Navigating Netco vs. Servco: TM Forum Q&A With Chad Dunavant

On the Netco side, it's interesting as we see the network services become a focal point for that side of the business. [These include] ways that [operators] can launch new partner ecosystems to onboard new services quickly, ways that they can configure complex services within those ecosystems to maximize revenue and really take advantage of those network investments [from] over the last several years.

And as it relates to AI, I think AI will find its way across both opportunities—so on the Servco side, AI is going to play a role in how you engage with customers both in the call center and online. And more specifically, on the network side, we're going to see network optimization through new AI strategies.

How does this evolution impact customer experience and revenue growth in the telecom industry? What can CSPs measure so they can assess the impact of their AI investment?

Chad: As operators think about this new paradigm, customer experience is going to be at the forefront. One of the reasons why CSG has invested so heavily in our customer experience platform and integrated it into our BSS suite is to allow operators to really take that opportunity to the market. Being able to understand the specific needs of each customer as it relates to those service offerings will become critical. And we believe that's going to happen in two forms:

One, within how you optimize the customer relationship: knowing how you engage with customers on a personalized level, reacting to their needs specifically and not in groups, but on a personalized level. And number two: as I think about new revenue opportunities, how do I target a customer with specific offers within my catalog? How do I promote services that are relevant to them and what they want to get out of the operator’s service plan? [That] will be critical.

As CSPs prepare for a new era of AI-driven growth opportunities, how can they use this insight to boost competitiveness and expand and retain their customer base?

Chad: As CSPs think about the competitive differentiation that they have, it starts with the data. Sitting on the large amounts of data that they have, being domain specific about how they use that data and targeting specific customer attributes will allow them to engage with customers in a unique way.

Specifically, we've seen ways in which we can leverage that data to engage with customers around invoices, for example. Being able to tell a customer why an invoice change happened in advance of them calling into the call center can have a direct impact on cost savings and cost avoidance, but also on customer experience. So being able to engage with customers on that personal level by targeting the specific data sets that exist in the operators’ environments will be a critical differentiator.

You can watch TM Forum’s interview with Chad here .