[{"_id":"project-settings","settings":{"translateMetaTags":true,"translateAriaLabels":true,"setLangAttributeOnBlockedContent":false,"translateTitle":true,"showWidget":true,"isFeedbackEnabled":false,"fv":1,"customWidget":{"theme":"dark","font":"rgb(255, 255, 255)","header":"rgb(0, 0, 0)","background":"rgba(0, 0, 0,0.8)","position":"right","positionVertical":"bottom","border":"","borderRequired":false,"widgetCompact":true,"isWidgetPositionRelative":false},"widgetLanguages":[{"code":"es-LA","name":"Español (América Latina)"},{"code":"fr-CA","name":"Français (Canada)"}],"activeLanguages":{"fr-CA":"Français (Canada)","es-LA":"Español (América Latina)","de":"Deutsch","en":"English"},"enabledLanguages":["de","en","es-LA","fr-CA"],"debugInfo":false,"displayBranding":true,"displayBrandingName":true,"localizeImages":false,"localizeUrls":false,"localizeImagesLimit":false,"localizeUrlsLimit":true,"localizeAudio":false,"localizeAudioLimit":false,"localizeDates":false,"disabledPages":[],"regexPhrases":[],"allowComplexCssSelectors":false,"blockedClasses":false,"blockedIds":false,"phraseDetection":true,"customDomainSettings":[],"seoSetting":[],"translateSource":false,"overage":false,"detectPhraseFromAllLanguage":false,"googleAnalytics":false,"mixpanel":false,"heap":false,"sdkAnalytics":true,"disableDateLocalization":false,"ignoreCurrencyInTranslation":false,"blockedComplexSelectors":[]},"version":5658},{"_id":"en","source":"en","pluralFn":"return n != 1 ? 1 : 0;","pluralForm":2,"dictionary":{},"version":5658},{"_id":"outdated","outdated":{"#years of telecom retail — encoded for machines, not just humans. The semantic data layer with machine-readable manifests. Domain rules for activation, inventory, commissions, pricing. Architecture standards written as AI-consumable instructions. Your agent doesn’t start from scratch. It starts smart on day one.":1,"#What does the platform already know?":1,"#K.”":1,"#per week. Out by Thursday. Last stock-out cost $":1,"#They sell":1,"#has three iPhones in stock.”":1,"#Store":1,"#iQmetrix | Retail Marketing":1,"#by Stephanie Boyle on Jul <span ljsid-1=\"\">31</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Amanda Peterson on Aug <span ljsid-1=\"\">15</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Renee Mohr, Product Marketing Manager, iQmetrix on Sep <span ljsid-1=\"\">21</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2021</span>":1,"#Retail Marketing Posts":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Jason Raymer, SVP of Revenue & Client Experience</span> on Jan <span ljsid-3=\"\">17</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2024</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> CES </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Telecom Industry Trends </a>":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Joannah Connolly</span> on Jan <span ljsid-3=\"\">15</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2024</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> CES </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Telecom Industry Trends </a> <a ljsid-11=\"\"> AI in Telecom Retail </a>":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Joannah Connolly</span> on Jan <span ljsid-3=\"\">5</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2023</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> CES </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Retail Marketing </a>":1,"#Wahl":1,"#Insert, tap, swipe":1,"#″ H":1,"#″ W x":1,"#″ L x":1,"#mm W ×":1,"#Let’s Talk":1,"#Institution Logo":1,"#Citation modal closed":1,"#Leave feedback":1,"#Help":1,"#This is an unlicensed resource<span ljsid-1=\"\">.</span> If you have any questions, please contact us.":1,"#Inactif | Not active":1,"#Close popup":1,"#On":1,"#Learn More about Intelligent Commerce":1,"#iQmetrix | Data & Analytics":1,"#by Aaron Shauf on Nov <span ljsid-1=\"\">15</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#Data & Analytics Posts":1,"#iQmetrix | Partners":1,"#by Statflo on Oct <span ljsid-1=\"\">30</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Mary Beth Cooke on Jan <span ljsid-1=\"\">23</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Mary Beth Cooke on Feb <span ljsid-1=\"\">3</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Mary Beth Cooke on Mar <span ljsid-1=\"\">2</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Arcade on Apr <span ljsid-1=\"\">27</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Joannah Connolly on Jun <span ljsid-1=\"\">23</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2022</span>":1,"#by Joannah Connolly on Jul <span ljsid-1=\"\">6</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2022</span>":1,"#Partners Posts":1,"#Inventory Insights 2: Leverage VIS Partners":1,"#iQmetrix | Inventory Insights 2: Leverage VIS Partners":1,"#Alphacomm Partner Page":1,"#For more information, go to the <a ljsid-1=\"\">Alphacomm partner page</a>.":1,"#More than <span ljsid-1=\"\">40</span> million units manufactured annually":1,"#Shenzhen, China: Design, QC and Engineering Teams":1,"#Hong Kong, China: Office Operations":1,"#Mexico City, Mexico: LATAM Sales and Distribution":1,"#Headquarters based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, with more than one million square feet of warehousing space, and a brand-new state-of-the-art facility":1,"#Global footprint with:":1,"#Alphacomm manufactures house brands for four out of the six Tier <span ljsid-1=\"\">1</span> carriers in North America while having a deep bench of private label partners":1,"#<span ljsid-0=\"\">25</span> years’ experience working with mobile carriers and retailers on programs to increase sales and improve the customer experience":1,"#Full end-to-end exclusive solutions from product design, manufacturing, procurement and supply chain management, marketing, fulfillment, U.S.