From telco to ‘TechCo’: how NTT Comware reinvented itself

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The modern business landscape is defined by a simple premise: evolve or perish. Achieve revolution, not evolution. Disrupt or get disrupted.

Rapid digitisation across sectors means companies are no longer competing merely on products or services, but on their ability to incorporate technology that addresses evolving customer needs.

This shift presents a duality: while new entrants can craft their business models around current tech, legacy companies face the daunting task of overhauling entrenched systems.

System integrator NTT Comware, a subsidiary of telecoms giant NTT Group wanted to provide a broader range of services to its customers. This would in turn build new revenue streams, global growth opportunities, and a fortified position in the marketplace.

However, its own systems, first implemented in the ’90s, were a major constraining factor. They were costly to maintain, weren’t keeping up with modern business needs and were difficult to change. They sat on top of data silos, preventing the organisation from benefiting from company-wide access to information. 

The company really wanted to speed up development processes and leverage corporate data in a unified manner rather than in fragmented data sources across the organisation.

NTT Comware needed to undertake a major digital transformation program, including migration to modern cloud platforms which could provide the flexibility needed to build the future of the business.

Three uncompromising strategic objectives

NTT Comware set three clear overarching technical goals for its digital transformation project: to halve maintenance costs, to reduce development time by half, and to enable cross-use of data domains by different business units.

Unlike many cloud transformation projects that start out with ill-defined objectives and therefore struggle to meet them, these objectives were specific, clear and measurable – and tough!

To achieve them, a complete overhaul of company’s systems would be needed. 

Spotlight on success: NTT Comware’s transformation

The solution emerged in the form of a strategic alliance with Amdocs Cloud, a leading cloud consultancy renowned for guiding some of the world’s largest firms through complex digital migrations. Together, they embarked on a carefully planned journey of transformation.

The Amdocs team recognised that the key to this overhaul wasn’t just about shifting data but rather restructuring the way NTT Comware operated.

It recommended migrating to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and the introduction of the Data Mesh Platform, an innovative system that decentralised data, bridging the gap between data producers and consumers and introducing user-friendly capabilities like configurable dashboards.

The results of the partnership were impressive. NTT Comware achieved its goals and more; it saw a 55% cut in operational costs and a 50% faster time-to-market, concrete indicators of the power of strategic digital transformation.

However, perhaps the most impressive metric was a 60% time saving on the proof-of-concept development cycle – a clear demonstration that the project had achieved the company’s overarching goal of being able to more quickly develop a broader range of services for its customers.

Through the project, the company successfully positioned itself as a forward-thinking tech leader, ready to respond quickly to customer demands.

The digital imperative: an unavoidable truth

NTT Comware’s success is both an inspiration and a call to arms. In a digital age, legacy firms can no longer afford to do “business as usual.” Companies that don’t build the capability to adapt quickly risk slipping into obsolescence against disruptors that are built around current-gen technology platforms.

For business leaders, digital transformation programs provide the opportunity to revisit, reimagine, and reinvent the business far beyond ‘small tweaks and improvements’. Although it’s a challenging journey to embark on, there are incredible opportunities that lie in embracing the digital future.

Read the full case study

For more detail on how Amdocs Cloud helped NTT Comware succeed with its digital transformation project, read the full case study.