Revenue Enhancement | Globe Teleservice

Harnessing AI in CPaaS: The Telco Advantage in the Digital Era

In the rapidly advancing tech landscape, few innovations have made as significant an impact as the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Communications Platforms as a Service (CPaaS). Amidst a sea of industry jargon and trends, the synergy between AI and CPaaS stands out for its benefits across various sectors. AI in telecom is transforming business communications, enhancing customer engagement with personalized interactions to improved fraud detection.

The AI technology market is projected to expand significantly, potentially surpassing $1.8 trillion by 2030.

Here’s how businesses can leverage AI within CPaaS to elevate their communication strategies and drive growth:

1. Machine Learning: Adapting for Efficiency

Machine Learning (ML) is a crucial component of AI in CPaaS, enabling systems to learn from data and adapt to evolving communication patterns. By continuously analyzing interaction data, these algorithms fine-tune their responses, leading to optimized interactions and increased operational efficiency. The benefits include improved customer retention, lower operational costs, and a shift from reactive to proactive service models.

2. Natural Language Processing (NLP): Enhancing Human-Like Interaction

Natural Language Processing (NLP) elevates CPaaS by helping the platform understand and generate human language effectively. NLP allows systems to interpret text and voice communications, grasping context, sentiment, and intent. This capability is essential for automating and personalizing customer service, breaking down language barriers, and boosting user engagement. Companies utilizing NLP can provide more intuitive and responsive customer experiences, broadening their market reach.

3. Conversational AI: Continuous, Natural Interaction

Conversational AI is central to Conversational Commerce, facilitating seamless, ongoing customer interactions across digital channels. By combining NLP and machine learning, Conversational AI systems deliver accurate responses, learn from interactions, and integrate smoothly across platforms. The advantages include reduced overhead costs, increased availability, and improved customer satisfaction. Adopting conversational AI enables businesses to improve customer engagement and conversion rates, making it a vital tool for modern CPaaS providers.

4. Bots: Automating Customer Service

AI-driven bots—such as chatbots, voice bots, and video bots—are transforming customer service by automating complex interactions and ensuring 24/7 availability. These bots adapt to user preferences and handle growing interaction volumes without additional human resources. For CPaaS providers, offering sophisticated bot solutions can significantly cut response times and reduce operational costs.

5. Intent Analysis: Insight into Customer Needs

Sentiment and Intent Analysis empowers CPaaS platforms to understand the emotional tone and intentions behind customer communications. By examining text and speech, these AI tools provide valuable insights into customer needs, allowing businesses to tailor their responses and address issues proactively. Integrating sentiment and intent analysis can greatly enhance customer service strategies, leading to better retention and satisfaction.

6. Recommendation Engines: Personalizing User Engagement

Recommendation Engines leverage AI to analyze user behaviors and preferences, offering personalized content, products, or services. This customization enhances user engagement across CPaaS applications, from marketing messages to service offerings. Integrating recommendation engines allows platforms to deliver customized experiences that improve user satisfaction and conversion rates.

Conclusion: Gaining a Competitive Edge with AI

The integration of AI into CPaaS platforms represents a significant advancement in business communication. From machine learning’s optimization to predictive engagement’s proactive approach, AI provides a range of tools that enhance operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and strategic insight. As AI technology evolves, staying current with these innovations is crucial for CPaaS providers aiming to excel in a competitive digital environment. Embracing AI is not just a strategic choice—it’s essential for driving future growth and innovation.

At Globe Teleservices, we are at the forefront of this transformation, harnessing AI to address key challenges and enhance customer experiences. Contact us to discover how our advanced, AI-powered CPaaS+ solution can give enterprises a competitive edge.

Unveiling the Disruptive Impact: How Flash Calling Undermines Telecom Revenue

Missed calls have long been used informally as a signaling method by users. However, their adoption by enterprises as an authentication tool on Android phones has telecom providers concerned about revenue loss. A flash call is a quick missed call used for mobile number authentication, especially during app installations. The mechanics are straightforward: when a user initiates an action requiring verification, such as logging into an account or completing a transaction, a call is automatically placed to their registered phone number. The call typically rings once or twice before disconnecting, and no conversation takes place. The system then verifies the user based on the phone number called, confirming the user’s access to the associated phone. This method leverages the telecommunication infrastructure to provide a quick and cost-effective way to verify identity without requiring manual code entry.

The recent increase in international calling and messaging rates due to immigration has led businesses to opt for alternative authentication methods, resulting in a substantial rise in the volume of flash calls. As these calls offer a convenient and cost-effective solution for authentication, they have become a popular choice among businesses. However, the telecom industry struggles with the rising issue of flash calls, and regulatory bodies have yet to address these concerns comprehensively.

Rising Popularity Among the Users

Flash calls are gaining popularity among consumers due to their convenience and efficiency.

