I had some amazing conversations this year, but none grabbed more ears than my in-person interview with DISH Wireless Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer Marc Rouanne. He offered a behind-the-scenes look at DISH’s new 5G network, its work with AWS, and more. The original episode went live in June, and since then it’s been listened to thousands of times. Hit play to hear: How hyperscaler investments made DISH’s project possible [02:34];What Marc would change about the AWS platform [04:20]; His experience working with software vendors’ cloud-native solutions [05:46]; How building on AWS changed the economics of network operations [07:26]; andMarc’s vision for using open APIs to grow the business [9:55].A few weeks ago at AWS re:Invent 2022, DISH released its first batch of Network APIs, just as Marc envisioned. It’s so exciting to watch it unfold! Listen to our conversation by clicking play above or subscribe through your favorite podcast platform. You can find the transcript for this episode here. Links and ResourcesWatch the video of my conversation with Marc on the TelcoDR YouTube channelDISH’s network APIs were huge news at this year’s AWS re:Invent. Don’t miss these headlines from Light Reading, Fierce Wireless and TelecomTV. Even McKinsey & Company Partner Ferry Grijpink chimed in. (Oh, and ICYMI, check out Ferry’s Telco in 20 episode—the second most popular of the year!)Check out the DISH Wireless Developer Hub and read TelcoDR’s blog about it Read about how Totogi joined DISH at AWS re:Invent to showcase its capabilitiesWatch the fun holiday interview I did with Ray LeMaistre from TelecomTV about why the DISH project is a gamechanger for telcoFind out what happened to the mini computer vendors that didn’t see innovation coming until it was too late.The best way to spread telco cheer is singing loud for all to hear. My favorite holiday song? Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” of course! Put it on full blast and sing it the top of your lungs! Telco execs, wanna talk public cloud? Set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Platinum MarComm Award, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback!This week’s guest About Marc Rouanne As Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer for DISH’s wireless business, Marc is responsible for network architecture, RF network and strategy, core network architecture and strategy, cloud and edge strategy, security, transport, 5G lab management and interoperability testing. He brings to DISH more than 20 years of international management experience in the telecommunications industry, having held executive positions in R&D, customer operations and product management in the U.S., France and Finland. Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingAudio Editing: Andrew CondellAssociate Producer: Kriselda DionisioMusic: Dyami Wilson

Last week I gave a keynote at the first-ever in-person MVNO Nation Live conference in beautiful Valencia, Spain. It was thrilling to talk to all of the entrepreneurial leaders at this event. They clearly see the huge upside of embracing public cloud technology and are poised to use it to become some of the world’s greatest brands. I’ve turned my keynote into this podcast episode. Listen now to hear: Examples of how telcos and MVNOs are benefiting from public cloud technology [02:48];How cloud-native telco tools (like Totogi!) can help MVNOs streamline work, increase speed to market, and lower costs [05:21];Why giffgaff put data at the heart of its business [12:53]; andHow MVNOs can boost their NPS and ARPU by delivering an amazing, personalized customer experience [13:55].When you’re done listening, check out the links to Totogi and the AWS Marketplace below, and contact us for a demo. You can find the transcript for this episode here.Links and ResourcesRead my blog about why MVNOs need to stop differentiating on price and start personalizing the customer experienceWatch the video version of my MVNO Nation Live keynoteCheck out this great article about digital-attacker strategies from McKinsey & CompanyRead my op-ed in Vanilla Plus about why MVNOs should be all-in on the public cloudRead the original AWS press release on the giffgaff relationshipLearn more about Totogi and sign up (for one penny!) on AWS MarketplaceFind out how MVNOs can super-charge their BSS with Totogi’s BSS enhancement platform, starting with our Charging-as-a-ServiceYou KNOW that we rocked an awesome party at MVNO Nation Live. Check out the cloudy drinks and our dance moves on the 360 spinner!Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Platinum MarComm Award, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo MediaEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellAssociate Producer: Kriselda DionisioMusic: Dyami Wilson

