Mobile Network APIs: Enabling Web services, operator app stores and developer communities

Table of Contents

CHAPTER - 1

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Market overview
• Operator initiatives
  • Figure 1.1: Operator openness
• Vendors attempting to differentiate
• Open API business models
• Long tail of consumer applications
  • Figure 1.2: Revenue opportunities for long tail of consumer applications
• Future outlook
  • Figure 1.3: Details of selected API initiatives

CHAPTER - 2

• NETWORK API MARKET STATUS AND OUTLOOK
• Major changes in the mobile market and the role of network APIs
• Mobile market overview
  • Figure 2.1: Mobile broadband revenues and traffic forecasts
• Network APIs
• Web companies moving in the mobile value chain
• Device vendors becoming service providers
• The app store phenomenon
  • Figure 2.2: App stores by mobile operators and handset vendors, 3Q09
• The new value chain
  • Figure 2.3: Traditional vs. the new service-oriented mobile value chains
• Why are operators opening APIs?
• Avoid becoming a dumb pipe
• Increase basic network usage
• Increase subscriptions and reduce churn
• Ability to create service tiering and subscription-based services
• Bring experimentation into the operator service delivery model
• Build future relationships
• Operator strengths for network APIs
• Brand strength and heritage
• Billing relationship
• Convenience and ease of use
• Save time and costs
• Target all developers
• Security
• Operator weaknesses in the new value chain
• Lack of reliability
• Lack of standards and common practice
• Entering a crowded field
• Little exclusivity
• Inability to replicate the online model
• Lack of demand for operator services

CHAPTER - 3

• OPERATOR STRATEGIES AND POSITIONING FOR MOBILE NETWORK APIS
• Market overview
• The need for open network APIs
• Operator positioning
  • Figure 3.1: Operator differentiation and API involvement
  • Figure 3.2: Selected operator API initiatives
• Operators in the application store business
• Service mashups
• Integrated strategy and two sided business models
  • Two-sided business models
• Orange
• Background
• APIs
  • Figure 3.3: Orange Partner network APIs, 1Q09
  • Figure 3.4: Orange Partner API segmentation
• API business models and strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 3.5: Orange Partner SWOT analysis
• Telefonica O2 Litmus
• Background
• APIs
• API business models and strategy
  • Figure 3.6: O2 Litmus ecosystem
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 3.7: O2 Litmus SWOT analysis
• Vodafone
• Background
• API initiatives
• Betavine
  • Figure 3.8: Betavine API structure
• Joint Innovation Lab and commercial APIs
• API business models and strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 3.9: Vodafone API strategy SWOT
• AT&T' s devCentral and Apps Beta
• Background
• APIs
  • Figure 3.10: AT&T Apps Beta compatible handsets, Apr-09
• API business models and strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 3.11: SWOT analysis for AT&T' s open initiatives
• Ribbit
• Background
  • Figure 3.12: Ribbit features
• APIs
  • Figure 3.13: Ribbit' s platform architecture
• API business models and strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 3.14: Ribbit SWOT analysis
• Verizon Wireless
• Background
• APIs and strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 3.15: Verizon Wireless SWOT analysis
• Telenor
• Background
• APIs and strategy
  • Figure 3.16: Telenor Content Provider Access APIs
  • Figure 3.17: Telenor CPA API charges, Jun-09
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 3.18: Telenor CPA APIs' SWOT analysis

CHAPTER - 4

• NETWORK API TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION AND STANDARDS
• Introduction
  • Figure 4.1: API technology historical overview
• Past: telecoms grade protocols
• Present: open systems and Web protocols
• Future: interoperable service-aware networks
• An overview of legacy technologies
• CAMEL
  • CAMEL for prepaid roaming
  • Alternatives
• JAIN
• Parlay
  • The role of standardization in reshaping current technologies
• API technologies
  • REST
  • SOAP
  • WSDL
• Standards
  • GSMA OneAPI
    • Figure 4.2: Benefits of GSMA OneAPI
  • OMTP BONDI
  • JIL
• Next-generation technologies
• IMS/IPX
  • Service interoperability
  • IMS vs. open APIs
• GSMA RCS
  • Figure 4.3: Rich Communication Suite (RCS), key participants, Jul-09
  • Figure 4.4: Simplified illustration of interoperable RCS services
• WIMS 2.0
  • Figure 4.5: Benefits of Web 2.0 and IMS in WIMS 2.0
• Open network APIs and next-generation networks
• LTE/SAE
  • Background
    • Figure 4.6: Simplified functional diagram of a LTE/SAE network
  • Open APIs and LTE/SAE
• Service delivery evolution strategies
  • Figure 4.7: Service delivery evolution

