Lightbridge Inc. expanded its Business Advisory Services to the global market and added new services, including a more packaged offering that is designed to help carriers better understand fraud, customer acquisition and retention, distribution and call center management issues.
Kevin Bresnahan, director of Business Advisory Services for Lightbridge, said the company is offering three new specific levels of business planning across the five business domains. They include baseline program assessment, strategic plan creation and strategic plan implementation.
Iain Gillott, group vice president of worldwide consumer and small business telecommunications at International Data Corp., said subscriber acquisition is only one of several areas carriers need to focus on.
“The quality, longevity, upgradability and maintainability of the subscriber must also be taken into account, especially as revenue sources start to include advertising, m-commerce and location-smart applications,” Gillott said.
In the wireless industry, Carla Marcinowski, vice president of consulting services for Lightbridge, said carriers are rapidly gaining a better understanding of retention issues, and that Lightbridge is working more with its wireless clients to strengthen their distribution channels.
Lightbridge’s expanded service is available to all sizes and types of communication service providers, whether or not they already are Lightbridge customers, the company said. Bresnahan also noted that consultants “do not recommend Lightbridge products.”
“As a whole we make specific requirement recommendations,” he said.
Marcinowski said the Business Advisory Services consultants work with the clients until the client feels comfortable on its own.
“We’re not there forever. We are there for the length of time they think they need us,” Marcinowski said.
Bresnahan added that consultants will check back with a client after about six months for a follow-up.
