All articles by Joe Purnell – Page 58
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PeoplewatchVodacom payment specialist XLink appoints MD
Majority-owned secure payments processor XLink Communications appoints Thanusha Govender with a ‘stay-the-course’ mandate. Former Absa strategy lead replaces stalwart Marnewick.
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PremiumUK operators action inflation-linked pricing
BT, EE join fellow operators in price hike announcements as UK inflation pushes broadband and mobile prices up nearly 10%. Consumer challenges affecting MNOs too, say MNOs. Brexit impact also felt for roamers.
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PremiumTelefónica people moves: Colombian fibre JV names leadership
Telefónica Colombia’s fibre-building joint venture with KKR launches with a familiar top-team. Collaborative initiatives see Group execs take board seats at GSMA and IndesIA. VM O2 continues to make sweeping changes to senior leadership, with former O2 UK execs Bailey and Soto finding new roles elsewhere.
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PeoplewatchTelefónica Tech names advisors to aid growth drive
Acquisitive division lists inorganic expansion as key motivator for the creation of a new Advisory Board. Twelve experts drawn from Group, Tech, and external sources.
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Financial & PerformanceBT Q3: king of a still-wobbly hill
Corporate weakness postpones recovery, with BT Global recuperating and BT Enterprise still in surgery. Rational rivals embraced, but warned of “Armageddon scenario”, with Sky current BFF. Discovery tie-up a win-win for BT Sport (but what about for BT itself?). Openreach charges on, hitting new records for FTTP connections and ...
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PremiumBT Q3 FY21–22 Guidance: positives to come, but later than promised
Revenue down 2% for the year, but growth anticipated from Q1 FY22–23. All things point up, but large corporates at Enterprise and Global need turnaround to avoid continued struggles. Discovery tie-up a win–win for BT Sport (and maybe for Sky, but what about for BT itself?).
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Public AffairsOTE handed €9m fine for data protection failings
Greek operator deemed to have infringed on GDPR law in 2020 data leak. Fines handed to Cosmote mobile operator and OTE Group parent.
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PeoplewatchOpenreach’s McTighe ‘steps away’ from Ofcom chair search
Mike McTighe, Openreach Chairman, reportedly withdraws from the search for an Ofcom chair. Now nearly two years in the making, the process is yet to find a clear frontrunner despite a number of names floated. Ex-BBC supremo Michael Grade is the latest hat in the ring.
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PremiumBT Q3 FY21–22 Headlines: Openreach surging; CFUs in surgery
Corporate weakness postpones recovery, with BT Global recuperating and BT Enterprise still hurting. Openreach charges on, hitting new records for FTTP connections and (low) costs. City analysts focus on ‘mathematical’ minutiae of inflation response and impact on customers, costs, and payroll. Drahi and other predators ignored.
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PremiumBT Q3 FY21–22: king of a still-wobbly castle
Rational rivals embraced, but warned of “Armageddon scenario”, with Sky current BFF. Mixed results force management to cling to customer satisfaction and market share security blankets. Inflation a bonus for Consumer’s linked pricing. ‘Jam tomorrow’ outlook reiterated.
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PeoplewatchTelefónica’s Álvarez-Pallete elected to GSMA top spot
Group Executive Chairman takes to the helm, replacing Orange’s Stéphane Richard. “Strategic direction” under Álvarez-Pallete’s oversight for two-year tenure.
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PremiumBT Q3 FY21–22 Spend: costs under control
Cost-savings transformation programme continues to earn accolades among management, despite necessary investment in infrastructure. Broader market factors felt.
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PremiumTDE builds up contact centre services suite
German NatCo signs deal with DT investment Aircall to deliver cloud-based voice solution to SMEs. DTGB Iberia partners Talkdesk for contact centre tools and expertise for Spanish customers.
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Public AffairsSafaricom staff caught in police “trap” after data fraud
Court hearing details how two Safaricom employees were caught attempting to sell subscriber data. Operator commits to fraud reduction initiatives.
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Strategy & ChangeVodafone Germany strategic shift forces exec changes
Dimitrova handed Strategy & Transformation remit, with Velthuis brought in to lead Finance. Exiting CTO Mack will not be replaced as OpCo mirrors Group’s split-structure TechCo vision. CEO Ametsreiter seeks transformation focus with fresh-faced executive team.
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Strategy & ChangeVodafone in the market for London real estate
Reports indicate desire for more office space in London alongside Paddington HQ. Growing software engineering team seemingly looking for desks, with Future Ready hybrid-working model rolling out in parallel.
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Venturing & InvestmentsDTCP kickstarts 2022 with data security investments
Data analytics platform Dremio and cybersecurity threat detector Hunters picked for cash injection. DT venturing vehicle makes inaugural investment in the two startups, adding to data-oriented interests.
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Public AffairsTelefónica handed EC fine for Brazilian non-compete deal
Decade-long proceedings close with Telefónica — along with Pharol — ordered to hand over €79m for antitrust breach. European Commission findings upheld despite yo-yoing, with final charge held for Telefónica and down slightly for Pharol.
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Partnerships & AlliancesGenesys partnered for speech-based AI bot
TPG ties with Genesys and Google Cloud to launch an “upgrade” to its Vodafone TOBi chatbot. NLP integration set to improve voice channel triaging, with sales role touted in a future deployment.
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PremiumDeutsche Telekom people moves: senior Technology & Innovation changes
Changes in AI, network automation, and R&D leadership to bring in the new year, with a fresh CTO to boot. Leroy’s Europe domain draws regional talent for new commercial team, while SoHo and SME segments get attention in central and Eastern outposts. T-Systems’ Posset confirms Poland and Romania as ...