Spirent Communications : 2016, Year of the Mobile Monkey

The year 2016 saw seismic events occurring in the mobile device industry, from a noticeable slowdown in smartphone sales, Windows and Blackberry phones' market share dropping to below 1%, and three Chinese manufacturers entering the top five OEM device providers for the first time. In terms of device evolution, it was truly China's Year of the Monkey.

The year also saw carriers upgrade network capabilities to cash in on new revenue-generating VoLTE services, more diversification of the smartphone market, the entry of $50 smartphones, and the continued fragmentation of mobile operating systems.

These dynamics and the increasing number of device models joining carriers' networks posed major challenges for mobile operators, as in taking back visibility and control over device fleets in their networks and delivering great customer service. For MVNOs, in particular, main struggles proved to be securing a successful and cost-efficient APN setup for network subscribers throughout the entire customer life-cycle, and the second increase customer lifetime value through timely context-aware engagement.

Accurate and up-to-date device intelligence again proved the foundation for any sustainable telecom business and Spirent's leadership in this vital domain proved instrumental to carriers' growth and financial health.

Key highlights from Spirent Device Intelligence Review 2016:

• Spirent's Device Guides saved the telecom industry USD 40 million in support savings in 2016, up 135% on the USD 17m savings the industry amassed in 2015
• The Guides solved over 5.7 million smartphone problems during the year for over 3.8 million end-users
• Indicative of Spirent's leadership in device intelligence, 5,500 new how-to-guides were added to its Device Guides library in 2016
• VoLTE services became mainstream in 2016 and Spirent reacted and expanded its Device Library for VoLTE capable devices by a factor of six
• Testing partnerships with OEMs grew to 130 device manufacturers, further expanding the pool of raw device detection and capability data available to carriers from Spirent's in-house device verification, testing and certification processes
• The number of MNOs and MVNOs that harnessed Spirent's device intelligence solutions for better customer engagement and onboarding end-users with mobile data services in 2016 passed the 200 milestone

Download the free Spirent Device Intelligence Review 2016 and discover what global device market trends pressured telecom businesses in 2016 and how Spirent's device intelligence solutions and processes helped carriers to drive further efficiencies and profitability into their operations.

Attending Mobile World Congress 2017? Talk with Spirent's MVNO experts Tweakker at the event and discover how you can increase customer lifetime value for your business. Book a meeting now!