The report highlights the need for CSPs to have BI tools tailored to their unique requirements, such as the complexity and amount of network information with which CSPs are presented and their operational objectives.  Cotrupe identifies the main reasons why CSPs need business intelligence, and goes on to describe the areas in which providers can benefit from business intelligence.  He states, “BI inspires billions of dollars in spending because implementing BI offers many business benefits.  In CSP environments, those benefits are most keenly felt in areas such as Network & Operations, Products & Marketing, Core Customer Data, Customer Experience Management (CEM), Billing and Revenue Assurance.”

The report then switches gears, examining the marketplace for solutions that address the needs of CSPs, saying, “In our continuing research and analysis of the market, we have identified a company, Sandvine, with a range of solutions that can deliver CSP-focused BI and that should eliminate any CSP excuses re: ‘BI is important, but BI providers don’t understand our business.’”

The report states that Sandvine “positions itself as providing Intelligent Broadband Networks through network policy control, and offers only one product with Analytics in its name; but CSPs who choose its full solution suite go a long way toward implementing a full-bore CSP BI solution.”

Cotrupe goes on to describe our business intelligence product suite, including the award-winning Network Analytics product and our Network Demographics reporting interface.  While describing Network Analytics and the product’s capabilities and dashboards, he pays particular attention to Real-Time Entertainment Dashboard, saying, “What we like even more about the Real-Time Entertainment Dashboard is that it…can help CSPs implement a strategy to deal with video that fits smoothly into their larger strategy of implementing CSP-specific BI.”

Stratecast will be covering the full Business Intelligence space for CSPs in future reports and, based on Cotrupe’s initial report on Sandvine, we eagerly anticipate the full analysis. In particular, it will be interesting to note whether the offerings of any other network policy control vendors would have been substantial enough to make the cut.

Here’s a little-known background story to our Network Analytics product: more than three years ago, we recognized the enormous potential that network business intelligence offered CSPs, as we directly heard many of the same issues and complaints that Cotrupe identified in his report. For more than a year we worked closely with several globally-recognizable operators to develop and test the product that became Network Analytics.  Almost two years after its release, Network Analytics remains the only true analytics platform designed for CSPs by a company that specializes in serving CSPs, and in those two years our customers have enjoyed remarkable insight and business intelligence that their peers and competitors lack.

Through his detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing CSPs and the market for BI solutions, Cotrupe came to the conclusion that “…for CSPs still hesitating about when and how to implement BI, Stratecast cannot recommend more strongly that the time is now, and Sandvine offers viable answers to the question of how.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

In order to perform deep video optimization, you have to be able to identify and modify the elementary IP traffic stream. Foremost, to identify video, you need to accurately recognize all IP protocols that are used for transmission. This is no easy task, as the list of protocols continues to evolve: RTSP, RTP, RTMP, Flash, MPEG, as well as peercasting (PPStream, Octoshape), placeshifting (Slingbox), and specific streaming sites and services (Netflix, NCAA, Hulu, YouTube, Google Video, BBC iPlayer). Not all vendors are able to identify and classify the full suite of IP protocols. For instance, given Apple’s lack of support for flash, YouTube has been forced to support two different video types: HTML5 and Adobe Flash. In a mobile network, the HTML5 tends to dominate given the smartphone mix of the devices.
From our Internet Phenomena report, we know that Netflix and YouTube are the top two contributors of video traffic volume in mobile and fixed networks. After these big two, there is still a fair amount of traffic from numerous other video content providers, but it is a very long tail so the net value of optimizing such traffic goes down substantially (i.e. lots of effort/processing with little gain). Netflix encrypts its video traffic using Digital Rights Management (DRM) techniques, so that data stream cannot be modified. On the other hand, YouTube today is transmitted using HTTP (in the clear); however, there is a movement towards encryption using HTTPS, and Google has announced it will begin implementing HTTPS as default for its searches.

Next, is the issue of modification of the video traffic stream, or more specifically, the macro-blocks by which the content is delivered. This typically takes the form of pacing, transrating, or transcoding. A lot of the value of video optimization comes from re-pacing of video, which is similar to IP traffic shaping with awareness of the video buffer (sending packets at a slower rate). This method too is being supplanted by new methods being adopted on the server side. For example, YouTube is implementing their own re-pacing – it’s actually in their interest since it means lower server costs and lower bandwidth costs for them. So, a video optimization platform needs to go beyond pacing, and provide network, device- and content-aware transrating (changing the video bit rate) and transcoding (changing the video format), depending on the actual conditions. This ensures that subscriber quality is maximized for the given conditions.

