As mobile telecoms become more and more intertwined with the internet, we will continue to see new services and opportunities emerge, both in the B2B and B2C area, as a result of this growing interconnectivity.
Specialised technology companies with in-depth market knowledge will be the main force in driving the developments which will bridge the two sectors.
There are an increasing number of challenges involved in developing successful mobile technologies for any market. Those companies able to co-operate, adapt and see the complexities of the industry - which often means working with partners to gain the necessary insight and skill set - will lead the pack in 2015.
We can expect to see increased efforts, both by app developers and enterprises, as well as mobile network operators to increase the number of mobile services offered to the public. With a greater emphasis on collaboration, this is where mobile operators will continue to reclaim their crucial position in the mobile ecosystem.
Partnerships between specialised technology companies and service providers bringing a wealth of industry knowledge will continue to form and in turn help shape new mobile services for both enterprises and their end users. International telecommunications resources are huge, and there’s plenty of scope to use them for enterprise, security and professional purposes, in developed and developing markets alike.
The extra flexibility operators will gain from partnerships, will not only allow them to identify areas for growth, but also swiftly develop the solutions required to do so. Such co-operation has the capacity to impact all levels and processes – strategy, marketing, sales, technological and business development, resulting in real monetisation opportunities and gains.
The further monetisation of A2P SMS messaging, much discussed in 2014, will come from top performing technologies and proprietary messaging networks which the industry has already developed. Perfected in terms of coverage, processing, delivery, features and functions, they are able to serve a global user base, and simple to connect to. This powerful capability, paired with availability will boost the growth of A2P SMS messaging, as it becomes the foundation of enterprise mobile communication, engagement, security and authentication.
Given the security breaches of 2014, it’s clear that many online services and their customers are questioning the ability of the username-password solution to provide adequate online security. In particular, internet businesses and mobile apps with a large international user base, whose challenge is to move beyond username and password and offer an additional layer of security via 2-factor authentication, will drive the demand for SMS based security solutions. In using mobile phones and A2P SMS messages, businesses tap into the ubiquity and global reach of SMS to provide extra security in only a few simple steps.
Silvio Kutic is the CEO of Infobip.
