The Appledore Research Podcast

Episode 60: Agentic AI: Perception vs Reality.

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:58:48 GMT

Robert and Patrick discuss the results of a recent Appledore survey of operators on Agentic AI in a (largely) network operations context and ask: do the expectations match operators' actual plans?

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Episode 59: A Clean-Slate Approach to Broadband Automation, with Radisys

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:14:47 GMT

The latest episode of the "Talking Transformation" podcast brings together industry perspectives from Appledore Research and Radisys to discuss a critical turning point for telecommunications. As broadband shifts from a modern luxury to an essential utility, operators are challenged to reconcile "commodity" service status with the need for rapid, continuous innovation.

The conversation features Hans-Jörg Kolbe and Robert Soukup from Radisys, who detail how their Connect Modular Broadband (CMB) solution is enabling operators to take back control of their technical destiny.

For a free and independent research report go to: https://appledoreresearch.com/report/radisys-connect-modular-broadband/

Key Highlights & Strategic Insights

1. The "Design to Cost" Revolution

The genesis of Radisys’ modern broadband approach stems from a radical "Design to Cost" initiative at Deutsche Telekom, heavily inspired by the automotive industry (specifically BMW). By "tearing apart" hardware and software to create total transparency, Radisys applied lean manufacturing principles to telecom, identifying cost drivers and rebuilding systems from a "clean slate" to achieve step-change improvements in efficiency.

2. Architecture Built on Intent and Abstraction

At the heart of the CMB solution is the move away from rigid, proprietary "black boxes" toward a modular, software-defined architecture.

* Abstraction

* Intent-Based Networking

3. Real-Time Agility with Subscriber Session Steering

The podcast highlights the power of **Subscriber Session Steering (BBF WT474)**, which allows the network to detect a "first sign of life" from a device and dynamically program its path through the network on the fly.

4. Setting the Foundation for AI

While AI is the industry’s "hot topic," the guests argue that AI is only effective when built on a clean foundation. Radisys views automation in three steps:

* Programmability: Ensuring the network can actually react to AI-driven commands.

* Normalized Data: Correlating high-quality telemetry data so AI agents have a semantic understanding of the network.

* AI Orchestration: Deploying agents that provide meaningful recommendations based on real data rather than just statistical guesses.

5. The "Open Radisys" Philosophy

In a move toward true **technological sovereignty, Radisys champions an "Open" philosophy. Unlike traditional vendors, Radisys offers complete transparency, allowing operators to:

* Inspect and contribute to the source code.

* Join internal testing and development cycles.

* Perform software builds on their own premises to ensure maximum security and trust.

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Episode 58: Orange, AI and Autonomous Networks

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:06:36 GMT

Talking Transformation: Navigating the AI Revolution with Orange

In this episode of Talking Transformation, Robert Curran sits down with Olivier Simon, Head of Data and AI Initiatives at Orange, to explore the front lines of telecom’s autonomous future. With over 300 million customers across 26 countries, Orange is a global leader driving the industry toward Level 4 autonomous networks—a state of closed-loop, self-healing automation.

Key Discussion Highlights:

Strategic AI Implementation: Simon outlines how Orange utilizes AI across the entire network lifecycle, from optimizing multi-billion euro investments in site placement to fine-tuning thousands of radio access network (RAN) parameters.
Driving Real ROI: The conversation delves into the pragmatic approach of targeting "high-cost pockets." For a group like Orange, where field services exceed €2 billion annually, even a 4–5% efficiency gain through AI and computer vision results in tens of millions of euros in savings.
The Power of Digital Twins: Discover how Orange is breaking down traditional data silos. By creating digital twins, they build a unified representation of complex, multi-domain networks to automate incident management and analyze service impact in real-time.
The Shifting Telecom Ecosystem: The episode examines the evolving boundaries between traditional operators, vendors (like Nokia and Ericsson), and hyperscalers (Google, AWS, Microsoft). Simon highlights how the "rules of the game" are changing as data-native companies enter the network space.
Agile Innovation in the Era of GenAI: With AI technology accelerating at an unprecedented pace, Orange has shifted from long-term project cycles to pragmatic six-month cycles. This allows them to stay current with breakthroughs like Generative AI, Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), and AI agents.