It is expected to reach 128 billion calls globally by 2026, as per Juniper Research. Unlike traditional methods of verification, such as SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs), flash calls eliminate the need for users to manually enter codes, streamlining the authentication process. This makes it particularly appealing for users who want a quick and seamless experience. Additionally, flash calls are generally more cost-effective for businesses, as they utilize the existing telecommunication infrastructure without incurring SMS charges. This cost-efficiency can be passed on to consumers, potentially leading to lower service costs. Moreover, flash calls enhance security by reducing the risk of interception or phishing attacks associated with SMS OTPs. As a result, more users are turning to this method for a hassle-free and secure verification process.

The Impact on Telecom Operators

While flash calls offer a convenient and cost-effective solution for consumers and businesses, they can impose hidden costs on telecom providers. These costs arise primarily from the increased volume of signaling traffic generated by flash calls, which can strain network resources. Unlike traditional calls that involve a complete call setup and teardown process, flash calls create a surge in signaling traffic without generating corresponding revenue from call charges. This imbalance can lead to network congestion, impacting overall service quality and potentially requiring telecom providers to invest in additional infrastructure to handle the increased load. Additionally, flash calls may lead to an increased incidence of missed call alerts and associated customer service queries, further adding to operational costs. As the popularity of flash calls rises, telecom providers must address these challenges to maintain network performance and customer satisfaction.

Strategies for Combating Flash Calls

To mitigate revenue loss and foster sustainable growth in the face of the emerging challenge posed by flash calls, telecom operators can adopt several strategies:

Invest in Network Optimization: Telecom operators should invest in advanced network optimization technologies to manage the increased signaling traffic caused by flash calls. Implementing intelligent network traffic management systems can help balance the load and prevent congestion, ensuring that service quality remains high without incurring excessive operational costs.
Introduce Flash Call Detection and Billing: Developing systems to accurately detect and categorize flash calls can enable telecom operators to introduce billing models specifically for these calls. By charging businesses for the flash call authentication service, operators can create a new revenue stream that offsets the costs associated with increased signaling traffic.
Enhance Fraud Detection and Prevention: Strengthening fraud detection mechanisms can help telecom operators identify and block unauthorized or malicious flash call activities. By leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning, operators can proactively safeguard their networks and minimize revenue losses due to fraudulent activities.
Expand Value-Added Services: Telecom operators can expand their portfolio of value-added services by offering comprehensive authentication solutions that go beyond flash calls. Integrating biometric verification, app-based authentication, and multi-factor authentication services can provide businesses with a robust and versatile authentication suite, generating additional revenue streams.
Collaborate with Businesses: Establishing partnerships with businesses that rely on flash call verification can create mutually beneficial opportunities. Telecom operators can offer tailored authentication packages, including volume-based pricing or subscription models, encouraging businesses to adopt these services while ensuring a steady revenue flow for the operators.

By implementing these strategies, telecom operators can effectively address the challenges posed by flash calls, mitigate revenue loss, and pave the way for sustainable growth in the evolving telecommunications landscape.

In addition to these strategies, operators can monetize and secure their revenue amidst the increasing use of flash calls by adopting advanced solutions like Globe Teleservices’ flash call blocking service. This innovative solution helps detect and block unauthorized flash calls, protecting network integrity and reducing fraudulent activities.

Contact us to discover how our approach is enabling operators to remain competitive and profitable in the face of this emerging challenge, providing a robust framework for continued growth and customer satisfaction.

Artificial Intelligence – Driving Growth in Telecom

The telecom industry is undergoing a transformative shift with the advent of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is revolutionizing various aspects of telecommunications, from network optimization and customer service to fraud detection and predictive maintenance. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, telecom operators can enhance operational efficiency, deliver personalized customer experiences, and anticipate network issues before they escalate.

As per Juniper Research, the AI technology market is predicted to reach and go over 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030.

AI and its power to overcome challenges in the telecom industry

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a vital tool for addressing various challenges in the telecom industry. Here’s how AI can tackle some of the key challenges:

1. Fraud Detection

Challenge: Telecom operators face significant revenue loss due to fraudulent activities such as SIM card cloning and account takeovers.

How AI Can Help: AI systems detect unusual patterns and anomalies in network traffic, identifying potential fraudulent activities in real-time. By reporting suspicious behavior, AI helps prevent security breaches and lower financial losses.

2. Customer Churn

Challenge: High customer churn rates can affect revenue and growth, especially when customers leave due to service dissatisfaction or better offers from competitors.

How AI Can Help: AI models analyze customer behavior, usage patterns, and service issues to predict which customers are likely to churn. By identifying the risks, operators can implement strategies and personalized offers to retain customers.

3. Customer Service

Challenge: Providing timely and effective customer support can be challenging due to high volumes of inquiries and the complexity of issues.

