Ultra-connectivity and software-driven innovation have catalysed a comms industry revolution, ushering in a new era of high value integration and automation opportunities, writes FuseGenie Strategic Advisor Paul Cunningham.
We are in the middle of a transformative era in the communications landscape... a seismic shift towards ultra-fast connectivity coupled with the advent of ground breaking software innovations in products and services fuelled by a combination of cloud, automation and AI technologies. Integration and automation as precursors to wider AI adoption are now pivotal trends, enabling both partners and competitors to forge new revenue streams and elevate their customers’ experiences. Staying competitive by seizing these opportunities hinges on recognising and adapting to the key trends, which are strategic concerns for communication service providers and their allies.
Integration and automation as precursors to wider AI adoption are pivotal trends
In a world increasingly shaped by the capabilities of software, the demand for software-based infrastructure and applications that seamlessly interconnect (device to device, team to team and business to business) is escalating. This software integration can expedite time-to-revenue for new products, enhance customer experiences and reduce friction and latency in business processes, making an effective integration strategy paramount for communication providers.
Optimal returns
For example, growing a fibre network business relies not just on customer and partner acquisition and retention, but on vigilant monitoring of operational efficiency to guarantee optimal returns on capacity and service investments. Whether a seasoned fibre operator or a newcomer to the field, rapid service delivery and swift incident resolution are non-negotiable for customers and partners. Outmoded systems and disjointed IT frameworks can lead to substantial delays, compromised customer experiences and billing inaccuracies.
Interactions among wholesale fibre operators and their partners are often labour intensive and prone to error, bogged down by manual processes, creating a ‘swivel chair’ workplace for sales teams as they navigate countless spreadsheets, portals and applications to even generate a basic quote. Automating these essential business processes bridges the gap with operating platforms and facilitates carrier interoperability, leading to swifter market entry and streamlined customer journeys.
Greater autonomy
With automation handling the day-to-day mundane tasks, teams can direct their focus toward more meaningful and satisfying activities, leading to heightened employee morale and greater partner and customer satisfaction. What’s more, the same integration approach can empower customers and partners by granting them the autonomy to configure, quote and order offerings independently, utilising the tools they already know and love (or at least tolerate!).
An astute strategy for integration and automation places your data and processes at the core of existing systems, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum customer engagement – and will provide a solid foundation on which to build the inevitable AI-based future.