Telefónica Digital has established a new business unit called Telefónica Dynamic Insights, which will work together with research company GfK. The new unit will provide companies and public sector organisations with analysis based on anonymised information from its mobile networks. Initially GfK’s insights will be used in the UK, Brazil and Germany.
Its first product, called ‘Smart Steps’, will use mobile network data to enable organisations to understand what factors influence people visiting a location at any time. For example, Smart Steps will be able to help town councils measure how many more people visit a high street after the introduction of new facilities.
Stephen Shurrock, Chief Commercial Officer at Telefonica Digital, said “Big data is one of the key building blocks of the digital economy. Approached in a smart and responsible way it has the potential to transform every part of business and society - providing economic growth and improving people’s lives. Smart Steps will help retailers better understand and meet their customers’ needs, reduce costs through improved efficiency, and make better informed decisions. It will help retailers to determine the best locations and formats for new stores and tailor product promotions in existing stores. We are delighted to be partnering with GfK, a global leader in market research, on product development.”
Initial product focus areas from Telefonica Dynamic Insights include fraud protection, and ‘Smart City’ technology, including traffic management.