How AI Can Help: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants handle routine customer inquiries, provide troubleshooting support, and escalate complex issues to human agents when necessary. This can improve the response times and reduce operational costs to enhance customer satisfaction.

4. Network Planning and Optimization

Challenge: Designing and planning network expansions involves examining various scenarios and predicting their impacts, which can be complex and time-consuming.

How AI Can Help: AI tools simulate different network configurations and analyze their potential impacts. This data-driven approach helps telecom operators make informed decisions about infrastructure investments, optimize network design, and plan expansions more effectively.

5. Data Management

Challenge: Managing large volumes of data generated by telecom operations can be overwhelming.

How AI Can Help: AI tools process and analyze massive datasets quickly and efficiently. This enables telecom operators to gain actionable insights, make data-driven decisions, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

6. Personalized Marketing

Challenge: Developing targeted marketing strategies and offers can be difficult without a clear understanding of customer preferences.

How AI Can Help: AI analyzes customer data to understand preferences and behavior, enabling telecom operators to deliver personalized marketing messages, offers, and recommendations. This approach increases engagement, improves conversion rates, and drives customer loyalty.

In conclusion, AI-enabled solutions have the potential to revolutionize the telecom industry by addressing complex challenges and driving substantial improvements across operations. By leveraging AI for network optimization, predictive maintenance, fraud detection, and customer service, operators and enterprises can significantly enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver superior customer experiences.

Globe Teleservices stands at the forefront of this technological transformation, offering a suite of advanced AI-driven solutions designed to address these industry needs. From predictive analytics and real-time network monitoring to intelligent fraud prevention and personalized customer interactions, Globe Teleservices empowers telecom operators to meet the demands of today’s digital landscape.

The Rise of Flash Calling: What does it mean for the MNOs?

In our digital world, almost everything is accessible with a few clicks. Whether you’re shopping online, making payments, or logging into your favorite online services, an OTP (One Time Password) requested via SMS is often the key to completing your transaction. However, the adoption of flash calls for authentication has rapidly become the preferred choice for enterprises, posing challenges for telecom operators in the industry.

What is a Flash Call?

Flash calling is a seamless authentication method that verifies identity without requiring any specific action from the end-user. When a user starts a two-factor authentication (2FA) process, a activation code is delivered by a flash call. Unlike traditional methods that require manually inputting a code or responding to a prompt, a flash call is automatically initiated to the user’s phone.

How Does Flash Calling Work?

When a phone application initiates the authentication process, it enters a state of ‘monitoring’, awaiting a call. The incoming voice call has a specific Caller Line Identification (CLI), where the last 4-6 digits serve as the required activation code. Typically, the code is acknowledged, and the call is seen as a missed call in the device, requiring no manual intervention.

This method is more user-friendly and cost-effective than other authentication methods. As the market sees widespread A2P SMS price increases, flash calls offer a budget-friendly alternative for enterprises and service providers.

Impact of Flash Calls on MNOs

While flash calls benefit businesses and users, it is a source of worry for all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Flash calls utilize their infrastructure but, unlike SMS or calls, do not generate revenue. This shift is significant, as Juniper Research predicts that telecom operators will lose $1.3 billion to undetected flash calls between 2023 and 2027.

How can MNOs Address Flash Calls?

To monetize flash call traffic, MNOs need to act swiftly. They can either:

Block flash calls altogether
Embrace them as a revenue stream

To manage flash calls in real-time, introducing voice firewalls is crucial. These not only detect flash call traffic but also prevent fraudulent activities like robocalling and grey routing of A2P SMS traffic. Firewalls safeguard the revenues and also protect the subscribers from other frauds, such as Wangiri.

Juniper Research predicts that over 90% of flash calling traffic will go undetected by network operators in 2023. However, this figure is expected to drop to 45% by 2026 due to the increasing implementation of firewall solutions.

Finding the Right Partner

Finding the right firewall solution provider is essential for MNOs looking to monetize flash calls and harness new revenue sources. This enables the identification and blocking of flash calling numbers within the network, while also safeguarding end-users from various frauds associated with them.

Gain control over the flash calls in your network and monetize them with Globe Teleservices’ next-gen firewall solution, Armour. Its AI/ML capabilities allow MNOs to monitor, analyze, identify such calls, protect their revenues and deliver superior customer experiences.

Top Challenges Faced by MNOs When Adopting A2P Messaging

The mobile network operator (MNO) landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by declining profit margins in the retail business. This has caused them to explore new revenue opportunities such as the rising use of A2P (Application-to-Person) messaging for customer communication.

This blog explores the current market situation, the rise of A2P messaging due to increasing mobile penetration and the challenges faced by operators when monetizing this opportunity.

A2P Market – The Current Trajectory

This growth is driven by the widespread penetration of mobile devices globally and the increasing demand for secure, instantaneous communication channels. According to Statista, the global A2P market is projected to reach a revenue of USD 77.76 billion by 2027.

