Mobile Magazine - November 2023 by mobileworldmag

November 2023 | mobile-magazine.com

ABLE Human Motion: technology shaping rehabilitation Vimeo’s VP Data & Analytics on data trends

Female Telco Leaders

Reflection on Cloud & 5G LIVE

LEADING 5G WHILE DRIVING INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Erin Raney, Senior Director Network Technology Services and Innovation at T-Mobile, talks about how the brand is leading the way with 5G through innovation FEATURING:

AXIATA

TELUS

VIRGIN MEDIA

The World’s Fastest Growing Fintech & Crypto Event 8 - 9 November 2023 QEII Centre, London

GET YOUR PASS

SPONSORSHIPS

A BizClik Event

The Digital Platform for Mobile Leaders

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

MAGAZINE | WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER + MORE

Ways to Work With us Mobile magazine is an established and trusted voice with an engaged and highly targeted audience of 330,000 global executives Digital Magazine Website Newsletters Industry Data & Demand Generation Webinars: Creation & Promotion White Papers & Research Reports Lists: Top 10s & Top 100s Events: Virtual & In-Person

WORK WITH US

Never miss an issue!

+ Discover the latest news and insights about Mobile Magazine...

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

The Mobile Team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MAYA DERRICK

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER

SCOTT BIRCH

MANAGING EDITOR

NEIL PERRY

CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER

MATT JOHNSON HEAD OF DESIGN

ANDY WOOLLACOTT SENIOR DESIGNERS

REBEKAH BIRLESON SAM HUBBARD

FEATURE DESIGNERS

JULIA WAINWRIGHT VICTORIA CASEY EMMA WALLER LEAD DESIGNER

JULIA WAINWRIGHT ADVERT DESIGNERS

CALLUM HOOD DANILO CARDOSO ADRIAN SERBAN VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER

KIERAN WAITE

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

ERNEST DE NEVE THOMAS EASTERFORD DREW HARDMAN SALLY MOUSTAFA

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

GEORGIA ALLEN DANIELA KIANICKOVÁ

PRODUCTION MANAGERS

JANE ARNETA MARIA GONZALEZ YEVHENIIA SUBBOTINA KENDRA LAU

MARKETING MANAGER

ALICE PAGE

PROJECT DIRECTOR

NAZEEF RABIU-IDREES MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR

JAMES WHITE

MANAGING DIRECTOR

LEWIS VAUGHAN CEO

GLEN WHITE

FOREWORD

TECHNOLOGY DRIVING AN EXCITING FUTURE “ There is a continued drive to push boundaries and look forward to a future where digital and human elements are more entwined, promising a brighter, more connected world”

Technology has come a long way, and there’s still a long way to go. What a rollercoaster it’s been – and there are plenty of dips and loops on the horizon Fittingly seeing as this is the final edition of Mobile Magazine of 2023, this issue takes today's rapidly evolving technological landscape by the horns and looks at how it could change the industry – and the world – as we know it. Technology has had a profound influence on innovation, with the uptake in leveraging AI, data analytics, and IoT soaring and utilised for the likes of seamless and responsive customer interactions and healthcare advancements. With technology supercharging innovation – whether that be in telecommunications, entertainment or the AI and 5G industries – there is a continued drive to push boundaries and look forward to a future where digital and human elements are more entwined, promising a brighter, more connected world. Come with us as we embrace an era of boundless possibilities with this future-centric issue of Mobile Magazine.

MAYA DERRICK

maya.derrick @bizclikmedia.com MOBILE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY

mobile-magazine.com

CONTENTS UP FRONT 014 BIG PICTURE

016

LG sets record for the longest distance recorded in any 6G test

016 THE MOBILE INTERVIEW

Sanjay Radia of NETSCOUT

024 LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

Three UK’s Belinda Finch

024

014

030 PEOPLE MOVES in the mobile, TMT, wireless, 5G & IoT sectors

032 THE MONTH THAT WAS

Highlights from October

036 8

November 2023

NOVEMBER 2023

060

FEATURES 036 TOP 10

078

Female telco leaders

048 TMT

Technology driving the rehabilitation devices of the future

060 T- MOBILE

Leading 5G while driving innovation and technology

078 PRIVATE CLOUD

048

088

Optimising private cloud performance, efficiency & security

088 AXIATA

Axiata Enterprise is powering digital transformation in Asia mobile-magazine.com

Knowledge Partners

THE TOP 100 COMPANIES IN DATA CENTRE READ NOW

NOVEMBER 2023 FEATURES

108

108 EVENT REVIEW Cloud & 5G Live

118 TELUS

From traditional telco to world-leading tech org

138 TECH & AI

Using data and analytics to enhance users’ TMT experience

148 VIRGIN MEDIA

Virgin Media O2’s customer focus on the digital payment journey

148

138 mobile-magazine.com

COMING SOON

AWARDS 2024 The Global Sustainability Awards 2024 will be celebrating the very best in Sustainability & ESG with the following categories: Sustainability Strategy Award – ESG Program Award – Climate Change Award – Diversity & Inclusion Award – Net Zero Award – Sustainable Supply Chain Award – Sustainable Technology Award – Sustainable Consultancy Award – Future Leader Award – Executive of the Year Award – Project of the Year Award – Lifetime Achievement Award

GET INVOLVED

SPONSORSHIPS

BIG PICTURE

LG sets record for the longest distance recorded in any 6G test

LG Sciencepark in Magok, Seoul, South Korea And the record for the longest successful wireless transmission and reception of 6G terahertz (THz) data over 500 metres goes to… LG! Run jointly with LG U+, the test was the longest distance recorded in any 6G test conducted in an outdoor, urban area. This achievement follows the company’s successful 2022 test, when it sent and received 6G THz data wirelessly over 320 metres outdoors at the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz Institute in Berlin, Germany.

November 2023

Image: Getty Images mobile-magazine.com

THE MOBILE INTERVIEW

NETSCOUT’S

SANJAY RADIA SAYS DIGITAL STRATEGY IS ESSENTIAL SANJAY RADIA TITLE: CHIEF SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT COMPANY: NETSCOUT INDUSTRY: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

EXECUTIVE BIO

LOCATION: UNITED STATES

With his expertise in design and architecture, Sanjay Radia provides technical expertise to NETSCOUT clients and resellers in the UK and EMEA for new and existing products. He works to present these solutions at roadshows across all regions. He has a BSc in Computer Systems Engineering from Middlesex University.

November 2023

Amber Jackson speaks with the Chief Solutions Architect at NETSCOUT to discuss how telcos can overcome difficult digital transformation barriers

ow more than ever, it is crucial for telecommunication companies to have concrete digital transformation strategies to stay ahead of the curve. With this in mind, we spoke with Sanjay Radia, Chief Solutions Architect at NETSCOUT, who heads up the company’s customer success programme. Radia offers insight into how he provides technical expertise in design

mobile-magazine.com

THE MOBILE INTERVIEW

and architecture to clients and resellers within the UK, Middle East and Africa for new and existing products. NETSCOUT is a leading provider of performance management, cybersecurity and DDoS protection solutions. Based in Westford, Massachusetts, the company offers a broad range of performance management products.

Q. WHAT SHOULD TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES BEAR IN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION?

» Digital transformation is the adoption

and implementation of digital technology into all areas of an organisation to drive fundamental change. As many telecommunication firms have come to realise in recent years, for business operations to improve, digital transformation is a necessity. However, taking on any transformation initiative comes with a variety of limitations and unexpected challenges, especially when it comes to managing and transferring internal data. Using packet-level data can expedite this process. It consists of small data fragments that are part of a much greater message and, once shared over the internet, these fragments are put back together by the receiving device. This allows users to consume a network’s resources only when they are actually transferring data. Lack of experience, staff shortages, budget restrictions, limited visibility into cloud environments, and limited packet analysis skills are all factors which 18

November 2023

“ Now, more than ever, it is important for telecoms businesses to take control of their future transformation initiatives” limit the use of packet-level data – and hinder the digital transformation, as a result. Nevertheless, packet-level data is essential and, with the right tools, can help ensure the success of what can be a costly transformation project.

Q. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION?

» Overall, telecoms businesses around

the world have made significant strides in their digital transformation strategies and adoption of cloud and hybrid cloud environments by using packet-level data. Yet, there is still some reluctance to using packet-level data, according to a study by Omdia.

Findings revealed that 51% of respondents and 79% of those in senior-level management positions claimed that staff limitations or finding people with the correct skill set was the biggest hurdle impacting a transformation project. Respondents also cited poor query and analysis performance (32%), operational costs of packet capture and storage (31%), inability to see encrypted traffic (30%) and lack of scalability (28%) as additional factors hindering digital transformation. To overcome these hurdles, telecoms organisations must re-evaluate and execute an established digital strategy to help them stay competitive.

Q. HOW CAN TELECOMS ORGANISATIONS OVERCOME THESE OBSTACLES?

» With the help of packet-level data,

telecoms organisations can overcome the aforementioned challenges while also gaining broader visibility into their cloud environments to help accelerate the digital transformation process. Packet-level data only consumes network resources when it is being transferred. This facilitates high network performance, particularly when large amounts of data are being transferred and processed from one technology or environment to another. Additionally, packet-level data sets a reliable foundation for the intelligence mobile-magazine.com

THE MOBILE INTERVIEW

“ Telecoms organisations must re-evaluate and execute an established digital strategy to help them stay competitive” 20

November 2023

required to provide businesses with insight into what lies within their network infrastructure – including the cloud, edge, and on-premises. This is important as the intelligence will evolve over time to support the unique needs of the business. This intelligence can also be used by IT teams to both maintain network reliability and performance as well as to reinforce the level of data integrity and security. By using packet-level data, telecoms organisations can benefit from many advantages, including faster investigation and resolution and an in-depth view of network traffic. From the Omdia

study, respondents claimed to benefit the most from the simplicity of adapting operational processes to new environments (43%) and to fill gaps in visibility by deploying in network devices or environments when deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) agents – like IoT devices – isn’t possible (35%).

Q. WHAT MUST BUSINESSES DO TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT?

» Digital transformation is not always a simple process as there is no one-sizefits-all method. In preparation

and throughout this process, telecoms businesses will require optimum network performance, data security, and assured reliability of their digital infrastructures when evaluating their internal data. Therefore, when navigating the complexities of corporate networks, telecoms businesses should consider the use of an adaptive service solution to help ensure the success of their digital transformation initiatives. Adaptive service solutions are a multi-faceted technology that can be integrated into any network environment. In real time, these solutions can transform raw packets of data into robust mobile-magazine.com

THE MOBILE INTERVIEW

Title of YouTube video often goes over two lines WATCH NOW

metadata – also known as smart data – which can be used towards overall cybersecurity posture and analysis of network or application performance. More advanced versions utilise these same capabilities to provide advanced, deep packet inspection (DPI)-based network detection and response (NDR) tools. Additionally, adaptive service solutions can help telecommunication enterprises overcome the challenges and reduce the total cost of ownership of using packetbased data mentioned above. For example, by allowing immediate access to packets and metadata via 22

November 2023

shared consistent data sources, this removes existing data silos and enables IT teams to work together. This rapid access to shared data and seamless collaboration can help businesses to overcome staff shortages by improving staff efficiency. This, combined with the use of compression technology to secure and store packets and metadata locally, can also help address issues regarding the operational costs of packet capture and storage.

About NETSCOUT

Now, more than ever, it is important for telecoms businesses to take control of their future transformation initiatives and solve subsequent problems quickly. By using packet-level data, organisations can ensure both control and success of their transformation goals. Any digital transformation is only as good as the data it is provided with, and those with more actionable data will be able to adapt easily, make more informed decisions, and achieve increased success.

NetScout Systems is a provider of application performance management and network performance management products located in Westford, Massachusetts. The company assures digital business services against disruptions in performance and security. It provides real-time visibility and insights customers need to accelerate and secure their digital transformation. NETSCOUT’s mission is to ultimately protect global leaders from the risks of disruption and allows them to solve their most challenging network performance and security problems. mobile-magazine.com

LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

BELINDA FINCH THREE UK’S CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER In celebration of the achievements of Belinda Finch, CIO at Three UK, we take a look back on her astounding telco career

BELINDA FINCH TITLE: CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER COMPANY: THREE UK INDUSTRY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM Finch is an experienced telecoms executive with a demonstrated history of working in the technology industry. She has held the position of Chief Information Officer at Three UK since September 2020

November 2023

t’s safe to say that Three UK’s Belinda Finch has left a significant mark on the telecommunications and wider technology industries. Boasting a wealth of experience in telecommunications and utilities infrastructure, she has worked for industry giants across her 20-year career, including as Group CIO and Chief of Staff at Centrica, and eight years across digital transformation roles at Vodafone, namely as Head of Partner Delivery and Head of Transformation and Online. Finch kicked off her career at Three – one of the UK’s four main mobile networks – in September 2020, joining as the company’s CIO, and has been a figurehead spearheading post-pandemic transformation for the betterment of organisations and

mobile-magazine.com

LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

“ You are a very strong and successful business if you have a diverse workforce”

Belinda Finch – Three UK on 5G and Sustainability – MWC 2023 WATCH NOW

November 2023

“This is a pullquote. This is a pullquote. This is a pullquote. This is a pullquote”

the clients and communities they serve. Speaking with Mobile Magazine at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 in Barcelona, Finch shared more about Three’s transformation journey. “Over the last couple of years, we have been going through a bit of an IT transformation journey. We were very much a technology-led transformation programme. We’ve changed that completely so that we’re now very much a business-led transformation programme. “It’s not all about working with technology, but it’s all about working with the business.” Influencing a shift to a fully-virtual world Joining Three at the height of the pandemic – at a time when cybersecurity

was confronted with exceptional challenges from the escalating cybercrime and the mass shift to remote work – in her first 12 months Finch created a brand-new technology department, hired an entire management team and overhauled the transformation programme, all completely virtually. And with Finch joining at such a pivotal time for Three, technology and the wider world, she has positioned herself at the forefront of change for the better. In an interview with Jugo, Finch shared that despite the upsides that comes with hybrid and fully-remote working – especially as a woman and working mother in the industry – she stressed how with fewer opportunities for spontaneous interactions, leaders have to make more intentional actions to mobile-magazine.com

LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

ensure relationships are established and maintained across teams. “Not only more regular one-to-ones but more virtual coffee chats and more opportunities to just have that virtual chat,” she shares. “You’ve got to make more of an effort because you don’t pass people in the corridor anymore.” Blazing the way for female inclusion in a male-dominated landscape Along with accelerating digital transformation opportunities, Finch is passionate about dispelling the myth that there are significant barriers to entry for women in technology, and is an advocate of using exercise to increase productivity, efficiency and peace of mind. “You are a very, very strong business and a very successful business if you have a very diverse workforce,” Finch told Clare Carpenter on season five of Corndel’s Unlocking Leadership podcast, which has a listener base of more than 60,000 people. “And that’s not just male and female,” she continues. “This is different races and also different backgrounds – public school or a normal, comprehensive school. Whether you’re from the north of England or from South Wales, you think slightly differently.” Championing culture change and digital transformation As Three’s CIO, Finch is at the helm of delivering the final stages of the company’s IT transformation programme, as well as focusing on how best to better its customer experience. In this role, she brings her wealth of experience in telecommunications and utilities infrastructure and culminates that into positives to Three and the wider telco sphere. With a wealth of experience 28

November 2023

“ It’s not just about working with technology, but it’s about working with the business” in leading teams through the turbulence of lockdowns and the wider pandemic, Finch is an advocate for having the right technology and systems to ensure the strengths of her teams are harnessed, while also highlighting how changing how people work and helping them adapt is a lofty challenge. She stresses that culture change and training employees, as well as managers, is vital to digital transformation. “Remember in the 80s and 90s, you only got promoted if you worked really long hours or you had beers with your boss? Are we actually getting back to that culture because it’s a very maledominated office environment?,” she asked in an interview with Jugo. Here, she emphasises how organisations must act to move beyond simply meeting

immediate needs and instead establish themselves as strategic partners that can help shape the future of the business. “One thing we really should be able to do is train our leaders in organisations to invite more women to the table,” she adds. “We don’t want to have our future technology that is potentially not diverse. We’ve seen things with Artificial Intelligence where it hasn’t been built with diverse teams so therefore you get algorithms and AI that can be quite biased. We need diversity of not only male and female, but all diversity – it’s incredibly important.” Showcasing sustainability benefits through advancements in 5G And advocating for diverse backgrounds is not the only way Finch is helping

shape the future of the industry. At MWC 2023, Finch addressed how advancements in 5G can ensure everyone can be more eco-conscious moving forward. “We’ve had to alter our path a little bit, alter not only the technology, but the way that we’ve actually done transformations,” she shares. “There are absolute ways that everybody can become sustainable. Every telco can become sustainable just by moving to 5G.” She details how the revolutionary technology uses approximately half the power than any other network. “By having greater bandwidth, we’re enabling the rest of the economy to be able to do more that will enable sustainability.” mobile-magazine.com

PEOPLE MOVES

PEOPLE MOVES IN THE MOBILE, TMT, WIRELESS, 5G & IOT SECTORS From InterCloud and MTN to Telstra and du, here’s the latest big moves industry-wide

“ I am delighted to join such an exciting business as it continues to expand” PATRICK CASON

CHIEF SALES OFFICER, INTERCLOUD

November 2023

PATRICK CASON JOB FROM: M ANAGING DIRECTOR, SOUTHERN EUROPE AT UNABIZ JOB TO: C HIEF SALES OFFICER (CSO) AT INTERCLOUD “Expanding our wealth of expertise across the executive team was a priority coming into 2023, so we are delighted to welcome Patrick on board,” InterCloud CEO Jérôme Dilouya said of Cason’s appointment. Cason joins InterCloud with more than 20 years’ experience working in sales and strategy across IoT, telecommunications and professional services across the EMEA market. At InterCloud, Cason is responsible for overseeing the brand’s global sales strategy and is helping to bring InterCloud’s managed cloud connectivity services to a wider range of customers across the EMEA region and beyond.