Every telco leader, consultant, and analyst I talk to these days says the telecom industry’s move to the public cloud is in full swing. Today’s guest, Davide Bellini, agrees. As Accenture Applied Intelligence lead for the communications and media industry, he has his finger on the pulse of telcos around the world—what they’re thinking about, how they’re navigating challenges, and their vision for a future powered by the public cloud. Click play to hear Davide’s thoughts on: Public cloud adoption trends around the globe [03:40];What’s changed to make telcos more open to cloud transformation [11:28];Their greatest hurdles to migration success [13:56]; andWhy freeing data from siloed databases has become a business imperative [19:29].You can find the transcript for this episode here.Links and ResourcesRead the TelcoDR blog Think twice before building your own public cloudListen to an early Telco in 20 podcast episode featuring Forrest Brazeal, Lift Off: Telcos moving to the public cloud – beware of lift and shift. (This is the one I rap in – seriously!)Want to know if there’s a hyperscaler region available in your neighborhood? Check out our handy spreadsheet of hyperscaler data centers (it changes by the week!)Which hyperscaler is winning? This Light Reading article quotes TelcoDR as saying that it’s probably AWS, followed by Azure, and then Google Cloud. For a more in depth look, read the Informa report (subscription required).Davide and his team recently released two reports on growth opportunities that small- and medium-size businesses are bringing to CSPsThe SMB Opportunity for CSPs: A New Path for Growth (Part 1)The SMB Opportunity for CSPs: A New Path for Growth (Part 2)The Great Telco Public Cloud Migration is on! Watch this video of the world’s great animal migration - the Wildebeest migration - that happens each year in East Africa.Davide lives in Italy and shares his last name with the drink made famous by Harry’s bar in Venice, the Bellini. Learn the history behind the drink and how to make it in this video.Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Platinum MarComm Award, a 2022 Gold Hermes Award, and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!This week’s guestAbout Davide BelliniDavide is an Accenture Managing Director with more than 23 years of consulting experience with Tier 1 Communications and Media industry clients across the world. He is the Global Lead for Communications, Media and Entertainment Industry in Applied Intelligence, Accenture’s division focused on transforming clients' business with Data and AI at the core. Davide is also leading the Accenture SMB Growth offering for the Comms Industry globally, a transformational portfolio of end-to-end services to help CSPs generate value for the small- and medium-business segment with industry-specific, highly personalized, and sustainable communication and technology services. Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo MediaEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellAssociate Producer: Kriselda DionisioMusic: Dyami Wilson

The signs are everywhere—the MVNO segment of telco is picking up steam. On November 16-17, 2022, MVNO leaders from around the world will gather at the inaugural MVNO Nation Live conference in Valencia, Spain, while 800-pound gorilla GSMA has plans to host its first MVNO Summit as part of the big show at next year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. This makes it a great time to explore the ins and outs of launching a successful MVNO or digital brand. In this episode, I’m talking with Scott Venuti, General Manager at Plum, a mobile virtual network aggregator (MVNA). He helps MVNOs get their businesses launched and ready for success. Click play to hear our conversation about: How long it takes to get an MVNO set up [07:47];Why being nimble is key [09:28];Why getting plans to market is so important for successful MVNOs [10:51];The importance of making the right decisions at the beginning of the journey [13:23];Thoughts on MVNO profitability and margins [15:16].Links and ResourcesRead about Plum’s exclusive collaboration with T-MobileMVNOs and digital brands are great ways to experiment with new software. Those smarty pants over at McKinsey & Company agree and even wrote an article about their cool ideasFind out how MVNOs can super-charge their BSS with Totogi’s BSS enhancement platform, starting with our Charging-as-a-Service!Learn more about MVNO Nation Live, happening November 16-17 in Valencia, Spain. Totogi is the event’s Principal Sponsor—let’s meet while we’re there! And check out all the great reasons Totogi is a perfect fit for MVNOsNext time you’re in the US state of Massachusetts, check out Scott’s family business, Bedford Farms Ice CreamHow many scoops of ice cream can you balance on an ice cream cone? Watch the record being set, complete with a cameo from the guy who holds the Guinness Book of World Records for “Longest Tongue,” which might come in handy with 125 (!) scoopsWanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!This week’s guestAbout Scott VenutiAs the General Manager of Plum, the wholesale division of UVNV, Scott brings more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications space. He joined UVNV in 2019 as VP of Channel Development for UVNV's Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile brands before launching the Plum wholesale business in 2020. He is an industry veteran with expertise in carrier-side and MVNO-side wireless wholesale sales and operations, as well as consumer and business distribution and channel management. His wireless experience includes time at Sprint, Clearwire, and others while working with many of North America's top telecom providers, national retailers, and distributors.Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo MediaEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellAssociate Producer: Kriselda DionisioMusic: Dyami Wilson

