Tech Mahindra has announced a strategic partnership with Openet, a leading supplier of digital Business Support System (BSS) solutions, that will leverage 5G and Cloud technologies to accelerate Digital Transformation for CSPs.

“We have always been committed to build a robust set of strategic partners to deliver an enhanced experience to our customers,” said Manish Vyas, President (Communications, Media and Entertainment Business), and CEO, Network Services, Tech Mahindra. “Openet is an important member of our ecosystem, and together, we have already delivered several innovative solutions to the CSPs of the world.”, he continued.

5G is driving CSPs to upgrade their BSS systems. The only way to monetise 5G is to have the ability to charge for 5G services, explains Chantel Gary, who works as senior analyst at Omdia, and has authored a recent report, IT Investment Essentials for 5G Monetisation. However, existing charging systems must be upgraded to 5G-ready convergent charging systems, explains Mr Gary. “Investing in improving the omnichannel customer experience and customer lifecycle, and in incorporating analytics into front-end systems can allow companies to maximise monetisation opportunities.”

It is not only about the ability to capitalise on new digital and 5G opportunities. As John Abraham, a senior analyst at Analysis Mason explains, “Upgrading BSS for digital and 5G services can help drive a lot of redundant costs out of a business.” Approximately 65-70 per cent of global revenue management system spend goes to support and maintain existing systems, says Mr Abraham. The introduction of 5G and the resultant digital transformation presents a critical opportunity for CSPs to cut legacy overheads and costs.

The combination of Tech Mahindra’s transformation services and Openet’s best-in-class BSS capabilities will provide market-leading capabilities that can resolve even the most difficult monetisation, customer experience and commerce challenges that CSPs will encounter as they seek returns from 5G. “As part of our TechMNxt charter, our focus is on providing solutions that enable digital transformation and meet the customers’ evolving needs,” said Vyas. “We’re looking forward to rolling out this strategic partnership on a global basis.”

Niall Norton, CEO, Openet, concurs. “At Openet we made the investment to re-write our software to be cloud-native, open and digital several years ago. With this partnership, Openet and Tech Mahindra will be able to scale our collaboration, adding a few major CSPs to our client list as our solutions produce results that are driving change and growth in the telecoms industry. With this formal collaboration, we intend to add a lot more.”