CHAPTER - 5

• THE RATIONALE BEHIND DEPLOYING NETWORK APIS
• API business models
• App store enablers
• Two-sided business models
• Web services and mashups
• Summary
• Skepticism and revenue potential
• Reducing costs
• Long tail of consumer applications
• Network API revenue models
• APIs in the business environment
• Operator app stores
  • Costs for app stores and developer communities
    • Figure 5.1: Value and associated costs of app stores
  • Competition from device vendors
• Long tail of consumer applications
  • Figure 5.2: Long tail of consumer applications
  • Figure 5.3: Long tail revenues
• Two-sided business models
  • Figure 5.4: Two-sided business model revenue sources
  • Figure 5.5: Operator service provisioning segmentation
• Web mashups
• Revenue models
• Chargeable APIs
  • Figure 5.6: Chargeable API business models
• Traffic generation
• Revenue-share agreements
• Developer communities
• Past: weathered relationship between operators and developers
  • Figure 5.7: Application development cycle and time to monetization of mobile operator portal
• Present: operator culture is changing
• Developer attention is shifting
  • Figure 5.8: Three centers of gravity for Web applications development
• Device vendor app stores
• Operator-branded app stores
• Satisfying developers
  • Figure 5.9: Historical comparison of operator-developer relationship

CHAPTER - 6

• GLOBAL VENDOR STRATEGIES FOR NETWORK APIS
• Market overview
• Service delivery evolution
  • Figure 6.1: Middleware positioning for open API implementation
  • Figure 6.2: Middleware for open APIs
• Vendor strategies
  • Figure 6.3: Open API enabling technologies
  • Figure 6.4: Selection of important vendors in the open API market
• Key trends
  • Service orientation for telecoms vendors
  • Telecoms orientation for IT vendors
  • Evolution of messaging platforms
  • Tier 1 vendors: NSN, Ericsson and Huawei
• Oracle
• Background
  • Figure 6.5: Oracle' s acquisitions in the telecoms market
• Products and services
  • Figure 6.6: Oracle' s Communication Services Gatekeeper value proposition
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.7: Oracle network API SWOT analysis
• AePONA
• Background
• Products and services
  • Figure 6.8: AePONA product details
  • Figure 6.9: AePONA Universal Service Platform
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.3: AePONA SWOT analysis
• Alcatel-Lucent
• Background
• Products and services
  • Figure 6.11: Alcatel-Lucent' s API strategy
  • Figure 6.12: Alcatel-Lucent' s key pillars for enabling applications
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.13: Alcatel-Lucent SWOT analysis
• Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN)
• Background
• Products and services
  • Figure 6.14: NSN' s Service Delivery Framework
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.15: NSN open API strategy SWOT analysis
• Huawei
• Background
• Products and services
  • SDP
  • OSS
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.16: Huawei' s network API strategy SWOT
• Ericsson
• Background
• Products and services
  • Figure 6.17: Ericsson' s products for service delivery and provisioning
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.18: Ericsson' s API strategy SWOT analysis
• Telcordia
• Background
• Products and services
  • Figure 6.19: Telcordia' s Service Delivery and Charging products
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.20: Telcordia' s API strategy SWOT analysis
• Airwide Solutions
• Background
• Products and services
  • Figure 6.21: Airwide Solutions' Open Services Framework
• Strategy
• SWOT analysis
  • Figure 6.22: Airwide Solutions SWOT analysis

CHAPTER - 7

• FUTURE OUTLOOK
• Service delivery quadrants and operator positioning
• Operators adopting different strategies for network APIs
  • Figure 7.1: Service delivery segmentation and operator positioning
• Increasing value in the business model
• Mobile network APIs: future outlook
• Main drivers
  • Figure 7.2: Selected API initiatives
• API evolution
• Revenue potential
  • Figure 7.3: API revenue potential future outlook
• Open and closed operators
• Combating the force of the Web
• Device APIs vs. network APIs
  • Device vendors
  • Mobile operators
  • The users
• Key conclusions for mobile operators
• Future outlook
  • Attracting developers and adding new services
  • Guaranteeing quality for premium partners