Archives: Case Study
Description.
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Axiata’s operating companies (OpCos) embarked on a journey toward digital transformation, aligning with the group’s vision of becoming digital telcos. However, this transition was hindered by several key challenges:
- Complex legacy systems: OpCos, including Robi, Dialog, Celcom, Ncell, and XL, struggled with outdated business support systems (BSS) that slowed cloud migration.
- Vendor lock-in: Various cloud governance, compliance, and security processes complicated the adoption of multi-cloud solutions, resulting in dependency on specific vendors.
- Operational inefficiencies: With existing structures, maintaining lean operations (LeanOps) while managing on-premises and cloud infrastructure was difficult.
These challenges prevented Axiata’s OpCos from fully embracing the flexibility and scalability offered by the cloud, which in turn affected their ability to improve operational efficiency and customer experience.
The Solution Implementation
To address these challenges, Axiata Digital Labs (ADL) developed the Axonect Hybrid Cloud Orchestrator (HMCO) using principles from the TM Forum Catalyst program and aligning with the Open Digital Architecture (ODA) and Open APIs. HMCO became the key enabler for cloud adoption across Axiata OpCos, providing a seamless and vendor-independent platform for hybrid cloud orchestration.
- Platform Deployment: The platform was deployed as a decoupling layer, supporting on-premises and multi-cloud environments for OpCos like Dialog, Celcom, Ncell, and XL. This allowed each OpCo to overcome the complexities of legacy systems while providing flexibility in choosing cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.
- Effort and Time Optimization: The orchestrator significantly improved efficiency by consolidating cloud operations into a unified dashboard, simplifying the monitoring and deployment processes across different cloud environments.
The solution also enabled Axiata OpCos to implement LeanOps practices, improving operational efficiency by consolidating DevOps and monitoring capabilities into a single platform for all infrastructure environments.
End Results and Statistics
The deployment of Axonect Hybrid Cloud Orchestrator across Axiata OpCos led to several measurable improvements:
15% Reduction in Infrastructure Costs
By consolidating on-premises and cloud infrastructure, Axiata OpCos experienced significant cost savings.
40% Increase in Operational Efficiency
The introduction of LeanOps and a unified dashboard helped streamline operations.
45% Improvement in Cloud-Native App Migration
Migrating cloud-native applications became faster in terms of both effort and delivery time.
32% Improvement in Cloud-Based App Migration
The time and effort required for cloud-based app migration were also significantly reduced.
800+ Transactions per Second
Dialog Axiata’s new billing system supported high transaction volumes with the help of the HMCO platform.
Seamless Microservice Deployment
Celcom successfully developed and deployed over 1,000 microservices using Azure, facilitated by the orchestrator’s integration capabilities.
Enhanced Operational Visibility
Ncell’s operations team was able to manage multiple deployment environments and applications via a unified dashboard, reducing costs and improving service monitoring.
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Ncell experienced revenue leakages due to incomplete customer journeys presented on the digital layer, resulting in a broken user experience. They were losing revenue opportunities due to the delays in responding to market demands rapidly.
The business was looking to increase the efficiency of solution creation, integration and delivery channels but was struggling to find a partner with the right product stack and domain expertise to quickly implement their requirements.
The Solution Implementation
The AEE Platform played a pivotal in developing 8 robust enterprise applications, comprising more than 150 microservices. Through the platform, the applications integrate with customer- facing channels, orchestrating them seamlessly. Additionally, the platform has successfully helped to integrate third- party applications through AEE. By embracing digital channels and hybrid cloud applications, coupled with its distinctive technology toolkit, AEE streamlines technology adoption, significantly reducing implementation time. Furthermore, the platform’s infrastructure optimization delivers remarkable efficiency gains of 30% in Cores and 43% in Memory. Ultimately, leveraging the AEE platform translates into notable improvements in time to market for businesses.
End Results and Statistics
Infrastructure Optimization
Efficiency achievement of 30% in Cores and 43% in Memory
120 VMs before consolidation and 79 VMs after consolidation
Cost Optimization
33% OPEX reduced due to consolidated managed services.
Quicker TTM
30% faster time-to-market
Seamless customer experience
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Dialog faced a complex and costly task of migrating their existing digital service layers, further complicated by integration challenges in the Huawei-Dialog solution blueprint. The migration process posed a significant challenge, particularly in transferring enterprise channels without disrupting customer-facing systems.
Consequently, testing and deploying solutions demanded a substantial increase in both resources and financial costs. To address these issues, Dialog recognized the urgent need for swift advancements to achieve a shorter time to market.
