rovider provider Communication Control Solutions Backbone customer specific network gateway. Media Access Access Access 3rd party SW Server Telecom system Billing system providers providers providers providers Clients Figure 4.12 Example of an overall view Investor focus concentrates on a few leading (ROCE, market share) and lagging indi- cators (branding, innovation). Another basic fact for telecom business is that the corner is getting segmented into a large number of roles. A particular actor can take on many roles. The overall view is illustrated in Figure 4.12, using the triangle model. A number of actor segments offer a number of service types to a number of user segments. The Understanding Changing Telecommunications - Building a Successful Telecom Business network must as a consequence fulfil many diversified requirements, and the complex user-network relationship must be managed by the many roles in cooperation. Different service roles are directed towards other roles in the value chain, and not towards end users. The subject of roles will be treated in the next part of this chapter. 4.4 TELECOM ENTERPRISE STRATEGY: ROLES FOR POSITIONING The choice of role is related to an operator situation analysis. See Figures 4.13 and 4.14. The actors in the telecom world take on one or more roles, which they consider possible to perform in a competitive way. Competitive means for example that they can charge properly for the services to the subscribing end users or to other roles and also that they can achieve a profitable overall business. Roles, which are impossible to make profitable, will disappear or change. Speed is important. Operator situation analysis Market assessment Operator Prioritization assessment positioning Competitive assessment Figure 4.13 Operator situation analysis - specialization into particular roles Actors should define the role(s) they want to play and then quickly set their stake in the ground in the battle of the converging space Define overall strategy for the convergence space and elabo