COLIN KINCAID JOB FROM: V P/CTO SERVICE PROVIDER SEGMENT AT CISCO JOB TO: C EO AT CASA SYSTEMS Kincaid has more than 30 years of experience building software, ASICs, systems, and solutions in the digital infrastructure business – spanning the enterprise, data centres, hyperscale and Service Provider markets. He joins Casa Systems as CEO following a brief career break – a trial of retirement – which he took in 2020 after more than 12 years at Cisco.

ANDY MORRIS

CRAIG DUNN

JOB FROM: F REELANCE

JOB FROM: N ON-EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER AT TELSTRA

JOB TO: E XECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AT LIKEWIZE EUROPE Morris has more than 20 years of experience in technology protection services. Likewize CEO Rod Millar said Morris’ “wealth of knowledge and experience will help us to build upon the market-leading position that we established in recent years”.

MARINA MADALE JOB FROM: G ENERAL MANAGER SUSTAINABILITY AND SHARED VALUE AT MTN GROUP JOB TO: E XECUTIVE SUSTAINABILITY AND SHARED VALUE AT MTN GROUP In her new role as a Group Executive, Madale oversees the strategic direction for Sustainability and Shared Value, along with the foundations’ work, across all MTN Group markets.

FATEMA AL AFEEFI JOB FROM: C HAIR OF HR COMMITTEE AT UAE BANKS FEDERATION JOB TO: H EAD OF EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE & HR DIGITALISATION AT DU Al Afeefi is tasked with leading the strategic initiatives aimed at creating a positive employee experience and driving digital transformation within du in her new role.

JOB TO: C HAIRMAN AT TELSTRA Dunn replaces John Mullen after seven years in the role – 15 at Telstra – as he retires, with the Board having “unanimously supported his appointment”.

KEVIN DALLAS JOB FROM: C ORPORATE VICE PRESIDENT, CLOUD & AI BD JOB TO: C EO AT ENTERPRISEDB Seasoned Microsoft veteran Dallas has joined EDB after 25 years at the technology giant. He is responsible for all aspects of the EDB business globally. “I look forward to working with our talented team to enable our customers to realise a new data and AI driven intelligent systems economy,” he said of his appointment.

ALLISON KIRKBY JOB FROM: P RESIDENT & CEO AT TELIA JOB TO: C EO AT BT GROUP BT’s first female CEO, Kirkby has been a non-executive director at BT since 2019. She said on her appointment: “I’m fully supportive of our strategy and am excited about leading it into its next phase of development, as we grow to support customers, shareholders and the UK economy.”

mobile-magazine.com

THE MONTH THAT WAS

THE MONTH THAT WAS HIGHLIGHTS FROM OCTOBER CLOUD & 5G LIVE Brought to you by Mobile Magazine and Data Centre Magazine, esteemed BizClik brands, Cloud & 5G LIVE 2023 was a unique event experience aimed at uniting industry executives in telco, cloud, 5G, AI and sustainability. Speakers leading sessions including interactive panels, engaging firesides and inspiring keynotes included Tobias Kederer of AWS, Paul Graham at Oracle Consulting, Susanna Kass of InfraPrime, Christopher Marsh-Bourdon at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), Melanie Benham of Oracle and Mavenir Systems’ Chetan Shivakumar who fostered collaboration, amplified the collective voice, facilitated knowledge sharing and propelled businesses to new heights.

READ NOW

November 2023

Cloud & 5G LIVE, Deutsche Telekom billed most valuable brand in Europe and investigation into hyperscalers dominating cloud market

ERICSSON REPORT REVEALS 5G CONNECTIVITY OPPORTUNITIES Ericsson’s ConsumerLab report highlights differentiated 5G connectivity opportunities for communications service providers and suggests that 5G consumers are three times more likely to switch providers because of poor connectivity experiences. More than 37,000 consumers in 28 countries were interviewed during May and June 2023, with Ericsson’s findings reflective of the opinions of about 1.5 billion consumers and 650 million 5G users. READ NOW

REGULATOR PROMPTS CMA INVESTIGATION INTO CLOUD SERVICES A CMA market investigation was ordered by Ofcom to ascertain if dominant hyperscalers are hindering competition between cloud providers. Ofcom referred the public cloud infrastructure services market for investigation over if there are valid concerns over hyperscalers limiting competition and hampering innovation. This is to ensure larger tech companies are not holding a ‘monopoly’ over essential services. READ NOW

LEADING MOBILE PROVIDER BILLED MOST VALUABLE BRAND IN EUROPE Brand Finance has billed Deutsche Telekom as the most valuable brand in Europe, overtaking fellow German brand, luxury and commercial vehicle automotive company Mercedes-Benz, to the top spot. The German telco’s value increased by a staggering 17% to €60.7 billion (US$64 billion) in 2023.

READ NOW

mobile-magazine.com

The Portfolio

WORK WITH US

TOP 10

FEMALE For the final Mobile Magazine edition of 2023, we round up the top 10 women in executive positions taking the telco sector by storm WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK 36

November 2023

TOP 10

E TELCO LEADERS D

espite the strides made in DE&I across the industry, there is plenty of progress still to be made when it comes to getting more women in the workforce, particularly in leadership and executive-level positions. Research shows that the hiring process across the entire technology sector – as with many others – is teeming with discrimination and bias. The study shows 51% of women working in the global technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) industry report they feel less optimistic about

career prospects since the pandemic, with 57% of TMT women saying they expect to leave their current employer for a new role within the next 24 months with the likes of lack of work/life balance one of the biggest reason driving desire for change. Even though hardship is faced industrywide, many women have successful careers in telco. In celebration of their fantastic achievements and positive contributions to the telecommunications industry, we shine a light on 10 leading ladies in the sector worldwide. mobile-magazine.com

TOP 10

Nathalie Vafiadis

Belinda Finch Experienced Group Chief Information Officer Finch has a rich history of working in the technology industry. Her wealth of experience in telecommunications and utilities infrastructure brings positives to Three and the wider telco sphere, having previously worked as Group CIO and Chief of Staff at Centrica across multiple digital transformation roles at Vodafone.

November 2023

As CIO of BT Group’s Consumer Division, Vafiadis oversees the core IT infrastructure that supports the three main brands of the business, namely EE, BT, and Plusnet. Her career in tech has spanned more than 20 years, one of her most significant achievements included working on the build and launch of the 4G network, which underpinned the EE Brand Launch – managing all network and device deliverables and subsequent rollout to provide award winning coverage and capacity, enabling one of the fastest rollouts in the world.

Anne Boden

Serpil Timuray

Launching mobile banking app Starling Bank to offer people a fairer, smarter and more human alternative to the banks of the past, Boden has grown the bank from a start up to a platform used by more than 3.6 million customers, as of the year ending March 2023. A vocal advocate for getting women in male-dominated spaces, her 2020 book, Banking On It, reads as a cautionary tale for female entrepreneurs. Starling’s Founder uses her platform to be a powerful advocate for more women taking up leadership roles.

In post as CEO of Vodafone’s Europe Cluster – which encompasses Spain, Portugal, Greece, Ireland, Romania, Czech Republic, Albania and Turkey – since 2018, Timuray has been on the executive board of the multinational telecommunications company since 2014. In her role Timuray is also responsible for overseeing Vodafone’s interests in Egypt and its joint venture with Liberty Global in the Netherlands. She is the Chairperson of Vodafone Turkey, Vice-Chairperson of VodafoneZiggo Netherlands, and a Board member of Vodafone Egypt.

mobile-magazine.com

Knowledge Partners

THE TOP 100 COMPANIES IN TECHNOLOGY READ NOW

TOP 10

Nicola Palmer

Susie Armstrong Qualcomm’s Armstrong is an instrumental figure in the business, and over her almost three decades at the company has played a pivotal role in the development of mobile internet technology among other significant achievements. She has held a variety of leadership roles during her time at Qualcomm, leading teams including the mobile chipset division and software engineering business unit. Armstrong is part of Qualcomm’s Government Affairs group, where she supports the likes of cyber security, STEM and STEM diversity.

Palmer has held a variety of roles throughout her tenure at Verizon, a company she joined at the turn of the millennium. Now in the role of Chief Technology Ambassador, she holds firm the belief that her main role and that of her team is building a better future through mobility, technology and innovation for Verizon customers. Palmer is a major advocate for women in business, is a mentor and actively promotes education and careers in STEM for young women.

mobile-magazine.com

TOP 10

Jeanie York CTO at Virgin Media O2, York is an active member of the UK branch of Women in Cable Telecommunications, which supports, encourages and promotes women in the industry. York’s career spans IT and telco, with experience working for the likes of Liberty Global and CenturyLink. With a firm passion for people and cultivating teams to be their best, York is committed to making a difference in the world by leveraging technology and innovation to help communities grow, stay safe and keep connected.

November 2023

Edwige Robinson

Boasting a career with almost three decades of experience as an executive leader, since 2020 Robinson has held the role of Senior Vice President of Network Engineering and Operations of the Central Region at T-Mobile US. Robinson has made waves industry-wide and was our cover star back at the start of the year. In her role as SVP, she has been at the forefront of leading teams to design, build and maintain a cutting-edge 5G network while driving operational excellence.

TOP 10

Patricia Obo-Nai CEO of Vodafone Ghana Obo-Nai was the first woman to take up the position when she was appointed in 2019. She has worked for Vodafone Ghana – the country’s second-largest mobile carrier by market share – for more than 12 years. She has an unwavering dedication to empowering people across Ghana with telecommunication technology and ensuring its use for good, including reducing mortality among the pregnant

population – statistics of which are staggeringly high compared to the worldwide average. As well as this, she champions and shares with female industry colleagues how women can overcome common obstacles faced in STEM subjects such as bias and prejudice, and utilises her more than two decades of communications experience to mentor and encourage others to take up careers in telecommunications.

Patricia Obo-Nai: How Can Women Overcome Bias and Prejudice in STEM? WATCH NOW

mobile-magazine.com

CONNECTING THE WORLD’S SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS 10-11 SEPTEMBER 2024

BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, LONDON

A BizClik Event

MORE IN 2024... SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY LIVE LIVE 19 MARCH 2024 Singapore

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY LIVE LIVE 14 MAY 2024 Dubai

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY LIVE LIVE 3 JUNE 2024 New York

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY LIVE LIVE 10-11 SEPT 2024

Business Design Centre, London CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION + AWARDS

TOP 10

November 2023

TOP 10

Anne Chow

Consistently topping our top 10s of leading women in telco, Chow has had a stellar career in the telecommunications industry. With a staggering 32 years at AT&T – the latter three years of which as CEO of its business division – she worked at the telecommunications giant for the majority of her career, joining in 1990. Under her leadership, she was responsible for managing a workforce of more than 30,000 employees, including those working for most of the world’s fortune 1000 companies. Now, she is a Board Member for 3M and FranklinCovey. Starting off with an engineering background, Chow has both Bachelor’s and two Masters degrees from Cornell, and has transferred her skills to work her way to the top of the telco sphere over the last three decades. In that time, she has been a strong advocate and driving force in ensuring the advancement of women and minorities in the telecommunications industry, helping more than 400 women expand their professional horizons or obtain promotions within the AT&T business.

Anne Chow on Authentic Leadership WATCH NOW

mobile-magazine.com

TMT

TECHNOLOGY driving the rehabilitation devices of the future ABLE Human Motion’s Co-Founder and CEO shares how the company has grown from humble beginnings to offering leading life-changing technology WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK

November 2023

espite a plethora of discoveries and breakthroughs advancing developments in healthcare, it’s safe to say that thanks to advancements in technology, possibilities have evolved exponentially, with endless possibilities as to where it will go next. One of those things is wearable technology. But this is wearable technology like you’ve never seen it before. Cue ABLE Human Motion’s Exoskeleton, a new generation of exoskeletons to enable mobility for all. Robotic exoskeletons – wearable structures that support and assist movement, or augment the capabilities of the human body – are by no means new, but the pioneering technology behind ABLE’s incarnation propel it into the future and shape it into an enabling device leaps and bounds ahead of the rest. Alfons Carnicero is ABLE’s Co-Founder and CEO. An industrial engineer by trade, he has a keen passion for applying physics and engineering into the wider world, such as aiding professional athletes in improving their performance. It was when his father suffered a devastating stroke resulting in the loss of half of his mobility, while Carnicero was finishing his baccalaureate in Industrial Engineering, that inspired him to apply his technical talent to healthcare. “When my father had his stroke, it completely changed my focus,” Carnicero shares. “He was not able to talk or write.” Although fortunately Carnicero’s father recovered, closely watching his rehabilitation opened his eyes in an impactful way. “From then, I decided to devote my career to the biomedical field and to create technology for a purpose, technology that can improve people’s lives.” mobile-magazine.com

rd r Bi ffe rly O 95 t Ea ke £2 c Ti 95 £4

6 - 7 M ARCH 2 024 QEII CENTRE, LONDON

3,000+ IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL ATTENDEES

60+ INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SPEAKERS

2-DAY NETWORKING, CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION EVENT

Connect with The World’s ESG Leaders

Sean Jones Chief Sustainability Officer

Virginie Helias

Ulrike Sapiro Chief Sustainability Officer

Chief Sustainability Officer

EARLY BIRD TICKETS

BECOME A SPONSOR IN 2024

EXPO • CONFERENECE • WORKSHOPS • NETWORKING

TMT

“The price is super important because we don’t only want this device to be in the top hospitals. We want it in every city so any patient has access” ABLE Human Motion’s Exoskeleton weighs half that of its competitors

ABLE: Using technology to power independence After subsequently completing a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering, Carnicero pursued his dream. Working in neurorehabilitation hospital Institut Guttmann on the outskirts of Barcelona – the International Reference Center for rehabilitation of injuries of neurological origin – Carnicero was exposed to the available technologies aiding stroke and spinal cord injury patients in their recovery, but also downfalls in equipment that meant patients’ needs were not best being met. “There was a clear opportunity to innovate in this field,” he recalls. “I then went to Hamburg, Germany, working with a company making medical devices and joint implants to learn how a real medical device company actually works.”