A couple of years ago, I learned that M1, a Singapore-based MNO, was doing exactly what I had been evangelizing about—going ALL IN on the public cloud. Leading the charge was then-Chief Digital Officer Nathan Bell. I’ve been hoping to have him on the podcast ever since I heard about what he was doing. Today, my wish comes true. In this episode, he joins me to talk about: How Nathan and M1 got the idea—in 2019!— to go all-in on the public cloud [03:47];The moment they knew they were going to be successful [14:41];How they brought the team along on the transformation journey [16:11]; andWhat Nathan would do differently if he had to do it all over again [19:01].A quick side note: Nathan recently shared exciting news – a few weeks ago he accepted the role of Digital Practice Partner at Kearney. Congratulations, Nathan! Links and ResourcesTake a look at M1’s February 2021 news release about its digital transformationWatch the TM Forum panel where Nathan and I first met, CSPs should run toward public cloudListen to The Cloud Strategy panel from Asia Pacific Telecom Summit 2022, where Nathan talked more about M1’s cloud moveLearn more about Kearney’s digital practice, where Nathan recently became a partner.Get Nathan’s take on what bringing people along on a digital transformation has in common with the evolution of F1 racingNathan’s right, “with great power comes great responsibility” – so here’s a mash-up from Spiderman: No Way Home to remind you to watch your team when you give them free rein in the public cloudCheck out Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest Bruce Springsteen songs of all time - Born to Run is #1!Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized as a Forrester Top 100 Channel Podcast and Feedspot Top 10 Telecom Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!This week’s guestAbout Nathan BellNathan Bell is Digital Practice Partner at Kearney. He is an advisor and mentor to both businesses at scale and startups, helping to guide their journeys as they seek to leverage the value of digital agendas and scale digital offerings. As the Chief Digital Officer for M1, Nathan helped shape the future of M1’s business from how customers choose and consume services, to the experiences of its staff, to engagement with its partners. With more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunication industry, Nathan has held a number of senior leadership and sales positions in Europe and Asia Pacific at companies including AT&T, KPNQwest, BT, TelkomTelstra and Telstra. Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo MediaEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellAssociate Producer: Kriselda DionisioMusic: Dyami Wilson

For the last year and a half, I’ve been obsessed with one of the biggest collaborations worldwide between a telco and a hyperscaler: AT&T and Microsoft Azure. In 2021, the CSP sold its network cloud to Azure. Since then, people in the industry have been wondering what’s been going on, who’s doing what, and how things are going. For this episode, Shawn Hakl, Microsoft VP of 5G Strategy, joins me to answer these questions and talk about: Why the partnership made sense for both sides [02:37];The benefit of handing over infrastructure management to a hyperscaler [04:22];How Azure and AT&T collaborate and divide responsibilities [05:52]; andThe challenges of bringing it all together and adopting a new playbook [12:03].Links and ResourcesRead AT&T’s June 2021 announcement about Microsoft’s acquisition of its Network CloudCheck out this Protocol article from July 2021, Why AT&T moved its core tech — but not everything — to Microsoft AzureHere's Shawn’s update on the collaboration from early 2022Listen to other Telco in 20 episodes featuring Microsoft Azure:Ep 5 Rick Lievano: The BFC’s: Putting Microsoft’s Azure to the test for telcosEp 9 Yousef Khalidi: Microsoft’s big moveA big part of the strategy for Azure with its acquisition of AT&T’s Network Cloud is to refactor the code to run natively on Azure and then sell it to other operators. Read my blog on why refactoring for native public cloud is key to really leveraging the power of the public cloud.Shawn is way into making antique furniture by hand, and even made a piece with a SECRET DRAWER. You know what else has a secret drawer? The Resolute Desk, at least according to the movie National Treasure. Watch how Nicolas Cage cracks the code and finds the hidden drawer.Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized on Forrester’s list of the Top 100 Channel Podcasts and Feedspot’s Top 10 Telecom Podcasts list. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!This week’s guestAbout Shawn HaklShawn Hakl is responsible for building and executing the product strategy and partnerships for Microsoft’s Azure for Operators portfolio. His team works across product, engineering, and sales to help operators execute on the digital transformation of the core and edge networks. Prior to Microsoft, Shawn served at Verizon as the Senior Vice President of Business Product, responsible for a $29B portfolio covering services such as enterprise networking, 4G/5G, cyber security, collaboration, and IoT. Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo MediaEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellAssociate Producer: Kriselda DionisioMusic: Dyami Wilson 