Lastly, when selecting a video optimization provider, the investment needs to provide a secure foundation for continuing value-add services for the operator, such as:

• content caching to eliminate costly and time-consuming retrieval of video from centralized content servers
• the ability to splice in advertisements for incremental revenue
• content filtering to safeguard the subscriber’s viewing choices
• capacity to perform optimization at the high scale needed in growing mobile networks

So, if you’re on the lookout to deploy video optimization techniques, make sure that you have a clear view of the capabilities that will provide you the optimal solution which can deliver the benefits you’re seeking.

It was a pleasure to meet both Amanda and Kevin, and as you can tell from the video embedded below, and Dave’s visit with them last year, they certainly know their stuff.

Some of the things we chatted about include:

• The growth of Real-Time Entertainment on mobile networks
• How the popularity of  Revenue Replacement Apps such as WhatsApp are impacting the bottom line of mobile operators
• What billing models make the most sense for fixed and mobile networks

As with many TV productions, the online video is protected by DRM – in addition to preventing in-stream optimization, it means that we can’t give you a link to the beginning of my segment, so you will have to skip ahead manually to the 48 minute and 50 second mark.

The focus of last week’s Policy Control conference in Amsterdam was “Manage, Monetise and Optimize Broadband Traffic with Policy Control and Real-Time Charging.”  As this is one of my favorite topics to discuss, I was delighted to present a pre-conference workshop called “The Eye of the Data Storm:  Integrated Network Analytics, Policy Decision and Policy Enforcement.”

I’ll get into the presentation’s key take-aways in a moment, but as I am of Latin blood and love passionate discussions, I’m going to diverge for a second here to address the fact that many of the advanced real-time charging use-cases I spoke of can be implemented simply with Sandvine’s distributed policy engine and charging (e.g. OCS) network elements, without requiring a PCRF in the middle (thus incurring additional cost and complexity). As we say around here at Sandvine, “if an element is not adding value it will only add latency”. This fact is something our competitors failed to mention in their show presentations, maybe because they’re missing needed functionality?

In my workshop, I discussed the benefits of network business intelligence for operators – namely increasing ARPU, as well deferring CAPEX and decreasing OPEX.  Using the same traffic classification technology used for the creation of our recently released Internet traffic trends report (Global Internet Phenomena Report 1H2012), Sandvine is able to give operators detailed insight into their own network trends. How would you like to know what Netflix or YouTube consumption is on your network?  What’s up with WhatsApp?  What is the quality of streaming video in your network?  What devices, applications or over-the-top services are creating the most demand on your network?

In my workshop I also shared an example of how Sandvine spearheaded the roll-out of an award-winning tiered, application-based service plan that isn’t based simply on quota usage.  These plans zero-rate low-bandwidth applications, such as email and social networking, and offer unlimited access to those applications at a reduced, fixed rate, thus providing the consumer with price certainty. Such plans are sustainable and profitable for the ISP because, despite the unlimited use of the associated applications, they are created through our Network Analytics product allowing for the accurate assessment of the data network volumes consumed by subscribers that guarantees the correct cost modeling for carriers.

I must not forget to mention and share the spotlight with our other show presenter, Bo Dines Larson (see his pic below), who discussed “Obtaining and Realising the Value of Real-Time Cell-Level Awareness: How to Make Policy Control Responsive to Dynamic Network Congestion”.  His presentation covered how mobile operators can use network intelligence to predict where and when congestion will occur, how policy control alleviates cell-level congestion and how to leverage network intelligence to predict usage patterns and consumer behavior. 

Another noteworthy show mention has to do with lively discussions (again my favorite!) following a keynote speech by a member of the EU parliament on the topic of Net Neutrality.  Sandvine has always been very involved in the topic of Net Neutrality and in fact, is called upon regularly to consult with global government bodies such as the FCC, CRTC and EC.  For more information on our work in this field, please visit our website or read a previous entry on the topic. 

I’m running out of space here and was told to keep my post to 4-5 paragraphs, but there are other topics I covered in my presentation that I won’t have time to discuss here such as: the role of standards compliance, LTE deployment requirements, future-proofed architecture and content delivery network alternatives.  Want to touch base?!  I’d love to hear from you and learn about the challenges you face in your network … this time I’ll let you do most of the talking. 

