Latest – Page 20
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M&A
Telefónica (finally) exits Costa Rica
Group finalises long-awaited divestment. Final transaction price is $538m, around $40m short of previously agreed deal. Movistar marque utilised by Liberty as it pursues multi-brand strategy in Costa Rica. Former Movistar Costa Rica exec to head operations.
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People
BT targets serial moderniser to back Jansen transformation
Strong media rumours emerged identifying former Royal Mail Chief Executive Adam Crozier as the likely Chairman-successor to du Plessis, reflecting continued pressure on BT to accelerate restructuring. Crozier would come with little direct digital background, but considerable experience of shaking up venerable institutions, and with recent experience linked to ...
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Suppliers & SCM
VPC’s Wilson praises Lenovo for help in pandemic crisis
Ninian Wilson impressed by Lenovo’s ability to meet “huge demand” for laptops when Vodafone call-centre operatives needed to work from home during lockdown. Extends existing Lenovo contract as reward: “when people help you in a crisis you don’t forget”.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Vivendi reignites Telefónica relationship with new stake
1% shareholding set to be just the start of a closer alliance and reflects the media group’s enthusiasm for strategic telco partnerships. Partnership opportunities exist across the Telefónica footprint, but Spain appears the main area of interest for Vivendi. The move reverses earlier Vivendi exit as a Telefónica investor, ...
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Operations
Indus Towers said to firm up IT systems rework
TowerCo CEO flags progress in pursuit of post-merger synergies. “Indus team” completes IT systems integration, meaning management of 180,000+ site portfolio falls under one roof.
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Premium
Amdocs to support billing tidy-up
Magyar Telekom’s billing transformation programme gets underway with Amdocs’ partnership. IT services provider will drive digitalisation and modernisation of the NatCo’s billing platform, the first element of a broader Future of Billing initiative.
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Strategy & Change
Telefónica’s Rao hails bold approach to customer tech refresh
CTIO highlights ‘co-creation’ role played by partners such as Salesforce.
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Strategy & Change
BT Global shuts down Kuwait HQ
Division’s rationalisation of Middle Eastern footprint continues as Group confirms closure of Kuwaiti facilities. Residual presence in country — and region — maintained via new reseller alliance with Ooredoo.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Shell G&PD, T-Sys to share green energy smarts
Transatlantic agreement benefits multiple DT domains. Renewed MSA signed in 2020 extended by MoU, as Shell and T-Systems aim for respective environmental targets. Smart city tech also in the works.
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Strategy & Change
Fintechs ready to disrupt capital markets’ status quo
BT Radianz directors discuss the potential for fintechs to drive a step change in the capital markets sector. Hybrid cloud described as an accelerator at the culmination of a 20-year digitalisation process for the industry.
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Vendor Voice
Teradata: balanced data foundation critical to digital transformation
If AI and ML are your future, make sure the data foundations are in place. Requirements and applications change but the need for a solid data base does not. Your data vision should be holistic, released from the complexity and inefficiency of hundreds and even thousands of siloes. Use ...
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Operations
Four-day weeks and home working at Telefónica
“Avant-garde” union deal writes in provisions for permanent hybrid working for 15,000 employees. Four-day week pilot promised for volunteer employees, with an accompanying drop in pay. 1% salary increase also flagged.
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Strategy & Change
‘Fearless’ Mehta out to power rapid change at BT
New CDIO committed to radical cultural change, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit, and a willingness to embrace the risk of failure. BT’s slow start on digital transformation an opportunity to leapfrog a generation of innovation. Group CEO Jansen’s persuasiveness key to convincing Mehta of BT’s potential as a TechCo.
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Vendor Voice
Celfocus: Agile mindset and precision key to digitalisation
In an interview with Telefónicawatch, Paulo Trigo, CEO of European telco SI Celfocus, outlines a belief that operators must think more nimbly as they engage in strategic transformation programmes. IT implementation needs greater influence to enable digital transformation. Agile is more than a buzzword and must to be part ...
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Vendor Voice
Blue Planet urges operators to take the digital leap
In interviews with Telefónicawatch, senior figures at Blue Planet discussed learnings from the vendor’s journey towards the digitalisation of services by carriers. Standards provide vital safety net as industry digitalises incrementally and telcos must act collectively to establish a vision. Old thinking on customer relationships and procurement cause friction. ...
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Enterprise (B2B)
DT’s Antje Williams puts three year timeline on enterprise 5G
Enterprises initially focusing on private networks but they want to test all types of features. ‘Fear of missing out’ cited as a key driver of digitisation and 5G.
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M&A
Vodafone Turkey buys into enterprise IT specialist FGS
OpCo takes 50% share of business services provider and frames deal as reflecting Vodafone’s march into “TechCo” territory. FGS products to be launched in Vodafone markets outside Turkey.
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Suppliers & SCM
NPS revival makes for happy shopping at Vodafone’s VPC
Digital transformation at Vodafone’s procurement unit said to have driven positive Net Promoter Scores for user experience. VPC says it is now faster, more efficient, and has “happy” purchase orders. Process mining and machine learning driving further efficiencies.
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Operations
Vodafone banks on the Nile for flow of efficiencies
Group Annual Report sheds light on shared services transformation under the _VOIS division. Egypt emerges as the Group’s largest territory by headcount. CFO Della Valle points to _VOIS “role efficiencies” as it de-siloes, standardises, and harmonises operations.
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Operations
DT to halve real estate footprint in cost reduction drive
Group will shutter 50% of its German real estate in the period to December 2024. Expected net savings could reach €200m. Reflective of a “new way of working” at T-Systems and TDE.