ALFONS CARNICERO

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, ABLE HUMAN MOTION

From there he met a professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia conducting research with other Spanish universities on building a powered orthosis, or mechanical braces with a motor attached. “I saw that project and I fell in love. Together we decided to request a grant to see if there could be a market for such a project.” Carnicero then obtained bankbacked funding to undertake market research to see how well existing solutions were working and how they could best fulfil their needs. “From there, we saw a clear opportunity to create a company,” he reflects. Needing someone to lead the ABLE Exoskeleton – which Carnicero likens to robotic trousers – from wire-riddled prototype to slick commercial product for patients, he then convinced fellow mobile-magazine.com

TMT

“ I decided to devote my career to the biomedical field and to create technology for a purpose, technology that can improve people’s lives” ALFONS CARNICERO

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, ABLE HUMAN MOTION

Co-Founder and university mate Alex García to join what he says has been a “crazy adventure”, which has seen the company grow to a team of 18 which has built several prototypes which have been tested on 200 stroke and multiple sclerosis patients. “And now, after all these tests and clinical trials in reference hospitals all around Europe, we are starting to commercialise the product. We are waiting for the final approval from the notified board from the European Commission to start selling the product at the end of this year for hospitals and clinics.” What makes the ABLE Exoskeleton so revolutionary is the qualities it boasts thanks to its technology. It’s billed as 52

November 2023

Exoskeleton user Ricard demonstrates the device at Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2023

the world’s lightest adjustable, hip-knee powered exoskeleton on the European market for rehabilitation and incorporates the latest technologies in robotics, electric motors, power electronics, manufacturing and wireless connectivity to maximise patient autonomy and promote the neurorehabilitation process. ABLE Human Motion has been recognised as the Best European Robotics Startup and Innovator Under 35 by MIT Technology Review, and secured the top spot in the Toyota Startup Awards Mobility for AI competition.

About ABLE Human Motion ABLE Human Motion is a medical device start-up based in Barcelona that was born with a clear mission: enabling mobility for everyone. The brand designs, develops and commercialises innovative exoskeleton technology to improve the mobility and independence of people with physical disabilities. ABLE Human Motion was founded in October 2018, after several years of R&D

by the Biomechanical Engineering Lab of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). It has ongoing partnerships with more than 30 leading clinical institutions, corporates, patient associations and distributors, and is currently positioned among the most promising medical device start-ups in Europe. It is recognised as the Best European Robotics Startup and Innovator Under 35 by MIT Technology Review.

TMT

Alfons Carnicero Carmon TITLE: CO-FOUNDER & CEO

COMPANY: ABLE HUMAN MOTION INDUSTRY: MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING LOCATION: BARCELONA, SPAIN A healthcare entrepreneur passionate about how new technologies can break the barriers to mobility and independence, Carnicero is an Innovator Under 35 Europe award winner, as presented by MIT Technology Review. He has a Master’s in Industrial Engineering with a Biomedical major from UPC. After working in Medtech, he Co-Founded ABLE Human Motion, a start-up that has created a new generation of robotic exoskeletons to walk again that are lighter and more accessible, in 2018.

“This has been very important for us. Having this recognition helps us gain awareness, get more people involved, and in turn results in more investors, patients and opportunities to get to know clinics.” How the ABLE Exoskeleton works He continues: “You put the device on, which has motors that mimic the function of leg muscles, so it is able to help a patient stand up and go through motions of moving. The whole device is full of sensors that are 54

November 2023

constantly measuring. The goal of those sensors is to decide when you want to make an action. For example, if you want to make a step, then the sensors measure a certain orientations and velocities so it can decide when is the right instance to initiate those motors. “The brain of the system is made up of several electronic boards inside the exoskeleton that command and read the sensor information to then send those signals to the motors to move accordingly.” Likening the technology to an electric vehicle, the ABLE Exoskeleton is powered by lithium batteries inside the exoskeleton which can be taken out and charged.

“There was a clear opportunity to innovate in this field” ALFONS CARNICERO

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, ABLE HUMAN MOTION

“Although we have not invented the exoskeleton, what we saw when we started the project is that there were a few out there being used, but there were three main problems. The first was the weight. Current devices weigh around 30kg. Imagine if you need to move such a device from one site of a clinic, for example, to another. It also makes it difficult to manoeuvre. “Secondly is the time to set up. Rehabilitation sessions are usually 45 minutes to an hour, so you need to make the most of that time standing and walking. Most devices out there on the market take more than 15 to 18 minutes to set up to put

on a patient, some even take half an hour. So imagine if you take half the session just putting the device on your body. “Finally, and also very important, is the accessibility with the price. Current devices, all of them are above €100,000 (US$105,000), and the gold standard costs around €150,000 (US$158,000). This makes them only a real possibility for large clinics or other private clinics. The result is that most patients are not able to benefit from this therapy in their daily life.” With this in mind, ABLE designed their version of the exoskeleton. Following seven prototypes, their current device weighs just 17kg, half the weight of its competitors. mobile-magazine.com

TMT

Able Human Motion: Smart Exoskeleton Technology at MWC 2023 WATCH NOW

Its set-up time can be executed in seven minutes, with one of its experienced patients Ricard – who demonstrated the technology at MWC23 in Barcelona in March – able to put it on completely independently in around 120 seconds. “The price is super important because we don’t only want this device to be in the top hospitals. We want it in every city so any patient has access. We have been able to reduce the price to half that of our competitors.” The human impact Highlighting the negative consequences of immobility to patients, Carnicero shares his 56

November 2023

endless pride in seeing what positivity his technology brings to people. “It’s about the psychological impact,” he explains. “We were in the north of Spain testing the exoskeleton and a guy came in with his wife. She was almost crying when she saw her husband standing up again and towering over her. He exclaimed that it was movement he could do, movement he remembers from before his injury. It’s amazing to get him to this level thanks to technology.” Carnicero continues to explain how, when patients are sent home from hospital, they are encouraged to get up every day. The question though is, how?

“Standing frames help you to ‘Open innovation’ behind stand, but you cannot move around. ABLE Exoskeleton’s success Leaving a wheelchair for amounts “What I have learned the most is that ABLE Human of time has many health benefits it’s not only about technology. You Motion was founded in for cardiovascular and digestive need to involve many other parties issues. We have patients that have around you,” Carnicero exclaims. reported improvements in pain. There “You need to have the intellectual are studies property, patents, clinical trials, out there that demonstrate that using high clinical partners and patients involved intensity repetitions with robotics allows for in your project. That’s been my biggest faster rehabilitation. learning. You cannot be inside your cave But this is just the beginning. Our mission developing the technology for three is to democratise the technology. So we are years and then go out. It needs to be an working on a next generation device to also open innovation.” allow them to use it every day outside the Next year, the ABLE team will fundraise clinic also. once more once their focus moves away

2018

mobile-magazine.com

“This is the future” ALFONS CARNICERO

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, ABLE HUMAN MOTION

November 2023

TMT

Physio Mark Wright at the Institut Guttmann hospital assists a patient using the ABLE Exoskeleton

from bringing the ABLE Exoskeleton to market and generating the first lifesaving sales to clinics. In the ABLE Exoskeleton future, there is hope the brand can weighs just make more personalised devices to be worn in day-to-day life which compared to the will be further reduced in weight industry standard of 30kg – around 12kgs – for a cost of €30,000 (US$31,500) by 2026. “We have also partnered with several universities and companies across Europe with a goal of implanting

17kg

an electrical stimulator in the spine to connect bidirectionally with the exoskeleton. For example, when your foot touches the ground, the sensors of the exoskeleton will detect the contact and will send the signal to the stimulator so a patient can actually feel the sensation. “This is the future.”

mobile-magazine.com

W IN 60

November 2023

LEADING 5G WHILE DRIVING NNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK

PRODUCED BY: MICHAEL BANYARD mobile-magazine.com

T - MOBILE

Erin Raney, Senior Director Network Technology Services and Innovation at T-Mobile, talks about how the brand is leading the way with 5G through innovation

here aren’t many people that can boast that they have devoted their entire career to the growth and development of one company. But that’s exactly what Erin Raney, Senior Director Technology & Innovation at T-Mobile, has done. Since joining what was then VoiceStream in September 2000, Raney has risen through the ranks and for the past seven years, has been the founder and leading force of T-Mobile’s Tech Experience innovation programme and in 2022 opened T-Mobile’s first technology innovation centre, the Tech Experience 5G Hub. Armed with a civil engineering degree – and later earning an MS in telecommunications – she was motivated to branch out and start her working life in telecommunications by her father. “Really, the rest is history,” she jokes, although clearly proud reflecting on her career. Now 23 years deep, she has seen a wealth of change at T-Mobile – whether that be in the company’s name, core offerings or the technology that’s driven such advancements. Having never dreamed of working in telecommunications until the mobile phone boom during her college years, Raney’s leap of faith into the relatively unknown has no doubt paid off. All those years later, Raney has worked her way through the organisation, presented with opportunities to deploy and manage a variety of network

November 2023

mobile-magazine.com

T - MOBILE

“ This is really the heart of T-Mobile’s technology team and where all of the new design development comes from when we talk about T-Mobile’s network” ERIN RANEY

SR. DIRECTOR, T-MOBILE

services.“T-Mobile has evolved so much,” she details. “When I started it was right when Deutsche Telekom was about to acquire VoiceStream. We had around three million customers at the time, now we have over 116 million. We’ve grown significantly from our 64

November 2023

customer base and our network has grown significantly with it. “Now, we have the largest 5G network and have made huge strides in investment in our network. What’s really exciting is when we think about the services,” she laughs, reflecting on her career beginnings. “Back when I started it was just making a simple call and being able to do that maybe from your car while you’re in a major city or an urban area. Now you think about all the things that you leverage our network for from a services perspective, from just about anywhere. The technology evolution is truly fascinating.” Seeing both T-Mobile and industry technology evolve throughout her tenure, Raney said the fact that wireless is part of all elements of life really excites her.

ERIN RANEY TITLE: SR. DIRECTOR COMPANY: T-MOBILE LOCATION: UNITED STATES Erin Raney is Sr. Director of T-Mobile’s Technology & Innovation, overseeing the Tech Experience Program and 5G Hub. She is responsible for enabling innovative solutions that leverage the latest in wireless technologies to grow the business and transform our world. Erin has been a member of T-Mobile’s Technology team for over 22 years and holds a B.S in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Telecommunication from the University of Colorado. Passionate about promoting girls and young women, Erin champions DE&I and STEM initiatives. She is a Seattle area native and resides in Bellevue, WA, with her husband and two children.

mobile-magazine.com

How Nokia & T-Mobile are utilising the full potential of 5G In a long-standing collaborative partnership, Nokia and T-Mobile are utilising the true potential of 5G through innovation for a wide variety of use cases Nokia and T-Mobile’s partnership is one of extensive collaboration. “Nokia and T-Mobile have been close partners for a very long time. In the case of 5G, we started working together at the very beginning,” explains Timo Naalisvaara, Customer CTO at Nokia. Now in his 30th year at the company, Naalisvaara’s responsibility is to drive strategic direction between the companies. “Our collaboration ranges from day-to-day business – developing, deploying, and optimising networks – to exploring new industry-shaping technologies, ideas and services,” he explains. “Now, the focus is shifting from building 5G to fully utilising the potential of 5G through innovation for a wide variety of use cases.” Earlier this year, Nokia refreshed

its company brand to reflect its new strategy. As Naalisvaara explains, part of that strategy is focused on the implementation of advanced technologies. “We use cloud-based technologies, in-house developed chipsets, analytics, automation, AI and machine learning to enhance and optimize networks. So while, in the traditional sense, we build networks, in a wider sense we utilise new technologies to extract the best value out of those networks.” For Nokia and for Naalisvaara, the future of the partnership with T-Mobile will explore how 5G networks can be made more consumable across consumers, enterprises, and industries. “As more experiences are provided through AR, VR, and XR, more data is created and quality-of-service requirements get more demanding. All these experiences require that

the overall network continues to evolve.” Recently T-Mobile launched its first ever 5G Network Slicing Beta for developers – to which Nokia has been integral. Similarly, Nokia is working on initiatives such as Network as Code: the company’s concept of extreme simplification of network capabilities to make them part of applications for developers. “In both of these examples, the role of developers as customers utilising the network is very important. We are excited to see where all these new possibilities and opportunities will take us.”

Learn more

T - MOBILE

“Everything we do has connectivity or can benefit further from connectivity. And it’s beyond our smartphone - whether it’s healthcare, manufacturing, entertainment, the list goes on. That’s what excites me, that wireless can bring so much benefit to just about any business along with enriching our personal lives and our connection to our world. So the possibilities truly are endless. I love the variety and making such a positive impact.” T-Mobile: Making strides in innovation Established as VoiceStream Wireless in 1994, T-Mobile has grown exponentially in both its customers and services. The brand was purchased by Deutsche Telekom in 2001 and renamed T-Mobile USA in July 2002, and renamed again to T-Mobile US in 2013 after merging with MetroPCS. A wireless service provider, T-Mobile provides connectivity with a core mission to be the best in the world at connecting customers to their world. Now looking beyond smartphones and traditional means of telecommunication, T-Mobile is working in bringing its connectivity to a global level and ensuring access and enabling new services both to transform and create a better world and also grow the business. “What’s been really exciting in the last year-and-a-half or two years,” Raney adds, “is the launch of our home internet products. We’re going beyond the smartphone and now connecting homes. I think that’s our next charter – how do we go bigger? How do we create more services? How do we connect our world and how do we enable these new solutions?” The Tech Experience 5G Hub Around seven years ago, Raney created the Tech Experience Program and Center, and 68

November 2023

has since spearheaded the Tech Experience 5G Hub, a 24,000 sq ft technology innovation centre in Bellevue, near Seattle, next to T-Mobile’s National Technology Lab. Dubbing it an “incredible opportunity”, Raney and her team propel technology and really engage with a larger community and ecosystem. She continues: “It’s been a fantastic ride and journey. This is really the heart of T-Mobile’s technology team and where all of the new design development comes from when we talk about T-Mobile’s network.

Use more image captions as often as possible

“ It’s about bringing those capabilities forward as quickly as possible because we really want to accelerate this innovation in addition to enabling it” ERIN RANEY

SR. DIRECTOR, T-MOBILE

Everything gets designed, validated and tested here. “It’s just perfect to have our innovation centre adjacent to our technology labs. Our strategy is, is anything that exits our lab we have it here available in our Innovation Centre. So our developers and our innovator community have first access to the latest capabilities. “It’s about bringing those capabilities forward as quickly as possible because we really want to accelerate this innovation in addition to enabling it.” mobile-magazine.com

Remarkable outcomes start with a remarkable network. Powering remarkable telecom Learn more now

T - MOBILE

“ What inspires me is hearing their ideas and their stories about how wireless and 5G can help them” ERIN RANEY

SR. DIRECTOR, T-MOBILE

Calling it a “new space to T-Mobile”, Raney shares how its wireless network, investment and resource available goes beyond its smartphone and consumer focus. She highlights how creating programmes and facilities like the 5G Hub, T-Mobile’s Accelerator Program and its DevEdge Program provides accessibility for technological development, and that T-Mobile’s programmes will only grow in size and scale to enable a larger community to be able to leverage the technological revolution.

She adds: “We’ve seen some great results in terms of companies that are doing innovative cutting-edge solutions. It’s truly game changing and I’m just excited to see that momentum continue to grow.” Raney says her main inspiration in her working life stems from the hub she helped bring to life, having a facility to engage with a large variety and community of students, startups, enterprise customers, community leaders and industry leaders. “What inspires me is hearing their ideas and their stories about how wireless and 5G can help them. That’s what really excites me,” Raney shares, dubbing the Tech Experience Program her proudest achievement to date. mobile-magazine.com

T - MOBILE

“It’s been an amazing experience to see how this programme’s grown, the impact it’s had on our business, and again, our community,” she says proudly. “I would say most importantly, proud of this team – this team that has joined me on this wild ride and taken this risk.” “When you talk about innovation, you don’t know what’s next or the path to get there. You’re in uncharted territory, it’s all about taking risks and believing in the possible. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a team.” Partners ‘absolutely essential’ to T-Mobile “We obviously have the connectivity, we have the nationwide 5G network, but our partners are essential to creating new transformative solutions,” Raney details. “They provide the compute, the devices and modules, and the applications that create the impact and value for our customers.” With a similar history to T-Mobile in pursuing advanced 5G application and realising 5G’s potential, Nokia collaborates with T-Mobile on the latest in 5G technology offerings and capabilities. The pair mentor startups to develop 5G proofs of concept and go to market strategies. By working with Dell, T-Mobile is developing solutions that make it easier for enterprise and government customers to embrace the 5G era thanks to Dell’s edge computing technologies – providing superfast speeds, ultra-low latency, and control they need to use new applications that can help to increase revenue and lower costs. “Our partners are absolutely essential,” Raney says, singing their praises. “We cannot transform this industry, or take advantage of the full capabilities of 5G without them. 72

November 2023

mobile-magazine.com

T - MOBILE

November 2023

Use more image captions as often as possible

“ When you talk about innovation, you don’t know what’s next. You’re in uncharted territory” ERIN RANEY

SR. DIRECTOR, T-MOBILE

“It’s so important that we collaborate and work together. What’s really exciting is that T-Mobile is the leader of 5G, delivering the country’s largest, fastest and most awarded 5G network. And our 5G Standalone Architecture (SA) is the most advanced, providing optimal performance and leveraging new capabilities such as network slicing. The partner ecosystem is super excited to work with us and about what they can do with our 5G technology.”

