11.07.2015 Views

VOIP ASIA 2007 - Connect-World

VOIP ASIA 2007 - Connect-World

VOIP ASIA 2007 - Connect-World

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Here to Stay:Next Generation Agile Optical NetworksAfter recovering from the telecom bubble, carriers andservice providers are again rushing to upgrade their opticaltransmission infrastructure. New, high-bandwidth videoservices, business and storage connectivity, as well as 3Gmobile backhaul networks, have spurred a buying frenzy,increasing optical equipment revenues to more than $3 billiona year in Asia Pacific.But unlike the aggressive build-outs so popular during thebubble, it’s not just about building out a fat pipe. Carrierstoday must evolve their networks to introduce new services,while also maximizing revenues from legacy servicesand equipment, and lowering network life-cycle costs. Sotechnologies must be scalable, flexible and efficient.ROADM: The Key to Next Generation Transport NetworksAs bandwidth demands increase, traditional dense wavelengthdivision multiplexing (DWDM) networks become inefficient.DWDM addresses the need for increased capacity, but offerslimited flexibility in provisioning and deployment. The result?A high total cost of ownership (TCO).The path to network flexibility and overall cost reduction isnext-generation ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add/DropMultiplexer) technology.The multi-degree ROADMs offered by ECI give serviceproviders maximum flexibility, shortening customer requestresponse time and increasing service provider revenues. Forexample, ROADM enables provisioning of leased line servicesfor enterprise customers within a day, resulting in a true“win-win,” where customers receive a service quickly, andthe service provider is able to realize revenues faster.ECI’s SolutionsEmerging markets – as well as more mature regions – standto benefit from ECI’s best-in-class 10-degree All-Rangewavelength-selective switch (WSS) ROADM.These unique features are responsiblefor the ECI ROADM’s success:Multi-degree architecture -Multi-degree (up to tendegrees) ROADMs can bedeployed in multi-ring andmesh topologies – commonin metro/regional WDMnetworks, in addition to rings and chains – maximizing designflexibility.Scalability – ECI’s “Future-proof” ROADM enables providersto add more wavelength add/drops in a node and even addmore fiber connections (e.g. when growing from a ring to amesh) without service interruption.Converged packet-optical platform – Convergence, in thecase of ECI’s XDM ROADM, provides both data and wavelength,along with traditional circuit services, on a space-efficientsystem (typically one-third of a telecom bay in size). Part ofa hybrid platform, XDM is converged with packet switchingand TDM (Time Division Multiplexing), forming an agile Multi-Service Transport Platform (MSTP). This brings considerablesavings by reducing regenerations while managing theentire network under a single system. Coupled with OTN(Optical Transport Network) functionality, the system offerslonger reach, increased service transparency, improvedresilience and better QoS through unified monitoring of allwavelengths.Reduced provisioning time and simplicity of operation –WSS ROADM’s flexibility and “colorless ports,” when coupledwith widely tunable lasers, cut wavelength provisioning andrerouting time from weeks to hours, and eliminate the needto predict future traffic flow.Lower TCO – Eliminating regenerators and extending theoptical reach make a ROADM-based network more costeffective.The Bottom LineROADM is a key to building scalable optical networks that use a single-architecture approach. It is important to seek out asingle product line (as offered by ECI) that features a complete range of shelves optimized for the widest set of applicationsand configurations.www.ecitele.comPROMOTIONAL FEATURE


Singapore Technologies ElectronicsSingapore Technologies Electronics- A Leader in e-Government and Interactive e-Learning SolutionsPartnering with Governments for NetworkedNationsST Electronics is one of Asia’s leadersin e-Government and ICT solutions - areputation earned by developing andcustomising electronics systems andinfrastructure for governments around theworld.With our broad spectrum of capabilitiescovering technologies, processes andverticals, ST Electronics is a one-stopshop for any nation’s e-Government needs.Our holistic and cost-effective solutionsfor public administration, education,transportation, public safety and homelandsecurity applications enable governmentsto meet the public’s needs more effectivelyby streamlining and automating processes,improving internal systems and enhancinginformation flow between the governmentand its businesses and citizens.ST Electronics’ secret to success is that webelieve there is no one-size-fits-all solution.We consider the unique needs and attributesof an organisation - geographical, cultural,political and historical complexities - beforeidentifying, crafting and providing the righttechnology and approach. Our ServiceTransformation methodology promisescustomer satisfaction, operational efficiencyand total security. This progressivemethodology has won us the Asia Brands -Ten Most Prospective Brands Award.Storming the International ArenaST Electronics’ premier position ine-Government solutions is recognisedinternationally. Our track record includesan infocommunication network connecting24 islands of the Maldives through satellitelinks that provide access to governmentagencies. This landmark project brings thegovernment closer to achieving its vision ofa networked and interconnected nation.In Botswana, ST Electronics has beeninstrumental in helping the governmentprovide secure and accessible services to thepublic through information communicationstechnologies, ICT. ST Electronics hasdelivered three projects for the BotswanaGovernment - a Pay-As-You-Earn andOther Withholding Taxes System for theBotswana Unified Revenue Service, aCrime and Criminal Recording System forthe Botswana Police Service and a NationalIntegrated Geosciences Information Systemfor the Ministry of Minerals, Energy andWater Resources.ST Electronics has also developed a thirdgenerationmobilisation system for the HongKong Fire Services Department, allowingthem to manage and mobilise their large fireand ambulance resources more efficientlyfor better response to emergencies.In Singapore, the Ministry of Defence hasawarded a 10-year contract worth aboutS$250m to ST Electronics to provideshared services to more than 350,000 activepersonnel, regulars and NSmen of theSingapore Armed Forces, in recognition ofour expertise in Managed Services.Equipping Schools with Next-GenerationTechnologiesST Electronics offers state-of-the-arte-learning applications to educationalinstitutions that endeavour to achievegreater flexibility and efficiency through theinnovative use of technology.Our e-learning solution, MERiTs, doesprecisely this - by optimising the usage ofresources, reducing administrative workloadfor staff and providing interactive learningfor students. With visualisation and digitalanimation capabilities, in collaborationwith reputable international partners likeWeta Workshop (New Zealand), Nelvana(Canada) and Promenade Pictures (USA),ST Electronics is well placed in the globalinteractive e-learning and ‘edutainment’Over 1,000 Kazakh schools useST Electronics multimedia e-learningsolutions.Digital Animation expertise seen ininternational productions.markets. More than 1,000 schools inKazakhstan have benefited from ourmultimedia and e-learning solutions. Inthe US, our 3D animated movie, the TenCommandments co-produced with HuhuStudios, launched in over 700 theatres inOctober <strong>2007</strong>. In addition, our 3D animatedTV Series, The Future is Wild is being airedthrough Discovery Kids in US and Canada..nAbout ST ElectronicsHeadquartered in Singapore and withpresence in more than 15 countries, STElectronics has garnered almost 40 yearsof experience providing electronics,communications and ICT solutions togovernments and commercial enterprises inmore than 60 countries.Our strength lies in our ability toharness leading-edge technologies toprovide innovative and cost-effectiveproducts and solutions. Our solutionsare strategically targeted at thee-Government, satellite communicationsand digital media markets.PROMOTIONAL FEATURE


National developmentThe Internet in Afghanistanby Zakaria Hassan, Chairman, Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, ATRAAfter many years of war, Afghanistan is struggling to build a modern ICT infrastructure to meetthe needs of its citizens and businesses. A high-priority programme to bring telecom servicesand private investment to the country began, based upon the Ministry of Communications’recommendations. Much was done even before appropriate regulations were in place, but thegrowth in telecommunications was impressive. The sector is now regulated and the RegulatoryAuthority, ATRA, is actively promoting the growth of services in the country.Mr Zakaria Hassan is the Chairman of Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, ATRA. Prior to joining ATRA as amember of the Regulatory Board, Mr Hassan was the Head of the Telecommunications Department at Siemens-Afghanistan. Mr Hassanhas also been the National Director of the Afghan Wireless Communication Company, AWCC, a Technical Advisor to the Minister ofCommunications in Afghanistan and a university lecturer. Mr Hassan is a Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, MIEE, andregistered as a Chartered Engineer (C.Eng.) with the Engineering Council, London, United Kingdom.The Telecommunications Training Centre, Kabul, certified Mr Zakaria Hassan as an Engineering Technician. He obtained his Bachelorof Engineering (B.Eng.) degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Brighton Polytechnic (UK) and his Master’s Degree(M.Sc.) in Telecommunications Technology from Aston University, England.BackgroundAfghanistan was at war from 1978 to 2001.During the war, all of Afghanistan’s resourceswere directed to military activities and all theother sectors - such as telecommunications,education, development activities, publichealth care and so on - were ignored. Duringthis period, Afghanistan could not takeadvantage of the developments that werehappening in the ICT sector worldwide. TheInternet was banned in Afghanistan by theTaliban. International organizations workingin Afghanistan were using satellite telephonesto access Internet services that were locatedoutside the country. The UN agencies usedCodan satellite systems to transmit textmessages between their offices in Afghanistanand their main offices, which were mainlylocated in Pakistan.Until the end of 2001, the telecommunicationsservices were the government monopolyand the private sector could not operatetelecom networks for public voice, data ormultimedia services. The Taliban governmentin Afghanistan was recognized by only threecountries and just one country had an embassyin Afghanistan. The UN Security Councilimposed a ban on trade with Afghanistan,which included restrictions on the export oftelecommunications equipment to Afghanistan.Modern telecommunications services werea distant hope and the people of Afghanistancould not imagine that the ICT sector wouldsubsequently develop so rapidly.After the arrival of the current regimein late 2001, Afghanistan was embracedby the international community and thereconstruction of Afghanistan beganimmediately. The successful presidential andparliamentary elections in 2004 and 2005 weresignificant milestones in the rehabilitation ofthe government structure.The rehabilitation of the ICT sector startedin January 2002. At that time there were nolaws that would allow the private sector tooffer the Internet or other telecom servicesin Afghanistan. In order to resolve thisAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 05


National developmentproblem, as a matter of urgency, the Ministryof Communications, MoC - now the Ministryof Communications Information Technology,MCIT, asked for a presidential decree thatwould let the Ministry bring private investmentto the ICT sector and issue licences givingprivate operators the right to provide telecomservices in Afghanistan. The advantages anddisadvantages of bringing in the private sectoras a matter of urgency by presidential decreeare given in table 1.Despite certain disadvantages, the overallresult was very good and the benefits of thisswift liberalization of the telecom marketfor the ordinary Afghans outweighed thedisadvantages. The policy of the MoC, andthe subsequent regulatory decisions, haveprovided the right environment for privateinvestment in the ICT sector in Afghanistan.It is worth noting that the private sector wasthe only option available for the developmentof the ICT sector in Afghanistan, because thegovernment had no funds for the ICT sector;and the international community that supportedthe reconstruction activities in Afghanistandid not consider it a priority. The issue of thetelecom/ICT sector was even taken out ofthe National Development Strategy, NDS, ofAfghanistan.Legislations and regulationThe telecom/ICT sector was the first to embracethe free market economy in Afghanistan andto embark on the reform of this sector. Thefocus of the MoC was to develop the telecomsector as speedily as possible. The MoC aimedto give the government and the citizens ofAfghanistan access to telecom services byincreasing teledensity from 0.05 per cent to 20per cent within eight years.The main constraints with this way of meetingthis challenging target were the laws thatrestricted private investment in the telecomsector, the security risk felt by the privateinvestors, the creation of an encouraginginvestment environment and a licensingregime. The Ministry of Communicationsutilized the decree and decisions of thePresident to facilitate the issuance of the firsttwo GSM licences. The MoC established aninterim regulatory authority within its structureto handle the licensing issues. As there wasno law governing the private sector for ICT,the MoC established Quality of Service, QoS,criteria, instituted rules for the protection ofconsumer rights, and organized the roll outof the network and changes to the licenceconditions according to expected changes inthe country’s laws. The terms and conditionsfor GSM licences were used to regulate theoperations of the two GSM licencees.The Ministry of Communications put intoplace an ICT policy, which enabled it todraw up its five-year development planfor the ICT sector. This policy, finalized inNovember 2003, can be found on the www.mcit.gov.af website. The expert advice ofthe ITU played an important role in thedevelopment of the policy. <strong>World</strong> Bank andUSAID also provided financial support forhiring experts for the development of drafts ofpolicy and the Telecommunications Law. TheTelecommunications Services Regulation Lawof Afghanistan, TSRLA, took about two yearsto be processed by the Ministry of Justice;approved by the Cabinet it was finally issuedby the President of Afghanistan in December2005 and is available on the MCIT websitewww.mcit.gov.af. Based on the provisions ofthis law, the Afghanistan TelecommunicationsRegulator Authority, ATRA, was establishedin 2006. The ATRA is responsible for theimplementation of the TSRLA. The law,drawn up based on international best practices,establishes the powers of the RegulatoryAuthority, competition, conflict resolution,public consultation and the decision-makingprocess of ATRA, licensing issues, tariffs,competition, significant market power, SMP,consumer protection, interconnection, rightof way, numbering plan, frequency spectrumissues, universal access, approval of telecomequipment, penalties in case of breaches andother issues as well.The TSRLA has given powers to ATRAto protect consumers, private investment,the interest of the government in regard torevenues, and enforce the universal accessobligations and the implementation of theapplicable laws.After the establishment of the AfghanistanTelecommunications Regulatory Authority,the problem that existed in regard tointerconnection agreements was referred toATRA. The law specifies that call terminationrates shall be cost based. Accordingly,ATRA issued a decision determining the calltermination rates and the rates for transittraffic. The SMP, significant market power,operator has appealed against the decisionof ATRA; the question is currently beinghandled in accordance with the provision ofTelecommunication Services Regulation Lawof Afghanistan.Additionally, ATRA has adopted a Codeof Practice that provides guidelines for theinteractions between ATRA, operators, othergovernment agencies and the consumers.The Code of Practice provides procedures fordifferent issues, such as submission of a licenceapplication, official correspondences, appeals,motions, complaints, public consultation,record keeping and other issues.The present situationThe ICT policy formed the basis for thedevelopment of the sector, including thelaw, licensing and the establishment ofthe Regulatory Authority. The investmentenvironment has been very encouraging.Investment in the GSM, fixed and Internetnetworks exceeded US$800 million at the endof August <strong>2007</strong>.Advantages1. Let the private sector provide Telecom/ICT services in Afghanistan.2. Speeded up the development of Telecom/ICT services in Afghanistan.3. Facilitated foreign direct investment in Afghanistan.4. Generated revenues for the government in the form of licence fees, annualfrequency spectrum charges, customs duties and various taxes.5. Collected taxes for the Telecom Development Fund, TDF, for the country’suniversal access programmes.6. Creation of direct and indirect jobs.7. Provided the first model case for Afghanistan’s free market economyscenario.Table 1DisadvantagesThe absence of laws and regulations that are needed for the support of theprivate sector activities had the following negative effects at the time of thedecree:1. No studies were made to evaluate licence values and the security situationfor the telecom market; this resulted in a weaker position for the government;2. Acceptance of certain conditions in the licences which restrictedcompetition in the first 3-4 years;3. Illegal use of the frequency spectrum by certain operators;4. No utilization of TDF monies for universalisation for 5-6 years;5. Manipulation of the market by large companies;6. Lack of consumer protection;7. Lower quality of services in the first few years.06 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


National developmentA comparison of the telecom/ICT sector inAfghanistan between January 2002 and June<strong>2007</strong> is given in table 2.Investment in the Internet networks is rathersmall and the ISPs have not been able to offercheap CPE, customer premise equipment, andusage charges to their customers. For thisreason, the Internet subscriber base is verylow and only large organizations can affordto subscribe to it. The GSM operators realizedthat the wireless access CPE and the installationcosts (between US$1,000 and US$4,000) andthe monthly subscription to the Internet (aboutUS$600 for a 128 kbps up/down link) weremuch too costly for the average person. TheGSM operators have now started to fill this gapin the market by deploying GPRS technologyto provide affordable Internet access.ICT rates in AfghanistanThe rates for ICT services are still consideredvery high by many in Afghanistan, including theParliamentary Committee that is responsiblefor the ICT sector. The use of satellites forlong-distance and international communicationis the major reason for these high prices. Theterrestrial microwave networks of the GSMoperators are still under development, but arewidely available for lease. MCIT has signed acontract for the implementation of a 3600kmlong optical fibre cable, OFC, project witha multinational company. The value of theOFC project is about US$65 million. Theimplementation of this project started in early<strong>2007</strong> and will be completed in mid 2009. Thisinfrastructure project will improve nationaland international connectivity and will have avery significant role in bringing prices down.The impact of the InternetYoung people in Afghanistan have showna strong interest in ICT. The Ministry ofEducation has started a programme thatwill facilitate access to learning how to usecomputers and the Internet throughout thecountry. The Universal Access obligationsprogramme of the government, implementedby MCIT/ATRA, is in the process of mobilisingto extend ICT services to remote areas in thecountry. However, the private sector is far aheadof the public sector in providing computertraining and deploying ICT equipment inremote areas in the country. There are morethan 500 training centres/institutes for basiccomputer training in Afghanistan that teachWindows, MS-Office, computer networking,programming languages, etc. Young Afghanentrepreneurs run most of these trainingcentres.The MCIT has taken the lead to establish theNational Information and CommunicationCouncil of Afghanistan, NCTCA. The councilwill be a coordinating body to gather supportfrom governmental organizations, the privatesector and civil society for the implementationof the government’s ICT policy and strategy.The MCIT has also initiated its ChiefInformation Officer, CIO, programme.Under this programme every governmentalorganization will have a CIO responsible forthe organization’s ICT activities; the CIO willwork in coordination with the IT Directorateof MCIT.Investment opportunities,Afghanistan has a population of about 30million and a territory of 647,500km 2 ; itsper capita GDP was about US$350 in 2006.The telecom/ICT market is young, butexpanding very rapidly. The majority of theISP licencees have chosen to target thosecorporate customers that can afford the costlyCPE, high installation costs and high monthlysubscriptions, but the corporate subscribermarket now seems saturated. ProvidingInternet services for the high-level residentialsubscriber can be good business for innovativeinvestors with a long-term commitment todoing business in Afghanistan, and can offerlow-cost technology for the CPE and low costsubscriptioncharges.MCIT/ATRA offers a Local Fixed ServicesProvider, LFSP, licence regime to potentialservice providers; they recommend licenceesuse WLL/CDMA 2000 technology for thislicence category. The LFSP licencees canprovide voice, data and multimedia services totheir subscribers under terms and conditionsthat can be found on the MCIT website.Afghanistan will offer WiMAX licences thisyear. ATRA intends to auction these WiMAXlicences for broadband services. UMTSlicensing is under consideration; licensing isplanned for 2008. nNo. Description of the Status of Telecom/ICT Sector Jan 2002 June <strong>2007</strong>1 Number of fixed network licencees 1 MoC 1 Nationwide3 Regional2 Number of GSM licencees 1JointVenture3 Number of GMPCS licencees 0 14 Number of ISP licencees 0 185 Number of UMTS licencees 0 06 Fixed network subscribers all over the country 12,000 90,0007 Links between telephony switching centres 0% 100%8 Subscriber direct-dial facilities for national communications 0 2,900,0009 Direct-dial facilities for international communications forsubscribers0 2,900,00010 Internet Subscribers in Afghanistan (estimate) 0 Not available (NA)11 Regular Internet service users 0 NA12 Regular and part-time users of Internet services 0 NA13 Availability of Internet access facilities via WLL/CDMAsubscribers14 Availability of Internet access facilities via dial-up of PSTNsubscribers15 Availability of Internet access facility using P-MP wirelesstechnologies16 Availability of Internet access facilities via GPRS technologyin GSM networks17 Legal basis for Internet access to ISP networks abroad viasatellite terminals0 50,0000 14,0000 40,0000 100,00018 Number of Internet café 0 NA19 Telecom Development Fund for the extension of telecomservices to rural areas and schoolsTable 2NoUS$04YesMore than US$16 million08 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Kathrein leads the worldin antenna technology,offering a broad rangeof products for use inmobile communicationsystems ranging from25 MHz to 2.5 GHz.Kathrein professionalproducts includeantennas, TMAs, filters,combiners, amplifiersand accessories.More than 240 majornetwork operatorsaround the world rely onKathrein’s superiorquality, state-of-the-arttechnology and over87 years of experience.Kathrein offers you thevery best solutions forall your antenna systemrequirements!KATHREIN SEA (M) SDN BHDNo. 16-2, Jalan USJ 21/6,UEP Subang JayaMAL 47630 Subang Jaya /Selangor Darul EhsanTel: ++60 3 8024 8089 / 9089Fax: ++60 3 8024 7089email: kathrein@kathreinmalaysia.comKATHREIN Indochina Co. Ltd.17/151 Moo 1Sukonthasawat RoadTH Latphrao District,Latphrao, Bangkok 10230Fon: ++66 2/578 8300-3 &578 8252-3Fax: ++66 2/570 9289email: kathrein@cscoms.comwww.kathreinindochina.comInternet: http://www.kathrein.deKATHREIN-Werke KG · Telephone +49 8031 184-0 · Fax +49 8031 184-820Anton-Kathrein-Straße 1-3 · PO Box 10 04 44 · 83004 Rosenheim · GermanyAntennen · ElectronicAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 09