Additionally, they sought to enhance their transaction processing capacity to effectively manage the traffic flowing through all integrated APIs.
The Solution Implementation
AEE played a pivotal role in facilitating a smooth migration process from OCS 3.3 to CBS 5.6 by converting and routing the OCS 5.6 SOAP/HTTP interfaces, effectively ensuring a transparent migration experience. Moreover, the cloud migration opened up opportunities for seamless integration across 12+ enterprise applications, boasting an extensive array of over 400 APIs and a bandwidth capacity of 4000 TPS. This allowed for enhanced flexibility and high availability, complemented by centralized monitoring and operations support. Notably, the AEE Service Designer introduced a low-code, cloud- ready service creation approach, significantly reducing both time-to- market and costs associated with service delivery and operations.
End Results and Statistics
Cost Optimization 70% reduction in OPEX during Huawei CBS 3.3 to 5.6 migration
50% reduction in development cost during Huawei CBS 3.3 to 5.6 migration
30% saving in application development cost
Savings on cloud operations cost
70% saving in application migration time
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Celcom recognized the need for digital transformation to meet customer demand and generate new revenue models. However, gaps in the technological stack and the need for a mediation layer prevented the initiative from being implemented. The company was losing revenue opportunities due to delays in responding to market demands and was seeking to increase efficiencies in solution creation, integration, and delivery. Finding a partner with the right product stack and domain expertise was difficult, and Celcom’s adhoc approach presented challenges. The business sought a framework that could support complex governance requirements, such as operating in multiple cloud environments and working with multiple vendors simultaneously for their solutioning.
The Solution Implementation
Celcom’s digital transformation program, Magento, used AEE at its core and introduced a microservices platform with templates for rapid development. Costly adapters were replaced with scalable microservices, doubling the traffic while reducing TCO. The company migrated their heavily used applications to scalable microservices, reducing operational costs using AEE on-prem. Further, digital decoupling allowed innovation without worrying about legacy environments, and DevOps continuous development with CI/CD automation was implemented.
Microservices-based service delivery improved governance and enabled Celcom to onboard external vendors to adopt the AEE platform. Hybrid cloud support was enabled in Microsoft Azure for Magento development, and a TMF-aligned federated product catalog service was deployed.
End Results and Statistics
Cost Optimization
Reduced effort & OPEX
High Availability
Facilitated migrations with virtually no downtimes
Resource and Development Optimization
43% infrastructure optimization achieved by consolidating resources, resulting in a 30% reduction in standard development and delivery time of applications
CI/CD Automation
Effort cut-down and cost saving of 35% on in AMC costs.
Quicker TTM
Allowed faster time-to-market for new features and technology
Service Up Scaling
Doubled the traffic with reduced total cost of ownership (TCO)
Operational Excellence
Improved enterprise governance
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Ncell embarked on a strategic journey towards digital transformation to align with their vision and the overarching objectives of the Axiata Group. However, they faced a significant challenge in the form of an outdated selfcare app. This legacy application presented a multitude of issues, including confusion among users due to poorly placed products and services, an unclear buying process, and a lack of customer-centricity and user-friendliness. These challenges hindered Ncell’s ability to provide advanced digital solutions and jeopardized their mission to create value for their customers through ethical and quality telecommunications services.
The Solution Implementation
Ncell recognized that the key to their digital transformation lay in revamping their selfcare mobile application. This application served as the linchpin of their customer management ecosystem, offering improved customer satisfaction and streamlined access to products and services. The overhaul of the Ncell selfcare mobile app was pivotal in addressing the inefficiencies plaguing the previous platform.
The newly revamped selfcare mobile app brought forth a multitude of enhancements. It resolved the confusion that had marred the user experience with the previous version, strategically placing products and services to improve clarity. The buying process was refined, emphasizing customer focus and user-friendliness at every step. This transformation allowed Ncell to realign its overall value proposition with the evolving needs and expectations of its customer base.
By investing in this digital solution, Ncell not only eliminated previous bottlenecks but also paved the way for a seamless and customer-centric approach to telecom services. The Selfcare Framework became the cornerstone of Ncell’s digital evolution, propelling them closer to their vision of a connected, digitally empowered Nepal.
End Results and Statistics
33% Increase in Non-Voice Usage
Ncell saw a significant shift in customer preference, with non-voice services growing by 33%.
Cost Savings
Transitioning to app-based call centers resulted in substantial cost savings, avoiding the need for call center expansion.
One-Stop Solution
The selfcare app became a one-stop solution for Ncell users, simplifying access to services.
