Suresh Mathews, Digital Standard's CEO, takes a moment to share his insights into current, and future, wireless data services trends...


What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing companies that are seeking to build a branded wireless service?

If you're talking about building a really valuable wireless extension for a brand, it becomes imperative that the brand is in control of the service, not buried in a carrier’s deck several layers down. With that type of arrangement, the best a brand can do is offer content which means they have no chance to build customer loyalty, or to differentiate themselves. We feel strongly that existing affinity brands will rule the wireless space. Relegating them to simple content providers on other’s platforms doesn’t foster the type of explosive growth in data services that all parties need, and expect, including carriers.


So if companies want to offer their own branded wireless services, what are their options today?

That really gets to the heart of the issue; there has been a glaring lack of options until now. Companies are being told that in order to have their own service, they must basically become a wireless carrier, an MVNO. Well, this simply isn’t a viable option for 99% of the companies out there that need a wireless presence. Having a wireless presence will soon be more important than having a Website. It is a direct one-to-one connection that the consumer carries with them everywhere they go. Limiting branded wireless services to companies that can afford the $250 million it can take to launch an MVNO isn’t addressing the market's needs. Moreover, consider that MVNOs are typically supporting one or maybe two carriers along with proprietary handsets, again usually one or two models. All this on top of the additional voice pricing pressure that is created by each new entrant and, well, I think it is easy to see significant problems with the MVNO model. We have an alternative model and service that gives each brand the ability to launch their branded affinity service.


How exactly does your model differ from the MVNO model? How do you get around the issues that seem inherent in building this type of service?

The problems aren’t inherent. While carriers and other service providers such as WiFi and WiMax operators offer superior networks or “plumbing”, there are no off-the-shelf applications platforms available that allow any brand or any carrier to offer compelling solutions to consumers. What we have is a unique technology platform engineered to handle these specialized requirements. Rather than a risky and expensive one off MVNO approach, we are pioneering a plug and play applications model which allows companies to market their own high-end branded mobile service, one they can offer over any global network – wireless or wireline – using standard handsets made by all leading manufacturers. This is a breakthrough !


So when a company comes to you to launch a branded service, what might the typical process look-like, and how does it work operationally?

Of course, the first thing we do is understand the brand’s expectations vis-à-vis their product, their image and their target demographics. Next, we help them understand the various types of things possible with Saki, our wireless platform. We find that many times our brands have actually been trying to “shoe horn” their vision into technologies that deliver a very limited mobile experience. Instead of limiting them to yesteryear’s voice centric wallpaper, text messaging, and ringtone solutions, we re-ignite their imagination into the advanced rich media world of Saki. Finally, since Saki is a fully outsourced service, we support their service on a day-to-day which leaves them to focus on their product(s), their marketing campaigns and their consumers. We have proven the ability to launch advanced innovative mobile services in as few as 30 days.