W W W . 8 0 2 . C O MAre you curious enough?Only the truly curious will survive in today’scommunications industry. Every day brings newopportunities to increase profitability, to improvequality and to cut costs. If you don’t explorethese opportunities, someone else will.TeliaSonera International Carrier can helpincrease your competitiveness. Not only do weprovide cross-border communication servicesthat span the globe, we also help our customersfind smart new ways to make more money.This has made us the number one carrier of IPtraffic in Europe. We provide direct connectionsto our network for 80 percent of all Europeanbroadband service providers. And we carry morethan 20 percent of all online gaming, one of thefastest growing Internet services.Find out how a little extra curiosity can boostyour business. Visit www.teliasoneraic.com tocontact your local TeliaSonera InternationalCarrier representative.www.teliasoneraic.com10 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Offshore servicesPerson-to-person offshoring services forsmall businesses and homesby Dr Alok Aggarwal, Chairman, EvalueservePerson-to-person offshoring, or PPO, lets small businesses, home offices and individualscontract one-time or continuing services from a growing number of service providers in lowwagecountries. Some services are contracted directly from the vendor over the Internet, othersuse online marketplaces where vendors compete offering their services. Service providers paymonthly fees plus a percentage of the earnings contracted through the marketplace. Tutoring,financial design, editorial, writing, software development, website creation, marketing andsales support are important PPO services.Alok Aggarwal is the Founder and Chairman of Evalueserve. Prior to starting Evalueserve, Dr Aggarwal was the Director of EmergingBusiness Opportunities for IBM Research Division <strong>World</strong>wide, responsible for converting business innovations into businesses. DrAggarwal ‘founded’ the IBM India Research Laboratory within the Indian Institute of Technology, IIT, Delhi. Dr Aggarwal served as amember of the Executive Committee on Information Technology of the Confederation of the Indian Industry, CII, and also of the TelecomCommittee of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, FICCI. He is currently a Chartered Member of The IndusEntrepreneur, TiE, organization. Dr Aggarwal has also served as a Chairperson of the IEEE Computer Society’s Technical Committeeon Mathematical Foundations of Computing and on the editorial boards of SIAM Journal of Computing, Algorithmica, and Journal ofSymbolic Computation.Dr Aggarwal has published 55 research papers in renowned journals and has filed ten patent applications. He has taught at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, and has chaired a number of conferences, including Symposium on Theory of Computing,Foundations of Computer Science, and Symposium on Computational Geometry.Dr Aggarwal received his B. Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi and his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in ElectricalEngineering and Computer Science.There is a new offshoring trend to watch, calledperson-to-person offshoring, PPO. Offshoringis now beginning to go mainstream and istouching both the upper class and workingclass alike. This is reminiscent of 1991-92when manufacturing in China and other lowwagecountries began to impact the lives of therich and the not so rich in developed countries.PPO consists of those services that can beoffshored by entrepreneurs who are trying tobootstrap their new organization as efficientlyas possible.With technology advances and the growth ofthe Internet, small offices, home businessesand even individuals can utilize PPO services.PPO offerings include online tutoring, websitedevelopment, graphic design, database andsoftware development, writing and translationservices, accounting and tax preparationservices, architectural, home and landscapedesign services, marketing and sales supportservices, the drafting of legal documentsand other administrative services. Individualcontracts are often of low value - usuallybetween US$100 and US$5,000. Since thenumber of end-consumers and small businessesis enormous, the total addressable market inthe United States alone easily exceeds US$20billion.Indeed, our research and analysis shows thatbetween April 2006 and March <strong>2007</strong>, therevenue from this sector was more than US$250 million and is likely to grow to over US$2 billion by 2015, representing a cumulativeannual growth rate of approximately 26 percent. Furthermore, because PPO consumershave diverse requirements, the breadth ofoffshoring services is likely to be fairly large.Many offshoring trends are in the beginningof their life cycles and others only have afew early adopters so it is not clear that allof these services will, in fact, enjoy massadoption in the long run. Nevertheless, thevalue proposition of receiving such servicesat a significantly lower cost and ‘just-in-time’is clearly irresistible, so the sector promises togrow rapidly.Business models for person-to-person offshoringPPO service offerings, generally speaking,employ two business models:Direct interaction model - In the first model,a person signs a contract directly with avendor in a low-wage country. The vendorhas employees (e.g., tutors and administrators)working on a full-time or a part-time basis,or as sub-contractors. These are low-costcontracts - the client usually cannot travel tothe offshore location or perform a costly duediligenceprocess, and therefore is exposed tosome risk. Although payments can be madethrough checks or wire transfers, since thecost of individual projects is fairly low clientsAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 11


Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 13


eHealthThe health sector’s central nervous systemby Sol Trujillo, CEO, Australia’s Telstra CorporationGiven the world’s aging population, the velocity of epidemic propagation in the jet-age, theincreasing complexity of medical diagnostics and treatment, and the rising costs, the healthcarechallenge is growing. There are never enough caregivers, specialists and diagnosticians,especially in remote and developing regions. Information and communications technologycan bring healthcare to patients wherever they may be, while lowering both operational andinfrastructure expenses. Next-generation networks will play a major role in overcoming thechallenges that healthcare faces.Sol Trujillo is the CEO of Australia’s Telstra Corporation. Prior to joining Telstra he was CEO of London-based Orange; Presidentand CEO of US West Dex Inc.; President and CEO of US West Communications; and, CEO and Chairman of US West Inc. Mr Trujillois also a Director of Target Corporation. He has served on the Boards of PepsiCo, EDS, Gannett and the Bank of America. Mr Trujilloalso served as a trade policy advisor to the Clinton and Bush administrations. Mr Trujillo was the first native-born Hispanic-Americanto serve as CEO of a Fortune 150 company.Mr Trujillo holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in business and a Master’s of Business Administration, MBA, from theUniversity of Wyoming. He was granted honorary doctorates from both the University of Wyoming and the University of Colorado.The world has changed rapidly over the pasttwo decades, and it has often been peopleworking in the health sector who’ve facedsome of the greatest challenges dealing withthe consequences, including:• An aging population;• Increased personal mobility leading, forexample, to the spread of SARS;• Increased complexity in disease mutation;and,• Spiralling healthcare costs driven byequipment, hospitals, salaries, and indemnityinsurance.While technology has improved, replicatingmedical facilities, equipment and expertise inevery locality is simply not feasible. Distanceand the need for timeliness present additionalproblems.In Australia, there are solutions that utiliseinformation networks, people and assets toleverage scarce resources - to share information,share expertise and share equipment. Thismeans saving money, time and lives.Telecommunications networks can underpina series of paradigm shifts in the experienceof patients, medical professionals and healthadministrators. At the heart of these changesis a shift away from information that iscompartmentalized, fragmented by providerand hard to access. The tendency is to shift toinformation that is integrated, user-generatedand accessible in real time.Next-generation communications services willdeliver great improvements in productivity bychanging the ultimate service variable - time.In an emergency, location technology can helpto pinpoint the scene and dispatch the nearestambulance. Wireless broadband can accesspatient records instantly or record and transmitthe patient’s diagnostic images via video to thebest available professional for diagnosis andrecommendation.Diagnosis often requires in-personconsultations, but access and quality isdetermined by geographic proximity. Intomorrow’s world, diagnosis can take placeusing high-resolution video conferencing,without the patient and the professional havingto be physically together. In Australia, somearea health services are already conductingtele-diagnosis, using standard resolutionvideo. In traumatic situations, real-time videobasedcommunication between patients andhealth professionals can immediately reduce14 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


CWR - <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong> Recruitment:the Internet Employment InterchangeLooking for ICT sector experience and talent?you need <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong> recruitmentthe platform for jobseekers and employers.www.<strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong>.comYour needs are specific and immediate; finding the correct person for that critically important job!CWR - <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong> recruitment makes it easier to find the right person for the job.Let us help you! Post your employment opportunities with CWRCWR brings you the Employer:And for the candidate: world from future employersJoin us today,find the job for the person and the person for the job!connect-world.com© <strong>2007</strong> <strong>World</strong> InfoComms LtdGlobal House, 12 Albert Road,London E16 2DW, United KingdomTel: +44 (0) 207 540 0876 Fax: +44 (0) 207 474 0090Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 15


16 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


eHealthpatient stress and give health professionalsgreater scope to make accurate decisionsabout what, how and where to administer care.This is important because accurate and timelydiagnosis can mean the difference betweendying of cancer and being in remission.Today a serious medical condition oftenentails regular, costly trips to and from distanthealth facilities, and these trips can place alarge burden on those caring for the patient.Patients on prescribed medication rely on theirown memory to comply with correct dosageand regime - an increasing concern giventhe prevalence of Alzheimer’s and dementia.Families are increasingly dispersed and peaceof mind is hard to get without regular phonecalls and visits to elderly parents.In the future, telecommunications networkswill fundamentally change how patientsare cared for. Using body area networks,patients can have their vital signs checked24/7 with interactive biometric monitoring.Using networked mobile phones, TVs andPCs, patients can get reminders to take theirmedication and alerts can be generated if theydon’t. Non-intrusive mechanisms can monitorelderly parents remotely; they can even checkto see if the toilet was flushed or the doors wereopened. An acute event can trigger a remedialprocess that alerts the care team but protectsthe privacy of the patient.These scenarios have serious cost implications.According to a study by the university ofArizona, non-compliance with medicationregimes costs the US economy alone nearlyUS$100 billion a year in extra medical care. AScottish study last year showed treating olderpeople at home with alert and sensor assistivetechnologies costs 100 times less than movingpatients into residential care.Medical professional experienceThe paperwork associated with healthcare canbe overwhelming, repetitive and problematic.Imagine a world with longitudinal electronichealth medical histories for all patients storedsecurely in the network and accessible fromanywhere. Specialists are making it possiblefor nurses to access patient records remotelyanywhere, anytime. Imagine if medicalprofessionals could track who has accessedpatient records and could verify all of theagencies involved in the care of each patient.Imagine that the same record has all of thepathology results embedded in it with clickthroughaccess to digital images of x-rays,blood tests, immunisation history, allergiesand ultra-sounds. Imagine having referencesimmediately available regarding physiologicalattributes, disease, contamination andlocation.Next-generation networks with sessionsrecorded, stored and accessible from anywhereover any device - from home TVs, to PDAs orto mobile phones - can also assist professionaldevelopment. Tracking who has downloadedthe sessions and when can also greatly assistmedical oversight and supervision.There is also scope for improving multidisciplinaryrelationships and knowledgemanagement. For example, a radiologist couldassess a diagnostic scan and then record anaudio file with her comments together with thedigital image. Using shared calendars, a videoconference with health specialists from acrossthe network could be organised to assessdiagnostic scan results together with a completepatient history. A treatment plan could thenbe developed online and immediately linkedelectronically to the patient. The productivitygains from such collaborative and interactiverelationships are substantial - especiallyconsidering the growing number of peopleusing medical facilities.Health administrationIn today’s world many healthcare institutionsare forced to create their own ecosystem ofservices. A large number of healthcare facilitiescannot afford the infrastructure needed toleverage ICT for improved efficiency andcare delivery. Telecommunications networkscan promote savings by facilitating sharedaccounting and payroll services, residentmanagement, rostering, fleet management,procurement, patient entertainment andclinical record administration and access. Apilot programme to provide remote patientemergency care, using a specialised videocommunication unit to link two hospitals westof Sydney, has halved accident and emergencyadmissions in one remote hospital.While there is a trend towards computergeneratedand printed prescriptions, manyprescriptions continue to be handwritten,on the run, in hospitals, emergency roomsand nursing homes. In the future, networkede-prescribing using mobile telephony will becommonplace, integrated into the patient’srecord and accessible by any pharmacist thepatient authorises. In Sweden, ePrescribing inStockholm County is expected to deliver a neteconomic benefit of more than €95 million in2008; the investment costs will total less than€4 million during the entire 2001 to 2008period.In today’s world, the storage, authenticationand ‘use-by’ dates for medicines are oftendependent upon the patient’s memory or leftto chance. Using RFID technology, medicinescan be checked for validity and the consumeralerted if there is a problem. Next-generationnetworks can also assist in improving thetimeliness of results from pathologists andradiologists by automating notifications ofthe availability of the results and by makinginformation accessible via the network.In Australia, Breast Screen Victoria, BSV,runs a van that travels around the state withscanning equipment. It typically pulls upin large shopping centres providing breastscreening for rural Australians. BSV haspurchased storage services from its networkoperator and is now using the operator’snext-generation network to transmit imagesfor assessment. Prior to the next-generationnetwork, vans had to wait until they returnedto base to have the scans examined - therebywasting precious time.Telecommunications networks can leveragehealth information, people and assets. Thismeans less investment per facility, lessredundant equipment and less duplication. Itmeans reducing the amount of time needed,whether it is for travel, analysis or diagnostics.Telecommunications networks can giveeveryone access to the best doctors, the bestequipment and the best services no matterwhere they might be.Next-generation networks unlock the door tosaving literally billions of dollars by changingthe paradigms of time and distance in theprovision of healthcare.The transformation of today’s systems can begreatly assisted by making sure that:• the reasons for the change and the benefitsderived are communicated to those affected;• the new solutions are simple to use andtraining is provided to those using it; and,• the technology is globally compatible.The reach and attributes of today’s networksand services are helping to make Australia aworld leader in eHealth. nAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 17


Multi-play serviceMulti-Play service excellenceby Michael Anderson, President, Global Solutions Group, TelcordiaOperators need broadband multi-play services to remain competitive, but providing them is notsimple; seamlessly delivering multi-play services is inherently complex. Multi-play involvesa series of operational, technical and marketing challenges that few operators are prepared tohandle. The services must work together flawlessly on a common IP-based platform for fixedand mobile video, voice and data. The need to manage network traffic complexities, guaranteequality of service and meet the demands of the market all add to the challenge.Michael Anderson is the President of Telcordia’s Global Solutions Group. He is responsible for Next Generation OSS products, services,and partners. Mr Anderson has more than 15 years’ experience with media and high-technology software and service providers. Priorto Telcordia, Mr Anderson was Vice President of Business Development and Global Marketing for ADC’s Software Systems Group. Hehas also held senior roles in sales, marketing and product management at AT&T, MCI and Time Warner Telecom. Mr Anderson helpedstart one of the world’s first competitive voice and data service providers that grew to become a market leader before being sold to TimeWarner. He also founded a global leader in IP services that became a leading Internet economy brand. Mr Anderson is a founder andpast member of the Board of Directors of the Internet Service Provider Business Forum and is actively involved in several industryorganizations and advisory boards.Michael Anderson holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences and completed a fellowshipat the Georgetown University Law Center.The Asian broadband services market is widelyviewed as the benchmark for network buildouts,new services rollouts and subscriberpersonalization. Providers around the worldultimately aim to create multi-play offeringsthat compare to what can be found in Asia,but delivering on that vision is not withoutchallenges.Most of these challenges are operationalin nature - there is an inherent, underlyingcomplexity in seamlessly delivering multi-playservices. Detailed insight into the customerexperience, and operational environmentconsolidation and automation, are criticalrequirements for service excellence. Thisreflects in the need for operators to fulfilservice orders quickly and efficiently andto provide the best customer experience bymonitoring service quality from the customer’sperspective and remedying any potential issuesbefore customers are impacted.Many operators around the world are assessingwhat it takes to offer multi-play servicesprofitably. Multi-play services, composedof video, voice and data service elements,require all network elements to work togethermore closely under a single operationalenvironment. Resources that were once foundin separate networks must now become partof a single common platform. Operators notonly need to marshal network resources in acollective drive to satisfy customers on theirown terms, but also to ensure that the supplychain powering this more complex, convergednetwork is always positioned to deliver at thelowest possible cost at all times.This service supply chain needs to becomprehensive and able to adapt to changesin service demands, because an additionallevel of complexity exists given the marketdynamics of emerging multi-play services.In short, customer’s demands are changingand they expect to be able to experiencenew services simply and instantly. How willoperators address this need?Dealing with market dynamicsSuccessful multi-play services will be thosethat efficiently respond to highly dynamicmarket needs since crossover usage of anynetwork via any user devices is a key element.Flawless operational execution at all times isanother key element.18 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 19


Wireless Mesh DeploymentCreating real networks for real users with real resultsAmari Boulevard Hotel,Bangkok3rd & 4th December <strong>2007</strong>“Just as energy is the basis of lifeitself, and ideas the source ofinnovation, so is innovation thevital spark of all human change,improvement and progress”Theodore LevittLearn how to plan, deploy and maintain a wireless mesh network for carriers,municipalities, hospitalities or even for enterprises. Acquire critical skills in refiningbusiness models, conducting site surveys and choosing the right equipment vendorfor a successful wireless mesh networkYour expert course trainerJacob M. Robfogel Managing DirectorThai-FiBenefits of attending• Evaluating whether a wireless mesh network is thebest solution for the needs of the organisation• Learning how to budget and create cost and profitestimates for wireless networks• Understanding all the backhaul, electrical, safety andregulatory considerations when planning a wireless meshdeployment• Building a sustainable business model for wirelessservice providers• Gaining an insight into designing the network andsurveying the deployment site• Selecting the best equipment vendor and systemsintegrator• Examining technology options from multiple vendors• Experiencing hand-on configuration of equipment andnetwork management systems• Monitoring and adjusting network components forbest performancePre-course questionnaireTo ensure that you gain maximum benefit from this event, a detailedquestionnaire will be sent to you to establish exactly what your trainingneeds are. The completed forms will be analysed by the course trainer. As aresult, we ensure the course is delivered at an appropriate level and thatrelevant issues will be addressed. The comprehensive course material willenable you to digest the subject matter in your own time.marcus evans training courses are thoroughlyresearched and structured to provide intensepractical training applicable to your organisationBenefits include:• Combinations of educational presentations, productive in-sessionassignments and participant collaboration to provide actionable learning• Strictly limited seats to allow for greater one-on-one interaction with thetrainer• Detailed pre-course questionnaires to allow us to tailor the program toaddress your individual concerns• Comprehensive course materials, action plans and checklists• Utilisation of the skills, learning, experiences and knowledge of theparticipants and workshop leader through interactive plenary and smallgroup discussions*Early Bird & Group DiscountsAsk about our savingsMedia Partner Online Media Partner Supporting Publication20 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>professional trainingFor more information and registration, pleasecontact Kelly LeeTel: +603 2723 6798Email: kellyl@marcusevanskl.comwww.marcusevans.com


