Telco managers admit being out of touch with customers: study

Telecom network operators acknowledged they are out of touch with customers' wants and are struggling to keep up with user expectations, a survey of industry executives found.

In a global online study, 68 percent said their "traditional corporate mindset was out of sync with new forms of service" and 81 percent struggle to launch new services quickly and efficiently, leaving the field wide open for smaller, more nimble new competitors. The study -- conducted by California-based Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and sponsored by telecom software company Openet -- surveyed 212 senior professionals representing marketing and technology functions at global operators and communications providers, including managers at AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica O2 and Vodacom. "We are at a pivot point in our industry," said Michael Manzo, chief marketing officer at Openet. "Operators are under siege from new competitors, yet their ability to seize strategic opportunities is being impeded by integration and legacy issues."