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Featured Telecommunications, Equipment & Services Article, new rural payment system
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Developing a new rural payments system in China

May 2007

China could provide itself with a rural payments system cheaply and quickly by taking advantage of an existing technology and infrastructure.

Featured Telecommunications, Equipment & Services Article, business web 2.0 survey
How businesses are using Web 2.0: A McKinsey Global Survey

March 2007

By and large, executives are satisfied with their previous investments in Internet technology, and most are investing in trends that promote automation and networking online.

Featured Telecommunications, Equipment & Services Article, integrated IT and telecom
Premium Content
A rising demand for integrated IT and telecom services

May 2006

CIOs increasingly want just "one throat to choke" when it comes to IT and telecom services. So far, the providers haven't stuck out their necks.

The Archive

2004
Hanging up on landlines Premium Content

November 2004

The siren song of mobile phones is ringing in customers’ ears.

Mobile's dissatisfied customers

August 2004

For mobile-phone companies, the key to making customers happier is to concentrate on billing and call-center operations.

Profiting from prepaid phone customers Premium Content

May 2004

Mobile carriers that acquire prepaid customers more selectively and offer them well-crafted incentive programs could significantly improve the returns from this segment.

Keeping mobile customers Premium Content

February 2004

Why do customers stray? Unpredictable monthly bills are largely responsible.

2003
Going the distance with telecom customers

November 2003

Carriers can increase their profits—by getting more value from existing customers and being more selective about new ones.

The IT factor in mobile services Premium Content

August 2003

Mobile-telecom companies must redraw their IT architecture if they hope to market new services quickly and cheaply.

Making sense of broadband

May 2003

The technology’s rapid spread will affect the market structures of many industries. Be prepared!

A help line for European telcos Premium Content

February 2003

The incumbents must adapt their organizations and acquire new skills to win the war of inches against their attackers.

2002
Facing disconnection: Hard choices for Europe's telcos Premium Content

February 2002

Two years ago, the fate of the Continent’s telecom companies seemed to depend on their willingness to enter new markets aggressively and acquire expensive assets. Now, survival may depend on a selective retreat.

2001
Connecting the unconnected Premium Content

December 2001

Cooperation among stakeholders could extend mobile-communications networks to millions of new customers in emerging markets—with rewards for all involved.

Could mobile banking go global? Premium Content

December 2001

People who have never had a bank account could enjoy basic banking facilities for the first time thanks to mobile financial services—a good reason for service providers to turn their sights to emerging markets.

Internet services: Who's smiling now? Premium Content

November 2001

Traditional information technology players such as AT&T, IBM, and EDS are moving back into the driver’s seat.

Caveat vendor Premium Content

August 2001

Telecom-equipment suppliers extended billions in vendor financing to aggressive start-ups and wireless companies. Many of them are now struggling or bankrupt—and their suppliers are suffering, too.

Showing some backbone Premium Content

February 2001

IP-based traffic is poised to soar. Backbones to the wall!

2000
China: Data in the air Premium Content

December 2000

McKinsey research suggests that the favorable demographics of mobile-phone users in China will drive the growth of wireless Internet services there.

M-commerce: An operator’s manual Premium Content

August 2000

Mobile-telephone operators could compete on all levels of the mobile-commerce value chain—but they should think twice before they do.

Going mobile Premium Content

February 2000

Today’s landline telephone operators face the same stark choices the blacksmith confronted with the rise of the motor car a century ago. But they at least have modern modeling tools at their disposal.

1999
The soft side of telecoms Premium Content

November 1999

If traditional telecom equipment vendors don’t have a strategy for the software business, they may be in the wrong business altogether.

Wireless, not profitless Premium Content

November 1999

Mobile wireless companies have more customers making more telephone calls than ever before—yet profits remain elusive. Segmentation is the answer.

Information unleashed: The coming of wireless data Premium Content

May 1999

Information is about to be freed from its dependence on wires. But no single company has all the assets it will need to dominate this emerging market. And to win long-term advantages, the sophisticated use of customer information will be essential.

1998
Builders for a new age Premium Content

August 1998

A handful of suppliers will battle for the right to transform the world’s communications networks. Who will win depends on where “edge” functionality resides — in the core network or on the customer premise. A report on telecom equipment providers.

The future of satellite communications Premium Content

May 1998

A $50 billion bet. New systems will provide the next generation of mobile phones and high-speed data networks. What could interrupt the launch?

Winning in wireless Premium Content

May 1998

Can the industry learn to operate at one-third its current price levels? Companies will need to build businesses around key segments. The challenge: reducing churn among the customers who provide most of your profits.

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