SAN CARLOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--4G service providers will see continued increases in app-related mobile signaling and associated bandwidth usage, but can save $33 per device over a two-year device lifetime using mobile traffic optimization. Substantial savings can also be achieved by optimizing signaling and bandwidth activity on 3G networks.
These are among the key findings of a new whitepaper titled “The Taming of the App: Measuring the Financial Impact of Mobile Signaling Optimization,” authored by industry analyst Monica Paolini of Senza Fili Consulting and sponsored by SEVEN Networks.
Mobile apps – such as those for social media, weather, email, games, etc. – automatically poll their servers for updates, causing devices to constantly connect to the carrier network. Each connection causes numerous signaling messages and uses up a small amount of bandwidth.
A significant portion of these connections is unnecessary because there is no new data available for the app to download, as in the case where an email app checks for new messages but none are available. Unnecessary connections present an opportunity for optimization, because they can be eliminated without impacting either the performance of the application or quality of the user experience.
Optimizing Signaling Reduces Costs for Mobile Carriers
The paper looks at the impact of background activity from apps on mobile networks, and estimates the cost savings that the SEVEN Networks Open Channel Signaling Optimization solution generates for mobile operators.
Because Open Channel Signaling Optimization addresses this background activity at the mobile client itself, it is more effective than conventional network-based techniques that lack a software presence on the client. The software reduces the number of times devices connect to the network and economizes on both mobile signaling and bandwidth usage. Reducing signaling and background activity also improves battery life significantly.
“The financial model was based on signaling optimization results achieved by SEVEN Networks in actual carrier networks. The model shows that optimizing signaling activity makes financial sense for carriers,” said Paolini.
“The very real ramifications of increased global smartphone adoption, coupled with the unprecedented number of mobile apps being downloaded by nearly every subscriber, are that app-generated signaling will continue to grow significantly,” said Ross Bott, President and CEO of SEVEN Networks. “Carriers can offset the cost implications of this by taking appropriate countermeasures. Optimizing mobile signaling becomes even more critical going forward.”
Mobile operators can “tame the app” by implementing signaling optimization technology, such as SEVEN Networks Open Channel Signaling Optimization software. This software significantly reduces mobile signaling activity, decreases bandwidth utilization, and cuts overall carrier expenditures.
About SEVEN Networks
SEVEN® Networks develops innovative software solutions that help wireless carriers manage and optimize mobile traffic before it impacts the network. SEVEN’s flagship Open Channel® products reduce operator costs, increase efficiency in the use of wireless infrastructure, and enhance end-user experience. Extending the management of data traffic from the network to the mobile client brings immediate capacity relief to overloaded networks. Operators gain actionable intelligence on their networks, application activity is optimized, and unnecessary signaling activity is significantly reduced.
SEVEN Networks solutions are deployed worldwide at major carriers across five continents. For more information, visit SEVEN online at www.seven.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SEVEN_Networks.
