Mobile Operators Sitting on ‘Treasure Trove of Rich Information’ with Movement Analytics
INRIX® Inc., a leading global provider of transportation information, analytics and driver services for the connected car and smart cities worldwide, unveiled its Population Analytics platform, which utilises billions of anonymised and aggregated mobile network and GPS data points to provide population movement insights to governments, transport authorities, city planners, retailers and advertisers.
Through partnering with INRIX, movement analytics creates an opportunity for operators to benefit from lucrative new revenue streams in a market forecast by Machina Research to be worth USD$1 billion by 20203 for smart city applications alone, as governments invest huge amounts to reduce the impact of traffic congestion4, upgrade transport infrastructure and improve urban mobility as more and more people move into our largest population centers.
“Mobile operators are sitting on a treasure trove of rich information and have started to explore the significant opportunities available to them if they are able to monetize their data assets,” said Rafay Khan, Chief Revenue Officer, INRIX. “In pioneering movement analytics in the UK with our public sector customers, we have proven we can deliver accurate population movement insights through combining mobile network and GPS datasets and drive revenues for operators.”
In the UK, INRIX uses its mobile operator partners’ anonymised data to provide population movement insights, such as detailed knowledge about the trips and travel habits of groups of people. In return, the operator gains an additional revenue stream. For operators that have yet to benefit from movement analytics, partnering with companies like INRIX with advanced analytics capabilities would negate the need to invest in new and costly infrastructure.
Emil Berthelsen, Principal Analyst at Machina Research, said: “Mobile operators need to recognise that movement analytics is not an extension of their traditional data analytics operation and will require them working with established providers with sophisticated platforms. To effectively monetise their data assets, operators also need partners who are accustomed to working with and selling into governments and cities and other vertical sectors like retail.”
INRIX has a heritage in delivering analytics services to the public sector. Its extensive customer base includes transport authorities around the globe, such as the I-95 Corridor Coalition in the US. During the London 2012 Olympics, Transport for London (TfL) was one of the first transport authorities to use INRIX’s movement analytics capability to analyse real-time population flow and density across the capital, enabling TfL to make better-informed transport planning decisions.
“By helping governments improve urban mobility and the efficient movement of goods and services in cities, operators can play a crucial role in smart city development,” said Khan. “Our existing heritage in delivering data analytics to transport authorities globally will help mobile operators to enter new markets, while taking advantage of lucrative new revenue streams.”