This episode offers insight on how this pioneering operator is balancing long-term visionary goals with immediate operational efficiency. Essential listening for industry professionals looking to understand the cultural and technical shifts required to move from traditional standardization to a fast-paced, IT-centric way of working.

As the industry moves toward a "super intelligent" future, Simon provides a roadmap for staying relevant: be pragmatic, embrace open source, and prioritize short, impactful innovation cycles.

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Episode 57 - Systems Integration and Autonomous Networks

Sun, 11 Jan 2026 14:01:38 GMT

What do autonomous networks mean for the traditional big systems integration effort that has been such a feature of developing more automated, integrated telecom operations? Robert is joined by Appledore Principal Analysts Grant Lenahan and Shanthi Ravindran who discuss the topic and the findings from a newly released research report.

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Episode 56: How an AI pop-up is transforming telecom

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:40:45 GMT

Buckle up! In this episode of Talking Transformation, Robert Curran hosts a discussion with the winners of the AWS-sponsored hackathon winners from Fyuz25, Stephen Dillon and Kevin Collins. They delve into the transformative impact of AI in telecom, highlighting their innovative agentic AI platform for network optimization. The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities in integrating AI into telecom operations, emphasizing the need for a shift in mindset and processes to fully harness AI's potential.

Keywords

AI, telecom, network optimization, agentic AI, AWS, Fyuz Hackathon

Takeaways

AI is revolutionizing telecom operations.
Agentic AI can optimize RAN networks efficiently.
Stephen Dillon and Kevin Collins won the AWS/Fyuz Hackathon.
AI integration requires a shift in mindset and processes.
The hackathon project involved a nine-agent platform.
Data efficiency is crucial in AI-driven telecom solutions.
AI can significantly reduce network operation costs.
Trust in AI systems is essential for widespread adoption.
The project demonstrated the potential of digital twins.
AI's role in telecom is expanding rapidly.

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Episode 55 - Autonomous Networks, with Axiata

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:23:31 GMT

In this episode of Talking Transformation, Robert Curran discusses the evolution of autonomous networks in the telecom industry with Dr. Tomek Gersberg from Axiata. They explore Axiata's ambitious A3 transformation strategy, the challenges of implementing automation, the importance of data management, and the potential collaboration with hyperscalers. The conversation emphasizes the need for openness and interoperability in telecom, as well as the financial considerations that drive these transformations.

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Episode 54 - Talking Digital Twins

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 15:39:29 GMT

In this episode of Talking Transformation, Robert Curran and Francis Haysom discuss the evolving concept of digital twins in the telecom industry. They explore the historical context, current applications, and future potential of digital twins, particularly in relation to AI and network resilience. The conversation highlights the importance of real-time data and the role of digital twins in enhancing decision-making processes within telecom operations.

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Episode 53 - Debrief from DTW Dallas (TM Forum)

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 07:14:46 GMT

Robert, Patrick and Grant discuss the key themes and takeaways from conversations at the TM Forum's Innovate Americas event, September 2025.

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Episode 52 - FutureNet World Asia 2025

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:42:44 GMT

Shanthi Ravindran provides reflections on the FutureNet World Asia event held in Singapore, September 2025.

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Episode 51 - Transforming with Telstra

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 19:52:19 GMT

Amidst all the excitement around AI, the experiences of Telstra are a reminder that getting the foundations right is the real key to successful transformation. Mark Sanders, Chief Architect and Head of Autonomous Networks and AI Enablement explains how architectural choices and principles have helped Telstra realize billions in savings, and set it up to be able to respond at scale to future customer demand for AI and other new services.

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Episode 50 - Monetizing DT's Network APIs.

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:24:13 GMT

Joined by two special guests from Deutsche Telekom, Robert and John explore progress on DT's efforts to commercialize its network APIs and engaging with a new and unfamiliar customer base - solution developers.

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Episode 49 - Autonomous Networks: A Business and Organizational Approach, With Swisscom and Netcracker

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 20:37:02 GMT

In this episode, we get a unique perspective from Swisscom and their partner Netcracker on their transformation towards greater speed, efficiency and agility. The discussion focuses less on the technology and architecture and more on the organizational and delivery approach: domain by domain, and replicable blueprints and process. Includes some key findings on benefits achieved to date, and recommendations and lessons learned along the way.

