AMSTERDAM -- Communication service providers (CSPs) need a self-imposed shift in corporate culture in order to capitalize on the massive amounts of potentially useful data they have at their fingertips.

That's one of the conclusions from the first morning's debate, Jan. 29, at the Big Data Analytics Summit in the Dutch capital.

The TeleManagement Forum (TM Forum), the event's organizer, attracted a number of CSP executives from the likes of Belgacom, Cricket Communications and Orange Polska (with many more to come) to talk about why and how they are approaching the so-called big data challenge.

The overall theory is that by extracting useful information from the information that is currently hidden and untapped in many systems and networks, CSPs can provide a better customer experience, develop more targeted and intelligent marketing programs, and develop new business models that will ultimately enable them to maximize their top and bottom lines.

Here are my takeaways from the conference sessions.