All articles by Sam Patterson – Page 6
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Partnerships & Alliances
T-Systems and GFT forge factory intelligence platform
T-Sys builds out portfolio with combined solution harnessing IIoT. GFT’s digital twin makes data analysis key USP.
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Suppliers & SCM
HT Mostar renews ENT ties
New arrangement will underpin the “further modernisation” of telco’s mobile network.
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Partnerships & Alliances
DT’s Comfortcharge to power Hamburg’s e-taxi fleet
Deutsche Funkturm subsidiary playing key role in Hamburg’s ‘go green’ initiative. Zukunftstaxi programme bags broader DT involvement.
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Suppliers & SCM
Telefónica Chile signs PPA with Acciona
Sustainable energy supplier offers renewables leg-up to Chilean OB, with significant cuts to CO2 expected. Existing Telefónica–Acciona relations expanded, with telco pursuing vendor engagement strategy. Telefónica Mexico quietly reaping rewards of PPA too.
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Products & Services
Handset leases lumped into Movistar Fusión 5G bundles
Three-year lease agreements attached to convergence bundles potentially undermining commitments to removing minimum terms. Price increase in “disguise”, says Spanish media. Telco attempts to drive uptake of 5G-enabled mobile devices, amid 5G rollout efforts.
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Consumer (B2C)
Telefónica|Vivo adds in-app shopping to Vivo Play
Brazilian OB marketing new platform as “one-stop-shop” for digital products and services. Shopping app limited to browsing, with TV-based payment solution still under development. Similar to e-commerce platform developed by Movistar for ‘smart-home’ in Spain.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vivo deploys private 5G at São Paulo uni campus
Brazilian OB inspects young entrepreneurial talent via open innovation engagement with FEI uni. Students tap into potential of 5G in Industry 4.0 environments. Hardware provided by long-standing partner Ericsson.
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Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica, Vodafone linked with Telekom Srbija tie-up
Duo namechecked by Serbian operator’s CEO as potential partners, and enablers of service-based expansion strategy. Partner Markets and Partners Program offer route to outside markets.
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Partnerships & Alliances
BT buys in to Enjoy personal service
“Commerce-at-home” service provider earns four-year contract renewal. BT now an investor in the company as it weighs up a SPAC-delivered listing.
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Suppliers & SCM
BT taps Blackbird for in-cloud video editing
Content operations team to adopt new editing software, with Group seemingly keen to retain some form of remote working model post-COVID-19. Blackbird CEO says BT’s green credentials chime with its own. Eleven Sports and Liverpool Football Club join BT in vendor’s expanding client ecosystem.
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Suppliers & SCM
Rest of BT contact centres to adopt NICE tech
BT deploys solutions from longstanding partner across “additional lines of business” to optimise processes and boost customer retention.
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Public Affairs
Deutsche Telekom’s EAN is legal — ECJ
DT partner Inmarsat welcomes European Court of Justice ruling and decries drawn-out legal spat. Ruling “provides certainty” to existing EAN users and opens door to new customer alliances. ECJ guidance to be heard in pending cases, but national courts have final say.
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Strategy & Change
Safaricom: deadline for Ethiopia entry bid pushed back (again)
ECA grants Kenyan operator and other interested parties more time to consider ins and outs of Ethiopian expansion. Deadline revised for the second time in as many months. Laws blocking Safaricom from operating fintech service in country remain in place (for now).
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Suppliers & SCM
BT Sourced adopts Globality’s smart purchasing tech
Pourrat’s new ProcureCo leveraging AI to “transform” buying processes. Globality platform to enable simpler, speedier way of doing business. Tie-up of importance to ECG compliance strategy.
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Enterprise (B2B)
Telefónica Tech opens portal to quantum realm
Next-gen services arm bulks-up portfolio with EaaS add. Multi-purpose potential of quantum encryption tech highlighted. Quiet engagement with Spanish startup bears fruit in new commercial partnership.
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M&A
Vodafone interest AST SpaceMobile completes merger
LEO satellite venture combines with special purpose acquisition company to fuel expansion, with eyes on going commercial with a helping hand from Vodafone. “ASTS” trading on NASDAQ. CEO Avellan unfazed by competition from SpaceX and co.
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M&A
Vodafone’s Icelandic affiliate divests Hey
Sýn sells minority stake in Faroese sister company. Icelandic operator seeking cost efficiencies (in more ways than one). Partner Market relationship remains active in service and tech development.
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Operations
BT’s revamped Newcastle office set for re-opening
Operator to inaugurate opening of “one of first” upgraded offices under Better Workplace scheme. “First phase” of site redevelopment completed, with hybrid working practices helping maintain operations in meantime. Gosforth to prioritise employee welfare as a means to boost customer service.
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Public Affairs
Vodafone, Fastweb file lawsuits against TIM
Operators seek combined €1.1bn in damages, with incumbent accused of anti-competitive behaviour. Complaints follow AGCM investigation. TIM preparing “solid” defence on all fronts, with prospective merger partner Open Fiber weighing in too.
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Network & Infrastructure
Vodafone launches Ireland’s first private 5G network
State-funded research group ties with VfIr to explore potential of emerging technologies on behalf of Irish manufacturing sector. Like other Vodafone deployments, 5G install uses hardware from Ericsson.