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Episode 48 - Quantum Security

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 20:54:12 GMT

Introducing Luca De Matteis, and a discussion on infrastructure security as we head inexorably towards a post-quantum age.

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Episode 47 - Reinventing Telecom, with CSG CEO Brian Shepherd

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 11:52:42 GMT

How is the transformation of telecom different from transformation in other industries? What can telecom learn from those and what is its own unique set of challenges? More importantly - given the mixed history of transformation thus far, is it time to reinvent telecom from a new perspective?

In a highly enlightening discussion with Robert and John, Brian Shepherd, CEO of CSG, shares his thoughts on the need for reinvention in telecom, the right (and wrong) approach, and what to expect.

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Episode 46 - Autonomous Networks and Agentic AI, with Nokia

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 13:56:07 GMT

Not one but two guests this week, representing insights from Nokia's Digital Operations and AI teams - Deepa Ramachandran, Head of Portfolio Management for Nokia Digital Operations, and Henrietta Katajakoski, from AI & Analytics marketing. They both draw on plenty of time spent on real projects and customer discussions. Topics covered include Autonomous Networks, the Network Autonomy Chasm, Digital Twins, the size and impact of Agentic AI, and Nokia projects in North America and China.

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Episode 45 - AWS in Telecom

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 18:13:56 GMT

AWS has been the most successful of the hyperscalers in convincing telcos to put mission-critical workloads onto public cloud. But it's taken a decade. In this episode, AWS' Chief Technologist for Telco, Ishwar Parulkar, explains the strategy behind AWS's significant impact and growing presence in telecom. With Patrick Kelly and Robert Curran.

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Episode 44 - The AI-RAN Alliance with Alex Jinsung Choi

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 13:02:05 GMT

AI - in the form of predictive models - has been part of the radio access network already for quite a few years. So what does the AI-RAN Alliance consortium bring that's new? And how has it progressed in the year since it was publicly announced. Just ahead of MWC2025, Patrick and Robert revisit the goals and work of the AI-RAN Alliance with its Chair, Dr Alex Jinsung Choi.

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Episode 43 - Open RAN Reality Check with Mavenir CEO Pardeep Kohli

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 17:15:52 GMT

In a discussion that is as candid as it is well-informed, the CEO and President of Mavenir, Pardeep Kohli, shares his perspectives on the prospects for Open RAN, and Mavenir's strategies for growth in a challenging market. It's a frank and honest account of what it will truly take for operators - and the wider industry to achieve the transformative goals that open, disaggregated and cloudified networks make possible. the With Robert Curran and Patrick Kelly.

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Episode 42: Transforming Test from Lab to Live

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 16:54:58 GMT

In this episode, we explore how the testing of networks has evolved to cope with rising complexity, new technologies, disaggregation, the acceleration of growth in networks, and fundamental changes in how telecom networks are used. We zero in on the re-framing of test from siloed function to a continuous process spanning vendor supply chains, traditional telco in-house test, through to live networks - a concept called "lab-to-live". Francis and Robert talk with Anil Kollipara, VP of Product Management for Test Automation at Spirent, one of the world's oldest established network test companies.

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Episode 41 - Christmas Episode: AWS, Mavenir, Open RAN

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:36:49 GMT

In the final episode of 2024, Robert and Patrick swap notes from some major vendor events - AWS Re:invent, Mavenir's analyst day, Fyuz plus Telecom TV's Great Telco Debate.

Merry Christmas, one and all!

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Episode 40 - NaaS, APIs, B2B and Telco/Techco with Divesh Gupta, Console Connect

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 10:00:04 GMT

The network automation journey that global carrier PCCW has been on for the last 6 or 7 years is fascinating, as they describe the changes in the industry through the same period.

In a highly enlightening episode, Divesh Gupta walks us through how they have embraced the concept of network APIs and network automation, the choices in OSS and BSS, partnership, as well as the kind of vision and leadership required to achieve transformational change. We also discuss work going on with the MEF and TM Forum.