Multi-play serviceDealing with dynamism, with all theresulting operational fluidity and demandunpredictability, calls for higher levels ofplanning and coordination. Network operationsplanning needs to be evolutionary in itsorientation - the goal is to provide the bestcustomer experience over legacy, emergingand future, not yet conceived, infrastructures.Customer demand and the customer experiencenow dictate the direction of this industry, andoperators must focus on delivering whilepaying particular attention to the bottom line.Leading in delivering customer experiencesand relevant services may become an expensiveproposition that cannot be sustained if theproper attention is not given to the operationalaspects.To fully understand how to achieve theseobjectives, it is important to understand thecurrent environment, and how it is changing.Over the past ten to 15 years, the concept ofmulti-play services in Asia has evolved morerapidly than in any other region. A closer lookat this evolution process reveals many valuablelessons.More than a decade ago, residential customersbegan embracing multi-play services.However, they simply accepted the fact thattheir voice, video, data and mobile serviceshad to come from multiple providers.In recent years, increasing competitivepressures, and the ever-expanding versatilityof IP-based networks, have compelledoperators to expand their service portfoliosto include different types of services withemphasis on mobility. Competitive pressuresand customers’ increasing expectations arecompelling operators to become more creativein their service offerings. The need for a moreconvenient mobile experience that bringscertain features of the home PC to othersettings, using any device, and combiningit with other meaningful service elements iscreating formidable and taxing operationalchallenges. Current methods of operationare constrained as most services have to beprovisioned, fulfilled and managed separately- a rather costly, duplicative and disconnectedapproach. In addition, the growing volumesand changing characteristics of today’s multiplayservices are exhausting in-house andother core systems and processes. It’s time fora change.Transforming networks for better broadbandNow is the time to address networktransformation pressures.The increasingly competitive nature ofmulti-play services, and associated capitalinvestments, are having a significant impacton profits, making the traditional operationsmodels unsustainable.At the core, operators are quickly consolidatingtheir operations onto common IP backbones.Although this IP core is designed to be selfmanaging,it cannot simply be configured onceand expected to run automatically, indefinitelyand reliably because multi-play services arefar too dynamic, and customers’ needs areever-changing. Can the network keep up withvoracious and shifting consumer demand? Atthe moment, it cannot.For example, once mobility service featuresare added to the mix, networks are affectedin unpredictable ways - literally creating new,spontaneous network traffic patterns and busytimes; customers feel the need to experimentto make the most of the additional bandwidth,the new features and the new settings uponwhich these services are becoming available.To handle this unpredictability, an operationalenvironment that is aware of how the corenetwork is behaving at all times and thatprovides the flexibility to accommodatechanging conditions is necessary.So where should an operator’s focus be whenplanning to manage operational complexity?And with so many dynamics at play, whereshould they start?One area of focus should be network resourcelifecycle management, including:• IP address management;• IP route modelling;• Multi-layer network views and dataprovisioning;• Multimedia IT equipment inventory,management, and activation;• Quality of Service, QoS, management;• Customer, network and service inventorydiscovery and reconciliation; and,• Competitor and partner management.Another area of focus should be overalloperational orchestration, which is thesynchronization of all resources from abroad number of once-separate networks andoperational environments to act as one.Orchestrating the supply chainAs all of the pieces begin to come together,service orchestration comes to the forefront -properly coupling the underlying supply chainto the rest of the operational environment tomaximize network resource utilization at alltimes. This becomes even more critical oncemore complex, Web-based, self-service ordersand changes become more prevalent.Similarly, in the new mode of operation, serviceassurance requires a coordinated, multi-layeredapproach to stop any service degradation fromspreading to the other services in a multi-playoffering.In addition, the operational environmentmust be properly coordinated to keep trackof relevant, real-time information on serviceorder status and performance. Moreover,operational orchestration should include thefollowing:• Facilitate the operation of new serviceswith reusable components;• Orchestrate the provision of content andservices through third-parties;• Meticulously prevent, pinpoint, diagnose,and manage service order fall-out; and,• Monitor internal and partner Service LevelAgreements, SLAs.Achieve broadband service excellenceTo address the various challenges in‘operationalising’ multi-play services, theconcept of ‘solution’ needs to be revisited.Every telecom supplier refers to its systemsas ‘solutions’, and, of course, they are. Itis important to note, however, that a realsolution starts with a partnership between anoperator and their supplier that draws on thefull breadth of their experience and usuallyincludes both technical but, more importantly,strategic guidance.Network and service planning in today’sworld must seek a holistic approach that goesbeyond individual systems. A true solutionmust represent a blend of capabilities andsystems that can integrate with an operator’senvironment and business processes, andprovide not only customer experienceexcellence to stay relevant, but must alsoconform to the operator’s business case forsustained profitability.The idea is to provide the best customerexperience with the minimum amount ofnetwork, service and operational resources.The clear business objective is to maximizeprofit per unit while increasing market shareand brand equity - a critical objective thatoperators around the world can meet if theyhave the right plan in place. nAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 21


MobileMaking the most of wireless mobilityby Neil Montefiore, CEO, MobileOne, M1, SingaporeIn both developed and developing countries people depend upon their cell phones - often for theirsurvival. Businesses and operators, though, need to focus on how the technology can facilitatean effective and competitive business environment, enhance productivity and generate returns.Mobility should enhance freedom and flexibility, not distort the work/life balance. Workingdays no longer need be from nine till five, remote working is a reality - lessening pressure onoffice space, reducing commuting, rush-hour traffic and fuel consumption.Neil Montefiore is the CEO of MobileOne Ltd, M1, Singapore. Prior to his current appointment, he was the Director, Mobile Services atHong Kong Telecom CSL Limited. Mr Montefiore began his career at The Cable and Wireless group and rose through the ranks to becomethe CEO of Cable and Wireless Systems Ltd. From there, he moved to the UK as Managing Director of Paknet Ltd, a Cable and Wirelessand Vodafone joint venture. Mr Montefiore later returned to Hong Kong as Managing Director of Chevalier (Telepoint) Ltd.Mr Montefiore received the Asian Business Leaders’ Innovator of the Year Award 2002 presented by CNBC Asia-Pacific and TNT Asia.In 2003, M1 won the Best Regional Mobile Operator and Best Brand in the <strong>World</strong> Communication Awards. M1 went on to win theBest Broadcast Commercial at the GSM Association Awards in Cannes in 2005. The Singapore Business Awards committee named himthe Outstanding CEO of the Year for 2002. In 2006, Mr Montefiore was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Institute ofAdvertising, Singapore, IAS.Mr Montefiore is a chartered engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and a Fellow of the Chartered Instituteof Marketing, CIM.The wireless industry has just celebratedreaching a significant milestone. It was 20years ago that an historic agreement was signedin Copenhagen by 15 telecommunicationsoperators from 13 countries that led to thedevelopment of the Global System for MobileCommunications. Better known as GSM, thecommunications technology now serves over2.5 billion people worldwide.Have we only had global mobilecommunications capability for such arelatively short time? Was there life before themobile phone? Well, my generation somehowmanaged to reach their third decade withoutmaking a call on a mobile phone, sendinga text or picture message, or forming anunhealthy relationship with a BlackBerry.Today’s twenty-somethings and younger,however, regard you with a mixture of pityand disbelief if you explain how industryand society did actually function without thewonder of wireless.The past 20 years have seen a communicationsrevolution, with mobility making anunprecedented impact on both the consumerand business worlds. The first GSM networksintroduced the reality of single numbercontactability and availability, any time,anywhere. It was a revelation (providing thecross-border roaming agreements were inplace) and the ‘corporate road warriors’, asthey were referred to in many a PowerPointpresentation of the 1990s, quickly grasped thebenefits of the mobile phone. They turned 24-hour working into an art form. They seizedthe advantage of accessibility and gained animmediate competitive edge over the poorsouls who remained tethered to copper wiredconnections.For some years, mobile voice and textmessaging were the only applicationsavailable from the mobile device. The word‘only’ is relative - mobile voice and SMS built,and continues to sustain, multi-billion dollarbusinesses for the operators and won overa billion users worldwide by 2004, 12 yearsafter GSM went commercial.Just 30 months later, by mid-2006, therewere two billion users. In that year, cellularservices accounted for 1.6 per cent of the22 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Mobileglobal economy. From voice only, the mobilecommunications industry has become acomprehensive mature business offering arange of services that has transformed the waythat we work; and makes, as well, a huge andpositive social and economic impact aroundthe world. Now, nearly seven billion textmessages are sent every day. More than onebillion mobile phones will be sold this year,and almost two-thirds of mobile users are inemerging markets.At last, we are at a point in the mobilecommunications industry where the capabilitiesof both the networks and the devices are inbalance. GSM and, more recently, 3G havesuffered historically from an unfortunatetendency to over-market their services, andtoo often the promises were not fulfilled. Nowwe don’t have that problem. The devices aresophisticated, rich in processing power andmemory, and can offer all main capabilitieswithin a single handset - voice, SMS, MMS,music, camera, video, radio, Web browsing,TV screen, mobile email, messaging, calendar,diary… the mobile phone is now even a gamesconsole. The networks are faster, the pipesare bigger. Mobile broadband is now rollingout thanks to 3G and its higher-speed cousinHSDPA.So the technology, as it should be, is now agiven. What’s important is how the technologyand its capabilities can be leveraged to benefitthe user.What is interesting about the mobilisation ofthe corporate and enterprise market is thatthe services and applications enabled by themobile device are not new - they are existingtools already used by businesses on a dailybasis. What the rise and rise of wireless hasadded is the USP, unique selling proposition,of mobility. So voice, text, email, the Internet,multimedia all are now available and accessibleon the move and, increasingly, capable of beingshared securely among predefined user groups.This is a particularly important point, as oneof the main barriers to enterprise adoptionof mobile services has been the perceivedsecurity risk of transmitting confidential dataover the air.Today’s business environment is competitivein a way that was simply not envisaged even20 years ago. It’s a global economy enabledby the ubiquity of communications and instantaccess to information, irrespective of location.Catalysed by the Internet and the <strong>World</strong> WideWeb, the growth of this global marketplacehas been fuelled by mobile communications.Customers and suppliers can now be sourcedfrom, contacted and collaborated withanywhere, in any time zone. Prices can becompared, specifications designed and alteredin real time; instant conferencing brings fasterdecisions and targeted effort.To truly compete, businesses need tomanipulate mobility to ensure the most efficientand economic methods of working. Usedto their best effect, mobile communicationscan reduce costs, increase output, decreaseresponse times, improve customer satisfaction,enhance competitive differentiation and playa crucial part in the success - or otherwise -of any commercial venture, but the potentialneeds to be understood. Providing the latestPDA, personal digital assistant, to your salesforce will not guarantee increased profitability.The advantage comes from knowing how tointegrate the capabilities of that PDA into abusiness. Exploiting the benefits will providethe enhanced productivity that generatesreturns.Mobility provides freedom and flexibility. Itenables people to be more productive, to haveaccess to information when and where theyneed it. Time can be better utilised and theworking day no longer needs to be nine till five- work commitments can be built into a newapproach to time management that takes bothbusiness and leisure time into account. Mobilitymeans remote working is a reality - meaningless pressure on office space and less timewasted joining in the daily commute. Thereis no reason why the mobile communicationsmovement should not be a major contributorto the reduction of rush-hour traffic. With thegrowth of secure all-IP networks, the mobileVPN, virtual private networks, and the datatransport speeds now available, the onlyobstacle to effective flexible working is oftenthe office IT manager.What could the mobile industry do better for itsbusiness customers? There was a rush to winthe mass consumer market, but some operatorsare still playing catch-up in terms of targetingthe enterprise and corporate customers withrelevant services, attractive price plans andproper, informed and accessible support.Operators need to explain clearly the elementsthat make up a mobile business - from themost suitable devices and cost-effectivenessof combined corporate tariffs to the benefits ofa dot.mobi website. Businesses not only needto be mobile, they must start marketing to themobile. The generation that has grown up withthe mobile device is often the audience thattraditional marketing can no longer reach.Businesses need to understand what wirelessworking can add to the organisations. Whatapplications would bring greater efficiency?What potential could be realised by enablinga more mobile workforce?How does the enterprise plan for the future -do operators clearly define both the advantagesand limitations of the available solutions? Anyinvestment needs to be carefully considered,but with communications proving the corearound which every business is built, it isessential that businesses demand as much asthey can from their networks.Operators need to seize more opportunities toserve the enterprise. They need to undertakeproper research to understand the differentmarket segments, the potential for partnershipsto create flexible all-IP networks, and theyneed to focus less on highlighting fancyfeatures and more on promoting the benefits ofbusiness mobility. In short, they may need togo back to old-fashioned marketing and matchthe services to the markets.GSM began as a basic voice service with theirresistible addition of mobility and crossborderroaming. Its growth is unmatched byany other industry. We have come a long wayfrom the feverish addiction of the 1990s roadwarriors. Then mobility was a novelty andwas touted as a status symbol. Now it is anessential tool - life can quite literally revolvearound the mobile device. Now that we havemobile broadband capability, more and moreservices are making the transition from thefixed to the wireless world. Mobile Internetaccess, information and entertainment services,gaming, banking, ‘contactless’ payments - areall now possible, are all now expected - via themobile device.It is, however, important to keep a firmgrip on perspective. The availability ofwireless communications is not an excusefor employers to expect more time to bedevoted to business needs. Smart devices andmobility should lead to more efficient workingpractices and a more effective and competitivebusiness environment, not make a severe dentin the work/life balance. Some people seemto think that ubiquitous wireless connectivitymeans that their laptop is an essential holidaycompanion. Being able to communicate 24/7doesn’t mean that you have to. If you’re offon vacation, leave the laptop at home. Afterall, a smartphone or PDA is so much lessobtrusive... nAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 23


Mobile networksUnclogging backhaul -architecture is not just technology...by Björn Krylander, CEO, Cambridge Broadband NetworksThe use of mobile broadband is growing rapidly and will accelerate greatly in the comingyears. To meet the voracious demand that is developing, mobile operators will have to buildup their infrastructure-especially the backhaul connections between local base stations and thecore network. The point-to-point architecture typical of so many of today’s backhaul networkswill be expensive to expand. Point-multipoint architectures handle data traffic peaks moreefficiently and cost effectively and are much cheaper to build and maintain.Bjorn Krylander is the CEO of Cambridge Broadband Networks, a wireless transmission equipment developer. Mr Krylander came toCambridge from UbiNetics, a 3G test and IP company, where he was CEO until its sale. Prior to UbiNetics, Mr Krylander held a varietyof positions at Ericsson Inc., including Vice President TDMA and CDMA Mobile Phones in the US and Vice President and GeneralManager of the company’s Home Communications Business Unit.Mr Krylander holds a Master of Science in Electronic Engineering from Lund University.After ten years of hype about the possibility,the time for true mobile broadband Internet isfinally here. Around the world, Internet usageand services are becoming more widespread,more varied and altogether more demandingfor the cellular operators that offer them.This shift from basic mobile voiceservices is made possible by HSPA.According to the Global MobileSuppliers Association, GSA, 128operators in 63 countries havecommercially launched HSDPAservices and a further 50 operatorshave committed to do so.The Asia-Pacific market alreadycomprises more than half of theworld’s current two billion wirelesssubscribers, according to industryanalyst ABI Research. By 2011,when world usage rises to 3.5 billion, the Asia-Pacific region will have more than four timesthe number of wireless subscribers than thenext largest region, Western Europe.For the end user, whether business professionalor consumer, HSPA means true broadband onthe move, supporting a variety of applications,including email, Web browsing, virtual privatenetworks, video on demand and on-lineenterprise applications. Operators are quotinghuge data subscriber growth rates, such as a20-fold increase in just six months since thelaunch of ‘all you can eat’ price plans.As data, rather than voice, becomesthe driving force for growth andrevenues, operators face majorchallenges ensuring their networkinfrastructure enables them tokeep pace with demand. As wellas coping with the rapid increasein bandwidth requirements, theyhave to manage the fact that dataservices exhibit entirely differenttraffic patterns than voice services,which are consistent and predicable.Additionally, since ARPU, average24 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 25


Mobile networksrevenue per user, is not rising in parallel withthe necessary increases in bandwidth, operatorsneed to manage their costs carefully for bothcapital and operational expenditures.So, how is the voice-to-data paradigm shift intraffic usage supported? On the access side, thepoint at which services are delivered to the enduser, a veritable alphabet soup of technologies- LTE, WiMAX, 3G, 4G, W-CDMA, HSDPA,HSUPA, UMTS, EV-DO -are in use. Vendors are fallingover themselves to provideoperators and end users withtheir best technology for thejob. On the end-user side,according to the GSA, thereare now 311 HSPA devicesavailable, from 71 suppliers.The future for the accessside of the network is clear;peak data rates will continueto increase (we will returnsoon to why the word ‘peak’is so important). HSPA peakdata rates are set to increaseto 3.6, 7.2, 10, 14, 28, 42and eventually 80Mbps,all within a single 5MHzW-CDMA channel.However, it’s not just aboutaccess. On the transmissionside of the network, operatorsneed to backhaul trafficfrom an increasing numberof cellular base stations tothe core network. This istypically achieved throughpoint-to-point microwavelinks, with a capacity of 1 or2 E1s/T1s per cellular basestation sufficing until nowto cope with even the peaktraffic requirement from acellular base station.As the peak data capacityneeded by each cellular basestation continues to grow,a point-to-point network,where by definition each cellular base stationrequires a dedicated link, becomes untenable.Each link has to be provisioned to cope withthe peak data rate - the worst-case scenario - ofits cell site, which is prohibitively expensive.The ratio of the peak to mean bandwidthrequirement (i.e. the difference between themaximum amount of traffic a cellular basestation needs to carry at a single point in timecompared to the average amount of traffic itusually carries) is so large that the majorityof the backhaul capacity is not required formost of the time, which is hugely wasteful.The reason for this peak-to-mean variationis because data applications, unlike voiceapplications where all users generate similaramounts of traffic, are ‘statistically violent’,or ‘bursty’, with music, email, video andenterprise applications all generating differenttypes of data traffic with bandwidth needs. Aspeak data rates continue to grow, the peak-tomeanbandwidth variation will only continueto increase, further compounding the problemand increasing the required over-provisioningon the backhaul side of the network.Even if operators could simply throw anincreased number of higher capacity pointto-pointradios at the backhaul problem, apartfrom the expense, there is a huge environmentaland community impact because of the sheernumber of radio antennas required. Trying tocounteract the upgrade problem by reducingthe backhaul capacity needed by each cellularbase station, by spreading the network overa greater number of smaller cells, makes theantenna problem of point-to-point radio linkseven worse.So how can operators overcome thetechnical problems of nextgenerationbackhaul withoutcompromising their businesscase by incurring costs sohigh that they cannot makea profit from their mobileInternet services?The solution is to use analternative architecturefor backhaul, leveragingthe fact that the peak-tomeanratio per cellular basestation is ever increasing.Rather than using pointto-pointlinks and havingto provision for the peakdata rate that each cellularbase station may require, apoint-to-multipoint solutionovercomes these problemsby utilising advanced trafficmanagement techniques.This takes advantage of therelationship between the peakand mean data requirementsof each cellular base station,and the advantage becomeseven more apparent as thepeak-to-mean ratio continuesto grow.The fundamental differencebetween a point-to-pointnetwork and a point-tomultipointnetwork is thefact that a point-to-pointnetwork is comprised of alarge number of independent,separately provisionedlinks, whereas in a pointto-multipointnetwork asingle antenna at a central hub site connects tomultiple cellular base stations.Using a carrier class point-to-multipointarchitecture to overcome the ever-increasingbackhaul bottleneck provides advantagesboth to operators and to the environmentas a whole. The major impact for operatorsis a substantial reduction of the capital andoperational expenditures needed to roll out26 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Mobile networksadvanced Internet services over their network;a point-to-multipoint architecture lets themexpand without incurring crippling backhaulinfrastructure costs that undermine theirbusiness case.The fundamental principle of a point-tomultipointsolution is that the capacity of asingle central hub site can be shared betweenmultiple cellular base stations by usingadvanced traffic management and statisticalmultiplexing. This means that rather thanhaving to provision each link to cope withthe maximum possible data throughput (thepeak) for each cellular base station, the pointto-multipointnetwork simply needs to beprovisioned so that the central hub stationcan cope with the sum of the average datathroughputs from each cellular base station(the mean), and the traffic managementsoftware does the rest. As the peak-to-meanratio becomes ever larger, the advantageof point-to-multipoint becomes more andmore significant, substantially reducing theoverall backhaul capacity an operator needsto provision, thereby resulting in a substantialreduction in costs.Simply reducing the number of antennas thatneed to be deployed substantially reducescapital expenditure. To provide backhaulcapacity for ‘n’ cellular base stations, apoint-to-point system needs 2 x n antennas,one at each end of each link. In contrast, apoint-to-multipoint system requires n + 1antennas, one situated at each cellular basestation and one at the central hub site. [Witha 5 base station system, for example, a pointtopoint architecture requires ten antennasand associated equipment, whereas a pointmultipointnetwork requires just six antennas- a 40 per cent reduction.] Reducing thenumber of antennas also has a huge impact onoperational costs, by reducing roof rental costsand the costs for site visits and maintenance.If an operator wants to increase the backhaulcapacity as the network grows, it only needsto increase the central backhaul hub capacity,there is no need to replace multiple pointto-pointlinks with higher capacity links.Additionally, when a new cellular base stationis deployed, provisioning backhaul capacityto that site requires the installation of justone new antenna (the other end is already atthe existing central hub site) rather than twoantennas, further reducing opex.The ease of provisioning characteristic ofpoint-to-multipoint and the fact that pointto-multipointspectrum is typically allocatedfor a specific geographical area reduces theoperator’s dependence upon third parties.This reduces dependence upon the regulator;because once the spectrum has been allocatedthe operator is free to use it without havingto apply on a case-by-case basis for pointto-pointspectrum licences. If an operatorcurrently uses leased lines for backhaul, thenthe dependence upon third parties is reducedeven more by adopting a point-to-multipointwireless solution.In addition to the business impact uponindividual operators, it is important toremember that the choice of point-to-multipointvs. point-to-point is more than simply atechnology choice. From the environmentalperspective, just the reduction in the numberof antennas on rooftops makes a huge positiveimpact on the local community. Additionally,the traffic management techniques enabledby a point-to-multipoint approach mean thatmaximum use can be made of the scarcenatural resource, the radio spectrum.Finally, the choice of backhaul architecture isalso about the need for operators to invest in afuture-proof infrastructure that will enable themto continue to expand their business, offeringan increasing variety of high bandwidthInternet services to their customers. This isparticularly relevant in Asia-Pacific, wherethe number of mobile subscribers continues togrow more quickly than in any other region,and should reach nearly two billion by 2011. Acarefully chosen point-to-multipoint solutionwill provide operators with a highly scalableplatform that will support whatever portfolioof traffic and services the operator needs tooffer, now and in the future. nAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 27


