虚拟运营商-成功的关键因素 MVNO-Critical-Success-Factors-GF-25-

MobileVirtualNetworkOperatorsCriticalSuccessFactors1©copyrightcoleago2009GrahamFriend,[phone],[e-mail],“story”BusinessChallengesandObjectivesTherearemanychallengesinlaunchingasuccessfulMVNOTolaunchasuccessfulMVNOitisimportanttoensurethatyouhaveinplacealltheCriticalSuccessFactorsThechallengesoflaunchinganMVNOThecombinationofanincreasinglyfavourableregulatoryenvironmentandmarketmaturityhasledtoasignificantgrowthinMVNOs.DespitetheimprovingenvironmentandthemorefavourablewholesaletermsbeingofferedbynetworksthelistoffailedMVNOscontinuestogrow,demonstratingthatcreatingaviableMVNOremainschallenging.OftherecentlylaunchedMVNOsitistooearlytosaywhethertheywillultimatelycreatevaluefortheirshareholders.However,reviewingtheaccountsofVirginMobilerevealsthatwhereanMVNOcanleverageitsbrand,customerbaseanddistributionassetseffectivelytheresultingreturnsoncapitalemployedareimpressive–inthecaseofVirginoutperformingtheirhostnetworksbyafactorof10!ThemainchallengeforanMVNOisnodifferenttoanyotherbusinessandthatistohaveagood“story”,someformofcompetitiveadvantage,asourceofdifferentiationoraUSP(uniquesellingpoint).Thisismosteffectivelyachievedwhenthebusinesscanleverageexistingassetssuchasexistingcustomers,brand,distribution,contentorinfrastructure.Agoodbusinessstory,whilstessential,isnotsufficienttoensuresuccess.ThegreatestchallengeissecuringanetworkdealatawholesaleratewhichallowstheMVNOtocreatevalueforshareholders.Thechancesofnegotiatingagooddealaresignificantlyenhancediftheunderlyingbusinesspropositionisstrongandispresentedinaclear,consistentandcompellingbusinessplanwhichissupportedbyaflexibleanddetailedExcelbasedbusinessmodel.ThechancesofsuccessfullysecuringanetworkdealareincreasedifthetargethostnetworkisselectedwithcareandtheMVNO’snetworkarchitectureiscarefullymatchedtothebusinessneeds.Evenwithastrongbusinesscaseandafavourablewholesaledealthebusinessplanisstillnothingmorethanjustaplan.Tocreatevalueforinvestorstheplanmustbeimplementedandthisrequiresthecarefulselectionofequipmentvendorsandworldclassprogrammemanagementtoensuresuccessfulexecution.Oncelaunchedtheonlyremainingchallengeistokeeppacewiththeconstantchangeofthetelecomssector!2©copyrightcoleago2009GrahamFriend,[phone],[e-mail],“story”LeverageisessentialforvaluecreationAnMVNOisnodifferenttoanyotherbusinessandmusthaveasourceof(sustainable)competitiveadvantageifitistocreatevalueforinvestors.CompetitiveadvantageisachievedbysuccessfulMVNOsthrougheffectivelyleveragingtheirexistingassetstogeneratecustomergrowthwithlowcustomeracquisitioncosts.Itisthisleveragethatprovidesthebasisforagoodbusiness“story.”MVNOstypicallyseektoleveragethefollowingassets:zExistingcustomers–itiseasiertosellanewservicetoexistingcustomersthanitistowinentirelynewcustomers(e.g.Tesco)zBrand–tobesuccessfultheleveragedbrandmustdrivethepurchaseofmobiletelephony(e.g.Virgin)zDistribution–existingchannelstomarketwillhelpreducethecostofcustomeracquisition(e.g.Virgin,FreshMobile–CPW)zContent–forsome,mobileprovidessimplyanothermediaforthedistributionofexistingcontent(e.g.usingthemobiletodeliveradvertising–Blyk,musicdownloadsRadio-Formula,France)zConvergence–bundlingofmultiplecommunicationservicesisincreasinglycommonandhasbeenshowntoincreasescustomerloyalty(e.g.Tele2,BTleveragingcustomersandfixedassets)BusinessChallengesandObjectivesContentBrandConvergenceCustomerBaseInfrastructureDistributionSuccessfulMVNOsarethosethatareabletoleverageexistingassetsinordertocreateadditionalshareholdervalueTescoMobileVirginMobileBlyk3©copyrightcoleago2009GrahamFriend,[phone],[e-mail],(Europe)E-Plus(Germany)Duetothelargefixedcostsofmobileoperatorsandtheresultingimpactofeconomiesofscale(asmallchangeinrevenuestranslatesintoadisproportionatechangeinprofits)mobileoperatorswholackcriticalmassintermsofmarketsharehavesoughttoincreasenetworkutilisationbyhostingMVNOswhobringadditionalcustomersatlowercostsofacquisition.ExistingmobileoperatorsBritishTelecom(UK)VirginMedia(UK)Somefixedlineoperatorspreviouslyownedmobileassetsandthendisposedofthem(e.g.BritishTelecom)orneverpreviouslyownedmobilenetworks(e.g.VirginMedia).However,declinesintraditionalfixedlinerevenuesaswellasanincreasingmovetowardsconvergence(e.g.tripleandquadrupleplay)areseeingsomefixedlineoperatorsdeployingMVNOstotargetthemobilemarket.ExistingfixedlineoperatorVirgin(UK,USAandCanada)ESPN(US-failed)TescoMobile(UK)Virginmobileisprobablythemostoftencitedexampleofa