Ashish Surti, Chief Digital Information Officer, Colt Technology Services, discusses how AI is accelerating software development and the challenges of developing longer-term technology strategies in a swiftly changing environment.

Among the topics he covers is the changing relationships with vendors; how AI is impacting internal software development, as well as measuring the business value of AI.

Guest speaker:

Ashish Surti, Chief Digital Information Officer, Colt Technology Services

Hosts:

Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum

Joanne Taaffe, Editor in Chief, TM Forum

Axiata Group is one of the most innovative operator groups in Asia. Its Ideamart API monetization platform is the most successful of its type in the global CSP community. In this podcast we talk with Axiata Group CIO Anthony Rodrigo and TM Forum Executive Vice President Willie Stegmann about the external and internal forces that are forcing CIOs to "reinvent" the IT function in the AI era. We also hear from Anthony about the emergence of Axiata Digital Labs as the software engineering function that is transforming IT operations across Axiata opcos.

Discussion points

• What are the most important business drivers for the "reinvention" of the IT function?
• What are the key dimensions of your transformation journey?
• How do ensure successful achievement of benefits/ outcomes?
• As Co-Chair of the CIT&E Mission, is ODA still relevant? What must change ?
• Why do you think Axiata is so much more advanced in its thinking - and its implementation of modern, open, cloud-based approaches to enterprise architectures?
• Have you been able to measure / track the benefits of an open digital architecture?
• Tell us about Axiata Digital Labs and its relationship / synergies with the group IT organization and opco IT functions.
• How does the "group" IT function work with the opcos across the Axiata group.
• Platform / API monetization. Where we are at and where we are going.
• Where are you in terms of leveraging AI within the IT organization?

Guest Speakers:

Anthony Rodrigo, Group CIO, Axiata

Willie Stegmann, EVP, Composable IT & Ecosystems, TM Forum

Host:

Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum

Orange Group CIO Koen Vermeulen is in no doubt about the impact of AI on the telecoms sector, Rather than viewing it merely as a tool to accelerate transformation, Vermeulen reckons that AI represents a transformative force that is changing how industries are operating.

In this podcast we explore how and where AI is already being adopted within Orange's IT organization. The use of AI to drive greater speed in the IT organization is a theme comes up regularly in our discussion and Koen speaks with huge enthusiasm about using the power of AI to fundamentally transform the Software Development Lifecyle.

Guest Speakers:

Koen Vermeulen, Global CIO, Orange Willie Stegmann, EVP, Composable IT & Ecosystems, TM Forum

Host:

Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum

Rene Felber is Chair of the TM Forum TPAC (TechCo, People and Culture) Collaboration Project, and he is joined by Ishari Siriwardane, General Manager for Transformation at SLT and key member of the group. In this podcast they speak to TM Forum's Principal Analyst Dean Ramsay about group's aims and progress.

The conversation focuses on the impact AI is having on telecoms people and culture and what strategies the group are seeing from a leadership perspective. Are telco leaders making the right decisions on reskilling?

Saad Syed, CEO of Chenosis — MTN's API monetization venture — reveals how the company is shaping the future of Africa's digital economy. From a bold start-up culture to focused vertical strategies and early market wins, discover how Chenosis is unlocking new opportunities and driving innovation across the continent.

Guest Speakers:

Saad Syed, CEO, Chenosis

Host:

Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum

Veteran analyst Stéphane Téral, Founder & Chief Analyst at Téral Research, joins TM Forum Senior Analyst Richard Webb to discuss the 5G landscape, drawing on historic CSP investment cycles, the role of AI and automation in RAN, and what the future may hold with 6G.

In this episode, we explore how AI is reshaping telco-to-telco services and transforming the way operators collaborate. Tom Loozen, Managing Partner at Telco+, NCS, and Mark Newman, Chief Analyst at TM Forum, share their insights on the opportunities, challenges, and future of AI in the telecoms space.