In Sandvine’s Global Internet Phenomena Report: 1H 2012 you will find the latest mobile facts, fads and future trends, which include:

• YouTube is the largest source of mobile video traffic in every region examined, accounting for as much as 25% of network data (see figure 1 below)
• Instant messaging applications like WhatsApp continue to enjoy widespread adoption while eating into SMS revenue; for example, on a mobile network serving one million subscribers, an average of 7.6 million WhatsApp messages were sent per day
• With smartphone ownership increasing, mobile devices usage on fixed networks, aka “Home Roaming”, is driving a significant amount of traffic.  In total, 28% of all YouTube traffic in North America goes to mobile devices being used in the home over a fixed network
• Streaming audio accounts for over 6% of total traffic in some regions, with much of that traffic occurring outside peak hours as subscribers listen to music during the day
• Click to cloud: phones generate big content as casual photos are automatically uploaded

While mobile networks were the focus of our research, fixed access networks also got their fair share of examination.  Just some of the topics discussed in the report include an update on how Netflix is fairing across the globe; why we may see more service providers start their own CDNs; and what Storage and Back-Up Service has filled the traffic void left by Megaupload (hint: it’s not (yet) Google Drive).

Like with our previous reports, we are also releasing several Global Internet Phenomena Spotlights that provide a deeper dive into trends we are seeing on different access technologies around the world, including:

• Asia-Pacific, Fixed Access
• Asia-Pacific, Mobile Access
• Europe, Fixed Access
• Latin America, Fixed Access
• Latin America, Mobile Access
• North America, Fixed Access
• North America, Mobile Access

We hope you enjoy reading these reports as much as we enjoy putting them together. For those of you who don’t have the time today to read all of our reports, we have also put together an infographic and video that should bring you up to speed on the latest mobile matters.

(Article as appeared in March 2012 print edition of Internet Telephony Magazine.) 

Internet consumers are spending more time using Internet applications for activities such as streaming mobile video that require a high quality network. Sandvine’s Fall 2011 Global Internet Phenomena Report revealed the use of video and real-time entertainment applications are on the rise, now accounting for 60% of peak downstream traffic.  This environment creates new challenges and opportunities for Internet service providers.

The good news is that service providers now have business intelligence tools to help manage the explosion of mobile trends and are in a unique position to mine an unparalleled amount of information about how and when the Internet is being used that can enable monetization their networks through creative marketing programs.

The core enabling technology for network business intelligence is Network Policy Control, which supports all access technologies and can identify subscriber, application and location information.  For an ISP to truly reap the benefits of network insight, the data must also be analyzed quickly and efficiently to present the actionable, real-time intelligence that is critical to effective business decision-making. 

To help ISPs with video specifically, Sandvine added a “Real-Time Entertainment Dashboard” to its library of Network Analytics dashboards.  The new dashboard provides business intelligence that is particularly relevant to streaming audio and video traffic from providers such as Netflix, YouTube and Spotify, including measurements regarding the quality of the video experience, the viewing duration, and the associated revenue generated by the adoption of over-the-top services.

The move towards measuring quality, time, adoption and revenue metrics for real-time entertainment applications is revolutionary to the industry, and has numerous benefits for both ISPs and broadband subscribers.  Other solutions in the marketplace merely measure video byte consumption, which is the product of factors like video resolution, codec and duration, combined with the number and duration of videos actually viewed by subscribers.  Sandvine’s dashboard measures and reports on these fundamental metrics individually, providing insight for CSPs into the quality achieved per network location, per time of day, and per device type; leading to more informed network operations decisions. 

Sandvine’s Real-Time Entertainment Dashboard also quantifies the subscriber’s Quality of Experience (QoE) using a patent pending QoE metric based on observable factors, like start latency, buffer stalls, resolution downshifts due to lack of bandwidth, as well as resolution compared to the capability of the device.  This provides an unparalleled holistic view of transport quality in combination with presentation quality and enables the service provider to ensure customers a great QoE, thus reducing subscriber churn.

Sandvine’s ability to provide complete network business intelligence insight, including mobile device awareness is also being increasingly used by innovative providers as the basis to create and market new, more profitable service plans.  Device awareness determines which devices are generating the Internet traffic, e.g. smartphone, tablet, PC, video game console.   A  network policy control system provides the full context awareness that is required by  the ISP to gain visibility into what impact applications and devices are having on network resources, and to develop new revenue streams based on that information.

