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North American Wholesale Directory Assistance Services Markets

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North American Wholesale Directory Assistance Services Markets
Date	Dec, 2006
Pages	32
Price / format	$6000 / Electronic Access - Single User $7500 / Electronic Delivery - Global Site License $6500 / Hard Copy Mail Delivery

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Abstract:
Research Overview

The Frost & Sullivan research service titled North American Wholesale Directory Assistance Services Markets provides an overview of the trends in the wholesale Directory Assistance (DA) services market and revenue/demand analysis of various segments (wireline and wireless DA). In addition, the study identifies the key market drivers and restraints, and discusses current and emerging trends in the North American wholesale DA market. In this research service, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the wholesale wireline and wholesale wireless DA segments.

Market Sectors

Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:

By application:

Communication services

By Technologies:

Landline/Wireline
Wireless
Internet/Online
Toll-free

Technologies

The following technology is covered in this research:

Wholesale DA Services: Wholesale DA services in this study are defined as a combination of DA listings, systems, processes and operators that are packaged together to provide a turn-key solution to a wireline or wireless voice service provider. Hence, wholesale DA services are those wherein one carrier outsources its entire DA operations to another carrier or third party DA provider. The third-party providers/wholesale DA providers may operate DA call-centers domestically or in international markets, and offer turn-key DA solutions with other services.

Market Overview

Entry of New Voice Service Providers Creates Growth Opportunities

Directory assistance (DA) services have traditionally been a cash cow for telecom carriers. The retail DA usage, particularly for the wireline medium has been on a decline for some time, though wireless DA usage continues to grow. However, enhanced DA features and innovative business models from emerging mediums (such as toll-free and SMS) have infused a new urgency, for both the retail and the wholesale providers in the DA market. For the DA wholesalers, the emergence of new voice service providers such as cable multiple system operators (MSOs), independent voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) providers, toll-free DA providers, and VoIP resellers has opened new growth opportunities. At the same time, almost all of the wireless carriers as well as traditional telcos such as competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and smaller incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) are outsourcing their entire DA operations, which they consider non-core to their operations.

Notwithstanding these growth opportunities, the wholesale DA industry faces some critical challenges. These include the migration of telephonic DA demand to alternative mediums such as online/Internet and print directories, continued pricing pressure from the retailers, and the increasing necessity to keep upgrading the DA product by adding more enhanced DA features, which need to be packaged together at a minimal price for the retailers. "As DA call volumes have been declining, carriers and retail DA providers have been resorting to increasing the retail pricing for wireline DA, further restricting the usage of paid phone-based DA services," notes the analyst of this research service. "This in turn, is likely to shrink wholesale DA volumes, and may force the wholesalers to reduce volume discounts and other pricing incentives."

Increased Wireless Usage and Emergence of the Toll-free DA Services expected to Drive Demand

One of the recent trends expected to drive the demand for wholesale DA is the emergence of the toll-free DA services from providers such as Jingle Networks (provider of 1-800-FREE411). Toll-free DA services are supported by advertising revenues and enables end-users (DA callers) to access DA information without paying any usage fee. This is likely to convert non-users of phone DA, who have been relying on free sources such as online DA Web sites and print directories, and hence provide new growth opportunities for wholesale DA providers. This apart, the increase in number of mobile subscribers and the overall usage of wireless is expected to continue to fuel the demand for wireless DA, both at the retail and wholesale level. As of 2005, wireless DA contributed 54 percent of total wholesale DA revenues and wireline contributed the remaining 46 percent.

In the next five to seven years, Frost & Sullivan expects the market for wholesale DA services to remain stable, though become increasingly more competitive. "New voice service providers and emerging alternative business models such as toll-free DA are likely to keep this market reasonably profitable, particularly for established incumbents and smaller niche participants," says the analyst. "However, serious contenders in this market need to constantly monitor the changing trends in retail as well as wholesale DA segments, in order to successfully compete in this transforming legacy services market."

Table of contents:

1 | NORTH AMERICAN WHOLESALE DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SERVICES MARKETS: Executive Summary; Research Scope and Market Definitions; Market Drivers and Restraints; Market Forecasts; Key Market Trends; Competitive Landscape; Conclusions

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