-based safety stock, and end-of-life support":1,"#Alphacomm offers:":1,"#Alphacomm offers only the best products from Otterbox, Speck, Tech<span ljsid-1=\"\">21</span>, Mophie, PopSocket, and so many more. And let’s not forget its own line of accessories: Quikcell! Quickcell accessories are expertly designed products built with the valuable input received from Alphacomm partners — just like you!":1,"#Aside from manufacturing, Alphacomm also offers a line-up of accessories to suit all your Tier <span ljsid-1=\"\">1</span>, Tier <span ljsid-3=\"\">2</span>, and Tier <span ljsid-5=\"\">3</span> devices.":1,"#With more than a million square feet of warehousing space, <span ljsid-1=\"\">10</span> million pieces of inventory, and a brand-new state of the art facility, Alphacomm is one of the most innovative manufacturing distributors in the game.":1,"#Alphacomm broke into the wireless industry in <span ljsid-1=\"\">1996</span> with a mission to help customers in the carrier, retail, and enterprise space.":1,"#It’s not all about in-store inventory, either. Many VIS suppliers also offer Dropship services to radically enhance your product offering and enable you to sell products without ever having to carry the cost and risk of holding the inventory in-store. Check out <a ljsid-1=\"\">Inventory Insights <span ljsid-1-1=\"\">3</span>: Offer Dropship Solutions</a> for more on this.":1,"#Drage added,“These vendors’ clients are split between customers on a VIS program versus customers that buy via a traditional purchase order or go to the VIS supplier’s website to make a purchase. There’s just no way to forecast the demand for the latter types of customers. But with a VIS program, the supplier can see every day what the customer’s sales trends are looking like, where their needs are, and then take action. The supplier can prioritize their needs and recommend substitutions if necessary. That way, the client is not feeling the brunt of the supply chain issues, and they are not losing as much sales data as those who are more affected by the supply chain fractures we’re encountering.”":1,"#This system means that VIS clients not only get the benefit of sales forecasting from the experts, but they also get first priority on products.":1,"#Priority on Products":1,"#Justin Drage, Vice President of Partner Management at iQmetrix and a former Chief Growth Officer at a VIS supplier, said,“Using a VIS partner and having regular cadence and insight into what’s happening at the retail stores and what the stores need to stock is incredibly helpful. Let’s say the VIS partner has a purchase order for <span ljsid-1=\"\">10</span>,<span ljsid-3=\"\">000</span> products but <span ljsid-5=\"\">70</span>% of them get stuck at a port. They can look at it and say okay, we’re getting <span ljsid-7=\"\">3</span>,<span ljsid-9=\"\">000</span> of these products, this is when we’re going to get them, and we can see the where the demand is and prioritize sending those items to our VIS clients.”":1,"#One way to solve today’s pressing inventory management challenges and supply-chain issues is to outsource the work to a third-party vendor inventory services (VIS) provider. These are white-glove services that take on all the data analysis, sales forecasting, purchasing, and distribution for your retail operations, allowing you to free up resources and focus on your customer experience. Their economy of scale, and ability to forecast inventory needs, can also be extremely useful in getting around supply shortages.":1,"#in <a ljsid-1=\"\"> Inventory Management </a> <a ljsid-3=\"\"> Vendor Managed Inventory </a> <a ljsid-5=\"\"> Partners </a>":1,"#in <a ljsid-1=\"\"> Inventory Management </a> <a ljsid-3=\"\"> Partners </a> <a ljsid-5=\"\"> Data & Analytics </a>":1,"#iQmetrix | Inventory Insights 4: Tackle Supply-Chain Challenges":1,"#VoiceComm Partner Page":1,"#For more information, go to the <a ljsid-1=\"\">VoiceComm partner page</a>.":1,"#VoiceComm is the premier mobile accessory distributor for the North American market. Its diverse, high profile product portfolio coupled with its commitment to serve has allowed VoiceComm to quickly become the go-to destination for wireless accessories in the market. With a focus on what’s important for wireless retail and related channels, the distributor aims to inspire through customization, in order to develop the programs and resources businesses need to succeed.":1,"#Using VIS and dropship solutions can also help with supply-chain challenges, so check out Inventory Insights editions<a ljsid-1=\"\"> #<span ljsid-1-1=\"\">2</span></a> and <a ljsid-3=\"\">#<span ljsid-3-1=\"\">3</span></a> for more tips.":1,"#Carriers can leverage powerful analytics from iQmetrix and expert, collaborative planning with a strong distribution partner like VoiceComm to optimize their assortment and inventory levels. Together we can overcome market disruptions.”":1,"#Added to this, working with expert partners can also help, especially when it comes to distributors of inventory that retailers don’t carry in-store, such as a wide range of accessories and wireless-adjacent products. Julie Kline, Vice President and General Manager of vendor inventory services (VIS) provider VoiceComm, explained,":1,"#Jared Kennedy, Product Manager at iQmetrix, said,“The three inventory reports that have proven to be most integral to operations for our clients