Kagan: Viiz focuses on Operator, Directory Assistance, Emergency calls

Viiz Communications is a company focused on the new growth opportunity I see developing in Operator services, Directory Assistance and Emergency services. I appeared on Scripps News discussing how traditional landline telephone companies are getting out of these services, and what customers can do about it. After that interview, Viiz got in touch with me and brought me up to speed on what is happening in this sector. 

Let me share some of that with you. It seems a new growth wave in this sector is just beginning. 

Most people don’t think much about the Operator, Directory Assistance or Emergency services until they need them. That’s when reality can slap them in the face if their service provider no longer offers them.

These services are not as widely available to customers as they always have been. As users move to other technologies like wireless, traditional landline service providers are getting out of offering these in order to save money. 

The old model is being replaced by a new model. However, we are currently between to models as the new one is rapidly gearing up.

Throughout our lives it seemed these services were always there for us when we needed them. They had been growing in availability and reach, decade after decade in the landline world. That was until growth in landline slowed and reversed around the year 2000. 

Yesterday it was easier for this service to be offered by carriers. There were not many different competing networks and technologies. Back then users pretty much had a landline phone and that was it. In that case, the carrier knew where the line was installed.

So, the investment was worth it for carriers in order to keep customers happy and offer protection. 

The problem is newer technologies like wireless, smartphone, smartwatch, Internet or VoIP phone service and more have exploded with growth in recent decades and the traditional landline usage has been decreasing.

Yesterday we called a place and asked for a person; today it’s reversed

Today, everything is reversed. Yesterday, you called a place and asked for the person. Today, you call a person on their mobile phone, no matter where they are.

This is really a remarkable transformation of our society that has been occurring over the past two decades. And this new model is continuing to evolve and to grow. 

The problem is each of these new devices operates separately. And these technologies make it difficult, if not impossible for yesterday’s more limited services to translate to today’s technologies.

So, over the past decade or two, as traditional landline phone lines have been decreasing, new technology like wireless, email, text messages and VoIP are exploding with growth.

This has created a paradox. 

All of a sudden, these emergency and information services are no longer cost effective, so phone companies are getting out of them in order to save money. 

Yet users still want, even need them. 

This paradox will become a competitive advantage for some players These are still important, so the model must change. And that is what is now happening.

Operator, Directory Assistance, Emergency model is changing

That’s where Viiz enters the stage. They provide these services to companies, so they can offer them to their users. 

In fact, Viiz offers more options and a deeper and more useful user experience, depending on what the company is looking for. 

Today, in this changing marketplace there is a wide range of potential customers for Viiz to serve. 

For example, traditional phone companies like AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink and countless smaller providers from coast to coast. Plus, they offer VoIP and Internet based telephony services. They also work with wireless carriers like Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, AT&T Mobility, US Cellular, C Spire Wireless and countless smaller players. 

Plus, cable TV companies like Xfinity, Spectrum and Altice or Optimum are now in the wireless business. So, the entire cable TV industry also needs these services. 

In addition, smartphone, tablet and smart watch makers like Apple, Google Android, Samsung, Motorola and many others, large and small are also seeing a growing need to fill this gap in order to remain competitive and to keep their customers satisfied.

And this time around there is another big, untapped marketplace. The consumer, who can simply download and App and use the service on all their devices.

In fact, the need for these services is only increasing. Initially, this starts out as a competitive advantage, then ultimately becoming a simple cost of doing business.

Operator, Directory Assistance, Emergency growth still in early stages

Competition means whether a company is a network, a primary service provider, an MVNO wireless reseller, one of the countless service providers or handset maker, they all need to offer these services to their customers.

So, as you can see, it looks like we are just in the very early days of this new growth opportunity. 

All that being said, it is important to understand that this new growth opportunity is still in its early days. 

So, going forward I see this new sector as a solid, growth opportunity that will only get stronger moving ahead. Things are just getting started as the older model fades and the next one grows.