About The Innovators

The Innovators is a research initiative conducted by ROCCO to identify the most innovative solutions from Vendors and MNOs in our industry.

Vendors and Mobile Operators are invited to identify their Innovations to be presented with the aim of providing visibility about their solutions. All in all, this initiative creates a much-needed space for awareness of what’s happening industry wide.

We have several stages of project recognition with the aim of bringing visibility to the innovations presented:

  • Notification through all our channels of your entry into the project.
  • The sessions where participants present the innovation will be recorded.
  • The recorded video presentations will be played at the Showcase sessions that take place on the 1st and 2nd Feb 2023. Presenters will join the Showcase to answer the questions from the audience.
  • Video presentations from the Showcase sessions will also be added to this page.
  • Notification to all our audience about the Innovative solutions for them to vote.
  • After a first round, the best performing solutions will be shortlisted to present live at Genesis 2023 (location to be announced).
  • Listed on roccogenesis.com as a speaker at Genesis 2023.
  • Free attendance for 1 speaker at Genesis May 2023 to present the idea to the audience.
  • The Visionaries’ gala, our awards ceremony on 25th May.
  • Free Report for the industry to review.

“Nothing changes if nothing changes!”

The Innovators started out for us as a niche report where Mobile Operators were asking us to understand which vendors were making a big difference to our industry. In these reports, MNOs rated telecom vendors in terms of their contribution to industry innovation via a set of KPIs. In 2021, the ROCCO team decided to head into a different direction, from that point onwards, we will not look at innovation from a general perspective, but we would focus on specific solutions. The idea behind was the change of scenario derived from COVID-19 which has put up higher pressure on the industry, and also, on the pursuit of innovation. All in all, the companies ready to innovate will be the ones that most likely will survive the journey.

Recently, the telecommunications industry has experienced disruption with the emergence of chat apps and other tech giants. In this regard, some voices have claimed that Mobile Networks Operators (MNOs) are not the most innovative of companies. Having a history of working in MNOs and working with them, the team at ROCCO thinks differently. For decades, MNOs have been the ones working with or instructing the industry about what is needed. They serve as a catalyst to change and often take the driving seat in standards innovation as well as developing solutions for themselves they just can’t find on the market.

In essence, given that the telecoms industry is full of brilliant people (as shown by the ROCCO IOO) that come up with new ideas and innovations, is important to give the credit where it is due. Moreover, while recognising the contribution of vendors and MNOs, ROCCO is also able to reignite that spark our industry needs to put INNOVATION back on the centre stage.

The Innovators Methodology

The MNO Innovators

The nomination phase of The MNO Innovators is very simple. Anyone in the Industry can nominate any Mobile Network Operator or Mobile Virtual Network Operator (including self-nomination) for an innovative solution that has been implemented in the sector of:

  • Messaging
  • Roaming
  • Interconnect
  • Fraud & Security

The solution must have been implemented in the last 3 years. It could be a new process, a new retail plan, a new service or even a new tool.

Here are the steps:

  1. The nominator enters the survey. (The nominator can be an MNO/MVNO/vendor from the telecom industry).
  2. They select the MNO and the Country of the MNO.
  3. They then explain which Innovative Idea the Operator has had and in which sector.
  4. They also provide information on why they think this is innovative.
  5. They share if they can, a representative contact of the nominated MNO.
  6. They provide their contact details in case ROCCO needs to check anything about the nominated innovation.
  7. ROCCO then reaches out to the nominated MNO and informs them of the nomination, and requests further information which will be used in the voting and judging phase.
  8. Should the MNO not provide this requested information; the nomination will be withdrawn and the specific innovation will not be taken forward to the next stage.
  9. The nominations close on the 12th of December 2022.
  10. Participant MNOs will showcase their innovations in a recorded presentation from February 1st to February 2nd.
  11. The voting phase will start on the 2nd of February 2023.

The Vendor Innovators

Vendors interested in this initiative register with ROCCO. To be registered, vendors must pay an entry fee of £2,100 per each solution they want to present.

Vendors can present up to 3 innovations in the following areas:

  • Messaging
  • Roaming
  • Interconnect
  • Fraud & Security

Up to 3 innovations are allowed. Vendors will receive a guide “Welcome pack” of how to make the best from the research.

The Registration phase of the Vendors Innovators 2023 are very simple. Here are the steps:

  • Email HQ@rocco.group to be registered.
  • Instead of buying a report at the end of the research, Vendors will pay a registration fee (as indicated above).
  • Receive the welcome pack which contains a guide explaining how to make the best from the research
  • The nominations close on the 12th of December 2022.
  • Participant Vendors will showcase their innovations in a recorded presentation from February 1st to February 2nd.
  • The voting phase will start on the 2nd of February 2023.

Participant MNOs and Vendors will record a 15-minute presentation in which they explain their solution. The recorded presentation will be broadcasted during the online showcase event on February 1st and 2nd 2022. This will be in the form of a webinar that industry delegates will attend to view the solutions. Presenters must attend the showcase to answer the questions raised by the audience.

After the showcase, the videos of the presentations will be available to facilitate the voting.

Book your place to attend the Showcase here.

The voting phase starts on 2nd February 2023 and will close on 1st March.

The audience will vote for the participant solutions in a survey produced by ROCCO. All participants large or small are treated based on the average of their rating for each KPI. Voters will be able to see the list of participants and their innovations and can vote for who they want.

  • They will enter the Voting survey
  • They will select the innovation they think is the best, and rate it on a set of KPIs
  • They will also provide a brief statement on why they think this is the best innovation
  • Although both vendors and MNOs can vote for the participant solutions, they cannot vote for themselves

The Audience Vote counts for 50% of the score. The Lions’ Den vote a further 25% and the Genesis Audience vote a final 25%. 

After the voting phase, on the 1st of March 2023, the top solutions will be shortlisted and invited to Genesis 2023 where they will present to both The Lion’s Den and the Genesis Audience.

Shorlisted solutions will be presented at the Lion’s Den from May 24th to May 25th 2023.

The Lions is a panel of judges with a high level of experience in the telecommunications industry who will rate the participant innovations (25% of the overall score). After the Lions’ verdict, the audience at Genesis will also have a chance to rate the innovation (25% of the overall score).

  • The 3rd, 2nd and 1st solutions will be announced at the Visionaries Gala on May 25th and the teams involved will receive awards for their solutions.
  • On the following day, a free report will be published for the industry to review the innovations.

This approach will identify the most innovative Vendors and Operators in our industry and allow us to see which of them are really working on R&D and making a difference to the industry.
The report will cover an analysis of the Top innovative Vendors and MNOs in the Roaming, Interconnect, Messaging and Fraud & Security areas of the Telecom industry and it will feature the solutions ranking.

The Lions

SHORTLISTED SOLUTIONS

OTHER SOLUTIONS