are the Inventory Listing Report, Product Tracking Report, and Inventory Availability Summary Report.”":1,"#Despite these challenges, there are ways to mitigate their impact on your business. The PwC report added, <span ljsid-1=\"\"></span><span ljsid-3=\"\">“</span>This [supply-chain crunch] threatens established relationships between brands and their customers. But it also creates opportunities … we already see many retailers and consumer goods companies reimagining their supplier and distribution networks.”":1,"#Justin Drage, Vice President of Partner Management at iQmetrix and former Chief Growth Officer at VoiceComm, a vendor inventory services provider and iQmetrix integrated partner, said,“When the supply chain is fractured the way it is right now and we have shipments that are getting stuck in a port or they’re not arriving on time, carriers in the United States just aren’t getting product they need. Even when they do arrive there’s not enough personnel to be able to handle the inbound receiving or the outbound shipping.”":1,"#<span ljsid-0=\"\">“</span>You might order <span ljsid-2=\"\">10</span> phones, but only get allocated five,” said Ryan Ori, a former Project Manager at iQmetrix.“It becomes very hard to meet customer expectations of getting the phone they want at that moment.”":1,"#%) buy retailers’ store brands as a substitute.”":1,"#%) of Canadian consumers say they frequently respond to these disruptions by shopping at multiple retailers. A similar number (":1,"#Product shortages and delivery delays aren’t occurring as often as a year ago. But they’re still commonplace, according to consumers. The more hurdles consumers encounter when getting the products they want into their hands, the more likely they are to seek alternatives. More than a third (":1,"#stated,":1,"#<span ljsid-0=\"\">2023</span> retail trends report from PwC":1,"#Supply-chain issues have for years been preventing the end consumer from getting their hands on the products they want, and this issue isn’t going away any time soon. A":1,"#With retailers of all stripes facing supply-chain challenges caused by a wide number of factors, many can’t get the products they need into their stores.":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Emily Baxter</span> on Aug <span ljsid-3=\"\">23</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2021</span> In <a ljsid-7=\"\"> Zahlungsverkehr & Finanzdienstleistungen </a>":1,"#by Emily Baxter on Jun":1,"#Some pre-paid cards may not be eligible for refunds.":1,"#Account is not eligible.":1,"#Sudden changes in transaction history, like abnormally large or frequent transactions, are typical signs of fraud. This applies to refunds as much as sales. Whenever it comes to money movement, fraud is a concern.":1,"#Fraud.":1,"#-floor limit to ensure all transactions are validated by the card issuer, to protect telecom retailers from fraudulent transactions.":1,"#The floor limit is a configurable dollar amount that acts like a switch — any transaction above the floor limit must be sent online. iQmetrix has always supported a $":1,"#on Aug":1,"#iQmetrix | Events & Community":1,"#by Kirsten Barkved on Oct <span ljsid-1=\"\">21</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Erin McLellan on Dec <span ljsid-1=\"\">20</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Kirsten Barkved on Jan <span ljsid-1=\"\">28</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Erin McLellan on Mar <span ljsid-1=\"\">9</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#Prepaid Wireless":1,"#by Joannah Connolly on Aug <span ljsid-1=\"\">17</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2023</span>":1,"#by Niki Blott on May <span ljsid-1=\"\">29</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2026</span>":1,"#Events & Community Posts":1,"#by Ash Kreider on Oct <span ljsid-1=\"\">25</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2023</span>":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Jeff Vall, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development</span> on Sep <span ljsid-3=\"\">22</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2026</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> Customer Experience </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Data & Analytics </a> <a ljsid-11=\"\"> Events & Community </a> <a ljsid-13=\"\"> Intelligent Commerce </a> <a ljsid-15=\"\"> Mobile Industry </a>":1,"#The telecom industry has spent two years counting AI pilots. The more important question is how AI is changing what the network does, how customers…":1,"#Subscribe to the Overview":1,"#Get The Overview straight to your inbox for insights on what’s transforming telecom commerce.":1,"#The optimism at Mobile Future Forward was genuine. The use cases are real, the investment is serious, and the pace is faster than most of the industry expected. But Chetan’s framing is the right one to carry forward: innovation is the easy part. Diffusion, getting the whole ecosystem to move together, is where the real work happens. That’s the journey we’re on.":1,"#The right metrics for this moment are not only adoption metrics. They are diffusion metrics: what share of revenue comes from AI-enabled services, how many devices move through AI protocols versus human interventions, how much faster a customer gets through a transaction based on real-time AI-generated insights, and how much a care rep knows before the conversation starts. Those numbers will tell us whether the transformation is real.":1,"#Measuring what actually matters":1,"#The example that landed was order fallout caused by