Abstract
The launch of the iPhone with its large touch-screen technology (and the
flurry of iPhone ‘killers' from other manufacturers), the inclusion of
GPS functionality on many high-end phones and the success in the Far East of
payment systems on handsets using Near Field Communication technology are
ushering in a new phase in the development of the mobile handset which is
becoming much more than a simple tool for making phone calls and sending text
messages. Developments in a range of new technologies are bringing new
functionalities and capabilities to mobile handsets. These are, in turn,
enabling the delivery of a wide range of financial, payment, identity, access
control, location and other services, such that the mobile handset will have
the capability to become a universal tool for dealing with many everyday
activities.
What do MNOs need to do to take maximum advantage of the opportunities
represented by the new levels of handset functionality? If they allow third
parties to develop and offer services over the mobile networks, will that
undermine the exclusivity of the relationship between the mobile phone user
and the network provider and will that, in turn, lead to marginalisation of
the MNO, making it even more difficult to maintain EBITDA levels in the
future? Or, might MNOs invest time and money in developing services that fail
to engage the market, once again threatening profitability levels?
This report examines the state of technology in current handsets and, using
concrete examples and analysis based on real-world scenarios, develops
conclusions about how large the opportunity is and how MNOs might best exploit
their current position to maintain a strong role in the value chain.
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