LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 MIDDLE EAST: Executives from Mobily and VIVA Kuwait outlined the ways in which operators can benefit and generate revenue from the use of big data.

Carlos Domingo, senior executive officer for business and data intelligence at Mobily, said the data flowing through mobile networks can provide a number of internal benefits for operators while boosting their top line.

“There’s cost savings opportunities if you look at better network deployment, potential savings in opex, efficiency,” he explained.

Mohamad Ibrahim, corporate strategy director with Viva Kuwait, also described how big data can be used to generate new revenue and business for operators: “Opportunities to capture the benefits from data will definitely offset some of the commoditisation and OTT threats everyone is talking about.”

Ibrahim said the monetisation of big data will require a phased approached, starting with an understanding of capabilities and investing in the required technology, people and governance.

The second phase will be for operators to monetise their own data for their own benefit, before the third phase of collaborating with other businesses — including moderation of the data that can be shared.

Mobily’s Domingo said the addressable market for sharing data with other companies is around $10 billion, with retail, financial services and advertising all potential markets.

Depending on the resources devoted to big data efforts, Domingo said operators can act simply as data providers or become product, service and even end-to-end solution providers.

Although operators are in a unique position in terms of the data they hold, Pritesh Jani, client partner & digital services telco leader for IBM in the Middle East and Africa, said: “The challenge is sticking together what you have and complementing it with new technology”.