Pipeline Publishing, Volume 5, Issue 3

	This Month's Issue:
	Unlocking the Power of Web 2.0

The Once and Future Web

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bound to put a choke on downstream traffic, but may place a strain on upstream traffic, as well.

Another element to consider is that web 2.0 traffic isn't just going from the server to the laptop anymore. Mobile devices were already moving in the direction of facilitating new and different web activity before devices like the iPhone came around to kick it up a notch. Social networking sites are fully accessible while on the move, and a user so inclined can eat through some serious data while on the train or in a waiting room.

New and better handsets are making a difference. Sites like Facebook are optimized for smart phones. User behavior is actually changing as new and better devices hit the market. There are many examples of users who have never bothered with mobile data getting their hands on an iPhone and turning into youTube fanatics and mobile bloggers and Twitter junkies.

And Web 2.0 isn't just for the social networking and videos-of-dogs-skateboarding crowd. Corporate uses of Web 2.0 are growing constantly. Joshua Levine wrote in a Jan 2008 blog post about how Web 2.0 has taken off in a corporate environment. Referring to a ChangeWave study, Levine writes that 39% of those surveyed report that their company is very or somewhat willing to use Web 2.0 social software for business purposes. And why not? Web 2.0 apps give the ability to improve collaboration and efficiency internally and support and awareness externally.

SaaS/cloud computing is also big news that can get lumped into the same category. (You can read lots more about cloud computing in the article by Wedge Greene and Trevor Hayes of LTC, International in this month's issue entitled "Cloud Control," so I certainly won't further belabor the point here.)

On another level, there's also the direct collision of Web 2.0 and telecommunications to consider: The telecom mashup. Much ink has been artfully spilled here in Pipeline about mashups, which are the combination of service elements from multiple sources into a single, integrated user experience. When telecommunications companies embrace the spirit of Web 2.0 and go after mashups, you end up with the sort of beautiful telecom stories that involve, for example, a user receiving a text message from a friend about dinner and a movie, accompanied by an ad for a local theater and a nearby restaurant, which is mapped from the users location. That sort of complete experience.

And Web 2.0 isn't just for the social networking and videos-of-dogs-skateboarding crowd. Corporate uses of Web 2.0 are growing constantly.

Making Money

Web 2.0 can be a drag to some SPs at first glance. It eats up tons of bandwidth, and the most popular web apps are low/no cost and coming from third party providers. The over-the-top providers are making their revenue on ads and not sharing that with the providers.

However, there are options. The telecom provider, through OSS/BSS resources, has a wealth of information about the user's location and tendencies. This information can be leveraged and monetized to create ad revenue.

Furthermore, awareness of user behavior can allow service providers to offer premium services to users who use specific services heavily and regularly. How many users would pay a modest premium to ensure they have all the bandwidth they need when they need it? Furthermore, money saved is money earned. Through proactive OSS/BSS, service providers can prioritize traffic and minimize abuse by bandwidth hogs.

Charging and billing models need to be kept up to snuff to ensure that all of this activity is properly funded. Real-time charging is key. Charging solutions like the one HP just rolled out will allow telecoms to keep ever-more-accurate tabs on what mobile services are being used and how much money can be gleaned from the usage of those services.

In short, OSS/BSS can enable companies to maintain and capitalize upon the traffic visibility that they alone can enjoy, and use that visibility to make sure that traffic for cutting edge services is supported, maintained, rated, billed, and prioritized form start to finish.

By embracing the possibilities of Web 2.0, telecommunications companies are simply conceding that the online world has changed and will continue to change. Can it be unwieldy to welcome the new and different services? Sure. It certainly can be. However, to rail against the inevitable is an exercise in futility. By enabling and capitalizing on Web 2.0, and continuing to do so when the whole shebang morphs into what some will surely call Webs 3.0, 4.0, and beyond, telecommunications companies are proving that flexibility is wise and lucrative.

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