India is a fascinating place for telco operators. It’s home to more than a billion subscribers, while also having some of the lowest ARPU on the planet. This means mobile operators there not only need carrier-grade software products, they need to get them for a low, low price. Last week I delivered a keynote at Voice & Data’s “5G and the future of mobile data” conference in Delhi, India. I’ve turned that talk into this podcast episode to share why the public cloud is perfect for India’s unique telco market and how to unlock its full potential. Listen now to hear:Why the public cloud is such a good fit for India’s operators [04:47];Why using cloud native telco software is critical to success [06:40]; andThe simple way to tell if a telco software solution is truly cloud native, and not just “cloud washed.” [07:44]Links and ResourcesRead the article in Voice & Data or on my blog about why the public cloud is perfect for IndiaWatch Voice & Data’s full recording of the conference sessions Check out the Totogi website and buy it on AWS MarketplaceRead this piece by Light Reading about India’s 5G spectrum auctionThis is the 50th episode of Telco in 20 – can you believe it? Did you know that only 4% of active podcasts have more than 10 episodes?Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized on Forrester’s list of the 100 Channel Podcasts and Feedspot’s Top 10 Telecom Podcasts list. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo MediaEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellAssociate Producer: Kriselda DionisioMusic: Dyami Wilson

When it comes to rolling out enterprise software, no one takes one for the team like the guys and gals in charge of delivery. They’re always on the front line, ready to battle any obstacle to get the system up and providing value to customers. Up until now, rolling out a telco charging engine has been a huge, heavy lift for the delivery folks. But not anymore, because the public cloud-based Totogi Charging System is delivered in a completely different way. For this episode, I’m joined by Totogi’s global head of delivery, Damon Wheaton, to talk about: Why it’s so hard for telcos to deploy a traditional charging system [03:12]; What’s so different about deploying Totogi’s Charging as a Service [08:06]; Why building on the foundation of the public cloud is a total game changer [09:16]; and Why Totogi is PERFECT for telcos in India [15:14].Links and ResourcesCheck out the Totogi website and find us on AWS MarketplaceRead this piece by Light Reading about India’s 5G spectrum auctionThen check out this article in the Wall Street Journal about Reliance Group emerging as the big winnerListen to the last episode of What’s Up with Totogi, The Future of Charging with Totogi CMO Hakan Dursan where we talk about the differentiation of the plan design system – built by marketers, for marketersYears ago, when I worked at Trilogy, we gave out the Han Solo in Carbonite award to someone who went above and beyond to take one for the team, just like the delivery folks do every day. I mean, who doesn’t want a life-size figure of Hans Solo, the ultimate team player, in their office?Enterprise software is NO-NO-NO-NOTORIOUS for being over promised and under delivered. Reminds me of the 1986 song Notorious by Duran Duran. Watch the original music video and sing along with me!Watch the original “Wassup” Budweiser beer commercial—a true classic—and then check out the revival ad, launched during the pandemicWanna talk public cloud? Telco execs, set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized on Forrester’s 2021 list of the Top 100 Channel Podcasts and Feedspot’s Top 10 Telecom Podcasts list. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!This week’s guestAbout Damon WheatonDamon Wheaton has worked with telecoms for more than 25 years and witnessed the evolution of analogue networks to generations of digital networks. He has extensive experience working for telecom operators, software vendors, network equipment providers, and global consulting and professional service organizations. As the global head of delivery for Totogi, he is instrumental in rolling out Totogi’s cloud-based BSS platform, which empowers operators and breaks legacy software vendor lock-in. He was formerly Global VP for Professional Services at MATRIXX Software, Inc.Podcast Credits●  Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR●  Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media●  Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing●  Editing: Andrew Condell●  Music: Dyami Wilson

