Bela Virag
Bela advises telecommunication operators in transforming their B2B segments in regards to growth (core, near core and beyond) and operational efficiency.
Areas of Focus
Education
The Open University (United Kingdom)
Master of Business Administration
Past Experience
T-Mobile Austria
Executive Vice President Business Marketing
WiMAX Telecom
Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Management Board
Telekom Austria
Marketing Coordination/M&A
Bela is a Managing Partner at Arthur D. Little in our Vienna office, with 17 years of experience in telecommunications, in both consulting and management positions within the industry in fixed, mobile, internet and e-commerce.
Since joining Arthur D. Little, Bela has been focused on telecommunications global B2B (core B2B, ICT services, cloud, managed services, go-2-market, etc.) and marketing (customer experience) topics. He also specializes in operations, audit, production model, platform and process design.
His recent consulting projects include:
- Global B2B strategy for multiple operators (including global B2B delivery)
- ICT transformation (Nordic incumbent)
- Development of a managed services costing/pricing and delivery strategy for a German MS-media player
- Development of a managed-services entry strategy for a MENA operator
- Managed services sales capability for a MENA operator
- Performance improvement for a global managed-services operator in regards to the delivery capability
- Establishment of a pre-sales and bid-evaluation capability for a managed-services supplier spanning multiple product lines and markets
Bela holds an MBA with focus on strategy development, international marketing and finance
Cracking the B2B client-segmentation code
Many communications service providers (CSPs) struggle to extract value from information and communications technology (ICT). We believe this is strongly due in part to an obsolete business-to-business (B2B) customer-segmentation approach. In this Viewpoint, we propose a refreshed segmentation tactic that better positions telecom operators to capture the promising growth that ICT products and services can deliver.
IS THE ICT PROMISE ACHIEVABLE?
Most CSPs fail at capturing value from ICT market growth. But is this by nature? We think not.
Software revolution
One of the front-row candidates for disruption by artificial intelligence (AI) is software product and service development. AI is already leading to a paradigm shift in aspects such as coding, architecture, security, service management and ticketing, and personalization, providing new opportunities and risks. But the implications go well beyond new products and services and improved development approaches, into how software enterprises need to transform themselves across the board, from strategy and organization through to capabilities, resources, and ways of working.
OEMs: Time for a connectivity management sourcing strategy refresh?
In this Viewpoint, we discuss the impact that the transition from classic subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to embedded SIM (eSIM) cards will have on the Internet of Things (IoT) value chain. The eSIM is changing the roles of a variety of players in the IoT ecosystem. With the cellular IoT landscape at an inflection point, we believe IoT OEMs should rethink their connectivity management sourcing strategies to offer more competitive value propositions.
SCALING THE MOBILE PRIVATE NETWORKS OPPORTUNITY
The enterprise business segment has long been viewed as the context where mobile network operators (MNOs) realize significant returns in deploying 5G technology. Of particular interest is the deployment of mobile private networks (MPNs), dedicated to a particular enterprise and in effect serving as its local area network (LAN). MPNs unlock the potential of 5G for advanced connectivity, security, and enterprise autonomy.
Edge computing: Hype or ripe?
With the expansion of technology worldwide, it is certain that more compute capacity closer to where the data is created and/or used will be needed.
Time to accelerate growth
Virtualizing mobile networks
The silver bullet for operators to master 5G?
Private Campus Networks
The demand for Private Campus Networks offers operators an opportunity for value generation – we estimate the global market size to be €60-70bn by 2025. If operators do not act now and prepare accordingly, they risk missing out. Enterprises have economically sensible use cases and technologically justified needs for private 5G or LTE technology on their premises. But, few operators to date have developed a strategic approach to satisfy demand, which is why enterprises have begun to fight for access to their own spectrum.
Open banking: The beginning of a new era
Due to digital disruption, an important dichotomy erupts: banks have more interaction with customers than ever, but customers have many more choices to fulfill their financial needs. As customers prefer choices and experience over being locked into single suppliers, banks need to transform into open banks, striving to give customers “choice”. This will turn financial services into a supply-side market.
The future of enterprise networking
Consumers and businesses around the world increasingly demand virtually instantaneous digital experiences in whatever they do. Many industries have already embraced the related opportunities in serving their customers instantaneously and seamlessly, and in reengineering their business models and digital production methods accordingly. The more companies digitize – whatever that may mean in each individual context – the more instant digital interactions matter. These expectations are the key driver behind industrial digitization.
Telecoms & Media executive breakfast event
On March 31, 2017, Arthur D. Little held in London the first of a series of launch events of the latest edition of its annual Telecoms & Media flagship report with an unprecedented attendance of global senior industry executives and key investors, including more than ten leading UK operators, multiple web-majors and OTTs, infrastructure companies, banks, several private equity firms and representatives of the vendor community and UK government advisory bodies.
Major strategic choices ahead of TelCos: Reconfiguring for value
The telecom industry is not in a stable state. In fact, due to the increasingly large strategic and technical option space, we expect operators to become more diverse. Within the next five years, the structure of operators will likely have changed significantly. This makes evaluating them, and making strategic investment choices, much more difficult. In this report, we highlight the most relevant driving forces and opportunities in the telecom industry.
Rethinking managed services group designs
As the success of managed services (MS) continues to drive growth in the B2B space, an increasing number of operators are venturing into the managed ICT space. However, the role telecommunication groups should play when selling and providing managed ICT services must shift from the current legacy models to more centrally driven designs.
Managed Services
The global market for Managed Services is expected to grow from USD 160 billion in 2014 to USD 286 billion in 2019. As such, while growth prospects in traditional connectivity are limited, Managed Services represent a very attractive alternative for Telecom operators. We believe that Telecom companies remain best positioned to play a major role in Managed Services as they possess all the capabilities and processes to manage their networks and assets.
