It’s quite a dance, isn’t it, this whole pricing business for our Network Exposure Platforms? After two years of bringing these network superpowers to life for applications, I’ve seen firsthand how unpredictable those pricing conversations can be.
Sometimes, a potential customer just cuts straight to the chase: “What’s the damage?” If the number feels right, boom! The deal is practically done, often before we’ve even showcased the intricate brilliance of our platform. It’s almost disarmingly simple, leading to instant closures.
Then, there’s the other side of the coin. We’ll have deep, engaging discussions, where customers are genuinely captivated by our platform’s capabilities – how it handles aggregation scenarios across multiple telcos, or the nuances of billing complexities. They’re envisioning their own future with our tech! But the moment we reveal the price, you can almost hear the enthusiasm deflate. It often leads to radio silence, and next thing you know, a competitor has swooped in. It makes you wonder: are we being too eager with upfront flexibility, or too precious by waiting for every technical detail to align? This new product, new market territory certainly keeps us on our toes.
Monetizing fundamental network capabilities, like real-time device roaming status or guaranteed latency, is inherently tricky because their true business value isn’t always obvious at first glance. Take a “location verify” API for a bank – its worth isn’t in the micro-transaction, but in the significant fraud averted. And let’s be candid, our legacy BSS/OSS (those complex billing and operational systems) weren’t exactly engineered for these real-time API micro-transactions at the edge of the network. We’re all hoping to swiftly reach a point where these network APIs are as universally understood and straightforward as a typical CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) discussion, saving us from endless foundational education.
What these past two years have profoundly taught us about this evolving market:
- Start with flexibility, not perfection. We can’t let the pursuit of the ‘ideal’ price paralyze our go-to-market.
- Optimize for adoption and feedback loops, not just immediate margins. Getting usage and learning from real-world application is gold.
- Our first few deals will shape perception—so make them count. These early wins define our narrative and market position.
Standardization via GSMA Open Gateway and CAMARA makes Network APIs more interchangeable, but what about commoditization?
Are we prioritizing adoption over immediate revenue too much, or is this simply the cost of building a future where network superpowers are accessible to all?
Perhaps the bigger question is not – how long we, as an industry, can afford to view Network APIs through the narrow lens of “unit price,” but rather, how long we can afford to wait for the perfect price.
Drawing inspiration from “action beats perfection,” the real triumph won’t come from endless debates over every decimal point, but from redefining how Telcos position themselves as agile players in dynamic digital ecosystems. Think less about the cost of a single API call, and more about the exponential value unlocked when APIs are swiftly and seamlessly embedded into enterprise workflows. The organizations that move fastest are the ones redefining APIs not as a product to sell, but as a catalyst for ecosystem innovation.
So, can we put the pricing “nitty-gritties” aside for a moment and just start, instead of waiting for perfection? Because the market certainly isn’t.