an inability to access inventory context. Fix the data flow, and you fix the customer experience. That improvement eventually shows up in store wait times, in how well-informed a care rep is before a conversation starts, and in whether a customer’s interaction ends with a solved problem or a transferred call. The data is the infrastructure. The agentic commerce layer is where relevant insights either shows up or does not. This point landed squarely with a strategy we have already put into practice: our <a ljsid-1=\"\">Intelligent Commerce Operating System</a> pairs with BSS vendors to unlock inventory visibility, advanced customer insight, and customized product and pricing recommendations that drive higher sales and customer satisfaction.":1,"#The last panel discussion of the morning session with Chetan put a name to a problem that every operator in the room recognized: AI cannot help if the data is locked in legacy BSS and OSS systems. Telecoms must extract context into an ontology layer without touching the underlying platforms, allowing the lifecycle to retire legacy systems on its own timeline rather than forcing a rip-and-replace that nobody has the budget or appetite for.":1,"#Unlocking the BSS":1,"#Assurant’s session discussing diffusion, <span ljsid-1=\"\"></span><span ljsid-3=\"\">“</span>enterprise beyond the POC,” was the most concrete proof of diffusion already happening inside the telecom supply chain. Three live AI applications are running at thousands of devices per day: robotic cosmetic grading that replaces subjective human inspection, a system making real-time routing decisions on whether a device should be repaired, recycled, or liquidated, and an ML-driven auction engine that auto-accepts, declines, and counters offers across tens of thousands daily device transactions. None of this is a pilot; it is the operating model. This kind of innovation not only exemplifies AI monetization in action, but also fundamentally impacts consumer choice and the new and used mobile handset economy.":1,"#AI diffusion in device management":1,"#The direction is clear: the RAN layer is becoming a compute layer, and new services, including things we do not have names for yet, will be built on top of it. For consumers, physical AI will become embedded in day-to-day activities, from traffic management systems to robots that clean homes and need to know precisely where they are in real time.":1,"#One of the overarching forward-looking points of discussion centered on AI-native radio access networks. The premise: AI in the RAN layer does not just optimize spectrum efficiency; it makes the network a platform for physical AI at the edge. NVIDIA and T-Mobile have been building toward this by integrating physical AI applications directly on AI-RAN-ready infrastructure. Robots, sensors, and dexterous systems are examples of intelligence that lives in the network rather than the cloud, operating with the low latency and local compute that real-world physical environments demand.":1,"#Physical AI":1,"#That call to action resonates for me and my colleagues at iQmetrix, where we are actively implementing AI strategies that change what an operator can sell, how customers experience your brand, and what is happening at the moment of sale. The following takeaways from the event support the notion that the next wave of AI technology is driving material change to the consumer experience.":1,"#—Chetan Sharma, Mobile Future Forward Keynote":1,"#<span ljsid-0=\"\">“</span>Deployment is not diffusion. Measuring the wrong metrics leads to unintended consequences.”":1,"#G, sensors, compute, and AI creating what he called emergent intelligence: capabilities that arise from the network itself, not from any single node or application.":1,"#The distinction matters because diffusion is harder to see and harder to fake. Innovation can be copied quickly; diffusion takes time and ecosystem-level coordination. That’s why Sharma makes the case that AI experiments are not the right measure on their own. More meaningful signals include revenue generated from computing and AI services, or the convergence of":1,"#At Mobile Future Forward this month, Chetan Sharma reframed the AI conversation. The industry keeps measuring adoption: which companies have deployed tools, how many pilots are running, and what percentage of employees have access to a model. But adoption is just the beginning. The more meaningful question is diffusion: how has AI actually changed how value is created and captured?":1,"#The telecom industry has spent two years counting AI pilots. The more important question is how AI is changing what the network does, how customers experience it, and the role of commerce channels.":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Joannah Connolly</span> on Dec <span ljsid-3=\"\">9</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2024</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> SummitX </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Retail Management Solutions </a> <a ljsid-11=\"\"> Inventory Management </a>":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Renee Mohr, Product Marketing Manager, iQmetrix</span> on Oct <span ljsid-3=\"\">29</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2025</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> Interconnected Commerce </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Retail Management Solutions </a> <a ljsid-11=\"\"> Point of Sale (POS) </a> <a ljsid-13=\"\"> Payments & Financial Services </a>":1,"#Unveiled at SummitX 2025: The Next Generation of Interconnected…":1,"#iQmetrix | Unveiled at SummitX 2025: The Next Generation of…":1,"#Learn more about iQ Storefront":1,"#Want to learn more about how <a ljsid-1=\"\">iQ Storefront Telecom POS</a> is redefining telecom retail?":1,"#The iQmetrix Interconnected Commerce Retail Suite is a new foundation for the next decade of telecom retail.":1,"#Powered by the iQ Platform, the Interconnected Commerce Retail Suite delivers modular deployment, cloud scalability, and intelligent APIs that connect carriers, manufacturers, retailers, and vendors across the telecom ecosystem.":1,"#Seamless Innovation, Unified Architecture":1,"#Set for release in late <span ljsid-1=\"\">2026</span>, iQ Hub will become the operational core of the Interconnected Commerce Retail Suite, empowering back-office teams with data-driven intelligence and flexibility.":1,"#One-click extensibility to instantly add apps and integrations.":1,"#Simplified setup and management with preloaded data and smart tools.":1,"#AI-driven insights through iQ Assist, surfacing next-best actions automatically.":1,"#Automated workflows that reduce manual effort and errors.":1,"#Personalized dashboards tailored by user role.":1,"#Building on the trusted RQ Retail Management System, iQ Hub reimagines telecom back-office software with a lightweight, web-based platform that centralizes operations, inventory, and administration.":1,"#iQ Hub: Revolutionizing the Back Office":1,"#iQ Pay is available now and integrates seamlessly with RQ and <a ljsid-1=\"\">iQ Storefront Wireless POS,</a> giving telecom retailers a mobile-first payment solution that’s fast, secure, and future-ready.":1,"#Automatic updates, requiring no custom firmware.":1,"#Flexible hardware options, from lightweight readers to full mobile Android devices.":1,"#Centralized chargeback management for faster resolution.":1,"#Offline reliability, enabling transactions even without connectivity.":1,"#Strong security, with PCI, PSD<span ljsid-1=\"\">2</span>, and EMV compliance and real-time fraud prevention.":1,"#Single-vendor simplicity, integrating onboarding, hardware sourcing, and support.":1,"#All major payment methods supported, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and digital wallets.":1,"#Key benefits include:":1,"#<a ljsid-0=\"\">iQ Pay</a> is a fully embedded, end-to-end payments solution designed for modern telecom retail. It consolidates everything; processing, hardware, reporting, and support; into one streamlined experience, helping retailers simplify operations and focus on customers.":1,"#iQ Pay: Powering the Future of Payments":1,"#. Until the release of iQ Hub, it will be powered by RQ, ensuring a smooth transition.":1,"#will expand to Verizon and major Canadian operators in early to mid-":1,"#Currently available to Total Wireless retailers,":1,"#<a ljsid-0=\"\">iQ Storefront </a>also integrates directly with <a ljsid-2=\"\">iQ Pay</a>, creating a unified checkout experience that supports mobile-first payments and real-time reporting.":1,"#Complete order visibility, connecting online and in-store purchases in a single view.":1,"#Built-in training support, reducing onboarding time for new employees.":1,"#Faster checkout through streamlined workflows and fewer clicks.":1,"#Smarter selling powered by AI with real-time recommendations for products and promotions.":1,"#Intuitive displays that show associates only what they need to serve customers efficiently.":1,"#Key capabilities include:":1,"#Traditional POS systems simply process transactions. <a ljsid-1=\"\">iQ Storefront</a> is something entirely new: a device-agnostic, highly customizable retail platform that empowers telecom retailers to deliver seamless, end-to-end customer experiences.":1,"#iQ Storefront: Beyond the Point of Sale":1,"#% plan to use it to optimize staff performance. Across iQmetrix’s new suite, AI is embedded directly into workflows, guiding actions, surfacing insights, and creating intelligent automation that makes work smarter, not harder.":1,"#%) expects to use AI for personalization, and":1,"#Nearly every telecom retailer (":1,"#Retail Powered by AI":1,"#As upgrade cycles slow and refurbished markets rise, sustainability and value are key. The new iQmetrix suite helps retailers adapt with tools for smarter device management, automation, and unified data.":1,"#Retail Powered by Smarter Device Lifecycle Management":1,"#Friction is no longer acceptable. Customers expect instant, connected experiences across every touchpoint. The Interconnected Commerce Retail Suite makes this possible with fast, integrated workflows that unify online and in-store journeys.":1,"#Retail Powered by Seamless Journeys":1,"#enable smaller, smarter, tech-driven spaces that blend digital and physical experiences.":1,"#Brick-and-mortar isn’t dying, it’s evolving. Physical stores remain central to unified commerce, and":1,"#Retail Powered by Reimagined Stores":1,"#Technology doesn’t create loyalty, people do. The most successful retailers are empowering their teams with smarter tools and stronger training. The new iQmetrix suite enhances the human side of retail by giving associates intuitive, intelligent tools that make every interaction meaningful.":1,"#Retail Powered by Human Connection":1,"#The Interconnected Commerce Retail Suite was guided by insights from iQmetrix’s Industry Address at SummitX <span ljsid-1=\"\">2025</span>, which explored the top five megatrends transforming telecom retail today:":1,"#Shaped by the <span ljsid-1=\"\">5</span> Megatrends Defining Telecom Retail":1,"#This new suite, made up of <a ljsid-1=\"\">iQ Storefront</a>, iQ Hub, and <a ljsid-3=\"\">iQ Pay</a>, represents a unified ecosystem that connects every part of the telecom retail experience, from online to in-store, front-of-house to back-office. Built on the iQ Platform, these products bring together flexibility, intelligence, and interoperability to help retailers thrive in today’s fast-changing market.":1,"#A Major Leap Forward for Telecom Retail":1,"#Our very own Lauren Wilmsen, Lead of Product, and Ken Konkel, Lead of Technology, took to the SummitX main stage to introduce something truly transformational: the Interconnected Commerce Retail Suite. This next-generation suite connects every part of your telecom retail business through one intelligent, unified platform.":1,"#in Carlsbad, we took a major leap forward in how telecom retailers sell, fulfill, and connect in a digital-first world.":1,"#At this year’s":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Joannah Connolly</span> on Dec <span ljsid-3=\"\">11</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2024</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> SummitX </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Telecom Industry Trends </a>":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Ash Kreider</span> on May <span ljsid-3=\"\">9</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2023</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> Point of Sale (POS) </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Payments & Financial Services </a>":1,"#Last year, Visa’s global networks processed an estimated $13 trillion in contactless transactions, meaning that retailers still relying on traditional…":1,"#iQmetrix | Tap, Pay, Done: Top Contactless Payments Trends":1,"#Learn more about iQmetrix’s Contactless Payment solution Remote Pay":1,"#As contactless payments continue to grow, retailers need to adapt and provide customers with the payment options they want. If you’re not already offering contactless payment options, now is the time to make the switch.":1,"#Contactless payments aren’t the future of retail. They’re today’s reality.":1,"#Whatever you call it, the benefits for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are obvious, as the only thing required to accept contactless payments is an app on an NFC-capable smartphone. However, TTM/mPOS isn’t just for SMBs. The technology is starting to be seen in large food and retail chains as well (including my local Starbucks).":1,"#This technology has different names, depending on who’s talking about it. Visa, as well as some other smaller payment service providers call this tap-to-mobile (TTM), while those in the retail sector typically refer to it as mobile point-of-sale (mPOS).":1,"#Another up-and-coming trend: smartphones being used as retailers’ payment terminals.":1,"#<span ljsid-0=\"\">26</span>% said they would be interested in one-time deals.":1,"#<span ljsid-0=\"\">43</span>% said they would be interested in store loyalty rewards.":1,"#However, while desire for wallets operated by retailers was in the clear minority, that same study showed that many consumers are interested in retail bonuses:":1,"#Consumer sentiment on that front is decidedly mixed. When asked what types of companies from which they would want a digital wallet, <a ljsid-1=\"\"><span ljsid-1-0=\"\">54</span>% of consumers</a> said they would prefer a digital wallet provided by a bank. Slightly less more than half that number (<span ljsid-3=\"\">28</span>%) said they would digital wallets provided by a smartphone or other device manufacturer. The remaining <span ljsid-5=\"\">18</span>% was split between retail wallets (<span ljsid-7=\"\">12</span>%) and telecom wallets (<span ljsid-9=\"\">6</span>%).":1,"#So, what are consumers looking for in a mobile wallet service?":1,"#Mobile wallets are also driving <em ljsid-1=\"\">a lot</em> of spending. As of February <span ljsid-3=\"\">2023</span>, reporting from Datareportal showed that <a ljsid-5=\"\"><span ljsid-5-0=\"\">30</span>% of B<span ljsid-5-2=\"\">2</span>C eCommerce transactions in the United States</a> were attributable to digital and mobile wallets. As for P<span ljsid-7=\"\">2</span>P mobile wallets, it’s predicted they will generate more than <a ljsid-9=\"\">$<span ljsid-9-1=\"\">1</span> trillion in transaction volumes</a> in <span ljsid-11=\"\">2023</span>.":1,"#More than <a ljsid-1=\"\"><span ljsid-1-0=\"\">2</span>.<span ljsid-1-2=\"\">8</span> billion mobile wallets</a> were in use at the end of <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>. Additionally, a <span ljsid-5=\"\">2022</span> study by McKinsey found that <a ljsid-7=\"\">more than two-thirds of Americans</a> expected to have a digital wallet within two years. That same study found that the share of consumers intending to use three or more digital wallets within two years grew from <span ljsid-9=\"\">18</span>% in <span ljsid-11=\"\">2021</span> to <span ljsid-13=\"\">30</span>% in <span ljsid-15=\"\">2022</span>.":1,"#The biggest trend to watch? Mobile wallets.":1,"#It’s possible that contactless payment limits may go higher, given that contactless payment fraud is a very small portion of overall contactless payments. <a ljsid-1=\"\">British banking body UK Finance found that</a> out of the £<span ljsid-3=\"\">66</span>.<span ljsid-5=\"\">5</span> billion spent in the first half of <span ljsid-7=\"\">2021</span>, only <span ljsid-9=\"\">1</span>.<span ljsid-11=\"\">1</span>% of payments (£<span ljsid-13=\"\">7</span>.