Ericsson is the supplier betting the most on Open Gateway, says Dienstmann
Ericsson is one of the main supporters of the Open Gateway model – an API standardization initiative led by the GSMA – said the company’s CEO for the Southern Cone, Rodrigo Dienstmann. In a conversation with specialized journalists this Tuesday, the 7th, the executive explained that the company’s betting happens mainly through Vonage.
The CPaaS company, which completed its acquisition this year for $6.2 billion, is seen by Ericsson as a market alternative that can connect API developers with carriers, in a move Dienstmann compares to the ecosystem Google built in mobile — since Google Play mediates between developers and mobile phone manufacturers.
In the vendor concept, at one end will be the operator and at the other the developer of applications that will consume API calls, similar to phone calls. Vonage does the orchestration, providing call service to the developer and sharing call revenue with the MNO. In this format, the CEO believes it’s possible for operators to be able to monetize APIs with 5G networks, something they couldn’t do with LTE.
“We want to be an intermediary that adds value and simplifies the ecosystem. This removes the complexity of operators talking to the developer ecosystem and vice versa,” said the supplier’s executive. “And since we are neutral, we will not compete with the operators. So our partners are developers and operators. We provide services for both,” he added.
Ericsson’s local CEO stated that Vonage already operates on open platforms with 120,000 B2B customers, 1 million developers and has annual revenue of $1.5 billion. An example of the use of this platform is a global ride-sharing service that uses the Vonage marketplace to send SMS messages to customers and drivers.
