Report on the Vodafone Industry Influencer event in March

Vodafone Influencer Event, by Eric Green

Despite a dreary morning, it was only a short run up the M4 in my electric car to the impressive Vodafone headquarters in Newbury.

While we had our coffee and waited for the formal part of the day to kick off, we all quickly got out our phones and started testing the 5G data speeds.

This has been my most-asked question since the event, and I can confirm the 5G speeds were absolutely amazing. At 678/96.2 Mbps, it is the fastest I’ve ever seen my speedtest app record. But we were there for much more than just playing with Vodafone’s 5G network.

The day's events

The event took place in the Vodafone Customer Experience Centre where there were various displays showcasing how Vodafone have used their network and expertise to solve problems across a wide range of needs and technologies.

That was to be the driving message; that Vodafone was more than a mobile company and their business focus was moving more toward solutions rather than just selling their network. This was highlighted even more by their inclusion of user experience (UX), particularly their work in collaboration with Actual Experience.

The presentations looked at the rise in Mobile Private Network (MPN) that Vodafone is building, especially with the rise in automated workplaces —e.g. automated docks with autonomous cranes in operation 24/7— and how this is leveraging developments in the IoT space.

While it was pointed out that the Internet of Things (IoT) isn’t really that new (it started as much as 32 years ago when John Romkey introduced the first smart toaster that could be controlled over the internet), IoT applications are growing exponentially and Vodafone were keen to point out that Gartner sees them as the leader in the field. 

What Vodafone have learned is that one size does not fit all, and they are using 5G/4G and Narrowband technologies to provide the right platforms for the necessary growth in M2M communication through the Internet of Things.

They also showcased their voice roadmap and how they are using their partnership with RingCentral to help clients move away from traditional telephony to UCC solutions.

I was extremely pleased to find that the event was attended by consultants from across the Digital Transformation space. No longer seen by Vodafone as competition, they were keen to inform participants how Vodafone could help them with advice to clients as well ensuring that we had the latest in the Vodafone product strategy: so that we would know exactly when they might be a good fit for future customer requirements.

Overall, this was an interesting day and I hope that more telcos will embrace the consultant community in the same way.

Eric Green

Eric Green is a Senior Partner for Cambridge Management Consulting. He runs the Carrier Club and is an expert at procurement solutions for carriers worldwide.

Eric is highly sought after for his ability to restructure teams, procurement costs, contracts and processes. He is also renowned for designing governance models to improve the efficiency of both procurement and telecom functions.

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