Looking ahead to T-Mobile’s bright future Anticipating the trajectory of the future of 5G, Raney is under no illusion of how busy the next 12 to 18 months are going to be for her, her team and T-Mobile as a company. “The joke here is we say: ‘This was the busiest year ever’, and then we have the next year, and we’re like: ‘No, no, – this was the busiest,” she laughs. “My team has been educating and showcasing the wireless capabilities of 5G for the past seven years. We have been talking about this for so long, and now it’s incredible to have the network and ecosystem, and the potential and growth is exponential. mobile-magazine.com

November 2023

T - MOBILE

Excited to see the fruits of their labour, she acknowledges the relief of seeing their hard work pay off, but adds how the pressure and expectation to continue to deliver cutting edge 5G and navigate unchartered territory – all while growing their business – in a saturated market still poses a significant challenge. With that comes the AI revolution. “You see how these new technologies trend, which can all complement wireless services. I do believe that AI will be a pretty significant technology that we’ll see become very relevant with wireless networks and access to computing solutions.” Recognising her responsibility and privilege of being a pioneer at the forefront of this technological shift, Raney is instilled to work smarter and not harder – although she acknowledges her continued hard work has been at the centre of bringing her work to life. “The biggest challenge in this role is the unknown,” she concludes. “When you think about innovation, to steer a programme and to lead a team – when you really don’t know where you’re going – can be a challenge. This is a new business for us when we think about it. Trying to make the right decisions and to lead this team in this programme in the right direction, we know we’ll make some mistakes. You have to take those risks to do that. “But you’ve got to believe in yourself, the capabilities of the team and the capabilities of what T-Mobile has. That will help you stay the course.” T-MOBILE

TECH EXPERIENCE

mobile-magazine.com

OPTIMISING PRIV CLOUD PERFORM EFFICIENCY & SE With a plethora of cloud solutions on the market and businesses having a unique profile, there is plenty to consider when finding a perfect-fit environment WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK

November 2023

VATE D MANCE, ECURITY

espite there being much hype around hybrid cloud – with an increasing amount of businesses migrating to the new wave of computing environment thanks to its advantages being a blend of both that of private and public cloud – there is still much to be said for the benefits of private cloud. The infrastructure of private cloud provides enhanced security with data stored safely in a dedicated and highly secure environment that can be tailored and configured to meet specific needs, allowing for full control over resources, access and management. And, with sharing resources with other organisations avoided, there is ability to expand if needed and performance and security risks are kept to a minimum. But with that being said, how can private cloud be optimised to ensure cost efficiency, high performance and mitigate cybersecurity risk? Private cloud and providing a chance of business success Private clouds primarily lend themselves best to highly regulated industries, thanks to the keen focus on accelerating application deployment cycles, and improving reliability and availability. But as Gartner’s Client Director Lori Perry warns: “Leaders must not plan on building a private cloud with the full capabilities of a public cloud. There needs to be a reduction in the complexity of the private cloud project by avoiding advanced features that do not align with the organisation’s strategy or values.” And with that more sophisticated models are also emerging, including the likes of mobile-magazine.com

Reäl end-to-end.

Delivering Endto-End Expertise umlaut continues a decade-long partnership with TPG Telecom, offering specialised, in-depth expertise to support TPG’s 5G rollout.

the build, deployment, and planning, all5G the way through to optimisation, engineering, and operation. We’re also offering our services across the fibre and fixed wireless network sector, as well as cloud and cybersecurity.” In Australia, umlaut has been a core partner of TPG Telecom for more than a decade. “Prior to the Vodafone-TPG merger, we were a longstanding partner of Vodafone at a group level where we worked with them on numerous projects over the years,” Ekmen explains. “We had a strong history with Vodafone Hutchison Australia, working with them on infrastructure and security projects, as well as 5G.”

.dne-ot-dne läeR

umlaut is a globally recognised, technologydriven and future-oriented company providing end-to-end consulting, engineering, and testing services to companies across the automotive, aviation, energy, rail, telecommunications industries and beyond. Founded 24 years ago in Germany, umlaut has grown into a multinational, globally active company - recently acquired by consultancy giant Accenture - with more than 4,500 employees delivering specialised consulting, engineering, and network testing services to the world’s largest enterprises. “We are defined by the added value we create for our clients, their companies, products, and their end customers as well,” says Hakan Ekmen, global CEO for umlaut’s telecommunication unit. “Our credo is to always add something on top, like the umlaut from which we get our name.” managed private clouds – private cloud In the telecommunications industry - where systems managed by third-party vendors Ekmen has been overseeing umlaut’s operations without large IT forallowing the pastenterprises 14 years - umlaut delivers “services departments to benefit from private and expertise from end-to-end, startingclouds. with The private cloud is best for highly regulated businesses with large amounts of sensitive data requiring additional security measures to prevent leaks or cyber attacks. However, this all comes at a price, and the total cost of ownership must not be underestimated when IT departments set out to develop a private cloud solution. Optimising private cloud performance and efficiency As Tytus Kurek, Product Manager at Canonical, told Data Centre Magazine’s sister title Technology Magazine earlier this year, when it comes to cloud spend

“As the telecom sector continues to innovate and develop new technologies and services, we’re going to see 5G deliver real-time connectivity and faster data speeds. And we’ve been closely engaged with TPG on their own deployment of 5G, as well as the development of new products and services to capitalise on this next generation of telecommunications technology,” says Ekmen. “With our specialised set of skills and in-depth, detailed knowledge of the verticals where TPG is focusing its efforts, I think we can continue to strengthen our partnership, help them adopt and capitalise on new technologies, and drive winwin outcomes for both umlaut and TPG for many years to come.”

“LEADERS Learn more MUST NOT PLAN ON BUILDING A PRIVATE CLOUD WITH THE FULL CAPABILITIES OF A PUBLIC CLOUD” LORI PERRY

CLIENT DIRECTOR, GARTNER

mobile-magazine.com

What is a Private Cloud? Private vs. Public Cloud WATCH NOW

The difference between private, public and hybrid cloud There is a clear distinction between these three common cloud deployment methods, as explained by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The cloud computing arm of Amazon defines private cloud as a “cloud computing environment dedicated to a single organisation.” • Any cloud infrastructure has underlying compute resources like CPU and storage that you provision on demand through a self-service portal. • In a private cloud, all resources are isolated and in the control of one organisation. So, the private cloud is also called the internal or corporate cloud. This differs to public cloud, which is a thirdparty cloud service provider that manages the underlying computing resources. AWS explains how it is almost impossible to replicate public cloud infrastructure privately.

November 2023

• The provider is responsible for resource maintenance and guarantees availability, reliability, and security through service-level agreements. • You don’t buy, own, and maintain physical data centres and servers; instead, you access technology services on an as-needed basis. • Tasks, such as runtime resource scaling, are automated for operational efficiency. Private cloud differs from hybrid cloud as the hybrid model extends private cloud computing models into the public cloud. Hybrid cloud seamlessly integrates a company’s public and private clouds. With hybrid cloud, clients can store data and run your applications across multiple environments without noticing a difference. • Hybrid cloud environment consolidates infrastructure, so that users can provision, scale, and centrally manage compute resources.

specifically, businesses are feeling the pinch. More than half (55%) told a report that they already pay a lot for cloud infrastructure, and more than 80% said they have noticed an increase in their total cost of ownership (TCO) in the past two years alone. “Since cloud infrastructure usually accounts for a significant portion of organisations’ budgets, cutting unnecessary spendings and optimising cloud resources is essential to drive costs down,” Kurek describes. He continues to share how, however a company operates, cloud costs can rapidly increase for a multitude of reasons, whether that be over provisioned resources, unneeded capacity, and poor environmental visibility. “As a first step to optimise cloud

Tytus Kurek TITLE: PRODUCT MANAGER (CLOUD & NFV) COMPANY: CANONICAL INDUSTRY: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LOCATION: KRAKÓW, POLAND Kurek has a varied career across the software industry, with experience leading teams and creating products that are compelling to the market.

Lori Perry TITLE: CLIENT DIRECTOR COMPANY: GARTNER INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY LOCATION: COLORADO, US A proven top performer in both sales and sales management positions, Perry is experienced in selling, managing, and training teams on a broad range of technologies, including the likes of managed hosting, cloud computing, IT security services, IT professional services, disaster recovery, and LAN/WAN services.

spending,” he says, “businesses need to understand exactly how much their cloud infrastructure costs. While this may seem obvious, it’s estimated that 20% don’t know exactly what this amounts to. “Only when a company understands their current spending, can it look to the future and begin budgeting for the coming year. For this reason, many organisations are adopting cloud cost optimisation strategies to have greater control over their cloud infrastructure costs while maximising performance and cloud efficiency. “Going forward, organisations need to be more aware of how much they 84

November 2023

55%

of businesses said they already pay a lot for cloud infrastructure, with more than 80% saying they have noticed an increase in their total cost of ownership (TCO) in the past two years alone

20%

of businesses don’t fully understand exactly how much their cloud infrastructure costs

are spending on the cloud, but even more so of the ways in which they can cut these costs. By optimising the cloud and utilising tools to strengthen its impact, companies will be able to unlock its full potential and generate growth, whilst saving money – a win-win.” Oracle Cloud, an industry-leader and one of the largest cloud providers in the world, advises that to build cloud applications that are efficient in terms of performance and cost optimisation, those behind a private cloud environment should ‘architect for efficiency’. This boils down to a simple five-step plan:

Khwaja Shaik TITLE: CTO COMPANY: IBM 1. Understand workload This is crucial when making design decisions. 2. Evaluate requirements Understand what cloud services best support your architecture and requirements. 3. Become data-driven Today’s cloud platforms can provide a large amount of metrics that can be used to drive decisions, and has the capacity provide very detailed insight into performance. 4. Anticipate growth Ensure your architecture and selected services will support your business growth.

INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY LOCATION: GEORGIA, US Shaik is an award-winning C-level IT Executive with more than 25 years of technology leadership. He has been instrumental in driving major digital transformations with a drive to create a better future. As IBM’s CTO, Shaik works closely with many of the world’s leading CIOs to address key industry issues. As a global influencer, he frequently blogs on exponential technologies and encourages and nurtures interfaith global talent in STEM.

5. Understand and optimise spending The Cloud allows for rapid provisioning of services and having visibility into the associated costs and how to optimise them is important when your workload increases. Security risks with private cloud Data breaches, malware infections and insider threats are just some of the leading risks that can be posed to private cloud entities. In a LinkedIn article, Khwaja Shaik, CTO at IBM details: “Each day brings news of more sophisticated attacks, as data theft, downed servers, and ransomware [wreak] havoc on organisations. The sheer volume of the breaches makes us think that these attacks are never going to end. So how do we stop this?” Shaik outlines five best ways cyber and digital resilience can be enhanced, but notes that although responsibility lies with all involved, “effective digital resilience starts with the board room”. 1. Understand, measure, and approve risk tolerance Stating how risks can come from anywhere, Shaik stresses that understanding is a key to ensure the strongest defences to keep private cloud spaces safe from unwanted external penetration. “Understand risk tolerance,” he advises. “Bring resilience, security, and trust closer.” 2. Measure the progress, and futureproof the digital resilience through holistic metrics Highlighting how you can’t measure a metric you’re not tracking in the first place, Shaik stresses how having a clear understanding of qualitative and 86

November 2023

“ BRING RESILIENCE, SECURITY AND TRUST CLOSE” KHWAJA SHAIK CTO, IBM

quantitative metrics is not enough. Security is not a check box exercise, and should harm come your way, he warns you will not be best poised to protect if there is no understanding. “If you are not asking the right questions, measuring risks consistently, you have no mitigation plans if you ever get attacked,” he says. 3. Use risk appetite, and business value-driven risk-based digital resilience models “The time to move from maturity based security to risk based security has arrived,” he warns. “Provide cybersecurity optimisation oversight as no one has a blank check.” This can be done by developing clear risk escalation triggers to notify of a business resiliency risk event. 4. Future-proof with industry trends by accelerating the Board, C-suite and ecosystem collaboration As private cloud continues to evolve, as do the threats posed to them. Having cybersecurity and business resiliency expertise on the board is a huge plus, Shaik advises, as us ensuring cybersecurity is part of conversations. 5. Restructure with the skills for tomorrow “Managing for digital resilience starts with managing the talent,” he guides. “Infusing the board with the right digital resilience skills is a continuous process.” Diversity of backgrounds, skill sets and experience will allow an intersection of knowledge and expertise to hit what he calls the “sweet spot” by being savvy with knowledge and gender diversity. “Best-in-class cloud governance is all about architectural decisions, agility and competitive advantage,” Shaik concludes. “Cloud governance is a team sport.” mobile-magazine.com

IS POWERING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ASIA WRITTEN BY: HELEN ADAMS PRODUCED BY: NAZEEF RABIU-IDREES

November 2023

AXIATA

mobile-magazine.com

AXIATA

Axiata Enterprise is revolutionising telecommunications and digital transformation across Asia. CTO Dr Tomek Gerszberg discusses 5G, the cloud and security

ext-generation telecommunications company Axiata Enterprise is the B2B unit of Axiata Group. Its core mission is to bring innovation, technology and telecommunication services to support digital transformation across Asia, from its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Dr Tomek Gerszberg is the CTO for Axiata Enterprise. In his role, Gerszberg focuses on products and solutions for the enterprises across Asia and supports delivering homogenous offerings for clients by responding to customer needs with fresh innovation. “The business is based on connectivity as the traditional telco type of business,” he says. “We grow towards managed connectivity, but also addressing the customer needs in the field of cloud, security, and system integration. Axiata Enterprise provides smart services with a strong focus on digital transformation, based on 5G. “My career went from traditional network management to delivering innovations for enterprises,” says Gerszberg. “The company itself is highly dynamic. The evolution of the company is much faster than the evolution of the telcos we know from Europe or even from the USA. “This is a unique opportunity for people like me to be a part of this fast transformation. Before I arrived, it was a product-oriented company. Now it’s more service oriented.

November 2023

Dr Tomek Gerszberg, CTO, Axiata Enterprise mobile-magazine.com

AXIATA

“ Axiata Enterprise provides smart services with a strong focus on digital transformation, based on 5G” DR TOMEK GERSZBERG CTO, AXIATA ENTERPRISE

In the last two years, Axiata Enterprise has strengthened the enterprise offering and grown the business in the enterprise segments, moving from a mobile-only, consumerfocused business into the B2B sphere. 92

November 2023

Previously, Gerszberg worked at Deutsche Telekom in Europe. Now at Axiata Enterprise, he manages different markets and adoption speeds. “It’s not necessary to categorise countries as faster or slower, because every country has its own characteristics. Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Cambodia are different to the markets in Europe or the USA, which are homogeneous. In Asia, the challenge is how to work out how to deliver the newest technology at the lowest possible price because that drives the adoption of the innovations.” Gerszberg’s proudest achievement so far has been offering smart services for the

DR TOMEK GERSZBERG TITLE: CTO COMPANY: AXIATA ENTERPRISE INDUSTRY: TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOCATION: MALAYSIA

industry verticals and related networks like private 5G networks. “At Axiata Enterprise, we have built a very strong ecosystem of partners and we can deliver best-of-the-breed solutions adjusted to the customer needs and capabilities.” Axiata Enterprise uses high-security networking solutions like Open RAN, which Gerszberg believes makes them unique in comparison to the competition in this market. “Axiata Enterprise has probably the strongest cybersecurity practices among all telcos in the region – and we provide services related to the cloud, like cloud migrations and cloud hosting. We are

Dr Tomek Gerszberg is a highly accomplished ICT executive with 25 years of experience in technology and business leadership. Known for developing innovative technology and business strategies, leading costsaving initiatives, and collaborating with global partners. Key expertise in service operations, strategic planning, product design, technology G2M and agile methodologies. Career highlights include roles at Axiata, MobiledgeX (acquired by Google), and Deutsche Telekom, where he served as SVP Technology Strategy and SVP B2B innovations, and pioneered commercialisation of 5G, Edge Computing, and NB-IoT. He also drove successful business transformations. He is an influential figure in the telecommunications industry with a strong track record in technology leadership.

