While traditionally Over-the-Top (OTT) services focused predominantly on the consumer market, with an integrated approach, the enterprise market is fast realising the potential such platforms have to offer, says ttrumpet.

“OTT apps have become as pervasive as the connectivity on which they depend and while they have become disruptive in the consumer space, as connectivity and capacity increases, the realisation that the enterprise space could use such applications to offer additional value add to both their process and their customers, is quickly coming to the fore,” says Grant Theis, co-founder of ttrumpet.

Hendrik Malan, Operations Director, Africa, Frost & Sullivan agrees, “OTT services offer a number of benefits; as they are accessible from anywhere, there are no upfront costs, they have massive scalability yet can offer a personalised service, and they lend themselves to everyday usage. As a result, if we look at the enterprise space, existing services can easily be switched to the OTT platform and the combination of different services can be an enticing value driver to businesses in such a competitive market.”

Looking at the enterprise space, consider OTT services being used in core functions such as HR for increased workforce management, finance for streamlined billing services, operations or customer contact areas for increased collaboration and even areas such as marketing for enhanced customer relations.

“Essentially, it’s all about convenience, control and efficiency,” says Theis. “And while certainly OTT presents a compelling case for the enterprise, attributes of the enterprise space will similarly drive the levels of profitability of OTTs.”

In comparison to the consumer market, enterprises are more predictable, requirements are better defined, change is slower and of course it offers increased security and better profitability.

“Enterprises have an existing spend and revenue model that they can tap into. At the same time there is a major opportunity for both cost savings and additional revenue opportunities which makes OTT services very sustainable in this context,” adds Malan. “Additionally, OTT apps can be integrated into other revenue streams and customised accordingly.”

Operators and enterprises can make use of the ttrumpet platform to create their own OTT business model. As the app integrations into the mobile operator or enterprise, at a network layer, integration is seamless and full interoperability allowing for bespoke eco-systems to be created.

“The dynamics of customer engagement is changing and if we consider the growth and increasing demand for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and more recently, Bring Your Own App (BYOA) it is evident that the enterprise space is changing - and rapidly. As a result, co-opetition and partnerships between operators, enterprises and OTT will be key to profitability,” concludes Theis.