<span ljsid-15=\"\">6</span> million) were fraudulent, which it calls <span ljsid-17=\"\"></span><span ljsid-19=\"\">“</span>a tiny proportion” of overall transactions.":1,"#Because of the unsecured nature of contactless payments — consumers don’t have to sign or enter a PIN — the payment limits on contactless payments are typically pretty low. (Although payment limits were raised early in the pandemic to facilitate social distancing.) <a ljsid-1=\"\">Contactless payment limits</a> in the United States and Canada are roughly similar when exchange rate is factored in: $<span ljsid-3=\"\">250</span> CAD in Canada compared to $<span ljsid-5=\"\">200</span> USD in the United States.":1,"#So <span ljsid-1=\"\"></span><span ljsid-3=\"\">“</span>contactless payment” is an umbrella term encompassing tap-enabled credit and debit-cards, tap-enabled smartphone payment services like Apple Pay, and P<span ljsid-5=\"\">2</span>P payment services like Venmo.":1,"#However, perhaps a bit confusingly, peer-to-peer (P<span ljsid-1=\"\">2</span>P) mobile payment apps like PayPal and Venmo also function as mobile wallets, and are generating huge transaction volumes.":1,"#NFC capability is also an increasingly popular feature on smartphones, which enables smartphones to make tap payments through mobile wallet services like Apple Pay and Samsung Wallet.":1,"#The primary use-case people are familiar with is payments that are made using near-field-communication (NFC) technology embedded into credit and debit cards, in which people tap their card on a payment terminal.":1,"#Contactless means a lot more than just tap-enabled credit and debit cards these days.":1,"#But what exactly do we mean when we talk about <span ljsid-1=\"\"></span><span ljsid-3=\"\">“</span>contactless” payments?":1,"#Last year, Visa’s global networks handled an estimated <a ljsid-1=\"\">$<span ljsid-1-1=\"\">13</span> trillion in contactless transactions</a>. That staggering figure means retailers still relying on traditional payment methods are getting left further and further behind. Today, it’s not a nice-to-have, but a must-have that consumers expect.":1,"#Growth in contactless payments was greatly accelerated by the global pandemic, and today they are increasingly becoming a preferred payment method.":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Joannah Connolly</span> on Nov <span ljsid-3=\"\">22</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2024</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> SummitX </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> AI in Telecom Retail </a> <a ljsid-11=\"\"> Retail Management Solutions </a>":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Emily Baxter</span> on Jun <span ljsid-3=\"\">11</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2021</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> Payments & Financial Services </a>":1,"#iQmetrix | Payments & Financial Services":1,"#by Margeaux Girardin on Nov <span ljsid-1=\"\">15</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2018</span>":1,"#by Brayden Gervan on Dec <span ljsid-1=\"\">10</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2018</span>":1,"#by Margeaux Girardin on Jan <span ljsid-1=\"\">24</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Margeaux Girardin on Jan <span ljsid-1=\"\">29</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Janine Jurji on Aug <span ljsid-1=\"\">22</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2019</span>":1,"#by Janine Jurji on Feb <span ljsid-1=\"\">11</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Emily Baxter on Sep <span ljsid-1=\"\">16</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Emily Baxter on Oct <span ljsid-1=\"\">30</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1,"#by Emily Baxter on Feb <span ljsid-1=\"\">22</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2021</span>":1,"#by Stephanie Boyle on Feb <span ljsid-1=\"\">24</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2021</span>":1,"#by Emily Baxter on Mar <span ljsid-1=\"\">22</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2021</span>":1,"#Payments & Financial Services Posts":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">Jan Kuester, Business Development</span> on Sep <span ljsid-3=\"\">15</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2026</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> Events & Community </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> Intelligent Commerce </a> <a ljsid-11=\"\"> Mobile Industry </a> <a ljsid-13=\"\"> Omnichannel Retail Trends </a> <a ljsid-15=\"\"> Telecom Industry Trends </a>":1,"#Delayed at Heathrow, Right on Time for the Real Story: What Connected…":1,"#iQmetrix | Delayed at Heathrow, Right on Time for the Real Story:…":1,"#Get in touch with the iQmetrix team":1,"#Launching an MVNO or entering telecom as a brand? Let’s talk about the commerce layer that actually makes it work.":1,"#That’s the conversation we’re planning to keep having, starting with a few of the people we met in London. It’s also, I’d argue, the real headline from Connected Britain this year: buried under the wireline talk, running quietly in the background of every MVNO conversation in the room, and worth a lot more attention than it got on the main stage. Next year, I’ll aim to land on time. But even delayed, it was worth the trip.":1,"#This is, almost precisely, the problem iQmetrix has spent its history solving for wireless commerce operators, and it’s now showing up on the doorstep of an entirely new set of brands who’ve never had to think about it before. The cloud-native MVNE (mobile virtual network enablers) platforms getting all the attention at shows like this one are very good at the activation