Alternative Telecoms Service Providers:

Alternative Trans-Border Telecoms Service Providers Western Europe

Benchmark-It.co.uk
Management Report  May 2007

Single-user PDF - GBP 995.00  
PDF Corporate License - GBP 995.00  


Table of Contents

This new 269-page report profiles and compares 17 key alternative providers of trans-border telecoms services, with a focus on Western Europe.

The report includes the following:

  1. • Profiles of 17 carriers

    1. • Verdict

    2. • Summary (strategy and recent activities)

    3. • Geographic reach

    4. • Portfolio

    5. • Management (revenues and reputation)

      6. Who should buy the report?

      1. • Operators selling telecoms services in Western Europe

      2. • Companies investing in or supplying the above

      3. • Companies buying services from the service providers covered

      Key benefits:

      1. • Source of key information on 17 service providers

      2. • Independent market analysis and comparisons

      3. • Gives customers time to concentrate on analysing implications and to formulate action plans

      Updated since last report:

      1. • 17 updated player profiles

      2. • Analysis of player positioning and differentiation strategies

      3. • Market analysis and updated conclusions from previous report

      Key conclusions:

      1. • A ‘big four’ of global players, comprising BT Global Services, Orange Business Services, AT&T and Verizon Business is becoming dominant;

      2. • ‘Traditional’ alternative service providers do not have the deep pockets to compete, especially with so much emphasis being placed on service provision in emerging markets like China and India;

      3. • Further consolidation amongst alternative players is inevitable.

        4. Executive Summary

        The market for serving larger business customers across Europe has stabilised greatly since the ‘boom and bust’ days of the beginning of the century. However, it appears that ‘traditional’ alternative carriers face an uphill struggle when it comes to investing in expanding network reach significantly (particularly in emerging markets outside of Western Europe), which is playing into the hands of their competitors that are backed by the deep pockets of their parent companies – the notable examples being BT Global Services, (France Telecom’s) Orange Business Services, AT&T and Verizon Business.

        The one exception to the ‘big boy’ rule currently is Deutsche Telekom’s T-Systems Enterprise Services, which is undertaking a strategic review for possible partnerships to establish critical mass in either the systems integration or networking market. The results of this review should be available at the time of publication of the next update of this report and should make for interesting reading.

        All service providers have recognised the need to meet the key requirements of their target customers and have their own spin on essentially the same key points, which are:

        1. • Service flexibility;

        2. • Service reliability;

        3. • Security;

        4. • Control and visibility;

        5. • Value for money;

        6. • Efficiency.

        All service providers are able to articulate arguments in their own favour for most, if not all, of the above needs. However, it is becoming increasingly the case that it is the ‘big four’ that are best able to offer the most in terms of value-added functionality, backed up by the availability of more and more professional services offerings. As a result, ‘traditional’ alternative carriers have seen their revenue growth rates slow and even stagnate as they are less able to compete on better customer service.

        Virtual network operators continue to play a niche role, but one which is capturing a growing proportion of the total market. Initially seen as ‘sweepers up’ of revenues that other operators did not particularly want, they are increasingly winning significant contracts with blue chip companies and, in Vanco’s case in particular, have been signing up a growing roster of major distributor deals – often leveraging the domestic competition that the likes of Swisscom face from the local operations of the big global players.

        The market seems almost to be strangely settled, but there is plenty of scope for further consolidation, particularly amongst the original alternative service providers as their battle with the big players intensifies.





For full details, please email michellen@cmsinfo.com

Order Form



CMS, P&A House, Alma Road, Chesham, Bucks. HP5 3HB, UK
Tel:     +44 (0)1494 771734
Fax:   +44 (0)1494 778994
e-mail: michellen@cmsinfo.com
Please note: calls to and from CMS may be recorded for quality control and training purposes.
copyright © 2008 all rights reserved

For more information about us, visit CMSinfo.

footer bar