LIVE: P2P Revenues Gone, Gone, Gone
Outspoken TMN Service Optimization and Research Head, Paulo Simoes gave the Converged Messaging conference a controversial view of the messaging market. The average ARPU for a single SMS sent over the TMN network is one tenth of a euro cent leading Paulo to state that “Don’t put your money on P2P messaging as a revenue generator. These days are gone, gone, gone.”
Paulo also analysed the vendor and operator led Rich Communications Suite (RCS) initiative which aims to deliver an IP based user experience including enhanced phonebook, enriched call and enhanced messaging functionality. However, Paulo (who is a member of the RCS initiative) warned that “the future of messaging will be IP based, but it will be the Google and MSN way, not the RCS way.” Paulo’s view is interesting. He looks at the messaging market from the user perspective whereby users want to send messages through the big Internet brands such as Windows Live Messenger, Facebook. and the usual suspects as opposed to the RCS initiative. This poses the question – where does the operator fit in? Paulo’s view – operator’s must be the enabler for services, delivering high quality of experience and standard that lets users enage with mobile services that deliver true user value. Once again it’s all about the value exchange that our good friend Jonathan MacDonald is so keen on evangelising.