New Revenue Stream
The Selfcare Framework was introduced as a new go-to market channel for Ncell.
1.2 Million Active Users (2022)
The app had 1.2 million active users by 2022.
6 Million Unique Events
The platform generated 6 million unique events, reducing costs and improving engagement.
Enhanced Navigation and Satisfaction
Users enjoyed improved navigation and higher satisfaction.
Revenue Growth
Ncell earned 460 million from 4.4 million product activations and 19 million from 64,000 recharges.
Improved Collaboration
Collaboration between customers improved.
Administrative Efficiency
Ncell’s administrative and monitoring functions became more efficient.
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Dialog encountered a significant hurdle as their contract with their former Entitlement Server vendor neared its expiration date. The company was determined to find a budget-friendly alternative to prolong the contract’s duration while adhering strictly to the rules and regulations established within the Axiata Group. The core challenge they faced revolved around the identification of a solution for the Entitlement Server that not only satisfied the organization’s specific needs but also conformed to the stringent regulatory frameworks in place. Furthermore, they aimed to mitigate any adverse financial consequences, seeking a solution that would maintain the existing functionality they had grown accustomed to.
The Solution Implementation
Dialog made a well-considered strategic choice to forge a collaboration with ADL, a dependable and established partner, in order to institute a resilient and adaptable solution to address their Entitlement Server (ES) requirements.
The primary emphasis of this collaboration centered on the provision of an Apple Watch use case, facilitating the process for customers to effortlessly download an eSIM profile onto their Apple Watch cellular devices. This particular feature implementation was not only meticulously planned but also executed with great success. The resultant solution was subsequently deployed onto Dialog’s on-premises servers.
Through the judicious use of our solution, Dialog adeptly extended their ES capabilities, ensuring a seamless and uninterrupted service delivery experience for their valued customers.
End Results and Statistics
50%+ Reduction in TCO
Impressive 50%+ reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) over the next three years.
Apple's Upcoming Features
Upcoming features from Apple will be introduced as up-coming features.
99.9% Availability Target
- 99.9% availability target ensuring minimum impact for users.
- Ensures high availability, minimizing downtime and disruptions.
- Optimized architecture enhancing efficiency and performance.
85% or More for MBSS Scans
- Achieving 85% or more for MBSS scans ensures necessary security assessments.
- Aligns with the security best practices outlined by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) guidelines.
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Dialog Axiata, a prominent telecommunications provider, found itself at a critical juncture in recognizing the pressing need for an extensive digital transformation initiative. Their goal was not only to meet the ever-evolving demands of their customers but also to explore new avenues for revenue generation in a rapidly changing digital landscape. However, their progress was hindered by the limitations of their existing infrastructure and technology stack, compounded by the absence of a mediation layer. To surmount these challenges and expedite their transformation endeavors, Dialog Axiata identified the urgent requirement for a robust platform capable of simplifying their intricate digital transformation needs. They sought a solution that could enhance engineering efficiencies in solution development, integration, and delivery, while also streamlining governance processes and ensuring seamless operation across multiple cloud environments. Furthermore, Dialog Axiata aimed to discover a platform that could facilitate collaboration with multiple vendors simultaneously, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient solution process. However, finding such a platform that could address their complex requirements, offer enterprise-level capabilities, and provide the support of an adept team of domain experts proved to be a formidable challenge.
The Solution Implementation
Dialog Axiata’s response to the challenges of limited technology access and digital innovation is embodied in the launch of IdeaMart and IdeaBiz. IdeaMart offers a range of APIs and software development kits, enabling developers to harness Dialog’s network infrastructure efficiently. Complementing this, IdeaBiz provides SMEs and entrepreneurs with essential tools and resources to kickstart their digital ventures. Alongside, Axonect’s APIM Suite plays a pivotal role by simplifying API management, fostering innovation, and enabling robust revenue generation. Together, these solutions have rapidly transformed the digital landscape in developing countries, bridging the divide and nurturing a dynamic ecosystem of digital services and solutions.
End Results and Statistics
The impact of IdeaMart and IdeaBiz in addressing the challenges of limited technology access and fostering digital innovation has been resoundingly positive. These platforms have facilitated the development of a diverse array of services harnessing various types of APIs, ranging from SMS Messaging to Location-based services and Digital Rewards. Notably, the ability to charge directly via the mobile connection and send EasyCash through EZ Cash has opened new avenues for user engagement and financial transactions.
A collaborative effort involving APIs from six Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) has resulted in a thriving developer community, exceeding 30,000 members.