Bela is a Managing Partner at Arthur D. Little in our Vienna office, with 17 years of experience in telecommunications, in both consulting and management positions within the industry in fixed, mobile, internet and e-commerce.
Since joining Arthur D. Little, Bela has been focused on telecommunications global B2B (core B2B, ICT services, cloud, managed services, go-2-market, etc.) and marketing (customer experience) topics. He also specializes in operations, audit, production model, platform and process design.
His recent consulting projects include:
- Global B2B strategy for multiple operators (including global B2B delivery)
- ICT transformation (Nordic incumbent)
- Development of a managed services costing/pricing and delivery strategy for a German MS-media player
- Development of a managed-services entry strategy for a MENA operator
- Managed services sales capability for a MENA operator
- Performance improvement for a global managed-services operator in regards to the delivery capability
- Establishment of a pre-sales and bid-evaluation capability for a managed-services supplier spanning multiple product lines and markets
Bela holds an MBA with focus on strategy development, international marketing and finance
Cracking the B2B client-segmentation code
Many communications service providers (CSPs) struggle to extract value from information and communications technology (ICT). We believe this is strongly due in part to an obsolete business-to-business (B2B) customer-segmentation approach. In this Viewpoint, we propose a refreshed segmentation tactic that better positions telecom operators to capture the promising growth that ICT products and services can deliver.
IS THE ICT PROMISE ACHIEVABLE?
Most CSPs fail at capturing value from ICT market growth. But is this by nature? We think not.
Software revolution
One of the front-row candidates for disruption by artificial intelligence (AI) is software product and service development. AI is already leading to a paradigm shift in aspects such as coding, architecture, security, service management and ticketing, and personalization, providing new opportunities and risks. But the implications go well beyond new products and services and improved development approaches, into how software enterprises need to transform themselves across the board, from strategy and organization through to capabilities, resources, and ways of working.
OEMs: Time for a connectivity management sourcing strategy refresh?
In this Viewpoint, we discuss the impact that the transition from classic subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to embedded SIM (eSIM) cards will have on the Internet of Things (IoT) value chain. The eSIM is changing the roles of a variety of players in the IoT ecosystem. With the cellular IoT landscape at an inflection point, we believe IoT OEMs should rethink their connectivity management sourcing strategies to offer more competitive value propositions.
SCALING THE MOBILE PRIVATE NETWORKS OPPORTUNITY
The enterprise business segment has long been viewed as the context where mobile network operators (MNOs) realize significant returns in deploying 5G technology. Of particular interest is the deployment of mobile private networks (MPNs), dedicated to a particular enterprise and in effect serving as its local area network (LAN). MPNs unlock the potential of 5G for advanced connectivity, security, and enterprise autonomy.
Edge computing: Hype or ripe?
With the expansion of technology worldwide, it is certain that more compute capacity closer to where the data is created and/or used will be needed.
Time to accelerate growth
Virtualizing mobile networks
The silver bullet for operators to master 5G?
Private Campus Networks
The demand for Private Campus Networks offers operators an opportunity for value generation – we estimate the global market size to be €60-70bn by 2025. If operators do not act now and prepare accordingly, they risk missing out. Enterprises have economically sensible use cases and technologically justified needs for private 5G or LTE technology on their premises. But, few operators to date have developed a strategic approach to satisfy demand, which is why enterprises have begun to fight for access to their own spectrum.
Open banking: The beginning of a new era
Due to digital disruption, an important dichotomy erupts: banks have more interaction with customers than ever, but customers have many more choices to fulfill their financial needs. As customers prefer choices and experience over being locked into single suppliers, banks need to transform into open banks, striving to give customers “choice”. This will turn financial services into a supply-side market.
The future of enterprise networking
Consumers and businesses around the world increasingly demand virtually instantaneous digital experiences in whatever they do. Many industries have already embraced the related opportunities in serving their customers instantaneously and seamlessly, and in reengineering their business models and digital production methods accordingly. The more companies digitize – whatever that may mean in each individual context – the more instant digital interactions matter. These expectations are the key driver behind industrial digitization.
Telecoms & Media executive breakfast event
On March 31, 2017, Arthur D. Little held in London the first of a series of launch events of the latest edition of its annual Telecoms & Media flagship report with an unprecedented attendance of global senior industry executives and key investors, including more than ten leading UK operators, multiple web-majors and OTTs, infrastructure companies, banks, several private equity firms and representatives of the vendor community and UK government advisory bodies.
Major strategic choices ahead of TelCos: Reconfiguring for value
The telecom industry is not in a stable state. In fact, due to the increasingly large strategic and technical option space, we expect operators to become more diverse. Within the next five years, the structure of operators will likely have changed significantly. This makes evaluating them, and making strategic investment choices, much more difficult. In this report, we highlight the most relevant driving forces and opportunities in the telecom industry.
Rethinking managed services group designs
As the success of managed services (MS) continues to drive growth in the B2B space, an increasing number of operators are venturing into the managed ICT space. However, the role telecommunication groups should play when selling and providing managed ICT services must shift from the current legacy models to more centrally driven designs.
Managed Services
The global market for Managed Services is expected to grow from USD 160 billion in 2014 to USD 286 billion in 2019. As such, while growth prospects in traditional connectivity are limited, Managed Services represent a very attractive alternative for Telecom operators. We believe that Telecom companies remain best positioned to play a major role in Managed Services as they possess all the capabilities and processes to manage their networks and assets.
More About Bela
- The Open University (United Kingdom)Master of Business Administration
- T-Mobile AustriaExecutive Vice President Business Marketing
- WiMAX TelecomChief Operating Officer and Member of the Management Board
- Telekom AustriaMarketing Coordination/M&A