TM Forum, the global alliance of telecom and tech companies, in collaboration with Jio, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, inaugurated the inaugural TM Forum Innovation Hub in Mumbai, India.
Pioneering the industry, this Innovation Hub focuses on advancing Generative AI (Gen AI), Large Language Models (LLM), and Open Digital Architecture to drive industry-wide benefits.
Leaders from TM Forum, Jio, and founding members such as Accenture, Deutsche Telekom, Google Cloud, Orange, Telenor, and Vodafone gathered at the Reliance Corporate IT Park in Navi Mumbai for the opening ceremony.
Hybrid teams, comprising talent from the telecom and tech sectors, will collaborate at the Innovation Hub to address industry challenges and pioneer breakthrough solutions.
Addressing Telco Challenges with AI and LLM
The hub’s initial focus includes applying Generative AI and LLM to priority use cases for telcos, addressing challenges like security, privacy, accuracy, performance, and scalability.
Another key focus area is expediting the development and adoption of TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA). ODA facilitates the creation of modular, cloud-native software, replacing traditional BSS and OSS. Objectives include creating reference implementations of the ODA Canvas, migration patterns, and innovative approaches for transitioning to ODA-compliant, cloud-native components.
The outcomes of the Innovation Hub projects are expected to benefit the entire TM Forum membership and the industry at large by providing practical solutions, testing standards, accelerating code asset development, and industrializing concepts explored in the Catalyst program.
The pilot phase of the Innovation Hub program is scheduled to conclude in March 2024, with further projects commencing shortly thereafter. TM Forum Members can apply to join existing projects or propose new ones in 2024, with a focus on bringing distinct expertise and meeting dedicated resource commitments.
Regarding the matter, Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited said,
The TM Forum Innovation Hub is about delivering real-world solutions that will change our industry and there is no better way than to lean on talent from across the industry to solve our existing challenges as well as finding better ways to overcome future obstacles. We are delighted to see the first innovation hub open on our Mumbai campus as I believe Mumbai is the perfect location to foster the innovation needed. This is a really exciting time for Jio, TM Forum and the wider telecoms industry and we are honoured to be at the heart of this project.
Regarding the matter, Dr. Steffen Roehn, TM Forum Chair and Partner at Bain & Company said,
Rapid, open collaboration is today more important for our industry’s future than ever before. The TM Forum Innovation Hub will prove hugely beneficial as our members explore new technologies, more radical approaches to transform their organizations and strengthen their muscles. We’re delighted to be collaborating closely with Jio and all the founding members on this first Innovation Hub in Mumbai and look forward to seeing the first outcomes from the hub’s pilot projects.
Regarding the matter, Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum said,
I’m thrilled to see work begin at the first ever TM Forum Innovation Hub here in Navi Mumbai. Our vision is to bring together our industry’s best talent in a neutral, entrepreneurial environment to rapidly deliver breakthrough thinking and answers to the industry’s most pressing challenges. The first projects reflect two of the most important areas for rapid innovation: the responsible and effective use of generative AI, and accelerating the pathways to an Open Digital Architecture to drive growth. Our sincere thanks to all of our Innovation Hub founding members – and in particular Jio, who have given our first Hub a home.