Solving the puzzle of scaled cloud capabilities at the edge Rakuten Symphony explains how its radically different approach – combined with in-depth knowledge & proprietary architecture – benefits private networks

Rakuten Symphony is a company that truly lives up to the moniker ‘innovative revolutionaries’. Often, you find that companies spot a gap in the market and then idealise the fastest, cheapest way of filling that gap – but not Rakuten Symphony, which is taking a new technology approach, proven by Rakuten Mobile in Japan, and delivering it globally. The company has married its knowledge with an automated approach that can be leveraged by any mobile operator, creating unique opportunities for its Symworld Cloud offering, including for private 5G deployments. “Private 5G needs to be looked at from the perspective of connectivity as well as the use

cases that it serves, explains Partha Seetala, President of Rakuten Symphony’s Unified Cloud Business Unit “By combining innovations in storage, networking, computation and application management into a cloud-native Kubernetesbased architecture, Symworld Cloud provides the highest-performing, most cost-efficient solution. “From a use case perspective, once a connectivity issue is solved, enterprises want to deploy more domain-centric workloads, like video analytics or apps churning a lot of data. That’s where Symworld Cloud shines – it addresses network and storage-based workload needs.

Workload considerations & partner needs Rakuten Symphony embarked upon a “programmatic”, “automated” and “orchestrated” journey, recognising that its technology stack already deployed for edge and Open RAN could also be leveraged for private 5G networks to support enterprises “augmenting existing network solutions”, according to Seetala. “Storage, computer, and GPU management become critical in these environments and all of this is automatically enabled with the Symworld Cloud platform because it’s built for problem-solving in storage and network intensive workloads,” explains Seetala. “Our expertise in managing underlying infrastructure through our cloud, as well as in centralised policies, means that everything can be automated and that’s a huge value for private 5G owners.” Partnering with Axiata & separating out from the pack For companies such as Rakuten Symphony, there’s no higher praise than the validation of vendors that have chosen to trust your tech for their business endeavours. In Rakuten Symphony’s case, Axiata is one such vendor.

“They were exploring private 5G to solve use cases in multiple verticals – for example, manufacturing, healthcare and smart cities,” begins Seetala, “and they looked at Symworld Cloud and realised that the entire portfolio products that Rakuten Symphony brings is well-tested and actually designed using modern technologies. “They also realised that the type of innovation we have brought to automation is critical for managing the private 5G networks of their own end clients in the most costefficient manner.” Axiata chose Rakuten’s mobile network solution due to its software-centric nature and because of the “explicit intent that additional software policies would drive Axiata’s private 5G network”. In a world overrun with private 5G and scaled cloud solutions, it’s important to find a way of separating from the pack. Boasting such a comprehensive, cost-effective and original solution, Rakuten Symphony have most certainly achieved just that.

Learn more

Solving the puzzle of scaled cloud capabilities at the edge We’ve revolutionized private 5G with a technology-driven approach. At Rakuten Symphony, we’ve leveraged proven expertise from Rakuten Mobile in Japan to offer a cutting-edge solution for seamless connectivity and high-performance workloads, trusted by industry leaders for its innovative automation and cost-efficiency.

Learn more at symphony.rakuten.com

“ Axiata has one of the strongest cybersecurity practices among all telcos in the region” DR TOMEK GERSZBERG

Axiata also manages security and smart services, which are extended beyond traditional classical definitions of Industry 4.0, going also into new verticals and new ideas like e-health or agriculture.

delivering the security solutions, SD-WAN, SASE and managed security.” “We also work closely with the Axiata Cyber Fusion Centre (ACFC), which is focused on real-time threat monitoring, proactive hunting, and robust protection of digital assets. With ACFC’s capabilities embodying a full spectrum of protective, detective, and rapid-response capabilities, our Enterprise customers benefit from having their information and data secured and protected, so their business resilience is assured.

Axiata Enterprise’s 5G rollout in Asia Axiata Enterprise runs a Regional Centre of Excellence for 5G. “The goal is to provide our operating companies with the access to industry specific knowledge and advanced smart solutions from Axiata solutioning partners. This is augmented by state-of-the-art, costefficient private networking technology. In Axiata’s footprint the 5G public networks are not available, so private 4G/5G networking is the short cut for digital transformation.” At Axiata Enterprise, exemplary applications of private 5G networks include:

CTO, AXIATA ENTERPRISE

mobile-magazine.com

AXIATA

Smart Sea Ports and Airports 5G and smart solutions help greatly increase productivity of operations and the level of security. Visual analytics, drones, remotely operated equipment and AGVs require high reliability and low latency of wireless connections. Customer made integrations in 5G require strong skills in cellular technologies, edge computing, industrial systems etc, which Axiata can deliver to its customers out of one hand. Smart manufacturing and industrial automation 5G offers communication that is highspeed and low-latency, ideal for industrial automation and control systems. 5G is not only replacing damaged cables, but also enabling collaborative use cases for AGVs 98

November 2023

and humans. Bringing overlay sensorics and smart devices helps to add the intelligent layer to existing equipment and secures evolutionary transformation, that is more controllable than revolutionary innovation. XL Axiata projects for Indonesian mining companies are the best example of that. Smart Cities Public security and safety are the main areas the Smart cities are addressing nowadays. Smart solutions can also help to cope with other challenges like traffic control and efficient public transportation, or target very city specific problems, like flooding in Jakarta. As the public 5G networks are not available yet, these businesses need to have private 5G. We need also to look at

NAVIN PIERIS, GROUP CHIEF OFFICER , DIALOG ENTERPRISE, SRI LANKA Our commitment to enhancing the digital landscape for Sri Lankan enterprises has proven to be indispensable across businesses of all sizes in the country. The demand for our solution verticals, including cloud, IoT, and intelligent networking, has been substantial. However, it’s worth noting that connectivity, which remains a major driver of digitalisation, continues to play a vital role in this transformative journey. We are witnessing significant growth in the security solutions vertical, particularly with our Video Surveillance as a Service platform, which is set to incorporate 5,000 cameras across large enterprise sectors such as banking, finance, apparel and entertainment by December 2023. Additionally, our SD-WAN technology has already connected over 1,500 branches in finance, banking, manufacturing and retail sectors, among others. Our foray into the cloud industry through collaboration with major global hyperscale partners has been a resounding success. Rather than focusing on a single partner we have adopted a multi-cloud approach with established partnerships with all the hyper-scalers and complimentary connectivity solutions. Furthermore, Dialog Enterprise Cloud achieved the distinction of becoming the VMware Sovereign Cloud Provider in the South Asian Region, reinforcing our commitment to industries handling sensitive data at scale. Highly regulated industries like healthcare, banking and finance have critical requirements around data sovereignty. Our sovereign cloud

and hyperscale partnerships have helped us to establish long-term partnerships with the majority of banking and finance companies in the country, with cloud services becoming a pivotal driver for their digitalisation. The IoT pillar has experienced unprecedented growth, driven by energy and economic crises, which have compelled industries to meter their utilities more efficiently and promote responsible resource usage in alignment with global sustainability standards. Our ability to anticipate client needs and provide solutions ahead of crises has fueled our innovation in this space. All in all, Sri Lankan enterprises have embraced us not just as an ISP but an ICT Solutions provider, drawing on our extensive experience as a telco in our own digitalisation journey. They value our learning and consider us an integral part of their digital transformation efforts. We are dedicated to continuing our support and innovation as trusted partners in their digitalisation journey.

mobile-magazine.com

AXIATA

“ We provide services related to the cloud, like cloud migrations and cloud hosting. We deliver the security solutions” DR TOMEK GERSZBERG CTO, AXIATA ENTERPRISE

the specifics of the South Asian market where the needs of consumers and enterprises are very different, so forking 5G into consumer and enterprise one is a good strategy. From this perspective, Axiata Enterprise has two streams which they have developed together with the group technology: one stream is designed to satisfy consumer needs on 5G and the second is to satisfy the enterprise needs. “For the enterprise needs with regards to solutions, we have built a strong partnership with the leading, global network integrator like Capgemini Engineering and Tech Mahindra” says Gerszberg. “With those services and our capabilities, we also include strong local players to deliver the offers to the enterprises. So, our offer is a mix of global and local flavours.” Axiata Enterprise has the 5G networking product stack which can run on any frequency, such as licensed 4G frequencies, or unlicensed bands. “It can run on any frequency, and this gives the possibility to deliver the networking in every place.” 100

November 2023

This is something that Gerszberg believes makes the company so unique, especially in comparison to other operators who have been focused on delivering 5G to the public. “We have bifurcated those processes and we focus on the enterprise needs that are very different from the consumer 5G needs,” says Gerszberg. In Axiata Enterprise’s 5G networking, the team has signed agreements with partners such as Rakuten Symphony, Mavenir and Capgemini Engineering as network integrator. Yet there are many challenges to overcome. For Gerszberg, the first challenge is the market perspective. “We see a very big openness to innovations,” he says. “In every market, we see that the people are curious, they want to change their business, they want to increase their efficiencies, they want to be competitive – not just locally, but on a global level.” Gerszberg sees the willingness to innovate as one of the biggest cultural assets of Southeast Asia. At the same time, he observes a level of customer wariness. “If we consider the advanced solutions in other parts of the world, is this something that we can accommodate? Does it fit our market? My answer, as I see the businesses, is yes. The markets here are ready.” But first, Axiata Enterprise must build trust with the enterprises, which are not in any dimension different from the leading companies in other parts of the world. “However, this is something that will take a couple of months – through trials, proof of concepts and so on. When these companies are confident that they can work with the newest innovations, we’ll be there for them.” Leading successful 5G digital transformation To achieve the 5G transformation, certain technologies must be in place – primarily, 5G and the cloud.

MILA J. KUSHEVA, CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, SMART AXIATA, CAMBODIA Cambodia stands out as one of the fastestgrowing economies, consistently ranking among the top 20 countries in terms of year-on-year GDP growth. In Cambodia, both consumers and businesses of all sizes are extensively connected to the digital realm. Additionally, media consumption has predominantly shifted towards digital platforms. This constant connectivity to the digital realm has transformed the way people engage in commerce and stay connected. The digitalisation of business and consumer interactions is happening at a high pace, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Connectivity plays a critical role across industries, customers and businesses in emerging markets where mobile technology is the predominant force. Recognising this, Smart Axiata has taken the lead as the first operator in the country to embrace a comprehensive solutions portfolio. This portfolio encompasses flexible connectivity solutions, a security layer powered by SD WAN and Versa, and additional options for automating business operations. By continuously introducing new and easy to adopt solutions, Smart has already been established as a preferred telecom provider to the financial industry in the country which is among fastest developing in terms of growth as well as digitalisation. By leveraging cloud-based technologies, Smart is playing a crucial role in supporting businesses in Cambodia to advance further

in process automation and digitalisation. Through collaborations with Axiata Enterprise and international partners, Smart introduces several cloud-based offerings. These include Aarenet, a cloud-based PBX system. Additionally, Smart brings forth a cloudbased ERP solution in partnership with local startup CheckInMe, enabling organisations to streamline their operations digitally. Furthermore, the collaboration with Cartrack provides a Fleet Management solution, enhancing efficiency and control. Being a part of Cambodia’s dynamic ecosystem of businesses and consumers, as an operator presents an incredibly exciting opportunity. Through strategic partnerships, Smart Axiata brings international expertise to the table in an accessible manner, allowing companies to drive digitalisation and bolster digital security without requiring upfront investments. By offering these opportunities, Smart Axiata aims to fuel Cambodia’s journey towards a more digitised future.

mobile-magazine.com

101

Innovations you want, experience you need Leveraging experience for innovations that push the limits of technology. With over 30+ years on the global market, our Loyalty and Telecommunications solutions fuel the new era of IT services

Discover our technology Comarch Loyalty Comarch Telecommunications

How XL Axiata empowers 50 million customers with Comarch Telco Business Development Manager Henry Locarno & Jan Svorobovic, Director of Business Development, discuss Comarch’s ongoing relationship with XL Axiata Polish IT company Comarch has been cooperating with one of Axiata Group’s Indonesian subsidiaries – XL Axiata, a leading mobile telecommunications services operator – since 2016. With more than 30 years of experience in providing tech innovations for various industries – ranging from telecommunications through healthcare to finance, loyalty solutions, and banking – Comarch provides IT solutions including ERP business management systems, information security, CRM and sales support systems, electronic communications, network infrastructure management, IoT solutions, data analytics, and business intelligence. “XL Axiata uses our awardwinning AI-powered loyalty management platform for designing, building and running successful loyalty programmes,”

Comarch’s Director of Business Development Jan Svorobovic explains. “Comarch is running six loyalty programmes for 50 million XL Axiata customers.” The joint efforts yield impressive results, with each programme gathering millions of members. Axiapp, an Android-based application developed by PT XL Axiata Tbk (XL Axiata) for indirect channel partners, won a gold award at the 2021 International Loyalty 360 Awards in the USA in the CX category. Sustainability at the core of Comarch’s projects in 5G and technology Henry Locarno, Comarch’s Telco Business Development Manager, stresses how much 5G technology contributes to the quality and delivery of its products - ensuring partners like Axiata can operate with confidence with business and environmental

sustainability in mind. “5G equipped with modern, smart systems can enhance sustainability in corporations and across societies as a whole,” he explains. “Sustainability is a strong accelerator of the changes happening in telecoms. This is a new dimension of efficiency which was not previously possible, and would not have arrived so fast without pressure from society and governments.” Meeting ever-changing expectations of customers “We’re constantly striving to perfect our technology and improve Comarch-powered loyalty programmes,” Svorobovic says. “With XL Axiata, we plan to keep polishing their already robust loyalty initiatives through a deeper analysis of the members’ needs and behaviors. We want to ensure our loyalty programmes are up to speed and live up to the ever-changing expectations of people who use them.”

AXIATA

“5G is a smart type of connectivity that enables new types of use cases, and the cloud executes the applications of those use cases,” says Gerszberg. “Here, we are talking about the edge cloud and distributed edge cloud, which are by nature the domain of the operators.” Yet these two things mean nothing if the highest level of security is not guaranteed. “Security has become an immersive technology for any other type of technology. Combining those three from the competence perspective makes the telco space unique and so strong.” Axiata Enterprise has a strong partnership with Versa Networks. “This is a natural type of partnership; as we are helping our clients to migrate the cloud, in consequence we also help to modernise the security ecosystem with products like SD-WAN and SASE.

“We have built partnerships with the cloud players, helping them to reach the markets in our geography and helping our customers to get a strong representative. I believe we fit in well in the region.” For its 5G networking, Axiata Enterprise has partnered with Rakuten Symphony, Mavenir and Capgemini Engineering. Axiata’s partners deliver cutting edge solutions that address the needs of enterprises better than any other technology stacks. The networking is based on O-RAN technology, augmented with edge computing capabilities to run enterprise application workloads and is delivered in a fully cloud-native way, so standard off-the-shelf hardware can be deployed on customer sites. This helps Axiata Enterprise to offer very competitive pricing for the newest available technology. Digitalisation and the cloud have transformed the telecoms world. Over the next year, Axiata Enterprise is going to be more present in smart services, 5G networking and security.

