One thing I’ve learned from talking to telco execs across the globe about the public cloud is that security is top of mind. Another thing I’ve learned is that many of them don’t know a lot about just how secure the public cloud is. So for this episode, I’m joined by Amy Zwarico, director of cybersecurity at AT&T, one of the world's largest and oldest telcos. She’s here to explain why the public cloud is more secure than the way many telcos are doing business today, and how AT&T has been preparing for its transition to use Azure. Hit play to hear our conversation about:What convinced AT&T that the public cloud and Microsoft Azure were the path to the future [02:32];How AT&T shifted operating models to run workloads in the public cloud [04:47];What advice Amy has for teams starting their cloud move [08:23];Why developing security patterns ahead of time is critical [09:11];How AT&T has benefited from its cloud migration [10:40].Fun fact: Amy is our first female guest on Telco in 20! We both want to see more women in tech leadership, so we finish our conversation by talking about how to encourage STEM learning and IT careers for young women. For every listen to this episode in the first 30 days, we’ll donate $1 to the Girls Who Code chapter of my high school!Be sure to subscribe and follow this podcast. You can find the transcript for this episode here.Links and ResourcesRead the June 2021 announcement about AT&T and Microsoft joining forcesCheck out AT&T’s cybersecurity blogDownload  this AT&T Cybersecurity report about securing the edgeLearn more about Girls Who Code, an awesome nonprofit that works to close the gender gap in technologyCheck out pictures of my gorgeous high school alma mater, El Paso HIgh School. Don’t miss the super cool amphitheater football stadium. Famous graduates include F. Murray Abraham, Sandra Day O’Conner, Beto O’Rouke – and yours truly, of course!Amy loves classical music and singing, and has performed with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Learn more about ASO.I, on the other hand, am NOT a singer – but I did rap (terribly) in an early podcast episode featuring Forrest Brazeal. Check it out!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 Amy ZwaricoAmy Zwarico is a director in AT&T’s Chief Security office. She’s been involved in Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) security since the Amsterdam release, and currently serves as vice chair of the ONAP Security Subcommittee. Amy has worked in the telco industry for more than 25 years, focusing for the past 20 years on app sec, cloud security, applied cryptography, mobility security, software supply chain security and policy. Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCoEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellMusic: Dyami Wilson

Telco leaders have been scratching their heads about how to monetize their 5G network. One of the world’s top think tanks, McKinsey & Company, has opinions on this topic—and research to back them up. For this episode, I’m joined by McKinsey Partner Ferry Grijpink, founder of the McKinsey Center for Advanced Connectivity. He’s got great insights into how data analytics can help telcos personalize the subscriber experience and boost ARPU. Listen now to hear our conversation about:What McKinsey’s research reveals about monetizing 5G investments [03:19];Why telcos need to un-commoditize their products [04:36];How delivering more personalized offers can boost ARPU [09:30]; andWhy the public cloud, AI, and ML are critical to achieving ARPU growth [16:19].Links and ResourcesCheck out these resources from McKinsey & Company:The value of getting personalization right—or wrong—is multiplyingHow AI is helping revolutionize telco service operationsUnlocking the value of 5G in the B2C marketplaceFind out how the Economic Times looks at personalization in this article: Which way 5G wind blows; significant shift in how telco operators engage with customersRead this piece from Light Reading’s Mike Dano, Could 6G mark a return to usage-based pricing?Telcos are starting to play with personalization. Read this article on Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom’s early experiments on combining their data with personalizing the experience.I owe Ferry dinner BIG TIME, and he can name the place and time whenever he wants to! That’s because I disrupted his talk at MWC22 with my talk, The Public Cloud is NOW (oh, the irony!). Check out those drums at the beginning!If I took Ferry to dinner in Austin, we’d head to my favorite restaurant, Uchi. I know - sushi? In Texas? But it brings in fish daily from Toyosu, Japan, and it might be the best sushi restaurant in the United States. It’s better than Nobu!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!About Ferry GrijpinkFerry leads the McKinsey Center for Advanced Connectivity within McKinsey & Company’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications Practice, and advises telecommunications companies on strategy, marketing, and operations, including mobile operators that are launching adjacent businesses in areas such as mobile health and money services. He also co-leads McKinsey’s research on deploying and commercializing next-generation infrastructures, such as fiber, mobile broadband, and 5G networks. Podcast CreditsExecutive Producer and Host: Danielle Royston, TelcoDRSenior Producer: Lindsay Grubb, TillCo MediaEditor/Marketing: Alisa Jenkins, Springboard MarketingEditing: Andrew CondellMusic: Dyami Wilson

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