Seamless cellular integrability is key for successful deployment of human centric use cases
When enhancing human-centric use cases with AI, XR, cloud and cellular connectivity, the potential to boost enterprise value creation increases significantly
As described in the chapter “Human-centric driven value creation”, enterprises are expecting to advance operations through the deployment of human-centric use cases such as remote meetings, remote education and digital product development. However, this study does also reveal that there are still major opportunities and challenges to be addressed to leverage the full value creation potential of human-centric use cases. This chapter is exploring the role of key technology enablers and emerging digital tools towards reaching this value potential. The other important areas are opportunities and challenges related to cultural perceptions and organizational alignments which are covered in “The paradox of digital collaborations” chapter.
Digital tools and technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence), XR (eXtended Reality), cloud and cellular connectivity need to be both relevant and applicable for decision-makers to decide on necessary investments. In this context, “relevant” means that the tools and technologies have a proven value creation potential for human-centric use cases, and “applicability” refers to the integrability of such tools and technologies into existing enterprise IT landscape and operational business processes. Tools and technologies which are difficult to integrate are bound to fail, even if, theoretically, they have value creation potential.
Why decision-makers think cellular technology is so important for human-centric use cases
Most decision-makers see cellular connectivity and cloud as important key enablers for human centric use cases. 65% of all decision-makers classify cellular connectivity as key enabler for remote meetings, and 62% state the same for cloud.
There is a broad range of benefits that enterprise IS/IT decision-makers expect from applying cellular connectivity for human-centric use cases, with operational and risk management benefits being top-ranked.
As shown in figure 7, operational efficiency along with risk management are the main driving benefits in using cellular connectivity for IS/IT decision-makers. With that said, a fully mobile workforce that can make the company more flexible, and make both employees and customers more satisfied, is almost on par with more tangible benefits, like fast deployment. The combination of all these benefits together is why enterprise ISI/IT managers primarily look for cellular solutions.
65% of all decision-makers classify cellular connectivity as key enabler for remote meetings, and 62% state the same for cloud.
Figure 7: Share of IS/IT decision-makers expecting different business benefits from utilizing cellular connectivity for remote meetings
Telecom APIs will accelerate the applicability of cellular networks for human-centric use cases
Beyond being relevant for human-centric use cases, cellular connectivity services must also be applicable for enterprise automation to ensure the scalability of deployed solutions. Telecom Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are now playing an increasingly important role in this applicability.
Telecom APIs are interfaces enabling developers to embed real-time communication services such as telephony or video into applications. This approach can enhance the user experience in human-centric use cases significantly. Telecom APIs are increasingly provided through commercial CPaaS (Communication Platform as a Service) offerings. [1] Beyond providing APIs as such, CPaaS can act as an international aggregator of cellular connectivity services, making communication services based on APIs available across different countries and cellular networks. One example for such a service offering is the global Communication API offerings by Vonage, part of Ericsson. [2]
Already today, 42% of the surveyed enterprises are utilizing externally provided telecom APIs for remote meetings. In addition, 37% are in process of implementation or are planning to do so shortly – see figure 8
Figure 8: Share of decision-makers that have implemented, or are planning to implement externally provided telecom APIs (communication service APIs) within their companies
Externally provided telecom APIs enable enterprise business process automation and will accelerate the applicability of cellular networks. This is discussed in more detail in the following section of the report.
Cellular network integrability is a prerequisite to advance enterprise operations
The main driver for enterprises to leverage communication service APIs is the need for business process automation.
One important area of business process automation is the setup and delivery of digital services. For human-centric use cases, this could mean automatically setting up on-demand voice, video, or chat sessions and collecting related data for usage-based monetization purposes. For scalability reasons, it is important that these capabilities can be implemented in the same manner, independent of media and device type, and geographical location of the device.
The chapter “A case study from the interpreter services market” in this report is featuring a customer case showcasing a highly successful market approach leveraging communication service APIs. The case details how integrating communication services via APIs into a digital service offering, essentially disrupted an existing market and business logic.
In addition to the setup of digital services, it is also important to manage the quality of a delivered service. This may imply automatic, on-demand allocation of bandwidth or guaranteed signal latencies for a specific location, point-in-time or use case.
- Travis Ferreira, Director of IT at a Life Science Manufacturing Company
Another important area for enterprise automation is the management of cellular connectivity, including SIM and subscription lifecycle management. Enterprises operating large-scale connected devices across different countries need to automate ordering, activation, pausing, and deactivation of SIM cards, plus subscription management via enterprise resource planning, asset management, or other IT systems. This type of automation contributes to advancing operations, but also to scalability.
