By Willie Stegmann
I joined the fast-paced telecommunications industry in 2018, after an exciting career in Financial Services technology. The telecommunications industry was in transition. Digital and agile transformation programmes exploded across the industry. The rallying cry was for a dramatic increase in speed of delivery of digital products and solutions. Many failed, but those Communication Service Providers (CSPs) who could balance the complex equation of legacy business and technology architecture, competing priorities, skills transformation, new ways of working and most importantly inspirational and brave leadership, saw success.
This was an exciting time for me as the Group CIO at Vodacom. We successfully navigated the perils of digital transformation and aggressively exploited the ecosystem opportunities that digital and financial services presented.
Vodafone and subsidiary Vodacom, as TM Forum members, were early and active contributors to Open Digital Architecture (ODA), a reference for digital transformation journeys across the Group. As the new Mission lead and EVP for Composable IT and Ecosystems at TM Forum, I am embracing the opportunity to leverage my experience and work with members of the Forum to shape and pivot the next phase of ODA. The birth of the intelligent, autonomous – truly AI Native CSP.
The collective wisdom of member CIOs is compelling, as highlighted in our new CIO Conversation Podcast series and the CIO Circle where we debate, shape and capture their thoughts and insights. CSPs are facing a perfect storm. The industry is being dramatically reshaped by new competitors, fast-moving hyperscalers, and rapidly evolving customer expectations. Revenues are flat in many markets, competition is fierce, and regulatory environments are complex and increasingly restrictive. Most new innovations have AI at their core, positioning IT solutions at the heart of business transformation. For CIOs and their teams, the imperative is clear: Re-Invent IT, now. The new AI transformation journey really will challenge IT leaders across the industry.
However, as IT leaders face complexity, technical debt and skills shortages, as well as the opportunities presented by AI, reinvention is not a matter of incremental improvement. It requires a fundamental rethink of how IT is planned, architected, designed, and run. This journey is deeply anchored in delivering significant business results and impact. Increasingly demanding customer expectations and extreme regulatory pressures [SK1] require speed, efficiency, resilience, and security at a scale never seen before. CIOs must lead this transformation, delivering fast short term results alongside long term strategic reinvention.
“Business as usual” is no longer viable. Monolithic architectures and legacy systems cannot deliver the agility, intelligence, and customer experience required to compete. Reinvention is not just an IT imperative — it is a business imperative. The future of the enterprise depends on IT’s ability to enable new revenue streams, and deliver faster, cheaper, safer and smarter operations.
The Reinvention Agenda: Faster, Cheaper, Safer, Smarter
To meet these objectives, reinvention must be anchored on a clear agenda with four key imperatives:
- Faster: Reduce time to market dramatically.
- Cheaper: Optimize IT spend by eliminating waste and increasing efficiency.
- Safer: Protect the enterprise from ever-increasing cyber threats and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Smarter: Harness AI and data to autonomize operations, personalize customer experiences, and unlock new revenue streams.
This is an ongoing transformation, and CIOs must address long-term strategic architectural goals alongside operational needs. It is a continuous process of adaptation, innovation, and alignment. A CIO I spoke to challenges his team to daily re-invention!
Effectively leveraging AI and data is critical for true reinvention. For IT, AI enables smarter operations, predictive analytics, and autonomous processes. For networks, it strengthens resilience, optimizes performance, and supports self-healing capabilities.
While reinvention requires bold new thinking, it does not mean starting from scratch. Open Digital Architecture (ODA) remains the true north star for transformation. And, most importantly, provides the essential grounding for AI transformation.
ODA is becoming intelligent, autonomous, and smarter. This requires alignment with software engineering practices, bridging the gap between enterprise architects and developers. By bringing ODA assets closer to development platforms, CIOs can drive adoption and scale.
For CIOs, re-inventing IT is a challenge and an opportunity. It requires urgent action. And offers CIOs the chance to cement their seat at the business leadership table. CIOs must communicate not only the “what” and the “how,” but also the “why”. Articulating the business imperative that makes reinvention essential.
Reinvent IT, Reinvent the Enterprise
The message is simple but clear: reinvent IT now. CIOs must lead the charge, driving faster, cheaper, safer, and smarter operations. Harnessing AI and data as enablers, evolving their IT solutions, and aligning messaging for clarity and impact.
Reinvention is not a short term fix, but a long term journey. For CIOs, it is an opportunity to change the future of global connectivity. And that is why I am delighted to lead the Composable IT and Ecosystems Mission at TM Forum, and focus on bringing leaders across the industry together to meet the imperative to re-invent IT and drive thought leadership.
To get involved, join us at DTW Ignite, 23-25 June in Copenhagen.
TM Forum is an alliance of over 800 organizations spanning the global connectivity ecosystem, including the world’s top ten Communication Service Providers (CSPs), top three hyperscalers and Network Equipment Providers (NEPs), vendors, consultancies and system integrators, large and small.
We provide a place for our Members to collaborate, innovate, and deliver lasting change. Together, we are building a sustainable future for the industry in connectivity and beyond.
To find out more, visit: www.tmforum.org
