Abstract
The great and rapid change that has gripped this historic industry has triggered difficulties too numerous to count, while simultaneously generating enormous opportunities.
In a market roiled by transformation, it seems there are more questions than answers. As the industry moves to incorprate more advanced, DIS-centric services and functionality, what will happen to traditional DA? How quickly will Free DA take off? Which business models will best serve the new breed of Mobile DIS? What about the Mobile Web and the impact of Local Search?
For the first time, a single document tackles all the tough questions, and pieces together a fascinating and compelling vision of the future of DA, Local Search, and DIS. Moreover, " of "North American DA And Search: At The Crossroads Of Opportunity" provides for the first time a blueprint and timetable for the launch of business models that could help DA providers and carriers to break away from their revenue-constrained environment, and migrate to revenue-enhanced models that exploit existing emerging assets across voice, data and online models.
An Unprecedented Research Report That Analyzes:
- Why 2008 Will Prove To Be The Defining Moment For DA
- What New Entrants Are Being Drawn By The Lure Of The Market' s Size
- What Competition And Opportunities DA Faces Going Forward
- As Local Search Becomes Medium And Device-Agnostic, How Quickly Will It DA Be Drawn Into The Equation?
- What Impact Will The Following Disruptive Services Have On Traditional DA
And Directory Information Services:
- Portable Global Positioning Systems Expanding Beyond Traditional Directions Into Business Category Search And DIS;
- Plug-And-Play Voice-Based Step-By-Step Driving Directions Services Piggy-Backing On Traditional DA;
- Voice-And Text-Based Comparison Shopping, Travel And Other Vertical Industry Services Poised To Launch;
- Free DA, In Its Second Version, Evolving Into Free DIS Offerings;
- Online Yellow Pages And Mobile Local Search Competing With Paid And Free DA;
- Social Networks Tapping Into The Youth Market With Voice And Other Widgets For Event-Based DIS;
- All You Can Eat Search Services Outfitted With Live Background Guides;
- Targeted Demographic-Based Search And Information Services.
- Why Wholesale And Retail DA Providers Face A Mixed Market Growth Amid Broad Peripheral Opportunities?
- What Will Be The Impact Of Mobile Phones Morphing Into All-In-One Smart Devices, Encompassing Music And Video Streaming To Business Search, Location-Based Services And Even Novels?
- To What Extent Will Mobile Phone Device Makers Provide Content Services That Range From Directions To Music To Promotional Coupons, Etc.?
- Reality Checks:
- How Far Will Booming Wireless Usage Cut Into Wireline DA?
- What Sort Of Future Will Wireless DA Enjoy?
- How Will Companies Monetize Unchartered Territory - Parallel Multi-Stream Business Models For The DA Industry Are At A Crossroads:
- DA As Mainstream Service To Accommodate New Offerings;
- Convert Disruptive Services Into New Opportunities Through Partnerships;
- Expanding Value-Chains To Tap Into Surrogate Segments And Partners;
- Create High-Volume Advertiser-Based Revenue Models In Short Order;
- Up The Ante On The Wireline DA Front To Add Broadband DIS;
- Mix Of Subscription, Ad-Based Free And Paid Models.
- What Efforts Are Being Made vis-a-vis Efficient Call Center And Operator Practices For Better Margins?
- What Higher Order Automated Services Are Emerging To Offset Outsourcing Challenges
- Five-Year Forecasts For The Mainstream DA Market, Loaded With Insights Into Expanding Value Chains
isolates and analyzes:
- Why wireless growth will open up the audience for new directory information services;
- The true future of DA: interactive, integrated service over multi-media channels;
- Emerging technologies redefining DA implementations;
- Which new business models will create greater margins in the short term and new revenues in the long run;
- The outlook for information services - when, where, and how;
- The reasons some carriers view the DIS value proposition guardedly;
- Calling volumes, actuals, and trends - today and tomorrow;
- Regulatory, strategic, and tactical issues for wireline players eyeing DIS;
- Service-specific caution points for wireless and wireline players;
- Demographic considerations - a moving target;
- Basic-service vs. DIS pricing: how price levels are evolving, with their inevitable impact on usership, profit margins and revenues;
- Key players - markets pursued, strategies embraced, and growth issues to be resolved;
- Highly detailed five-year market forecasts...... DA call volume and revenue, wireless and wireline...... through 2012!
About The Author
Saroja Girishankar is The PELORUS Group' s Vice President of Information Services. With over 20 years in the communications industry, Ms. Girishankar comes with extensive research and analysis experience from her work with several industry publications and as an independent analyst. Her technical expertise covers directory assistance, wireless services, IP networking, telecommunications systems, operations, and applications.
Prior to joining The PELORUS Group, Ms. Girishankar was with the publications InternetWeek, as Executive Industry Editor, and Communications Week, and contributed to the industry magazine InformationWeek. Ms. Girishankar has written numerous reports and white papers on a wide range of telecommunications topics, including voice messaging, broadband services, global deregulation, and telecom infrastructure.
Ms. Girishankar has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education from the University of Delhi, India and a Masters in Education from Rowan University.
Editor Al Fross has researched and written about the directory assistance arena for two decades. He has edited and published many groundbreaking studies, including The PELORUS Group' s “North American DA Markets” and “Future Of Operator Services” reports. He holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University.
The PELORUS Group is a market research, business planning, and competitive intelligence firm. Its charter is to provide strategic insight for its worldwide base of clientele. Its challenge is to veer away from consensus research, and expose the myths within key telecommunications and information services industries.
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MARKET OVERVIEW
- Introduction
- Defining Moment for DA
- Still a Strong Multi-Billion Dollar Market in the U.S.
