Threat or Opportunity?

Number portability is breaking down one of the major barriers to competition in the telecommunications market. While this will bring greater choice and lower prices to consumers, it will inevitably increase both costs and business uncertainty for telecoms operators. The challenges must be confronted now.

Evidence from the US shows that the costs of introducing number portability are considerably higher than first anticipated, running into billions of dollars. Number portability will impose new demands on a telco's provisioning, customer care and billing systems. The inevitable increase in competitive pressures and higher rates of churn will require an urgent reassessment of customer care programmes.

The Manual of Number Portability provides telecom professionals with the means to confront the complex issues involved in introducing number portability. It provides authoratitive answers to the major strategic questions:

• how will regulation on number portability impact your business?
• what level of investment is required to achieve a long term number portability solution?
• how can incumbents minimise the inevitable loss of customers to competitors?
• can additional customer care benefits be realised and effectively marketed?
• what will be the impact of number portability on operational support systems?
• how are costs between telcos and between telcos and customers to be determined, allocated and recovered?

By focussing on the impact of number portability on key telco business processes and operational support systems, this authoritative manual from Chorleywood Consulting addresses the crucial business issues associated with this important subject.

The Manual of Number Portability, will enable you to turn the challenges of number portability into an opportunity for your business. It should be considered essential reading for all telco and CCB vendor professionals confronting the number portability issue.