<strong>VOIP</strong> <strong>ASIA</strong> <strong>2007</strong>Staying <strong>Connect</strong>ed in an Increasingly Mobile <strong>World</strong>24 th & 25 th OCTOBER <strong>2007</strong> • 9AM - 5PM • JW MARRIOTT HOTEL • KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIAPaul ChristensenVice PresidentCommercial DevelopmentIDT Asia, Hong KongDr Kang Gyung MoSenior ResearcherService Development DepartmentKorea Telecom, South KoreaDr Madanmohan RaoConsultantAsia Media & InformationCommunication CentreDr Jang Gyu Sang, PhDDirector of Enterprise Solutions GroupKTF, South KoreaCW CheungConsulting Director, Asia PacificOvum Consulting, Hong KongKeith NissenPrincipal AnalystIn-Stat Consulting, USASungwoo ShinSpecialistNIDA-National Internet DevelopmentAgency, Korea<strong>VOIP</strong> is moving towards the mainstream and expanding into wirelessapplications in the now mature phase it is poised to transform thebusiness landscape for fixed, mobile cable, broadband and <strong>VOIP</strong>service providers. Having invested heavily in solving the technicalchallenges required to make <strong>VOIP</strong> a reality, investors, operators andbusiness corporations alike are advancing to the next milestone. Thestakeholders within the entire <strong>VOIP</strong> industry value chain are grapplingwith a wide range of issues from how to best derive their <strong>VOIP</strong>business model, keeping themselves updated with the emergingtechnologies set to substitute <strong>VOIP</strong>. This regional conference on <strong>VOIP</strong>aims to provide the latest updates and insights on some of thesecritical issues.Key Conference HighlightsDISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS• Successfull operator case studies showing effective bundling ofnon VoIP products together with Wireless / VoIP services provento generate revenues• In-depth discussion on whether there is a business case forWireless VoIP• Country level directives for VoIP & Wireless VoIP – A North Asiaand European Perspective• Case studies on the deployment of wireless VoIP in Japan, SouthKorea and Europe• The most advanced VoIP technologies employed• Latest Development in Seamless Roaming and its impact onnew VoIP Services• The Femto Fever and its underlying impact on VoIP Services• The regulatory trend environment across different regions with afocus on ENUM• Future Direction for VoIP & Wireless VoIPRoy WakimDirector of Convergence SolutionsAvaya SingaporeChan Kin HungSenior VP of AdvancedMultimedia ServicesStarHub, SingaporePandya MadhusudanHead, Customer Solutuions, SEAAlcatel Lucent, SingaporeLo Sui LunDirectorHong Kong Broadband, Hong KongDevan ParinpanayagamDirector of Advanced TechnologyCisco Systems, MalaysiaYuan BoVice Director of 3G SolutionHuawei Technologies, ChinaPaolo BorellaVP, MultimediaBusiness Group, NokiaSPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITIONOPPORTUNITIESAs a UNI sponsor, your organization will be an active participantin our marketing and sales efforts. You will be able to brand andpromote your business and establish high value relationshipsthrough our extensive marketing campaign and direct customercontact at conference venue. The sponsorship packagescould be customized to complement your marketing plan andbranding strategies.Call us for discussion today!Attending AudienceDirectors • VP • International Business Directors • CarrierWholesale Division Sales MDs • CEOs • CFOs • CTOs •CIOs • Product Managers of IP Telephony & Broadband •Analysts • NGN Consultants • Engineers • Technicians.Attending IndustriesCarriers •Telco Companies • ISPs • Cable Broadband ServiceProviders • VoIP Providers • Government Regulatory BodiesOfficial Publications & Media PartnersProudly Organised byUNIVERSAL NETWORK INTELLIGENCEFor more information Fill in your details below and Fax it back to us at : 65-6557 2512 or Call (65) 6825 9609 / (65) 6825 9579or Email to: marketing@uninetintelligence.comName: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________Position: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________Email: __________________________________________________Tel: ( ) ____________________ Fax: ( ) _____________________Nature of Business: ________________________________________________________________________________________________Please send me more information28 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>VoIP-CW


Mobile InternetThe rise of mobile infoby Dominique Schmid, CEO Sicap AGBy 2002, almost 80 per cent of Japanese mobile users subscribed to mobile Internet overWAP or i-mode. This was not due so much to cultural differences, as to the agility of localoperators, the infrastructure installed and the services offered. The mobile phone is competingever more widely with the Internet in Asia to provide services. The USSD bearer channel onGSM networks that can provide no-cost, interactive, rapid and secure communications willhelp build Asian mobile Internet services.Dominique Schmid is the CEO of Swisscom Mobile subsidiary Sicap AG. He has worked for Swisscom AG since 1999 beginning asa Project Leader to found Swisscom Mobile AG and Bluewin AG. He has been a member of the supervisory board of Sicap AG since2001. Mr Schmid has extensive experience in M&A, marketing, finance and change management. He previously worked on many M&Atransactions, post-merger integration, and restructuring measures for Valora Holding AG Bern retailers and was an internal auditor forWinterthur Insurance Company.After studying business economics at the University of Berne, Mr Schmid obtained an MBA in general management from Simon School,Rochester, N.Y. in the USA.As the Asian telecommunications marketbecomes increasingly competitive, mobileoperators must anticipate convergence trendsand ensure that the mobile phone offers thesame services and the same user-friendlyaccess as the Internet on the traditional PC.The ebb and flow of consumer perceptionhinges essentially on this usability concept butother criteria, including quality of content andprivacy, also affect take-up and satisfaction.If, for instance, the services on offer are lesspractical than dialling up a vocal service, orif the customer is constantly harassed byadvertising, he is more than likely to throw inthe towel, revert to voice-only calls and brandthe information services as unmanageable andunwanted intrusions.Can we make the mobile experience stressfreefor users by deploying invisible and realtimeinteraction with the network in order tomake it that way? More important, how can wemake mobile Internet viable in terms of servicepricing? Rates applied for mobile servicesinevitably come under scrutiny by mobileconsumers, usually when they get a glimpseat the sky-high charges applied for roaming onnetworks abroad or for surfing the mobile Web.Customers are understandably reluctant to payjust to browse with their mobiles. What if wecould deploy under-exploited bearer channelsto make mobile data free and easy?Asians adopted mobile Internet and mobileservices much more readily than in Europe.The International Telecommunications Unionreports that almost 80 per cent of Japanesemobile users already subscribed to mobileInternet over WAP or i-mode back in 2002. Itis often assumed that the high usage of mobilesin Japan is due to culturally distinct factorssuch as a Japanese love for small gadgets, orthe high percentage of time spent on publictransportation. Research at the InternationalUniversity of Japan, though, revealed thatregional differences in advanced mobiledata usage are due more to Japan’s strategicchoice of a mobile value chain network andinfrastructure features different than those inEurope.Japan launched their mobile Internet servicewith mobile email; this made the leap to mobilewebsites much easier than in Europe, whereAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 29


Mobile Internetthe majority of messaging is still SMS basedwith no direct connection to mobile Internet.The rise of ‘ask & know’ services also helpsand it is likely that this is what has spurredgrowth in i-mode coverage areas.In Japan, content providers have a unifiedplatform to operate from (i-mode) and theirbusiness model is also arguably better than inthe rest of the world. Clever revenue sharingagreements in Japan mean that the best contentowners are actually making enough money tomarket the services themselves. An m-bankingproject started in 2006 by Banco do Brasilfor instance now has 300,000 regular users inJapan and uptake has been faster than in theirhome country, Brazil. The mobile bankingproject provides SMS balance statementsand mobile payments; it is just one exampleof how convenient m-services can beat thetraditional wired Internet.In addition, the underlying technology isinvisible to users - a prime factor in deliveringmobile services successfully. Nevertheless,the sheer number of different device modelson the market, and the multitude of networkbearer technologies, constitutes a serioustechnical hurdle to mobile Internet andmedia services. Upgrades to the mobilenetwork, for instance, may affect theperformance of devices already in use bysubscribers. Inversely, improvements to 3Gdevice capabilities may interfere with theradio access settings of one or more networksuppliers. Because the latest devices arefar more powerful in their functions andplay a far more interactive role with thecore Internet multimedia sub-system,interoperability issues between mobilenetworks and devices are mind-bogglinglycomplex.Compare the number of makes of mobiles youcan mentally list with the small number of PCmanufacturers. Then compare the number ofmobile technologies (GSM, GPRS, i-mode,UMTS, HSPA) with ADSL, the standard,wired broadband technology. It is easy tounderstand that ensuring compatibility foreffective delivery of content to mobiles isa business in itself. In the trade, we refer toit as MDM, mobile device management,and recognise a small number of softwarespecialists able to deploy a device knowledgedatabase. One database, for instance, containscompatibility details for over 800 differentmodels simultaneously marketed andconnected to networks. Automatic and livediscovery of mobile phones when they connectto the network gives operators control over thedevice ‘fleet’ and means they can invisiblytrack performance between the network andcustomer devices, and even invisibly fix bugsover the air before the customer notices.A big issue for mobile users in smaller Asianterritories is the cost and availability of mobilemultimedia when roaming abroad on a differentmobile network. Unlike classic Internet, wiredtelephony or WiFi, mobile network airtimeis costly and requires configuration by theuser. One simple yet little-known solutionfor providing multimedia services is USSD.Using the USSD, Unstructured SupplementaryService Data, bearer channel in the GSMnetwork is a way to provide interactivedialogue between service applications andthe mobile user with fast and predictableresponse time. The information is deliveredwhatever the make and model of the device,and regardless of the geographical locations.This is possible due to the universal nature ofUSSD access numbers. USSD was built intothe GSM standard as a means of transmittinginformation or instructions over the signallingchannels of a GSM network. Certain paymentsolution specialists discovered its virtues as aquick and easy-to-use channel for accessing aprepaid subscriber’s balance back in the midnineties. The beauty of USSD is its ability torespond to simple requests very quickly. Theuser enters a string code request typicallycontaining star and hash-key symbols and twoseconds later gets his answer displayed on thescreen.Today, value-added multimedia services canbe accessed through a single USSD browser.USSD-enabled access displays an Internetlikescreen with a menu of service choices.Unlike the unpopular WAP access, whichbills users for browsing without actuallyrequesting content, and phone configurationsthat need complex settings, USSD access isstandard in all handsets and free of charge,even while roaming. USSD offers immediateaccess with more convenience than sending anSMS request, and the information content isdelivered in the same interactive session. TheUSSD access code, and shortcuts to favourites,can be stored in the phonebook for easieraccess by the customer. Polyphonic ring tones,pictures, video clips, java games, quizzes,news, weather forecasts, train schedules andTV guides are all examples of content servicesaccessible through a single USSD code andpresented in a user-friendly menu.The USSD Menu Bowser, UMB, can beextended to offer innovative location-basedservices. Due to the cellular coverageafforded by mobile antennas, a mobile usercan, for instance, search for restaurants inthe vicinity of his actual location, or discoverthe train timetables at the nearest stations.The SIM, the unique personal identificationcard that GSM subscribers keep and transferbetween devices, can also be used forprofiling services. New Dynamic SIM ToolKits, D-STK, can generate updates as theyappear and customize them so that mobileusers can browse refreshed content menuswithout being connected. Another way topromote mobile services is to leverage theSIM-card for security purposes. The Internetis renowned for its hackers who can copyand crack user passwords in seconds. Thetraditional password just does not provideenough guarantees for many people toleave their credit card or other sensitivedetails. SIM-based authentication is securein that it is a personal item and can be ‘wipedand locked’ in case a user loses his mobiledevice. The SIM not only provides networkaccess, but is also a powerful tool for digitalsecurity. No secret, static, data is transmittedvia an insecure network as on the Internet.There is an opportunity for mobile operatorsand providers to differentiate their servicesfrom classical Internet by promoting securetransactions.The recent attention by mobile operatorsto behind-the-scenes issues, as opposedto relentless promotions of hyped mobileservices, is explained by consistently badconsumer survey results. Real-time solutionsfor effective and useful multimedia informationdelivery on small screens are the obvious wayahead for mobile services. n30 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


“It’s about making connections.Meeting people. Opportunityalways begins with a relationship.”where:when:register:Fira de Barcelona, Spain11 - 14 February 2008www.mobileworldcongress.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .where:when:register:Macau, SAR People’s Republic of China22 - 25 September 2008www.mobileasiacongress.com<strong>2007</strong> Partners:Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 31


BroadbandBroadband demand in Indiaby Atul Bindal, President, Bharti Airtel Broadband & Telephone ServicesAtul Bindal is President, Broadband & Telephone Services at Bharti Airtel Ltd. He is a member of the Airtel Management Board and alsochairs the Broadband & Telephone Services Management Board. Previously, Mr Bindal was Executive Director, South, for the MobilityBusiness and Group Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Mobility for Bharti Airtel. Prior to Bharti, Mr Bindal was CommercialDirector, Asia-Pacific, with DHL and had served with AlliedSignal/Honeywell - he was VP & GM Asia, Middle East and Africa for theirPower Systems Business when he left. Earlier, Mr Bindal worked in marketing, sales and general management with American Express,Lipton and Shell.Atul Bindal is a Mechanical Engineer from Delhi University, and a Post Graduate in Management from the Indian Institute of ManagementCalcutta.Broadband, increasingly, is the preconditionof empowerment in today’s global economy.It is a fundamental human right for the 21stcentury. <strong>World</strong>wide, broadband is a powerfulenabler and a catalyst for accelerated changefor consumers, companies, organizations andnations. When fully deployed, broadbandchanges people’s behaviour and drives muchmore intense and productive use of informationand communication technology, ICT, onlinecontent, applications and services.India, too, has realized that economies thatadopt and absorb the benefits of broadbandenabledICT services and applications quicklyand deeply will achieve significant benefits interms of productivity, innovation, growth andquality of life as well as discernible competitiveadvantage compared with economies that donot. To remain competitive in a globalisedworld, and to ensure the delivery of world-classpublic services, it is vital that the broadbandopportunity be exploited to the fullest.Hunger for more broadbandToday, India may still be struggling to reachthe magic figure of nine million broadbandsubscribers that the Indian Department ofTelecommunication had set as a target figurewhen it unveiled its Broadband Policy in2004. However, there is a heartening piece ofdevelopment that these figures mask. Despitethe obvious shortfall, broadband growth inIndia has actually been on the rise in the pasttwo years, with 18-fold growth from the early2004 figure of just 48,000 subscribers. Thetotal broadband connections in the countryreached 2.47 million by the end of July <strong>2007</strong>,with an addition of 0.05 million connectionsjust in the month of July <strong>2007</strong>. (Source: TRAIReport, August <strong>2007</strong>.) This indicates that therehas been rising demand, if not hunger, forbroadband in India.While it is true that in Asia, India has one ofthe lowest broadband penetration rates, recentpolicy measures and government initiatives topromote broadband are expected to take themarket to 30.1 million subscribers by the endof 2013 (household penetration rate is expectedto reach around 8.9 per cent by 2013) andcome close to the goal set by the government.(Source: ASSOCHAM and Frost & SullivanReport on Broadband in India - <strong>2007</strong>.)This growth is mainly driven by three factors,namely: infrastructure, access devices andcontent. In terms of infrastructure, digitalsubscriber line, DSL, is currently the majortechnology used in the country for broadbandaccess and has been recognized as a preferredmedium to deliver high-quality voice, dataand video in a converged environment. Privateand public sector players have already laid695,124km of fibre backbone across thecountry.In terms of access devices, personal computer,PC, penetration in urban areas is increasingconsiderably with every passing year.Also, prices of access devices have fallen“Today, India may still be struggling to reach the magic figure of nine million broadbandsubscribers that the Indian Department of Telecommunication had set as a target figure whenit unveiled its Broadband Policy in 2004.”32 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


La Plus Grande Manifestation des Telecoms pour l’AfriqueAvec traduction simultanée anglais-français dans l’auditoriumprincipal et inscription gratuite pour les opérateurs et régulateursFREEfor Operatorsand Regulators(until 29 October‘07)Cape Town, South Africa, 21-22 November <strong>2007</strong>The Leading Pan-African Event for Mobile, Fixed,Wireless and Satellite Communications ProfessionalsMeet Thought LeadersIncluding:Moez Daya,CEO – Africa,MTC GroupTim Lowry, VP forSouthern and EastAfrica region, MTNGroup, and MD,MTN SAMarc Rennard,EVP & Head ofInternational Operationsfor Africa, Middle East& Asia, Orange GroupThe mostestablishedevent in Africanow in its10th year!Dr Nizar Dalloul,chairman & CEO,Comium GroupAlieu Conteh,Chairman,Vodacom CongoMichael Joseph,CEO, Safaricom, KenyaProduced by:Supporting associations:Sponsored by:“A great show for networking & makingconnections with Pan-African operators, customers& potential customers.(ER, Blackberry)www.gsm-3gworldseries.com/africa“Informa Telecoms & Media is part of Informa plc which is quoted on the London Stock Exchange under the Media section and has offices in: Australia •Austria • Brazil • Belgium • Dubai • France • Germany • Hong Kong • India • Malaysia • Netherlands • Norway • Singapore • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland• United Kingdom • USAREGISTRATION HOTLINE+44 (0)20 7017 5506Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 33


