the M2M operational ecosystem has been needed for many years and this is another sign that M2M is maturing.
“Significantly, operators were rolled out to boost the solution’s credibility – Telenor Connexion and 3UK on this occasion. However, the value added by the telco beyond connectivity strikes us as muted. As we have said in the past, there is certainly an opportunity for SAP and/or Ericsson to sell directly to enterprises and bring in appropriate operator support when necessary, although the risk to Ericsson’s extensive operator relationships will be a key barrier.
“The second announcement – Ericsson’s Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) to deliver broadcast video over LTE – also comes with operator support. Ericsson’s Consumer Labs found that 67% of consumers use mobile devices to consume TV services, so managing the traffic efficiently is vital for profitability and the customer experience. Significantly, Ericsson announced that Verizon Wireless will launch the service in 2014, while Telstra will trial the solution later this year.”
SPAIN: “Ericsson added to its flurry of recent announcements at this morning’s press conference at MWC 2013. Today’s announcements follow similar themes to their predecessors (M2M and video) and fit neatly with Ericsson’s vision for the “networked society”.
However, this is more than theory or a new product. Ericsson has revealed that operators are using the services, although in the case of M2M we question if there could be greater opportunities for Ericsson if it were to bypass operators, albeit at the risk of alienating its close customer relationships.
“The first announcement relates to M2M. Ericsson and SAP have combined to provide cloud-based management of M2M implementations. Ericsson’s Device Connection Platform & Service Enablement Platform is to be combined with SAP’s HANA platform in an offering to mobile operators that provides enterprises with end-to-end management of M2M solutions. Closer integration of the M2M operational ecosystem has been needed for many years and this is another sign that M2M is maturing.
“Significantly, operators were rolled out to boost the solution’s credibility – Telenor Connexion and 3UK on this occasion. However, the value added by the telco beyond connectivity strikes us as muted. As we have said in the past, there is certainly an opportunity for SAP and/or Ericsson to sell directly to enterprises and bring in appropriate operator support when necessary, although the risk to Ericsson’s extensive operator relationships will be a key barrier.
“The second announcement – Ericsson’s Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) to deliver broadcast video over LTE – also comes with operator support. Ericsson’s Consumer Labs found that 67% of consumers use mobile devices to consume TV services, so managing the traffic efficiently is vital for profitability and the customer experience. Significantly, Ericsson announced that Verizon Wireless will launch the service in 2014, while Telstra will trial the solution later this year.”
Bharti Airtel to offer voice services to LTE customers via GSM #MWC13
SPAIN: Bharti Airtel will soon launch voice services for its 4G, TD-LTE (time division duplex long term evolution) customers in Pune, India through its existing GSM network.
The operator has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to deploy its Circuit Switched FallBack (CSFB) voice solution in the operator’s live TD-LTE network in the city. With CSFB, the network can transfer customers to GSM platform to make and receive voice calls and access voicemails while retaining the experience of ultra-fast data services on 4G smartphones.
Jagbir Singh, CTO and director – Network Services Group, Bharti Airtel, said: “At Airtel, it is our constant endevour to offer compelling service propositions to our customers. Bharti Airtel has the advantage of pan-India GSM and 3G networks and with the deployment of cutting edge CSFB functionality, we will have the flexibility of using either or both the networks to support voice services on our TD-LTE platform.
"The solution will enable our 4G customers to enjoy high-quality voice services on GSM network and ultra-fast data services on TD-LTE platform – thereby allowing them to have a unified experience on a 4G handset. Bharti Airtel has always been at the forefront in the Indian telecom revolution and now with Nokia Siemens Networks CSFB solution, we are pleased to provide leadership in setting another technology standard by introducing voice services to TD-LTE customers.”
Thorsten Robrecht, head of Mobile Broadband portfolio management at Nokia Siemens Networks, said: “This achievement of enabling world-first voice call fallback from TD-LTE to GSM in live network is yet another milestone in our efforts to strengthen the commercialization and deployment of TD-LTE technology globally. Our CSFB assures a successful and reliable mechanism for voice services alongside any LTE data service.”
