Telefónica, the best European telco for its transition to Techco for OMDIA

Telefónica has been recognized as the fourth telecommunications company worldwide in its evolution to ‘Techco’ (technology company), behind three Asian companies and ranking first in the European and American markets, according to the report ‘Telco-to-Techco Strategies Benchmark’, prepared by industry analysts OMDIA.

This study highlights Telefónica’s progress, through its specific unit Telefónica Tech, as a provider of advanced digital services for companies, a key growth area in areas such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, internet of things (IoT), big data and the strategic use of artificial intelligence.

This evolution of telecommunications companies into technology companies drives a strategic change that involves offering each customer customized digital solutions. In this way, they can take advantage of their infrastructure, their knowledge of the customer and their ability to adapt to compete in an increasingly demanding and dynamic market. Telefónica Tech, as an example of this transformation, has positioned itself as a global benchmark with a comprehensive and differential offer for all types of companies and organizations. It currently integrates digital technology solutions in many regions of the world thanks to more than 6,000 experts of more than 60 nationalities and more than 4,000 certifications in digital skills.

At Telefónica we have demonstrated our ability to evolve from a traditional telco to a company that offers advanced technological solutions to our customers. We lead the transformation and evolution of the societies and economies of the countries where we operate, thanks to the development of cloud computing capabilities, cybersecurity, IoT, Data and Artificial Intelligence. We offer innovative, differentiated, and sustainable solutions that contribute to a more digital and connected future,

explains Mario Silva, Strategy and Business Transformation Director of Telefónica Tech.

A network to drive progress

The report focuses on how Telefónica is promoting the end-to-end transformation of its Networks and Systems by accelerating the Autonomous Network Journey (ANJ) program, which pursues the transition of technology towards an unbundled and softwarized architecture, always putting the customer and sustainability goals, as well as privacy and security, at the center. By promoting network autonomy through data management, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the network will be better adapted and more resilient and sustainable, bringing multiple benefits such as higher quality of services, better allocation of resources and minimization of operating costs.

The analyst firm also highlights Telefónica’s role in the global telco Open Gateway initiative, led by the GSMA, which turns networks into programmable platforms. Open Gateway achieves, on the one hand, to expand opportunities for companies and developers to integrate advanced capabilities in an intuitive, interoperable, and standardized way through a set of software tools (APIs) and, on the other hand, for users to enjoy more innovative digital services.

Currently Telefónica has developed ten APIs and commercializes Open Gateway in the markets of Brazil, Spain, and Germany. All this has been achieved with agility thanks to Kernel 2.0, Telefónica’s own digital ecosystem based on APIs, on which they create products, services, applications, and digital platforms in all countries where Telefónica operates. Its technology provides standardized and unified information, in addition to ensuring data privacy and security throughout the process.