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Episode 39: Open & Disaggregated Networks, with Fujitsu's Greg Manganello

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 14:46:47 GMT

Robert and Grant are joined by Fujitsu's Greg Manganello to explore the drivers behind, and implications of, open and disaggregated networks.

Along the way we discuss multiple industry interpretations of "open", buyer personas, the tactics of Big Telecom on open RAN, and Greg's "cocktail party' trick for remembering the difference between real-time and non-real-time RICs...

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Episode 38 - Tradeshow Roundup

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 18:11:21 GMT

A quick sub-30-minute catchup on MWC Americas, 5G Americas, DTW Innovate (US), MEF and even a dash of Fyuz (Dublin).

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Episode 37 - Inventing the Future, with Nokia Bell Labs

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 09:53:21 GMT

A conversation with the AI lab leader at the legendary Bell Labs, owned by Nokia since 2016. We focus on networks and AI, but take a peek into the future, as well as putting AI into a wider context of successive industrial revolutions.

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Episode 36 - GenAI in Digital Enablement, Q&A with Huawei Software

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:06:14 GMT

GenAI shows no sign yet of losing its status as the hottest topic in telecom.

In this episode Robert hears the latest from Appledore Principal Analyst for Digital Enablement, John Abraham, and gets a far-reaching in-depth explanation from Huawei Software on how they are using AI and GenAI into a range of digital enablement offerings and telco operator business processes.

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Episode 35 - Thinking Differently About Network Autonomy

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:05:23 GMT

Grant, Francis and Robert explore the topic of autonomous networks in telecom, challenging some misconceptions, clearing up some misunderstandings, and generally taking out some of the mystery about how to go about establishing them.

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Episode 34 - Transforming Telecom with APIs

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 05:55:31 GMT

Patrick and Robert are joined by Nik Willetts, CEO of the TM Forum in a discussion that ultimately finds its way to Network APIs - but necessarily taking in the wide view of where telecom is at, and how things are more different today than at any point in its history.

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Episode 33 - Quantum Utility, with IBM's Imed Othmani

Fri, 31 May 2024 10:49:09 GMT

In this week’s episode Patrick Kelly is joined by IBM Quantum Industry Partner, Imed Othmani, in a discussion on progress and obstacles in Quantum Computing. In particular, what and when will be the first practical applications of this technology.

It’s a fascinating insight into the path from pure research to business value, and IBM’s approach to finding it.

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Episode 32 - Orchestrating to $100 Billion, with Itential's Chris Wade

Fri, 17 May 2024 06:18:00 GMT

Telcos are right to look to enterprise customers for near term growth. But that growth will see them selling new kinds of services, and is dependent on a new level of self-serviceability. In this episode Robert and Grant are joined by Itential CTO Chris Wade to discuss how the next big wave of digital services - an incremental revenue potential of $100B for telcos - can be enabled.

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Episode 31 - Telecom: A Software Engineering Perspective

Wed, 01 May 2024 20:04:35 GMT

What do software leaders within telcos think about the tremendous rate of change and technological innovation taking place? How do they view topics like SaaS, GenAI, or edge computing? How do they consider the vendor landscape? What principles are most important in the era of cloud and continous delivery?

In this thoughtful episode, Robert and John talk with Rob Bennett, SVP of Software Engineering at Echostar - the new name for the combined Dish Wireless and Echostar assets that were re-merged in early 2024.

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Episode 30: From AI to Quantum, with IBM Research's Jeff Welser

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 15:44:40 GMT

IBM Research is responsible for ideas and innovations that will drive growth and redefine the state-of-the-art in technology. In a rare discussion with IBM Research , Patrick Kelly begins the episode with COO Jeff Welser by exploring the state of AI, and the practicalities of cutting-edge research. From there, it's a look into the relationship between AI and quantum computing, high-value use cases for both within telecom and in other industry sectors. And with a diversion into the world of 2nm silicon, cooling... it's quite the tour, right at the frontiers of technology.

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Episode 29 - Disruption at the Edge, with Arrcus' Shekar Ayyar

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 20:55:14 GMT

Patrick Kelly talks with Arrcus' CEO Shekar Ayyar, exploring how the network infrastructure market is ripe for disruption, starting from the edge in.

