MWC 2015 – SAP Puts Customer Data Into Context For Telcos

SAP plans to release enhancements to its SAP hybris Marketing solution, specifically designed to help communication service providers (CSPs) simplify their B2C and B2B customer engagements while improving the effectiveness of their marketing operations.

The SAP hybris Marketing solution uses real-time contextual data to continuously update a 360-degree profile of both identified customers and prospective customers. This ‘dynamic’ profile spans what each customer has done in the past, what they might do in the future and what they are most interested in at any moment in time. Using targeting tools, marketers can reach customers through one-to-one personalised campaigns on the Web site, via e-mail, or through digital display advertising.

Strategic importance

Making the announcement at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015, Rick Costanzo, executive VP and GM, Telco Industry and Mobile Solutions, SAP, said: “We fully understand the strategic importance of contextual data to telcos, and are moving quickly to bring this groundbreaking solution to our customers. I believe that context is one of the most important concepts in the Big Data conversation and has the power to transform massive amounts of customer data into one-to-one customer conversations. I am excited about the plan to offer this game-changing technology to telcos, which is expected to help them improve their bottom line by increasing their customer base.”

The telco-specific, enhanced functionality in the SAP hybris Marketing solution is planned to be tightly integrated with SAP Billing and Revenue Innovation Management solutions and the SAP Convergent Mediation application by DigitalRoute, which serve as foundations of the ‘next-generation’ billing support software from SAP. Telco marketers are expected to be able to combine operational, network and customer billing data into one application, unleashing the power of truly contextual marketing. The telco version of SAP hybris Marketing is designed to enable CSPs to analyse, visualise and explore customer data at very high speed.

The SAP hybris Marketing solution, which is being developed on an open platform and will promote an open partner ecosystem, will be capable of being deployed in either cloud or on-premise software environments with prepackaged integrations from many leading marketing solutions partners.

The telco-specific version of the SAP hybris Marketing solution is expected to be available April 2015.

Also at MWC, SAP made a series of other announcements. SAP and ICT provider T-Systems revealed they have entered into an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement for connected logistics. The SAP Connected Logistics software and the Connected Car solution from T-Systems form the basis of the smartPORT logistics networking solution that has been successfully used in the Hamburg Port Authority. Companies, partners and customers are supplied with traffic information and services relating to the port using mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones. The objective was to optimise traffic and logistics processes in order to handle large volumes of goods in the port.

SAP and cloud-based software provider Jasper also announced they are collaborating to help enterprises simplify the process of deploying and managing Internet of Things (IoT) services on a global scale. Together, SAP and Jasper will team to offer integration of their solutions designed to help simplify and dramatically shorten the time to launch, manage and monetise IoT services. The Jasper Control Center platform is planned to integrate with the SAP HANA platform, creating business value for customers and partners by analysing service subscription and usage data. Enterprises are also expected to benefit from the SAP Fiori user experience (UX), which offers a simple, personalised and responsive UX for SAP software.

SAP announced that it will develop a Big Data solution tailored to the needs of the telecommunications industry. The solution intends to help simplify IT and unlock business innovation for communication service providers (CSPs). Powered by the SAP HANA database and designed to run on SAP HANA Cloud Platform, the data model is expected to provide real-time, contextual data processing and analytics for telcos. It is planned that customers will have the option of running the Big Data solution on premise, in the cloud or in a hybrid deployment.

SAP has announced that team CodeGreen from the UK and team Agrai of Finland are the winners of the ESA App Camp Barcelona. The camp challenged students and developers representing six countries across Europe to develop apps on SAP HANA Cloud Platform that use Earth observation data and business data to support the future of agriculture and forestry, renewable energy and fisheries management.

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