Telecom APIs to Boost US$ 1T Mobile Markets as Operators and Vendors Align

The subscriber traffic for mobile broadband services will grow at 36% CAGR for the near future. This is good news for Telecom operators and OTT application providers which are continuously looking to keep subscribers happy and provide a better user performance in spite of network congestion. All of which has the potential to increase revenue for operators and OTT providers.

ABI Research believes telecom carriers must focus their attention on securely exposing services internally and to external partners and applications. Turning network services into resources easily accessed via APIs is the future for enterprises, including telcos. In order to be successful in API initiatives, telcos need to consider developers as value added application resellers, and therefore the business models of telco APIs needs to align with the business models of developers. It is important for operators to develop a successful API strategy that can provide telcos with the possibilities to attract new customers, cherish existing ones, increase operational efficiency and boost innovation.

ABI Research analyst, Sabir Rafiq comments, “Carriers worldwide recognize, that by collaborating with partners, using APIs can be used to generate new sources of revenue, to drive innovation, increase competitiveness, and retain and attain new customers.”

Continuing, Rafiq notes, “Companies who release their API often do so as part of a larger software development kit (SDK) that includes the API, and programming tools that will help the developer.”

Mobile operators such as AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Infrastructure vendors such as Ericsson, Huawei, Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, and Nokia open up APIs for developers to use and create features that make their applications more favorable in return. Developers are also keen on using operator APIs, such as handling billing for the developers, which ultimately reduces the costs of development and delivers a better service.

These findings are from ABI Research’s “Telco API Landscape and Developers” report and are found in the Telco API, Network Services, and Monetization Market Research.

ABI Research provides in-depth analysis and quantitative forecasting of trends in global connectivity and other emerging technologies. From offices in North America, Europe and Asia, ABI Research’s worldwide team of experts advises thousands of decision makers through 70+ research and advisory services. Est. 1990. For more information visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.