Several key factors fuel this market growth. First, the rising number of smartphone users is transforming how businesses engage with their subscribers. A2P messaging enables businesses to send quick, direct messages, such as reminders, deals, and purchase updates, straight to consumers.

Additionally, the proliferation of wearable technology keeps end-users constantly connected to their mobile devices, frequently checking texts and calls. This connectivity has prompted businesses to actively use text messages for customer communications.

Key Trends Influencing the Enterprise A2P SMS Market

Rising Demand for Customer Engagement Solutions

Enterprises are leveraging A2P SMS to enhance customer engagement, using personalized and timely messages to build stronger relationships, drive brand loyalty, and improve customer satisfaction.

Adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS)

RCS is an advanced messaging protocol offering interactive media, branding elements, and enhanced security. It provides richer communication channels, making it an attractive option for enterprises looking to engage customers more effectively.

As per Juniper Research, about 50% of mobile users will be RCS capable by this year.

Integration with Chatbots and AI Technologies

The integration of A2P SMS with chatbots and AI is gaining traction, enabling automated and intelligent responses to customer queries. This advancement significantly improves the efficiency and effectiveness of customer support services.

Focus on Transactional Messaging

Text messages are used for transactional messaging, such as account notifications, payment confirmations, and delivery updates. Its reliability and immediacy make it ideal for delivering critical information to customers.

Growth in Mobile Payments and Banking

The expansion of mobile payments and banking services has fuelled its demand in the financial sector. It is widely used for transactional messaging, including account notifications, OTP (one-time password) delivery, and fraud alerts.

Challenges Faced by MNOs While Monetizing A2P Revenues

1. Protecting the SMS Channel

Vulnerability to Fraud

While SMS is a trusted communication channel, it is susceptible to fraudulent activity. MNOs must implement measures to prevent revenue leakage from messages routed through gray routes and protect end customers from phishing attacks.

Ensuring Secure End-to-End Delivery

MNOs must safeguard their network and customers for secure end-to-end message delivery. This involves implementing strong firewalls and monitoring systems to preserve the trust established over the years.

2. Growing Threat from OTT Players

Competition from OTT Messaging Apps

OTT players like Meta have seized a significant share of the market. MNOs face the risk of losing A2P messaging revenues as these players offer enriched messaging experiences, allowing enterprises to reach their consumers directly.

Conclusion

A2P messaging presents a significant revenue opportunity for MNOs amid declining retail profit margins. However, successful monetization requires addressing key challenges, including securing the SMS channel, countering OTT competition, and educating internal stakeholders.

MNOs must adopt secure A2P messaging services to minimize revenue leakages and transition towards richer communication formats. With the right strategies and technologies, A2P messaging can become a cornerstone of MNOs’ revenue growth and customer engagement efforts.

As an MNO be in total control of your A2P business with secure A2P messaging services from Globe Teleservices, to minimize revenue leakages, helping you make the perfect shift towards richer communication formats.

Shining A Spotlight On International Revenue Sharing Fraud

As the world becomes a global village, people rely on international calls and SMS to connect across borders. In fact, it has become one of the most reliable revenue sources for telecom operators.

According to a Global Market Insights report, the International Voice Carrier market will grow to $120 billion by 2032. To offset carrier costs and maximize revenue, telecom operators worldwide enter an agreement to share revenue from calls, premium numbers, and content services.

While this arrangement ensures transparency, rising incidents of International Revenue Sharing Fraud (IRSF) plague the industry. According to the Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA), IRSF has led telecom companies to lose nearly $27 billion.

But what is IRSF, and how does it impact the telecom industry? Let’s find out.

What Is International Revenue Sharing Fraud And How Does It Affect The Telecom Industry?

To understand how IRSF works, we must know how it began.

As mentioned, telecom operators have secured arrangements with each other to share the revenue from international calls.

Revenue share varies by location and carrier due to differences in local costs and revenue goals.

Some destinations, for instance, have high call termination rates.

In IRSF, the fraudster routes the calls/messages, often automated and/or fake, to premium services or destinations with high termination rates. The fraudsters receive a higher revenue share by exploiting the revenue-sharing agreement, and telecom operators lose money in the process.

Types Of International Revenue Sharing Fraud

IRSF attacks could happen through compromised devices, bots, stolen SIM cards, etc. Here are some of the common types of IRSF attacks that occur.

1. SIM Box fraud

Fraudsters use a device called a SIM Box that contains multiple SIM cards. They use it to bypass the international call charges and make international calls using the local rates. They also direct the call or SMS to specific destinations or premium rate numbers.

2. Malware

Telecom companies are struggling to protect customer data from rising malware attacks. By some estimates, over 5.5 billion malware attacks occurred in 2022. Typically, malware enters a network and exposes customer data to various cyberthreats.

