UMA rides again...
UMA has been on the blogs again recently. The opinions vary from Andrew Orlowski on El Reg saying it will be the death of Skype and Vonage, to Martin Geddes saying that's 'utter bollocks' and UMA isn't sensible or practical.
Well, the truth, I suspect, lies somewhere in between...
UMA could be the saviour of the mobile operators, allowing them to counter the spread of VoIP tools onto the handsets. If they do nothing, then they will surely lose out to the VoIP clients, because, as Martin says, 'Skype != telephony, It’s got other, useful, stuff'
But Martin goes on to say that he doesn't think Mobile Operators would be able to roll out a coherent IP strategy, whereas I think they have to do it, otherwise their mobile customers will rapidly go the way of the fixed line customers. There's no doubt that making UMA work properly isn't going to be a piece of cake, but mobile operators have enjoyed a bit of schadenfreude for too long about their fixed cousins fortunes, they didn't expect to be under threat themselves so soon.
UMA could be a sucess, if the mobile operators started buying up WiFi operators and made calling when in a hotspot an equivalent cost to VoIP applications. Consumers don't like complication, so not having to think about switching between 3G and VoIP will be one very good reason why UMA would be preferable to having 2 different identities (I say identities rather than phone numbers).
Now, this will obviously eat into mobile operators revenue fairly substantially, but at least it would remove some of the reasons for churn.
So in summary, here's a short list of questions and answers for the Mobile guys, so they can save their businesses in the long term:
If I was any other Mobile Operator, I would be looking seriously at a buyout or deep partnership with a major IP player. Services like shozu and mxit are how MMS and SMS should be evolving, but why have they not?
UMA is not a defensive move, it is an opportunity to embrace IP without losing your customers, take it while you still can.
Well, the truth, I suspect, lies somewhere in between...
UMA could be the saviour of the mobile operators, allowing them to counter the spread of VoIP tools onto the handsets. If they do nothing, then they will surely lose out to the VoIP clients, because, as Martin says, 'Skype != telephony, It’s got other, useful, stuff'
But Martin goes on to say that he doesn't think Mobile Operators would be able to roll out a coherent IP strategy, whereas I think they have to do it, otherwise their mobile customers will rapidly go the way of the fixed line customers. There's no doubt that making UMA work properly isn't going to be a piece of cake, but mobile operators have enjoyed a bit of schadenfreude for too long about their fixed cousins fortunes, they didn't expect to be under threat themselves so soon.
UMA could be a sucess, if the mobile operators started buying up WiFi operators and made calling when in a hotspot an equivalent cost to VoIP applications. Consumers don't like complication, so not having to think about switching between 3G and VoIP will be one very good reason why UMA would be preferable to having 2 different identities (I say identities rather than phone numbers).
Now, this will obviously eat into mobile operators revenue fairly substantially, but at least it would remove some of the reasons for churn.
So in summary, here's a short list of questions and answers for the Mobile guys, so they can save their businesses in the long term:
Do I really have to start selling DSL, or partnering with someone who does? - Yes, no choice, but at least WiFi routers are cheaper than mobiles!
And access to WiFi hotspots in public places, I'm going to need them too? - Yep, no choice, you need a WiFi network to deliver the services that the VoIP guys are going to be giving!
Do I have to make UMA calls substantially cheaper than 3G calls? - Yes, no choice, if you don't then people will use VoIP wherever there's WiFi! (or make 3G calls the same as Voip calls for a really bold move!)
Do I have to start providing extra IP services, like messaging, file transfer, presence etc, all at much less than my business plan said I was going to? - Yes, no choice, if you don't, then you will lose customers to those services that do!
Why don't I just make the handset manufacturers hardwire everything to my network? - Call them up, see if they like the idea... You may find you have less control over them than you think.
All in all, UMA will be a bitter pill for the mobile operators to swallow. It is, however, better than seeing their customers exercising their right not to pay inflated charges for calls, by making them on someone elses network. (Of course, as I have said before, T-Mobile is in a better position than most, but clearly doesn't 'get it' yet).And access to WiFi hotspots in public places, I'm going to need them too? - Yep, no choice, you need a WiFi network to deliver the services that the VoIP guys are going to be giving!
Do I have to make UMA calls substantially cheaper than 3G calls? - Yes, no choice, if you don't then people will use VoIP wherever there's WiFi! (or make 3G calls the same as Voip calls for a really bold move!)
Do I have to start providing extra IP services, like messaging, file transfer, presence etc, all at much less than my business plan said I was going to? - Yes, no choice, if you don't, then you will lose customers to those services that do!
Why don't I just make the handset manufacturers hardwire everything to my network? - Call them up, see if they like the idea... You may find you have less control over them than you think.
If I was any other Mobile Operator, I would be looking seriously at a buyout or deep partnership with a major IP player. Services like shozu and mxit are how MMS and SMS should be evolving, but why have they not?
UMA is not a defensive move, it is an opportunity to embrace IP without losing your customers, take it while you still can.
1 Comments:
Mmmm... I didn't say UMA was bollocks. Just that the idea that one UMA handset from Nokia was somehow going to bring Skype and Vonage crashing down.
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