MD. ADIL HOSSAIN, CHIEF ENTERPRISE BUSINESS OFFICER, ROBI, BANGLADESH

Robi’s evolution from Telco to Techco has helped the company to project itself as the leading tech-based solution provider across the industry verticals in Bangladesh. While we have a range of advanced solution portfolio, our Cloud and Colocation services clearly stands out, and already made significant headway into the market. In this regard, setting up the first ever Tier IV commercialized data center in Bangladesh has helped the company to command respect in the marketplace. Prominent Banks, Fintech, IT, FMCG, NGO, News & Media etc. companies have already subscribed to our Cloud and Colocation services- this business took off significantly in 2023. Companies who struggle to invest in on-site solutions, have been particularly drawn towards our colocation service. While the hesitation to migrate to cloud persists, it is very encouraging to note that more than 60% enterprises are planning for cloud migration. Like many other countries, we also see a great future for SD-WAN services in Bangladesh. Its ability to help organizations to effectively monitor and efficiently manage WAN traffic is beginning to entice the tech minded enterprises here. While the market yet lacks scalability, we have already carried out presale activities successfully in the Banking sector.

Though Bangladesh is yet to enter the 5G era, we are in discussion with the manufacturing and freight forwarding companies to enhance their operations through 5G. In this connection, we are actively working to create viable use-cases for the application of IOT, AR VR and AI Analytics in the manufacturing industries of Bangladesh. In addition to our evolution into a Techco, our enterprise brand name- “Robi for Business” gives clarity of purpose to our prospective and existing clients. This clarity of purpose helps us to cut to the chase when it comes to pitching these advanced digital solutions in the market. But despite many challenges, it is really encouraging to note that the industries here are very upbeat about embracing technology. As the market slowly falls into place, our focus for now is to win the trust and confidence of our clients, while expanding on areas that are gaining traction already.

mobile-magazine.com

105

AXIATA

106

November 2023

“With the pace of the development at Axiata Enterprise, the next 12 months for the company is like 36 months in some other places,” he said. “This is one of the priorities. We’ll be much more visible in managed services on security and in all vibes of security related to on-prem security solutions, SD-WAN networking, and SASE.” Gerszberg anticipates future trends in the telco industry, which he and his team will have to roll with. “The telco industry is undergoing the biggest transformation since digitalisation, which was in the 1990s. This is the biggest change in the last 30 years, because technology ecosystems and processes have changed so much. You need to change yourself internally with changing tools, in a changing market.” The second trend, Gerszberg says, is consultative selling related to solutions in the vertical industries, like solutions for logistics and warehouses. “Again, this requires knowledge about the solutions implemented worldwide,” says Gerszberg. “It requires knowledge about the business impact of the technologies in the specific verticals and it requires local capability to execute.” He sees this as a new way of localisation, especially in the enterprise segments for the telcos. So how do you combine the global innovation trends with the local talents and local capabilities? “I believe this is a kind of sweet spot for the telcos, because they can do that,” he says. “But the second thing is that they have the customer’s trust.” For Gerszberg, this is still the biggest asset that any company could imagine.

mobile-magazine.com

107

EVENT REVIEW

‘THE BEST VIRTUAL EVENT I HAVE EVER SEEN Mobile Magazine takes a look back on the success of last month’s inaugural two-day Cloud & 5G LIVE event WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK 108

November 2023

ast month, Cloud & 5G LIVE – the inaugural virtual iteration of the event – was broadcast to hundreds of audience members worldwide. On 11 and 12 October, more than 500 tuned in to listen to engaging firesides, keynotes and panels featuring leading experts in telco, cloud, 5G, AI and sustainability.

N’ Cloud & 5G LIVE highlighted ‘exciting and pivotal’ change happening industry-wide Broadcast live from BizClik HQ in London, stage host Neil Perry, Head of Multimedia and Editor in Chief of Procurement Magazine, reflects on the bumper two days, and emphasises the sheer volume of collective expertise of the Cloud & 5G LIVE speakers, including the likes of Tobias

Kederer, EMEA Practice Leader – AM3 & Sustainability, AWS Professional Services at AWS, Mark Bunn, Senior Vice President, SaaS Business Operations at Nokia, Susanna Kass, Co-Founder of InfraPrime, Melanie Benham, Solution Engineering Director Cloud Systems West Europe at Oracle and Manish Mangal, Global Business Head, 5G & Network Services at Tech Mahindra. mobile-magazine.com

109

EVENT REVIEW

“It was astounding to see the sheer level of experience and insight we had on the Cloud & 5G LIVE stage over the two days,” he shares. “It is such an exciting and pivotal time in the industry currently, and the discussions reflected that from start to finish. “Key themes that regularly surfaced were the importance of professionals in the cloud and 5G industry being able to translate the value and benefits of the technology across all parts of the business ecosystem to maximise the value of the technology to a wider company strategy.”

“IT WAS ASTOUNDING TO SEE THE SHEER LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT WE HAD ON THE CLOUD & 5G LIVE STAGE” NEIL PERRY

HEAD OF MULTIMEDIA AND EDITOR IN CHIEF OF PROCUREMENT MAGAZINE mobile-magazine.com

111

Mark Bunn at Nokia on ‘The Power of SaaS Transformation’ WATCH NOW

Mark Bunn, Nokia

Melanie Benham, Oracle

Manish Mangal, Tech Mahindra

EVENT REVIEW

Neil Perry TITLE: HEAD OF MULTIMEDIA AND EDITOR IN CHIEF OF PROCUREMENT MAGAZINE COMPANY: BIZCLIK INDUSTRY: MEDIA PUBLISHING LOCATION: UK Perry is Head of Multimedia at BizClik and has two decades of multimedia experience. He has worked across regional and national brands for Global Radio, as a bulletin presenter, broadcast voice coach, mentor and news editor. He is also an experienced live host and facilitator both in person and in online environments.

Perry underscores how the wide scope of cloud and 5G and its impact on other industries was also highlighted across the two days of the event. He continues: “Another key theme was simply lifting the lid on the huge range of potential uses for cloud and 5G technology, and how all sectors can learn from each other in finding successful use cases. We have had some wonderful feedback from our audience, and want to thank everyone who contributed to such a successful industry event.” And the glowing feedback has not just come from those tuning in. ‘A breathtaking experience’ Paul Graham, Technical Consulting Manager at Oracle Consulting – the parent mobile-magazine.com

113

Susanna Kass at InfraPrime on the Future of Data Centers WATCH NOW

company of which was Cloud & 5G LIVE’s main sponsor – hailed the virtual two-day conference as “interesting and entertaining”, highlighting how the convenience of it being live streamed allowed both for the flexibility and engagement of people watching wherever they are in the world. On day one of the event, Graham hosted the keynote 5G Private Networks, he stressed how there is “no innovation without connectivity”. Whereas Susanna Kass, Co-Founder of InfraPrime and Energy Fellow at Stanford University – who hosted Future of Data Centers Innovation and Impact: Sustainability and AI and was a guest host of Cloud and Clean Energy Tech Innovation 114

November 2023

and Sustainability Impact for the Future of Data Centre with Microsoft’s Brian Marrs, chose to applaud the sheer magnitude of expertise that continued to grace Cloud & 5G LIVE’s virtual stage as sessions came and went. “Cloud & 5G LIVE is a breathtaking experience, with a richness of content by premier hyperscaler speakers and industry leaders, each sharing remarkable insights,” she admires. Ceren Clulow, Programme Director of Connecting Cambridgeshire at Cambridgeshire County Council, called Cloud & 5G LIVE “the best virtual event I have ever seen and been part of,” passing her heartfelt thanks on to organisers, attendees and speakers alike for facilitating in-depth conversations and providing a platform

EVENT REVIEW

Brian Marrs, Senior Director, Energy & Carbon Removal, Microsoft

Ceren Clulow, Programme Director of Connecting Cambridgeshire at Cambridgeshire County Council

“CLOUD & 5G LIVE IS A BREATHTAKING EXPERIENCE” SUSANNA KASS CO-FOUNDER, INFRAPRIME

mobile-magazine.com

115

“ I’M THRILLED ABOUT THE LASTING IMPACT OUR EVENT HAS HAD”

Paul Graham, Technical Consulting Manager at Oracle Consulting

ALICE PAGE

MARKETING & PARTNERSHIP MANAGER, BIZCLIK

Alice Page TITLE: SENIOR MARKETING & PARTNERSHIP MANAGER COMPANY: BIZCLIK INDUSTRY: MEDIA PUBLISHING LOCATION: UK Page works across BizClik’s Mobile and Data Centre brands uniting the industries through her skills in strategy, content creation, SEO, social media, website optimisation and customer experience. She previously worked as Creative Marketing Manager at tech company Thyngs with a focus on mobile technology and building experiences that bridge the physical and digital worlds.

116

November 2023

Tobias Kederer, EMEA Practice Leader – AM3 & Sustainability, AWS Professional Services at AWS

for intense knowledge sharing. Her keynote, 5G and the Transformative Role of Local Bodies, brought a different perspective to Cloud & 5G LIVE to how local authorities play a key role in facilitating the deployment of digital infrastructure and therefore enable digital transformation. Highlights from Cloud & 5G LIVE 2023 Rounding off Cloud & 5G LIVE 2023, BizClik Marketing & Partnership Manager Alice Page, who leads marketing for Mobile and Data Centre Magazines, encompassed not only how much innovation was showcased across the two days, but how we are only just starting to see its lasting effects. She said: “It has been an absolute pleasure launching

EVENT REVIEW

Other upcoming BizClik events

Cloud & 5G LIVE, our first stand alone event for Mobile Magazine, and to proudly incorporate it into the esteemed collection of BizClik LIVE events. “Every speaker session was insightful and provided so much advice and guidance for the industry. I’m thrilled about the lasting impact our event has had over the course of two days and look forward to extending the wealth of knowledge of our expert speakers far and wide in the coming months. The goal for our LIVE events, and brands as a whole, is to foster collaboration, amplify the collective voice, facilitate knowledge sharing, and propel businesses to new heights – and I believe that is exactly what we achieved at Cloud & 5G LIVE.”

It’s not just the telco sphere where we facilitate engaging and exclusive discussions. The world’s fastest growing fintech and crypto Event: FinTech LIVE London is next up in the BizClik calendar, returning on 8 and 9 November. The event, set to draw in a crowd of 5,000 in-person and 2,500 virtually across the globe, will bring the fintech, insurtech and crypto industries together at the QEII Centre for a whirlwind jam-packed two days. Rounding off 2023 is Manufacturing Digital LIVE on 6 December. The fully-virtual event will showcase innovators paving the way for a more resilient, sustainable and efficient future, with the exclusive virtual event delving into the future of Manufacturing. Net Zero LIVE is BizClik’s first event of 2024. With four overarching themes across the event, more than 60 internationally-acclaimed speakers will flock to the QEII Centre for exclusive keynote presentations, high-energy panels, interactive workshops and much more, leading the drive towards achieving Net Zero together. Get your event tickets here: FINTECH LIVE LONDON MANUFACTURING DIGITAL LIVE NETZERO LIVE

mobile-magazine.com

117

From traditional te to world-leading te WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK PRODUCED BY: MICHAEL BANYARD

118

November 2023

TELUS

elco ech org

mobile-magazine.com

119

TELUS

TELUS leadership deep dives into how its global team is helping create the revolutionary technology company of the future

120

November 2023

he modern telecommunications landscape has undergone remarkable transformations over the decades, thanks in part to significant strides in technology. Telcos, which began as providers of traditional home phone service, have transitioned into multifaceted digital communication leaders, connecting millions of people across the world and propelling the industry toward an unknown, but exciting and revolutionary future.

For some, the drive to connect people is inspired as much by a commitment to social purpose as it is by technology. That’s certainly true for Canada-based global communications technology company, TELUS. “Connecting people is at the heart of everything we do and our goal is to drive phenomenal human outcomes and bridge digital divides to improve lives and help make the world a better place,” says Hesham Fahmy, TELUS’ Chief Information Officer. “Our

journey started many years ago, providing fast and reliable telecommunications services but, as we’ve evolved, we’ve added many other layers of transformative service offerings to our portfolio that can drive even more value for our customers and advance our social purpose.” TELUS’ mission is to use the power of technology and network connectivity to deliver the best solutions to people at home, in the workplace and on the move. TELUS’ actions are guided by its purpose; that is, mobile-magazine.com

121

TELUS

“ Connecting people is at the heart of everything we do” HESHAM FAHMY

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, TELUS

using its technology and compassion to drive meaningful social change – from transforming healthcare and making the food supply more 122

November 2023

sustainable to reducing its environmental footprint and connecting Canadians in need. The company’s purpose is a blueprint for how TELUS engages and interacts with its customers and communities. TELUS’ longstanding commitment to putting customers first fuels its business, making the brand a distinct leader in customer service excellence and loyalty. Powered by purpose Over the years, TELUS has established itself as a dynamic, world-leading communications technology company and it remains laser-focused on continuing its journey of evolution and growth as a global technology powerhouse, enabling its over 18 million customers,

HESHAM FAHMY TITLE: CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER COMPANY: TELUS INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY LOCATION: ONTARIO, CANADA As Chief Information Officer (CIO) at TELUS, Fahmy leads the team responsible for spearheading TELUS’ transformation to a fully-digital, softwarecentric and cloud-enabled organization. The CIO team manages corporate systems and team member tools, bringing humanised, digital-first experience to life for customers, and championing technology to improve capabilities, efficiency and scalability across all current and future lines of business. An agent of transformation and an innovator with seven granted patents, Fahmy has extensive consumer, digital and cloud technology development skills and operational leadership. He approaches his product and service development strategies with an entrepreneurial spirit building highavailability cloud and enterprise systems factoring security, privacy, scalability, data warehousing and analytics, all of which centres around constantly improving the customer experience. In 2023, Fahmy was presented the CIO of the Year award by IT World Canada. With a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from McMaster University and a Master of Software Engineering from the University of Toronto, he has innovated software products and solutions for 25 years, including 19 years of senior leadership roles, with a track record of launching disruptive products and platforms in retail, IoT, fintech and development tooling.

Before joining TELUS, Fahmy was the Vice President of Technology and General Manager, Marketplace at Loblaw Digital, where he led the technical delivery and operations of Loblaw’s omni-channel digital experiences and the transition of all of Loblaws’ digital platforms to Google Cloud. He also led entrepreneurship and consumer product development at ecobee and is the mastermind behind ecobee’s thermostat line, currently one of the best-selling smart thermostats in North America. Fahmy is a motivational leader with a passion for building highly productive teams and growing professional careers. His own passion for social capitalism aligns with TELUS’ leadership in leveraging its world-leading technology and compassion to drive social change and enable meaningful outcomes for its customers, communities and team members.

TELUS

“A team with diverse skill sets and the shared values of embracing change and innovating responsibly is what will drive real transformation” HESHAM FAHMY

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, TELUS

TELUS: From traditional telco to world-leading tech org WATCH NOW

124

November 2023

Use more image captions as often as possible

as well as its team members, to be part of a better-connected world. “We’re building a strong technology base as a launch pad for customer experiences that are driving peace of mind, comfort and positive human outcomes. This is the impetus of our journey from a traditional telco to a technology and platform company,” explains Fahmy. “We have to champion engineering excellence and build our platforms on strong technology foundations because that’s what gives us the ability to launch in different directions and pivot based on where we see customer needs and demands.” Fostering the right culture to drive TELUS’ evolution Undoubtedly, a massive evolution is on the horizon for TELUS. The company highly values its workforce, taking pride in nurturing and retaining top talent. Fahmy emphasises the importance of preparing TELUS’ team members to embrace significant change as it continues its digital transformation, all the while ensuring they consistently deliver high-quality service. “Often when people talk about their transformation journey, they think primarily about technology. What’s even more fundamental is having the right culture and mindset. A team with diverse skill sets and the shared values of embracing change and innovating responsibly is what will drive real transformation,” he says. Fahmy’s primary goal is to unite his teams, fostering a deep understanding and collaborative spirit throughout their shared journey. It’s crucial that every team member understands the significance of their contributions and the pivotal role they can play.

