Last year, Nokia released its Corteca software suite, with the promise of delivering smart broadband for a better experience.
Corteca enables service providers to use in-home Wi-Fi to generate new revenues, reduce their operational expenses, and improve the end user experience. This year sees the launch of a new develop toolkit and new applications to bring even greater opportunities to service providers.
Part of this involves the ability to deploy value-added applications directly onto in-home broadband devices; applications such as cybersecurity, parental controls, or enhanced low-latency performance for gamers. These applications are available via the Corteca Marketplace which makes it easy for service providers to test and implement new services for their subscribers. Additionally, Nokia had just launched the Corteca Developer Toolkit, also available through Corteca Marketplace, which facilitates the development and testing of new applications – whether by third parties or by the service providers themselves.
Corteca brings together all the software components of the broadband environment: the Corteca Cloud platform, the Corteca Device Software running on broadband devices, and Corteca applications. Everything can be managed from the cloud, making things easy for operators and end users. And as applications sit on the broadband CPE, every device connected to that CPE benefits. Take the example of cybersecurity: installing protection on every laptop, tablet, smartphone, and not forgetting smart TVs and other devices susceptible to being hacked, is both costly and complex for the end user. One application on the CPE protects them all.
Service providers are able to monetize this kind of offer and Nokia has researched and quantified the opportunities. For selected applications, it’s possible to charge between €5-€10 per month depending on the region and competitiveness among service providers. There’s also an upsell opportunity; Corteca gives service providers valuable insight into the performance of in-home networks and usage trends, allowing them to market specific applications to specific customer segments. The third point is also interesting: bundling. If, for example, a service provider bundles cybersecurity with higher tier (i.e. faster) broadband subscriptions, it will drive more consumers to these packages as they will get more value for their money. This represents a higher ARPU to start with but we also know that faster broadband creates more upsell opportunities as consumers are able to do more things with their faster broadband. Corteca creates many ways to enhance revenues beyond the basic broadband subscription.
Through the Corteca Marketplace, Nokia is introducing 11 new applications, some developed in-house by Nokia and some provided by partners. An example of the latter is F-Secure, a world-leader in cybersecurity, who has brought their cybersecurity application to Corteca-enabled devices. For their part, Nokia has launched Nokia Fingerprint, an application for identifying devices which enables helpdesk agents to easily check which devices are connected to the network if a user calls with a connectivity problem.
Other new applications include an open-source speed test from M-Lab, advanced parental control from Gryphon, Network x-ray from Domos which improves the homeworking experience, and NetDuma’s SmartBOOST which is aimed at gaming optimisation.
The Corteca Marketplace enables service providers to browse all these applications to work out the functionality and benefits of each. They can try an application by deploying it to a small number of devices and, once they’re happy with it, they can either install it on a home-by-home basis or in bulk. For example, if they decide to provide all higher tier broadband customers with cybersecurity, they can do so with one click of a button. Corteca Marketplace lets service providers manage the whole lifecycle of an application, through discovery, test, installation, updates and uninstall.
With the Corteca Developer Toolkit, developers have at their disposal everything needed to build new applications, including compilation tools, a command line interface to drive the tool chain, and a software emulator that simulates Corteca. This means that developers don’t even need to have a real broadband device – they can just use the emulator to test their application in a complete virtualised environment. The toolkit significantly reduces the time and cost of creating applications.
With most service providers now able to offer Gigabit broadband, speed is no longer the differentiator it was. Quality of service inside the home is the new battleground and differentiating with an enhanced end-user experience is key for capturing and retaining customers. Corteca enables operators to add more value to their connectivity offers and create different packages tailored for different users. And while customers are of course willing to pay for enhanced features such as security, or a low-latency gaming experience, applications like Nokia Fingerprint also provide operational cost savings to operators by making it easier and quicker to manage customer issues.
This is an exciting area of development. The first service providers to go “all-in” are certain to see a competitive advantage.
Click here to know more about the applications available in the Corteca Marketplace.
