U.S. CRM and Billing Software Markets in Communications and Utilities

Extended TOC

1. U.S. CRM and Billing Software Markets in Communications and Utilities

1. Introduction and Executive Summary
   • 1. Introduction
   • 2. Market Definitions
   • 3. Executive Summary
2. Industry Trends
   • 1. Communications
   • 2. Utilities
3. 2004 Market
   • 1. Vendor Peer Groups
   • 2. Communications CRM Software Market Share by Vendor
   • 3. Communications Billing Software Market Share by Vendor
   • 4. Utilities CRM and Billing Software Market Share by Vendor
4. Market I - U.S. Communications CRM Software Market
   • 1. Market Drivers
     • a. Cost-cutting measures in contact centers via human resource reduction and empowerment of automated self-service channels such as web and IVR
     • b. Demand for CRM analytics to support churn management and customer lifecycle management strategies
     • c. Customer experience is the next frontier for CSPs to build business value and competitive advantage
     • d. Impetus to translate inbound service interactions into up-sell, cross-sell, or retention opportunities
     • e. Pressure on service operations such as field service to increase worker productivity and reduce operating costs
   • 2. Market Restraints
     • a. Cost and complexity of integration of new technology within legacy CRM and billing environments
     • b. Apprehension and uncertainty with TCO and near-term ROI from CRM investments
     • c. Competing delivery models such as Outsourcing present reduced cost, reduced risk alternative to licensed software
     • d. Carrier tendency to choose in-house or custom development over buying new software
     • e. CSP Consolidation and attrition reduces the number of market participants
   • 3. Market Forecasts
5. Market II - U.S. Communications Billing Software Market
   • 1. Market Drivers
     • a. CSPs need to consolidate Billing systems and operations for associated cost savings
     • b. Need for Billing systems to support new and enhanced services, partner content, bundling of services
     • c. Reduced operating budgets of CSPs effects increased demand for packaged software as opposed to more expensive custom development
     • d. Availability of modular architecture based convergent software providing faster time to deployment and business value
     • e. CSP view of Billing as a customer-centric strategy and competitive differentiator
   • 2. Market Restraints
     • a. Substantial investments in legacy systems and resistance to deploy new systems
     • b. Competing investments such as CRM to tackle pressing pain-point of customer churn
     • c. Competing delivery models such as Outsourcing present reduced cost, reduced risk alternative to licensed software
     • d. Carrier tendency to choose in-house and custom development over buying new software
     • e. CSP Consolidation and attrition reduces the number of market participants
   • 3. Market Forecasts
6. Market III - U.S. Utilities CRM and Billing Software Market
   • 1. Market Drivers
     • a. Internal pressures to reduce operational costs and increase worker productivity
     • b. Inability of Legacy CIS systems to support strategies to adapt to changing regulatory environments, public scrutiny, and competition
     • c. Cost-cutting measures in contact centers via human resource reduction and empowerment of automated self-service channels such as web and IVR
     • d. Unbundling in Utility markets, driving major changes across organizational structures, business processes and IT systems
     • e. Availability of modular architecture based, industry-specific packaged software providing faster time to deployment and business value
     • f. Utility alignment around customer-centricity as opposed to asset-centricity
   • 2. Market Restraints
     • a. Utility tendency to choose in-house or custom development over buying packaged software
     • b. Uncertainty around the impact of deregulation and competition delay project initiation
     • c. Apprehension and uncertainty with TCO and near-term ROI from CRM investments
     • d. Substantial investments in legacy CIS systems and resistance to deploy new systems
     • e. Competing delivery models such as Outsourcing present reduced cost, reduced risk alternative to software licence
     • f. Utility Consolidation and attrition reduces the number of market participants
   • 3. Market Forecasts
7. Vendor Profiles
   • 1. CRM Suite Vendors
   • 2. Billing Vendors
   • 3. Analytics Vendors
   • 4. Niche Vendors
8. Strategic Recommendations
   • 1. Strategic Recommendations for Vendors
9. 2005 Frost & Sullivan Awards
   • 1. Market Leadership Award
   • 2. Competitive Strategy Leadership Award
   • 3. Product Line Strategy Leadership Award