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5G Testing and Assurance in the Cloud Era, with Spirent's Steve Douglas

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 21:14:17 GMT

Patrick Kelly talks with Spirent's Head of Strategy, Stephen Douglas, on the nature of testing and assurance for telcos in the cloud era. At least, that's where they start... An informative two-way discussion follows - a useful primer for lots of what will be on show at MWC24.

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5G Testing and Assurance in the Cloud Era, with Spirent's Steve Douglas

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 21:13:43 GMT

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Episode 27 - Changing the Game, with Amdocs' Avishai Sharlin

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 10:51:59 GMT

In the telecom software market, Amdocs has long been one of the most significant and successful players. But how does it view, and respond to, the multiple waves of disruptive change in telecom and IT, from cloud to GenAI? To what extent are its customers - 400-some telcos across the globe - embracing or playing down the impact? In short, while we often talk about game-changing technologies, how is that playing out in practice, for both telcos and their suppliers?

And, just ahead of MWC24, what can we expect to see hear and experience from Amdocs this year?

This episode is a wide-ranging half-hour conversation with one of Amdocs' most senior and most experienced executives.

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Modernizing Assurance, with Ciena Blue Planet's Ashley Woods

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 10:52:55 GMT

The goals of network and service assurance haven't changed - but just about everything else has. How should operators adapt their assurance strategies and established a modern assurance capability? In this episode, Robert is joined by two true veterans in this market and topic: Ashley Woods, from Blue Planet (a Division of Ciena) and Principal Analyst Patrick Kelly.

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Episode 25 - Going Vertical, with Oracle's Matt Beal

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 10:58:55 GMT

Telcos were supporting industry verticals long before 5G, but seem to be struggling to make the case for greater relevance. Why is that? What are the opportunities and what else - beyond improved connectivity technology - must telcos do differently to be true partners for industries going forward?

Robert and Grant are joined by Matt Beal, Senior VP of Development at Oracle Communications, and a highly experienced telecom industry executive on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Beyond x86: Specialty Silicon in Telecom

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 18:12:49 GMT

Yes, the telecom future is software - but it's not *only* software, and innovation and specialization in silicon has a major part to play in enabling and shaping the future of the industry.

Accompanying a major new Market Outlook report on the continuing evolution of silicon in telecom, Grant Lenahan talks to Robert about why the silicon market is so important, how new vendors are making an impact, and why CSPs need to be up to speed on their options.

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Episode 23 - DTW, MWC Americas, Fyuz

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:32:08 GMT

Summer seems a long time ago, as the tradeshow season has returned with near back-to-back events. Robert, Patrick and John review the themes, mood and showfloor conversations from TM Forum's recent Digital Transformation World, and the GSMA's MWC Americas in Las Vegas. We also look ahead to the upcoming Telecom Infra Project's Fyuz in Madrid, and FutureNet World Asia.

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Episode 22 - Automation in Telecom, with ServiceNow's Rohit Batra

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 08:33:37 GMT

Automation in telecom is hardly a new idea. But what is new is its top-level importance, in a world where network complexity is beyond human comprehension, and speed is a critical differentiator for operators. In telecom, operational speed and efficiency revolves around network inventory, so in this episode we explore how the inventory management and wider automation are linked, and how they are changing.

Featured guest is Rohit Batra, General Manager for ServiceNow's Telecom, Media & Technology business.

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Episode 21 - DTW2023 Preview

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 18:18:07 GMT

It's back to Copenhagen! Now that we know where's hot (or not) to stay, how the trains work, how to find the Bella Center, the global telecom software community convenes again under the auspices of the TM Forum with extra confidence - and with plenty to talk about from the six months since MWC Barcelona.

Robert, Francis and John preview the event and look forward to a busy few days of on-site meetings.

Links...

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Episode 20: Telecom and the Developer Community

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 13:08:58 GMT

Summertime gives many of us a chance to travel somewhere interesting and different, and gain a new perspective. We've taken that to heart in this episode, as Robert and Francis spend time with someone who lives full time within the fabled "developer community" that features as a box on countless slides from telecom CSPs and vendors. For well over a decade, Alan Quayle has led an initiative to rally developers to leverage the potential of programmable telecom networks - the aptly-title Telecom Application Developer (TAD) series of events.