South Asia’s largest ICT event16 thnvergenceIndia 2008International Exhibition & ConferencePragati Maidan, New Delhi, India19-21 March 2008Transforming Lives...Certified bySupportsSupporting Journal217-B (2nd Floor) Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi 110 020, India Tel: +91 11 4279 5000 Fax: +91 11 4279 5098 / 99Bunny Sidhu, GM, (M): +91 98733 43925 bunnys@eigroup.in / Surajit Bit, Sr. Project Manager, (M): +91 98734 45423 surajitb@eigroup.in /Sambit Mund, Sr. Project Manager (M) + 91 93126 55071; sambitm@eigroup.inBangalore: Tel: +91 80 4132 1421 / 22 Chennai: Tel: +91 44 4500 0051 / 52 / 53 Hyderabad: +91 40 6591 4687 / 6646 4481 Mumbai: Tel: +91 22 2859 4043 / 44bangalore@eigroup.in chennai@eigroup.in hyderabad@eigroup.in mumbai@eigroup.in34 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>EiExhibitions India Pvt. Ltd.(An ISO 9001 - 2000 certified company)California, USA, Tel: +1 650 7406 6064 malvikam@eigroup.inwww.convergenceindia.org


Broadbandconsiderably as service providers roll outpromotional campaigns that offer PCs andaccess at a bundled price of as little as US$10per month.In terms of content, focus on localized contenthas now given way to data and multimediarichcontent for high-speed connections.Almost all broadband service providers haveplans for superior content delivery, and notnecessarily content development. Contentdevelopers and service providers havecome together to provide live TV, Webcasts,telecommuting applications, streaming audio/video applications (VoIP, video conferencing),gaming, software on demand, remoteeducation, telemedicine and entertainment toname a few. The varied content has becomea major driver in urban markets, as theseapplications pull new customers and lead thecurrent ones to migrate from narrowband tobroadband.Broadband for rural IndiaBroadband isn’t only about electronic gameor video streaming. For India, it is also a toolfor more high-impact public initiatives such ase-governance and e-education. India has thelowest tariffs in the world and easily affordabletelecom products to help telecom servicesreach every corner of the country. Despite this,although urban tele-density is 35 per cent, ruraltele-density is still extremely low. The nextphase of India’s telecom growth, therefore,will focus upon its rural hinterland. This ruralhinterland consists of over 600,000 villages,of which approximately 27,000 villages arenot connected by either road or rail and haveno power connections or telecom facilities.This is where the real hunger for mobile andInternet telecom services exists.To satisfy this hunger, the government of Indiahas set several targets for itself and for theIndian telecom industry:• 150 million rural mobile phone subscribersby 2010, up from the current 30 million;• 8,000 telecom towers to be set up in ruralareas within the current calendar year as partof the first phase; and, to• connect 100,000 villages throughbroadband and provide educational institutes,police stations and public health centres withbroadband Internet services.From India’s perspective, broadband is theideal technology platform to connect such ageographically diverse country and deliverthe promise of convergence to continuedevelop and progress in today’s informationbasedglobal economy. Various governmentprojects and corporate initiatives are drivingthe growth of broadband in rural India. Someof the projects/initiatives undertaken by thegovernment and major multi-national andIndian companies are:• E-choupal, an attempt by ITC, India’slargest tobacco company, to connect the urbanIndia of rapid growth and a world-beatinginformation-technology industry, to the ruralone, where 72 per cent of Indians live, manyof them in feudal poverty;• Project i-Shakti, which is HindustanUnilever Limited’s Internet-based ruralinformation service, is a radical new wayof reaching India’s rural consumers in anadaptive two-way dialogue; it has tremendousbusiness as well as social benefits. It is anelectronic platform that offers easy access toinformation and solutions on issues of keyconsumer importance such as health, hygiene,agriculture, veterinary advice, entertainment,education, etc;• Project Saksham: an endeavour byMicrosoft India to enter rural markets andhelp spread IT in areas that remain untouchedby technology. Driven by India’s mission ofbuilding a digitally inclusive society, ProjectSaksham is geared to set up rural kiosks,based on public private partnerships in around200,000 villages;• Kisan Soochna Kendras: an initiative byJaikisan (an NGO) to establish Kisan SoochnaKendra (multi-purpose business hubs) in thevillages of India and by the end of year <strong>2007</strong>,under an MOU with the Government of theState of Uttaranchal, put up over 3,000 KisanSoochna Kendras in the State.Broadband has been modestly defined by theIndian telecommunications regulator as any‘always-on’ connection that offers an Internetdownload speed of a mere 256 kilobits persecond (kbps) - a far slower service than theones that customers in the West might beused to. Still, for India’s rural population, it islikely to be worth the wait as their productivityand earnings will rise with the entry of evensuch modest broadband services. Villageaccountants in the southern province ofKarnataka, the capital of which, Bangalore,is globally known for its software exports,are using handheld computers to capture croppatterns, reducing the time the governmenttakes to collate such information from one yearto 30 days. As connectivity spreads, farmerswill be able to access the updated land recordsthey need to get bank loans via the Internet.According to a February 2006 report of the USDepartment of Commerce, broadband addsabout 1-1.4 per cent to the employment growthrate and about 0.5-1.2 per cent to the growth ofnew establishments. That would be a victoryfor Adam Smith’s invisible hand, a blow to allthose who say markets don’t work for the poorand a testament to the wide-ranging benefitsthat growth in broadband services wouldbring. n<strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong> iscelebrating its tenthanniversaryThrough the years, <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong>’s authors told of the riseof mobile, of fibre, of wirelessand of broadband; they told ofthe dot.com meltdown, ofdigital inclusion and convergence,of standards and breakthroughs,the rise of IP andthe fall of switching and of theregulatory turnaround.In every issue of <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong>heads of state, ministers andregulators, heads ofinternational institutions andleaders of industry speak ofwhat the ICT revolution, as ithappens, means to the peoplein their regions of the world.www.connect-world.comAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 35


InternetThe Internet - still leaving some behindby Manogar D.L., Vice President, Emerio CorporationAlthough in the more developed regions of the world the Internet has become part of the dailyroutine for much of the population, only one billion of the world’s 6.5 billion inhabitants haveaccess. In many countries, including India and China, Internet usage is growing rapidly butoverall penetration is still quite low. Lack of adequate access infrastructure, literacy rates andhigh costs all work to prevent the remaining 5.5 billion of the world’s people from using theInternet.Mr Manogar D.L. is the Vice President of Emerio Corporation responsible for Global Accounts, Banking and Network Services. Hehas 16 years of experience in the IT industry, with diverse and in-depth exposure to various disciplines ranging from systems support,consulting, project management and senior management. Mr Manogar was a founding member of R&D Teamworks Pte Ltd Singapore,where he was responsible for the Systems Networking & Consulting Group and the Human Resource Department.Mr Manogar holds a Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor’sin Engineering from the University of Madras, Chennai, India.In a very short time, the Internet has becomedeeply embedded in our lives. My PDA phonekeeps me up-to-date with emails when I’m notin front of my computer, allowing me to clearmy inbox and prioritize my day before I’veeven stepped into the office.Shopping online is a breeze, whether I’mbuying a ticket for a movie or a flight. I plannedmy family’s entire holiday trip to Hong Kongin detail, beforehand, completely online. Iplanned and confirmed my last business visitto Manila, once again, over the Internet. Whenconsidering large purchases, I also use the vastpower of the Internet to research my optionsbefore making a decision.I do most of my banking online as well. Thesedays, the 2FA, two factor authentication,processes helps us transact online securelywith more confidence. On the rare occasionswhere I do need to join the queue at the bank, Imake good use of my PDA phone to make thattime productive.Twenty years ago, the idea of paying billselectronically, or keeping in touch with“The Internet has shiftedroles over the years. It haschanged from a primarilyacademic resource intoa public library of epicproportions and a provider ofservices.”relatives overseas without long-distancecalling or postage stamps, was unthought of.Today, one-fifth of the world is online, sendinga flurry of emails back and forth, doing allsorts of things from sealing business deals tobuying groceries. You can now place an orderfor handmade Italian shoes through a website,while on holiday in Adelaide, and have thepackage waiting on your doorstep when youreach home. The Internet has, in many ways,changed how we live, play and do business.The Internet has shifted roles over the years.It has changed from a primarily academicresource into a public library of epic proportionsand a provider of services. People no longer goonline to just ‘surf’, they go online to run theirlives.36 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Mobile Internet access“Larger countries such as China and India should focus efforts on decreasing the digitaldivide between rural areas and the cities.”A testament to the power the Internet has hadon our lives, the ‘window’ to the Internet,Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was recentlynamed the most influential tech product,beating the iPod and Microsoft Word.As to Web 2.0, engaging and communicatingvia interactive platforms is something weshould all be moving towards. Blogs giveus an insight into the lives of even ordinarypeople in the Ukraine, and provide platformsfor politicians to interact with voters.Even governments have jumped on the Web2.0 bandwagon. Expanded e-governmentservices let one file taxes and apply for all sortsof permits online. A recent Accenture reportidentified Singapore as top in its provisionof e-government services to its citizens.Governments like Singapore’s have found anincreasing need to engage its citizens on avirtual platform. The Internet is an importanttool for the government to collect feedbackfrom its citizens as well. Seventy per cent ofthe businesses in Singapore use the Internetto obtain information from governmentorganizations - a testament to the importanceof a government’s online presence.Businesses also use the Internet to track thedelivery of items, send contracts via email,create internal Web-based infrastructures tomake employees more efficient, and enablebranches all over the world to tap into the samedatabase. In Singapore, a significant portion ofsmall businesses and most medium enterpriseshave broadband access, while independentanalyst findings predict broadband penetrationwill reach 75 per cent in less than three years.Asia alone has over 400 million Internetusers, comprising more than 39 per cent of theworld’s Internet users. While user penetrationis only about 11 per cent, this number is set torise as the Internet bulldozes its way throughthe region’s cities. Broadband access is also onthe rise, with over 70 per cent of South Korea’sInternet users enjoying high-speed Internetaccess, the highest percentage in the world.Today, just over one billion people enjoythe advantages that the Internet brings, andthe multitude of services it offers. There areapproximately 6.5 billion people in the world,but what of the remaining 5.5 billion people?Internet penetration rates for countries suchas Myanmar and Laos is under one per cent.Even India, one of the world’s IT hotbeds, hasone of the lowest Internet penetration levels inthe world, at only three per cent.In most of the countries where Internetpenetration is low, getting connected to theInternet is an expensive exercise. An extremeexample is Kazakhstan, where DSL accesscosts an absurd US$3,355 a month! In China, itcosts around US$10.85 a month for broadbandaccess. While this is even cheaper than somedeveloped countries, this represents over sevenper cent of China’s per capita GDP. Issues withinfrastructure, education and high costs are allbarriers preventing the other 5.5 billion peoplefrom getting onto the Internet.The more developed Asian countries suchas Singapore, Japan and South Korea havepledged billions of dollars to improve theirtelecommunications infrastructure andincrease the number of Internet users. Thisis not always possible for poorer developingnations.Despite the great opportunities for advancementprovided by a <strong>World</strong> Wide Web, the Internetwill not be a truly global platform until weaddress the barriers to Internet adoption.As technologies become cheaper and countriescontinue to build out their infrastructure,inroads are slowly being made. Two examplesare those of Myanmar and Vietnam.In Myanmar, 25,000 ICT professionals havebeen graduating annually from the country’stwo universities since 2004. Its Internet,however, remains tightly controlled by thegovernment and most Internet users canonly access the limited Myanmar Internet.Computer ownership remains extremely low,and will probably remain so until they receiveaid from international organizations that giveor sell low-cost refurbished computers todeveloping countries.Vietnam’s ICT sector is booming and, withInternet cafés springing up even in rural areas,more and more of the country’s populationare plugging into the Internet. Vietnam is setto become a hotspot in ICT over the next fewyears. The government has begun to engageits citizens through the Internet, and providesdistance-learning opportunities to over 18,000students throughout the country. More thanhalf of the country’s computers are assembledlocally, which is a testament to the country’sburgeoning ICT sector. The government isfully behind the phenomenal growth of thesector, which should explode in the comingyears.Countries such as Myanmar and Vietnam aregrowing at different rates, but they are growingnonetheless. Soon, more of these countries’citizens will be able to access services onlinelike their peers in neighbouring countries.There is much that their more affluentneighbours can do to help.Some companies refurbish old computers andsell them at discounted rates to developingcountries. Since the average citizen is rarelyable to afford a brand new computer, older onesgive them the opportunity to own a computeror share it amongst several households.Internet cafés like those in Vietnam also bringInternet access to everyone for a relativelyaffordable rate, without the expense of buyinga computer.Multinational corporations could alsocontribute by striking deals with thegovernments of these countries to developtheir infrastructure. Privatising, or partiallyprivatising, infrastructure, as in the cases ofThailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia,lets foreign multinational corporations investin countries to develop communications andother infrastructure services.Larger countries such as China and Indiashould focus efforts on decreasing the digitaldivide between rural areas and the cities. Thiswill ensure that the government has a channelto reach out to its citizens, no matter how faraway from the city they are.The good news is that the number of peoplein the Asia-Pacific region using the Internet isgrowing rapidly. The measures taken by thegovernments and various organizations suchas The <strong>World</strong> Bank and the United Nations areworking, albeit slowly.One day, we will be able to chat or conductbusiness over the Internet with our peers fromMyanmar as easily as we would with someonein France. Only then will the Internet be a trulyglobal platform. nAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 37


InternetEvolution of the Internetby Larry Morgan, Managing Director, Macquarie TelecomLarry Morgan is the Managing Director of Macquarie Telecom. He has more than 25 years of global telecommunications andinternational executive management experience. Prior to joining Macquarie Telecom, he served as President/CEO and member of theBoard of Directors with Virtela Communications, an award-winning Global Virtual Network Operator. Mr Morgan also held a seriesof executive positions and board memberships at BT Infonet, where he served as President of EMEA and, earlier, as Vice President andGeneral Manager of the Asia-Pacific region. Before joining Infonet, Mr Morgan held several senior management positions in Sprint andAT&T after building his career in sales with IBM.Mr Morgan is a frequent speaker at conferences and has appeared on CNBC television, in the Research Board, CommunicationsWeekInternational and Datacom Magazine. He has won many industry awards, including the ‘Best in Class’ Telemark Award, the Datacomm‘Hot Products’ and Interop Achievement Awards.Mr Morgan earned a Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s in Administration from Villanova University and has completed the ExecutiveManagement Programme at the University of Southern California.Nearly four decades ago, a revolutionarycommunication medium was beginning totake shape inside secretive US Departmentof Defence, DOD, research laboratories. Itsmission - to enable machines talk to othermachines, and connect to a wide array of fixedand mobile military assets in order to providea strategic battlefield advantage.It seems a little overdramatic now to thinkof the birth of the Internet in this way, butthis is testament to how quickly the Internethas outgrown science fiction, and howencompassing its application has become intoday’s world.The InternetThe evolution leading to the Internet begandecades before. We can see its genealogy inthe telegraph and in IBM’s Sabre system, theworld’s first computer-aided airline reservationsystem that began in the 1950s. Although theseearly networks performed well, they ran ondedicated communication lines in proprietaryarchitectures and therefore were isolated fromeach other except where human interventionprovided the linkage. What was missing fromthe network equation was the ability to bridgethat gap automatically.Until the early 1970s, the value of bringingthese separate networks together didn’t seemto make sense. There just wasn’t a need for,say, toasters to speak with refrigerators inorder for them to do their respective jobs.It wasn’t until the DOD posed the questionto its scientists: “How can we connect ourassets so they can talk to each other and shareinformation fast enough for the command staffto make educated decisions that will increaseefficiency and maximize productivity?”The dedicated networks of the day dealt witha specific type of information for a specificpurpose. Telephone networks transmittedvoice, data networks that pre-dated today’slocal access networks allowed the transmissionof data, while radio and television networkswere merely an avenue for transmitting audioand visual content.Unless existing infrastructure could be reused,the cost of building a dedicated networkinfrastructure would be prohibitive, especiallytaking into consideration the vast distancesto be covered. The copper network of thetelephone system already covered a greatarea, and extending it to regions that werenot covered was easy, but telephone networkscarried voice, not images or documents.Enter TCP/IP, or Internet Protocol, IP, a multilayercommunication protocol that, at lowerlayers, translates and abstracts informationwhile the upper layers prepare that informationfor transport across the network. Like theelectronic equivalent of the Rosetta Stone,IP unlocks dedicated networks from theirisolation and provides a common language forinformation commerce.This ability to bring different types ofinformation together on the same network,like transporting data over telephone lines,opened up a wealth of military applications,but civilian applications presented themselvesalmost as quickly and more readily.The first nodes of the Internet were alreadylive and talking to each other, but IP enabled itsrapid growth throughout the 1980s by makinginterconnections between networks possible.The early Internet was used, in the civilianarena, mainly by academia to pool itsresources and collaborate, thereby creatinga vast repository for research. Complex datacould be shared across any distance at nearinstantaneousspeed, or as nearly instantaneousas a 300-baud modem permitted.Thirty years on, the Internet has become oneof the most critical communication toolsavailable. IP creates an environment wheredifferent networks can talk to each other,share their silos of information, and enable thedevelopment of programmes that can deliverany number of services, including such real-38 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 39


