Introduction
Logos Solvo is a solutions company operating in the Mobile Telecommunications Industry. As part of the well respected Logos Group based in Europe, Logos Solvo has a global sales and marketing infrastructure that enables it to effectively sell solutions to the Mobile Telecommunications Industry.Logos Solvo’s products include solutions that have been developed in-house, as well as solutions that have been licensed from partners.
As Logos Solvo is an independent solutions supplier, the Mobile Network Operator is assured that the products from Logos Solvo will be interoperable with products from third party vendors. Logos Solvo will work with these vendors to ensure interoperability.
The Mobile Telecommunications Landscape
While each MNO’s requirements are unique, they all share a common goal of reaching four core objectives:- Increasing ARPU
- Increasing subscriber loyalty
- Attracting new subscribers
- Reducing the average cost per subscriber
MNOs must constantly evolve and provide innovative service offerings to achieve these objectives and remain competitive. In this competitive landscape it is essential for an MNO to have the freedom to use different solutions from different vendors, and have these solutions interoperate seamlessly. The focus has therefore shifted towards open solutions instead of the lock-in strategy that some vendors employ.
Vendors supplying only SIM cards are often ranked as non-strategic vendors, and as a result experience high barriers to entry into MNOs that have deployed solutions from the global SIM and solution vendors.
Excellence as a Prerequisite for Solution Supply
Vendors of Mobile Solutions are encountering ever more stringent criteria from MNOs for supplying products:- Various solutions should be interoperable. Vendors have to support industry standards and commit to making solutions work together. It is no longer acceptable to deliver a solution that is closed or proprietary, and vendors have to be open to work with others to establish interoperability.
- Solutions should be world-class with reference sites and case studies. MNOs cannot launch a service based on an unstable platform. They are therefore looking for stable vendors with proven solutions.
- As most solutions are mission critical, the vendor must have global support for its solutions. Support must be available at a location close to the MNO’s operations, and the vendor has to ensure continuity of support.
- Independence. MNOs want to break free from the dependency on a few global vendors and are looking for vendors that are open and unbiased in their approach to working with partners and competitors alike.
Logos Solvo
Logos Solvo offers a growing number of solution products to MNOs exclusively through a global partner network. All products are provided as turnkey solutions, and Logos Solvo manages the full implementation process, including customization and integration.Sales Partners have access to Logos Solvo’s experience and the company’s full list of reference sites, thereby enhancing their sales arguments. Logos Solvo assists the Partner with the sales process, and takes care of the support and maintenance of the solution at the customer.
To further enable partners to sell its products, Logos Solvo ensures that partners have the necessary knowledge and skills to sell the solutions. This is achieved through a Partner certification program. Under this product specific program the partner is enabled to effectively sell the product, ensuring that the MNO gets the correct information in a timely fashion to facilitate its procurement decision process.
Products
Logos Solvo’s products include:- S@T Express Gateway - The S@TEx Gateway (S@TEx) operates with a SIM based S@T browser that enables the implementation of dynamic SIM Toolkit. S@TEx enables the menu on the SIM card to be dynamically updated based on content that is stored on an application server at the MNO or at a third party.
- Aperio OTA Server - This platform enables Over-The-Air programming of SIM cards in the field. Most of the settings on the SIM can be changed, given that the SIM security requirements for OTA updates are met.
- Pinnacle Information Services - This application platform hosts SMS content for download by mobile subscribers. The content is configurable and can include ringtones, logos, information such as news, horoscopes, etc. Pinnacle interfaces with content providers to facilitate content aggregation, and can host S@T applications that are accessible through the S@TEx Gateway.
- USSD Centre - This Phase 2 USSD Centre has a Graphical User Interface for defining USSD menu structures and associated external applications.
- E-TopUp - A system for managing prepaid tokens and distributing those tokens via a hierarchical distribution model.
- MP@Y - A secure mobile banking system for balance enquiries, statements, account payments and person-to-person value transfer.
Why Solutions From Logos Solvo?
Logos Solvo’s products are totally independent. There is therefore no strategy to lock MNOs in to a SIM card procurement contract. The S@TEx Gateway and Aperio OTA Server products will work with any vendor’s SIM cards, provided that those SIM cards comply with the relevant open industry specifications. Furthermore, Logos Solvo offers a vendor qualification programme to ensure interoperability. Under this programme the vendor is provided with a specification for the SIM card, and its candidate SIM card is tested by Logos Solvo for interoperability on the relevant product installed at the MNO. A report is provided to the vendor detailing any interoperability problems found, and the vendor is able to continue correcting those problems until the SIM is fully operational on Logos Solvo’s solution.Flexibility is built into Logos Solvo’s products, and each product consists of several optional modules that enable an MNO to start using the product with the minimum upfront commitment, then upgrade the product as the need arises. The pricing is also flexible to allow smaller MNOs to start using the products at a relatively low cost.
Advantage
With highly skilled developers, and product specific implementation and support teams, Logos Solvo gives the partner and the customer a high quality product with excellent support. Partners are able to offer their customers more than just SIM cards, and thereby gain a wider exposure to their MNO customers.Logos Solvo enables its partners to break the stranglehold that the global SIM vendors have on the market by providing alternative world class solutions. Partners gain access to all of Logos Solvo’s reference sites, which adds significant value to their sales initiatives. Logos Solvo provides the partner with the required material in the form of product descriptions, sales presentations, draft proposals, etc. to speed up their sales process. This “ready-made” sales approach significantly shortens the time to market for a partner with a new solution.