Telecom operators have always been conscious that they could face financial losses and lose customers due to security breaches, network disruptions, and service outages. To add to that, recently, the computer emergency response team (CERT) of Orange, Poland’s leading mobile operator, discovered that malware can make IRSF calls.

They explained in a communication that the malware would sneak into a mobile phone with an old Android version. It would wait till the phone is inactive for a long time to make paid calls to expensive destinations outside Europe. The “hack” often goes unnoticed until the customer receives a bill for calls they never made.

3. IP-based

IRSF is not restricted to calls or SMS anymore. Fraudsters are now targeting digital-native companies, too. They have started creating synthetic identities (a combination of fake and real customer information) and generating revenue using fake numbers. This impacts the reputation of the digital-native companies and ruins the customer experience.

How To Tackle International Revenue Sharing Fraud?

Despite being prevalent for so many years, detecting IRSF is very complex. That’s because multiple jurisdictions are involved in the process of collecting, routing, terminating, and tracking this traffic. These frauds are so complex that even law enforcement agencies struggle to identify their origin. Sometimes, the scam comes to light only when the customers complain about the exorbitant bill and at others, not at all!

According to the Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA), telecom companies lost $38.95 billion to frauds like IRSF.

However, the good news is these frauds can be prevented with the help of regulations and technology.

1. Regulations

Given the complexities of detecting such frauds, telecom companies, regulators, and companies must work together to tackle them.

Take New Zealand Telecommunications, for instance. The leading telecom player in New Zealand had established IRSF prevention guidelines to protect customers. The guidelines provided steps to help network operators, service providers, and carriers to combat IRSF. These included guidelines like educating customers about changing PINs, turning off PBX ports, not answering calls from unknown international numbers, etc.

Similarly, Europol established a Cyber Telecom Fraud Working Group in 2017. The group comprised law enforcement officers from 18 countries and more than 35 global telecom companies to combat IRSF. In 2018, the group reported over 250,000 fraudulent transactions, 100 were reported to law enforcement agencies, and 25 new investigations were initiated. The group managed to block payments worth EUR 13.13 million.

2. Technology

Telecom companies and regulators should invest in AI/ML-powered technologies due to the multi-jurisdiction nature of crimes. This will help them detect IRSF more proactively and prevent them. These technologies can detect fraud patterns or suspicious behaviour of a user on any network and take proactive steps to suspend them. They can also use historical data to analyse and predict abnormal patterns and take pre-emptive measures to secure networks.

As IRSF becomes more sophisticated, companies cannot use traditional fraud detection systems. They must use an advanced anti-fraud solution to identify IRSF and other fraud across local and international markets.

Conclusion

The telecom industry plays a pivotal role in economic progress. Telecom bridges the global connectivity gap and uplifts the economy. Voice calls and SMS are the ever-present fabric connecting the different facets of our world today. People and businesses in remote areas can also grow by relying on this essential connectivity.

Thus, it is crucial for telecom companies to keep adopting innovative technologies to prevent telecom fraud and keep the growth engine running.

At Globe Teleservices, we believe in enabling innovation across the telecom spectrum.

Hence, we build innovative technologies, methods, tools, and approaches to help the telecom industry meet challenges and customer demands.

We have developed technologies like Armour X to identify IRSF and other fraud across local and international markets. This helps telecom companies reduce revenue leakage, improve customer experience, and secure their network better than competitors.

To know more about how technology can help you prevent telecom fraud like IRSF, contact us.

Enabling Innovations – The Purpose That Binds Us

Telecom is one industry that has transformed significantly in the last few years. We have come a long way from fixed landlines and dial-up internet to mobile phones with seamless voice, messaging, and data connectivity.

As a member of this rising sector for years, we are thrilled to witness the many drastic changes transpiring now. We have seen sharply increased, near ubiquitous, connectivity among businesses and individuals, including those based in remote locations. Further, we have had a chance to see how the smaller nations and developing economies have progressed because of communication and information accessibility.

These transformations and first-hand experiences have shaped our ethos and led us to embrace the philosophy of enabling innovations.

What Is ‘Enabling Innovations?’

‘Enabling Innovations’ is a philosophy that our company and affiliates have adopted to codify our DNA as we try to meet customer demands.

We understand that in an ever-changing business landscape, innovation is a key differentiator. It helps enterprises meet and exceed customer needs, often before they become apparent. This enables them to thrive in challenging times, stay ahead of the competition, and increase their revenue.

This bedrock philosophy of ‘enabling innovations’ guides us and our affiliate companies to build products that solve significant problems in finance and telecom.

Take the example of the telecom industry. Fraudulent calls and messaging, SIM box scams, and IP-PBX have resulted in the telecom industry losing $40 billion to fraud alone.

As such, we have built solutions like AI/ML-based anti-fraud voice to safeguard businesses from fraudulent calls and scams. We further provide real-time analytics on messaging traffic and message delivery status to help companies improve connectivity and communication.

