Swisscom uses Automatic Device Configuration (ADC) for more than just provisioning. The operator uses ADC’s database to determine device changes in real time and ensure customers have the correct settings on their phones – increasing the use of data services in the process.

Swisscom says in its 2007 third-quarter report that revenues increased by 4.3 percent (YOY) due in part to a “continuing increase in the number of subscribers and growth in new data services.”

In 2006, the Swiss operator implemented Ericsson’s ADC solution and – by ensuring that the right devices had the right settings – was able to increase MMS traffic as well as customer satisfaction.

Lukas Fluri, responsible for devices within Network & IT at Swisscom, says the biggest change since the introduction of ADC is that the operator is now aware in real time of its device base. “In the past it was a long process to get this information. Now we know not only which models there are, but also the capabilities for each model. This (information) forms an important basis for new business cases,” he says.

Most of the mobile devices used by Swisscom’s 5 million subscribers originate from one of the service provider’s nationwide retail shops. These devices are preconfigured but may still need additional service-specific settings.

When a Swisscom subscriber starts using a new mobile phone, ADC automatically detects the device, confirms its capabilities and then provides the correct service settings.

However, nearly half of all devices on the Swisscom network originate from a third-party channel which is why ADC is set up to configure and provision more than 1000 different phone models. For these devices, ADC sends a welcome message and informs the subscribers about the configuration settings that will be sent to the phone automatically.

“Today, any service we offer beyond voice and SMS is always device-dependent,” Fluri says. “We can’t offer a service to all customers because they need to have the right devices. We need to know which devices are used by our customers and what their capabilities are.”

Swisscom has also been able to reduce the number of calls to its customer care department by using ADC. Since 2006, the number of calls for MMS configuration support has fallen by about 25 percent.

A recent US survey from Opinion Research Corporation found that nearly a fifth of the smartphones purchased at the end of 2007 (presumably during the holiday shopping season) were returned because of difficulties with set-up or installation.

Swisscom is largest telecommunication provider in Switzerland; it has approximately 5 million mobile subscribers and more than 60 percent of the mobile services market in the country.

By David Francisco