3rdAnnual EventNew for <strong>2007</strong>! Co-Located with:"Mobile Entertainment Market Asiais one of the best trade shows andconference in the mobile contentand applications business. Greatplace to meet all key players in themobile content value chain underone single roof - exchange ideasand do some good business."AG, CEO Mauj Telecom)5-7 December <strong>2007</strong>,Suntec, SingaporeAttend the largest Mobile Contentand Entertainment event in Asia!MeM Asia <strong>2007</strong> is promising to be the largest show ever! Co-located with the leading IPTV event in Asia“IPTV <strong>World</strong> Forum”, you can expect to meet over 2000 attendees, 150 exhibitors and 150 speakers!Now in its third year the event has grown to become the leading content and entertainment conference in Asia.We have developed a new and exciting format for <strong>2007</strong>: six shows in one venue!• MeM Asia• Mobile TV Asia• Messaging Asia• IPTV <strong>World</strong> Forum• TV Over Net• <strong>Connect</strong>ed Home“An effective glimpse of where the mobile entertainment market is and where it's heading” (GL, RealNetworks)Produced by:www.memasia.com40 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Mobile payment Mobile systems Internetaccesstime applications as ERP, enterprise resourceplanning, Internet banking, VoIP, etc.The convergence trendThough the convergence of voice, videoand data has been discussed for years, theconvergent capabilities of IP are an integralpart of its DNA.While it was commonly understood in theearly days of the Internet that voice and videocould be run as data over the copper of atelephone network, this was impractical thenfor a number of reasons.First, the few users were mainly institutional,there was an infrastructure for voice in placeand there was no suitable video content, sothere was no need then to use a data network forvoice and video. Second, bandwidth limitationsand costs would remain as stumbling blocksfor many more years.At present, the situation is very different.There are over a billion Internet users today,including government, enterprise and homeusers. The cost of Internet access has fallendramatically, the use of fibre and availabilityof bandwidth has climbed exponentially, andthe lower costs of hardware and software hascontributed to a sharp increase in the adoptionrate.These factors have accelerated the drivetowards converged networks. Home usersmay not see the point in maintaining separatesubscriptions, or using separate networks, fortelephone, data and cable television services,when options like VoIP and IPTV exist.Government and enterprise users appreciateboth the cost savings on customer premiseequipment and the convenience of integratedworkflows that convergence brings.It is this integration, or simplification, ofprocesses that has generated much interest inthe future of convergence.The challenges of interconnectionAlthough convergence is fairly simple, it posesa number of challenges. While convergednetworks lower the cost of multiple, disparatenetworks, it places users in a particularlyvulnerable position.Information flows between nodes to usersthrough what can be likened to a fat, andvery public, pipe. There are many differenttypes of traffic passing through this publicpipe, so efficient and secure management oftraffic becomes an issue, especially amongstenterprises that have no way of classifying orprioritizing the information sent.In addition, some applications simply consumewhatever bandwidth is available; this optimisesthe application but creates network stabilityissues. How then does one measure - andmanage - the trade-offs between free versuspaid services, or business versus applicationsobjectives?With Class of Service technology, CoS,different traffic can be classified into similartypes and each group will be treated with itsown level of service priority, enabling networkswith increasing volume to be differentiated andmanaged more efficiently. This brings us to yetanother step in the evolution of convergence -the Next-Generation Network.Another major risk is that with a public pipein this un-policed wilderness, information canbe hijacked, copied, mimicked or otherwisecompromised. Attacking the information atits point of origin or termination - a personalcomputer or mobile device, for example - isconsiderably easier, and a very real threat tothe security of personal information.The open nature of the Internet makes it easyfor anyone to publish and access information,but there are few safeguards with regard tothe quality of that information. Determinedattackers have exploited, and will continueto exploit, the vulnerabilities of the <strong>World</strong>Wide Web to plant ‘Trojan horses’, ‘worms’and other malicious programmes that cansteal valuable data, or cripple a critical systemand cause massive amounts of damage withrelative ease.The lack of redundant network capacity forbackup can also pose a serious problem.Natural disasters can disrupt the underseacables that carry IP traffic, creating informationblackouts, as was witnessed during the tsunamiin 2004. Unusually high traffic on a certain‘pipe’ or network branch can also bring thetransmission of information to a grinding halt.However, these risks can be mitigated andeffectively managed. Enterprises need torecognize the detrimental effects thesepotential threats and risks could have on thebusiness. Resources should be allocated toimplement well-thought-out IT policies andprocedures, and networks should be carefullymanaged to reduce the impact of these risks.Security risks, for instance, can be minimizedby the calculated deployment of Virtual PrivateNetworks, VPNs, with encryption to protecttransmissions. Regular patching, maintenanceand the liberal use of virus scanning softwarecan blunt a hacker’s attack, while educatingusers about security best practices can helpkeep personal and corporate systems healthy.Load balancing and traffic prioritization canalso mitigate risks on converged networks thatlack physical network redundancy; the openarchitecture of the Internet allows for dynamic‘best-path’ routing of traffic in the case ofmore severe outages.Overall, the merits of our interconnected worldfar outweigh the cost of failure. The Internetwas conceived as a military advantage; today,though, we cannot be complacent - we need anappropriate defence for the Internet. n<strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong> iscelebrating its tenthanniversaryThrough the years, <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong>’s authors told of the riseof mobile, of fibre, of wirelessand of broadband; they told ofthe dot.com meltdown, ofdigital inclusion and convergence,of standards and breakthroughs,the rise of IP andthe fall of switching and of theregulatory turnaround.In every issue of <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong>heads of state, ministers andregulators, heads ofinternational institutions andleaders of industry speak ofwhat the ICT revolution, as ithappens, means to the peoplein their regions of the world.www.connect-world.comAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 41


Telecoms Fraud& Fraud RiskPreventionApplying Intelligent And Effective Fraud Detection Methodologies To Minimise Fraud RiskMAIN CONFERENCE: 4 & 5 December <strong>2007</strong>PRE- & POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS: 3 & 6 December <strong>2007</strong> VENUE: The Amara Hotel, SingaporeThe risk of fraud is growing daily – Data and Voice Networksecurity are of vital importance in today’s business environment.Unmissable speakers and topics at Telecoms Fraud & Fraud RiskPrevention <strong>2007</strong> include:Judy O’Keefe, Head of Financial Risk CoE, BT will demonstratehow to achieve ideal financial risk management in a globalenvironmentJack Wraith, CEO of TUFF will talk about reaping benefits whensharing fraud profiles with other operatorsMichael Leonardo V. San Pablo, Head of Fraud ManagementDivision, PLDT will present on current schemes to prevent PBXand Toll Free HackingArif Malik, Head of Revenue Assurance, Fraud Management,Business Intelligence at WARID TELECOM will elaborate on bestmethods to minimise and prevent risk during New ProductDevelopment ProcessesDavid Pullen, Director of FML SOLUTIONS will share on bestmanagement practice when it comes to fraud and credit riskoptimisation in your organisationAnd many more...FEATURED SPEAKERS:Head of Financial Risk CoEBTCEOTUFFHead of Revenue Assurance, Fraud ManagementBusiness IntelligenceWARID TELECOMHead of Credit Control and Fraud Management DivisionOMNITELRisk ManagerSTARHUB MOBILEFraud & Risk Senior ConsultantBTGroup Manager Corporate Security &Fraud ManagementPCCWHead of Fraud Management DivisionPLDTTBATM FORUMSenior Manager, Telecoms Advisory ServicesERNST & YOUNGDirectorFML SOLUTIONSPLUS! Novel, interactive workshops to give you effective and in-depth insights on the latestfraud and fraud risk management techniques and technologies.Exhibitors: Researched & Developed by: Media Partners:T: (65) 6722 9388 F: (65) 67203804 E: enquiry@iqpc.com.sg W: www.iqpc.com/sg/telcofraudCONFERENCE PACKAGEDiamond Package (Conference + 3 Workshops) 5,396Gold Package (Conference + 2 Workshops) 4,497Silver Package (Conference + 1 Workshop) 3,598Conference Price (S$)Regular PriceName:Job Title:Company:Address:CODE: 12692 CWConference Only 2,699Telephone:Workshop(s) Choose A B C 999 eachFax:Email:* Singapore companies, please add prevailing GST* Prices include lunches, refreshments & conference materials.* Please register by 23 November <strong>2007</strong>. A late administration fee of US$200 will be imposed on all registration after this date.42 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Enterprise networksUbiquitous business connectivityby Stephen Ho, CEO, CPCNetThe globalised economy has globalised the enterprise. Large and medium companies oftenhave remote branches to deal with their operations around the globe. The cost of networksto connect these branches would have been prohibitive not so long ago. Converged networksand IP have made it economical to provide private communications using worldwide publicnetworks. The security of these networks, given the growth of increasingly sophisticated threatsand the growth in the number of personal devices connected, remains a serious problem.Stephen Ho is the CEO of CPCNet, part of the CITIC Pacific Communications group where he served as Executive Vice President. Priorto joining the CITIC Pacific Group, Mr Ho held senior positions at Cable and Wireless Systems Ltd, Hongkong Telecom CSL Ltd, HongKong Telecom Ltd and iAdvantage Ltd. Mr. Ho is a founder of two Internet Data Centres - iAdvantage and Sky Datamann.Mr Ho holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, with honours, specializing in digital communications from McGill University,Canada.<strong>Connect</strong>ivity today is fragmented; there isnear-ubiquitous connectivity with ‘alwayson’ communication technologies. Most oftoday’s larger enterprises are extended global,networked organizations the networks of whichtie together employees, suppliers, partnersand customers. Highly structured, verticallyintegrated applications such as convergedvoice, data and video service packages andmobile services are the newest applications toenjoy broad popularity as enhancers of globalbusiness productivity. Converged networks arethe natural platforms for such communicationsbecause of the robustness, scalability andopenness that enables them to support commonapplications with partners and customers.In this environment, converged networksface a variety of threats, with each convergedservice having its own unique vulnerabilities.The coming challenge is to provide asecure environment for ubiquitous businessconnectivity and access.The Internet and the enterpriseThe core of any 21st century enterprise is itsinformation. The Internet provides an essentialplatform for the sharing of informationbetween businesses, their customers, suppliersand employees and IP applications havebecome the biggest drivers of demand for newservices.That’s a radical change from the start of thedecade. Back then, corporate data servicescame in three flavours: ATM, asynchronoustransfer mode, frame relay and dedicatedleased lines. IP and IP-VPNs, IP virtualprivate networks, when deployed, often onlyoffered best effort service.Today ATM, frame relay and privatelease circuits have been swept away by IPtechnology itself and the much lower costs itAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 43


Enterprise networksmakes possible. As the research firm IDC putit in a <strong>2007</strong> study, squeezing out cost savingsfrom IT and communications “continues to bean obsession of many enterprises this year”.The ability to deploy IP-based virtual privatenetworks has not been enough on its ownto spark the mass conversion of corporatenetworks to IP. The triggering factor in thepast seven years has been the emergence ofstandardized MPLS, Multi Protocol LabelSwitching.From a technical viewpoint, MPLS integrateslayer 2 bandwidth, latency and utilizationinformation about network links into the IPlayer 3. This simplifies and improves IP-packetexchange. The result is that networks nowenjoy a great deal of flexibility to divert androute traffic around link failures, congestionand bottlenecks.Moreover, MPLS VPN provides a fully meshednetwork with a high degree of flexibility andscalability. The traffic prioritization featureallows enterprises to selectively apply differentpriority levels to data running across thenetwork infrastructure. Users can categorizetraffic into different classes of service, CoS,with predefined quality of service, QoS. Thisguarantees smooth transmission of time-criticaldata, such as voice and video, as non-criticalnetwork traffic waits on the sidelines for a lessbusy session. Enterprises can thus configuretheir network with precision according to theirneeds and financial priorities. They can choosethe quality of service required for a particularservice or data stream and at an appropriateprice point. Since MPLS IP-VPNs becameavailable they have supported an expandingrange of applications.MPLS offers four main benefits. For one, itis highly efficient, because MPLS labellingon switched traffic delivers high throughputand low latency. For another, it is simple -deploying fully meshed network connectivityusing MPLS means automatic route selection.It is also reliable, with very high POP-to-POP,point of presence, availability via MPLS fastre-routing which protects against trunk failure.Finally, it is also very secure - the networksegregation imposed by MPLS providessecurity equal to ATM or frame relay withoutencryption.Complexity and securityIP itself is quite simple, its power andeffectiveness are derived from its abilityto integrate an organization’s information,applications and communications. In fact, thesimplicity of the underlying network platformcontrasts with the increasingly broad andcomplex applications it can support.The growth of consumer applications such asinstant messaging, VoIP applications, socialnetworking, Web 2.0 and other new servicescreates the risk of information leaks, and can,potentially, open new channels for malicioussoftware. There is no silver bullet answerto resolve these security concerns, but thetraditional IT organization approach of justblocking them is technically difficult and oftenunacceptable for a wide variety of reasons.Traditionally, MPLS technology ensuresstrong security at the network level forcorporate private networks. Businessenterprises establish virtual private networks,VPNs, protected with firewalls, to connecttheir geographically dispersed operationsand provide confidential communicationsover public networks. Nevertheless, growingbusiness globalization has exacerbated thesecurity situation since the companies’ IPnetworks continue to be exposed to unfamiliarsecurity threats and compliance mandates. Inaddition to the perimeter threats, the threatsfrom outsiders, there is always a seriousrisk from unintentional, or even intentional,security breaches from within the organisation.Security experts believe that many of the mostserious security threats can originate withinthe organisation; they call for effective trainingprogrammes and careful handling.Security challengesSecurity is a complex challenge for businesses.The increasing number of communicationssystems threats and vulnerabilities drives therapid evolution of security technologies. Theupshot is that the old perimeter-based defencessuch as firewalls have become somewhatredundant. New approaches recognise thattoday’s enterprise network is integratedwith the public network and the networks ofsuppliers and customers.As the boundary between personal andenterprise computing becomes blurred,organizations need to treat all network accessas potentially hostile and apply appropriatesecurity technologies and policies. On thepolicy side, they need to apply new rules thatallow enterprise IT assets and functions tocoexist with their employees’ personal digitalassets.These risks pose a threat, of course, not just tonetworks but also to the reputation, reliabilityand even survival of an organization.Enterprises expect total protection,encompassing multi-layer security solutionsand managed services.As a result, many companies look for partnersto ensure complete and effective securitysolutions - managed security services, MSS.MSS means a third party is contracted tomonitor and isolate problems and to takewhatever corrective action is needed todefend against potential security threats. Withcorporate employees increasingly using theirown hardware at the office and on the road,an important part of this pro-active threatmanagement involves ensuring that users andattached devices are properly authenticated,and to prevent access by unauthorized devices.MSS enables companies to augment their ownsecurity capabilities and expertise, essentiallyextending their IT staff. And for companieswithout the expertise, funds or staff to dealwith complex security issues, MSS providesa possible solution to their need to protectthemselves from internal and external threats.GlobalizationGlobal expansion has become an imperativefor virtually all medium and large enterprises.In today’s business environment, robustand ubiquitous global connectivity is allimportant,so IP networks have become thenatural platform to support integrated voice,data and other enterprise applications aroundthe globe.With the rise of the virtual global enterpriseand the disappearance of traditional enterprisenetwork boundaries, business enterprises needto take a fresh approach to the next-generationIP era. IP is now an important factor in theacceleration of economic globalization. WithIP, the future has only just begun. n44 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Web: www.prepaidmobilesummit.com Email: enquiry@iqpc.com.sgTel: +65 6722 9388 Fax: +65 6720 3804 SMS: +65 9429 7030* SMS in NOW! For latest updates onTelecom IQ’s Summits and to enjoy exclusive offers15% off the conferencepackage for readersof <strong>Connect</strong> <strong>World</strong> AsiaPacic. Quote CW whenregisteringMAIN CONFERENCE28 - 29 JANUARY 2008POST CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS30 JANUARY 2008VENUE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, BANGKOK, THAILANDPREPAIDMOBILESUMMIT 2008UNLEASHING YOUR MARKETING CAPABILITIES FOR MAXIMIZING ARPUAND OPTIMIZING RETENTION THROUGH LEVERAGING ONLATEST PREPAID STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIESFEATURING AN INTERNATIONALINSTALLATION OF OPERATORS FROM:RESEARCHED &DEVELOPED BY90% ofCaseStudies byTelecomOperatorsCONFERENCESPONSORASSOCIATESPONSORCONFERENCE PRICESCode: CW* Register and Pay in full no later than 30 November <strong>2007</strong> to qualify for the Early Bird Discount.4 for 3 package: I am registering as a team of 4 and paying for the regular price of 3 no later than Early BirdDiscount date (for conference only and packages)I am registering and paying as an individual no later than Early Bird Discount date to enjoy 20% discount offregular price ((for conference only and packages)Conference PackageTelecom OperatorVendors/Solution ProviderRegular Conference PriceRegular Conference Price(USD)(USD)Diamond Package (Conference + 3 Workshops) 3,647 3,847Gold Package (Conference + 2 Workshops) 3,031 3,231Silver Package (Conference + 1 Workshop) 2,415 2,615Conference Only 1,799 1,999Please indicate your choice:Workshop A (30 January 2008)Workshop B (30 January 2008) 666 each 666 eachWorkshop C (30 January 2008)* Discounts not applicable for Vendors/Solution Provider Conference Price (USD)* Discounts DO NOT apply to workshop(s)-only bookings. * Discounts cannot be combined.* Discounts not valid if payment is received after closing date* Prices include lunches, refreshments & conference materials.* This booking form is valid only till Early Bird Discount date.Name:Job Title:Company:Address:Telephone:Email:Fax:Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 45


VoIPVoIP -the new standard for corporate communicationsby Tim Moynihan, Vice President of Global Marketing and Channels, Envox <strong>World</strong>wideThe Internet has had an impact upon communications quite different than expected. In additionto the services and content on the Web, the underlying technology itself - the Internet Protocol,or IP - is changing the way individuals and businesses communicate. IP makes it possibleto combine the once separate wired and wireless networks for voice, data and images andreduce costs dramatically. Standards-based VoIP solutions let developers create cost-effectivesolutions for a wide range of personal and corporate communications needs.Tim Moynihan is the Vice President of Global Marketing and Channels for Envox <strong>World</strong>wide. Prior to joining Envox <strong>World</strong>wide,Mr Moynihan, who is a recognised expert on speech and communications technology, spent six years directing all of the marketingcommunications, product marketing, channel marketing and sales support activities for Intel Corporation’s media and signallingcommunications products. Before Intel, he held senior-level marketing management positions at Inter-tel and ENTEX InformationSystems, among other companies.Mr Moynihan received his BA from the College of the Holy Cross and his MBA from Purdue University.When we examine the impact the Internethas had on the way we communicate today,it is important to realise the magnitude ofchange that it has brought to phone-basedcommunications. As people realised that voicetraffic could be carried on the same network thatpowers the <strong>World</strong> Wide Web, the convergencerevolution was born. It replaced the traditionalmodel of a single network optimized for aspecific media such as voice, TV or data witha ubiquitous network capable of handling alltypes of media traffic simultaneously. The shiftfrom traditional telecommunications to a voiceover Internet protocol, VoIP, model has beenrapid and pervasive. Quality of service was anearly concern, as people wanted the reliabilitythey expected from the phone company.VoIP developers and service providers haveworked hard to solve these issues and todaya VoIP call is practically indistinguishablefrom a traditional voice call. Despite hugeinfrastructure investments needed, the pace ofVoIP adoption at both the service provider andenterprise level has been astounding.The convergence of phone-based andInternet communications offers tremendousadvantages. Cost savings is usually cited asthe primary reason for a switch to VoIP. Forenterprises, VoIP offers lower cost modelsthan the per minute fees traditional phonecompanies charge, and eliminates the cost ofcommunicating between networked branchoffices around the globe. The standards-basedservers that handle VoIP traffic cost less thanthe proprietary, hardware-based counterpartsfound in traditional models. Deploying asingle network that can handle voice, data andmore can significantly lower infrastructureand administrative costs. All of these factorsadd up quickly.Cost aside, VoIP offers tremendousadvantages:• The convergence of voice and data hasbroken down the barriers between previouslydisparate technology and information systems,enabling richer solutions as more and morebusiness applications, communication channelsand data sources can be easily integrated;• The replacement of closed, proprietarysystems with standards-based, platformindependentVoIP solutions has empowereddevelopers to create a more robust set ofsolutions for a wide range of environments.Organizations today have more choices andcan easily deploy best-of-breed solutionsas they result in fewer integration issues.Agile organizations can leverage VoIP tocontinuously improve and quickly gain anadvantage over competitors;46 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