We also offer international voice and SMS services for underdeveloped nations to bridge the global connectivity divide and uplift economies. Our solutions provide connectivity to businesses located in remote locations and help them take advantage of new opportunities.

Like Globe Teleservices (GTS), our affiliate companies have also built innovative solutions to solve major global issues.

How Our Affiliates Are Building Innovative Solutions?

CERF

CERF is the enterprise arm of GTS. It has a vast network of 100+ direct carrier connects and provides customer experience, engagement, and security solutions to enterprises worldwide.

GTS TechLabs

GTS TechLabs leverages emerging technologies like AI and data analytics to build solutions that will redefine telecom and fintech industries. Products like Armour X, TxtChain, CPaaS+, and Grentor help MNOs transform and improve efficiency.

Armour X, for example, uses AI/ML capabilities to detect anomalies in traffic patterns. It identifies SIM Farm and IP-PBX frauds, Interconnect fraud, etc. Further, it secures the network from voice and messaging fraud and improves customer experience.

FinBraine

FinBraine offers next-gen lending and eKYC software for telecoms, microfinance institutions, banks, and eCommerce industries. They have built products like IDBRAINE and CREDBRAINE to promote financial inclusivity and provide businesses and individuals with easy access to funds.

How Will Our Customers and Developing Economies Benefit from Our Philosophy?

Although we cater to different clients and industries, each of these affiliates was built to provide innovative solutions.

We have kept innovation at the heart of technologies, methods, and tools built for our clients. It’s the reason why we have been able to empower emerging economies in Africa to deliver everything from healthcare to education. It’s also why we have been able to build products that secure financial systems and provide people access to funds for purchases.

We promise to continue innovating through our ‘enabling innovations’ philosophy. We promise our customers that innovation will be the core of everything GTS and our group of companies develop. It will open new opportunities for businesses to grow and earn revenue. More importantly, it will improve financial inclusion and empower citizens to access funds and purchase whatever they want.

Watch out for this space to know more. We will continue to discuss and promote innovation.

For more information on GTS and our solutions, get in touch.

The Must-Have Features of a Modern SMS Firewall

Across industries, SMS marketing is eventually outpacing several other mediums to become the most trusted customer communication channel worldwide. That’s why enterprises are increasingly relying on SMS firewall solutions to bolster their marketing abilities allowing them to bring in leads through messaging.

However, the dilemma for leaders lies in selecting the right SMS firewall system. Most leaders are unaware of the features they must evaluate before investing in an SMS firewall system.

To make it easier, this article looks at the top 5 features that a modern SMS firewall must guarantee to help enterprises succeed in their SMS-driven customer approaches.

Proactive Security

The number one feature that an SMS firewall must have today is proactive security analysis and threat mitigation in the SMS traffic an organization handles daily. From common spam texts to intelligent text phishing or fraudulent routing, the landscape of threats that today’s businesses face with their SMS ecosystem is enormous. For an SMS firewall system, they must ensure a safe and spam-free environment for both end-users as well as mobile operators.

In the past, the security of SMS firewall systems had to be managed manually, which necessitated the hiring of dedicated security engineers to cater to SMS traffic alone. Today, however, there are AI and ML-powered SMS firewall solutions, like the Armour SMS Firewall, that offer 360-degree network protection for SMS traffic to and from an organization. This helps prevent fraud and stop revenue leakage, ultimately contributing to rising profitability.

Global Connectivity

Modern SMS firewalls must not be restricted in usage support for local markets. Businesses with ambitious expansion plans internationally will find globally supported SMS firewall solutions to be a core asset in their market penetration efforts. SMS is a trusted communication medium for most consumers, offering brands an opportunity to expand into new markets through seamless SMS marketing campaigns.

An SMS firewall provides a critical digital environment and assets to ensure that the end-user gets the right message at the right time — thus, leading to better conversions.

Better A2P Monetization

It is estimated that the global market for A2P messaging will exceed USD 72.8 billion by 2025. Several new internet-driven businesses are increasingly leveraging A2P as an additional or even their primary revenue channel.

An SMS firewall must be able to offer uninterrupted support and adaptability to new business models that leverage the underlying A2P messaging service. From seamless integration with multiple systems involved in completing the revenue cycle to enabling efficient reporting, the areas of interest are immense.

Flexible Rules Engine

Consumers flock to new devices running different operating systems every now and then. It is impossible for businesses to smoothly manage their SMS marketing initiatives that are heavily dependent on end-user device characteristics.

An SMS firewall should work independently and offer flexibility in rule customization, new policy implementation, and device-agnostic SMS traffic management. Avoid delays in software or hardware updates on end-user devices to stay ahead of the competition. Moreover, the SMS firewall must support all standard rules and best practices that have been proven to be effective in SMS-driven marketing worldwide.

