All Strategy & Change articles – Page 95
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Interview
Avidan puts strategy in motion at Deutsche Telekom IoT
Avidan brings entrepreneurial mindset to DT IoT as he seeks to transform the business and meet growth ambitions. Major strategic initiative, IoT Hub, planned for commercial launch in early-2021. Hints are made at “inorganic activities” in future, but current initiatives driven by organic efforts and strategic partnerships.
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Vendor Voice
Nutanix: Silicon Valley oblivious to emerging telco renaissance
Nutanix’s Tarkan Maner discusses with Vodafonewatch his take on the evolution of the cloud services sector, and the way in which digital transformation efforts demand a fundamental re-think of the misbalanced relationship between telecoms and technology players. Sector veteran Maner predicts telco fightback in the hyperscaler blind spot of ...
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People
Engin Aksoy takes Vodafone Turkey top spot
Former Turkey Consumer CEO replaces promoted Froment-Curtil. Vodafone Turkey has third CEO in less than a year.
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People
Vodafone UK CIO Brocklesby to depart
Chris Brocklesby to exit OpCo as of March. “External opportunity” comes calling. News comes a week after CEO Nick Jeffery bade farewell.
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Consumer (B2C)
Allera makes mark with BT Consumer “turnaround job”
Latest Business Briefing sees Allera stamp his style on Consumer division, striving to bring a premium sheen to a venerable brand. Multi-play out of fashion and cross-selling in as BT and EE set to play to strengths. New marketing chief Thrane buying in to Group transformation philosophy.
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People
Vodafone UK’s Jeffery jumps ship, and may not be last
Group loses another exec from layer below CEO Read’s increasingly thin top leadership. Home-market custodian and Read contemporary Nick Jeffery likely to have seen development opportunities limited in tightly-controlled upper echelons. Resultant vacancies in Group Operations and Strategy briefs pose a challenge in terms of introducing new voices.
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People
Openreach seeks people power to fuel full-fibre
BT infrastructure division announces 5,300 new jobs for 2021, although 2,800 of them will be created within subcontractors. Capacity needed to increase weekly rate of full-fibre premises passed from 40,000 to 50,000.
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Network & Infrastructure
Höttges in town as Cosmote switches on 5G
Greek operator launches the country’s first commercial 5G network in partnership with Ericsson. Höttges points to future investment, with Greece of “strategic importance” as a tech hub.
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M&A
Liberty homes in on Telefónica units in Colombia and Ecuador
Reports suggest that Liberty Latin America is stepping up its acquisition strategy, and could enable Telefónica to tick two more boxes on its regional divestment list.
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Premium
Vodafone Q2 FY20–21
Cost-cutting props up performance during COVID-19-hit quarter and CFO indicates she is preparing to step up efficiency plans further. Lag in delivery of leadership’s “Phase Two” plans, including Tech 2025, muddying attempts to assure stakeholders of a brighter future. Lots of talk of “underlying” strength as Group’s leadership seeks ...
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Premium
Headline numbers: weathering the storm, for now
Key numbers relatively solid, reflecting telecoms sector’s cushioning from worst of pandemic disruption. Cost-cutting props up earnings, offsetting top-line weakness. Results preceded latest coronavirus response measures, which will have exacerbated drag on roaming revenue. Government support measures and resumption of international travel cited as key to maintaining solidity.
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Premium
Europe: Read stresses asset line-up is not settled
Vodafone leadership considering next phase of Group strategy, and indicates M&A moves could form part of new medium-term plan. Group open to solutions in markets not generating sufficient return on capital employed. Germany’s importance to Vodafone on display again; commitment to other markets less obvious.
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Premium
Africa: resilient SA helps Vodacom through crisis
Vodacom continues to perform well despite regulatory and macro pressures across its regional footprint. However, unfavourable currency trends remain fly in the ointment when Group’s results are translated to Vodafone’s P&L. No sign yet that Vodafone management is going cool on its commitment to Africa, despite weaknesses and willingness ...
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Strategy & Change
BT builds up Data & AI Solutions biz
Data & AI Solutions business searches for revenue gold in BT Group’s data hills. BT researchers tap data for better customer experience, while Openreach data scientists reduce cost of fibre rollout.
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Strategy & Change
T-Systems exits Malaysia
T-Systems sold its business in Malaysia to investors last month after major customer Shell moved IT operations to India, TelcoTitans has learned.
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Strategy & Change
Liberty likes idea of VodafoneZiggo listing
Vodafone partner’s CFO argues that an IPO would command “premium valuation” in comparison with incumbent KPN. Bracken casts Vodafone as “wonderful partner”, and that the JV has done a “great job” in cutting costs and increasing revenue. Talks enthusiastically about VodafoneZiggo as “national FMC champion”. ...
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Strategy & Change
Could Telefónica exit Uruguay next?
Telecom Argentina reportedly mulling play for the Group’s local unit. Telefónica executives stress they remain open to all options to reduce its exposure in the Hispanoamérica region. Group continuing to experience frustrations in snakes-and-ladder-esque regional divestment programme.
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Strategy & Change
Czech operator tops up on O2
O2 Czech Republic extends right to use Telefónica’s European brand name beyond 2030. Group’s ties with operator’s majority stakeholder not totally severed.
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People
IT transformation lead Rachel Higham leaves BT
Higham, Managing Director of IT, leaves a vacancy currently plugged by key lieutenant Mark O’Flaherty. Exec appointed CIO at advertising giant WPP. Self-styled “Chief Sherpa” leaves with substantial transformation work still to be done, despite marked progress.
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Network & Infrastructure
Ofcom hints at ten-year “fair bet” timeframe for BT
Openreach to be unconstrained on full-fibre pricing until 2031 under proposed plans from the regulator. Jansen claims he would rather have a cap on returns, and more time. Fellow infrastructure builders happy with clarity, but Openreach customer TalkTalk unhappy with impact on wholesale. Regulatory clarity may kickstart discussions on ...