“As much as we all feel proud of great customer outcomes, we must also consider what’s in it for our people. Modernisation will certainly make our team’s job easier and more efficient. It’s equally critical to equip team members with the latest cloud technology skills so they aren’t only successful today but also thrive in the future ways of working.” Steve Banick, TELUS Vice President of Strategy & Transformation, who has 25 years of IT and technology experience, says TELUS makes it a priority to empower the personal and professional development of its people. “This is not the first time TELUS has navigated significant change as technology evolves, specifically with the AI revolution right now. We recognise that we are far better off if we tap into the talent, knowledge and loyalty of our team members and bring them along our journey,” he emphasises. “Last year, we launched our Digital Talent programme, a multi-pronged initiative focused on attracting, retaining and building talent within TELUS to support us through not only this transformation but whatever comes next.” Through this programme, TELUS has introduced career passports, which Banick says codify what talent, knowledge, skills and experience team members need to unlock for the next steps in their career journey. “This approach not only empowers team members to grow their careers, but also enables the organisation to pinpoint strategic investments in formal and informal learning, as well as cutting-edge tools and technologies to support them on their journey. Furthermore, we’ve built robust support systems such as mentorship programs, uniting team members to synergise technical expertise with a deep mobile-magazine.com

125

Innovation-driven, technology-enabled. Your forward-thinking payments partner. Global Payments is a leading worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions. It operates both a merchant solutions and issuer solutions business to clients across the payments ecosystem — from small and medium-sized merchants to large national and multinational enterprises and ﬁnancial institutions.

Learn more

Innovation that delivers.

Chris Baron, senior vice president, Canada, shares how Global Payments’ four strategic pillars – tech-enabled/ software driven, e-commerce/ omnichannel, faster-growth markets and B2B – inform its approach to innovation. According to Baron, these pillars have helped Global Payments to recognize opportunities, including the need for tailored solutions within speciﬁc industries. “Global Payments was a ﬁrst mover in owned software technologies, implementing its technology-enabled, software-driven strategy when other providers were still focused on hardware,” he explains. “This strategy paid off, enabling Global Payments to move aggressively into cloud software.” Baron notes, “As companies digitize more of their operations, they want to engage technology companies like ours who can help them run and grow their business with comprehensive platforms. Payment processing is now just one of many ways

we help businesses. Our commerce enablement tools such as omnichannel solutions, payroll and more, also help answer their need for business efficiency and continuity.” Geographically, the company’s recent acquisition of EVO Payments expands its presence into faster-growth, attractive markets including Poland, Germany, Greece and Chile. This latest acquisition means Global Payments now serves 4.6 million merchant accounts and 1,500 ﬁnancial institutions worldwide. Global Payments is also helping businesses of all sizes effectively compete in a digitizing, worldwide economy through innovative technologies. To do so, it has been investing in technology to maintain its leadership in the industry, spending close to US$2 billion annually. The company continues to see the four pillars of their strategy as the biggest growth opportunity from today through the next three to ﬁve years.

TELUS

“ The most important thing is ensuring that we have a team that’s fully motivated, engaged and confidently believes that it can contribute to our future” STEVEN BANICK

VICE PRESIDENT, CIO STRATEGY & TRANSFORMATION, TELUS

128

November 2023

understanding of our business – a remarkably potent and powerful combination.” One successful way of opening up new career paths for TELUS employees is through the revolutionary Digital Skills Fast Track program which empowers frontline agents with no prior coding experience, to step into digital careers as junior software developers through an intensive 12-week bootcamp. “It’s hard not to get excited,” Banick champions. Even though the programme is future-focused, TELUS is already seeing results. Digital Skills Fast Track is not only creating opportunities to add new skills and knowledge to the team, but more importantly, unlocking a whole new career trajectory for people that wasn’t available to them before.

STEVE BANICK TITLE: VICE PRESIDENT – CIO STRATEGY & TRANSFORMATION COMPANY: TELUS INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY LOCATION: VANCOUVER, CANADA Banick is responsible for mobilising and leading the transformation of our TELUS’ team into a fully digital and cloud native organisation. Banick is responsible for advancing the company’s cloud journey and partnerships, accelerating TELUS’ digital transformation and leading the internal technology that enables TELUS team members with new ways of working to be the most productive and highly engaged workforce globally. A proud TELUS team member for 25 years, Banick is passionate about developing individuals, teams and organisations to be successful and sustainable for the future. An active mentor and career coach, he is known as a committed developer of potential and talent. In addition to certifications and background in technology, leadership and project management, Banick also holds an MBA from Royal Roads.

Outside of TELUS, Banick serves as a Director for Junior Achievement of British Columbia (JABC), a non-profit organisation proud to deliver a wide selection of educational programmes focusing on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. JABC’s purpose is to inspire, prepare and empower B.C. youth for lifelong success.

TELUS

Exploring AI in the workplace When evaluating the team’s evolution, TELUS knows they need to examine not just current technical skills, but also anticipate future technology shifts. They emphasise nurturing a culture of continuous learning, urging both individuals and the organisation to continually improve, ensuring they are well-prepared to embrace emerging technologies. A prime example is generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Although this technology has existed in some form for many years, its use has exploded in the last 12 months. “It’s not just about launching new tech like AI. We have to introduce it and allow team members to experiment, find out

130

November 2023

what works for their productivity and support that cultural transformation,” says Banick. “Technology is hard, but not the hardest part. The most important thing is ensuring that we have a team that’s fully motivated, engaged and confidently believes that it can contribute to our future.” TELUS is not only investing in individual contributors and technology experts, but also its leaders, preparing them to lead the technology company of the future. Banick explains: “The role of leadership continues to change. In today’s world, we need leaders that are at the forefron of how they use data and insights to unlock the potential and the capability of their teams.”

“ To truly unlock the tremendous potential GenAI has to offer, we must use it responsibly” HESHAM FAHMY

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, TELUS

With that in mind, TELUS established Leadership Launchpad, a six-month programme to support new, as well as seasoned leaders, in building their leadership muscle, learning the latest management skills and trends and gaining the confidence needed to guide their teams to success. Pushing the boundaries of innovation As a people-centric employer, TELUS

nurtures a culture that empowers its teams to boldly innovate. “Culture begins with an individual’s attitude and we really focus on that cultural fit when hiring new talent,” says Hasan Jafri, TELUS Vice President, Platform Engineering & Common Services. “Are they focused on the customer? Are they looking to solve complex problems? That’s the go-getter attitude we look for when recruiting for technology roles.” Jafri’s team is responsible for looking at the end-to-end life cycle of a TELUS project, from the beginning to when the system is live and running. Thanks to its people and their willingness to streamline operations working cross-functionally across teams, some of these processes have become drastically mobile-magazine.com

131

TELUS

HASAN JAFRI TITLE: VICE PRESIDENT, PLATFORM ENGINEERING & COMMON SERVICE COMPANY: TELUS INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY LOCATION: ONTARIO, CANADA Jafri is a visionary IT executive known for solving complex problems, building strategic partnerships and driving transformational change that deliver results. He is known for building organisations and programmes with structure, direction, accountability and decisive leadership. As a strategic advisor and executive, Hasan has worked extensively with a variety of Fortune 500 companies across multiple industries. Recently, Jafri was VP of Enterprise Platform Engineering & Architecture where he implemented the global platform and digital architecture, established DevOps & SRE process and delivered API, cloud platform, customer authentication/notification and data products delivering global efficiency and cost savings more than CA$100 million. Previously, he was VP of Technology at TD where he built and led a billiondollar transformation program that digitised business processes and reduced significant costs. Earlier, Jafri was VP & Chief Architect at BMO Financial Group. As the Chief Architect, he led the building of the enterprise SOA infrastructure designed to re-platform core banking systems and re-design the entire integration layer. He was also a member of the Leadership Council of the bank leading transformation initiatives.

132

November 2023

Leading a technology organisation has dramatically changed over the past decade. Today’s Senior Technology executives must understand and appreciate the critical relationship between technology and the business strategy and continuously focus on integrating customer insights into the plan to implement practical solutions. Hasan has utilised these levers to deliver major transformations in the financial services, insurance, healthcare & retail industries globally. Jafri is a dedicated family man, a proud father of two boys and two girls, an avid reader and sportsman.

more efficient – slashed from a six-month, 47-step process to a fully-automated one. “We have seen a 60% improvement in some of our processes,” Jafri says. “We’ve automated all kinds of different things and we’re seeing fantastic results. In fact, we recently won International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada’s CIO award for building standardised software templates and starter kits for our developers, taking their productivity and efficiency to an alltime high. It’s great to get such external recognition for our team’s technology innovation and the remarkable results they’re generating.” Part of this growth also comes from the diverse network of partners, spanning from major corporations and hyperscale enterprises to small businesses and specialised organisations. Nurturing collaborative, cohesive and innovative relationships with these partners is part of TELUS’ approach to innovating boldly. Prioritising a mutual understanding of each other’s distinct needs and requirements while jointly pursuing shared goals and objectives is key.

“ The social mandate associated with TELUS is something that can touch your heart. We’re transforming TELUS into a software driven organisation, eliminating toil and increasing the happiness of our hard working teams” HASAN JAFRI

VICE PRESIDENT, PLATFORM ENGINEERING & COMMON SERVICES, TELUS mobile-magazine.com

133

TELUS: KEY FACTS TELUS is steadily progressing towards its ambitious target of migrating 80% of its applications, workloads and systems to the public cloud by 2025. As of now, more than 60% of targeted applications have already successfully moved to the cloud. The recent modernisation of these cloud-based applications has yielded significant enhancements in system reliability, manifesting as a 50% reduction in mean time to recovery (MTTR) and a complete absence of outages or severe performance degradation incidents. TELUS was awarded the title of Canada’s fastest major internet service provider (ISP) for the fourth consecutive year in 2023 by PCMag. Since 2000, TELUS has made significant philanthropic contributions, totalling CA$1.6 billion (US$11.7 billion) and providing 2.2 million days of service. In 2023, TELUS was named as the first North American company to receive the “Running on Open Digital Architecture (ODA)” status from the industry association, TM Forum.

134

November 2023

Collaborating with partners who share TELUS’ cooperative spirit and values, which align with TELUS’ objectives – and vice versa – continues to accelerate its digital transformation. “Partners are critical to our success – and it’s not us just learning from them, but them learning from us,” Jafri shares, championing collaboration.

TELUS

charging points across Canada powered by TELUS’ world-leading network. “We’ve also partnered with ForgeRock to build EverSafe IDs for over 30,000 Public Mobile customers on their SaaS platform,” he adds. “These secure identities are helping safeguard customer privacy and personal information with added layers of security and we’ve already seen millions of transactions. “Another one of our partners is Global Payments, who are helping us deliver a new payments-as-a-product capability 50% faster than the previous version. What usually takes a year was completed in three months, so it’s been a great partnership with great outcomes.”

These partnerships include a 10-year strategic alliance with Google Cloud to help modernise TELUS’ core technologies and co-innovate on new service offerings. TELUS also works closely with other hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and recently partnered with JOLT, an Australian electric vehicle company, to jointly install up to 5,000 electric vehicle

AI will lead TELUS’ future transformation With all this said, the key transformer for the company will still likely be AI as the digital age continues to progress at a rapid pace. “Generative AI is as impactful to society as the invention of the internet and as transformational as the discovery of fire,” says Fahmy. “We’re only at the beginning of where this technology is going to go and we have the opportunity to help shape where it goes and tailor it to our needs.” “The low-barrier entry and accessibility of GenAI makes it available to nearly everyone with connectivity,” he shares. “Gen AI is like having your own 24/7 personal assistant to help you with various aspects of your life. “GenAI can be truly transformational in what it can do – a game-changer for productivity, connectivity and accessibility. At TELUS, we have set up our own TELUS GenAI Bot available to every team member to help them be more efficient, innovative and experiment with their work.” mobile-magazine.com

135

136

November 2023

TELUS

“We’ve built this world-leading AI platform using large language models (LLMs) to incorporate image generation, document intelligence and multiple interfaces – equipping our team members with a safe and secure way to experiment with AI at work,” adds Jafri. “With nearly 7,000 unique users already, our goal is to get our team fully AI-enabled and adopt these cutting edge technologies in our products and services.” Fahmy stresses that TELUS is committed to using GenAI responsibly, while also making it fully accessible and harnessing its power. “We’re ahead of the curve and wellversed in how GenAI can enhance both customer experiences and our own. However, to truly unlock the tremendous potential GenAI has to offer, we must use it responsibly, ensuring we mitigate the challenges it can present and use in a way that’s friendly for all.” Embracing the potential of GenAI’s transformative capabilities, TELUS is fully committed to leading the charge towards responsible use, all in pursuit of a brighter, more inclusive future. Fahmy, expressing his dedication, emphasises, “Our role as pioneers in the GenAI realm is one we hold with great responsibility. We are only at the beginning of this incredible journey and we eagerly anticipate the exciting innovations and opportunities that lie ahead.”

mobile-magazine.com

137

TECH & AI

USING DATA AND ANALYTICS TO ENHANCE USERS’ TMT EXPERIENCE Mobile Magazine sits down with Vimeo’s VP Data & Analytics to discuss data trends and how analytics is shaping TMT of the future WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK

138

November 2023

here’s no denying that the power of information is unparalleled, with what has increasingly become a data-driven landscape deciphering – as well as shaping – consumer behaviour, steering strategic decisions and emerging as having a transformative impact across all industries. With a keen desire to apply maths and statistics to making data science solutions that work, Matt Shump joined Vimeo as its VP of Data Analytics in 2022. Leading a team of 40, Shump is keen to work on hard problems with enthusiastic collaborators from a cross section of expertise and backgrounds that leverages data, science, technology and a specific domain. “The problems to solve may not be new everywhere to everyone, but they are often new to that specific industry or company, so how we solve them requires some level of intrapreneurial energy, creative solutioning and iterative testing and learning,” he shares. How Vimeo uses data and analytics At video hosting, sharing and services platform provider Vimeo, Shump and his team use data and analytics to understand what its users consider valuable or successful to help feed into how Vimeo can improve and personalise their experience, and the subsequent impact of the changes implemented. Shump details: “It is not always obvious if a customer is seeing value and solving the core problems they have with our product or service, particularly when many different use cases and problems are served from the product and features built. However, without understanding what your current and prospective customers are actually mobile-magazine.com

139

Ready to let AI make TV even smarter? Complaint-free customers are happy customers. TV Operations Portal and Machine Learning predictive maintenance solutions enable real-time communication with customers devices and allow to discover issues or failures even before they occur and to take preventive actions to avoid them to happen. Get in touch with us through info@celfocus.com or Scan the QR Code to learn about Celfocus Digital TV Offer

TECH & AI

More than

1,200

employees work at Vimeo to bring users high-quality video tools More than

1.7m

paid subscribers use Vimeo

Matt Shump TITLE: VP DATA & ANALYTICS COMPANY: VIMEO INDUSTRY: VIDEO HOSTING, SHARING AND SERVICES LOCATION: NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA Shump joined Vimeo in 2022 to bring together the Data, Analytics, and Data Science teams for the first time under a single department. Leading a team of 40, Shump’s aim is to drive decisions, actions and solutions that meaningfully and scalably impact our business, products, and customers using data.

trying to use your software for and how to quantitatively measure it, the ability to not just improve value for your customers but knowing exactly which customers are or are not seeing value becomes impossible.” At Vimeo, both qualitative and quantitative methods are combined to understand what customers are trying to use its products for and if they are seeing success – or to see where they may be specifically running into pain points. “This data and insight helps inform how we price and package, how we improve onboarding and activation product experiences, how and who we outreach to through customer lifecycle marketing (CLM) campaigns and allows us to better personalise, or at least segment, our user mobile-magazine.com

141

“ It’s not always possible or perfect, but we strive to quantify with some level of confidence that we are making the impact we hoped we would” MATT SHUMP

VP DATA & ANALYTICS, VIMEO

base to prioritise the customer’s time on what will likely help them the most,” he shares. Acknowledging that there is no exact science behind implementing changes and acquiring the necessary data to measure its success, Shump shares how Vimeo invests time, energy and money into improving the customer experience, which highlights the importance of metrics to get to the core of what is working and what can be best improved. “It’s not always possible or perfect, but we strive to quantify with some level of confidence that we are making the impact we hoped we would. The foundation behind this is complex and cross functional, requiring a mature experimentation process, feature flagging system and a robust

TECH & AI

measurement and statistical evaluation system. However, the hardest part is really relying on the data to inform what worked versus falling victim. “Vimeo has come a long way in really listening to customer behaviour through experimentation performance to inform and iterate how we improve customer experience.” From there, it is about prioritising how customer experience can be amplified. Data is the key factor driving and facilitating conversations in identifying customers who are set to benefit from suggested changes, and driving intended impact. When bringing data to the prioritisation step of work forces, Shump advocates a cross functional discussion occurring around the efficiency of data collection.

