Telecoms operators have yet to begin marketing the new capabilities offered by their next-generation networks to multinational corporations (MNCs). In order to help CIOs evaluate the changing provider landscape, here we highlight the key capabilities to consider in telco supplier selection as the latter transform their operations from providing connectivity, to a new services and applications-based business. This analysis provides an evolution to telco 2.0 framework, from which the report intends to track telcos’ investment priorities and the introduction of new services.

This transformation, defined as the ‘evolution to telco 2.0’, is likely to gather momentum within the next five years. Given that many enterprise contracts fall within this timeframe, the report believes that enterprises should pay particular attention now to evaluating their suppliers’ investment focus and portfolio plans during this period of industry transformation. So far, we do not think that telcos have provided a clear view to MNCs of what type of services are involved.