Specific areas of innovation

End-to-end connectivity

A high-quality, reliable network infrastructure is one of the key success factors for Swisscom. Over the past few years, the standard of quality that customers expect the network to deliver has risen dramatically. Swisscom is therefore working on the next-generation network and developing solutions to give users in Switzerland even faster, more reliable networks. The main challenge here is the growing volume of data in the mobile area. Swisscom is seeking and developing innovative network solutions that allow high volumes of data to be handled efficiently and guarantee seamless mobile network provision at busy locations. One promising solution is the installation of low-power microcells that provide high capacity locally. Swisscom is working on the development of new types of antenna that will allow such microcells to be operated efficiently and perfectly integrated in the existing architecture.

Mobile services and apps

The trend towards greater mobility is proceeding apace. Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are commonplace, and it is hard to imagine life nowadays without mobile Internet. Swisscom’s vision is to use smartphones as a bridge between the real and the digital worlds. One important step in this direction was the launch of Swisscom Tapit, the Swiss wallet of the future. Tapit is an open, non-exclusive platform for all service providers in various industries who are seeking to mobilise their business processes. For end customers, Tapit is a safe place in which to manage their bank and credit cards. Tapit is based on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which is already incorporated in the majority of smartphones. Swisscom also continues to operate and further develop the iO app, which allows users to send SMS messages and make calls to Switzerland and abroad free of charge. With iO@home they can also be reached on their fixed-line number wherever they are in the world.

Security and intelligence

As data volumes continue to grow, so too do the requirements placed on products that process this data in a secure and anonymised way and analyse it according to the latest methodology. “Big data technologies” have already made inroads in various sectors and are used, for example, to measure and control traffic flows. At the same time, the number of customers who use their smartphone for mobile Internet browsing and leave behind customer data is also growing. Hackers and other parties are therefore becoming increasingly interested in customer data. Given this situation, Swisscom aims to offer its customers various applications that ensure greater transparency and control. CheckAp, for example, checks the security of programmes installed on a smartphone. In 2014, Swisscom launched DocSafe, a cloud-based solution that enables users to easily and securely store important documents, and that users can access at any time and from anywhere.