DTW (Digital Transformation World)
TM Forum Excellence Award winners share the spotlight
TM Forum members gathered at the beautiful Le Negresco Hotel in Nice, France, Monday evening to celebrate the winners of the TM Forum Excellence Awards 2019. The awards recognize the companies and individuals best exemplifying and contributing to the digital evolution of the telecoms industry.
Dawn Bushaus14 May 2019
TM Forum Excellence Award winners share the spotlight
TM Forum members gathered at the beautiful Le Negresco Hotel in Nice, France, Monday evening during Digital Transformation World to celebrate the winners of the TM Forum Excellence Awards 2019. The awards recognize the companies that best exemplify the digital evolution of the telecoms industry and key individuals who work tirelessly as part of TM Forum’s Collaboration Community.
The quality of submissions this year was outstanding and included 110 entries, 91 of which moved forward as official nominees. Those submissions were pared down to 61 finalists representing 60 different companies across 12 categories.
The entries were judged by an impartial and independent panel of leading industry experts, including:
The judges awarded the companies that demonstrated the best quantifiable business value delivered, the most innovation and ingenuity, and the best use of TM Forum best practices and standards in their transformation projects or new services delivered. Two new categories were awarded this year: Future Digital Leader and Network Transformation.
The quality of submissions this year was outstanding and included 110 entries, 91 of which moved forward as official nominees. Those submissions were pared down to 61 finalists representing 60 different companies across 12 categories.
The entries were judged by an impartial and independent panel of leading industry experts, including:
- Julie Woods-Moss, Chair of the Board of Directors, dunnhumby, who also chairs the Excellence Awards
- Maria Adamczyk, Director, Standards & Industry Alliances, AT&T
- Sandra De Zoysa, Group Chief Customer Officer, Dialog Axiata
- Laurent Leboucher, Senior VP, Architecture Enablers & Security, Orange
- Erik Meijer, Group Innovation, Deutsche Telekom
- Camille Mendler, Chief Analyst, Ovum
- Vincent Seet, Head, Enterprise Architecture, Globe Telecom
- Lester Thomas, Chief Systems Architect, Vodafone Group
- Simon Thompson, Principle, AI readiness & transformation, BT
The judges awarded the companies that demonstrated the best quantifiable business value delivered, the most innovation and ingenuity, and the best use of TM Forum best practices and standards in their transformation projects or new services delivered. Two new categories were awarded this year: Future Digital Leader and Network Transformation.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s Excellence Awards winners,” said Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum. “These organizations are paving the way to digital transformation across the industry. They represent leaders that are committed to the TM Forum, its member community, and to driving and delivering new and innovative solutions that our independent panel of judges think positively impact the complex digital ecosystem landscape overall.”
Business Transformation – Royal KPN, Vlocity and Salesforce
Royal KPN, Vlocity and Salesforce won this award for KPN’s transformation into a digital telco. The award recognizes the communications, digital infrastructure or media service provider that has made the greatest strides in transforming its business operation to a low-cost, agile and customer-centric model. KPN’s business services division selected Vlocity and Salesforce to modernize customer experience, accelerate time to market for new products and services, streamline business processes, and reduce cost by retiring legacy business support system (BSS) applications.
IT Transformation – China Mobile & Huawei
China Mobile and Huawei won this award for use of artificial intelligence (AI) enabling 5G operations. The award recognizes the service provider that has made the greatest strides in transforming its IT function from being reactive and inflexible to being a pro-active, flexible and an integral part of the business capable of responding quickly to changing business requirements and inspiring new capabilities and products. China Mobile transformed its operational support systems (OSS) to support 5G with the adoption of TM Forum Open APIs, open source communities and AI technology.
Operational Transformation & Agility – Netcracker
Netcracker won this award for its groundbreaking approach to enabling a Tier 1 communications service provider (CSP) to deliver high-value cloud business services. The award recognizes the company that has made an outstanding and innovative contribution to improving the business and operational agility of its customers (measured in terms of improved time to market and ability to rapidly respond to market demand or opportunity).
