FMC market of Russia

2015

Data of J'son & Partners Consulting

According to J'son & Partners Consulting company, the Russian market of FMC from 2010 to 2014 developed extremely slowly and penetration of FMC for the end of 2014 - less than one percent in a subscriber base of corporate mobile users. However perspectives of development of FMC in Russia are assessed positively. The reasons for that – completion of consolidation of the mobile and fixed assets of large operators, as well as growth of penetration of cloud computing.

In a research of the company "Convergence of mobile and fixed connection (FMC) in the world and in Russia: the current status and perspectives" is noted that from 2010 for 2014 the share of users of FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence) in a subscriber base of corporate mobile users grew from 0.7% to 0.95%, and in a segment of fixed connection – from 1.1% to 2.4%. Obviously, growth in a mobile segment was only 0.15 percent points, and in fixed – 1.3 percent points. Dynamics is not high, considering emergence of the first projects in Russia 10 years ago.

The number of users of FMC in a segment of B2B grew in Russia with an indicator ^[1], equal 22%. By the end of 2014 the subscriber base of FMC reached 200 thousand integrated numbers of mobile and fixed connection.

The Russian situation strongly differs from a situation with FMC in the developed European countries and in the world in general, analysts consider. The fact that in the world already do not even do forecasts for market development of FMC demonstrates from to it: it is considered a starting stage of transition to Unified Communications services (the joint communications). And this initial stage is already considered passed. Russia here among the lagging behind countries.

Despite a progressive tense of development (the first FMC projects started in the first half of the 2000th years), a segment of convergent services did not gain considerable development in Russia. The main obstacles in a way of FMC were and remain:

• insufficient attention to convergent services from mobile operators,
• difficult relationship between operators of mobile and fixed connection,
• conservatism of users,
• imperfection of the regulatory base, etc.

The Russian market of FMC in B2B segment

In 10 years which passed from the moment of emergence of the first projects the Russian clients of operators showed splash in interest in convergent solutions only during last crisis – due to the need to minimize costs of the FMC solution were more attractive.

During the period from 2011 to 2013 annual growth rates of the Russian market of services of FMC were tens of percent a year, according to J’son & Partners Consulting. VimpelCom in the last two years fixed revenue growth from rendering service more than 50%. In 2015 the company expects growth of number of users of service at the level of 30% in relation to 2014.

From January to December, 2014 the number of the clients of MegaFon using service Express set (FMC) increased by 25%, and the number of rooms connected to service – for 45%.

In 2014 in comparison with 2013 the number of the applications of service using FMC technology at corporate clients of MTS increased by 30%.

Interest in FMC will increase in the nearest future. According to analysts, it not only influence of another economic crisis, but end, generally processes of consolidation of operators of mobile and fixed connection in Russia and readiness of operators - to propose convergent solutions, for attraction or customer retention, increase in performance indicators.

Cloud services promise to become other factor of growth. Demand for virtual PBX at the companies of a SMB segment begins to form more actively that is the powerful driver in development of this segment of the market.

Federal cellular operators (first of all operators of "the big three") who consolidated assets of fixed connection and received in the order the highly profitable customer base of corporate users, the having licenses for local communication and actively creating network infrastructure reached the most advantageous position in the market of FMC.

J’son & Partners Consulting noted, with reference to opinion of the representative of operator of fixed connection, orientation of strategy of the mobile operators having clear advantages for market grouping - on development of wireless services. Nevertheless, the tendency to more active use of the hybrid solutions integrating cloud telephony and mobile communication is mentioned.

Notes