research categories

Yankee Group research focuses on areas of significant transformation in the Anywhere revolution, delivering insight, analysis and tools to help clients navigate the global emergence of ubiquitous connectivity.

See below for a listing of Yankee Group's research categories, sample research topics and lead analysts. Or view in pdf.

Access devices

Sample topics: Handsets, connected consumer electronics including gaming platforms, e-book readers, M2M, geolocation (GPS), location intelligence, presence, set-top boxes

Yankee Group perspective: Ubiquitous and inexpensive connectivity will drive an explosion of new connected device types, uses and competing business models over the next five to 10 years. Yankee Group believes competition will be intense and will drive innovation among traditional and non-traditional consumer and enterprise vendors. Our research focuses on the devices and trends that are transforming how people access and interact with the Anywhere Network.

Lead analysts: Andy Castonguay, Chris Marsh, Dmitriy Molchanov, Wally Swain

Advanced RAN

Sample topics: 3G/4G, WiMAX, femtocells, LTE, HSPA+

Yankee Group perspective: The drive to Anywhere, or ubiquitous connectivity, depends on the availability of broadband--both wired and wireless. Yankee Group believes increasing demand on the Anywhere Network creates opportunities and risks for advanced RAN providers worldwide. Our research explores the technologies, business models and regulations facing network providers and operators.

Lead analyst: Christopher Nicoll, Ken Rehbehn

Broadband

Sample topics: FTTH, FTTN, FTTO, FTTx, GPON vs. P2P, xDSL, MPLS, IP VPN, VPLS, E-LINE, E-LAN, Metro Ethernet

Yankee Group perspective: Like radio networks, the fixed or wired connectivity component of the Anywhere Network will ride on a number of different access technologies. This evolution offers complex technology choices that are critical to enabling Anywhere services. Yankee Group believes that demand on the Anywhere Network will accelerate broadband technologies and drive innovation. Our research explores the technologies, business models and regulations facing network providers and operators, and advises clients on strategies to drive usage, develop new products and services, and ultimately increase revenue.

Lead analysts: Charles Carr, Benoît Felten, Brian Partridge, Jennifer Pigg, Vince Vittore

Cloud computing

Sample topics: SaaS (software as a service), PaaS (platform as a service), IaaS (infrastructure as a service), service orchestration

Yankee Group perspective: The Anywhere Network is transforming enterprise IT, enabling a shift from monolithic, complex corporate systems to cheaper and simpler alternatives based on Internet and Web technologies. Yankee Group believes cloud computing will create complex challenges and opportunities for CIOs. Our research focuses on the key elements of virtualization and network infrastructure that bring the cloud computing vision to reality, including what elements live in the network and how the network needs to evolve.

Lead analysts: George Hamilton, Zeus Kerravala, Sheryl Kingstone, Camille Mendler, Sandra Palumbo, Jennifer Pigg

Consumer access services

Sample topics: Fixed broadband, mobile broadband, 3G, 4G, FTTH, wireless networking, home networking, fixed mobile convergence (FMC)

Yankee Group perspective: Consumer spending for broadband access will hit $649 billion worldwide by 2012. Yankee Group believes the market for services that consumers use to get to the Anywhere Network from their homes and on the go will explode in the next five to 10 years. Our research helps clients capitalize and mobilize on this massive societal and technological transformation.

Lead analysts: Carl Howe, Declan Lonergan

Consumer pricing and packaging

Sample topics: Triple-play, quad-play, prepaid vs. postpaid services, broadband marketing

Yankee Group perspective: Consumer communications bundles, pricing and promotion of Anywhere Network access services will be fiercely competitive and risky. Yankee Group believes that as broadband services mature and commoditize, operators will be distinguished more by how they sell versus what they sell. Our research explores business models, pricing strategies, best practices and other essential drivers of Anywhere adoption.