- Rise of the “Disruptive” Services
- Disruptive Services Encroach into Traditional DA and DIS Area
- Mobile Phones Morph into All-In-One Smart Devices
- Google' s Android System
- Free DA Release 2.0
- DIS for Wireline
- Mining Calls Falling Through the Crack
- Outsourcing
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Efficient Call Center/Operator Practices Increase Margins
- Regulatory Overview
- Wireless -- Cable -- Voice over IP Number Databases
- Monetizing in Unchartered Territory: Parallel Multi-Stream Business Models
- Crosscurrents of Challenges and Opportunities
- Research Methodology
THE WIRELINE MARKET
- Market Overview
- U.S. Wireline Carriers
- AT&T
- Embarq
- Qwest Communications International
- Verizon
- Qwest DA Rates By State
- Verizon Directory Assistance Rates
WIRELESS DA
- Wireless Subscribers
- Wireless DA/DIS
- Outsourcing DA/DIS
- Wireless DA Carriers
- AT&T
- VoiceDial & VoiceInfo
- Sprint
- T-Mobile
- Verizon Wireless
- Virgin Mobile
- Others
DA AND DIS OUTSOURCERS, PLATFORM AND VOICE RECOGNITION PROVIDERS, AND FREE, AD-SUPPORTED SERVICE PROVIDERS
- Introduction
- Wholesalers and Outsourcer
- kgb-USA
- Verizon LiveSource
- Platform and Voice Recognition Providers
- Apptera
- Call Genie
- Cellfire
- CellWand
- deCarta
- Dial Directions
- 4INFO
- Local Matters
- Medio Systems
- Nuance Communications
- Promptu
- Soleo Communications
- V-ENABLE
- Vlingo
- VoltDelta
- Yap
- Free and Ad-Supported Service Providers
- AT&T (YellowPages.com)
- ChaCha
- Idearc
- Jingle Networks
- R.H. Donnelley
- SpeakSoft
- Whitepages.com
- 800OnCall
- Portable Navigation Units
- Canadian DA Market
- Canadian Wireline and Wireless DA
- Bell Canada
- Nordia
- TELUS
FIVE-YEAR TREND AND GROWTH ANALYSIS
- Market Overview
- Trends and Assumptions
- Decline of the Switched End-User Local Access Wireline
- Growth of Wireless Subscribership
- Role of Wireline/Wireless DIS
- Access to DIS/Multimedia Content
- Impact of Internet, Online Yellow Pages and Information Services
- The role of the Disruptive Services
- Advances in Mobile Phones
- Automation
- Ad Aggregation and Free DA Release 2.0
- Customer Awareness
- United States
- Wireline Directory Assistance
- Switched End-User Local Access Lines
- Monthly Wireline DA Calls Per Local Access Line
- Yearly Wireline DA Calls Per Local Access Line
- Total Wireline DA Volume
- Wireline DA Revenues Per Call
- Total Wireline DA Revenues
- Wireless Directory Assistance
- Wireless Subscribers
- Monthly DA Calls Per Wireless Subscriber
- Yearly Calls Per Wireless Subscriber
- Wireless DA/DIS Volume
- Wireless DA/DIS Revenue Per Call
- Wireless DA/DIS Revenues
- Total Wireline and Wireless DA/DIS Call Volume
- Total Wireline and Wireless DA/DIS Revenues
- DIS Usage
- Wireless DIS Call Volume
- Wireline DIS Call Volume
- Total DIS Call Volume
- Wireless DIS Revenues
- Wireline DIS Revenues
- Total DIS Revenues
- Free DA/DIS Market
- Free DA/DIS Call Volume
- Free DA/DIS Share of the Holistic DA Market
- Free DA/DIS Revenue Per Call
- Free DA/DIS Revenue
- Canada
- Wireline Directory Assistance
- Wireline Access Lines
- Monthly Wireline DA Calls Per Access Line
- Yearly Wireline DA Calls Per Access Line
- Wireline DA Volume
- Wireline DA Revenues Per Call
- Wireline Revenues
- Wireless DA
- Wireless Subscribers
- Monthly Wireless DA Calls Per Subscriber
- Yearly Wireless DA Calls Per Subscriber
- Wireless DA Volume
- Monthly Wireless DA Revenue Per Call
- Wireless Revenues
- Total DA Volume
- Total DA Revenues
- DIS Call Volume
Figures:
- U.S. Wireline Access Lines -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Monthly DA Calls Per Wireline Access Line -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Yearly DA calls Per Wireline Access Line -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireline DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireline DA Price Per Call -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireline DA REVENUEs -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireless Subscribers -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Monthly DA Calls Per Wireless Subscribers -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Yearly DA Calls Per Wireless Subscribers -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireless DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireless DA Price Per Call -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireless DA Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Total DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Total DA Call Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireless DIS Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireline DIS Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Total DIS Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireless Paid DIS Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Wireline Paid DIS Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Total Paid DIS Revenues -- 2007 to 2012U.S. Free DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Free DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Free DA Percent of Total DA Markets -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Free DA Revenue Per Call -- 2007 to 2012
- U.S. Total Free DA Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireless Access Lines -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Monthly DA Calls Per Wireline Access Line -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Yearly DA Calls Per Wireless Access Line -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Yearly DA Calls Per Wireline Access Line -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireline DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireline DA Price Per Call -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireline DA Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireless Subscribers -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Monthly DA Calls Per Wireless Subscribers -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Yearly DA Calls Per Wireless Subscribers -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireless DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireless DA Price Per Call -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Wireless DA Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Total DA Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian Total DA Call Revenues -- 2007 to 2012
- Canadian DIS Call Volume -- 2007 to 2012
