International Telecoms Week (ITW) is the world’s largest gathering of global telecom executives. With over 6,000 attendees and 2,000 companies represented, it serves as a major event for our industry. ITW brings together the wholesale telecoms community, fostering business partnerships and meaningful connections among its participants that extend far beyond the event itself.
I had the pleasure of attending ITW earlier this week. I was impressed with the energy and overall vibe of the event. Don’t be misled by the event’s location; ITW is a truly global event that covers interests and developments around the globe. Topics covered, just to name a few, included supply chain shortages, prioritizing investments in an inflationary environment, and establishing connectivity in rural areas.
Three key trends
I was particularly interested in three topics that coincidentally were all on the agenda and discussed in the afternoon of ITW day two:
- Messaging. More specifically, combating illegit traffic that is traversing carriers’ networks. The impact this has on carriers’ daily operations is significant and, as an industry, we must re-establish trust from end users and regulators. The only solution is to combat fraud, by tightening up routes in and out of the network with validated partners and continuous message scanning. We received overwhelming interest at the event to the Syniverse solution to tackle this challenge: our Carrier Messaging Hub.
- Blockchain telecom use cases. The telecommunications industry continues to have strong interest in blockchain and DLT for ordering, billing, and settlement needs. Syniverse has been at forefront of making blockchain a reality for billing and settlement, with the launch of our Universal Commerce solution in 2019. Delivering on the promises of 5G and IoT requires scaling up of wholesale activities and an absolute need to abandon manual processes in favor of maximum automation. A blockchain’s Digital Ledger Technology (DLT), provides a single source of truth with the objective of removing friction created by misaligned systems. This goes hand in hand with the streamlining of processes in operations and reduction or complete elimination of disputes. Many Syniverse customers already enjoy those benefits today.
- Private 5G networks. Rapidly popping up across the globe and full of potential, private 5G networks were on the ITW agenda. One of the questions was “What is needed for 5G standalone to support applications in roaming environments?”. That is not a straightforward question to answer, as there are many moving parts to consider. Private Wireless solutions require a multitude of functionalities targeted at delivering valuable network connectivity, including cellular access between private and public mobile networks; extended visibility and control of connected devices; and facilitation of additional connectivity models. I’m excited about this and our patented Automated Network Reselection (ANR) technology, which allows for seamless movement and connectivity between private and public networks.
Compete, collaborate, grow
Being part of this innovative and impactful community is truly rewarding. A key takeaway from my discussions at ITW is the undeniable importance of collaboration. Our industry plays a critical role in the world today, and failure is not an option. The telecommunications industry needs to embrace healthy competition and continue to collaborate for our collective success and growth. I know I am ready to deliver.
The Syniverse team was incredibly productive at ITW and enthused by so many great discussion passing attendees in the hall, attending networking events, and engaging with attendees in our booth. I look forward to following up with all the people I met at ITW this week. Together, we’ll turn our ambitions to reality.
David Wasserman, who serves as Vice President, North America Sales, for Syniverse, has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. The majority of his career has been with Syniverse, where he has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility. Mr. Wasserman has played a key role in the company’s global expansion by managing teams in accounting, finance, business development and sales. In his current position, he is responsible for directing the sales team’s efforts in servicing North America operators. Mr. Wasserman earned an MBA from the University of Tampa and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.
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