The operator has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to deploy its Circuit Switched FallBack (CSFB) voice solution in the operator’s live TD-LTE network in the city. With CSFB, the network can transfer customers to GSM platform to make and receive voice calls and access voicemails while retaining the experience of ultra-fast data services on 4G smartphones.
Jagbir Singh, CTO and director – Network Services Group, Bharti Airtel, said: “At Airtel, it is our constant endevour to offer compelling service propositions to our customers. Bharti Airtel has the advantage of pan-India GSM and 3G networks and with the deployment of cutting edge CSFB functionality, we will have the flexibility of using either or both the networks to support voice services on our TD-LTE platform.
"The solution will enable our 4G customers to enjoy high-quality voice services on GSM network and ultra-fast data services on TD-LTE platform – thereby allowing them to have a unified experience on a 4G handset. Bharti Airtel has always been at the forefront in the Indian telecom revolution and now with Nokia Siemens Networks CSFB solution, we are pleased to provide leadership in setting another technology standard by introducing voice services to TD-LTE customers.”
Thorsten Robrecht, head of Mobile Broadband portfolio management at Nokia Siemens Networks, said: “This achievement of enabling world-first voice call fallback from TD-LTE to GSM in live network is yet another milestone in our efforts to strengthen the commercialization and deployment of TD-LTE technology globally. Our CSFB assures a successful and reliable mechanism for voice services alongside any LTE data service.”
TeliaSonera’s LTE roaming announcement highlights challenges facing operators
Steven Hartley, telco strategy analyst, Ovum
SPAIN: "TeliaSonera has announced that its Danish LTE customers can now roam on its Swedish network, which the operator is proclaiming as a European first. While any development in LTE roaming must be applauded, the time it has taken to reach such a seemingly underwhelming point speaks volumes about the inherent complexities of roaming and the challenges that remain.
“At first glance, the announcement that customers from a market that has had LTE for two years can roam to a network operated by the same company in a neighbouring country looks like nothing exciting. This is especially the case given that the industry is used to international roaming between continents and operators. However, this would be to ignore the progress made in 2G and 3G roaming, and hides the nascent state of the LTE market.
“Many challenges remain before LTE roaming becomes ubiquitous. On a global scale, there is spectrum fragmentation, although efforts such as those announced by Qualcomm last week will go a long way towards addressing this. Yet it is the operational perspective and bilateral nature of roaming deals that adds complexity and explains why this is an important stepping stone in the technology’s development.
“All of these issues manifest themselves in the commercial details of roaming tariffs. Can innovative mobile broadband tariffs be used abroad? Will pricing be limited to a per megabyte basis? How much will it cost to use LTE abroad? Unfortunately, TeliaSonera has not provided any answers in its announcement, but at least roaming has arrived.”
SPAIN: "TeliaSonera has announced that its Danish LTE customers can now roam on its Swedish network, which the operator is proclaiming as a European first. While any development in LTE roaming must be applauded, the time it has taken to reach such a seemingly underwhelming point speaks volumes about the inherent complexities of roaming and the challenges that remain.
“At first glance, the announcement that customers from a market that has had LTE for two years can roam to a network operated by the same company in a neighbouring country looks like nothing exciting. This is especially the case given that the industry is used to international roaming between continents and operators. However, this would be to ignore the progress made in 2G and 3G roaming, and hides the nascent state of the LTE market.
“Many challenges remain before LTE roaming becomes ubiquitous. On a global scale, there is spectrum fragmentation, although efforts such as those announced by Qualcomm last week will go a long way towards addressing this. Yet it is the operational perspective and bilateral nature of roaming deals that adds complexity and explains why this is an important stepping stone in the technology’s development.
“All of these issues manifest themselves in the commercial details of roaming tariffs. Can innovative mobile broadband tariffs be used abroad? Will pricing be limited to a per megabyte basis? How much will it cost to use LTE abroad? Unfortunately, TeliaSonera has not provided any answers in its announcement, but at least roaming has arrived.”
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