The Buyer-Seller Chasm Series Summary

This article provides a summary of our Buyer-Seller Chasm series of articles, where we start with the guiding principle that:

The buyers (carriers) desperately need better tools to transform their operations.

The sellers (vendors) already have better tools, which they desperately want to sell.

The problem worth solving lies in the extraordinary amount of time, resources and cost it usually takes to bring buyers and sellers together… to build the bridge between the two.

Part 1: Could it be possible? Is the telco industry’s biggest constraint a shortage of bridge builders?

This article introduces the “buyer-seller chasm” concept, where telco operators (buyers) need better OSS tools while vendors (sellers) have solutions ready, yet both remain separated by risk, uncertainty, skills gaps, trust issues and fear. Through a vendor selection anecdote, it highlights how lengthy RFP processes signal an industry hampered by sub-optimal tools, despite superior solutions existing in the market. The key message: without effective “bridge builders,” telcos remain stuck in outdated operational models.

Part 2: How can we reduce the size of the OSS buyer-seller chasm?

This article drills into the root causes of the chasm, being cost, complexity, risk, uncertainty, skills gaps, trust and fear. It draws on industry surveys to illustrate why incremental improvements won’t suffice and distils the contributors down to three core factors: risk, trust and confidence. Existing approaches (heroes/champions, quadrant proxies, RFPs, system integrators, standards bodies) are mapped out and shown to be insufficient for reliably closing the gap.

Part 3: Using a complete re-framing to reduce the OSS buyer-seller chasm

This article uses Omdia’s Global Telecoms Opex Tracker to show that even a ten?times reduction in operational costs driven by OSS/BSS still leaves carriers with high baseline spend, highlighting the inadequacy of incremental tweaks. It contrasts traditional long?tail feature extensions (blue arrow) with a need to focus on high?impact functionality (red shaded areas) and lateral innovations (green arrow). The “thirteen friction continuums” graphic underscores how re-framing operations from a fresh perspective is essential.

Part 4: Closing the OSS buyer-seller chasm – Solutions

This article explores eight approaches to narrowing the chasm:

• A trusted SI with a PE/VC mindset (SIPE) that assumes risk and aligns incentives for true outcomes instead of time?and?materials contracts.
• A “Better?than?Gartner” model leveraging a comprehensive, independent directory (the PAOSS Blue Book) and filtering methodology for best?fit matches.
• Sub?brand telco models (e.g. Boost Mobile under Sprint, Belong under Telstra) that reduce bureaucracy and simplify offerings for specific segments.
• A whole?of?industry match?making service akin to a marketplace, reducing friction between hundreds of thousands of buyers and a few hundred sellers.
• Affiliate leads/sales programmes to systematically connect buyers and sellers via intermediaries, reducing overhead.
• Premium telco services targeting underserved mid?market segments with repeatable OSS/BSS “cookie?cutter” solutions.
• An exponentially better OSS that harnesses AI, AR, VR, modern data pipelines and immersive interfaces to address high?impact pain points.
• Low?code/no?code glue platforms to accelerate integration and reduce implementation risk.

Each solution is examined through trust, risk and confidence/skill?set lenses, emphasising that no single approach is a silver bullet and that collaborative innovation is required.

Part 5: Closing the OSS buyer-seller chasm – More solutions

This continuation of the series focuses on:

• Affiliate leads/sales programmes in depth, illustrating the “Buyer?Seller?Affiliate mesh” where intermediaries expand reach and reduce relationship overhead.
• Premium telco services for mid?market clients that demand tailored, repeatable OSS/BSS solutions rather than bespoke constructs.
• An exponentially better OSS: questioning legacy tool models and highlighting AI, cloud and modern UX as catalysts to narrow the gap by shifting friction continuums to the right.
• Other emerging approaches (e.g. modular business logic, better data pipelines, immersive collaboration tools) that can bring buyers and sellers closer.

The key takeaways: systematic intermediation, targeted market segments and rapid?value tools collectively reduce buyer?seller distance.

Part 6: What’s the worst thing that could happen on an OSS transformation?

This article delves into potential failure scenarios during OSS projects, ranging from data corruption, service outages, spiralling costs, regulatory non?compliance to catastrophic organisational disruptions. It underscores that understanding these risks is critical for designing robust mitigation strategies. By explicitly naming possible failures such as loss of network visibility, failed cutovers, cascading outages and vendor lock?in buyers and sellers can co?create contingency plans that shrink the chasm of trust and fear.

Part 7: When the most expensive thing about your OSS product isn’t your price

This article explores hidden buyer?side costs beyond licence fees including implementation project overhead, customisation, training, support, long?term TCO, lock?in concerns, legal negotiations and change?management expenses. It urges sellers to help buyers reduce these “hidden” costs (e.g. dramatic cuts in time?to?value, friction continuum improvements, transparent lock?in terms) rather than simply discounting price. By reframing offerings, streamlining onboarding, embedding modular architectures, offering robust training and clear upgrade paths, vendors can make their OSS “cheaper” to the buyer without cutting list prices.

Part 8: If you want your OSS to be Exceptional, it must be the Exception

This article challenges vendors to diverge from incrementalism and be truly “exceptional.” Drawing on the notion that “it just barely works,” it proposes radically reframing OSS design: prioritise the eighty percent of functionalities that move the needle, embrace generative AI conversational UIs, minimise bloated business logic layers and focus on reducing time?to?value from nine months to weeks. This contrarian approach widens the gap for incumbents while shrinking the buyer?seller chasm by elevating trust and reducing perceived risk. An AI?driven, conversational OSS would be a genuine exception. One that commands attention in a commoditised market.

Part 9: Overcoming the OSS buyer-seller chasm – Using a brilliant ad-man’s perspective

This article applies “psycho-logical” reframing techniques to typical OSS procurement cycles, which often become “bet the farm” exercises leading to paralysis. By focusing on the cost of inaction, making decisions reversible (sliced?and?diced releases), anchoring to familiar digital?transformation narratives, reframing risk as potential upside, adopting emotional storytelling instead of sterile numbers and setting hard deadlines, vendors can shift stakeholder mindsets. These tactics reduce frozen indecision and accelerate match?making across the chasm.

Part 10: The Ultimate Game – How this behavioural experiment applies to the OSS buyer/seller chasm

This article uses the “Ultimatum Game” from behavioural economics to draw parallels to OSS RFP negotiations: buyers often reject perceived “unfair” splits (even if they could accept a small share) out of fairness norms. Carriers may demand a disproportionately large cut of value (e.g. 70/30), leaving vendors resentful yet desperate. The article contrasts this with entrepreneurs offering 0/100 splits, sacrificing short?term gain to build trust, signal abundance and forge long?term partnerships. It observes that open?source vendors often negotiate more smoothly (perceived altruism, reciprocity effects) and asks proprietary vendors: how could you create your own “Ultimatum Game” advantage?

Part 11: Could vendor financing help to solve an OSS buyer/seller chasm conundrum?

This article examines vendor financing as a way to lower financial barriers and build trust. Instead of large upfront payments, buyers pay minimal initial fees, with the balance deferred and tied to performance milestones (e.g. deployment completion, SLA achievement). This structure aligns buyer and seller incentives, reduces CFO?level risk aversion and improves cash flow. Vendors gain predictable recurring revenue and deeper customer loyalty, while buyers benefit from better ROI and flexibility. Potential pitfalls such as credit risk, contractual complexity, TCO obscuration and vendor lock?in concerns are also discussed, emphasising that careful structuring is essential to make financing a true bridge across the chasm.