SFR: Mobile Handset Testing Outsourcing

By outsourcing the testing of these increasingly sophisticated and personalized devices to Accenture, the leader in 3G/3G+ mobile broadband with 4.1 million customers at the end of 2007, SFR knows it can propose its new services, secure in the knowledge that the phones will reliably be able to deliver them. And in addition to enhancing quality, SFR also saves money thanks to lower testing costs.

"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." -Didier Sibille, head of mobile device qualification testing, SFR

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Initially a mass market, mobile telephony has been reshaped by mass customization of services and handsets in the space of just a few years. Between a standard GSM phone used almost exclusively for voice calls and the latest generation phone with all the bells and whistles lies a constantly expanding spectrum of usage profiles and customer segments.

In this new environment, mobile operators are facing a complex equation. They not only need to factor in a growing number of network technologies (from GSM to 3.5G, from WiFi to Bluetooth or UMA) and competing operating systems (Symbian, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Linux and more), but also the ever-longer list of new devices from phone manufacturers and the dizzying diversification of mobile services. Service lineups, for example, now include multimedia, video, games, content portals like Vodafone Live!, not to mention Web and email access, online applications, social networking and instant messaging.

Since all these parameters are moving forward at the same time, mobile operators have to be able to guarantee consumers that the phone they buy is the right one for their mobile communications needs.

Prior to the partnership with Accenture, SFR's Technical and New Services departments contracted with a variety of labs to test new mobile phones. There were two major problems with this approach, however. The first was the massive inflow of phones to be tested during the two peak sales periods, before summer and before the year-end holidays. The second issue was that there was no way to consolidate and leverage the vast experience aggregated over the years by the test teams.

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In autumn 2006, SFR called on Accenture to take charge of a highly innovative project: end-to-end management of the entire device qualification testing process. Acting as the interface between the phone vendors and SFR's in-house teams, Accenture project leaders set up a new model test schedule and supervised the qualification process. This involved meticulously recording answers to key questions such as:

• What are the expected uses?
• Which mobile services will be used?
• Is the platform derived from an existing mobile or based on step-change technologies?

Based on the results of this detailed review, the project leaders assessed potential risks and submitted a recommendation to SFR. The operator could then decide, with complete data in hand, whether to begin marketing the new phone, delay introduction or remove it from the catalogue.

Accenture project leaders also stayed in constant contact with both phone manufacturers and software developers to supervise SFR's requests for changes. "Because our project leaders see things from both the operator's and the manufacturers' points of view, they're in a perfect position to make sure that new devices are available in tandem with new service launches," notes Jean-David Benassouli, senior manager at Accenture Communications, Media and Technology France.

In late 2007, SFR gave Accenture a broader mandate, putting it in charge of the actual device testing (excluding radio protocol tests). Technicians specialized by segment (MMS, WAP, video, e-mail, DRM, music, Web applications, etc.) now run compatibility and performance tests on the phones and write up reports for the project leaders. Depending on how sophisticated the phone is, qualification can take between a few days and several months. Tests can also encompass extensions like 3G+ cards, USB keys or machine-to-machine (M2M) modules.

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Outsourcing management of phone testing to Accenture has enabled SFR not only to reduce unit costs by at least 15 percent, but also to industrialize the device qualification process. The operator has a clear vision of its annual testing budget, based on the number of devices tested and of the tests performed. More flexible management of the process also makes it easier to adapt to seasonal peaks, since Accenture can augment test teams ahead of critical sales periods. Equally important, SFR benefits from Accenture's recognized expertise in process and resource organization, engineering and optimization. Accenture prepares regular test strategy review reports and recommendations, enabling the operator to efficiently manage risks when new services and mobile devices are introduced. What's more, Accenture shares with SFR its feedback, both from its other device testing clients in Europe and the United States and from US and European mobile phone operators.

Last but not least, working with Accenture facilitates relations with phone manufacturers, since the Accenture team serves both as an interface and as a knowledge database covering their entire product catalogue. "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," adds Didier Sibille, SFR's head of mobile device qualification testing. "Accenture had already demonstrated its expertise by integrating our WAP and Web service providers. Successfully outsourcing our device testing process lets us focus completely on technology and marketing innovation while developing deeper upstream strategic relationships with our vendors."

Added Value
Accenture has helped SFR across the mobile value chain, encouraging take-up of new technologies and new uses by customers. It has an intimate knowledge of the industry from working for and with mobile operators, phone manufacturers, software developers, content providers, and platform and infrastructure providers. This broad vision lets Accenture deliver comprehensive expertise, spanning the user experience, service integration, development of embedded applications, conformity testing and evaluation of mobile operating systems.

Learn more about Accenture Mobility Services Testing service