IBM Develops Telecom Analytics

IBM announced two analytical research projects that will help telecom service providers and e-retailers improve customer service and new-customer acquisitions.


IBM's Social Network Analysis technology, which is being developed by scientists at IBM Research - India, maps the social networks and calling patterns of telco subscribers. By sorting through the anonymous calling data, the technology is able to analyze people's social behavior. IBM believes this will enable service providers to improve the overall mobile telco experience.


IBM said that by mapping relationships between individuals, groups and organizations, service providers could better identify target markets and develop more effective customer retention programs. To preserve privacy, IBM's analytics does not capture the conversation held during telephone calls. Instead, the algorithms examine enormous amounts of existing quantitative data such as call duration, volume, and time of day, as well as frequency and points of origination.


IBM Customer Analyst technology, which is under development by IBM Research -- Haifa, Israel, focuses on better understanding Internet users -- particularly mobile telephone subscribers. The proof-of-concept technology employs sophisticated algorithms to create a detailed profile of existing and potential customers by analyzing purchasing and download habits. This can help carriers and retailers predict what products and services -- and what combinations of these offerings -- will appeal to particular consumers.
http://www.research.ibm.com