Recent Assignments

Prodata’s work is mainly conducted on behalf of major telecommunications operators, mobile providers and ICT equipment suppliers

We have conducted over 300 research, benchmarking, modelling, analysis & marketing projects since we were formed in 1992

Click on the links below for examples of recent assigments:

Indirect Channels Project

Business Customer Segmentation Project

Data Services Projects – Conducted annually 1995 to 2003

Data Customers Programme

International Business Market Sizing & Segmentation Project

CT Testing Market – European Review

Mobile Services for Airline Travellers

Mobile Market Assessment & Strategic Options for Operator in the Far East

Smartphone and Pocket PC

Mobile Operator – Billing Solutions

1. Indirect Channels Project

Objectives

Prodata has worked at board and team level with a major provider of telecommunications services via indirect channels since 2001 to identify ongoing levels of satisfaction amongst the Indirect Channel authorised partner base.

Output/Results

Our project enables this client to benchmark its performance against:-

• Partner expectations & importance scores
• Partner experience of competitors
• To set and monitor targets relative to best in class technology partner positioning

2. Business Customer Segmentation Project

Objectives

During 2002-3, Prodata has worked with a number of divisions of an international telecommunications provider, to segment its customer base by operational issues and needs rather than spend. This major change in segmentation strategy was worked on in conjunction with Cranfield University. Prodata led the research, cluster analysis, modelling and strategy formulation for the client. The segmentation is now successfully being used by the client and its account management teams to target its customers more effectively with relevant products and services. Prodata has recently won a contract to extend this analysis and modelling to all large accounts in the client’s customer base

Output/Results

Our project is enabling this client to:-

• Understand, segment and target its business customer base far more effectively with products and solutions
• Lower the cost of sale to its customers by providing more relevant contact strategies
• Increase revenues from its customer base through acquiring a more in-depth understanding of where its products and service fit into its customers business and marketing strategies.

3. Data Services Projects – Conducted annually 1995 to 2003

Objectives

These projects have involved benchmarking quality of service and price through discussions with customers of data networks and suppliers. Over the years we have acquired extensive experience and knowledge in this product area.

Products include :
Frame Relay
ATM
MPLS
Private circuits
… and other data networks.

These are extracts from comments from our clients in this area :

Prodata were highly professional throughout duration of project. They showed a high degree of flexibility and were quickly able to assimilate and interpret quite detailed requirements against some of our more complex products & applications. They adopted a collaborative approach throughout, offering their considerable expertise to help us maximise benefit from the exercise.

Output/Results

Case studies and insights which enables our client to re-evaluate both the supply side ie wholesale supplier prices and service levels offered ; and what they themselves are offering their customers in terms of price and service packages.

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4. Data Customers Programme – 2000

Objectives

This research was required to obtain information on customer requirements relating to service levels in order to make accurate resourcing decisions. There needed to be a clear steer coming from the external market on what are the key service areas to address ? Where should resource be focused in order to obtain the best return on investment ? This project was ultimately all about making the correct investment decisions. This project was based on a programme of research conducted amongst customers of ISDN, Frame, ATM and digital private services.

Output/Results

Due to the complexity of the corporate data environment, interviews with Corporates were conducted in-depth and face to face by Prodata Consultants with knowledge of the data marketplace and data technologies. This helped to generate case studies (where customers agreed to be named), and feedback also went directly back to the relevant Account Managers

The understanding gained from this research fed into decisions regarding priority areas for customer service improvements, but it also helped our client to meet data buyer's needs more effectively and ensure that internal targets set are in line with what the market expects and requires.

Price sensitivities and trade-offs between quality and price were examined in detail for this study, and many insights were gained into customer buying criteria and decision making trade-offs

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5. International Business Market Sizing & Segmentation Project

Objectives

Prodata conducts numerous projects within business markets, and are well aware of the contact issues for research within this community. Our project in 2002 involved interviews amongst customers based in the UK, but also MNC customers with sites worldwide.

The work undertaken was split into two phases. Phase One consisted of a major piece of desk research, which aimed to identify which accounts have international operations and hence are likely to be candidates for purchasing international ICT services. This work also enabled Prodata to analyse all accounts by where they had locations worldwide. The results of this work were pulled into a market model.

Subsequently, a quantitative phase of work was undertaken, and the results of this work were presented in a presentation and report, and in addition, account specific information was added to the database/model. All accounts were segmented and allocated a global ICT and cross border spend figure, either from interviews or based on ratios for sectors which were derived from the interviews.

Output/Results

This work has fed into marcoms programmes and international marketing strategy.

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6. ICT Testing Market – European Review

Prodata have conducted a large number of international projects for telcos and manufacturers. A recent project involved a complex series of interviews across users of testing services within a range of manufacturers and telcos across Europe and the USA.