Over 15,000 services have been created, enhancing the digital landscape and meeting the dynamic needs of users.
An astounding USD 16 million in revenue has been shared, exemplifying the platform's effectiveness in generating economic value.
Beyond revenue, IdeaMart has acted as a catalyst for over 300 startups, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in Sri Lanka.
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Bizao, committed to enabling seamless digital payments across Africa, faced intricate challenges. The dynamic landscape made integrating with numerous southbound operators and accessing diverse payment and billing APIs a significant hurdle. This complexity impeded the delivery of efficient payment solutions, highlighting the necessity for a comprehensive solution to streamline integration, unify APIs, and connect telecom operators, banks, and mobile money providers.
To overcome these challenges and accelerate their transformation journey, Bizao recognized the need for a robust platform. This platform had to enhance engineering efficiencies, streamline governance, enable seamless multi-cloud operations, and foster collaboration with multiple vendors simultaneously. This strategic choice was instrumental in ensuring a comprehensive and efficient solution process, paving the way for Bizao’s digital payment services to thrive.
However, the quest to find a platform meeting these intricate requirements, with enterprise-level capabilities and proficient domain experts’ support, proved challenging. Bizao’s complex ecosystem demanded a partner capable of simplifying integration while ensuring scalability, stability, and innovation. This search for the ideal solution partner added complexity to Bizao’s mission to revolutionize digital payments in Africa.
The Solution Implementation
Bizao embarked on a transformative journey, propelled by Axonect’s API Aggregator Hub. This innovative platform seamlessly integrated with our existing infrastructure, acting as a bridge between Bizao and the African network operators. Key to our success were the Hub’s microservice-enabled capabilities, which simplified the integration process and significantly reduced complexity for external service providers. Leveraging Axonect’s technology, we established a centralized platform connecting 30 telecom operators, banks, and mobile money providers, making their payment and billing APIs easily accessible. Scalability was paramount, and Axonect delivered, enabling us to manage a remarkable load of more than 270 million requests per month across both on-prem K8S and cloud AKS environments. This newfound flexibility allowed us to thrive, forging enhanced partnerships, monetizing our network, and seamlessly embracing a hybrid cloud model, all while accelerating our digital payments journey across Africa.
End Results and Statistics
Bizao's collaboration with Axonect fundamentally transformed how payment and billing APIs were accessed and utilized in Africa.
Through the Aggregator Hub, Bizao now handles 270 million monthly requests, connecting 30 telecom operators, banks, and mobile money providers.
This transformation simplified partnerships, drove innovation, and unlocked new revenue streams, solidifying Bizao's position as a pivotal player in advancing digital payments across the African continent.
Scope of Challenges Faced:
Axiata Group embarked on a mission to securely expose essential services, including SMS, USSD, 2FA, mobile marketing, and mobile money, to third-party OTT providers, aiming to unlock new revenue streams and drive innovation within its OpCos. However, this ambitious endeavor was fraught with complexities. The challenges included intricacies in API monetization, ensuring robust security measures, streamlining automation, fostering reusability, ensuring compatibility with legacy systems, facilitating internal API exposure, achieving faster time-to-market, optimizing operations for efficiency, reducing costs, and managing version control. These multifaceted hurdles needed to be surmounted while also fostering internal collaboration and fueling revenue growth.
The Solution Implementation
The solution entails building a comprehensive API ecosystem within Axiata Group’s OpCos.
To address the current issue, the group deployed the API Manager and Monetiser platforms in their SBUs for immediate needs and implemented the API Aggregator at the group level for seamless connectivity across OpCos.
The new API hub would facilitate A2P and DCB businesses, simplify API integrations for both southbound and northbound communication, support mobile operator discovery via MSISDN, and enable multi-party settlement monetisation.
The platform supports various APIs, maintains API governance, offers flexible quota management, and converts protocols through payment, SMPP, and USSD adapters to link with legacy systems. Moreover, it securely exposes APIs to external parties, streamlines go-to-market processes, reduces maintenance costs, addresses versioning issues, and encourages internal collaboration for revenue growth.
End Results and Statistics
Customer Reach
- API Growth: Expanded by 620%.
- Partner Growth: Increased by 70%.
- Traffic Growth: Surged by 90%
Business Value
- Achieved a remarkable 30% reduction in operational costs
- Onboarded 500+ Service Partners
- Sustained 14,000 transactions per second
- Maintained a remarkable 99.99% System Availability
Competition
- Achieved 70% faster time to market compared to traditional methods
