The Future of Telecom Partnerships: Insights from Priya Kurien, IBM’s Client Strategy and Innovation Leader
ZDNET: Could you share your journey in telecom and what led you to advocate for cross-industry collaboration?
Priya Kurien: My journey in telecom began during the e-commerce era, a transformative period when operators were adapting to the shift from landline calls and very limited 2G mobiles to providing internet connections. In the time since, there have been many changes in the industry from traditional infrastructure to modern innovations such as copper to fibre-based communications networks, and the transition from 2G to 5G.
ZDNET: How can telecom partnerships accelerate advancements in fields like geospatial intelligence and climate science?
PK: In many countries around the world, telecom operators are considered critical infrastructure and regulated by their governments. As a result, during extreme weather-related conditions, telecom operators focus on maintaining connectivity for citizens.
ZDNET: Could you walk us through the IBM-NASA collaboration to make Earth science data accessible and its impact on industries outside of space?
PK: In an effort to widen access to NASA Earth science data and accelerate climate-related discoveries, IBM and NASA worked together to develop the largest geospatial AI foundation model on Hugging Face. As a result, IBM’s watsonx.ai geospatial foundation model – built from NASA’s satellite data, is the first-ever open-source AI foundation model built in collaboration with the organization.
ZDNET: How do you see IoT innovations transforming telecom’s role in everyday consumer experiences?
PK: Consumers are already relying on IoT devices in their daily lives, from smart home systems, lighting, thermostats, smart meters, voice controllers, and robotic vacuum cleaners. Many operators around the world not only sell IoT devices but also offer services to set up and manage these devices for their consumers.
ZDNET: What are some of the biggest challenges in telecom partnerships, and how can these be overcome?
PK: Partnerships require a culture of collaboration as well as the maturity to navigate differences. In our view, these are some of the greatest challenges that the telecom industry faces in partnering for innovation.
ZDNET: Could you provide examples of success stories where multi-industry partnerships drove transformative change in telecom?
PK: There are a number of multi-industry partnerships that have driven change in the industry. For example, in the connected cars arena, Verizon’s partnerships with automotive OEMs help to deliver in-car Wi-Fi services, showing how telecom and automotive industries work together to enhance driver experiences.
ZDNET: With digital transformation as a priority, how can telecoms keep pace with industries evolving at different rates?
PK: Flexibility and collaboration are crucial qualities telecom companies need to consider in order to keep pace with different industries. This includes the use of standardized APIs that facilitate modular and rapid integration, supporting industries that evolve at varying speeds, innovation hubs that create spaces for collaboration and allow telecoms to co-develop solutions with industry-specific partners, and partnerships that include building alliances with other industries to foster shared growth.
ZDNET: How important are APIs for connecting telecom capabilities with diverse industries, and what new value does this bring?
PK: APIs are crucial for enabling telecoms to work with other industries, as they provide a modular, scalable way for integrating rapidly with other industries. IDC is projecting that telecom and network APIs will grow to $6.7 billion by 2028 from $700M in 2023, at a compound annual growth rate of 57.1%, driven by a rise of platform-based commerce and the need to generate new revenues.
ZDNET: How are telecom firms adapting to meet the needs of advanced medical devices like smart implants and remote monitoring solutions?
PK: Telecom firms are leveraging 5G networks to address the low latency requirements of advanced medical devices. These solutions enable real-time monitoring for devices like smart implants and remote monitoring devices, enhancing patient outcomes.
ZDNET: How are telecom companies balancing the need for innovation with their responsibility to maintain stable and secure infrastructure?
PK: Telecom firms achieve this balance by adopting a ‘security by design’ approach, embedding security within their processes, alongside a culture of collaboration. Improving the skillset of the workforce, creating internal cross-functional teams, and fostering a mindset of innovation and partnerships, while developing a zero-trust architecture for high availability and listening to the customer, are different ways in which telecom companies can balance innovation and maintain stable and secure infrastructure.
ZDNET: How are telecom firms leveraging AI for operational efficiencies within cross-industry collaborations?
PK: The telecom industry has some of the most complex customer care requirements in terms of the variety of plans and types of connectivity they support. Traditional AI has been used for over a decade to provide support for customer care and chatbot support, and gen AI has unsurprisingly been adopted by many telecom operators to support the contact center for agent assist and contact summarization – some have even started to deploy gen AI agents directly with customers.
Conclusion
As the world becomes increasingly connected, the importance of cross-industry collaboration and innovation will only continue to grow. As we look to the future, it is clear that the telecom industry will play a critical role in driving progress and shaping the world we live in. With its rich history of innovation and its continued investment in emerging technologies, the telecom industry will undoubtedly continue to be at the forefront of change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the biggest challenges in telecom partnerships?
A: Partnerships require a culture of collaboration as well as the maturity to navigate differences.
Q: How can telecoms keep pace with industries evolving at different rates?
A: Flexibility and collaboration are crucial qualities telecom companies need to consider.
Q: What is the future of telecom partnerships?
A: The future of telecom partnerships will be shaped by the increasing need for cross-industry collaboration and innovation.
Q: How can telecoms balance the need for innovation with their responsibility to maintain stable and secure infrastructure?
A: Telecom firms achieve this balance by adopting a ‘security by design’ approach, embedding security within their processes, alongside a culture of collaboration.