Moving to the public cloud is a major transformation for most telcos. There’s a lot at stake, and failure can spell disaster for an organization and its leaders. But the hard truth is that 70% of big transformation projects fail according to research from McKinsey & Company. In this episode, I sit down with Teena Piccione, a change management expert at Google, to dig into what telcos can do to keep their public cloud journey on track. Click play to hear our conversation about:The reasons big projects fail [03:15]; How to build support for change in your organization [04:14];What to do to get a derailed project back on track [07:59]; andHow to handle resistance to change [12:14].Listen to our conversation by clicking play above or subscribe through your favorite podcast platform – see the links in the right column above. You can find the transcript for this episode here.Links and ResourcesThis episode combines two topics I love – transformation and human resources. Here are other great TelcoDR insights on these topics: The first episode of Telco in 20! It starts with transformational leadershipEpisode 7, Telcos, get ready for workforce transformationLearn how Verizon has navigated its public cloud journeyRead my blog about how to start your move to the cloud Teena and I talked before she left for Alaska – the last of the US states she had left to visit. Here’s a picture from her trip. Check out this trailer from Insomnia, starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hillary Swank. It’s a great movie about a veteran detective sent to a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl.Watch this fun scene from the 1987 movie, Overboard, with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized on Forrester’s 2021 list of the Top 100 Channel Podcasts and Feedspot’s Top 10 Telecom Podcasts list. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!This week’s guestAbout Teena PiccioneTeena Piccione joined Google's corporate engineering team in February 2022 to lead the Technical Engineering Teams. She previously led Google Cloud’s Telco, Media & Entertainment, Gaming (TMEG) Industry Sales and Customer Engineering teams. She has served as the EVP/CIO for RTI International, a non-profit research institute, and held leadership positions at Fidelity Investments (COO) and AT&T (running the Big Data Center of Excellence startup). Teena sits on advisory committees with NC State University, the Digital Transformation Committee for the Governor of NC, and The Kenan Institute.Podcast Credits●  Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR●  Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo●  Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing●  Editing: Andrew Condell●  Music: Dyami Wilson

Let’s be real: shifting workloads to the public cloud is no easy task. I’ve met a bunch of telecom leaders who debate about what is the best approach - should we go in one giant leap, or a series of steps? Their hesitancy to go all-in has left telco vendors designing and supporting multiple solutions—including private and hybrid cloud offerings—to meet them where they are, wherever that may be.If the shortest path between two points is a straight line, and if we all agree that the destination is the public cloud, why take a half measure? I think it’s a waste of time and money. Why spend on interim steps when you could be investing in gaining public cloud know-how and competitive advantages immediately? Everyone knows how much I like to dig into topics like these with people who don’t see eye-to-eye with me. That’s why I’m super psyched to have Shaun Whalon, VP of digital monetization at CSG, on the podcast. There’s a lot Shaun and I agree about—like that the move to the public cloud is inevitable for telco—and a lot we don’t agree on, like the best way to get there. Hit play to hear our conversation about:The difference between CSG’s Ascendon and Encompass products [04:00]; How CSG’s definition of SaaS and cloud native differ from mine [06:30];How the speed at which hyperscalers are rolling out new regions is affecting telecoms’ cloud journey [10:09]; andWhy I don't agree with a hybrid approach, and why Shaun feels it can't be avoided [15:43].Listen to our conversation by clicking play above or subscribe through your favorite podcast platform – see the links in the right column above. You can find the transcript for this episode here.Links and ResourcesRead CSG’s press release about EncompassShaun mentioned our episode with BT Chief Architect Neil McRae. Listen to him talk about BT’s multi-cloud approach. I’ll bet you can guess my opinion!Shaun should know about head winds: he comes from the windiest part of Ireland, Donegal. Learn more about it.Heed this ominous warning from a classic scene from the TV show Breaking Bad: “No more half measures, Walter”Don’t miss this Porky Pig Looney Tunes – he gets stuck in a hotel with an expensive bill to pay. He can’t get out – the perfect metaphor for legacy telco software! And finally, here’s a big shoutout to Shaun’s daughters and their YouTube baking channel – mini orange fairy cakes, anyone? Wanna talk public cloud? Telco execs set up a meeting with our team to learn how to tap the immense business value it can bring.Follow DRHave an idea for a Telco in 20 podcast guest or topic? Send it in!Want to sponsor a podcast? Let us knowFollow Telco in 20 on Twitter @TelcoIn20Follow DR on Twitter @TelcoDRThe Telco in 20 podcast won a 2022 Gold Hermes Award and was recognized on Forrester’s 2021 list of the Top 100 Channel Podcasts and Feedspot’s Top 10 Telecom Podcasts list. If you enjoy the podcast, would you leave us a short review? It takes you seconds to do in your app and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. And I love reading your feedback and reviews!This week’s guestAbout Shaun WhalonShaun Whalon is a senior executive with 20+ years of experience in the communications industry. He specializes in software and hardware customer service delivery, customer support, outsourced managed services, and baselining and improving customer experience. He has worked in multinational environments including Asia, Australia, Central and South America, Sub-Sahara Africa, and UK/Europe. Podcast Credits●  Executive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDR●  Senior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo Media●  Editor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard Marketing●  Editing: Andrew Condell●  Music: Dyami Wilson