Our study of 1,000 senior business leaders demonstrates the extent to which big data sources and technology are being adopted across different sectors and regions of the world. We explain the impact on businesses and markets and how the acquisition of data is breaking down traditional industry boundaries. We identify how businesses are adapting to deal with this and what organizations need to do to make big data work for them. Here we take a closer look at the findings in the Telecoms sector. http://www.capgemini.com/insights-data

1. Telecoms
Big & Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business
Capgemini view
Across the sector, we are seeing different types of communication services
providers (CSPs) taking different adoption strategies. Mobile Network Operators
(MNOs) need to leverage big data for optimizing network capacity to cope with
a phenomenal increase in data traffic, including that associated with the Internet
of Things (IoT), without comprising quality of service (QoS). Mobile Virtual
Network Operators (MVNOs) emphasize customer experience management, and
innovative personalized offers and bundles. Cable providers are investing in real-
time analytics and context-sensitive marketing. Network equipment vendors are
building service platforms for customer experience management.
All these companies are looking at big data technology as a way to generate
new sources of revenue. Many are in the process of choosing big data analytics
partners and suppliers. Proofs of concept are paving the way for the wider
strategic investments.
Obstacles that they need to overcome include silos that prevent seamless data
sharing – for example, the network engineering and operations team owns
equipment inventory and QoS/performance data and shares it on an ad hoc
basis when customer care departments need it to resolve problems. CSPs are
regulated by strong data protection and privacy laws that limit monetization
of data.
Mobile Network
Operators (MNOs)
need to leverage big
data for optimizing
network capacity to
cope with a
phenomenal increase
in data traffic

2. About
Capgemini
With almost 145,000 people in
over 40 countries, Capgemini
is one of the world’s foremost
providers of consulting,
technology and outsourcing
services. The Group reported 2014
global revenues of EUR 10.573
billion.
Together with its clients,
Capgemini creates and delivers
business and technology
solutions that fit their needs and
drive the results they want. A
deeply multicultural organization,
Capgemini has developed its own
way of working, the Collaborative
Business ExperienceTM
, and draws
on Rightshore®
, its worldwide
delivery model.
Learn more about us at
www.capgemini.com/insights-data
or contact us at
insights@capgemini.com
The information contained in this document is proprietary. ©2015 Capgemini.
All rights reserved. Rightshore®
is a trademark belonging to Capgemini.
Perception of big data as a disruptor
Disruption is a significant driving force in telco today and respondents have a
keen perception of the disruptive potential of big data. Close to half (46%) of telco
respondents (versus an average of 33%) had experienced disruption from existing
competitors developing new products and services over the past three years.
Looking ahead, 52% were expecting this type of disruption in the next three years
(compared with a norm of 34%). Telcos were also considerably more likely than
average to report experience and expectation of disruption from new competitors
moving in from other industries, which reflects the competitive and highly data-driven
nature of the industry.
Awareness of big data opportunities
As well as understanding the threats, telcos were aware of the opportunities.
Respondents in our study were more likely than average to agree strongly that big
data is becoming a revenue driver in its own right (telcos 34%, average 24%), and
that big data is enabling new revenue streams (telcos 38%, average 27%). The fact
that telcos favoured the latter idea more is consistent with the drive to monetize data
itself. On the same theme, telcos were much more likely than average to agree that
big data is becoming as valuable to their organization as products and services.
Real time is also a key driver – along with the engineering industry, telcos showed
the strongest support for the related idea that decision-makers need data in real time
(50% strong agreement compared with an average of 42%). They were also much
more likely to agree strongly that big data is a key enabler of their organization’s
effectiveness/competitiveness (telcos 38%, average 29%).
Implementation approach
About 84% of telcos (compared with just 71% overall) are already in some phase
of implementing big data technology. This progress is exceeded only by oil &
gas. As usual, the biggest group of respondents said they were in the process of
implementing big data. Investment is forefront: a high 62% of telcos (versus the
average of 56%) were expecting to increase investment in big data over the next
three years.
All this corresponds with our observation that CSPs are typically evaluating emerging
big data technologies and using them in specific areas like social media analytics,
but have yet to make them part of their mainstream IT.
Telcos appear to be ahead of most other industries in terms of the specific big data
technology and policies that their organizations have in place – only oil & gas and
engineering reported more activity. Our study showed that privacy had the highest
level of activity, followed by security and then data management and organizational
restructuring. Telcos were among the most likely organizations to say that they had
introduced new C-level roles such as Chief Data Officer.
As in other industries, the driver for the big data agenda that respondents mentioned
most often was IT. However, other drivers came relatively close, the next most
frequently mentioned being sales & marketing and business strategy. This probably
reflects the fact that telcos have identified specific business opportunities that
depend on big data – for example, extending their role in the IoT beyond providing
connectivity to include managed services and advanced analytics.
46%of telco respondents
had experienced
disruption from
existing competitors
developing new
products and
services over the
past three years