Panel
Azfar Aslam, CTO, Europe, Nokia
Belinda Finch, CIO, Three UK
Chris Holmes, Director of telecommunications, ServiceNow
David Tomalin, Group CTO, CityFibre
Mirko Voltolini,
VP innovation, Colt
The future of the connection is complicated. Important in enabling the next stage of digital transformation, however, it will require extensive collaboration and a fundamental rethinking of the role of connectivity providers in the digital ecosystem. A recent roundtable brought together five space connectivity experts to share their thoughts on future challenges.
David Tomalin, CTO of the group, CityFibre, explained that the only certainty in the future is uncertainty. “Networks need to be quality -based, provide higher reliability and have a level of intelligence that provides insights to service providers and mobile operators to empower the customer experience. The experience resulting from this is now available to shape how we further develop our fiber networks and systems, enabling us to continue to evolve and improve the end customer experience over the next 15 to 20 years.
Belinda Finch, CIO, Three UK did not spill her words. “I don’t think people know what 5G really means. In the right use cases, 5G can completely change where we are as a society. As long as we partner with the right people. ”
The telecommunications industry is not known in the spirit of collaboration and sharing till date. However, as Chris Holmes, director of telecommunications, ServiceNow, notes, the times they change: “The common theme at this year’s Mobile World Congress is ecosystems and how you deliver related solutions. That’s through partnerships and ecosystems but also through open standards. It used to be a very closed industry but the transition to openness and partnership is the key to unlocking value in 5G and fiber. ”
This is also the opportunity for network businesses to act as trusted advisors. “If we can’t anticipate our customers’ needs, we will be left behind. The reason we need to act early on these customers is because sometimes they don’t know what they need,” suggests Azfar Aslam, CTO, Europe, Nokia. “We can be most beneficial to customers to help them be more productive.”
I don’t think people know what 5G really means. With the right use cases, 5G could completely change where we are as a society
It recognizes that the biggest opportunity is in the B2B space, but Aslam notes that the hybrid workforce, brought into the mainstream by the pandemic, is the next emerging segment that networks and mobile operators “need to resolve relatively quickly”.
Of course, the more complex the digital technologies that customers want – again, primarily businesses -, the more critical 5G and fiber will be. Mirko Voltolini, VP innovation, Colt, refers to mobile 5G and the fixed network as “the glue”. “Some businesses are looking at using technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud, internet of things, augmented and virtual reality. A bigger profit should be an on-demand, real-time profit that you can control. , that not only humans but machines can initiate and control that connection, ”he added.
The challenge is, of course, that organizations cannot merely wake up tomorrow and build a unified, bold new world with a click of their fingers. “Once we decided we were going to make a commitment that would have a big impact on some partners, it changed people’s mindset – it’s not a short -term thing,” Aslam warned. “Let’s find out what their goals are, what we can offer now – and what not. Gaps lead to new product development. “
The process of changing the strategy of an entire sector, or indeed as many sectors as partners join the new, intelligent connectivity ecosystem, could be a longer game. However, deploying those ecosystems on land needs to be a faster, more agile process, Finch warns. “We need to make sure we all reach the stage of our digital transformation where we can work with these partners quickly. We may not be in a position where it takes months before boarding and where the working methods are completely different.
“How we’re going to make it spread across organizations will take time. Organizations [may] there are thousands of employees, and this type of partnership strategy needs to be tried throughout the business. We find it easier to work with partners who have the same value, the same size and have complementary capabilities, ”Voltolini warned.
So, while we may view technology as the way to accelerate business change, in reality, it is a greater human challenge – the ability to work together effectively – that will be the litmus test for success.
“Particularly in our interactions with the industry sector, confidence came into the discussion very quickly,” Aslam added. “In some cases of industrial automation, there are more than 100 solutions that need to be consolidated and no one party is likely to be an expert on all 100.”
Tomalin revealed that the vast CityFibre ecosystem has been established relying on transparency from above. “To build trust with our partners, we share data about network -related events through our ecosystem of APIs – empowering them while demonstrating best in class principles.”
Voltolini points out that not all ecosystems are involved in 100 entities, some may be just two. “Working with cloud providers is a relatively easy way to bring almost two parties together, driven by customer requirements.” Providers need to be prepared for almost anything.
Holmes says service integrators (SI) can play an important role in building these ecosystems. An SI can be the one to ensure that no partner is lost in their important engagement in the process. Holmes said mobile operators, in particular, may be at risk, currently leading only about one-fifth of current interactions in which an ecosystem operates.
Critically, Finch said SI plays an important role in facilitating a collaborative mindset. “You may not trust your competitor but having a trusted SI partner can bring the whole idea of collaboration. They are really important partners.”
In an ecosystem tailored to the needs of the end customer, and all partners working together, this creates the best conditions for success for both provider and end user. Ultimately, this is where the battle is won and lost. Tomalin stressed: “We are highly dependent on each other, we need to realize that service quality is a shared difference. In order to deliver exceptional service, we need to understand the different expectations of our partners and their customers. “
Holmes added: “The best customer experience [comes from] providing the best employee experience – giving them the best tools to do their job. ”But, he warns:“ With inaccurate data, incomplete inventory or lack of transparency, we’re just tying their hands behind them. “
Finch concluded: “We all need to trust each other that we have the customer at heart in what we do. It’s about all of us working together to grow the value chain, as opposed to just caring number one.”
To learn how ServiceNow can enable digital transformation and improve experiences in your organization, visit servicenow.com/uk/tmt