For example, marketing departments can deliver personalized campaigns tailored to subscribers using tablets to watch movies in real-time, who may choose a service tier that assures QoE, prioritizing video streaming over other applications and providing lower latencies.  Such “Movie Buff” service level agreements could be based on device-type as well as on bandwidth and usage quotas that are optimized for video streaming.

Intelligent redirection to video optimization platforms based on device type, as well as type of media being consumed, is another way to leverage device awareness and ensures that the most suitable media optimization policy is applied. For example, there is no point in sending high definition video to client devices that are not equipped for it.  Optimization techniques include client buffer management, application aware bandwidth allocation, network aware video rate adaptation, and intelligent caching.

Mobile video trends are only going to gain momentum as devices become more sophisticated and bandwidth-hungry.  At the same time, Internet broadband penetration is reaching nearly half the population in mature markets, so service providers cannot depend primarily on new subscribers alone as a source of revenue growth.  By applying the principles of network policy control and business intelligence, broadband providers are able to defer capital investment, reduce operating expenses and increase revenue by capitalizing on marketing opportunities.

The members of the Rural Cellular Association aptly brand themselves as “The Competitive Carriers Association”.  This collaborative group of USA Tier 2/3 wireless operators band together to compete with the large Tier 1 carriers and are not ones to be left behind in the back woods of technology.  The theme for the Global Expo last week in Orlando was “Connecting Communities in a 4G World” and any and all issues surrounding LTE deployment were key topics throughout the conference.  Sprint and Cricket opened the welcome general session, in presenting their LTE rollout plans as well as opportunities for partnerships in sharing of spectrum and other network resources.

The state of the industry was best summed up in the closing general session, when moderator Sue Marek from Fierce Markets asked the panel of CEOs from MTPCS, C Spire Wireless and Atlantic Tele-Network how they compete in the mobile marketplace, and responses included:

• investment in LTE technology to “keep up with the G’s”
• differentiation on better subscriber value, e.g. simplified prepaid and postpaid billing options
• localization of customer service
• broader coverage of rural areas
• innovation in service plan offerings, e.g. recommendation of apps based on subscriber preferences

On the flip side, the panelists also spoke of their overriding issues.  Although smaller operators tend to be perceived as being late to the broadband data party, it is not due to lack of innovative thinking.  More often than not, the timelines for their strategies are constrained by spectrum availability, device manufacturer exclusivity arrangements with larger carriers (many Tier2/3s have just recently started offering smartphones and iphones to their subscriber base), and the level of OPEX required to satisfy backhaul and roaming needs.

In line with the 4G theme, as part of the conference sessions, I presented on the topic of “Proactive measures for smooth data charging migration to LTE” along with our customer ClearSky.  Diversified charging models are the key to differentiation, because they build up customer satisfaction and loyalty, while simultaneously providing the operator with sustained profitability.  Popular examples, which can be enabled by Network Policy Control, include family data plans, unified billing across multiple devices, and application-based service tiers that provide unlimited access to data applications that are valued the most, for a fixed monthly fee.

The beauty of policy control is that policy charging infrastructure migrates seamlessly to LTE, given it supports the 3GPP Release8+ standards.  So investment today in the capability to do subscriber, application, device and context-aware charging is future-proofed for LTE.  Furthermore, the gathered statistics provide the credible data source for Network Analytics and a window into subscriber usage trends, so operators can be proactive in designing charging models that align with those usage trends and appeal to subscribers.

The RCA Exhibit Hall was a friendly environment, conducive to casual discussions while enjoying refreshments in a comfortable venue.  I was delighted to discuss the developments in policy control with a number of visitors to our booth, and how they can leverage those capabilities for optimal decision making, whether for data charging models or LTE migration.  And am happy to continue those discussions in this blog forum also… is the 4.5G wave in the near horizon for your network?

This week, Sandvine participated in the CableLabs Winter Conference in Philadelphia. Unlike tradeshows, the CableLabs conferences have a technology-focus, and are the foundation for tomorrow’s cable services and technology standards. While there were many technologies on display and issues discussed, there are two specific items that I’d like to mention.

