Neha Dharia is a Senior Analyst in Ovum’s Consumer Services research practice, with a focus on mobile media, social networking and communications. Neha drives Ovum’s messaging and OTT communication research stream and has written a series of reports around the impact of OTT on SMS creating thought leadership in the industry. Her other work includes market sizing, forecasting and in depth research on topics such as location, digital games industry, mobile payments and mobile VAS. Neha’s research is frequently quoted in the international press and often contributes to the broadcast media.

Throughout her career she has written numerous customer-focused reports covering various aspects of the telecoms industry, including: Future of mobile messaging, Casualties of Social Messaging, Counteracting the Threat of Social Messaging, Mapping Mobile Payments and Digital Games Outlook: Asia-Pacific. Her reports have been instrumental in driving change and creating thought leadership especially in the messaging industry.

Neha’s experience in consultancy includes projects with leading mobile network operators, OTT players and vendors. This experience has enabled her to gain a deeper understanding of consumer needs in terms of wireless content and value-added services, and the consequent conversion of these needs into market opportunities for the client. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics as well as a Master of Science degree in Development Studies.

“There is an urgent need for operators, vendors and OTT players to reimagine mobile communications, shifting its role from a pure play service to a platform supporting a range of services. It will in essence be a device-agnostic platform that the user’s digital world will plug into. Operators must look beyond apps and social networks; they should consider communications from a hardware and technology perspective, and aim to create something new and valuable to the consumer.”