UK mobile operator 3 UK set out its stall as the first mobile operator in the world to be truly cloud native, a move designed to enable it to achieve scale, security and flexibility when it comes to tailoring its products and services.

At an event in London, executives explained it is working with partners to improve cloud adoption and aims to create an innovation hub to test new technologies. The efforts aim to deliver agile services and the ability to bring new products to market in a matter of hours instead of weeks.

CEO David Dyson (pictured) said 3 wants to “future proof” its business against potential disruptors in the industry, a strategy which also includes making the customer experience simple and predictable, and automating as many systems as possible.

He said customer expectations have changed due to the experiences provided by companies including Netflix and AirBnB, and operators need to keep up, something the cloud can help them achieve.

Dyson also stressed 3 wants to be “multi-product and multi-brand” in the future, moving away from being a traditional mobile operator to becoming a “personal connectivity provider” delivering services including IoT, thereby changing its entire business model.

The operator isn’t alone in seeking benefits in the cloud. Earlier this year, Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten detailed an aggressive rollout strategy for a mobile network based on cloud-native infrastructure, an approach CTO Tareq Amin told Mobile World Live was born of an ambition to “revolutionise mobile networks worldwide”.

Intrepid
Ruth Bradley, 3 UK’s director of IT transformation, said the company is being bold by focusing on creating an architecture that adapts easily to the needs of customers.

With this transformation, which includes moving 90 per cent of infrastructure to the cloud, automating all processes and getting rid of traditional customisation methods, Bradley estimated the operator would cut its IT costs by 19 per cent this year compared to 2016 when it started the process. The savings are expected to reach up to 31 per cent in 2023.

Executives at the event also talked about using AI and big data to achieve their goals, and talked up a new app set to launch in August, which will allow users to set caps on data and calls to reduce bill shock.