Microsoft (Azure) News

SAP Chief Business Officer Marika Auramo to take Vodafone Business top-spot, completing Margherita Della Valle’s Executive Committee and adding more senior SAP expertise to the table.

Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: M&A success in Africa; funding milestone in India; Microsoft getting AI-cosy in Paddington
Latest from Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: long-awaited acquisition in Tanzania that looks to be good business for Vodacom; initial answer to funding questions at Vi via Vodafone partner ABG; developments across the Group’s European operations; and more…
Financial & Performance
Deutsche Telekom hits milestone in Systems reset
Group’s challenged enterprise IT division finally got back into positive cash flow territory in FY23, following a major portfolio overhaul by ex-CEO Adel Al-Saleh.
M&A
Vodafone’s Della Valle claims retrenchment is complete after Italian sale confirmed
CEO Margherita Della Valle has declared the Group’s Italy retreat to be the ‘final step’ of her right-sizing campaign, leaving it smaller but purportedly ready to chase growth in markets that matter. Deal prompts wholesale structural change stretching beyond Europe — ExCo swaps, B2B priorities, shared services overhaul — but Vodafone is left a far cry from its former superpower status…
Interview
BT Business ‘builds like fury’ to stitch Global Fabric together
CTO Colin Bannon tells TelcoTitans why the Group’s new platform is a “generational shift” in technology that required BT to ‘rip up old blueprints’. BT intends to take centre stage in a multi-cloud world, with partners in tow and customers lined up…
M&A
Telefónica ‘hits pause’ on Nabiax sale amid Microsoft talks
Sale of Spanish data centre JV with Asterion Industrial Partners reportedly delayed again until end of summer-2024, as refreshed hyperscaler cloud deal holds potential to boost valuation.
Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica builds out Microsoft ties with AI, API deals
MWC: Group evolves relationship with tech giant through tie-ups over Kernel cognitive intelligence platform and GSMA’s Open Gateway initiative. Fresh initiatives line up neatly with three-year strategic targets. Read more…
Products & Services
German telco trio debuts Open Gateway APIs
MWC: Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, and Vodafone launch first APIs in Germany, with focus initially on providing anti-fraud and security to financial organisations. Various ongoing trials flagged with Fireblocks, Siemens Energy, and Sony. Collaboration presented as key as initiative takes centre stage at Mobile World Congress…
Weekly Briefings
Vodafonewatch Weekly: Della Valle kickstarts transformation agenda with deals, restructuring
Latest around Vodafone and its ecosystem, including: Vodafone’s Microsoft megadeal; Safaricom’s newest unicorn-scouting initiative; ‘aggressive’ Auto plans; plus Vantage Towers, EU maneuvers, India, North Africa, and New Year exec changes…
Partnerships & Alliances
Vodafone signs ‘bold’ Microsoft deal to further AI, cloud, CX, IoT priorities
Wide-ranging collaboration includes $1.5bn Vodafone investment in co-developed solutions; AI adoption at scale; and embrace of Azure ecosystem. Get the full insight…
Premium
Elsewhere in Europe: DT takes Magenta Moments to sixth market
DT takes Magenta Moments to sixth market.
Strategy & Change
Safaricom fosters digital, engineering talent in youth employment drive
Safaricom develops ‘engineering talent pipeline’ to equip itself and wider Kenyan technology ecosystem with talent in digital and engineering spheres. Read more…
People
Incoming Vodafone CZ CEO brings entrepreneurial spirit, targets purpose-led transformation
Newly-named Vodafone Czech Republic CEO Violeta Luca will join in January from Microsoft, replacing longstanding leader Petr Dvořák.
Interview
Interview: Orange Wholesale chief says hyperscalers, cloud, AI fundamentally changing subsea cable
In an exclusive interview with TelcoTitans, Michaël Trabbia, CEO of freshly-reconfigured €7.4bn Orange Wholesale, highlights how the transatlantic currently dominates strong subsea investment (Pacific, Africa also in the frame), with hyperscalers (except Apple) key drivers on major routes. And much more…
Partnerships & Alliances
Deutsche Telekom and SK Telecom to develop telco-tailored AI digital assistant platform
Latest agreement stems from SKT’s partnership with US-based AI specialist Anthropic on multilingual large language models, for the benefit of DT-backed Global Telco AI Alliance.
Interview
Orange Business puts Microsoft 365 Copilot through its paces
Enterprise services unit invited to join early-access programme for GenAI tool.
Premium
Deutsche Telekom Peoplewatch: top-level rejig in Germany
January 2024 update: Telekom Deutschland’s Business Customers unit takes on new MD, following departure of Hagen Rickmann.
Premium
DT launches Microsoft co-developed 5G private network
“Campus Network Smart” delivers standardised 5G campus networks.
Premium
T-Sys backs consortium to speed up vehicle OTA updates
Seven partners establish consortium to develop solution for vehicular over‑the‑air approvals process via mobile networks.
Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica teams with Ericsson to develop cloud RAN
A new collaboration agreement will see pair roll out trial deployments of cloud radio access networks in Europe using open APIs.
Premium
Elsewhere in Telefónica Group: Operators continue to bang ‘fair share’ drum
Operators continue to bang ‘fair share’ drum.
People
T-Systems hires Microsoft veteran Rachel Linnemann
Linnemann recruited as Vice-President of T-Systems’ Microsoft Powerhouse.