VISIT OUR WEBSITE:www.jacobfleming.com3 rd Annual Telecoms Talent ManagementJanuary 31 st and February 1 st , 2008Radisson SAS, RomeOUR EXPERT ADVISOR:Joachim Schwendenwein, mobilkom austriaHR Group Projects – Executive DevelopmentKEY SPEAKERS:Micaela Magnertoft, TeliaSoneraDirector Talent Management, Corporate HRArun Mansukhani, Hutch EssarVice President Human ResourcesMelanie Manners, BT Global ServicesHead of Talent ManagementJoachim Schwendenwein, mobilkom austriaHR Group Projects – Executive DevelopmentÉva Somorjai, Magyar TelekomChief Human Resources OfficerAhmed Al Khalifa, BatelcoGeneral Manager Human Resources & GovernmentRelationsCaroline Jowett-Ive, Virgin MediaDirector of Employee Relations and People ProcessesBlandine Kouyate, Yahoo!HR Director Southern EuropeLisa Kepinski, Hewlett-PackardDiversity & Inclusion Director, EMEAIrina Sin, Golden TelecomHead of Organisational DevelopmentPetri-Jukka Salo, NokiaDirector, Capability DevelopmentJoin your peers and learnhow to successfully hire,develop, retain and converttalent into an effectiveorganizational leadership.KEY TOPICS:• See how the major telecom companies arefacing critical talent management challengessuch as demographic shifts and globalization• Support your leaders so that they quickly andefficiently grow into their future roles• Benefit from positioning HR as a partner inachieving overall business strategy• Identify and develop high potentials for thefuture needs of your company• Maximize your business potential by fittingthe talents into right roles• Examine, discuss, and determine howproven tools, techniques, methods, andapproaches of other companies can be usedin your organizationFor more information about the event, full speaker panel anddetailed program contact SILVIA ANDERSON via:Phone: +421 257 272 120Email: silvia.anderson@jacobfleming.comor visit: www.jacobfleming.comSilver Sponsor:Media Partners:Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 47


VoIP“Customers today are extremely demanding. They expect fast, 24-hour service, immediateissue resolution and the ability to contact a company via whichever communication device(phone, Web, email, etc…) they have handy at that moment.”• VoIP extends corporate communicationssystems to any location the Web reaches,enabling the seamless integration of mobile,field and at-home users; and,• VoIP offers more flexible deployment andmanagement solutions enabling companiesto replace complex network configurationswith a new, centralized deployment modelthat enables true multi-site, global telephonycommunications. This model also providesadministrative efficiencies and speeds upgradeand enhancement work.These factors enable organizations to gobeyond traditional phone services to createnew solutions that offer enhanced productivity,better customer service and new revenueopportunities for service providers.Impact of VoIP on business communicationsWhen organizations first migrate to VoIP, theybegin by re-creating their existing featureset (voicemail, call forwarding, directories,etc…) on their new, server-based, lower-costIP network. Nevertheless, the real value ofVoIP lies in its ability to create new convergedsolutions that enhance business operations:• Seamless integration of distributed officesand personnel - VoIP enables organizationsto extend their corporate communicationssystems anywhere the Internet reaches. Manyhave taken advantage of this to seamlesslyintegrate field and at-home personnel into theirworkforce;• Communications-enabled businessapplications - VoIP-based solutions enableorganizations to embed phone capabilitiesthroughout their organization. IT Help Deskscan offer phone-based PIN reset, employeescan utilize click-to-call functions from theirOutlook or CRM systems, HR can providephone-based time sheets, and sales people canprocess orders while on the road. Organizationsshould carefully examine their businessprocesses to see where the efficiencies lie;and,• Enhanced productivity - When youexamine the time spent trying to track downmobile employees, trading phone calls orwaiting for email replies, it is easy to see theadvantage of implementing solutions thatboost connectivity. Many organizations areimplementing speech-enabled front-ends totheir auto attendant systems that incorporateboth presence and follow-me technologies.This enables people to call in and beautomatically routed to the right number, thefirst time. Unified communications solutionsthat provide a universal access to all messagescan further help reduce response time when aperson cannot be reached immediately.The impact of VoIP on customer serviceCustomers today are extremely demanding.They expect fast, 24-hour service, immediateissue resolution and the ability to contacta company via whichever communicationdevice (phone, Web, email, etc…) they havehandy at that moment. Today’s VoIP-basedinteractive voice response, IP IVR, and IPcontact centre solutions provide a numberof ways to help meet - and exceed - theseexpectations generating more loyalty andvalue from each customer interaction. Theycan improve all aspects of customer servicefrom richer self-service solutions to moreefficient staff utilization:• Enhancing self-service with IP IVR - IPIVRs lend themselves to better integrationwith enterprise data sources and to morerapid application changes. Together, these twocharacteristics allow organizations to designapplications that combine information frommultiple sources for richer services, and todeploy them quickly to continuously introducenew ways to satisfy customers;• Boost satisfaction with multi-channelsolutions - The converged VoIP contactcentre can easily handle all communicationtypes (voice, chat, email, Web, IM) in asingle universal queue. Now, organizationscan offer total convenience without missinga customer. VoIP also allows you to createtrue multi-media solutions such as voice selfservicesolutions that provide video answers tocomplex questions or initiate phone calls froma Web page;• Tap at-home agents to lower costs andprovide specialized services - Because VoIPextends your contact centre infrastructureanywhere the Web reaches, you can recruitpeople from anywhere in the world that bestmeet your skills and budgetary requirements.IP contact centre solutions ensure seamlessmanagement of a distributed workforce andprovide them with the same tools available toon-site agents; and,• Improve operations with IP contact centresolutions - Traditionally, each contact centresite had to be equipped with its own phonesystem that distributed calls across its specific,local, agent group. In a VoIP world, you candesign a solution that answers all calls in asingle queue and distributes them efficientlyacross the entire agent pool, no matter wherethey are located. This enables contact centresto utilize staff more efficiently to reduce waittime and cut costs. Adding skills and presencedata makes it possible to intelligently sendcalls to the agent best able to help - the firsttime - for faster resolution rates and happiercustomers.The impact of VoIP on service providersVoIP has revolutionized cost models fortelephony service. Now, service providersmust seek alternative methods for gaining newcustomers and keeping those they have alreadywon. Today, this market needs to focus oncreating innovative services that provide realvalue to the consumer. VoIP and convergenceitself has paved the road for many of thesenew services, such as online gaming, videomessaging and more. They key to success isfinding a service creation solution that ensuresyou are the first to bring these new services tomarket.An end-pointConvergence began with a network designedto simultaneously handle both voice and datatraffic; today, convergence has expanded toencompass TV, video, business applications,entertainment services, gaming and more.Organizations of all sizes should take the timeto rethink their operations and see how they canincrease productivity, better serve customersand create new revenue opportunities. Ratherthan being boxed-in by closed, proprietarysystems, VoIP has enabled them to dream upnew communications schemes and quicklymake them reality. Today, VoIP is a technologythat has come of age and is revolutionizing theway we communicate and do business. n48 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Enterprise systemsWeb 2.0 and the enterpriseby James Norwood, Vice President, Product Marketing,Epicor Software CorporationWeb 2.0, the second generation of Web services that use the Web itself as a platform, is movinginto the enterprise. The need to collaborate within the enterprise, as well as with its suppliers,customers and the like requires a unified IT platform that can support real-time informationsharing. Functions such as ‘presence’ and collaboration, together with plug-in applications fora transparent interface with ERP, Enterprise Resource Planning, and office productivity suitessystems that can turn Web 2.0 into Enterprise 2.0.James Norwood is the Vice President of Product Marketing at Epicor Software Corporation; he is responsible for the worldwide productmarketing of Epicor’s portfolio of industry solutions. Prior to joining Epicor, Mr Norwood co-launched the financial systems andconsultancy firm WCS Limited, and held consulting, marketing and sales management positions at European software reseller firmsAlphaGen and Tritel.Mr Norwood studied Systems Analysis and Computer Science at the University of Westminster, London.Over the years, Enterprise Resource Planning,ERP, has built itself a reputation by helpingbusinesses drive costs down and efficiencylevels up. Last year, ERP represented 32 percent of total IT application budgets, and islikely to grow by 11.9 per cent this year. ERPhas become an essential business applicationin any industry with the need to improveworkplace communication and collaboration,and supply-chain efficiency.“With the dawn of Web 2.0,people have experiencedchanges in informationsharing and the way theywork.”Very often, collaboration outside the enterprisenecessitates a secure and unified IT platform tosupport real-time information sharing betweencustomers, suppliers, information workers andIT executives. In addition, implementing afeature-rich content framework facilitates thequick transfer of mission-critical information24/7, enhances the user experience and enablesstronger collaboration.With powerful ERP solutions, enterprises canensure a solid foundation for greater decisionsupport through business intelligence andeasy access to personalized content for theinformation worker.In a nutshell, a successful ERP implementationhelps reduce operational costs, supports moreinformed decisions, improves efficiency,promotes transparency in the supply chain,ensures accurate and timely delivery ofproducts and services, which in turn empowersinformation workers and heightens customersatisfaction.However, ERP solutions are constantlyevolving to meet the rising demands ofcustomers who seek to grow and remaincompetitive within their industry in an everchangingbusiness landscape.Today, businesses are facing a growing needfor real-time collaboration inside and outsidethe organization, and improved interactionwith locations around the world. Moreover,there’s always the demand for leaner, cheaper,more flexible solutions.Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 49


NexGNetNext Generation Network, Services & Devices Management SummitKeeping Pace with Telecom Expansion andEstablishing Best Practices for SuccessfulNetwork Deployment StrategiesSupported by:connect-world.comFierceWirelessTHE WIRELESS INDUSTRY’S DAILY MONITORSan Francisco, CA • November 27-29, <strong>2007</strong>Featuring In-Depth Presentations, Case-Studies, Perspectives And Conversations on:• Unlocking Opportunities for Next Generation Mobile & Fixed Networks• Reviewing the Security Patterns for SIP-based Networks• Implementing IP Radio Access Optimization & Network Utilization• Determining the Key Requirement for Successful Migration strategies &• Identifying Profitable Paths for Multiple Access Platforms• Delving into the Future of Fiber Optics, Ethernet IP & Packet-BasedTransport Networks• Understanding and Planning 3G LTE & Evolving CDMA Standards• Evaluating MIMO & Enhanced Wi-Fi• Assessing VoIP and VoWLAN future in an NGN environments• Examining Wealth of Opportunities of IMS & Web 2.O• Analyzing the Business Cases for FMC Services for Enterprises• Exploring Strategic & Technological Options brought by Femtocell & Home Networks• Appraising IP-Based Satellite Services Offerings• Defining the Most Scalable Broadcasting Technology for your Video, IPTV, MobileTV Service Delivery• Looking at the most Up-to-Date Management Trends for Multi-Featured DevicesExclusive Insights from:TelispireCurtis Knobloch, CEOT-Mobile AustriaChristian Laque, EVP Core NetworkTelecom ItaliaMassimo Rovelli, Former VPInternational Business VerizonGaston Ormazabal, Head SIP SecurityFrance TelecomNdiata Kalonji, Director Network ArchitectureCox CommunicationsPhilip Nutsugah, Director Product DevelopmentTelefonica BrazilRafael Belhot, Director MarketingVideo ServicesPaul Doolan, NGN ExpertEQOBill Tam, CEOFraunhofer FokusNiklas Blum, Deputy DirectorIMS ForumMichael Khalilian, Chairman & PresidentTIMFabrizio Gelli, Director Mobile WholesaleVerizonMichael D. Clay, Custom Solutions ExpertBrasil TelecomCarlos Watanabe, Director of BusinessDevelopment and Video CommunicationHelioSilvakumar Kolli, SM Wifi Product ManagementSprintVasiliy Taranov, SME SecurityAlltelBjorn Hjelm, Network ExpertAir ArtVen ChavaLive 365Johnie Floater, GM MediaMobile Satellite VenturesTom Solitario, Director Strategic Developmentand many more!50 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>1-800-882-8684 • www.iqpc.com/us/nextgnet


Network evolutionNetworks for the social communications revolutionby John Everard, CEO, Newport Networks LimitedThe Internet has become a social network, an entertainment network, a business tool and, often,a telephony substitute. Operators are migrating to converged IP networks to lower costs andprovide a wider range of services - many in real time. WebPages and email do not require realtimeavailability, but VoIP and IPTV do. The broadband networks that the Internet uses willhave to be upgraded to provide quality of service similar to what we have become accustomedto with telephony.John Everard is the CEO of Newport Networks Limited, which he founded with Sir Terry Matthews in 2000. Mr Everard previously heldsenior positions with Newbridge Networks for over a decade, establishing Newbridge Information Systems before taking responsibility forall operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to that, Mr Everard served as the Vice President and General Manager for EMEAat Mitel. He has also served as Chairman of Telspec Ltd. Much of his early experience was gained at the British TelecommunicationsResearch Department and at Bell Northern Research in Ottawa, Canada.Mr Everard holds a B.Sc Honours degree from the City University, London and an M.Sc degree from the University of Essex.In the past year or so we have seen a greatervariety of services offered on the Internet thanwe have in previous years. The Internet hasbecome a social network, and we use it notonly to retrieve information but to build outnetworks of professional and social contactsby interacting with other people in varied andmedia-rich ways. Before looking at how theseactivities affect the network itself, we shouldreview some of the factors that have startedthis social communications revolution.If the key to buying property is location,location, location, then the key to deliveringmedia-rich services has been broadband,broadband, broadband. It is the widespreadavailability of cheap bandwidth that hasenabled a wide range of existing technologiesto become the multimedia tools of today. Forexample, digital cameras have been aroundfor many years but if you wanted to emailor upload your holiday photos over a dial-upline - well you’d need patience. Webcamsused to be the province of the Internet geek,now they are simply an add-on to your InstantMessaging, IM, software. Streaming videoused to be limited to advertising the latestmovie, now, with YouTube, everyone can bea movie producer. Effective use of all of thesetypes of services requires broadband to makethem viable on a large scale, and that is whatwe have seen happening. Without broadband,YouTube would not exist.All of these services are still non real time, butthey form the foundation of something muchbigger - the Internet as a social networkingmedium. Email used to seem like the perfectway to get quick answers from our contacts,now email almost seems like a slow option.The rise of IM provides a more interactiveoption along with presence information thatusers are rapidly becoming accustomed toseeing. We know who is on-line and whetherthey are available to chat. The combined effectof all of these services is steering users to the“Streaming video used to be limited to advertising thelatest movie, now, with YouTube, everyone can be a movieproducer. Effective use of all of these types of servicesrequires broadband to make them viable on a largescale, and that is what we have seen happening. Withoutbroadband, YouTube would not exist.”52 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


<strong>Connect</strong> all 4 –and win $ more!Sell navigation and location services across the 4 maindevice platforms and be part of a bigger gameMobile phonesPortable devicesIn-car systemsInternet and webFind out how to offer next generation services across devices at Navigation and Location <strong>2007</strong> –the only event to unite the entire navigation device and software community under 1 roofNavigation and Location <strong>2007</strong>, Dec 4-5th, San Jose, CADon’t miss your chance to take a stake in the navigation and LBS powerplayFor the latest practical tips, reports and business strategies visitwww.telematicsupdate.com/info/380Contact Abbie:NavUSA@telematicsupdate.com | 1800 814 5937Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 53


<strong>ASIA</strong> CONGRESSGran Melia Hotel, Jakarta21st & 22nd November <strong>2007</strong>“Once a new technology rolls over you, if you’re not part ofthe steamroller, you're part of the road."Stewart BrandLearning from the market leaders and best practices to be empowered withfundamental strategies and tactics in creating competitive enterprise IT forcontinued profit, success and cutting-edge market positioning in today’svibrant marketplace.OverviewIt is said that Information Technology (IT) has enormous and profound socioeconomic benefitsto the US, which was started in Silicon Valley in mid-1990s. Now, this wave is coming to Asia.And it is moving fast and is already affecting some countries in Asia. India, one of the ITpowerhouses in the world, it is predicted by NASSCOM that Indian software and services sectoris likely to account for 35% of the country’s total exports by 2008.In the recent MIS survey on the top 100 IT users in Asia, Indonesia was in the 3rd positiontogether with HK. IDC forecasts that the IT market in Indonesia will reach US$1.9 billion in <strong>2007</strong>with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10% from 2002 to <strong>2007</strong>. Indonesia, being theworld’s fourth most populous nation with over 220 million populations, there is ample room forimprovement and advancement.IT Asia <strong>2007</strong> is the ideal intersection for regional IT leaders across all industries to discuss anddebate pivotal industry issues. This is the arena to showcase your IT solutions available forbusiness enterprises in Asia to address the hottest issues in the IT industry, an event that providesabsolute opportunity to solution providers like you to meet customers at their point of need.Key benefits for attending:• Enabling enterprise IT resources to produce maximum value at the lowest possible cost• Integrating network infrastructure for competitive advantage• Maintaining strong focus on optimising IT cost effectiveness• Ensuring IT initiatives are on schedule, within budget and deliver targeted benefits• Effectively mitigating IT security risks• Creating an efficient, high performance IT capability that can effectively support the rapidpace of business changeGold SponsorsSilver SponsorBronze SponsorsEndorsersMedia PartnersSupporting Publication54 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>congressesFor more information and registration, pleasecontact Kelly LeeTel: +603 2723 6798Email: kellyl@marcusevanskl.comwww.marcusevans.com


Network Mobile evolution accessnext level of interaction - communicating inreal time.So how does this affect the behaviour oftypical users who can now communicatethough multiple channels while on the move?In practice this could mean that they will bereading email from a number of sources,with perhaps two or more IM clients and aSoftphone. Now that the ‘desk’ is un-tethered,all these things are possible in the office, athome or in an airport. Nothing new, you maysay, but again it is the scale on which this ishappening. It is no longer for the select few butfor an increasing proportion of the population,and most will take the delivery of theseservices for granted.However, from the network perspectivethe nature of the game is changing rapidly.Delivering the bandwidth to the user is onething, but supporting a mix of services thatdemand everything from near real time to realtimebehaviour demands an evolution in thenetwork architecture.New network architecturesService providers need to focus on the servicepart of the equation in order to maintain viablerevenues. In addition, the changing usagepatterns of the Internet have had a significantimpact on the design of the network itself. As aresult, networks are experiencing several typesof convergence, including the convergence ofservices, network infrastructure and deliveryplatforms, and the approach of the regulatorsis evolving accordingly.In parallel with the highly visible evolution ofthe Internet there is a much quieter revolutiongoing on. Quieter, that is, from the consumer’spoint of view. The humble telephone network,which has been around for over 100 years,is being rebuilt from the inside out. We onceused telephone lines to connect our computers;now, IP-based Next-Generation Networks areconnecting our telephones. The users expect,at a minimum, that these networks provideservice equivalence; that is, the new networkmust at least do what the old network did.With an IP core network in place, though, thestage is set for another revolution in terms ofnew services.The difference in these networks is theemphasis on the types of service provided.Telephony is real time; the Internet is onlybecoming real time. As a result, the coreelements required to deliver services arebeing redefined, and the carriers are leadingthe way, working to deliver what they do best“The difference in these networks is the emphasis on thetypes of service provided. Telephony is real time; the Internetis only becoming real time.”- provide reliable, secure, quality-managedcommunications services. They have learneda great deal from early deployments of Next-Generation Networks and are now evolvingtowards application-oriented networks suchas IMS, IP Multimedia Subsystem. Why IMS?Because IMS further separates the serviceelements from the transport elements. Whena service is developed and deployed in anIMS environment, it can be delivered over anumber of different physical network types toa wide range of terminal devices.IMS-based networks impose order andcontrol upon an open network, and provideuser authentication and application qualitymanagement services for user createdsessions. Many operators wish to deployquality managed multimedia services in an IPenvironment; they combine the best from theInternet with best practices from telephony.The Internet offers intrinsic resilience throughits highly distributed architecture. Softswitchesand session border controller/gateway typefunctions are overlaid to create and manageconnections through the network that can bequality managed, policed and secured. Sessionbased policies are applied to every call inthe network with every packet and everysecond accounted for. A quality service can beprovided and charged for.RegulationInternet and telephony networks are runningdown parallel lanes, but have been subject tovery different regulatory environments. TheInternet has been largely unregulated, whereastelephony has always been heavily regulated,but even here we are seeing a convergencein approaches. Regulation of telephony thesedays is often subject to a lighter touch whilstInternet service providers are required tocomply with data retention requirements foremail and IM services. Lawful interceptionrequirements are a good example of regulationsspanning multiple technologies; a target undersurveillance is now likely to have a warrantplaced to monitor ISP log ins, email activity,IM activity, mobile phone usage, fixed-lineusage and VoIP phone calls.So does this mean telephony networks andInternet networks will converge? In the shortterm this is unlikely. Telephony networkswill continue to be managed and controlledmuch more rigorously than the Internet.Nevertheless, just as space shuttle technologyfinds its way into everyday life, and racing cartechnology is found in your town run-about,Internet services are benefiting from the crossoverfrom telephony and vice versa.Delivering high-quality networksA good example of network convergence canbe found in new, purpose-built, triple-playnetworks. To be effective, the best attributesof both telephony and the Internet must bemade available through a single managedservice delivery. Such networks with multicastsupport provide the high bandwidth requiredby linear TV. They must also support consistenthigh-quality voice, withstand high peak callvolumes and, of course, provide access tothe Internet. Perhaps the most significant factis that the network must support all theseservices at the same time and deliver consistentquality for every service. This is an IP-basednetwork with its roots in the Internet, but withits management and control from telephony.These three services must be managed withinthe delivery network and ‘groomed’ forconnection back to the core or indeed multiplecores. The importance of delivery networkquality is recognised by content providers; topreserve their quality brand image, some onlyallow their content to be delivered over provenhigh-quality networks.Are these high-quality engineered networks ataste of what is to come? I think the answeris yes. Our demands and expectations arebecoming higher and this will reflect uponthe quality engineering and service deliveryrequired in the network. If a consumer isprepared to pay for better service, it is up to thenetwork to identify this consumer and deliverthe required quality of service.We have come full circle. Better connectionshave opened up new services and creatednew communities and methods of interaction.Real-time demands are driving IP networksto impose session management to deliverthe expected quality. Delivery of even betterreal-time, quality-engineered services to evenmore networks and devices is creating newinteractive communities as the Internet meetstelephony on a global scale. nAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 55


