Telecoms in 2020: devices and platforms
Software architectures arising from the IT and Internet worlds will have profound effects on the way in which digital content and applications are delivered and consumed by users of mobile phones, Internet-enabled TVs and other connected devices between 2010 and 2020. These changes will provoke major power shifts across the value system that will profoundly affect the telecoms providers of today.
Executive summary
In a nutshell
Scope
Ovum view
Key messages
Recommendations for telcos
Devices and platforms in 2020: the broad view
Evolved web access becomes ubiquitous across devices
Pervasive web drives innovation into the cloud
Avoiding D2C disintermediation remains key to control
Vertical integration of devices, software and services marks the way
Management of devices and applications becomes key
Developer experience is just as important as user experience
Horizontal integration in the cloud dominates by 2020
Beyond MDP: platform as a service (PaaS)
PaaS brings many benefits to developers and consumers
MDP, PaaS and ‘smart enabler’ have much in common
‘Smart enablers’ can aspire to an MDP
Smart enabler does not equal PaaS
PaaS beyond software vendors and telcos
Digital citizens, adventurers and metics in an MDP and PaaS age
Geography also makes a difference
MDP-lite offers a solution for digital metics
Changing architecture of service delivery
Development timeline
Industry structure and player positioning
LEAN and SMART defined
Embracing computing realities is the key to ‘SMARTness’
Few providers will fully make this transition
MDP specialisation remains an option for some
New opportunities exist for those that succeed
This will not be an easy path for most carriers
‘LEANness’ brings its own benefits
Different platforms will continue to coexist
Brand power still dictates platform success
Content providers will choose which devices get access
Devices in the MDP and PaaS ages
Device OEMs gain greater freedom
Industry structure and player positioning timeline
Ubiquitous web access provokes value system changes
The changing value system of smartphones
Player positioning in the smartphone era (2000–2010)
Player positioning in the MDP era (2010–2016)
PaaS offers an alternative to MDP
In a nutshell
Scope
Ovum view
Key messages
Recommendations for telcos
Devices and platforms in 2020: the broad view
Evolved web access becomes ubiquitous across devices
Pervasive web drives innovation into the cloud
Avoiding D2C disintermediation remains key to control
Vertical integration of devices, software and services marks the way
Management of devices and applications becomes key
Developer experience is just as important as user experience
Horizontal integration in the cloud dominates by 2020
Beyond MDP: platform as a service (PaaS)
PaaS brings many benefits to developers and consumers
MDP, PaaS and ‘smart enabler’ have much in common
‘Smart enablers’ can aspire to an MDP
Smart enabler does not equal PaaS
PaaS beyond software vendors and telcos
Digital citizens, adventurers and metics in an MDP and PaaS age
Geography also makes a difference
MDP-lite offers a solution for digital metics
Changing architecture of service delivery
Development timeline
Industry structure and player positioning
LEAN and SMART defined
Embracing computing realities is the key to ‘SMARTness’
Few providers will fully make this transition
MDP specialisation remains an option for some
New opportunities exist for those that succeed
This will not be an easy path for most carriers
‘LEANness’ brings its own benefits
Different platforms will continue to coexist
Brand power still dictates platform success
Content providers will choose which devices get access
Devices in the MDP and PaaS ages
Device OEMs gain greater freedom
Industry structure and player positioning timeline
Ubiquitous web access provokes value system changes
The changing value system of smartphones
Player positioning in the smartphone era (2000–2010)
Player positioning in the MDP era (2010–2016)
PaaS offers an alternative to MDP
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Applications software and devices timeline to 2020
Table 1: Applications software and devices timeline to 2020
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: User experience and developer experience are closely related
Figure 2: 1980–1998: the changing relationship between device and telecoms network
Figure 3: 2002–2007: introduction of smartphones and managed device platforms
Figure 4: Device-side software will be democratised by 2020
Figure 5: Player positioning in the smartphone era
Figure 6: Player positioning in the managed device platform era
Figure 7: Evolving relationships for PaaS providers
Figure 1: User experience and developer experience are closely related
Figure 2: 1980–1998: the changing relationship between device and telecoms network
Figure 3: 2002–2007: introduction of smartphones and managed device platforms
Figure 4: Device-side software will be democratised by 2020
Figure 5: Player positioning in the smartphone era
Figure 6: Player positioning in the managed device platform era
Figure 7: Evolving relationships for PaaS providers
