We could call them ‘the companies formerly known as revenue assurance vendors’, or TCFKARAV for short. Telco people love acronyms, but I suspect even they would baulk at that. So what will be the new nomenclature for those companies that started by selling revenue assurance? You know which companies I mean. Subex now sells ‘business optimization’, WeDo now sells ‘business assurance’, and cVidya now sells ‘revenue intelligence’, but we used to know them as suppliers of RA. As they have matured, their product ranges have become more similar, not less. Whilst they have grown beyond the narrow boundaries of core RA, they all offer something best thought of as RA+. A recent interview highlights the possibility of a bandwagon being started. Cartesian is the TCFKARAV subsidiary of TMNG Global. In a good and interesting interview, Cartesian MD Howard Watson pins his colours to the mast. He said:
“Business assurance is now at the top of the agenda of the COO and increasingly on the agenda of the CEO.”
Got that? COO’s and CEO’s know what ‘Business Assurance’ is, because it is on their agenda. WeDo can breathe a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Subex and cVidya had better ramp up their marketing… else Rob Mattison will have to proclaim himself the President of GBAPA. But perhaps that is preferable to GBOPA… or the oddly appropriate GRIPA.
Eric,
Few would challenge the top importance of RA/BA or any TCFKARAV system.
However what it means when a telco willing to allot, at best only a 6 digit budget for such “top of the agenda system”?
For a reference, dead cat would like to ask what is the annual budget of AT&T/FT/Telstra or even Vodafone Malta for a toilet paper?
Consequently, would this revelation make Howard Watson and co (eg TCFKARAV ) somewhat humble ?
Eric I have to say I liked “TCFKARAV”.
I will keep you posted :))