First, a major theme of the event was interacting and communicating with subscribers. There are many ways for an operator to communicate with a subscriber: set-top box, web portal, social media, text message, e-mail, telephone, etc; but regardless of the precise manner in which the communication takes place, the overarching idea is that subscribers should have real-time access to information about their services. Subscriber interaction is a little bit different – while communication can be one-way, interaction requires two-way exchange of information. Achieving true interaction with a subscriber requires much more “behind the scenes” technology than just presenting a message. For instance, if a subscriber is notified that a new service is available for a trial offer (say, a new speed tier), then there should be a mechanism in place for the subscriber to elect to try the offer, and that mechanism should automatically and immediately cause the service to start.

Subscriber interaction is also important in combating botnet Trojan infections (recall that we posted previously about Battling Botnets). This is the technology that Sandvine demonstrated at the CableLabs conference – our Subscriber Protection solution. Our network policy control platforms automatically detect households that have infected machines, and then we notify subscribers of the infection via a message inserted at the top of a web page (the requested web page still loads). There exist also other context sensitive options for subscriber notification, such as SMS. So far, this is just subscriber communication, so we kick it up a notch by actually guiding the subscriber through pages that provide information about the infection, the risks of leaving it untreated, and through a remediation workflow. In real-time, the subscriber’s activities change the policies being applied – so when the subscriber completes the process and clicks on “I have cleansed my machine”, the notification will no longer appear.

By informing subscribers and helping them to protect themselves, service providers foster positive relationships, and also save on the operations costs that are incurred due to malware.

A second theme running through the event was a “quality-provisioned network”. Traditionally, operators prioritize network expansion investment based on bandwidth utilization, but many are wondering if there’s a better way. A number of service providers asked us about metrics that could be used instead of basic bandwidth thresholds, in order to optimize where and when capital investments should be made. Two metrics that suit the objective are round-trip time (a measure of network latency) and video quality of experience. By examining these metrics instead of, or in accordance with, bandwidth utilization, operators will start to invest in areas of the network where quality is beginning to suffer – in essence, they’ll be growing the network where growth is most needed to protect and improve the subscriber experience. Sandvine’s Network Analytics allows for just this type of analysis.

We’ll continue to keep our ears to the ground, and feet on the floor, in developing real-time policy solutions that address the themes of major importance to cable MSOs. And we’ll certainly be looking forward to continued discussions at the CableLabs Summer Conference in August.

Network Security is a constant area of concern for network operators as they aim to secure their network infrastructure in order to ensure a high Quality of Experience (QoE) for their subscribers.

As a member of the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG), Sandvine sent representation to the 24^th General Meeting last week in San Francisco.  MAAWG offers a great opportunity to network, listen and learn from some of the preeminent experts in the ISP, ESP, academic and vendor community.  M³AAWG has recently changed its name to reflect an expanded mandate.  From a primary focus on Messaging, MAAWG activities now also encompass Malware and Mobile threats.     

While we are prohibited from discussing details, one of the key themes that emerged at the event revolved around the threat of botnets and the role that Communications Service Providers (CSPs) need to play in order to proactively educate and protect subscribers.  These discussions mirrored the joint Request for Information on “Models To Advance Voluntary Corporate Notification to Consumers Regarding the Illicit Use of Computer Equipment by Botnets and Related Malware” published in September 2011 by the US Homeland Security Department (HLSD), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) which both Sandvine and M³AAWG took the opportunity to respond to. 

Additionally, US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Julius Genachowski made a number of remarks on Cybersecurity in February this year, at the Bipartisan Policy Center that further reinforces this theme.  As part of his remarks, he stressed how CSPs can play a significant role in the battle against botnets by increasing subscriber awareness, detecting infections in subscribers’ computers, notifying subscribers when their computers have become infected, and offering remediation support.

The United States isn’t the only country where there is a growing consensus that botnet infestations are not just a problem for the infected (and usually unaware) end user subscriber, but a problem for the network operator and for the larger Internet community.  In certain jurisdictions such as Australia, Japan and Germany, public/private partnerships have already begun to tackle the botnet problem through a common code of conduct and shared education and remediation sites.  Even with this shared infrastructure, challenges remain. 

• Are the legal underpinnings in place?  Do Acceptable Use Policies and / or Terms of Service make it clear that subscribers are responsible to take appropriate steps to keep their systems protected and malware free?
• How to reliably identify botnet infestations as well as command and control communications? 
• How to ensure infected subscribers are made aware that they are infected and educated about the implications? 
• And finally – how to successfully guide infected subscribers of all ability levels through the remediation process?    

Both Mr.  Genachowski in his comments and the Homeland Security Department (HLSD), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), explore the idea of creating a voluntary code of conduct for CSPs that would promote voluntary adoption of best practices in botnet detection, subscriber notification and mitigation.