“The flexible tools we have invested in at Vimeo and the full set of data we ingest and orchestrate through the full technology stack allows for a lot of use cases to solve that go way beyond the traditional reporting, dashboarding and analysis projects,” he states. “This includes leveraging product usage data to better understand if different products or a sales discussion would be more valuable to the customer and to Vimeo. Also, sending targeting data into Vimeo’s in-app customer communication and email marketing tools to engage users and sending data into its ad-tech platforms to facilitate marketing towards prospects that look similar to past users who have seen success on the Vimeo platform.” mobile-magazine.com

143

A brief history of Vimeo 2004: Jake Lodwick and Zach Klein founded Vimeo as a platform for creatives to show and share their work as a more creative and high-quality alternative to YouTube. 2007: Vimeo introduces its premium subscription Plus service. It includes features such as higher upload limits. 2010: Vimeo introduces its Video On Demand (VOD) platform, allowing videos to be sold or rented to viewers. 2012: The launch of Vimeo’s Tip Jar feature, enabling voluntary payments to support creators’ work. 2014: Streaming platform VHX acquired by Vimeo. 2016: Vimeo Live launches, allowing live broadcasts. 2017: Renewed focus at Vimeo as Anjali Sud becomes its CEO. She stepped down in August 2023. 2020: Covid-19 spurs significant growth for Vimeo due to increasing demand for online video content. The company expands its suite of video tools for businesses. 2021: Vimeo becomes a publicly traded company and goes public on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol VMEO. 2023: The company enters 2023 with what then-CEO Sud calls “a more focused strategy to simplify Vimeo” which she said will enable the brand “to achieve our growth and profitability goals in a way that is far less dependent on the broader market, putting us in full control of our destiny.”

“ TMT industries and companies are highly dynamic and so too is the data, analytics and data science industry itself” MATT SHUMP

VP DATA & ANALYTICS, VIMEO

Data and analytics is shaping the entertainment sphere of the future Taking the approach of understanding company strategy to identify valuable use cases where data, technology, and scientific methods can create impact rather than starting with technology to find a problem to solve, Shump encourages his team – who he says do their best work when they are enthusiastic about a problem – to keep on trend with emerging technologies to stay ahead of the curve. This proactive approach ensures Vimeo remains at the forefront of innovation. “TMT industries and companies are highly dynamic and so too is the data, analytics and data science industry itself,” Shump explains. “We do not have a perfect way of staying on

TECH & AI

There are more than

190

countries making, streaming and sharing content with Vimeo

top of everything, but how we spend our energy and the culture of the team makes a big impact. “Everyone on my team is empowered to explore a new problem, use case or tool. We highly encourage autonomy for everyone to both think critically about how to solve new problems as well as identify new problems that are aligned to our strategy and can make an impact now or in the future. We have found this lights a fire of intellectual curiosity for individuals to be more on top of emerging technologies and industry trends, thinking of creative ways to solve problems and drives more cross-team and cross-skill collaboration and awareness.” This is in a bid to cast a wide and varied professional learning net for both the

benefit of the business and the personal and professional development of its workforce. Thanks to the plethora of communities and thought leaders in the TMT and data industry, there is a constant stream of new ideas, new use cases and technology trends blasted in your face daily. Although this is a positive, Shump outlines how he cuts through the noise to ensure a focused approach, whether that be through nurturing vendor relationships for strategic insights and innovative tool usage and frequent discussions with experts. Insights from data experts are also leveraged, and networks of leaders for sharing experiences, exploring current and emerging use cases, and staying abreast of new technologies and problem-solving approaches. mobile-magazine.com

145

TECH & AI

Vimeo: One Take Editing with AI WATCH NOW

Trends have the potential to revolutionise Vimeo and the wider TMT market “As a company we are looking to become more focused and aligned around a set of key input and outcome metrics to measure performance consistently and provide more general visibility across the organisation,” Shump explains. “However, like many TMT companies, the metrics we look at and the data we care about have evolved over time but the systems and processes that collect that data have not necessarily kept up.” To take a more holistic approach in addressing this, Vimeo launched a new 146

November 2023

initiative, Metrics That Matter, with the objective to establish a standardised set of key metrics for comprehensive performance tracking throughout the data supply chain, involving creating a robust metrics foundation for measurement and analysis. Additionally, a performance tool will be developed to continuously compare actual data with financial forecasts, aiding in crucial operational processes like business reviews. With this groundwork in place, the focus shifts towards organisational efforts to enhance these key metrics and effectively gauge the impact of these improvements.

Vimeo has seen more than

100bn

presses of the play button on its videos

The future of TMT and entertainment data analytics Shump says that since the start of the year, Vimeo has moved away from more superficial measures of success, which has instigated undertaking deeper qualitative research to understand what type of product engagement actually leads to increased success. Through this deeper understanding of successful product engagement, Shump and his team have started building a much more data-informed experimentation roadmap which we iteratively validate if this type of usage pattern does in fact lead

to more satisfaction, success and impact that we observed it to be historically. “From validated product usage patterns or identified gaps we believe that we can drive the most value to our customers by building and scaling a personalised journey for their onboarding, activation and engagement that is unified across touchpoints. This is of course not an easy task. “In the future, I anticipate even more opportunities and novel problems being solved as functional teams and my team will integrate their strategy and development lifecycles even more than they are today.” mobile-magazine.com

147

VIRGIN MEDIA O2’S CUSTOMER FOCUS ON THE DIGITAL PAYMENT JOURNEY WRITTEN BY: TOM SWALLOW PRODUCED BY: JACK MITCHELL 148

November 2023

VIRGIN MEDIA O2

149

VIRGIN MEDIA O2

David Cox, Payment Strategy Lead at Virgin Media O2, advocates customer focus despite the disparity in digital literacy and consumer desire to transform

here’s no imagining what the world would look like without the media, connectivity, mobile devices, and the ability to stream anything, anywhere, at any time. Society now demands these modern forms of communication, meaning providers must endeavour to maintain 24/7 coverage online and on-air. This can also be translated into core business functions, of which payments is one of the hottest topics right now for a number of reasons. Businesses need to make money, which means they need to be able to acquire it from their customers effortlessly. This trend of ease must also be carried across to consumer engagement as they benefit from timely, seamless payments for their purchases; one-off payments and subscriptions. There’s also something to be said for offering customers more flexibility with their payments in today’s society, not only for the literal sense of the word, but also to ensure elements like contracts or subscription services are compatible with their financial needs. This is summed up by Virgin Media O2’s Payment Strategy Lead, a long-term advocate of the business, David Cox. Having worked at Virgin Media O2 for more than 20 years, Cox is well-positioned to be a leader in his domain but also a spokesperson for how the company approaches operations to ensure that the customer gets the most value for their commitment.

150

November 2023

David Cox, Payment Strategy Lead at Virgin Media O2

VIRGIN MEDIA O2

THE LEGACY OF VIRGIN MEDIA O2 Founded by its illustrious and outrageously committed leader Richard Branson, Virgin Media O2 has a legacy of its own and is an organisation that helped bridge the gap from analogue lifestyle to digital-first media and communications. What was first seen as luxury, the mobile phone is now a necessity globally, and Virgin Media O2 is incredibly influential — a name that can be seen across the UK. The company’s four core products include television, broadband, landline and mobile, which are some of the staples of today that a large portion of the population cannot imagine living without. The company’s objective across these four products is to grow continuously with trends around the world, across the industry, and throughout its network of customers, old or new.

152

November 2023

Supporting customers, digital or not According to Cox, network growth underpins everything that Virgin Media O2 does and the core mission for him is to amalgamate systems with technologies and partner services to provide the best possible experience for its customers. This is a response to the overwhelming number of bills received by customers, which can all be simplified into one single element. “Lots of businesses historically may have received a bill for their mobile service and a separate bill for broadband, so by amalgamating systems, customers can have more choice around how they are

billed, making things really clear and simple for the customer,” says Cox. “Customer experience and customer service are our key focuses. From an employee perspective, it’s about crossskilling — working together to ensure we provide the best customer experience and continue to grow the business.” Following this point, Cox also delves into the kind of industry that Virgin Media O2 contends with and boasts its ability to compete with oncoming technologies. “Apart from things moving faster, the business is very competitive and our industry is very fast-moving. We are more agile than

“ From an employee perspective, it’s about cross-skilling” DAVID COX

PAYMENT STRATEGY LEAD, VIRGIN MEDIA O2

mobile-magazine.com

153

VIRGIN MEDIA O2

Virgin Media O2’s customer focus on the digital payment journey WATCH NOW

“ What we’ve done in the past year is replatformed with all of our payment service providers to their latest platforms, to mitigate any negative impacts on our customers” DAVID COX

PAYMENT STRATEGY LEAD, VIRGIN MEDIA O2

154

November 2023

we ever were. The thing that’s probably challenged us most over the past few years is the impact of Covid-19 and lockdown. It was a huge learning experience for all. I think what we saw during lockdown was a change in customer behaviour so customers who wouldn’t naturally be what we call ‘digital’ were forced to because they had no other option. A lot more customers use digital services now, and benefit from being able to self-serve at a time that suits their circumstances and lifestyle” This is seen everywhere in 2023: the rise of digital payment solutions and the gradual reduction in the use of cash, although there was a slight increase in 2023 due to the cost of living crisis. But, while it’s always fun to think about where payment technology will be in the future, we must not forget that some demographics could get left behind — which is all part of the Virgin Media O2 customer commitment.

Use more image captions as often as possible

DAVID COX TITLE: PAYMENT STRATEGY LEAD COMPANY: VIRGIN MEDIA O2 LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM David has 40 years payments experience having worked in Retail Banking for 18 years, Franchise Ben Sherman stores and then the newly amalgamated Virgin Media O2. He supports all payment methods both old and new across multiple channels and customer types. He also works closely with payment regulators, sponsor banks, payment service providers and merchant acquirers. He always puts the customer first when considering existing or new payment user flows and embraces new payment methods like Open Banking. He also presents 3 radio shows a week as part of a voluntary role which includes acting as Treasurer for a local community radio station.

2006

Virgin Media O2 is born from a merger of Virgin Mobile UK, Virgin.net and NTL Telewest in 2006 mobile-magazine.com

155

VIRGIN MEDIA O2

Use more image captions as often as possible

“It takes time for consumers to adapt, even to contactless,” says Cox. “I remember how long it was out there before people started to use that technology. In London they called it the ‘TFL moment’, but outside of London it was more the, dare I say, the latte moment when you could actually pay for your coffee without having minimum fees and minimum values attached. “Initially, when that first came out, consumers were very wary of what happens if they lose their card. ‘What happens? Someone else could use it’. So, with any new payment method, it just takes time for people to get familiar and to trust it, which is one of the challenges ahead of us.” Growth is the goal and is enabled by digital technology In such a rapid chain of events, the world has moved into a very autonomous way of working and the majority of consumers today are able to adopt changes much faster thanks to the generational increase in digital literacy. But Virgin Media O2 recognises that not everyone is that way inclined. Although the majority of new customers are open to digital, there remains a large enough population to warrant manual consumer engagements — and it’s something the company will offer until, and if, this way of customer service naturally phases out. In fact, being a major player in the industry puts Virgin Media O2 in a great position to influence the industry through supporting regulators to generally focus the trajectory of media and communications. Having worked with Pay UK, Cox explains how his work helps build a suitable regulatory structure to suit businesses and their loyal service users. “We flag anything that would negatively or positively impact a merchant. We work

with the regulators a lot to ensure that the end-state product delivers what our front-end consumers are looking for. The other thing we keep flagging, which just gets forgotten sometimes, is meeting the needs of all demographics. When I bring this up in meetings, some people within those meetings are still surprised that not everyone actually has a smartphone,” says Cox. It is always somewhat refreshing to see that Cox’s approach to customer service isn’t just about how they interact with the business, but he also likes to understand consumers’ desires from a much deeper perspective. “Some of our consumers still go to the local post office to pay their bill. Not always because they couldn’t pay by other means, it may because the cashier could be the only person they see, or it may literally be the only trip out in the week,” Cox explains. “We must remember to meet the needs of all customers, demographics and backgrounds rather than just assuming everyone’s got a smartphone, or that everyone wants to go digital.” He refers to this as a ‘balancing act’ as he also addresses the idea of digital disparity of those that actually use technology to make their payments to Virgin Media O2. “With the payment landscape ever changing, we must work with providers of digital wallets like Google Pay/Apple Pay/ Click To Pay or indeed, open banking — any of those. We should ensure that whatever we put in front of our consumers, close to 100% of our customers could, in principle, use that function and trust it; know it’s secure and know that we’ve done all we can to develop it from a consumer perspective,” Cox says. mobile-magazine.com

157

VIRGIN MEDIA O2

158

November 2023

“ They expect everything to be working 100% of the time, not to try and connect to the wifi at 7pm and find that it’s not working” DAVID COX

PAYMENT STRATEGY LEAD, VIRGIN MEDIA O2

Payment solutions that echo customer commitment When it comes to services, Cox explains, Virgin Media O2 leans on a number of providers to really enhance the experience for its customers. In his role, Cox is tasked with a strategic focus on those partners and their services as the company shifts towards organisations delivering more advanced projects. Open-banking being the key and evolving focus for the industry at the moment means that Virgin Media O2 steers itself away from legacy systems in order to remain current. “What we’ve done in the past year is replatformed with all of our payment service providers to their latest platforms, which gives us that agility to switch on and off certain payment methods — they’re robust, secure, up 100% of the time and that’s what our customers expect,” says Cox. “They expect everything to be working 100% of the time, not to try and connect to the wifi at 7pm and find that it’s not working. I think stabilisation of our platforms and services is something we’ve very much been mobile-magazine.com

159

VIRGIN MEDIA O2

focused on. By having an agile platform, whether it’s payment service providers or internal, we then gain the ability to pilot different solutions to meet customer needs.” To deliver these agile, rapidly evolving, ‘always-on’ payment offerings, the company pays close attention to the approach of ebpSource, one of its main, strategic digital billing and payment partners, who are capable of meeting the needs of the business around the clock. Naturally, with customers expecting their services to be available 24/7, the company relies on a partner that is able to update and service its solutions in the least disruptive way possible while being at the forefront of the latest developments in digital payments. “ebpSource was founded back in 2006, by one of the most experienced teams in the

160

November 2023

“ We must remember to meet the needs of all customers, of all demographics and backgrounds” DAVID COX

PAYMENT STRATEGY LEAD, VIRGIN MEDIA O2

global electronic billing and payment industry. Our collaboration with ebpSource started from those early days and has evolved to support the extensive digitisation of the business across many areas of our digital domain; billing and payments being a key part of that journey strategically. They understand our business and how new technology needs to work within existing frameworks, business processes, technical processes and IT environments.

Additionally they bring us the value of their cross-industry experience, working not only in telecoms but also with utilities, financial services and payment processors” Cox says. This sets the company on the path towards further growth in the digital arena. Open banking is the key trend that Cox expects to see more involvement with in the future. Virgin Media O2 is continually evolving to bring its customers into the digital realm and remain up-to-date with the latest technological trends and discoveries. In doing so, open banking, he expects, will further streamline the payment process for digital customers, making it a more appealing concept for the majority.

mobile-magazine.com

161

rd r Bi ffe rly O 95 t Ea ke £2 c Ti 95 £4

6 - 7 M ARCH 2 024 QEII CENTRE, LONDON

3,000+ IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL ATTENDEES

60+ INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SPEAKERS

2-DAY NETWORKING, CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION EVENT

Connect with The World’s ESG Leaders

Sean Jones Chief Sustainability Officer

Virginie Helias

Ulrike Sapiro Chief Sustainability Officer

Chief Sustainability Officer

EARLY BIRD TICKETS

BECOME A SPONSOR IN 2024

EXPO • CONFERENECE • WORKSHOPS • NETWORKING