Prodata are able to draw on telecoms experienced consultants with whom we work across Europe for these types of projects. In this case, well over a hundred senior level interviews were conducted.

Output/Results

The results were used to :

• Size the market
• Determine whether BTexact should be selling these services externally
• Define/identify target segments for early “attack”
• Identify which services were most likely to generate highest levels of revenues and profitability

The results were presented to the client’s board and the Prodata team was highly praised at the end of the presentation by board members.

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7. Mobile Services for Airline Travellers

Objectives

The overall aim of the project was to assess the time to market and business case for launching a new communications service aimed at airline passengers

Output/Results

For this project Prodata adopted a mixed research approach involving the use of desk research, end-user surveys and focus groups across Europe, Middle East, Far East and North America.

The desk research generated data on the universe of air travelling population, mobile phone users, mobile penetration rates and various basic indicators for the countries surveyed and at regional level. The desk research data was used in combination with the survey results to assess the total market size of the new in-flight telephony service by country, region, “short haul” and “long haul” flights.

The end-user survey and focus groups results were used to:

• Assess the total market potential
• Profile the targeted travelling population
• Identify barriers and drivers to purchase
• Measure the impact of the service on airline selection, i.e. how such a service would drive or influence passenger attitude regarding its choice of airline

The output of the work undertaken by Prodata was used to produce a detailed business plan aimed at raising funds for the development of the new service and winning the support of potential partners.

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8. Mobile Market Assessment & Strategic Options for Operator in the Far East

Objectives

Prodata assisted a local operator identifying potential strategic options for the delivery of GSM and GPRS services in a Far East country. The client needed to understand the market potential for cellular services in the short, medium and longer term covering both qualitative and quantitative aspects. The key objectives of the research included:

• Quantifying the potential market share and size for the ‘Client’s’ GSM 1800 services
• Sizing and profiling the particular segments that would become the early vs. later adopters of the service.
• Testing price sensitivity for different service propositions including basic mobile services, fixed and mobile converged services, various value added services and Internet services.
• Building a revenue picture based on current and projected usage and expenditure on basic mobile services and value added services.
• Understanding buyer behaviour and identifying channels to market.

Output/Results

A major survey based on sophisticated sampling and design methodology was conducted to provide a substantial base of market intelligence to feed into the forecast model, business plans and market strategy formulation. A representative sample of 1000 adults aged 15 to 65 years and 500 businesses were interviewed across different regions.

Prodata also drew from data generated from desk research (e.g. macro economic and demographic data) and data from other countries for benchmarking analysis in terms of service adoption rates, customer loyalty and ARPU levels.

On the basis of data generated from the survey, the client had the means of identifying market segments which are likely to generate high ARPUs across the regions where services would be rolled out.

The survey played a key role in feeding statistically robust data into a 5-year demand based forecast model. The key elements of the model included:

• Forecast of penetration by segment (consumer and business)
• Market share, churn and installed base by operator
• Monthly bill and revenue forecast based on price elasticity
• Data usage forecast by type of data traffic
• Voice and data traffic forecast
• Distribution channels and costs and advertising & promotion costs
• Easy to use scenario manager to run sensitivities at the click of a button

The forecast model provided the client with a market intelligent tool which could be used to drive market targeting strategies and media campaigns. The output of the research was also used by the client as a support tool with financial institutions to raise the funds required for the roll out of services.

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9. Smartphone and Pocket PC

Objectives

To provide the Client with a fully populated mobile business value model, determining the incremental ROI associated with the deployment of smartphone and Pocket PC 2002 devices and associated applications. The tool is to be used to support business development activity among mobile operator client base worldwide.

The project required a combination of international end user research among early adopters of client products. ARPU impacts were determined by reference to customer survey feedback and mobile operator billing system records. Model population of the base case (before incremental cost/revenue assessment) drew extensively from Prodata’s mobile operator performance indicator benchmark database.

Outputs/Results

The model is now used to identify the incremental impacts on ARPU, Churn, Cost of Acquisition, Cost of Retention, Customer lifetime value etc. Prodata research used in the generation of associated White Papers coinciding with major industry events in Europe (3G Congress in Cannes) and the USA (CTIA in New Orleans).

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10. Mobile Operator - Billing Solutions

Objectives

The project identified the capabilities of operators’ existing billing solutions; roadmaps for operator services and their billing; establishing the willingness of operators to work with new entrants; pricing and budgetary considerations; extrapolation of the size of the market opportunity for the Client’s solution; and understanding how to position the Client’s solution.

Outputs/Results

Interviews were conducted with individuals responsible for WAP/2.5G & 3G strategy & billing managers across nine wireless operators, selected from Prodata’s extensive list of industry contacts. The Client learned that many operators had not chosen a preferred partner for their event-based billing solutions. A significant market opportunity existed for the Client, and clear recommendations were provided regarding a suitable market entry strategy.

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