Paving the Way for Telecom Operators’ Digital Transformation in the ME and Central Asia
Teletimes interview with Allen Tang, President of ICT Marketing & Solution Sales Dept, Huawei ME & Central Asia
Teletimes: Mr. Tang, during GITEX 2024, Huawei announced the Techco 1.0 initiatives for the Middle East and Central Asia, witnessed by several key carriers and the SAMENA Council. As the driving force behind Techco 1.0, could you explain its core features and the problems it aims to solve for operators? How does it fit into your broader strategy for supporting digital transformation in the telecom sector?
Allen Tang: Techco 1.0 is one of Huawei’s strategic initiatives to drive telecom operators’ digital transformation through three key paths: business servitization, service platformization, and platform intelligentization.
Servitization enables operators to shift from product-based offerings to service-oriented models, monetizing solutions for consumers (2C), households (2H), and businesses (2B) while offering full digital services. This includes FTTR and smart home solutions for 2C and 2H, MSP-based services for SME and AICC for efficient customer experience management, and Mobile Money drive supper app-based digital services.
Platformization focuses on creating an ecosystem that monetizes data through customer experiences, operational improvements, and cross-industry collaborations. Finally, intelligentization leverages AI and multi-cloud infrastructure to automate operations, personalize services, and offer scalable computing power, driving innovation and new revenue streams.
This transformation equips operators to diversify beyond traditional connectivity, reduce operational costs through AI-driven efficiency, and deliver more personalized and data-driven services. Techco 1.0 positions operators to thrive in the intelligent digital era by aligning with trends like 5G-A, IoT, and AI, enabling them to monetize data and computing infrastructure while improving customer experiences and operational agility.
TT: What market trends or challenges have you identified that prompted this launch? Could you share your insights on why this solution is particularly relevant today, especially for operators undergoing digital transformation?
AT: The initiatives are driven by the rapid technological changes we’ve witnessed across industry sectors and the growing demands from carriers to transform from traditional telco to ‘techco’. This aims to become the main driving force behind national intelligent digital transformation services and a critical digital service provider. It captures opportunities in the fast-growing digital economy while pursuing industry leadership. To achieve this vision, operators must overcome many challenges, including expanding their depth and breadth in transforming from product to digital service providers, venturing into industry sectors, adapting operating models, demanding operational efficiency, and attracting higher calibers of digital talent.
These trends and challenges require a more systematic approach and a series of modern solutions that can support intelligent digital transformation, improve operational efficiency, manage data effectively, and enhance customer engagement.
“Our solution is particularly relevant today as it helps operators modernize their operations, streamline processes, and make data-driven decisions.”
Our solution is particularly relevant today as it helps operators modernize their operations, streamline processes, and make data-driven decisions. By leveraging AI and advanced technologies, it ensures operators can meet evolving customer needs, reduce costs, and stay ahead in a competitive market while being adaptable and scalable for future trends and challenges.
TT: With operators facing increasing pressure to modernize their operations, how does Techco 1.0 support these efforts? What specific areas of their transformation will benefit most from this engagement approach, and how does it integrate with their existing infrastructure?
AT: Techco 1.0 aids operators’ modernization by offering a strategic framework that transforms business operations through business servitization, service platformization, and platform intelligentization. This approach ensures resources are agile and services scalable, making operators better equipped to meet market demands and improve operational efficiency. The use of AI within Techco 1.0 further enhances decision-making, optimizes network management, and boosts overall business performance.
“Operators in the B2B market face a distinct set of challenges, including complex customer requirements, intense competition, and the need for rapid innovation.”
Key benefits include fast service design, deployment, delivery, precise customer engagement, and efficient data management, enabling monetization of products, data, and AI technology. Techco 1.0 builds a robust data foundation that integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, supporting ongoing business development. It aligns with operators’ current systems while adding layers of intelligence and agility, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruptions.
TT: From your perspective, what are the unique challenges faced by operators in the B2B market? How does Techco 1.0 address these challenges, and where do you see it providing the most value, particularly in terms of accelerating business outcomes and improving customer engagement?
AT: Operators in the B2B market face a distinct set of challenges, including complex customer requirements, intense competition, and the need for rapid innovation. They also deal with integrating diverse systems and ensuring seamless connectivity and scalability. The pressure to deliver customized, high-quality services while managing costs and maintaining profitability adds to these challenges.
Techco 1.0 provides a strategic framework that supports the transformation of operators’ businesses. By offering business servitization, it allows operators to convert resources into agile, on-demand services, enhancing flexibility and speed to market. Services platformization helps build robust, scalable infrastructure, facilitating efficient data management and integration across systems. Platform intelligentization leverages AI to optimize operations, improve decision-making, and provide and offer customized experiences for enterprise and industry needs.
Techco 1.0 accelerates business outcomes by enhancing operational efficiency and reducing time to market for new services. It improves customer engagement by enabling operators to deliver more targeted, responsive, high-quality services. The strategic framework also supports continuous innovation, ensuring operators remain competitive and can quickly adapt to market changes.