In this case, a leading Latin American operator introduced a cloud service product line as a key strategic differentiator using Netcracker’s Business Cloud, which accelerated the CSP’s ability to offer differentiating cloud and network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) business services.
In this case, a leading Latin American operator introduced a cloud service product line as a key strategic differentiator using Netcracker’s Business Cloud, which accelerated the CSP’s ability to offer differentiating cloud and network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) business services.
Network Transformation – Telstra
Telstra won this award for its network-as-a-service (NaaS) transformation. The award recognizes the service provider that has made the greatest strides in transforming its legacy network from being primarily static, closed and hardware-based infrastructure to being flexible, highly virtualized, cloud-ready, software-driven, dynamic and open. The winner of this award must demonstrate use of the latest innovative and disruptive technologies to respond quickly to the demands of a data-intensive digital business.
Telstra’s NaaS platform is an evolution of the company’s network architecture – simplifying the interface between Network and IT departments, speeding up delivery of innovative products and offers, and making it easier, faster and more secure for partners and customers to connect and leverage the operator’s network.
Telstra’s NaaS platform is an evolution of the company’s network architecture – simplifying the interface between Network and IT departments, speeding up delivery of innovative products and offers, and making it easier, faster and more secure for partners and customers to connect and leverage the operator’s network.
Digital Service Innovator of the Year – Orange
Orange won this award for its Orange Money service, which is sparking a digital revolution in Africa that allows private individuals to exchange money. The award goes to the company or organization that has made the most significant and innovative contribution to advancing the digital revolution in society with a new product or service. Orange Money is a service that provides instantaneous, secure and traceable transactions for citizen consumers as well for enterprises, governments and administrations.
Open Digital Ecosystem Platform of the Year – TELUS
TELUS won this award for championing platform thinking to transform a 100-year-old telco. The award goes to the company that is best shaping the market and driving open approaches to digital ecosystems. The TELUS Digital Platform is an ecosystem of tools, technologies and practices that simplify the path to production, making it easier for teams to deliver value to customers.
Disruptive Innovation – Etiya & Fizz, Zeotap
Two teams tied for this award, which is given to a startup or new business venture that has launched a new product or service delivering a measurable benefit for business users or customers and completely disrupting or causing innovation in the existing marketplace.
Etiya & Fizz won for launching a virtual service provider, going from concept to Launch in just 10 months. Etiya provided an end-to-end digital solution that enabled Fizz to build and deliver a completely digital, online customer experience. Zeotap won for launching a global mobile data platform that offers high-quality data coming from exclusive sources such as telecom operators.
Etiya & Fizz won for launching a virtual service provider, going from concept to Launch in just 10 months. Etiya provided an end-to-end digital solution that enabled Fizz to build and deliver a completely digital, online customer experience. Zeotap won for launching a global mobile data platform that offers high-quality data coming from exclusive sources such as telecom operators.
Outstanding Customer Centricity – Whale Cloud & China Telecom
Whale Cloud Technologies and China Telecom won this award for China Telecom’s New Retail project, which is a collaboration between the telco and Whale Cloud. Together they are providing innovative customer experience, increased sales volume (both online and offline) through analytics-driven customer insights, and innovative business. The award recognizes the company that has made an outstanding and innovative contribution to significantly improving customer centricity and customer experience, whether through use of advanced analytics, new products and services, or other means. Applicants must provide evidence of the improvements achieved.
Open API – DGIT, Netcracker
Two companies were given the Open API Award for successfully adopting the widest number of relevant TM Forum Open APIs, leading to increased business and operational agility (measured in terms of improved time to market; ability to rapidly respond to market demand or opportunity; and ability to work with and onboard third parties easily).
DGIT won this award for its Telflow solutions, which has been built using TM Forum Open APIs, and Netcracker won for its participation in TM Forum’s Open API initiative to gain unparalleled transformation results.