Ease of Use

Features offered by a modern SMS firewall become irrelevant if the user isn’t able to leverage it easily to drive campaigns. The usability of the SMS firewall system is a huge factor that should be evaluated before investing.

Since an SMS firewall forms a critical part of marketing, businesses should integrate the SMS firewall system into their strategies. Once done, they can deploy new configurations on the go from easy-to-use dashboards rather than manual and obsolete interfaces.

The Bottom Line

Protecting subscribers and telecom operators from fraud while enabling better revenue potential in existing channels are perhaps the two most important features from the list we have discussed today. Nevertheless, enterprises must strive towards investing in solutions that offer as many of these top five features as possible.

Alternatively, you can check out our Armour SMS Firewall, designed and developed for future-ready SMS-driven customer outreach experiences for businesses in any sector. Talk to us to learn more.

The Massive Enterprise Opportunity For The Telecom Sector

The telecom industry has historically been focused on individual consumers who consume a bunch of services including voice, video, Internet, and other communication services. But almost every telecom company now finds the B2C market saturated, with little or no scope for differentiation or driving long-term innovation. The current challenges of the B2C market are a great driver to turn towards the B2B landscape to target large-scale enterprise customers to capture a bigger market share and achieve higher revenue.

The enterprise opportunity

Most global telecommunication carriers are largely focused on capturing growth in the consumer segment. But increasingly saturating mobile markets, the constant disruption from OTT providers, and growing price wars have put the B2C market under immense pressure.

Although large enterprise customers already have established, long-term contracts with Cisco, AT&T, Dell, and others for wired connectivity and Microsoft, AWS, Google, and others for cloud connectivity, there is sufficient room for a telecom service provider to provide the backbone for these solutions. This is in addition to the increasing demand for robust connectivity by the small and medium enterprise clients that presents a massive growth opportunity for telecom providers. This is especially evident in today’s post-pandemic age, where almost every business is looking to go digital.

But it’s not just higher growth rates that are enticing; along with growth, telcos also stand the chance of improving their profit margins, especially as digitally-savvy, new-age companies are willing to pay more for modern and differentiated services. As data services act as the foundation on which a broader Information and Communications Technology portfolio can be built, they present a great starting point for telcos to venture into the B2B world via the delivery of Managed, IoT, and unified communications and security services.

The benefits for enterprise customers

In the extremely crowded and competitive telecom market, enterprise customers offer a huge opportunity to drive business-wide transformation. As revenues across the B2C segment slowly stagnate, the B2B market acts as a treasure trove of opportunities, especially in today’s age of hybrid work.

As a massive number of enterprises across the world now leverage the hybrid workplace model to run their business, they find themselves struggling to keep up with the pace of modernization. The presence of outdated legacy systems and siloed tools restrict them from efficiently running their operations, while also hampering the experience employees and customers have with the business.

Although telecom providers have always been laser-focused on consumers to grow revenue through individual and residential services, as the pressure to digitalize intensifies post-pandemic, telecom companies can drive exceptional growth and success by targeting the enterprise customer, allowing them to:

Re-architect, refactor or replace complex legacy communications networks and systems
Move away from wired networks toward more efficient and scalable wireless options
Reduce the cost and complexity of managing rigid systems and bring innovations into the market
Enhance the ability of the enterprise network to combat threats while protecting the business, employees, and customers from cyberattacks
Improve the speed and efficiency with which enterprises within the business as well as with customers and partners
Meet service delivery requests in a way that best meets end-user expectations

The benefits for telcos

Telcos seeking to establish direct and strong relationships with enterprise customers have several reasons to now venture into the B2B market to sell modern and innovative services and fundamentally disrupt existing offerings. Leveraging agile and digital savvy tools can aid in creating new kinds of customer-centric solutions and bring them to market at an unprecedented pace.

Migrating to the B2B space is not only a good way to expand the footprint and enhance digital connectivity; it is also becoming a crucial element of business strategy and operations. Here are 3 reasons why it’s time for telecom companies to leverage the massive enterprise opportunity:

Drive innovation across industries: Unlike with individual customers where opportunities for innovation and scalability are limited, with enterprise customers, telcos can drive innovation that scales across industries. Telcos that capitalize on trends like 5G can enable manufacturers to more efficiently support critical applications, energy companies to remotely monitor their grids, healthcare agencies to deliver intelligent healthcare, and more. Other options include seamlessly bringing together M2M, Big Data, and AI to create a new world of business messaging. The ability to scale innovation across industries is a great way to seamlessly expand its footprint in the B2B space and boost revenue.
Exploit the as-a-service model: With the demand for SaaS-based offerings constantly surging, the enterprise market offers a great chance for telecom companies to keep up with the demand. As companies across manufacturing, retail, education etc. seek greater connectivity, speed, and efficiency, the as-a-service model is a great way to deliver top-notch cloud, IoT, edge computing, Unified Communications, and other advanced communications services to take the business to the next level.
Offer better platforms and bundles: The enterprise market also allows telecom companies to enhance their reach through the delivery of better platforms and bundles. For instance, telecom companies that offer connectivity services to a car manufacturer can also provide bundled services for consumers’ personal devices such as their phones and tablets. These bundled services can not only improve compatibility; they can also streamline the end-user experience.

