CEM

other plank of their technical strategy invariably
involves big data open frameworks – like Apache
Spark – to give them the real-time processing of data.
So they have the radar, but will they really have an
idea of what’s going on out there?
If big data analytics can create a picture of the
customer experience right down to the individual, then
yes, says Di Piazza. In this case the CEM tools are
essentially acting as the glue that holds all the services
together. “Speed is of the essence. If there is a
problem on the network, it needs to be found fast and
other areas of the business – such as customer care –
need to be informed,” says Di Piazza.
Jennifer Fellows:
CSPs need to involve
customers up front in
their product
development
Anyone taking
an overview of
CEM will need to
join the dots between
as many operational and
technology systems as
possible to get the fullest
perspective on what customers are
doing, says Vincent Rousselet, market insight
vice president at Amdocs. “Outlook, VPN portal and
Skype might be the daytime channel but it’s
Instagram, WhatsApp or SnapChat at home,” he
says. In other words, managing the subscribers calls
for the capacity to adapt.
As CSPs review their technology options for tackling
CEM, most are looking at software defined networking
(SDN) and network functions virtualisation (NFV) to
create service continuity, says Gabriele Di Piazza, the
senior vice president of marketing at Guavus. The
Technically, the challenge is more straightforward,
albeit ominous. There will be intelligence feeding in
from smart devices and data from apps, sensors,
RFID tags, internet browsing and social media. “The
sheer volume and diversity of the contextual and
signalling data available to a CSP has increased the
CEM undertaking significantly,” says Dave Peters, the
CEO at Emagine International, which aims to
provide the adaptive contextual marketing software
to CSPs.
Whether companies have the right company culture to
team-up and act as one will be another question.
Market analyst Gartner recently compared the CEM
skills of CSPs and BT and EE achieved unenviable
ratings. The ratings for the whole sector weren’t
generally brilliant.
CSPs aren’t great role models when it comes to
positive customer experiences, says Jennifer Fellows,
the senior vice president of marketing at MDS. But
they need to be. “In the new customer experience
economy, they need to move their focus and involve
customers up front in their product development.
Today’s millennials will champion the brands that take
time out to understand what they value,” she says.
To be fair CSPs have improved a lot, says
Mohammed Sha, director of international marketing
communications at AsiaInfo. The trouble is,
customers' expectations and requirements have
raced past. “While investment in networks and
infrastructure have helped, CSPs are still struggling
with offering a seamless omni-channel experience,”
says Sha. “The good news is there’s some innovative
omni-channel technology coming on the market soon.”
Guru Grewal: Many
CSPs are cursed with
an ominous channel
Vincent Rousselet:
Managing the
subscribers calls for
the capacity to adapt
VANILLAPLUS MAGAZINE I AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2015
45