DGIT won this award for its Telflow solutions, which has been built using TM Forum Open APIs, and Netcracker won for its participation in TM Forum’s Open API initiative to gain unparalleled transformation results.
CIO of the Year – Cody Sanford, T-Mobile USA
This award is given to a CIO/CTIO or other board-level IT executive who has led a significant IT transformation that is delivering tangible results. Stanford has consistently demonstrated superior leadership skills, promoted IT transformation company-wide and has led an innovative approach.
CTO of the Year – Giovanni Chiarelli, MTN South Africa
This award goes to a CTO/CTIO or other board-level technology executive who has led a significant network transformation that is delivering tangible. Chiarelli has consistently demonstrated superior leadership skills, promoted technological change company-wide and has been innovative in his approach.
Future Digital Leader – Ye Ouyang, AsiaInfo
This award recognizes the extraordinary achievements of an upcoming leader. Winners of this award have pioneered significant technology innovation and/or disruption within their company. Ye Ouyang has inspired others and been at the forefront of innovation and helped AsiaInfo use technology to its full protentional as a key driver of business value.
Distinguished Fellow – Dr. Lester Thomas, Vodafone
TM Forum Distinguished Fellows have a sustained and valuable record of service to the industry and to TM Forum. They have shown a commitment to helping advance the principles of the Forum and have contributed to technical excellence. They also have demonstrated leadership and teamwork, and have a proven track record of achievements and accomplishments.
Thomas is Chief Systems Architect for Vodafone Group. He has been a key contributor to the TM Forum Open Digital Architecture and has been instrumental in its evolution into the ecosystem architecture of the future. Thomas has also been an advocate for the TM Forum Open API Program and is a key participant and supporter of the Catalyst Program. In his role at Vodafone, his practical implementation knowledge about how to devise and design an open architecture and implement and govern an open architecture across a global organization has made a positive impact on the Forum’s strategic direction.
Thomas is Chief Systems Architect for Vodafone Group. He has been a key contributor to the TM Forum Open Digital Architecture and has been instrumental in its evolution into the ecosystem architecture of the future. Thomas has also been an advocate for the TM Forum Open API Program and is a key participant and supporter of the Catalyst Program. In his role at Vodafone, his practical implementation knowledge about how to devise and design an open architecture and implement and govern an open architecture across a global organization has made a positive impact on the Forum’s strategic direction.
Distinguished Engineer – Takayuki Nakamura, NTT Group
This award recognizes individuals who have made a sustained, positive impact on the industry through use and implementation of TM Forum’s best practices and standards. Award recipients have shown strong commitment and leadership in IT engineering and architectural excellence through use of TM Forum standards, delivering valuable business outcomes while driving a standards-oriented approach which has positive impact on the supply chain and broader industry.
As Manager at NTT Group, Nakamura actively contributes to the Open API Program, the Zero-touch Orchestration, Operations and Management (ZOOM) project and the Catalyst Program. He works diligently to grow TM Forum’s visibility at NTT Group in Tokyo by coordinating local spec jams and a ‘TM Forum Day’. Nakamura has helped deepen the understanding of the Forum’s programs and projects across the industry, and through participation in other standards groups such as ETSI and 3GPP, he assures that the Forum’s work is considered.
As Manager at NTT Group, Nakamura actively contributes to the Open API Program, the Zero-touch Orchestration, Operations and Management (ZOOM) project and the Catalyst Program. He works diligently to grow TM Forum’s visibility at NTT Group in Tokyo by coordinating local spec jams and a ‘TM Forum Day’. Nakamura has helped deepen the understanding of the Forum’s programs and projects across the industry, and through participation in other standards groups such as ETSI and 3GPP, he assures that the Forum’s work is considered.
“Congratulations to our newest Distinguished Fellow and Distinguished Engineer,” said Willetts. “Lester and Taka have made a positive impact on our member community and the industry at large by driving the adoption of digital best practices using TM Forum’s standards and best practices. Not only do they represent the best of the best amongst our membership base, but they stand out as true leaders at their respective companies.”
