Facing threats from many angles, enterprise telecoms service providers are tending to pursue either an infrastructure-focused strategy (core network assets) or to expand their solutions to address evolving customer needs (moving up the value chain). Both are valid approaches but each requires different skill-sets: the former is focused on cost of delivery, fast connectivity/broad reach, and pricing. Solutions development involve proactively using technology hand-in-hand with partners and/or customers to achieve specific business goals.
The advantages of co-creation include closer customer relationships, the potential to create new (higher margin) revenue streams, and the ability to see a return on investment in Research & Development (moving from blue-sky to cash in the bank) and also the ability to leverage expensive human assets with valuable technical, software development, security, sales, marketing, and project planning skills. Partnering with third parties and enterprises is also advantageous in terms of culture as it can help open the talent base to new ideas and new ways of working.
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On the demand side, drivers work in parallel. Enterprises themselves are looking to exploit technology for product innovation and market differentiation. Other factors to be considered are corporate strategic goals and initiatives such as ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets.
Essential skills across the telecoms market
The co-creation trend is focused on business solutions, so is often predicated by the requirements of specific vertical sectors, regions, countries, or regulations. Initial bespoke solutions can often be developed, then productized over time to become more standardized offerings for the wider opportunity, extending from the B2B (Business-to-Business) to the B2B2B (Business-to-Business-to-Business) and B2B2C (Business-to-Business-to-Consumer) markets.
Some examples of co-created and co-developed propositions include: IoT for connected cows, smart cities, intelligent manufacturing, smart transport, advanced healthcare, digital agriculture, and environment management solutions. The list is already extensive and growing. As with any nascent trend, some service providers are ahead of others – but the direction of travel is clear. It is dependent on adroit management, vision, and culture: the ability to partner successfully on all sorts of levels has become an essential skill right across the telecoms market, alongside deep insight into the goals, challenges, and needs of enterprises to realize their commercial objectives through the successful exploitation of technology.
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