TM Forum Helps to Reshape Mobile Operators for the Digital Revolution at Mobile World Congress

Exclusive half-day track on business transformation features C-level speakers from industry leaders such as Facebook, Globe, Huawei, Research in Motion, Tele2 Group, Telstra and more; Plus TM Forum to release Perspectives 2013 yearbook in Barcelona

MORRISTOWN, NJ--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the economic effect of new digital services takes hold of the communication industry, TM Forum today announced that it is hosting a unique conference track, jointly produced with GSMA, at Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona. This half-day track explores key business transformation issues facing service providers as they approach the digital revolution, and includes two panels of C-Suite industry experts who will discuss, dissect and debate how the mobile industry can reshape itself to meet the demands of the digital world and move forward with success.

“TM Forum’s sessions at Mobile World Congress showcase operators’ real-world experiences in transforming their businesses to meet the demands of today’s rapidly changing environment, and are just one of the many ways that the Forum is working toward enabling a vibrant and open digital economy.”

TM Forum’s half-day track is set for Monday, Feb. 25, 2:00-5:30 p.m., Hall 4, Conference Village, Auditorium 4, and features the following topics and experts:

2:00-3:30 p.m. – Business Transformation: Reshaping Mobile in the Digital Revolution
The killer services behind the last 20 years of mobile industry growth are today facing serious competition from the digital services revolution, forcing service providers to rethink their role and product portfolio. This session covers the best bets for key players in the digital services ecosystem, and what it takes to rethink business for the next 10 years of growth.

• Moderator: Rob Rich, managing director, Insights Research, TM Forum
• Arun Bhikshesvaran, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Ericsson
• Frank Boulben, chief marketing officer, Research In Motion
• Martin Creaner, president and CEO, TM Forum
• Eli Gelman, CEO, Amdocs
• Dan Rose, vice president partnerships, Facebook
• Li Sanqi, chief technology officer, Carrier Networks, Huawei

4:00-5:00 p.m. – Business Transformation: Reshaping the Operator
While voice and SMS continue to be the main revenue source for many service providers, these revenues are increasingly at risk or declining. Delivering coverage and capacity alone poses problems for service providers as profits don’t rise in line with cost, but service providers have historically struggled to compete against agile players in other ecosystems. In this session C-level speakers will reveal their visions, pain points and the surprises they are encountering as they lead their companies through business transformation.

• Moderator: Tony Poulos, market strategist, TM Forum
• Ernest L. Cu, president and CEO, Globe Telecom Inc.
• Mats Granryd, president and CEO, Tele2 Group
• David Thodey, CEO, Telstra

The first 200 people to attend TM Forum’s Mobile World Congress track will receive a complimentary copy of “Unzipping the Digital World,” by Keith Willetts, chairman, TM Forum, and can register to win one of two Kindle Fire HDs.

“Thanks to the digital services revolution, the rules have changed for the communications industry in the past five years, and as a result it needs to radically rethink both its operations and its business models,” said Martin Creaner, president and CEO, TM Forum. “TM Forum’s sessions at Mobile World Congress showcase operators’ real-world experiences in transforming their businesses to meet the demands of today’s rapidly changing environment, and are just one of the many ways that the Forum is working toward enabling a vibrant and open digital economy.”

Today, TM Forum also announced that it is releasing its annual yearbook “Perspectives” at Mobile World Congress. Featuring exclusive insights from industry leaders, journalists and analysts, “Perspectives” takes a close look at the rapidly changing and highly competitive digital world, and what service providers need to do to create, manage, deliver and monetize established and new services faster, cheaper and better than ever before.

Stop by TM Forum’s hospitality suite located at 7MR92 in Hall 7 to pick up a copy of “Perspectives” and meet with TM Forum executives. To schedule an appointment with a TM Forum membership representative, please contact Apostolos Kallis via email at [e-mail].

About TM Forum

TM Forum is a global, non-profit association focused on enabling service provider agility and innovation. As an established thought-leader in complex service management, the Forum serves as a unifying force across industries, enabling more than 900 member companies to solve critical business issues through access to a wealth of knowledge, practical tools, best practices and standards.

The Forum provides a fair and safe environment for collaboration across the value-chain to overcome the barriers to a vibrant, open digital economy. We help member companies of all sizes gain a competitive edge by enabling efficiency and agility in their IT and operations while protecting competitive differentiation. For more information about TM Forum, visit www.tmforum.org.