We ask: does telecom actually "get" developers? What innovation have we seen from third party developers? What are CAMARA's chances?

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Episode 19 - Big IT Meets Big Telecom, with Microsoft's Rick Lievano

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 08:22:28 GMT

Cloud continues to provoke fundamental change in telecom. Together with increasing software-ization, the landscape of the most prominent vendors in telecom continues to shift. Add in recent developments in AI, and a picture begins to emerge of an industry undergoing a complete revolution - with "Big IT" having a profound influence on the future of the industry.

In this episode Robert and John are joined by Rick Lievano, CTO for Worldwide Telecom Industry for Microsoft to get an inside view on how one of the most important technology companies in the world is driving the trend.

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Episode 18 - Collaboration: the new "Transformation"?

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 06:15:55 GMT

On the path to open and disaggregated networks, a frequent cry is the need for greater "collaboration" between telcos and suppliers, between suppliers themselves, and a bunch of other stakeholders and interested parties from standards bodies to students, integrators to academics. That's all very well, but what does that mean, and what does it look like in practice? Robert Curran gets a perspective from Katja Henke, Senior Innovation Project Manager at DT and a lynchpin of the high-profile i14y Lab consortium in Berlin.

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Episode 17 - What's next for CX? With CSG

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:00:20 GMT

"Customer Experience" is an endlessly evolving term in telecom, with new technologies and situations creating ever-increasing expectations for telcos to meet. What are the latest trends and techniques available to operators in their pursuit of that NPS-boosting "excellence in customer experience"? John Abraham returns with guest Chad Dunavant, Chief Strategy Officer at CSG International. Robert Curran hosts.

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Episode 16 - AI in Telecom

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 11:34:32 GMT

AI has been back on the front pages in 2023, and seems to inducing a combination of panic and the sort of "irrational exuberance" not seen since the dotcom boom. In the context of telecom, which response is the right one? In this episode, we get the perspective of a true veteran of AI in telecom (and new recruit to Appledore), Roman Ferrando, Patrick Kelly summarizes the market progress of AI in telecom to date - use cases and notable adoptees - and separates froth from meaningful progress. And yes: we do look at #AIwashing and offer some advice on companies in telecom (operators and vendors) can avoid running into AI trouble.

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Episode 15 - Rethinking Innovation

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 10:57:25 GMT

In this episode we explore how the nature of innovation, and the processes and practices around it, are changing as result of the new capabilities of cloud-native software.

Joining Robert and Francis are Marius Waldum of Working Group Two, and Justen Burdette, CEO of US mobile operator Mobi.

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Episode 14 - Charging, Telecom and the Public Cloud, with TelcoDR

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:00:34 GMT

In a lively, wide-ranging discussion, John and Robert talk with Danielle Royston - TelcoDR - about the state of charging in telecom, and the impact of public cloud and SaaS more widely.

We also cover "that" MWC takeover in 2021, a certain rock star, and TelcoDR's plans for her $1bn Telecom Transformation Fund, beginning with Totogi.

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Episode 13 - AI in Telecom, with IBM's Andrew Coward

Mon, 22 May 2023 17:14:17 GMT

Patrick Kelly takes the mic for this episode, with guest Andrew Coward from IBM, to discuss the accelerating story of telecom/IT convergence. But it isn't long before AI takes center stage. Offering solid perspectives on how to spot "real" AI from marketing froth, Andrew shares how AI in networks differs radically from enterprise use cases, and what the lifecycle of introducing AI into network operations really looks like.

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Episode 12 - London Events Roundup (RCR Wireless Live! and FutureNet World)

Thu, 11 May 2023 21:11:33 GMT

London has been the focal point for a number of notable occasions recently...including two in-person events hosted by RCR Wireless (welcome to London!) and FutureNet World (welcome back!), respectively. Robert Curran and Francis Haysom discuss the mood and highlights from both.