Lead analysts: Declan Lonergan

Converged consumer applications

Sample topics: Connected home, mobile applications, consumer connected devices, search, location-based services

Yankee Group perspective: Converged consumer applications are transformative digital applications that enable consumers to enhance their work, life and play via ubiquitous connectivity. Yankee Group believes these are the "killer apps" of the Anywhere Network. Our research includes everything from friction-free commerce made possible through an e-book reader to mobile payments and transactions through mobile phones. We analyze how converged applications on the Anywhere Network create new markets and behaviors and crown new market winners.

Lead analysts: Carl Howe, Dmitriy Molchanov

Core transport network

Sample topics: Movement to 100GigE, optical network technologies, wireless backhaul, MPLS, VPLS

Yankee Group perspective: The connectivity revolution is dramatically shifting the focus from core network technologies to the new services created on them. Yankee Group believes an open environment is critical for operators and third parties seeking to create competitive offerings and drive value. Our research follows the move from closed and proprietary to standardized and open methods for delivering services on the Anywhere Network.

Lead analyst: Charles Carr, Jennifer Pigg

Digital media and advertising

Sample topics: Mobile advertising, broadband advertising, three-screen models

Yankee Group perspective: The media and advertising business is being radically restructured by content being delivered as bits sent over the Anywhere Network instead of as physical products. Yankee Group believes the future of media and advertising is one where a wealth of media choices on a wide variety of connected devices all compete for limited consumer attention. Our research examines the strategies digital media and advertising companies must adopt to survive in this new networked world.

Lead analysts: Terry Cudmore, Carl Howe

Enterprise mobility

Sample topics: Mobile applications and software, business mobile devices and OSs, business mobile broadband, managed mobility, M2M

Yankee Group perspective: Ubiquitous connectivity enabled by mobile technology will continue to help IT organizations improve productivity, drive down costs, increase revenue, enable M2M communications and improve service within the enterprise. Yankee Group believes the mobility needs of enterprises are transforming the Anywhere Network, and the Anywhere Network is in turn transforming the enterprise. Our research examines how enterprise mobility is evolving and analyzes the game-changing interdependencies of enterprises, applications and devices on the Anywhere Network.

Lead analysts: John Keough, Sheryl Kingstone, Chris Marsh, Sandra Palumbo, Eugene Signorini

Mobile applications

Sample topics: SaaS, mobile application infrastructure, mobile Web, mobile customer services, managed application performance management, self-service, mobile commerce, mashups, widgets

Yankee Group perspective: Mobile applications will be user-aware, network-aware and device-aware in the Anywhere Network. Yankee Group believes this will be important to CIOs and software providers because it makes delivering information and applications to all workers possible. Our research explores the application infrastructure, mobile middleware vendors, device limitations and application transformation necessary to mobilize applications. We also analyze how businesses and IT should transform to support workers no longer confined to a controlled corporate network environment while continuing to meet customer service and productivity objectives.

Lead analysts: Nick Holland, John Keough, Sheryl Kingstone

Mobile Internet services

Sample topics: Mobile Web sites, mobile data pricing, privacy, search, consumer cloud services

Yankee Group perspective: Mobile Internet services will need to deliver digital information to consumers on the Anywhere Network anywhere, anytime using any device they choose. Yankee Group believes mobile Internet services will emerge as the single largest data revenue driver for carriers while providing a mobile lifeline to the Anywhere Network for consumers. Our research analyzes how mobile Internet services will transform consumer experiences when all information--from train schedules to newspapers--is delivered on demand instead of broadcast.

Lead analysts:  Carl Howe, Sheryl Kingstone, Declan Lonergan

Mobile security

Sample topics: Network security, network access control, DLP, network behavioral analysis, DPI, endpoint and device security

Yankee Group perspective: The Anywhere Network enables users to access huge amounts of corporate information from a mix of public and private networks using corporate and personal devices. Yankee Group believes CIOs and software providers who anticipate this change and select appropriate technology solutions will best enable their companies to mobilize and capitalize on the Anywhere Network. Our research analyzes mobile security from the perspective of IT, exploring how business leaders must change their technologies and policies when giving up end-to-end control of their network.

