Paving the Way for a Next Generation Business Model for Carriers; How the paradigm shift culminating in separated IP-transport and service layers topsy-turvifies the traditional telecommunications industry and how NGN and IMS could help carriers and telcos to reach new terra firma

Telcos today experience a tremendous hazard to their business models: legacy switched voice and carrier-related data-services are being threatened by new application and service providers carrying on their business "over the top" of the ubiquitous open packet switched IP-transport platform, the Internet. So, the first alternative is a direct strategy against over-the-top VoIP-providers ("pure play"). With an IMS service platform based on an NGN-network, a premium voice product, called VoNGN, can be offered. This can only save part of the voice business, however. Even more important for a future strategy is an enlarged product concept for all-embracing communication, presence, and multimedia services. At the end, the former carrier is going to have to turn into a broadband network operator (BNO) or even better into a digital service provider (DSP) with a fully-assorted digital life service portfolio and an outstanding customer service (over-the-top providers have nearly no customer service) reaching right up to an overall consumer support, including the customer's digital environment even at home