CCS Insight

Wishing all our clients, partners, and followers a wonderful holiday season! As the year winds down, we at CCS Insight reflect on a year of incredible transformation in the world of technology. We’re excited for what the new year brings and look forward to continuing to guide you through the ever-evolving digital landscape. A special thank you to our Predictions for 2025 and Beyond partners: EE Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, TCL, Likewize and the GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association). Your support has been instrumental in making this year a success. #CCSInsight #HappyHolidays #TechTrends

🌐 The Top 10 Telecom Stories of 2024 🌐 Our latest blog dives into the most pivotal moments in the telecom industry this year. From game-changing mergers to the rise of satellite communications and AI-driven customer service, these stories shaped the future of connectivity. Here’s a quick look at what’s covered: 1️⃣ Verizon's $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications, expanding its fibre reach. 2️⃣ Landmark mergers like Vodafone and Three in the UK, reshaping market dynamics. 3️⃣ Telecom operators embracing generative AI to revolutionize customer care. 📖 Read the full blog to explore the stories that defined 2024: https://lnkd.in/eBXG6MWv #Telecom #Innovation #MergersAndAcquisitions #GenerativeAI #Connectivity

🚨 Last chance to register! 🚨 Our webinar, "2025: The year that spatial computing takes off" is happening tomorrow, 17 December, at 16:00 GMT. Don’t miss out on exclusive insights from our expert analysts, including: 🔍 The latest trends in virtual and augmented reality 📊 Key forecasts and user survey data 🌍 What it will take for spatial computing to thrive in 2025 and beyond 👉 Secure your spot now: https://lnkd.in/enr9UjkF

Yesterday, the CCS Insight team came together for our final all-hands meeting of 2024—a chance to reflect on everything we’ve achieved this year and to look ahead to what’s next. We rounded off the day with a Christmas meal to celebrate the season and all the hard work that’s gone into making this year a success. A big thank you to all of the team for your dedication and efforts throughout the year! Here’s to an exciting 2025 ahead. 🎄🎁❄️🌟🎉🥳🎊

Last week, CCS Insight had the honour of being featured across top media outlets, highlighting our analysis of significant industry developments. We’re proud to contribute expert insights on the UK telecoms landscape, particularly the recent £15 billion merger between Vodafone and Three, which has been approved by regulators and marks a turning point for the market. 📺 Media Highlights: The Financial Times: https://lnkd.in/eEf_XqqV BBC: https://lnkd.in/eGeDSWhv CNBC: https://lnkd.in/etuC33Fw iNews: https://lnkd.in/e8kA9ymP NBC: https://lnkd.in/e5FB5SH3 Computer Weekly: https://lnkd.in/eb-5bFS2 Silicon: https://lnkd.in/encyHSfg Yahoo News: https://lnkd.in/eiSMrFFg MSN: https://lnkd.in/ensR39Sc #TechNews #Telecom #Vodafone #Three #MobileConnectivity #TechAnalysis #IndustryInsights #MediaCoverage

A new week, back at my desk and a recap on last week’s AWS re:Invent 2024 that I attended in Las Vegas. Some interesting initial takeaways from this year’s conference for me cover several areas. First up and no surprises, #AI, and in particular #GenAI, topped the bill in terms of product announcements and advancements, vision and portfolio strategy direction, customer use cases and validation, partner collaboration, and ecosystem growth. The AWS keynote once again highlighted the group’s journey in compute, storage, database, and inference. It came with the usual flood of product announcements but focused more on presenting a clearer, more cohesive narrative. The AI-related services within Amazon Q were much better articulated this year, showing significant progress since its re:Invent 2023 debut. AWS offers an impressive range of AI models, blending in-house innovations with third-party tools like Anthropic, and leaning into the trend of Agentic services. It’s great for the AWS AI/GenAI builder community, but how much sets it apart from competitors? AWS's AI portfolio is expanding with updates to Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Q, and a next-gen Amazon SageMaker, including a revamped unified Amazon SageMaker Studio. The challenge? Avoiding overlap and figuring out the best tool for each task—education and experimentation will be crucial for AWS builders and their teams. Amazon Novo, offering a new generation of foundation models, launches as the newest addition to the AI portfolio, although it is more like a replacement for Amazon Titan. What was wrong with keeping the name Titan, I ask myself. Next post for remaining insights at: https://lnkd.in/eTa-ayu4. #AWSreInvent CCS Insight Amazon Web Services (AWS) ·

*** CMA Formally Approves Vodafone-Three Merger ***   Nearly 18 months after reaching a deal, Vodafone and Three have finally secured regulatory approval for their mega-merger in the UK. Today’s green light from the CMA was widely expected, but still marks the end of a tumultuous period of regulatory scrutiny and intense industry debate. It’s a decision that will be looked back on as one of the most pivotal moments in the history of UK mobile, heralding the arrival of a new market leader with a combined 29 million customers. For Vodafone and Three, the outcome is about as good as it could have got. Not only did they secure approval, but the agreed remedies and commitments are less onerous than many had feared. But now the hard work really begins. The joint venture’s biggest task will be to combine two established mobile networks with a complex assortment of network suppliers. CEO Max Taylor will also face difficult decisions in areas such as brand, retail, jobs, and market positioning. Rivals should be ready to pounce if any stage of the integration goes awry. Stay tuned for CCS Insight’s full take on the news.

🚨The UK CMA has approved the merger between Vodafone and Three Business 🚨 With Vodafone holding a 51% stake, the joint venture will face the significant task of integrating networks, managing suppliers (with Three using four radio access equipment suppliers and Vodafone moving to Open RAN), and transitioning brands. For Vodafone, it’s a strategic move to streamline operations after exits in Spain and planned sale of its Italian arm. For the industry, this could signal more openness to consolidation in Europe and spark investment. The new company will need to deliver on its promise to expand fixed wireless access to 82% of UK households by 2030. All eyes will be on its next moves. 🌐 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eB4TEK57

🚨 Our latest survey is now available! Our Employee Workplace Technology, 2024 survey dives into how employees across the US and Europe are interacting with workplace technology and adapting to evolving work environments. 🔍 What’s inside? ✅ Insights into hybrid and remote work ✅ Devices and connectivity trends ✅ Communication and collaboration tools ✅ Perspectives on generative AI ✅ The future workforce ✅ Employee views on leading technology providers 💡 Whether you’re looking to optimize workplace technology, understand employee attitudes, or stay ahead with emerging trends, this survey has the answers. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e5r5U5tw

🌐 Agentic AI: Transforming Telecom Networks The telecom industry is increasingly turning to AI to manage the rising complexity of networks, especially with the advent of 5G and beyond. From reducing operational costs to enabling innovative services like network slicing, AI tools are reshaping how operators approach network stability and efficiency. In our latest blog, we explore: 👉 How AI-powered predictive analysis is driving network reliability. 👉 The role of generative AI in streamlining operations and lowering skill barriers. 👉 Real-world examples, including China Mobile’s collaborative approach to telecom AI models. Learn how agentic AI is setting the stage for autonomous networks, improving complaint and alarm handling, and creating smarter, more cost-effective network operations. 📖 Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/ehi5-E2E #AI #Telecom #5G #NetworkAutomation #GenerativeAI #Innovation