Figure 9: Important areas of business process automation
The examples of enterprise automation as illustrated in figure 9 show the importance of the integrability of cellular network services into enterprise IT-systems. The question that arises now, is how satisfied are enterprises currently with this capability?
The study reveals that enterprise satisfaction with integrability of cellular network services is not fully there yet. However, the situation is improving with the transition from 4G to 5G.
Figure 10: Share of IS/IT decision-makers satisfied with cellular network integrability
In the case of 4G networks, 34% of all enterprise IS/IT decision-makers are not satisfied with the offered integrability. For 5G, the number of decision-makers not satisfied with integrability has declined to 29%, see figure 10. This represents a 7% increase in enterprise satisfaction level with 5G compared to 4G.
There can be several reasons for the growing enterprise satisfaction with the integrability of 5G networks.
Apart from the general perception that 5G networks are more geared towards enterprise needs than 4G networks, one likely reason for this improvement is the growing number of commercial CPaaS offerings as described earlier in this chapter.
Another reason for the increasing enterprise satisfaction with cellular network integrability is most likely the recent improvements in the provisioning and exposure of telecom APIs. These cellular network APIs can either provide relevant data assets (e.g. location information, device status and others), or operational management services, such as the on-demand allocation of guaranteed bandwidth or signal latencies for applications.
However, the ambition of the telco industry should be surpassing well beyond the current satisfaction level of 71% among enterprise IST/IT with cellular integrability, to ensure full applicability of cellular networks for human-centric use cases.
A major uptake of emerging digital tools is expected within the next 3-5 years
Emerging digital tools such as AI and XR also have the potential to enhance the user experience of advanced digital solutions for human-centric use cases significantly. Generative AI can automate administrative tasks, provide guidance for communication flows and team collaboration, and help to provide contextual content. AI-enabled simultaneous translations eliminate language barriers. XR technologies can generate a highly immersive experience and improved spatial awareness for remote collaboration with team members, which may even include tactical sensations, “private & discreet” communication (“digital whispering”) and other capabilities enabling natural human behavior.
Such enhanced user experience indicates the relevance of digital tools and is most likely the main reason why most decision-makers in all industries expect these tools to be utilized for human-centric use cases. As illustrated in figure 11, the main momentum for the expected usage growth is within the next 3-5 years. The percentage of decision-makers expecting utilization of AI-powered simultaneous translation applications for remote meetings is growing by 31 percentage points in this timeframe. The growth for fully immersive XR applications and Generative AI is 28% and 26% percentage points respectively.
Figure 11: Share of decision makers expecting digital tool utilization for remote meetings
In the light of enterprise workspace reductions and an increasingly mobile workforce, meeting continuity (transferring remote meetings between cellular and WiFi connectivity) and device handover (transferring meetings between desktops and mobile devices) will also significantly gain further relevance. The number of decision-makers expecting both features to be utilized for remote meetings is growing by more than 20 percentage points in the next 3-5 years.
The above findings underline the market expectations on roaming capabilities between WiFi and cellular networks.
Looking ahead, decision-makers expect that emerging digital tools will complement rather than replace existing digital tools for advanced digital solutions. For remote meetings, more than 70% of decision-makers expect a continued increase in the use of legacy tools such as voice and video applications, as well as a rise in the utilization of fully immersive XR meeting experiences.
However, one interesting observation from this study is that employees tend to have more conservative expectations on the uptake of emerging digital tools.
More than 70% of all decision-makers expect the utilization of WiFi-cellular meeting continuity within the next 3-5 years.
Figure 12: Expected utilization of AI-powered simultaneous translations in advanced digital solutions for remote meetings
As illustrated in figure 12, while 67% of decision-makers anticipate their companies using AI-powered simultaneous translations in remote meetings within the next 3-5 years, only 50% of the employees share this view. This difference could be due to decision-makers’ greater likelihood of international interaction and a higher perceived need to travel to foreign countries compared to the average employee, creating a bigger need for AI-powered translation.
However, this difference in expected utilization of AI-powered translations is also similar for Generative AI and XR tools, as well as device handover and meeting continuity. This clearly shows a lack of alignment between the decision-makers and employees.
”The paradox of digital collaborations” chapter further analyzes the varying preferences for meeting and travel between decision-makers and employees, and the potential misalignments that may arise within organizations as a result.
Advanced digital solutions such as seamless transfer of digital collaboration sessions between different devices and connectivity technologies, AI, and XR can be expected to significantly enhance the user experience in human-centric use cases. The main momentum of related deployments is expected in the next 3-5 years. Cellular connectivity, particularly 5G is seen by the vast majority of enterprise as a key technology enabler, but in order to unlock the full enterprise investment potential, Communication Service Providers need to further enhance the integrability of cellular network services into enterprise IT-systems to allow for further automation.
