【观察】聚焦虚商：挑战市场（二）

 

在英国，虚商市场监管环境的缺乏使其可以相对简单地开展一些新服务。

 

由于移动虚拟网络集成商（MVNA）以及移动虚拟网络提供商（MVNE）的存在，虚商进程已经被加速且成本较低，他们为新的运营商提供快速进入市场的服务。

 

正如许多公司向移动运营商介绍的那样，这些公司现在帮助虚商进入细分服务领域，并且为他们争取4G网络的权利。

 

移动虚拟网络提供商（MVNE）Digitalk就是其中一家。它不仅积极推动虚商进入市场，同时也在为虚商寻求新的途径使其能够站稳脚跟，网络使其服务更加多样化。

 

首席战略官Mark Ashdown说：“发展虚商需要提供一个坚实的基础。尤其是英国市场是一个竞争非常激烈的地方，一旦一家虚商进入市场，我们就要帮助他们在市场里面站稳脚跟并积极主动表现。使用我们的平台，他们可以适当定制自己的服务，因为虚商在移动领域需要扮演的部分角色就是差异化。主要的移动网络竞争是非常激烈的，英国的价格相比较其他西欧国家是比较低的，而且再此基础上虚商将会使其变得更低。这绝不是一个向下竞争的比赛，这是在给定领域针对特定产品为虚商创造价值。”

 

 

1988年, Mr. Harold McBride 毕业于麻省理工学院,从此以后,一直致力于无线通讯以及互联网技术研究开发及应用。

 

1996年,在北美知名无线通信企业工作8年后,Mr. Harold McBride携DigiTalk Logo

DigiTalk Logo

Mr. John Smith, Mr. AndyMiller 等志同道合的人士,于美国创立了Digitalk 公司, 成为一家专业提供固定、移动、互联网服务的通信供应商，一直为多家国际知名手机企业提供研发、生产服务，为多家国际著名电信运营商提供服务。Digitalk以其超强的技术研发能力, 稳定的产品品质,卓越的售后服务成为北美洲通信、无线技术设计和应用行业的领导者。

 

2010年，Digitalk (Hong Kong) Limited 成立,，标志着Digitalk进军亚洲市场迈出了重要一步。

 

2011年,Digitalk正式宣布进入中国智能手机市场期待着以其"跨国,领先,阳光,亲民"的品牌理念为广大的中国智能手机用户服务，开创中国智能手机的新时代。

 

OTT优势

 

对于移动虚拟网络提供商（MVNE）X-Mobility来说，成功来自于OTT服务，目前已经帮助新的市场入局者FreedomPop利用3（Three）的网络在英国市场上占据一定市场份额。首席市场官Shanks Kulam解释道，长时间以来，虚商被网络运营商所牵制，他们不允许新的运营商有过多的创造性。OTT服务例如虚拟号码允许虚商有更大作为。

 

他说：“虚商已经被批评提供与移动运营商相似的服务，这就没有更多的创造性和突破性，但现在可以做的事儿就很多了。像Google Fi以及其他大型品牌正在寻求以突破性地姿态进入移动领域，所以这不仅仅是以另一种形式提供低资费通话。它确实首次允许虚商在他们可以提供服务的领域有所作为。虚商是能够完全虚拟的，甚至可以没有SIM卡。”

 

“美国西海岸的虚拟号码的机会正在逐渐增加，OTT的app正逐渐与实际移动号码绑定。我们有大量的合作伙伴想要在美国以外扩展业务，我们已经和很多公司有了成功的合作，例如Freedompop。我们正在和纯OTT厂商以及传统虚商合作。由于其有了4G能力并且可以不插入下载就能看视频，与今天移动运营商所提供的相比，这使品牌及虚商能够提供颠覆性的服务。”

 

同时也允许3（Three）网络利用我们是更多的用户登录到移动运营商的网络上。其他运营商已经公开表示对虚商领域并无多大兴趣，但我比认同这样的方法，像是老师学校。这个市场正逐渐火热起来，最大的品牌也正进入这个领域。”

 

Aggregation for the nation

 

In the UK, the lean regulatory environment that surrounds MVNOs makes it relatively easy to launch a new service.

 

This is sped up yet further and made cheaper by the existence of virtual network aggregators (MVNAs) and enablers (MVNEs), who provide a quick-to-market service for new players.

 

These businesses are now helping the MVNOs branch out into new service areas, and fighting their corner when it comes to access to 4G, as a number of the companies explained to Mobile.

 

MVNE Digitalk is one of many upping their game to better equip MVNOs not only to launch in the market, but also compete, looking for new ways for virtual players to stay relevant as networks diversify their services.

 

Chief strategy officer Mark Ashdown says: ‘It is about providing a solid foundation. The UK market in particular is a highly competitive market place – once an MVNO is in the market place we need to provide the tools to allow them to stay there and be proactive and reactive.Using our platform they can start to tailor make their services because the part an MVNO needs to play in the mobile world is one of differentiation. The main mobile networks are fiercely competitive, UK prices compared to other western European countries are pretty low to start with and MVNOs come to chip away at that even further. It can’t always be about a race to the bottom, it’s about creating value for the MVNO in given areas and being able to target your product.’

 

An OTT advantage

 

For MVNE X-Mobility, this comes through over the top (OTT) services, which has helped new market entrants such as FreedomPop claim a share of the UK market on the Three network. CMO Shanks Kulam explains that MVNOs, for too long, have been held back by network operators who don’t allow players to be overly creative with their offerings. OTT services such as virtual numbers, Kulam tells Mobile, allows MVNOs to do more.

 

‘MVNOs have been tied into providing services similar to MNOs,’ he says, ‘and this doesn’t allow for much creativity or disruption – but now suddenly you can do so much more. The likes of Google Fi and other mega brands are looking to move into mobile disruptively so it’s not just a case of being another means of offering low-cost calls. It really allows for the first time for MVNOs to be very creative in the kind of service they can offer – the MVNO can be completely virtual and not even have a SIM.

 

‘We saw the opportunity for virtual numbers arise mainly from the West Coast in the US, where OTT apps are being combined with real mobile numbers. We had a number of partners to expand services outside the US, which we have done successfully with companies such as FreedomPop. We are working with pure OTT and traditional MVNOs. With the 4G capabilities and allowing video without having to download a plug-in, it suddenly enables brands and MVNOs to offer more disruptive services than MNOs provide today.

 

‘It also allows Three to use us to on-board more customers onto MNO networks. Other operators have been quite publically less interested in the MVNO space but I don’t agree with that approach – it seems quite old school. The market is certainly hotting up and the largest brands on the planet are moving into this space.’