For an industry that has largely targeted only individual consumers, the enterprise market offers a great opportunity for telcos to expand market share, reach new customers, and drive higher revenue. Although the concept is relatively new, prioritizing digital connectivity to conduct business operations should be a top priority for telecom companies in the coming years, especially as robust connectivity infrastructure has now become the backbone for smooth, resilient, and efficient business execution. Moving to the enterprise can not only aid in maximizing profits; it can also empower telcos to capture the low-hanging fruit and build a framework for continuous evolution and transformation.

A Look At Network Virtualization And The Impact On The Telecom Sector

There is intense competition in the telecom sector. Customer expectations have increased.

That’s why telecom operators can no longer afford to use legacy network infrastructure. They are not built for the current type of services. Network infrastructure modernization has become so important in this context. The modern network infrastructure is more resilient and scalable than the legacy infrastructure. It helps prepare telecom operators to thrive in a hyper-competitive space. One way to modernize the network infrastructure is through network virtualization.

Unlike the traditional networks dependent on physical hardware, the virtualized ones deliver the network resources through software. So, operators are able to respond to market changes quickly and with more agility.

In fact, Network Function Virtualization (a kind of network virtualization that allows operators to virtualize specific network resources) is growing so significantly that a study predicts its market size to grow at a CAGR of 22.9% by 2024.

Let’s delve further to understand the impact it could have on the telecom sector.

Impact Of Network Virtualization On The Telecom Sector

Prepares for 5G

There will be 3 billion active 5G subscriptions in Asia and North America by 2024. 5G is expected to be a boon for the connected world we live in right now as it lowers the latency, reduces costs, accelerates the data speed, and reduces battery consumption. Considering that 5G will become a mainstay in the future, operators need to be prepared for it. However, 5G requires flexible and scalable infrastructure, which the monolithic architecture of the legacy network cannot promise. Operators need to virtualize their network architecture to support 5G capabilities. 5G works on the foundational idea of delivering all types of telecom service from anywhere, so it cannot work well with proprietary infrastructure. It works well with a service-based architecture in which multiple software networks are supported. Network virtualization can offer that flexibility. Network slicing is another 5G feature that virtualization could support, i.e., the physical network could be sliced into different virtualized networks to exchange resources efficiently.

Reduces costs

Network virtualization could reduce operation costs by 60%. Legacy network architecture required heavy investments in physical hardware. Operators had to also provision for more hardware investments in the future. Network virtualization is software-based and could potentially solve some of these issues. Operators can save costs on different network resources such as switching, routing, firewalling, etc. They are pooled and delivered through software and only require an IP packet forwarding from the physical network. Operators don’t have to worry about future scalability. The network resources can be scaled up if the demand grows and the capacity to scale up is available.

Provides more agility

Telecom operators can no longer rest on their past innovations for years to generate revenue. They have to innovate to stay agile and meet customer demands. Unfortunately, legacy network architecture cannot support such quick changes. Network virtualization provides that agility. The scalable and elastic nature of network virtualization allows operators to virtualize their hardware resource pool, improve their workflows, and support a range of applications. It helps the operators to launch services quickly and respond to the market changes by reducing the time-to-market.

Improves network security

Network virtualization enables telecom operators to support complex network security needs. As connected devices and data exchanges increase, the need for network security has increased. Legacy networks lack the capability to secure the increasing workload. Network virtualization enables operators to improve network security to safeguard data centres across the world and thus secure the data. Also, considering that technologies such as 5G require network slicing, there’s more network security guarantee. Network slicing separates the network resources. Each of these slices has its own authentication process. So, it’s easier to detect changes in behaviour patterns and traffic and mitigate the security risks accordingly.

Enhances operational efficiency

Network virtualization has become a necessity for operators to enhance their operational efficiency. First, the operators can save time on deploying hardware and other support systems. They also don’t have to follow the legacy processes that, by design, function in silos or rely on the IT team to configure each hardware system manually. Virtualization enables operators to automate the processes, so the teams can quickly deploy solutions to the increasing customer demands and achieve operational efficiency.

Conclusion

Network virtualization is changing the way operators consider business. It has opened more opportunities for operators to keep pace with emerging technologies like 5G and IoT and open a new revenue stream. However, mobile operators need to rethink the network architecture. They need to move away from using monolithic architecture and plan how to deploy it in their organization. A partial or complex overhaul of the network architecture could get complicated. That’s why operators need to work with experts who understand the virtualization model thoroughly and can help them with the transition and leverage the full potential of network virtualization.