Product Innovation for the Communications Industry

The number of wireless devices—and the range of types and complexity—is increasing rapidly. The situation is causing operational and resource constraints for service providers, device manufacturers and content and application developers.

Yet, customer expectations for reliable access to increasingly complex data services and capabilities are continually rising. To respond, service providers need to build and deploy an increasing number of devices, and certify a growing number of applications on those devices. It’s a challenge that translates directly into extra operational complexity and cost.

To stay on the path to high performance even during challenging economic times, carriers must find innovative means to counter these pressures. Outsourcing testing is proving a highly efficient and cost-effective way to ensure that products and services get to market fast and are working and reliable when they reach end-users.

Accenture Network Testing Services is a testing capability with an integrated end-to-end device and service testing process that can lower a carrier’s operational costs of serving subscribers. The streamlined, efficient and cost-effective solution includes an end-to-end device testing framework and software testing methodology, tools and processes; and an embedded software testing service with leading device manufacturers. Accenture provides the ability to test not only traditional handsets, but also the growing set of new networked devices.

Product Innovation Services:

• Digital Consumer
  Customer-centric offerings for a “content anywhere” world.

• Digital Content Services
  An end-to-end suite of integrated and scalable digital media solutions that helps organizations across all industries to capture, convert and control high-definition online video from anywhere to everywhere on any device—TV, PC or mobile.

• Mobility Services
  Comprehensive mobility services including mobile strategy, network infrastructure, enablement, applications, embedded software, testing capabilities and managed services to help enterprises quickly and cost-effectively launch and scale mobile solutions.

• Next-Generation Voice
  Enabling the creation of a network environment that is more open, agile and adaptable, and that can accommodate technology change with less risk.

• Small and Medium Business Services
  Strategies, tools, methods and managed services that can help companies capitalize more rapidly on the growth of the small- and medium-business market segment.

• Service Delivery Platform Solution
  Driving high performance through next-generation service innovation, management and delivery.

Accenture's experience with Tier 1 clients in North America and Europe gives us the ability to design and deploy advanced and proven device testing tools and processes. We help clients drive high performance by rapidly and cost effectively delivering significant improvements in the reliability of products and services launched. Our experience includes work with:

• SFR. The leading fixed/mobile alternative operator in Europe introduces more than 100 new mobile phone models a year. By outsourcing management of phone testing to Accenture, SFR benefits from an industrialized device qualification process, and a unit cost reduction of 15 percent. Didier Sibille, SFR’s head of mobile phone device qualification testing, said: “With Accenture we’ve found a partner to help us keep right in step with the fast pace of new service launches and maintain our competitive advantage.” Download the full case study [PDF, 150KB] PDF Help
  
  
• Mobile WiMAX operator. For a new mobile WiMAX operator, Accenture tested the first set of mobile WiMAX devices in the world.

Related Content:
SFR: Mobile Handset Testing Outsourcing

For service providers, device manufacturers and content and application developers, Accenture Network Testing Services delivers a number of important benefits:

• Lower risk. The Accenture testing service can reduce the risk of failure for new products and services.
  
  
• Reduced costs. Accenture can help companies improve product reliability and speed of launch, at lower cost.
  
  
• Experienced resources. Accenture’s assets and resources include dedicated software and specialists in Accenture Labs around the world. These assets provide the scalability necessary to address the cost, reliability and speed-to-market business challenges of our diverse clients. The business-focused testing services are supported by reliable knowledge transfer and flexible business arrangements.