If you aren’t a photography geek, this is probably the first time you are hearing about this effect. However, when used correctly it can create a wonderful photo. By forcing us to focus our attention on a particular area of the photo, it makes the shot visually appealing. At the same time the background is smooth, creating a kind of different dimension, highlighting what is on the front.

The secret to get a great bokeh effect? It’s all in the lenses. Use lower-end consumer zoom lenses and you will get an unpleasant bokeh, but professional zoom lenses with fast apertures yield good-looking bokeh.

Communications Service Providers seem to be lost in a world of bokeh, where they a have a clear view of what lays immediately ahead but lack clarity when projecting medium and long term, hence resulting in blurred background, not a pretty one for that matter.

By solely focusing on the quarter number, the newest competitor’s moves on how to improve operational efficiency and decrease costs, makes for a beautiful photo in every boardroom but, at the same, time it creates a dark background for how to tackle what the future holds.

Competition has evolved, new players have entered the market, but at the same time the rivalry among CSPs continues fierce. Many times over price and with very little price differentiation. New players, such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Snapchat among others, have taken control of the customer relationship and relegated CSPs to a secondary role.

As providers of the infrastructure that supports the digital world, CSPs now have to find new revenue streams and reinvent themselves by developing unique value propositions to customers or risk becoming the piping of a new economy, in which others reap the financial benefits.

Digital is about the now, being flexible, inclusive, convenient and transparent, resulting in a new customer mentality, which sometimes clashes with the way CSPs are used to doing business.

The world has changed and CPSs are at the forefront of this new age. This new digital mentality represents amazing growth opportunities for CSPs since customers feel empowered to consume when they want, how they want and with whom they want. This is the time to redefine core telecom services, by making them fun and care free to consume, by solving new needs under a new light.

Failing to dominate the digital world is not an option. However, the complexity it brings is not neglectable. Current BSS architectures were not, in many cases, developed and deployed to deal with this new dynamic, placing pressure on CSPs to embark on multi-year transformation journeys before they are in a position to offer their customers an omnichannel customer experience.

There are challenges but also many opportunities to explore and this paper will lead you into a journey of discovery, where Celfocus will share its vision, best practices but, most importantly, the experience and learnings from helping CSPs around the globe, crossing the digital transformation chasm.

CSPs wanting to profit from the potential presented in the digital economy must go back to the drawing board and redesign the whole operation around the customer by revisiting and rethinking the BSS architecture.

Celfocus has worked with CSPs across the globe, from Tier 1 to smaller operators, with different levels of maturity, and developed a deep understanding of the transformation roadmap and critical success factors.

If you are a photograph enthusiast, I hope you will soon have the chance to try out this effect. If not, learn more about how Celfocus is helping organisations cross the Digital Chasm.