The Roaming solutions company Starhome has launched a global service center that will enable to identify specific income-generated situations for mobile operators, such as sport events or other transnational interesting events. For the company that delivers more than 50% of total international Roaming traffic per day, price is not longer a competition difference with Roaming providers, but skill to create value.
During a virtual conference, Amit Damiel, Marketing VP of the company, presented particular expectations of Roaming users. “First, they want that daily services out of the country should be accessible, in such a way that the shock of receiving bill is avoided, and that conceiving Roaming as a terrible thing is cracked down. Additional, data Roaming should be billed and consumers in the same way, regardless the location of the user. And there is only will to pay Premium prices when they are sophisticated or advance solutions."
Additionally, operators should adjust their offers based on the user’s profile and type of consumption; and to assure a fluid experience in any site.
Following these lines, current challenges for mobile operators are comprehended: “they should look for a difference not in price but in value. For example, designing cross offers that combine Roaming services with home services, variant that also strengthens customer’s loyalty.
In this sense, the product Omnyx of Starhome was also presented, an integrating Roaming tool that will enable to identify chances to improve profit margins, o otherwise, any halt that might hinder entry in this segment.
Market size. According to data provided by Starhome, global Roaming market climbs to an amount that varies between US$100 billion and US$150 billion; and incomes in this segment accounts for between 5% and 12% of total incomes of mobile operators, In average. Estimated number of users that use the service varies between 1 billion and 1.5 billion per year, It is expected that this grows together with tourism, activity for which the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) calculated a growth between 3% and 4% by 2011, considering the tourist arrivals throughout the world.
One of the primary current promoters of Roaming is the development of social networks, considering that in July 2009, users of these sites exceeded e-mails users.
Natural disasters. The new global service center will operate 24/7 to address emergency situation caused by natural disasters or to solve Roaming falls. Starhome today provides services in Latin America to companies such as Claro and Movistar, Personal in Argentina; Batelco in Bahamas; TIM in Brasil; Enitel in Nicaragua; Tigo in Colombia and Entel in Chile.