Lead analyst: Ted Julian, Zeus Kerravala

Mobile transactions

Sample topics: Mobile transactions, mobile payments, mobile banking, partner management, revenue settlement, digital commerce

Yankee Group perspective: Similar to the explosion of Internet commerce in the past decade, ubiquitous connectivity will drive worldwide demand for mobile transactions over the next 10 years. Yankee Group believes the systems and standards needed to facilitate mobile transactions are quickly evolving, creating both chaos and opportunity for network providers and third parties. Our research examines and measures the development of this critical and high-stakes marketplace.

Lead analysts: Andy Castonguay, Nick Holland

Network intelligence

Sample topics: Network neutrality issues/policy, quality-of-context initiatives, subscriber data and identity management, analytics and business intelligence, DPI and session control, QoC, IPv6, managed DNS services, DNSSec, AAA, network security, peer-to-peer

Yankee Group perspective: More users, devices and transactions on the Anywhere Network result in more data and an opportunity to harness and monetize the information and efficiencies it can yield. Yankee Group believes service providers must accelerate and expand the deployment of specific technologies aimed at making the Anywhere Network smarter in order to meet and exceed revenue and profitability targets. Our research helps clients prioritize and manage the complex technical, economic, regulatory and security issues that will emerge.

Lead analysts: Ted Julian, Sheryl Kingstone, Christopher Nicoll

Network software systems

Sample topics: RT charging, dynamic cataloging, subscriber and policy management, OSS/BSS, customer care, self-service, Web portals, revenue assurance, business intelligence, middleware technologies, Web services, service assurance

Yankee Group perspective: The next generation of telecom software and systems is quickly evolving from closed systems to new, open models to satisfy the demands of the Anywhere Network. Yankee Group believes consumer demand for access and services will be a transformative driver of changes in this area. Our research helps clients understand how to successfully transition and organize their systems, services and pricing models to ensure customer satisfaction and win new business in this increasingly competitive environment.

Lead analysts: Sheryl Kingstone, Susan McNeice, Sandra Palumbo

Regulation

Sample topics: NGN broadband, new media regulations and distribution, open access conditions/network neutrality, new licensing opportunities/technology, service provision constraints

Yankee Group perspective: The emergence of the Anywhere Network means complex regulatory environments with varying legal and policy issues will arise across countries, regions, states and municipalities. Yankee Group believes this will have an enormous upside for network builders, providers and third parties that are able to navigate the regulatory environments successfully. Our research provides clients with relevant insight and data on how these regional and worldwide regulatory shifts will affect their business.

Lead analysts: Benoît Felten, Camille Mendler, Christopher Nicoll, Brian Partridge, Jennifer Pigg, Wally Swain, Vince Vittore

Service delivery architecture

Sample topics: NGN/IMS and SDP/Telecom SOA

Yankee Group perspective: Just as network software systems are undergoing massive change, network operators are also transitioning from legacy architectures to more flexible and robust platforms and service control architectures to support thousands of new services powered by the Anywhere Network. Yankee Group believes service delivery architectures will transform the Anywhere Network to deliver value-added services to connected consumers. Our research helps clients make the right architectural choices and identifies the key drivers, inhibitors and economic justifications inherent in this shift to new service delivery architectures.

Lead analysts: Terry Cudmore, Camille Mendler, Brian Partridge, Vince Vittore

Unified communications

Sample topics: VoIP, collaboration, network infrastructure, social networking, application ecosystem, video, messaging, conferencing, presence

Yankee Group perspective: The Anywhere Network will enable users to collaborate and communicate through integrated, presence-enabled applications. Yankee Group believes this is important to IT because it will allow a user to communicate with any other user in the extended enterprise more efficiently. Our research explores how a network-based platform for application integration will give rise to a number of new communications-enabled applications.

Lead analyst: Zeus Kerravala