Capabilities development and platform strategy in integrated solutions: the case of BT global services

Incumbent telecommunications operators such as BT, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom in Europe have been suffering increasing competition which is threatening revenues from traditional voice services. Smaller operators (e.g. C&W and Colt), Internet-based firms (e.g. Google and Yahoo), cable TV firms (e.g NTL: Telewest) and satellite TV firms (e.g. Sky) are among the competitors in an increasing convergent market. In order to survive and grow in this competitive environment, the incumbent telecom operators are investing in delivering integrated solutions to large customers. The business of integrated solutions demands different capabilities from the ones required for the traditional voice services. This paper investigates such capabilities and the application of the platform strategy, common in the IT market, in order to reorganise the incumbent telecom operators towards a customer-centric approach, and to cope with the wide range of competitors. Through the analysis of successful delivery of integrated solutions as major projects undertaken by BT Global Services, a business unit of BT in the UK, the paper concludes that one major customer-centric strategy of BT is to engage with large customers, building their networks as platforms, and co-evolving with its own platform called BT 21st Century Network (BT 21CN). Such platforms present both the features of reusability of subsystems and interfaces, and the exposure to third party firms with the aim to drive industry innovation.