The Techco Revolution: Join Telcos on the Journey to Becoming Tech Leaders

Telcos have been at the forefront of invention but now they face the double challenge of new technology and new process – effectively reinventing themselves as ‘tech-first’ companies to compete in the fast-paced, software-defined environment of today. The ability to leverage 5G, IoT and edge capabilities effectively to create a tech-driven value proposition, combined with lower cost streamlined process, is fast becoming the number one objective for many telcos around the world.

With such potential to fill, it’s entirely understandable. Operations is a new battle ground – now being developed and orchestrated with agility and scalability prioritised along with the traditional Telco values of resilience and multi-service. Telcos are pushing further toward the tech-first mindset that’s beginning to spark a gradual revolution in the industry. They are on the path to become a techco.

Walking a tightrope

And while the path from telco to techco will get better defined over time, the challenges and obstacles that lie in wait are no less significant – and need to be addressed sooner rather than later. One of the biggest challenges facing telcos on this path is maintaining their commitment to subscribers, keeping their quality of service high while significant changes unfold behind the scenes. They are walking a tightrope.

To help operators and the wider industry address this conundrum, we’re delighted to sponsor and speak at the Telco to Techco virtual event taking place on 29th-30th March 2022. The event will bring together leading voices in the industry to discuss the challenges and obstacles on the journey to becoming a tech-first telecommunications company.

And on day 1 of the event, our very own Oliver Korfmacher, CTO of Telecoms at Enea will join a panel of experts to discuss the journey to cloud native. He will be joined by:

• Jeremias Reith, Service Hub Owner CCoE, Deutsche Telekom
• Shamik Mishra, CTO Connectivity, Capgemini Engineering
• Moderator: Yesmean Luk, Principal Consultant, STL Partners

They will explore:

• How to become low code, no code, no footprint, developer-centric operators
• What legacy systems to migrate to the cloud
• Leveraging containers, service meshes and microservices in a cloud native environment

On day 2 of the event, Oliver will discuss:

• Pros and cons of a multi-vendor strategy
  Is the multi-vendor approach a help or hindrance to telcos looking to progress into a techco world? Mult-vendor allows telcos to retain ownership and innovate while nurturing knowledge and experience within their own teams. An integrator, on the other hand, would relinquish some of the ownership but provide more streamlined project and operations management.

• Establishing a secure, automated environment
  In order to move to a cloud-native CI-CD-CT (continuous test) environment, telcos first need to combat the challenges associated with data access and security. What are the key considerations, and how can these challenges be addressed?

• Going hybrid – mixing the old with the new
  How can a telco become a techco without compromising or interrupting its services? The best of both worlds is possible if telcos are willing to embrace a hybrid approach to the techco revolution.

The transition from telco to techco isn’t something that can be rushed, and it isn’t something that can be easily bought. As Philippe Ensarguet, CTO at Orange Business Services, eloquently put it, “Evolution you can buy, revolution you have to do.”