Leverage Existing Network Resources to Create Compelling, Differentiated Applications

According to a recent study from Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert), more applications, more content, and more services are required to meet the ever-growing end user appetite for social networking, information and entertainment over mobile networks.

 

But we’re not telling you anything you don’t know there.

 

In a Web 2.0 world, according to analysis by Alcatel-Lucent, the explosive growth in demand “has created an environment dominated by third-party application and content providers.” These ACPs, company officials say, “are not only delivering the applications and content generating the huge increase in traffic, but are also benefiting from the associated revenue.”

 

Mobile network providers look at the money sluicing past and think man, I’d like to knock some of that salmon out of the river. The white paper recently prepared by Alcatel-Lucent, titled “Develop new revenue streams from existing network assets,” would be essential reading for just such a desire.

 

To meet end user expectations and get a piece of the new application and service revenue pie, the study found, “mobile network providers must find new ways to use their network assets to work with third-party partners.” The Alcatel-Lucent Open API Service, company officials say, might be a way to accomplish this.

 

The service provides a hosted, cross-carrier application mediation environment network providers can use to “expose valued network assets to multiple third-party partners to improve time-to-market with new applications and multimedia content for targeted end users.”

 

In other words, as a network provider, you’ll stand out for the value you add, instead of being replaceable.

 

“Yeah, we’re already doing that,” you might say. Sure – most any network providers worth their salt can effectively manage relationships with one or two key third-party development partners. But managing multiple ACPs required to meet the application and content demands of end users? That’s complex – and expensive.

 

Again, here’s where the Alcatel-Lucent Open API Service comes in, as a way to eliminate the complexity, lowers the expense, and reduces the risks so network providers can benefit from working with a larger partner ecosystem.

 

With the Alcatel-Lucent Open API Service, network providers do not need to make additional investments or incur large capital and operational expenses dealing with multiple developers accessing their networks. Alcatel-Lucent provides an open, secure environment on a carrier-grade, scalable and open software platform that allows multiple network providers to offer access to key service enablers. Third-party partners tap into the environment using lightweight, Web-friendly (RESTful) application programming interfaces (APIs) that enable a “write once, use everywhere” development approach to accelerate the creation and adoption of services.