Latest Vodafone Insight – Page 66
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Premium
Vodafone gets down to business with MEC
Scott Petty: UK needs four to eight multi-access edge compute sites. Vodafone is first in Europe with AWS Wavelength, but early days for services. Next distributed MEC target market will be Germany later in 2021. Vodafone Business blends edge into service portfolio.
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Suppliers & SCM
VPC’s Wilson says Tech 2025 bringing clarity
Wilson expects speedier decision-making, faster onboarding of new suppliers, and a stronger drive to standardisation across Group OpCos. Ericsson says it will be “happy” to pass on greater cost efficiencies to Vodafone. Swedish vendor targets African gains on back of tech reorg.
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Premium
Vodafone taking NOC automation to the next level
Group says Celfocus-supported CIAS project has now gone live in five Group markets. Former Vodafone Portugal investment is also supporting new project to automate network configuration operations.
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Strategy & Change
DT, Vodafone push vendors to clean up emissions
Vodafone sends letter encouraging suppliers to step up support for its net zero emissions pledge. DT inserting stricter criteria into supplier assessments. Tackling climate change bringing commercial incentives for more fleet-footed telcos. Supply chain emissions an elephant in room for telcos as they talk up energy efficiency progress.
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Strategy & Change
Vodacom to unify network and IT functions
Push for efficiencies encompassing rework of network and IT platforms, alongside major skills and capability upgrade. Following 2020 reorg, CEO Joosub concentrating heavily on extracting value and savings out of Group assets and operations. Programme likely to see cloud-based overhaul of Vodacom IT stacks and network functions.
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People
Fresh faces bedded in at Joosub’s Vodacom ExecCo
Vodacom Executive Committee confirmed with five newcomers. Vodacom South Africa joins Safaricom with a seat at the table, while other African OpCos grouped under International Business.
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Strategy & Change
Ethiopia: Kenyan president gets behind Safaricom entry
President Kenyatta urges Ethiopia to open up m-money market. Safaricom reveals planned ownership structure of future Opco, with Vodafone set to play a very limited role.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Deutsche Telekom Group: BT and DT’s uninvited co-pilot
BT and DT gain uninvited new co-pilot; DT’s tooz and Adidas become running buddies.
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Strategy & Change
Van Boxmeer gifted remit to disrupt Vodafone Board
Latest Board Evaluation calls for increased “liveliness” of conversations across the Group’s top table. Composition changes mooted for dozen-strong grouping brought together by former Chairman Gerard Kleisterlee. Start of TechCo strategy seen as moment to strengthen accountability of top duo Read and Della Valle.
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People
Ralebitso fills Vodacom Lesotho’s MD vacancy
OpCo appoints “transformational leader” as it pushes into the realm of becoming digital services specialist.
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Suppliers & SCM
Vodafone puts Kenmei on network analytics team
Spanish vendor positions itself between network and Vodafone’s new, cloud-based analytics platforms, being overhauled with Google.
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Premium
Government offers 700MHz sweeteners ahead of auction
Tick in the box for Vodafone as it continues to struggle to secure concessions from European regulators.
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Suppliers & SCM
Vodafone UK lands on Ciena’s Blue Planet
VfUK automates RedStream transport network in legacy overhaul. Blue Planet provides orchestration software in first deal with Vodafone. New Chief Network Officer Andrea Donà reiterates “network-as-a-platform” ambition.
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Products & Services
Safaricom unveils in-house VOD platform
Kenyan operator launches Baze to support local creative industry. “One-shop entertainment platform” seen as successor to recently dissolved Songa by Safaricom.
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Premium
Rejigged tie-up could find Vodafone Egypt a home
Vodafone secures route to in-Group transfer of Egypt stake in quid pro quo deal with local partner. Kenya-esque Vodacom hand-off of Egyptian interest one possibility.
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Premium
Mixed Huawei 5G RAN messages remain in Europe
Vodafone Italy reportedly gets conditional approval to use Huawei 5G RAN equipment. Huawei’s position in Germany looks more vulnerable after IT Security 2.0 Bill becomes law.
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Premium
Vodafone steers Sony 5G test drives
Vodafone Germany is providing the 5G network for Sony’s connected-car trials. “Database on wheels” the ambition, with constant communication required over stable, high-speed network.
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Premium
Elsewhere in Africa: Vodacom pairs with Microsoft
Vodacom pairs with Microsoft for Mozambique SMEs; Safaricom adds digital menus to M-PESA ecosystem.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Partner Markets: Altice rolls into BT
MTS surfs tower spin-out wave; SoftBank boosted by digital shift and gets strategic with LEO satellite venture OneWeb.
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Strategy & Change
Elsewhere in Vodafone Group: Vodafone Business goes digital
Vodafone Business goes digital on customer experience; SD-WAN adoption hits bumps; telcos team up on handset eco-ratings.