Connectivity as a Service: what is it and can it be Monetized?

How often have we heard it said that connectivity is a commodity?

It gives the impression that there is no (more) money to be made from connectivity and that if operators want to grow new revenues from new network technologies such as 5G they will need to move into the end-to-end solutions business.

Have we written off connectivity too quickly?

The connectivity services that telecoms operators offer today tend to be generic, inflexible and unable to cater for the different end user requirements and applications that they will increasingly support. The next revolution in connectivity is going to involve connecting things rather than people and connectivity needs to become both easier to consume and more flexible in terms of what it can offer.

This Hard Panel Discussion will explore the future of connectivity and how telecoms operators can start delivering in a more user-, usage- and application-friendly way.

Presenters:

• Lester Thomas, Chief IT Systems Architect, Vodafone Group
• Johann Mayer, Director NaaS Compass and Mayer Consult
• Martin Stevenson, Head of CMT Industries, Blue Prism