Customer careIntelligent Web-based customer careby Prashant Jhawar, Chairman & CEO, Ushacomm India Pvt. Ltd.Customer service is a sensitive issue. The speed and efficiency with which a customer’sspecific needs are dealt with can make or break a company’s reputation. The customer carecall centres are costly, 24/7 operations; they deal with people from around the globe who speakmany languages. To minimise costs, speed response and facilitate coordination with the backofficesystems and staff that must deal with the problems, companies are investing in whollycomputerised or hybrid human/IT customer care systems.Mr Prashant Jhawar is the Chairman and CEO of Ushacomm and the Vice Chairman of the Usha Martin Group, which has diversifiedinterests in steel, wire ropes, telecom and IT products and services. A second-generation entrepreneur, Mr Jhawar joined his familybusiness as a trainee in 1982. In 1994, Mr Jhawar founded Usha Martin Telekom, a GSM cellular network provider, in partnership withTelekom Malaysia, and after six years led a trade sale of this venture to Hutchison Wampoha.A Commerce graduate from Calcutta University, Mr Jhawar has professional certifications in Strategic Alliances & Corporate Venturing(Wharton Business School), Telecommunication and Billing & customer care (Billing College, UK) and in Leadership in the 21st Century(Harvard University).The Internet has revolutionised the waywe communicate in today’s world. It hasbecome an open platform for data sharing,computing and servicing. It has added a newdimension to the physical economy, whichis now gradually transforming into an onlineeconomy. This virtual market allows easyaccess to information and resources whichotherwise were difficult to access in thephysical economy. There are secure platformsavailable on the Web through which peoplefind ways of doing business online and evenmaintain anonymity, if required. As a result,services organizations are compelled to utilizethese platforms to offer services to their endusers efficiently and effectively.A service provider today has various ways tointeract with the customer.• Face-to-face interactionTypically, a customer has a face-tofaceinteraction with customer servicerepresentatives, CSR, who understand thecustomer’s requests and respond to them withthe help of the back-office system they accessdirectly or through the Web. A company withservice areas in different geographical regionshas to hire CSRs who are well versed in thelocal language and culture in order to interactwith the customer effectively. This localisationof services increases the service provider’scost.• VoiceWith voice interaction, the customer is guidedby an IVR, Interactive Voice Response, systemto the relevant CSR, to route the request tothe relevant team. This increases the CSR’sproductivity considerably.• InternetTraditionally interaction over the Internet hasbeen only through emails. However, with newtools for use over the Web, new opportunitieshave been created for real-time response.State-of-the-art support tools, 24/7 helpdesksand order processing facilities are availableonline these days.“Typically, a customer has a face-to-face interaction with customer service representatives,CSR, who understand the customer’s requests and respond to them with the help of theback-office system they access directly or through the Web.”56 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Customer Mobile access care“Customer servicing is moving towards a totally integratedenvironment in which the customer is treated as a whole andnot as a service number.”Web-based customer careAll this has created demand for Web-basedcustomer care systems. Traditionally, Webbasedcustomer care systems lacked the humantouch. Hence, the system needs to be designedto act as a surrogate CSR and perform thefollowing functions effectively:• Be receptive to the customer’s needs andanticipate the customer’s thought process andprovide a personalised response;The Web-based customer care system needsto be receptive and flexible to understand andanticipate customer expectations and needs.This sows the seeds for an intelligent customerinterface, which can be further developed intoan intelligent Web-based customer care system;this will require advance interaction betweenintelligence and Web-based technologies;and,• Respond quickly to customer requestsTo respond quickly, there needs to be atight coupling between the Web interfaceand such back office customer care systemsas provisioning, trouble ticketing, billing,accounting, tracking, ERP, enterprise resourceplanning, customer database management etc.This in turn calls for low cost bandwidthavailability for mass usage and acceptance.Incidentally, there is a worldwide trend as thereis a continuous, and steep, fall in bandwidth ortransportation costs worldwide.To increase usability of such systems, theWeb-based customer care applications shouldbe device independent so they can be accessedfrom a wide variety of devices such as laptops,PDA, mobile phones etc.Business issues and solutionsThe primary challenges when implementingsuch services are:• Making the service available 24/7Today’s customer service delivery is depictedin Model 1, Figure 1. As labour costs acrossthe world rise, the cost of servicing by physicalagents also rises as it involves time and recurringexpenses like training costs and wages. Sincecustomers today are not limited to a specificgeographical region or boundary, servicingbecomes difficult and more expensive as it hasto cater for different languages, cultures andlifestyles. This has both economic and socialimplications, which need to be addressed.• Lowering the cost of servicing usingintelligent Web-based customer care systemsWith the rising demand for real-time/onlinesystems, service providers are updating theirbackend systems with applications such asonline billing, real-time charging and realtime credit control. As a result, the efficiencyof Web-based customer service can be betterleveraged with the sort of real-time onlineinterface depicted in Model 3 in Figure 1,which eliminates the need for CSRs as thecustomer interface. This is a purely Webbasedcustomer service directly linked to thebackend support. Such Web-based interfacingaddresses the need for cost control.However there can also be a hybrid model, asshown in Figure 1 Model 2, where revenuecritical requests from customers are verifiedby the CSR before they are activated in theback office IT systems. Moreover, there areservice options where a CSR can access thebackend system over the Web. This allowsdifferent kinds of employment opportunitiessuch as home-based CSR or remote CSR to bedeveloped.Emerging business modelsA variety of business models can also bedeveloped, including Web-based customercare centres catering to multiple operators.Refer to Figure 2Here there can be a common Web-basedcustomer care interface for differentorganizations. The customer can select theorganization and interact with the interfacefor problem or request resolution. The requestgoes to the corresponding organization’sback-office system for supportive actions tobe performed via their respective Web-basedcustomer care centres.• Satisfy the impulsive need gratification ofsubscribersPersonalization is the key word in today’sincreasingly competitive market. As serviceis the key differentiator in today’s market,operators are resorting to greater servicepersonalization to battle commoditizationand remain profitable. Personalization isfacilitated by tracking customer behaviourpatterns and preferences, which are capturedduring their interaction with the Web-basedsystem. Personalization must also be deviceindependent for the maximum benefit.Customer servicing is moving towards a totallyintegrated environment in which the customeris treated as a whole and not as a servicenumber. For example, a frequent traveller tothe UK and South Africa with a strong likingfor sports can be sent frequent updates aboutthe sports events in those countries. Thisholistic approach further allows services tobe built around it by responding to customerpreferences. Web-based customer servicing isa very effective tool that goes beyond customerservice and supports customer retention. n“The Web-based customercare system needs to bereceptive and flexible tounderstand and anticipatecustomer expectations andneeds. ”Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 57


Pay-TV securityThe three-screen challengeby Laurence Peak, Vice President for sales, Asia-Pacific, VerimatrixPay-TV is now available on three screens - TVs, the PC and mobile phones. There are aboutthree billion potential pay-TV customers in Asia, but given the high levels of piracy, relativelyfew wish to pay. New security systems that control access to the content on all three screensare now available, but the variety of standards, infrastructure and regulation has thwarted theirlarge-scale deployment. New software-driven security systems use cryptographic techniquesand can support all existing and proposed standards.Mr Laurence Peak is Verimatrix’s Vice President for Sales in the Asia-Pacific region. Mr Peak has 25 years of experience in entertainmenttechnology and five years of working in Asia. Previously, Mr Peak has held key positions with telecom consultancy Access Point Asia,telecoms equipment vendor ECI Telecom, Shell UK and British Telecom.Pay-TV operators are increasingly trying toreach the three billion consumers in Asia byoffering them information and entertainmentthat can be enjoyed using any one of threescreens - via TV, PC or mobile devices.The concept is an attractive response to thelifestyle demands of thoroughly modernconsumers, but there are a number of practicaldifficulties in delivering this type of servicethroughout the varied and dynamic Asia-Pacific region. Operators face challengesboth domestically and regionally in the formof standards, infrastructure and the regulationof the content itself. As a critical example,in a ‘three-screen world’, it is especiallycumbersome and expensive to operate anumber of different content security systems.Accordingly, the new challenge to the contentsecurity suppliers is to offer unified threescreensupport - ideally via one convergenthead-end system that can manage a diversity ofreceivers, over both RF, radio frequency, andIP, Internet Protocol, networks, whether forfixed or mobile reception, for both broadcastor cellular networks, and for any or all of thesesimultaneously.Viren Popli, the Senior Vice President,(interactive) of Star India observed that,“The VCR gave back to consumers theconcept of time; the mobile will give themback the concept of space. You can consumeentertainment when you want and where youwant it.” This, of course, is more complicatedthan it sounds. One key reason for this isthe plethora of standards in Asia-Pacific thathave been explored and adopted by localgovernments.It would be fair to say that, so far in Asia, 3Ghas not taken off as envisioned, so planningfor adoption is difficult. In China, there arelikely to be two mobile TV standards: TDBMdeveloped by Datong Telecom, a researchbody of China’s Ministry of Information andIndustry, MII; and, TD-SCDMA, proposedby China’s Academy of Broadcast Scienceand State Administration for Radio Film &TV, SARFT. It doesn’t help matters that MIIand SARFT are in something of a politicalbattle for authority on technology and contentregulation in China.Two also-run standards are T-MMB, Terrestrial-Mobile Multimedia Broadcasting, and CDMB,China Digital Multimedia Broadcasting,which were recently dismissed in September<strong>2007</strong> by Du Baichuan, former CTO of SARFT.In the Philippines DVB-H mobile TV servicesare being rolled out in 40 cities by broadcasterABC. Meanwhile, in India, the Congress couldnot decide on spectrum allocation and licencesfor 3G and is still using GSM and WCDMA.58 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>


Pay-TV Mobile security accessIn Malaysia, the 3G services rolled out in2005 have only met 50 per cent of the originalsubscriber projections.The lack of common standards in mobileis repeated in both the TV and PC markets.While largely inheriting the TV standards ofNTSC and PAL from the west, the move toHD has created opportunities for some Asiancountries to explore their own technologies.Nowhere is this truer than in China, where thegovernment wants to secure patent royaltiesfor domestic manufacturers. As a result, it hasbeen supporting the development of DigitalMultimedia Broadcast-Terrestrial/Handheld,DMB-T/H. This was heralded as the beginningof the end for the small Chinese trials ofEurope’s DVB-T standard. China had wantedto see 100 million DTV households by 2008,when it plans to air HDTV content from theSummer Olympics in Beijing. But by the endof 2005, only 4.1 million householdswere using DTV services, mostlybased on cable, according togovernment figures. The challengein China is to guarantee asufficiently large market to convincemanufacturers to commit resourcesto producing DMB-T set-top boxes.For companies interested in contentsecurity for pay TV the need tohave solutions compatible with bothlegacy and emerging technologies isa must.This leads us to the issue ofinfrastructure, which is anotherchallenge for media companiesplanning to offer entertainmentseamlessly across platforms. Onthe network level Korea had 70 perSecuring Content, Enhancing EntertainmentBroadcastContentKeyStoreOn-demandContentcent broadband penetration back in 2003 and,by <strong>2007</strong>, had greater than 50 per cent mobilebroadband penetration. China, however, hasonly ten per cent broadband penetration andless than five per cent mobile broadbandpenetration. At the other end of the spectrum, in2004 only 0.5 per cent of Indians had domesticInternet access, a number now growing partlydue to the deployment of WiMAX rather thanfixed-line services. Ownership of infrastructurein Asia is also varied. Many governmentsare still involved in owning both the linesand the ISPs or, as is the case in Singapore,with SingTel and SingNet, through corporateentities. Finally the issue of post-paid vs. prepaidservices exists, notably in developingcountries where families share homes, don’thold bank accounts and credit is limited. Incountries where subscribers top up their cardswith small denominations, offering viablepremium pay-TV services is a challengingbusiness model. Under such circumstances,the operators are looking for the most costeffectivesolutions to support their operations,while minimising theft of service challenges.The Motion Picture Association of Americabelieves that some US$1.2 billion of potentialrevenue is lost to piracy each year in Asia-Pacific and over US$6 billion globally. Thistheft is to some degree ironic considering theimportance that most governments in Asiaplace on controlling the content deliveredto the audience. In Singapore, the MediaDevelopment Authority regulates the contentbroadcast on the seven TV channels thatbelong to the government-owned Media Corp.Indonesia, the fourth most populous nationin the world with 400 million people, has 12broadcasters that are both state and privatelyowned and regulated by the IndonesianBroadcasting Commission, KPI. Piracy occursVCASfor Mobile: DVB-H/IPDC HybridVerimatrixMultiCAS ServerVerimatrixContent Security MgrESG/BillingServerVOD ServerVerimatrixVideo Pre-ProcessorECMCWESGDVB-H Head-endScramblerDVB-H/IPDCNetwork2.5/3G NetworkMBMS streamingVCAS Authentication& Key Management;Plus VOD/downloadFigure 1: Hybrid Mobile TV / 3G Networkin the form of illegal DVD copies and, morerecently, via the Internet. Governments aretaking steps to close down illegal operationsfor political, economic and social reasons but,as long as people can buy low cost DVDs ordownload movies for free, the attraction of payTV is limited.One commercial scheme to protect contenton all three screens has been the legacysmartcard-centric hardware approach tocontent security. Now, there are also provensoftware-based security solutions that providea cost-effective combination of set-top box andPC client security in the home and, as well,enable mobile devices to access content withinflexible broadcast or on-demand models. Onesuch software-driven mobile solution I willcall SDMS has been designed for use withconnected devices without requiring a handsethardware security component. The benefits ofthis approach include lowering the cost of thehandset as well as eliminating the logistics ofcard distribution and renewal.SDMS uses many of the same advancedcryptographic techniques that support Internetcommerce and supports the DVB Simulcryptstandard providing for seamless integrationwith head-end equipment from major vendors.At the handset level, SDMS utilises the receiversubsystems and secure processing capabilitiesfound in the modern mobile system-on-achip,SOCs, designs. SDMS couples the builtinhandset security features with client andentitlement management methods.Using a common security and key managementapproach, SDMS supports broadcast deliveryover DVB-IPDC, unicast streaming of VOD/clip-based content over 3G/GPRS networks,integration of a mobile handset within a homeWiFi network, and secure deliveryof memory card-based contentfiles, which may be pre-recordedor converted from other pay-TVdelivery systems.ESG ApplicationViewRight MobileMemorycardsSDMS is flexible enough to supportoperators that, in the future, adoptmultiple mobile TV standards suchas MediaFLO/FLO Forum andS-DMB/T-DMB and other formatsthat countries in Asia-Pacific maydecide to develop or adopt later on.Operators delivering content in Asiavia any or all of the three screenswill need to navigate the diversity oftechnical standards, inconsistency ofinfrastructure, and decisions of localpolitical institutions. Nevertheless,those who meet subscriber’s expectationsacross the boundaries of network and devicetype are likely to be rewarded with loyalty andbroad-based growth in a region with three-fifthsof the world’s population. As their networkgrows, they will need tools to detect andminimize theft of service through fraudulentclient devices and the layered protectionsof watermarking that content owners willdemand for premium material. Above all, thecontent security architecture must offer toolsthat support varied and complex price andservice choices for their subscribers. Theywill require an open, flexible solution thattranscends the platform, offers a consistentuser experience and maximises revenue for themedia company. Content security will enablepeople to consume entertainment when theywant and where they want it, as long as theypay for it. nAsia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong> n 59


YES! Send me the following <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong> issuesAfrica & the Middle East issueLatin America issueNorth America issueEMEA issueICT Global Challenges issueAsia-Pacific issue I, II & III (3 issues)Europe issue I & II (2 issues)India issueA total of 11 issues for the publishing year of <strong>2007</strong>, at a special discounted rateof £100. Online subscription also available.Subscription FormSubscribe to receive your copy now!!Title (Mr/Mrs/Miss): __________________________Company*: ________________________________Address*: _________________________________State/Province: _____________________________Country*: __________________________________Fax: ______________________________________(Fill all fields marked *)Name*: ____________________________Job Title*: __________________________City*: ______________________________Postcode/Zip*: ______________________Telephone*: _________________________Email*: ____________________________Check preferred subscription mediumg Online - Digital Magazine £15 (11 issues, online download PDF)g UK - Printed Magazine for UK subscribers £95 (11 issues, hard copy by post)g Europe - Printed Magazine for Europe subscribers £100 (11 issues, hard copy by post)g Foreign - Printed Magazine for Rest of the <strong>World</strong> subscribers £115 (11 issues, hard copy by post)g Corporate - Printed Magazine for Corporate subscribers (11 issues, hard copy by post)- sign my company up for a two-year subscription to <strong>Connect</strong>-<strong>World</strong> series of magazines with an additional15 per cent discount. Please charge my credit card once a year until I notify you otherwise.I’ll get the same low subscription rate I’ve chosen above for as long as I am a subscriber. Pleasenote: all corporate subscriptions must be pre-paid. Please provide your credit card information whenplacing your order.Note: Please allow up to four weeks for mailing of first issue.Please charge my:g Visa g MasterCard g American ExpressCard Number: ______________________________ Expiry Date: _____/_______(MM/YYYY)Signature: _____________________________________________________________________Bill me laterg Tick here if you want us to bill you later. Available only to domestic UK addresses.Please sign _____________________________and send back by:-Fax: +44 20 7474 0090 or Email: info@connect-world.com orPost: <strong>World</strong> InfoComms Ltd., Global House, 12 Albert Road, London E16 2DW, UK.60 n Asia-Pacific issue III <strong>2007</strong>connect-world.com


BUILDa foundation that lets your customers flourish.You need to provide the services that enable your customersto thrive globally. AT&T Wholesale can equip you with the verylatest in emerging technology: data, video, voice, global IPnetworking and multimedia applications that merge Internetwith telephony. All integrated, scalable and secure. In otherwords, comprehensive solutions. Delivered. For everythingyou need in your world, go to att.com/onwardwholesale.Serving:Carriers • Wireless Providers • Content Providers • Cable Operators • Systems Integrators • ISPs© <strong>2007</strong> AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Knowledge Ventures.Subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. provide products and services under the AT&T brand.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!