Inside Out: A TM Forum podcast

Few people are better qualified to reflect on the future of our industry than former T-Mobile USA President of Technology Ulf Ewaldsson. In this podcast Ulf explores how the mobile industry can catch a ride on the AI wave as it transitions from 5G to 6G, the future path to relevance and prosperity for mobile operators, and the growing investment gap between the USA, Asia and Europe.
 

Guest Speaker:

Ulf Ewaldsson, Former CTO, T Mobile USA
 

Host: 

Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum

Ashish Surti, Chief Digital Information Officer, Colt Technology Services, discusses how AI is accelerating software development and the challenges of developing longer-term technology strategies in a swiftly changing environment.
Among the topics he covers is the changing relationships with vendors; how AI is impacting internal software development, as well as measuring the business value of AI.
Guest speaker:
Ashish Surti, Chief Digital Information Officer, Colt Technology Services
Hosts:
Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum
Joanne Taaffe, Editor in Chief, TM Forum

Howard Watson, who is retiring from his role as BT's Chief Security and Networks Officer, shares his perspective on today's telecoms industry gained from more than 40 years in the technology and telecoms space.

 

Guest speakers:

Howard Watson, Chief Security & Networks Officer, BT

 

Host:

Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum
Joanne Taaffe, Editor in Chief, TM Forum

Axiata Group is one of the most innovative operator groups in Asia. Its Ideamart API monetization platform is the most successful of its type in the global CSP community. In this podcast we talk with Axiata Group CIO Anthony Rodrigo and TM Forum Executive Vice President Willie Stegmann about the external and internal forces that are forcing CIOs to "reinvent" the IT function in the AI era. We also hear from Anthony about the emergence of Axiata Digital Labs as the software engineering function that is transforming IT operations across Axiata opcos.
Discussion points
What are the most important business drivers for the "reinvention" of the IT function?
What are the key dimensions of your transformation journey?
How do ensure successful achievement of benefits/ outcomes?
As Co-Chair of the CIT&E Mission, is ODA still relevant? What must change ?
Why do you think Axiata is so much more advanced in its thinking - and its implementation of modern, open, cloud-based approaches to enterprise architectures?
Have you been able to measure / track the benefits of an open digital architecture?
Tell us about Axiata Digital Labs and its relationship / synergies with the group IT organization and opco IT functions.
How does the "group" IT function work with the opcos across the Axiata group.
Platform / API monetization. Where we are at and where we are going.
Where are you in terms of leveraging AI within the IT organization?
Guest Speakers:
Anthony Rodrigo, Group CIO, Axiata
Willie Stegmann, EVP, Composable IT & Ecosystems, TM Forum
Host:
Mark Newman, Chief Analyst, TM Forum

Indonesia's IOH is seeking to change how it serves customers and runs its business by becoming an AI-native techco. This entails building sovereign AI solutions for enterprises; supporting the country's efforts to democratize the use of AI tools by Indonesians for Indonesians; and using AI to enhance its network and business operations.

 
A central concern for IOH and other telcos is trust, particularly in complex, multi‑agent AI environments where autonomous agents can generate code, create other agents, and change behavior in real time. Both speakers stressed that traditional governance, security, and monitoring models are no longer sufficient for these dynamic systems.

Linked to trust is data sovereignty and security. Cheung emphasized the importance of keeping sensitive data and AI models within national borders, noting that enterprise and government customers require strong assurances that data remains under local jurisdiction. Ensuring sovereignty across increasingly global and software‑driven AI supply chains adds further complexity.

 
They also discussed how audits and procurement reviews are too slow and costly for an AI ecosystem that may involve thousands of agents and suppliers. Instead, they argued for platform‑based governance, continuous monitoring, and industry‑wide trust frameworks that treat trust as an ongoing business capability rather than a one‑off compliance exercise.

 
Finally, both acknowledged the difficulty of demonstrating near‑term value from AI investments while simultaneously building long‑term foundations, highlighting the need for shared case studies and reusable platforms to balance cost, risk, and innovation.
 
Guest speakers:
Desmond Cheung, CTO, IOH
Guy Lupo, EVP - AI and Data Innovation, TM Forum
 
Host:
Joanne Taaffe, Editor in Chief, TM Forum