The telecommunications market is confronted with unprecedented changes. The World Wide Web and its open technologies have become the backbone on which a plethora of services are provided – from simple phone calls to complex location-based multi-layer software applications. Telcos are faced with the imminent threat of becoming a mere bit-pipe for web services without taking part in the value creation for the user and the respective revenue streams. New players such as Skype, Google and Apple enter the market from different sides – further intensifying the competitive environment for telcos. At the same time, telcos possess invaluable assets: an installed customer base of billions of customers, fixed-line high-speed telecommunications networks, and customer-specific data. If telcos are able to leverage these and other competitive advantages, future scenarios might be more opportunity-driven and might allow telcos to enter new, more service-oriented markets.
