Integration of Rich Communication Services:
- Converged (fixed/mobile) operator requirements
- Integration of rich communications as an enabler for advanced IPTV services
- Use cases and business perspectives of selected scenarios
Presented at Rich Communication 2012 in Berlin, Germany.
2. Slovak Telekom, a.s.
§ Slovak Telekom Group is the telecommunication market leader in Slovakia
§ T-Com, T-Mobile (merger in 2010), Zoznam, Posam
§ We provide fixed network services, mobile communications, Internet access + content,
data services, CPE, ICT services (data center + cloud), radio and TV broadcasting
as well as commercial call center services
§ The major shareholder is Deutsche Telekom AG, one of the largest telecommunications
operators worldwide
§ Successful deployments in SEE as well as in DT group
§ One of the biggest national-wide deployment of NGN technology in Europe in 2004,
whole city migrated to all-IP NGN in 2007
§ Fixed network IMS migration started in 2011 (class 5 replacement)
§ Leader in IPTV (since 2006) and providing also hybrid sat TV (since 2009)
§ Extensive FTTx deployments (370.000 households)
§ First Flash-OFDM deployment for mobile data in 2005
3. Scope
§ Integration of Rich Communication Services
§ Converged (fixed/mobile) operator requirements
§ Integration of rich communications as an enabler for advanced IPTV services
§ Use cases and business perspectives of selected scenarios
Textbox Headline
§ What are rich communication services in scope of this presentation?
§ How can integration help to improve the perception of the “uncool” Telco? Can it?
§ Where do I see price tags to be placed in future network architectures?
Share my vision how and where “former Telco’s” can gain some ground
in the ever-changing service landscape
Ideas from an operator for other operators.
4. Our environment changes!
Calling from the fixed phone.
§ (Younger) people barely use fixed phones anymore.
§ Telephone use per se is going done, however, only
legacy telephony use!
§ People talk even more, but through different channels
§ Mobile phone
§ Skype
§ Viber, Facetime
§ Still used in the corporate environment, but for how
long?
§ Mobile phone
§ Lync
§ The demand for talking to a distant person remains,
but is satisfied differently.
Image: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047625/Half-people-30-admit-using-home-phone.html
5. Our environment changes!
Family/friends in front of the TV
Image: http://theotherjournal.com/filmwell/2009/10/28/made-for-tv-filmwells-resident-telephobe-launches-new-series/
§ Households have
multiple TV
§ “TV” is not watched
on the TV anymore
(shift to iPads etc.)
§ People are not
gathering in one
location anymore
§ The demand for
watching movies,
even “together”,
remains, but is
satisfied differently.
6. Our environment changes!
Choice of television program
§ In the past, people had printed TV
guides (and even paid for it)
§ Set of channels
§ Movie information
§ Rating
§ EPG is a first step forward, but
demand still not satisfied
§ Several ratings, discussion, link
to actors’ other movies, etc.
§ Differing per TV vendor,
per program supplier
§ The demand to know what
currently runs remains, but is
satisfied differently.
Image: http://vintagedisneylandtickets.blogspot.com/2008/11/disneyland-album-tv-guide-january-1955_14.html, http://telekom.sk
7. Our environment changes!
TV watching behavior
§ People used to meet in front of TV
at a certain time
§ Evenings where scheduled acc. TV
program
§ If people were not able to watch
something, it had been explicitly
recorded
§ People still watch content they
want, but differently
§ On the place of their choice
§ At the time of their choice
Image: http://www.netflix.com. http://videoload.de, http://telekom.sk
8. Why is there so much about TV?
§ Slovak Telekom launched TV apps and OTT TV a while ago
§ Television from Slovak Telekom marketed under the brand name “Magio”
§ Magio IPTV & SAT apps on ST’s own web based framework with non NGN IPTV -
including Hybrid TV interactive applications
§ Facebook
§ Video portal free.sk, sports app
§ Magio Go includes device- and access-independent access to many local channels
§ Web access
§ Mobile web access
§ Mobile app access
§ Includes access to control the set-top-box at home (e.g. for recordings)
9. ST Magio Go – Operator OTT for multiscreen
§ OTT multiscreen service over any network
§ PC, mobile, iPhone
§ Profile detected based on IP access network
§ Additional service to Magio TV
§ 10 live TV channels
§ HLS adaptive streaming
§ PC browser, Android, iOS
§ Limited to Slovakia
§ (GeoIP)
Images: http://www.magio.tv
10. Benefits of TV OTT
§ Customer has access to content he pays for – independently of the current location
§ Ideally also to TV archive/recordings
§ Extend reach of customers – IPTV not limited anymore to own access infrastructure
§ The inclusion of delivering TV off-net means also finding ways to deal with others
delivering TV on-net
§ Reduce amount of set top boxes (one of the most important cost factors for IPTV)
§ Local operators can use the local presence and country as specific advantages
§ Local content
§ Language
How can we apply our experience to communications – the current core business?
