Strategic Analysis of the Enhanced Carrier Messaging Platform Markets

Frost & Sullivan

- Pub ID: MC1339118

Research Overview

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled Strategic Analysis of the Enhanced Carrier Messaging Platform Markets provides an in-depth analysis of the enhanced service platform (ESP) market trends, drivers, restraints, and challenges and also offers a market forecast and a detailed competitive analysis. In this research service, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine ESP solutions supporting a wide variety of services and capabilities including basic VM, UM, information services, and UC.

Market Sectors

Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:

By Enhanced Service Platform (ESP) Application:

Voice mail
Enhanced voice mail (with a voice activated dialing-speech interface)
Unified messaging
Unified communications
IP-based solutions

Any configurable user interface that enables carriers to customize their menus and extend services such as address book synchronization with Microsoft Exchange/Outlook or Lotus Notes, or even link the address book to the various messaging services.

Technologies

The following technologies are covered in this research:

Unified Messaging (UM): The integration of e-mail, fax, and voice messages, enabling end users to access any of these services through any endpoint device such as a cell phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or laptop PC. This definition is user-centric or, in other words, it encompasses solutions having either a single point of storage (unified architecture) or multiple message stores (integrated architecture).
Unified Communications (UC): A comprehensive set of services blending real-time communication features to a UM-based suite. UC extends the traditional store and forward messaging network by combining non-real time message exchange functions with new real-time communication methods such as call delivery and connectivity, live call management and notification, instant messaging (IM), and collaborative technologies.
Short Message Service (SMS): An application enabling a mobile endpoint to send or receive messages of up to 160 characters in Roman text. Messages can be stored when the subscriber’s cell phone is turned off and relayed once it is turned on again.
Multimedia Message Service (MMS): A next-generation wireless messaging standard that allows communication through graphics, picture, sound, and voice.
Call Completion: A service that notifies mobile users (via SMS) about the calls they missed while being unreachable. The users can then retrieve their messages from a next-generation VM solution.
Visual Voice Mail (VVM): VVM enables users to browse through, listen to, and manage their messages in a much more effective manner than mobile e-mail. Users can listen to their messages in any order and save and retrieve the messages via an easy-to-use graphic user interface (GUI).
"Partial UM": An integrated e-mail and VM solution, without fax capabilities, resembling VVM, except that it includes clients for fixed, mobile, and cable operators, and also richer, more sophisticated interfaces that allow end users to listen to and compose e-mails even on the go.

Market Overview

IP Technologies Enable the Development of Enhanced, Multi-purpose Messaging Platforms

The enhanced service platform (ESP) market is expected to boom as vendors develop advanced, IP-based solutions that enable carriers to increase revenues per user and differentiate themselves from their competitors. These next-generation products were envisioned as multi-functional platforms supporting various communications applications including IP voice mail (VM) and/or unified messaging (UM), speech-enabled information services, ring tone downloads, and even unified communications (UC). Limited penetration of wireline VM services and saturation of the mobile wireless subscriber base with basic VM services are likely to drive the adoption of advanced messaging solutions among mobile as well as wireline service providers.

With support for service offerings such as UM, voice-activated dialing, and information services, a configurable user interface, as well as UC and an array of other IP-based services, ESPs are strategically positioned to become carriers’ solution of choice over the next few years. "The key market drivers are capacity expansions, mostly due to net subscriber additions in emerging markets, and upgrades of the installed base," notes the analyst of this study. "The migration to advanced next-generation platforms has taken place gradually so far but is expected to accelerate in the next two years."

Migration to IP to Pick up Pace and Subsequently, Maximize ESP Market Potential

Since carriers still continue to prolong the life of their legacy VM systems, IP-based solutions have not gained the expected traction. Furthermore, companies’ unwillingness to relinquish control over legacy systems in favor of an open architecture and their greater focus on issues such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) integration have stalled growth in this sector. The ESP market growth closely mimics the progress made by IP telephony. When subscribers look to replace obsolete systems, they will consider next-generation platforms that offer more than just basic VM capabilities.

The demand for differentiated services and the unveiling of 3G services are expected to drive the ESP market to achieve its market potential. "The lower operational expenditure associated with next-generation IP-based solutions and the replacement cycle of the current VM installed base, which is aging rapidly, are also expected to facilitate the growth of the ESP market," notes the analyst. "Moreover, capacity expansions triggered by net mobile subscriber additions, particularly in emerging markets, and introduction of real-time features such as presence and location present further growth opportunities for the ESP market."

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