At Sandvine we are supportive of such a voluntary botnet code of conduct for network operators.  Benefits include subscriber safety and QoE. And voluntary participation is always preferable to that which is legislated.  

Within Sandvine’s response to the HLSD, NIST, and NTIA, we advocated for the importance of having a proactive subscriber communication component in order to promote accountability for both operators and subscribers to protect themselves from the effects of botnets. Whether that communication notifies a subscriber of an enhanced vulnerability or an actual infection event, we believe effective botnet notification systems need to have the following attributes:

1)     Timely – real time notifications are the most effective way to address the situation.  Service providers have already seen the value of timely communication thanks to systems they have implemented to address other concerns such as bill-shock notification.

2)     Diverse Media – notifications require different media according to individual situations, such as device and location.  Options available to subscribers should include real time notifications through a web page, SMS, email and Smartphone apps.

3)     Personalized – allowing subscribers to control their notification preferences can help with accountability and empowerment, instead of a fixed “one size fits all” approach. Personalization should come in the way of allowing users to configure their preferred mode of communication and when they receive notifications.

Battling botnets is not easy. That is why groups such as M³AAWG are so important to all users of the Interent.  Having the best and the brightest minds working together to tackle the growing botnet problem, is the best approach to limiting their impact on all stakeholders. At Sandvine we look forward to making a contribution to that fight, working with customers and partners to help make the Internet a better and more secure place for everyone.

This year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) show in Barcelona, Spain last week did not disappoint.   With over 60,000 attendees, considerable show buzz was generated, with a focus on Wi-Fi, small cell infrastructure strategy, pricing for roaming data, and Customer Experience Management (CEM).

CEM was touted as the most over-used phrase at this year’s show.  While many analysts and journalists used CEM as a means to spark discussion and debate, equally as many vendors and operators showed they were focused on delivering a differentiated customer experience.  Nokia’s CEO, Rajeev Suri was quoted as saying, “Our industry consistently over-promises and under-delivers” and with that, noted he was putting plans in place to reverse this trend.  With this in mind, there’s lots of opportunity for vendors to provide operators with solutions that help analyze and improve subscriber Quality of Experience (QoE).

While focusing on delivering better customer experience, operators can achieve the secondary benefit of capital expenditure deferral by deploying solutions that squeeze every ounce of extra capacity out of existing mobile networks.  Sandvine’s Fairshare Traffic Management gives mobile network operators a tool to protect subscriber QoE while deferring capital expenditure.  This is done by ensuring the majority of bandwidth is provided to the majority of subscribers and that real-time applications are prioritized during times of congestion. 

Also central to the major themes at MWC this year, is the impact the growth of mobile data is having on operator profitability. The rapid introduction of new smartphones and their ability to provide consumers with convenient access to large amounts of media-rich mobile data certainly isn’t helping matters. While hard to note all of them, some of the new smartphones that were introduced at the show included:

• HTC One X
• HTC One S
• Nokia 808 PureView
• Huawei Ascend D Quad
• LG Optimus Vu

The rapid advances in mobile phone technology are adding to the already burgeoning rate of mobile data growth and operators are struggling to remain profitable in the face of meeting the insatiable appetite for mobile data from consumers.  Enter the end of unlimited data plans.  There definitely was an air of acceptance at this year’s MWC that the mobile industry is moving in this direction and that ordinary users will no longer subsidize heavy users under unlimited plans.  Operators are therefore looking for innovative ways to monetize mobile data and offer service tiers that make sense for the varying needs and demands of their subscriber base. 

Service tiers can be segmented by quality of service (minimum and maximum speed guarantees) or by application (over-the-top applications and/or on-deck IP-based voice and video calling, geo-location, and cloud storage services).  Sandvine’s Network Analytics solution provides mobile operators with the ability to understand how different devices are using the network and the uptake of OTT applications as well as operator provided on-deck services.  Sandvine’s Usage Management solution allows operators to plan and implement new and innovative service tier offerings and increase profits in the face of ever-growing mobile data consumption.

The vast diversity of the mobile networking ecosystem makes it susceptible to change.  Where there’s change, there’s opportunity.  Sandvine has never been more invigorated by the opportunity that lies ahead of us from our unique vantage point of the intelligence layer of mobile networks.  Thanks to all the operators, partners, analysts, media and investors we met at the show last week and we look forward to continued conversations and discussions!