GSMA OPEN GATEWAY GOES FROM STRENGTH-TO-STRENGTH WITH WORLDWIDE COMMERCIAL LAUNCHES, MORE OPERATORS AND NEW GO-TO-MARKET CHANNELS
More than 40 mobile operator networks across five continents have now commercially launched network API services to the developer community to unlock 5G's full potential
BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The GSMA today outlined the strong progress the mobile industry, and technology partners, are making in unlocking the full potential of 5G networks and commercialising network APIs through the GSMA Open Gateway initiative.
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A year since GSMA Open Gateway was unveiled at MWC 2023, 47 mobile operator groups, representing 239 mobile networks and 65% of connections around the world, have now signed up to the initiative. GSMA Open Gateway is focused on accelerating the growth of digital services and apps, by ensuring they integrate seamlessly with hundreds of participating networks around the world. This is done through single, programmable, access points, which are common among all mobile operators, known as Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs).
Working with technology partners and cloud providers, including AWS, Infobip, Microsoft, Nokia and Vonage, a part of Ericsson, more than 40 mobile operator networks have now made a combined total of 94 APIs commercially available to enterprise developers in 21 markets across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
With online fraud and cybercrime being one of the biggest issues facing online commerce, the GSMA, mobile operators and technology partners are first focusing the GSMA Open Gateway initiative on tackling online crime. Recent activities include:
-- Four Sri Lankan operators who have launched three APIs on a single
operator platform providing robust authentication to secure customer
online transactions;
-- Three Brazilian operators who have launched three APIs to combat fraud;
-- Three Spanish operators who have announced the launch of two anti-fraud
APIs, working with online retailers;
-- Four Indonesian operators who launched three APIs to improve online
security and customer experience; and
-- Three South African operators who are combatting fraud and digital
identity theft in sectors including banking, finance, insurance, and
retail through two new APIs.
-- Three German operators who have today made two APIs available to help
app developers and enterprises tackle online fraud and protect the
digital identities of mobile customers.
"It's been an exciting year for GSMA Open Gateway, and the mobile industry, where we have begun to build a unified ecosystem and unlock the full potential of 5G networks. This has culminated in the birth of a new API era," said Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA. "Our collective job for 2024 is to nurture and grow this opportunity and provide ubiquitous access to enterprise developers and cloud providers, so they can do what they do best, which is launch game changing new services that can maximise the benefits of 5G networks."
FOCUS FOR 2024: GROWING COMMERCIAL & MONETISATION OPPORTUNTIES
According to research by McKinsey, GSMA Open Gateway and other network API initiatives can unlock significant value for the telecommunications industry, and businesses using 5G networks over the next six years. It's forecast that, if operators can expose more of their network APIs and innovations to enterprise developer and cloud provider communities, then they can unlock an additional $300bn market opportunity by 2030.
Having built strong support amongst the global mobile operator industry in 2023, the GSMA Open Gateway initiative is focusing on how it can help members ramp up developer engagement in 2024. This will be achieved through the commercial launch of new services and a focus on three go-to-market commercial channels for open API adoption.
GSMA Open Gateway's three main go-to-market channels are:
1. Network Cloud Marketplace e.g. partnering with cloud providers including
AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Vonage
2. Strategic Technology Partners/Resellers e.g. Infobip, Nokia, and Ericsson
3. Operators Direct to Market through their enterprise and innovation
divisions
The industry is now turning its attention to a whole array of new services and innovations, including Quality-on-Demand APIs to enable safe drone flight, robotics, extended reality and immersive online gaming services over 5G networks. The roadmap includes further development in connectivity for network slicing, cybersecurity and cloud enablement.
Ishwar Parulkar, Chief Technologist for Telecom and Edge Cloud at Amazon Web Services at AWS, said: "The progress of GSMA's Open Gateway initiative over the past year had been very encouraging. As we get into the next phase of telcos productizing more APIs and monetizing them through various go-to-market channels, the role of a common, aligned approach across operators, hyperscalers and other channel aggregators that Open Gateway is promoting becomes even more critical."
Ankur Jain, Vice President, Google Cloud Telco, said: "Google Cloud has engaged with the GSMA Open Gateway initiative since its inception, and we are pleased to see progress towards giving developers simplified access to network capabilities in an open, standardized, and aggregated way. We look forward to working with our CSP partners and developers to bring innovative use cases to market."
Ross Ortega, Vice President, Product Management, Microsoft Azure for Operators, said: "Microsoft proudly champions the Open Gateway initiative, underscoring our commitment to making network programmability universally accessible to developers of connected applications. We believe that the standardization of network capabilities and APIs is crucial for ensuring that developers can easily understand and adopt these technologies. Azure Programmable Connectivity is at the forefront of this effort, aligning closely with Open Gateway standards to pave the way for seamless integration and innovation."
Other examples of how GSMA Open Gateway members and partners are working together to develop new industry use cases for developers include:
-- Nokia and Liberty Global have conducted successful trials in Port of
Antwerp in Belgium, as part of the initiative, delivering
high-definition video streams to remotely-located captains, to help them
manoeuvre shipping vessels through busy areas.
-- Deutsche Telekom, O2 Telefónica and Vodafone are testing Quality on
Demand APIs with Siemens Energy. Siemens is using the API to perform
virtually assisted remote maintenance, using augmented reality, that
requires consistently high network quality to enable broad deployment
even in locations without stable connectivity.
-- VEON has announced the launch of Geolocation Gateway, with the first
commercial implementation already in place in Uzbekistan. A
country-wide restaurant chain in Uzbekistan has worked with Beeline
Uzbekistan and VEON Adtech, to grow its business through
precision-marketing based on the Geolocation Gateway APIs. Future
potential use cases include financial fraud detection and emergency
response.
-- Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Liberty Global have announced a
collaboration to create a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) framework that
enables developers to use and access Liberty Global's fixed and mobile
networks as a platform for innovation. The two companies will focus on
sectors, such as home productivity, logistics/transportation, remote
care/assistance to improve people's lives across Liberty Global markets.
Services will be based on GSMA Open Gateway standards and use CAMARA
standard APIs to ensure worldwide standardization and wider adoption.
-- Microsoft's Azure Programmable Connectivity (APC) has launched in public
preview at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2024, featuring APIs like
number verification and SIM swap among other capabilities. APC, building
a robust partner ecosystem with global operators such as AT&T, BT,
Claro, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, MEO, Rogers, Singtel, T-Mobile,
Telefónica, TIM Brasil, Verizon, and Vivo, aims to extend its reach
further. Enterprises like Banco Itaú Unibanco and NAGRA are adopting
APC for developing network-aware applications, enhancing security, and
combating fraud. Microsoft is also working with network technology
partners and network programmability aggregators, such as Ericsson and
Vonage, as well as Nokia and Nokia's Network as Code platform, making
concrete progress accelerating the ecosystem on network programmability.
-- Since the launch of the Open Gateway initiative Infobip has signed
several collaboration agreements with network operators and ecosystem
partners to use the platform, including Vivo, Claro, TIM Brazil,
Vodafone and Orange Spain. New partnerships with Telefonica Spain,
Personal Argentina, Veon Group and many more will happen in the near
future.
-- Since launching its Network as Code platform with developer portal at
the GSMA's MWC Las Vegas in September 2023, Nokia has signed
collaboration agreements with 10 network operators and ecosystem
partners to use the platform, including BT, DISH, NOS Portugal, and
Telia. Nokia is announcing new agreements with CSP partners in Belgium
and Argentina as part of its MWC Barcelona 2024 presence.
-- In February 2024, Vonage launched Vonage Network Registry, a
first-to-market developer registration service to accelerate and
simplify developer access to network APIs. The service will also
facilitate CSPs in effectively scaling the consumption of network APIs
by standardising the approval process and granting access to network
providers' APIs for Application Service Providers (ASPs). Vonage is
working with multiple operators in Europe and North America including
Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Vodafone, AT&T and Verizon to
unlock programmable network capabilities for developers, and with KDDI
in Japan, who is reselling its communications APIs. Vonage also
announced a collaboration with AWS to leverage communications and
network APIs to accelerate the availability of new solutions to
developers, along with a new Fraud Protection Solution to be made
available in the AWS Marketplace.
GSMA Open Gateway APIs are defined, developed, and published in CAMARA, the open-source project for developers to access enhanced network capabilities, driven by the Linux Foundation, in partnership with TM Forum.
THE GSMA OPEN GATEWAY INITIATIVE: WHAT TO SEE AT MWC BARCELONA 2024:
GSMA Open Gateway events and demonstrations available to see at MWC Barcelona 2024 include:
-- "Open Gateway - The Art of What's Possible" is the key theme of MWC's
Keynote 1 on the main stage in Hall 4 on Monday, 26 February: 09:30 -
10:45 CET. GSMA Director General, Mats Granryd, will chart Open
Gateway's progress, before the audience hears speeches from leading
industry leaders from China Mobile, Microsoft, Orange, Telefonica, and
Vodafone on the initiative's progress.
-- The CEOs of Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica and Vodafone will be
discussing Open Gateway further with CNBC Europe anchor Karen Tso later
in the day, during Keynote 4: Europe's New Horizon.
-- During his keynote address, Nick Venezia, Founder and Chief Data Officer
at Centillion.AI, will be discussing how mobile operators and developers
can unlock further value from 5G APIs and create revenue-generating
partnerships with global brands, digital ad exchanges, and advertising
technology companies.
-- The "Gateway to API Heaven" conference session will be held on Monday 26
February at MWC Stage B, Hall 6. GSMA Chief Technology Officer Alex
Sinclair alongside AWS, Axiata, Bridge Alliance and Chenosis will be
hosting a deeper delve into the potential of network APIs and
cross-industry collaboration.
-- The Open Gateway Devcon: is taking place on Wednesday 28 February
between 15:00 - 19:00 CET at the Partner Theatre 2, Hall 8.0. For
developers, by developers, attendees gain valuable insights into the
potential of Network APIs and how they can reshape their approach to
development.
-- Monetising 5G through Open Gateway will be a key focus of the 5G Futures
Summit on Stage C, Hall 6 on Wednesday from 09:00 CET. GSMA Head of
Networks, Henry Calvert will chair keynotes and a panel with experts
from Chenosis, Deutsche Telekom, Microsoft, Telefonica and Vonage.
-- Mobile World Capital Barcelona, using Nokia's Network as Code platform
with developer portal, will run a real-time 48-hour GSMA Open Gateway
Hackathon, at the Talent Arena in Hall 3. Participants in the hackathon
will develop practical use cases that this new framework of common
network APIs can bring to the market.
-- As well as GSMA Open Gateway members demonstrating API use cases on
their stands across MWC Barcelona, the GSMA will be showcasing three
demos on the GSMA Pavilion booth, Hall 4. These are from Vonage, part of
Ericsson, Bridge Alliance and Liberty Global, Vodafone Ziggo &
CableLabs.
Notes to Editors:
About GSMA
The GSMA is a global organization unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organizations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today's biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world's largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
We invite you to find out more at gsma.com
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