11. Think user centric and redefine our terms
§ It is not telephony anymore, voice is only one of the communications means
§ It is not text messaging between phones anymore, it is multi-device on multi-net
multimedia messaging
§ Decoupling of network and service is now technically possible – since it is all IP
§ Service is accessible no matter how the user is connected
§ “Just add voice” to own apps is now an option
§ We started well off with taking TV to an OTT level, it has to continue with voice/messaging
§ Customer should not be limited by access or device to access operator services
§ Why can I not send SMS from my WiFi iPad?
§ Why can I not do phone calls incl. in my mobile phone bundle using my PC?
§ …
§ All of this could generate revenues for the service operator!
12. Is RCS-e/joyn the way to go?
§ Maybe.
§ joyn as “chat for mobile phones” is – in fact – most likely not going to convince alone
§ Messages have different values and are exchanged differently than legacy SMS
§ Picture sharing is not done during a call but using Instagram
§ RCS-e as a platform may enable interesting use cases, if the concept is done right
§ Provide interfaces to extend basic service offers seamlessly
§ Messaging on the TV, interop with SMS, carrier billing
§ Phonebook, messaging integration on IPTV missing – why?
§ Presence ( ) is nothing scary anymore for the users, but not delivered – why?
§ Commonplace in communications applications, web sites, mobile phones for years
§ many applications can be enhanced with communications,
joyn as platform/enabler is not a bad idea as such, but it is not the new SMS!
14. IPTV – a disregarded communications opportunity
§ Seamless integration of IPTV services with regard to communications offer
§ Phonebook integration
§ Call initiation
§ CLIP on TV
§ Recommend via joyn
§ Use benefit of not requiring particular TV (not “smart”, not new, not connected) but offer
this “smart” experience through set-top-box (“valuable” end device)
§ Make first integration experience of joyn communications enabler platform locally,
to offer its capability later on to third parties
§ Example
§ Magio integration with Facebook
§ Telekom Deutschland Entertain integrations
§ Mediencenter, Shair
15. IPTV – a disregarded communications opportunity ctd.
Sean Connery
Roger Moore
Pierce Brosnan
Daniel Craig
Phonebook
PSTN
IMS
TelekomCloud
16. Refurbishing Telco services for today’s world
§ New “former legacy” telecommunications services are currently just build acc. the
previous requirements
§ When “rebuilding the PSTN”, Telco’s should at least “mash up services” using web
services or consider integration with today’s services
§ Voicemail extension
§ Speech to text, SMS to mail
§ WAV file delivery via mail, web front-end
§ Call Forwarding or Do Not Disturb based on calendar information
§ Conferencing enhancement with web portal, mail invite, secure data store etc.
§ Televoting integration to IPTV
18. Full service experience packaged by Telekom
§ All services that are now only integrated using “bundled sales” can be fully integrated
to offer device independent experience
§ Fixed/mobile converged communications
§ TV communications central
§ PC + tablet extension
§ Example
§ 1st step: Hometalk – use the “fixed line” on the mobile phone
§ Future possibilities
§ Provide convergence network-wise w/o separate app
§ Use “mobile services”, e.g. MyPhonebook, through TV at the “fixed line” or on WiFi
§ Permit seamless access to commodities like voice, messaging
through non-classical access/devices (e.g. tablet on WiFi, PC)
19. What else can we do?
§ Permit integration as features in third party products using APIs
§ Do not only start integrating capabilities provided by Internet services, but also offer
own capabilities to be integrated
§ Sample:
§ Elaborate new possibilities that may bring
§ Support break-out to PSTN
§ Add joyn communications features – enabled by the platform, not a particular client.
§ Offer simple APIs to integrate what is missing on the app side
§ Stop thinking in legacy patters, evolve communications + services.
§ Don’t try to be “like OTT” without benefits users know from their proposition!
20. The IMS and RCS does not change anything per se
§ Migration of legacy platforms is currently mainly cost driven
§ IMS is seen as the best alternative at the moment – following the legacy view of telephony!
§ What can Telco’s do once they have IMS or RCS infrastructure (for whatever reason)
§ Wrong: Look at what we can do with it. Create need or technical motivation.
§ joyn???
§ Right: Check what we need! And what our customers need.
à Look how the IMS and transitioned Telco infrastructure can help.
§ Optimize processes and infrastructure
§ Find new business models
§ Consider the web (also with regard to payment options, feature activation, etc.)
§ Integrate, but offer also means to be integrated (messaging, voice)
Technology driven services and features are wrong!
21. Summary
§ Motivation to rather act now than wait for the perfect standard
§ Utilize existing infrastructure
§ Integrate on the back-end/blend services
§ Development should happen for the future (with legacy support) and NOT to keep legacy
logic and integrate it somehow with future systems
§ Northbound integration of IMS service layer should not be an option, but a must!
§ … and should be done with Web 2.0 technologies/protocols
§ The Web 2.0 is user centric and open to be extended with 3rd party applications
– the Telco 2.0 should follow this approach
§ Integration on back-end (e.g. with IPTV, IMS services) is cheap and helps transition of the
customer feeling of “Telco as single home communications provider”
§ Not only keep QoS on IP (“assure it’s not worse”) but increase QoE (“make it better”)
§ Integration is important (internally as well as opening for external access)