Deciding on how to manage subscriber data is not an easy or intuitive step. Is it the subscriber identifier (SID) and creating a single subscriber instance and definition? Is it the federated approach between the various lines of businesses, and enable peering between the various business such as mobility and fixed? The fundamental questions are, what business is the provider in and what relationship do they want with their clients, what relationship do they want with other suppliers.

The potential power of new intermediaries such as the Googles, Amazons and E-Bays – often already having their own billing systems and payment mechanisms in place – is set to pose a major threat to the service provider's traditional dominance of the entire value chain. As the industry starts making the long awaited strategic shift from simple survival to positive growth, new challenges continue to emerge. Unless service providers of all shapes and sizes confront these, they're going to be reduced to little more than mere bit-pipe players. However, knowing where you've got to get to is only part of the problem facing operators as they try to transform themselves through the addition of content and applications to their service portfolios...