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Episode 11 - Huawei Analyst Summit review | FutureNetworld preview

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:36:44 GMT

What got mentioned more times than 6G at this year's Huawei Analyst Summit (HAS)? Does Huawei's strategy still have global relevance? And what does Shenzhen have the second-largest number of in the world?

John Abraham takes on hosting duties to get a first hand account from Robert Curran and Shanthi Ravindran.

We also look ahead to FutureNet World London, May 3-4, 2023.

Links:

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Episode 10 - Telecom in Asia, with Shanthi Ravindran

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 09:49:20 GMT

In this episode we explore more big themes in the global telecom industry including: women in telecom, the history of telecom in Asia, Open RAN, private networks, all with the newest member of the Appledore team, experienced analyst Shanthi Ravindran, based in Singapore.

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Episode 9 - Up the Revolution!

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 22:34:11 GMT

In this episode, we're joined by Geoff Hollingworth, CMO at Rakuten Symphony, to talk about revolution in the telecom industry, past and present. Is the recent history of telecom being rewritten? What do people in a cloud-native telco do all day? Are mobile generations "the worst thing that's ever happened to the industry"? Why does telecom find it so hard to ask simple questions? Buckle up!

Geoff references a new white paper from Rakuten Symphony, which can be found here.

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Episode 8 - How Software is Changing the Telecom Vendor Landscape

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 12:05:10 GMT

Legendary tech entrepreneur Marc Andreessen's famous "software is eating the world" perspective may already over a decade old, but we are only beginning to see the story played out in telecom. In this episode, we're joined by Amdocs' Niall Norton to discuss how software is changing the telecom vendor landscape.

It's a 40-minute recap on the development of the modern telco industry with an executive who's been on both sides (and both ends!) of the table. Extra insights from Francis Haysom on how "support systems" is legacy terminology, and how telcos have more to gain than they have to lose by adopting new technologies, mindsets, and vendor partnerships.

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Episode 7 - CAMARA and Open Gateway Special

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 14:20:07 GMT

The GSMA's Open Gateway was a significant announcement at MWC2023 - but it builds on the CAMARA project, which has made rapid progress in the last year. Could it hold the keys to new revenue streams for telcos, and in particular from 5G? We hear from two people directly involved in driving the initiative, and put it in context of both earlier telco API efforts, and the work of companies like Twilio and Vonage (Ericsson).

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Episode 6 - MWC Preview

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 17:16:20 GMT

It's that time again. Love it or hate it, it's back to Barcelona imminently for telecom's biggest get-together. Patrick, Francis and Robert pick out some key themes and companies to look out for, and close up with some tips on getting through the week.

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Episode 5 - Orchestration Special with Grant Lenahan

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 17:02:38 GMT

Did Orchestration just arrive late and crash the (slightly disappointing) OSS party? Or has it been quietly building its own unstoppable market momentum, inevitably redefining the network automation market landscape? Grant Lenahan and Robert Curran explore what orchestration really means in a telecom context, why it matters, and why looking out your window is all you need to do to understand what's different about telecom orchestration vs its datacenter cousin.

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Episode 4 - A New (AI) Hope?

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 16:32:51 GMT

In this episode, Patrick Kelly explains where AI is finding application in telecom today, and how the market landscape is evolving with big name and new entrants alike finding opportunity.

The AIOps in Telecom forecast that Patrick references in the podcast is here: Market Outlook: AIOps in Telecom Operations - Appledore Research

For more on our coverage of AI in telecom, see AIOps, Assurance, Analytics Research - Appledore Research

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Episode 3 - Digital Enablement, with John Abraham

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 12:34:54 GMT

In this episode, we hear from John Abraham, a long-time BSS analyst on his move to Appledore and how Digital Enablement is evolving as operators adjust to the new realities of 5G, cloud and new business models.

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Episode 2 - CES2023

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 17:32:35 GMT

CES Las Vegas is where the tech industry shows off - but it's not just a consumer show. Appledore's Patrick Kelly walked the halls and shares his takeaways from a telecom perspective.

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Episode 1 - The Cloud-Native Telco

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 06:00:30 GMT

Appledore welcomes Rahul Atri to the team, and the podcast, and talk telco cloud, transformation, mindsets and more.

Intro music from Pixabay

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