Failed access to data services is the most costly and time-consuming support issue faced by the mobile industry says new report

4th April 2007. Poole, UK: A new study from WDS has found that up to 47% of all technical support calls taken by mobile operators relate solely to handset configuration. This makes failed access to data services such as email, WAP and MMS one of the most time-consuming and costly support issues faced by the mobile industry today.

Based on research conducted across seven European call center operations, WDS also discovered that without automated configuration services (which allow the support agent to remotely send configuration settings over-the-air (OTA) to the handset), such calls can take up to 17 minutes to diagnose and fix. This is almost twice as long as the average duration of a technical support call. However, where OTA services were available, the call handling time dropped to just four minutes, making it one of the fastest fixes.

Many data services do not work without operator and service-specific settings being applied to the handset. Settings can often be outdated, inaccurate or simply need personalizing, leading to subscribers making support calls.

“Data services such as mobile email are immediately compelling to consumers. However, when they return home they often require assistance in setting-up the service, configuring it to access existing mail accounts or managing data connection settings,” explains Tim Deluca-Smith, vice president of marketing at WDS , a specialist in mobile lifecycle management and support solutions to the mobile industry. ”Inconsistent access, or complex set-up procedures are a real sticking point for many of today’s mobile data services. There is an immediate cost associated to supporting the user and, in turn, an impact on their profitability within the network. It’s important that neither user experience nor revenue potential is damaged by basic configuration errors.”

Top Five Technical Support Enquiries

1. 47% Handset / Service configuration (WAP, email, MMS etc)
2. 25% PC to Mobile modem connectivity
3. 12% PIM synchronization
4. 8% Application usability issues
5. 8% PDA to Mobile connectivity (modem and synchronization)
   Source: WDS 2007

The findings highlight a wider industry concern over the experience presented to the end-user.  WDS suggests that while Mobile Device Management (MDM) technologies, which allow remote management of the device and settings to be delivered OTA, are helping to reduce the time and costs associated with configuration, many users who encounter problems simply give-up.

“At worst, the service will simply be abandoned. You only have one chance to captivate the user and deliver a ‘plug and play’-like experience. WDS works with operators and manufacturers around the world to simplify service access and deliver support through the web, in call centers and at the Point of Sale. It’s about getting the user connected and making sure that the user experience remains intact,” adds Deluca-Smith. “We have found that those users who proactively seek support are typically the higher spenders making it particularly important to ensure a resolution to the problem as quickly and as early as possible.”

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