Telco & Vendor Voice
The voice of telco and the hub for all the latest interviews and profiles from senior figures across the telecoms operator and vendor community.
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
Teradata: telco leaders must step up to seize data opportunity
Breaking down silos to seamlessly orchestrate data can deliver a virtuous circle of customer improvement and operational efficiency, presenting a springboard for a strategic reboot. In adopting tech sector business models, telcos have yet to fully grasp the value of their data assets, with coordination acting as a powerful ...
Nutanix: Silicon Valley oblivious to emerging telco renaissance
Nutanix’s Tarkan Maner discusses with Vodafonewatch his take on the evolution of the cloud services sector, and the way in which digital transformation efforts demand a fundamental re‑think of the misbalanced relationship between telecoms and technology players. Sector veteran Maner predicts telco fightback in the hyperscaler blind spot of ...
Salesforce Industries: bringing cloud Vlocity to telco CX
As the CRM giant sharpens its focus on telco transformation, Salesforce Industries highlights the need for operators to lose legacy baggage, embrace cultural change, and focus on collaboration to move at digital pace. Experience of acquisition Vlocity demonstrates three trends in telco transformation, from gradual evolution to enthusiastic adoption ...
Openreach Tech team powers UK fibre build
CTIO Colin Lees shares impact of tech overhaul on network build. More effort on provisioning and repair in three-year transformation project. Openreach owns IT and Network strategy decisions; BT Digital and BT Networks are key suppliers. Three-supplier strategy for FTTP advances with Adtran, Huawei and Nokia.
Vishal Dixit: MVNOs are vital to Vodafone UK growth
Conversations with potential UK MVNO partners are “in the double digits”. Asda Mobile and Virgin Media deals exemplify OpCo’s new approach to MVNO partnerships. OpCo moving away from a ‘computer says no’ approach to MVNOs.
Openreach pushes ahead in journey to agile
CTIO Colin Lees discusses three-year transformation project across IT, network, and processes to support FTTP rollout. Independent Openreach Technology division treads in parent’s tech footsteps. Adopts agile development where it can and organises into Tribes and Squads. Data strategy seeks “single source of truth”. Takes pragmatic approach to cloud ...
Avidan puts strategy in motion at Deutsche Telekom IoT
Avidan brings entrepreneurial mindset to DT IoT as he seeks to transform the business and meet growth ambitions. Major strategic initiative, IoT Hub, planned for commercial launch in early-2021. Hints are made at “inorganic activities” in future, but current initiatives driven by organic efforts and strategic partnerships.
Deutsche Telekom backs GSMA scheme to sort network security headaches
DT CSO Thomas Tschersich is a leading proponent of GSMA and 3GPP scheme. NESAS aims for more secure mobile networks and efficient security testing. Geopolitical climate heightens awareness about the security assurance scheme, and DT exec insists it could be an apolitical solution to concerns.
Droniq COO: BVLOS flight within sight
Ralph Schepp talks regulatory hurdles, market potential, and use‑cases. DT‑DFS JV sets high ambitions for traffic management platform. Partners brought in, with DT staying close.
Telefónica says continuity vital in 5G SA supplier selection
Operator confirms longstanding network partners Ericsson and Nokia as 5G SA radio suppliers. CTIO claims provider has the “best technology partners” that can help develop 5G “at the highest level of quality”.
BT, Vodafone “actively pushing” procurement collaboration
BT and Vodafone procurement chiefs back Trust Your Supplier to bring harmony to telco purchasing. Vodafone eventually to “mandate” Trust Your Supplier use. Collaboration between operators key to simplification and digitalisation of the industry, claim Cyril Pourrat and Ninian Wilson.
Group furthers shake-up with open RAN vendor picks
Capgemini Engineering, Dell Technologies, Keysight Technologies, NEC, Samsung, and Wind River selected for commercial UK deployment. Vodafone top brass insists that accelerating the pace of RAN innovation, rather than cost reduction, is initial the strategic driver for open RAN rollout. Quietly trimming UK open RAN site commitment from 2,600 ...
DT burnishes green credentials with Fairphone, Samsung partnerships
Group places focus on ensuring sustainability throughout the supplier chain. Nemat emphasises need to retire legacy equipment to save energy and become more economically viable.
Openreach enlists CommScope for full‑fibre support
CommScope’s NOVUX platform to enable Openreach to hit FTTP deployment goals. US‑based vendor added to a growing list of rollout programme partners.
Ericsson targets African gains on back of Vodafone reorg
Swedish vendor has been punching below weight within Vodafone’s African operations. Tech 2025 organisational changes and geopolitical flux could create openings to grow regional account.
BT wants a billion pounds “minimum” from Microsoft deal
Microsoft beefs up its position within BT’s enterprise ecosystem with formation of an updated strategic partnership. BT aiming for a nine-figure revenue target from “complicated”, “big” deal. Software giant separately acquires BT spend‑tracking partner Suplari.
Vodafone eyes corporates with Unisys tie‑up
Group launches Digital Factory, offering digitalisation support and integration services for AR/VR, big data, blockchain, edge compute, and IoT. Move chimes with Business:2025 growth strategy.
BT targets Amazon as key commercial partner
As Consumer embraces a platform strategy and seeks new partners to help boost customer value and enhance its billing relationships, a concerted effort is being made to woo internet giant Amazon. Relationship building reflects determination to achieve a “best for partnerships” strategic objective.
Movistar gives fitness startup Volava distribution leg up
Wayra interest Volava taps into Spanish OB’s customer base, with flexible payment options for its hardware. Movistar raises possibility that early‑stage link‑up could be expanded upon, as startup pounces on COVID‑19‑spurred exercising‑at‑home trend.
Telefónica ties with KKR again on Colombian fibre InfraCo
FTTH InfraCos spun out in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia this month. Latest agreement with KKR sets up InfraCo in Colombia. Chilean fibre venture with KKR finalised. FiBrasil infrastructure company launched in Brazil. InfraCo model lightens capital investment intensity for Telefónica.
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.
Vodafone taps DOCOMO Digital for direct carrier billing
Turkish OpCo teams up with long‑time Group enabler to provide customers with payment security on Huawei’s AppGallery marketplace.
Vodafone hosts Dixons Carphone mobile play
Retail group set to launch MVNO proposition in the near future on Vodafone UK’s network. Dixit’s MVNO wholesale strategy making its mark.