More on EMEA Telco Leaders – Page 215
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Products & ServicesUpstart Airtel rouses Vodafone Spain’s ire
New Spanish service provider revives Airtel brand after Vodafone Spain let trademark expire. VfS demands company stop using the brand.
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Network & InfrastructureSIRO nudges up premises passed, but still some way off target
Vodafone’s fibre JV in Ireland added 61,000 premises in 2020, taking total up to 360,000. A 450,000 target, slated for 2018, now not expected to be reached until H2 2022. CEO Keaney looks to EU recovery fund to help drive digital Ireland.
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Innovation (R&D)hubraum selects startups in search for mixed reality apps
Deutsche Telekom technology accelerator hubraum showcases mixed reality startups as part of its MR Program in partnership with Nreal and Qualcomm. Thirteen startups given a platform at virtual Demo Day. Nreal Light available via Deutsche Telekom.
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Venturing & InvestmentsDTCP-backed Lookout and CipherCloud become one
CipherCloud subsumed into Lookout. Two legacy T-Venture investments integrate technologies to drive sales in expanding SASE market. Long-term ambition is to create unified platform which tackles cyber-crime at device endpoints and in cloud apps.
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Products & ServicesVodafone remote access re-platforming delivers flexibility-on-demand
Supporting 100,000+ primarily Europe desktop and application users. Microsoft and Nutanix facilitate GDC’s “journey to hybrid cloud scenario”. Pandemic pressure-tests wisdom and capability of 2019 refit.
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Content & TVVodafone shoots for ‘world leadership’ as TV platform goes live in Germany
Sky’s the limit for Vodafone TV cloud platform ambition. Big step in TV platform consolidation across the Group. Migration underway in Germany.
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Network & InfrastructureBT explores optical options after Moore, Shannon
Lord keen to leverage lower-cost data centre technologies for network deployment. Floats idea of ripping out ROADMs in core network and replacing them with routers and ZR optics pluggables. Lower prices through photonic integration seen as key. Promising trials with hollow-core and multi-core fibre.
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PeopleCo-founder of Vodacom’s IoT.nxt resigns
CEO of South African IoT startup steps down in what appears abrupt decision. Move comes despite repeated talking-up of IoT.nxt’s progress and potential by parents Vodacom and Vodafone. Statement highlights new leadership will steer IoT.nxt’s “journey of globalisation” under Vodacom’s stewardship.
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Public AffairsThreat of BT national strike intensifies
CWU calls on BT member base to back strike action, with further details on proposed ballot in “coming weeks”. Group transformation continues to exacerbate already disaffected BT-union relations. Mass walkouts from ‘late-spring’ a possibility. Union and BT share very different relationship perspectives.
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Suppliers & SCMO2 heads down under for customer tech refresh
Australian software provider Hansen joins gang of suppliers working on German OB’s wide-reaching digital transformation. Vendor sees potential to expand its footprint to other Telefónica geographies. O2 front-loads licence purchases.
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Public AffairsBT braces as Ofcom fibre ruling looms
Ofcom to set out its fibre vision this week, and while BT may get pricing freedom, it may not get the longer-term clarity it craves. Regulator’s steps to open up infrastructure competition may also disrupt the incumbent’s plans.
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PeopleTransformation guru Baumann joins Vodafone Germany
Former Microsoft transformation lead Heide Baumann named Director, Commercial Operations at German operator. Brings experience from BT, Liberty, and Three to Vodafone.
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Venturing & InvestmentsDTCP debuts in South Korea with Catenoid investment
Fund joins Series-C round for online video platform provider that has ties with KT. The startup becomes DTCP’s first South Korean interest since landing in 2019.
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PremiumVodafone people moves: Group tech rejig spreads out
Donà and El Sayed share technology leadership at Vodafone UK. Vodafone Business builds out SoHo commercial team. Vodacom draws Paytm’s Kaul as financial services Super App emerges with its first “tenants”. YeboYethu rotates its board, with long-time Chair Bassa set to leave.
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Venturing & InvestmentsDeutsche Telekom TIPs more cash into SME security player Cynet
$40m total funding raised in Series-C round. DT adds another undisclosed sum to startup’s funding pot, with latter eyeing growth opportunities.
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Innovation (R&D)BT shines light on AI in the East
Adastral Park R&D facility takes centre stage in inaugural Artificial Intelligence Festival. East of England emerges as UK hub for AI research and innovation. BT asserts AI thought leadership and is UK’s top AI patent filer. Group’s use of AI aligns with telco peers, but recent moves suggest bigger ...
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Suppliers & SCMDeutsche Telekom tackles China connection with Aryaka
Group investment Aryaka is now a third-party supplier within T-Systems’ portfolio of Smart SD-WAN offerings. Rehoused Deutsche Telekom Global Business Solutions division eyeing growth in enterprise comms use-cases for clients operating in China.
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PremiumTelefónica people moves: Cybersecurity & Cloud CIO named
Flavio Reis takes CIO job at Telefónica Tech’s Cybersecurity & Cloud unit, with ElevenPaths’ Sarwat also joining the ranks. Brendan O’Reilly gets replaced by Telefónica Mexico CTIO on the Cornerstone board, suggesting a new O2 UK CTIO may be in the works. Burzako fills in Oslé’s Movistar+ vacancy in ...
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M&AMiNODES brought in house as Telefónica NEXT shuts up shop
Data analytics acquisition MiNODES brought closer to O2’s core business. Telefónica NEXT now fully disbanded, with Germany Business Sales in its place.
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Network & InfrastructureLiberty: VodafoneZiggo tower sale is ‘work-in-progress’
CEO Mike Fries sees Dutch joint venture’s assets as undervalued. Partner appears aligned with Vodafone’s eagerness to extract cash from site networks across Europe. Broader discussions over VodafoneZiggo collaboration may be tied in with tower question.