By: Mattias Fridstrom
In the world of network operators and carriers, customer experience (CX) was, for a long time, thought of only in terms of the data going down the fibers: was it reliable and fast
enough? But the world of CX is changing. In the same way that customers’ use of data has evolved, there are now much higher expectations around CX. And CX really matters because it has
never been easier than it is today for customers to move to another provider. Defining CX around something as simplistic as reliability and performance is a huge mistake…
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By: Steve Campbell
Customer experience may be a familiar term—but depending on the context and who is using it, the exact definition may differ. Communication service providers (CSPs) have focused on customer
experience, with complete teams and processes assigned to properly evaluate and maintain specific levels of service. This article focuses on areas in which additional value can be provided that
will have an immediate impact on customer experience, primarily through self-service mechanisms. The concept is illustrated through new use cases that resulted in changes to the way people work and
live, and the new cloud architectures afforded by multi-access edge compute…
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By: Matthew Ray, Dan Wagner
These truths we hold to be self-evident: communications service providers (CSPs) are constantly looking for ways to improve operational support systems and business support systems for clients.
Customers increasingly demand a seamless experience that quickly results in the service or product they want. If the customer experience is not described as exactly ‘enjoyable,’ it must be
described as ‘smooth,’ or churn will result. With the focus on providing the best efficiency options to customers, it’s not a great surprise that the human connection can be buried under the
relentless drift of technical tools and touchpoints…
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By: Ramu Bodathula, Helen Jiang
Digital transformation has been at the center of broadband service provider efforts for several years now, and yet very few are realizing the fruits of the time, energy, and resources they’ve
invested. According to McKinsey, failure rates for digital transformation projects in the industry are estimated to be as high as 70 percent. Perhaps unsurprisingly, operators are still struggling
to deliver truly easy, intuitive, and accurate experiences for customers. With the confluence of unprecedented government subsidies to expand high-performance broadband to the underserved, the
rapid pace of innovation in access network technologies and the influx of new entrants, established providers are running out of time to transform their operations…
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By: Chantel Cary
The communications industry has changed drastically over the last decade, from the introduction of mobile apps to the shift toward a digital-first economy and the explosion of data that has
followed it. The way communications service providers (CSPs) charge for services, however, has not evolved much over the years. Today’s consumers are typically charged based on the amount of data
(or minutes or text messages) they consume or pay a flat rate for unlimited plans. In the modern era of the communications industry, this model has become untenable for CSPs and consumers
alike…
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By: Shane Menking
The digital infrastructure industry has seen tremendous growth, fueled even further by the many resources that helped support businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the demand for
cloud-based applications continues to grow, solutions for cloud computing, SaaS, ecommerce, gaming, and video services remain in high demand. As a result, hyperscale data centers are beginning to
play a major role in everyday business IT operations to support the IT infrastructure of our digital world. According to a report from Synergy Research Group, more than 100 new hyperscale data
center facilities were built in 2020…
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By: Tim Nice
If we were to analyze network management, and its related tools and user experience (UX), transportation provides an interesting analogy, especially concerning ‘how you drive’ when likened to
network management options and experiences. Console or command line interfaces might be laughable when compared to a horse, but the ‘hands-on’ nature of the comparison works. As we evolve from
left-to-right, from that of a carriage, automobile, self-driving, and then a drone, flying car or similar, the corollary to network management follows as the UX becomes less dependent on manual
human interaction…
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By: Rob Doucette
Two years into the pandemic era, it’s clear that the hybrid workplace model is here to stay. And along with new opportunities, it brings new challenges. Recent EMA Research found 82 percent of
IT leaders view Microsoft 365 (M365) as mission critical or of high importance. The research also noted that 21 percent state an outage has a critical impact on the organization to the degree that
business productivity grinds to a halt. What is almost as shocking is that just 10 percent report having proactive or end-to-end views of these critical applications…
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By: Ryan Jaeger
Historically, societal standards mandate asking permission before intruding and invading privacy. Strangers and friends alike knock before entering the sanctuary of our homes. We can choose
whether we answer our phones, listen to voicemail messages, or return calls. We can unlock driveway gates only for those we know, trust or who approach by invitation. These are long accepted as
courteous privacy protocols. Yet, there is a marked disconnect between those societal protocols and what is currently practiced by many technology and e-commerce companies and applications
regarding personal habits in our online spaces: exploiting data about those habits and actions…
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By: Hamish White
The value of good CX has long been recognized, but nothing has sparked fundamental change in CX approaches as much as the COVID-19 pandemic. A shift to remote practices across all elements of
society has permanently changed consumer behaviors and expectations, increasing their appetite for digital. So, not surprisingly, a recent survey conducted by Capgemini revealed that 41 percent of
telcos claimed improving online customer experience is now their top priority. Offering customers a seamless, intuitive online experience is essential for telcos looking to thrive in the digital
era…
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By: Scott St. John - Pipeline
Customers are a fickle bunch, and managing the customer experience (CX) can be a challenge. On one hand, providing a superior CX is a necessity to avoid churn and establish a solid brand.
But on the other hand, CX can be tough, expensive, and can be counterproductive to growth if done improperly. Around the turn of the century, VoIP telephone service was just beginning to take
off. One of the leading VoIP providers, Sunrocket had an all or nothing CX strategy. Founded by executives from then telecom-giant MCI, they threw everything at it…
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By: Jara Kern, Pipeline
Meet me in the metaverse? By 2026, according to new insights from Gartner, at least 25 percent of us will be spending an hour a day shopping, working, and socializing in a new digital reality.
This shift—and others—will drive us to new frontiers in customer experience, which is of course the focus of this month’s issue. We’ve rounded up all the latest on CX to keep you current. The top
telecom industry news stories from the month are summarized below. To view all the news as it breaks, check out Pipeline’s News Center or subscribe to receive our telecom industry news
summary…
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