and billing layer. They are not purpose-built commerce systems, and they were never designed to be. That’s the gap the <a ljsid-1=\"\">Intelligent Commerce Operating System</a> exists to fill. When a bank, a grocer, or an energy company decides connectivity should feel as easy and trustworthy as everything else they sell, they need a platform that works across channels, keeps the experience simple by design, and actually understands how to sell telecom, rather than assuming the operational complexity will sort itself out.":1,"#Where This Points for Us":1,"#That’s the gap. A grocery chain or a fintech brings something genuinely valuable to this equation: an existing customer relationship, real trust, and a loyalty mechanism worth building on. What it doesn’t automatically bring is the muscle for telecom-specific selling: identity and credit checks for device financing, SIM and eSIM provisioning, number porting, promotions and bundle logic, all of it working the same way whether the customer is standing in a store, tapping through an app, or browsing a website at <span ljsid-1=\"\">11</span>pm.":1,"#The data on why MVNOs struggle points almost entirely at the commerce layer, not the network. Customers now expect activation in minutes, not paperwork, and a clunky onboarding flow is enough to lose them before service even starts. Distribution that leans on a single channel is flagged as a standalone failure mode; brands need real omnichannel reach, with in-store and digital working as one experience rather than two disconnected ones. Integration gaps between activation, billing, and support cause exactly the kind of quiet friction that erodes trust one bad interaction at a time. And customers overwhelmingly respond to simple, transparent offers; the more a plan buries fees or auto-opt-ins behind menus, the faster it burns the goodwill that got them in the door.":1,"#Here’s where the story gets interesting, and where most of the show’s excitement quietly ran out of runway. Launching an MVNO has never been faster. Selling one well is still hard, and it’s hard in ways that have nothing to do with network technology.":1,"#Fast to Launch Is Not the Same as Easy to Sell":1,"#What’s driving it isn’t just price. A new class of entrant is reshaping what an MVNO even is. Fintechs like Monzo and Revolut are bundling connectivity into apps people already trust with their money. Commerce brands are doing the same with loyalty: Co-op Mobile launched earlier this year on the Channel Islands, tying a mobile plan directly to grocery loyalty savings for members. And the infrastructure making all of this possible has gotten dramatically lighter. Cloud-native platforms now let a brand go from idea to live MVNO in weeks rather than years, turning what telecom operators used to need years to build into something a retailer, a bank, or an energy company can genuinely take on.":1,"#The headline figure going around the show was that MVNOs could take up to <span ljsid-1=\"\">30</span>% of the UK mobile market by the end of the decade. It’s the kind of number that sounds like a roundtable exaggeration until you check it — so we did. <a ljsid-3=\"\">FDM CCS Insight’s own research</a> backs it almost exactly: MVNOs are projected to hit <span ljsid-5=\"\">30</span>% of the UK mobile market by the end of <span ljsid-7=\"\">2031</span>, up from roughly <span ljsid-9=\"\">24</span>% today, with the subscriber base growing <span ljsid-11=\"\">51</span>%, from <span ljsid-13=\"\">22</span>.<span ljsid-15=\"\">3</span> million to <span ljsid-17=\"\">30</span>.<span ljsid-19=\"\">7</span> million connections. Total MVNO service revenue is expected to nearly double over the same stretch, from £<span ljsid-21=\"\">2</span>.<span ljsid-23=\"\">4</span> billion to more than £<span ljsid-25=\"\">4</span>.<span ljsid-27=\"\">5</span> billion.":1,"#The Number That Made Me Put My Coffee Down":1,"#Connected Britain has traditionally been a show for the plumbing of telecom: fibre, spectrum, wireline infrastructure, and the deep technical layer that keeps networks running. This year was no exception, and that’s not a complaint; it’s useful to sit in rooms full of people solving problems most of us never have to think about. But underneath the wireline conversations, in roundtables and hallway chats, one thread kept surfacing regardless of who I was talking to: MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators) are no longer a side note in UK mobile. They’re becoming the main event.":1,"#Every trip to a UK industry event starts the same way for me: pack light, leave time for coffee, and assume nothing about British air traffic. This year, that last assumption saved me. A wave of cancellations into Heathrow turned a routine hop into a day-long game of gate roulette, and by the time I made it into London for Connected Britain, I’d missed the opening keynote and most of Day <span ljsid-1=\"\">1</span><span ljsid-2=\"\"></span><span ljsid-4=\"\">’</span>s morning sessions. If you’d told me at the rebooking desk that the delay would turn out to be a fitting metaphor for the whole trip, I’d have laughed. But it was: everyone else in the industry, it turns out, is also arriving a little late to the story that mattered most.":1,"#by <span ljsid-1=\"\">John Lund of Entresmart, LLC</span> on Nov <span ljsid-3=\"\">20</span>, <span ljsid-5=\"\">2024</span> in <a ljsid-7=\"\"> SummitX </a> <a ljsid-9=\"\"> AI in Telecom Retail </a> <a ljsid-11=\"\"> Telecom Industry Trends </a>":1,"#by Megan Howse on Oct <span ljsid-1=\"\">28</span>, <span ljsid-3=\"\">2020</span>":1},"version":5658}]