In an exclusive interview with Telecom Review, Luxoft's Global Head of TMT, Maria Stebneva, shed light on how Luxoft seamlessly integrates technology and domain expertise to drive innovation in telecom companies.
How does Luxoft combine technology and domain expertise to deliver industry innovation for telcos and telecom-centric enterprises?
Luxoft’s expertise lies in its deep domain knowledge of mobile communications— whether it be its radio access network or its core network. We combine our knowledge of all open-source technologies with our knowledge of the network to deliver the best value to our customers through the product’s engineering.
In terms of 5G, can you share an overview on how Luxoft reduces TCO with high-quality products and ready-made accelerators?
Luxoft’s heritage lies in product engineering, signifying our collaboration with customers and the transfer of intellectual property rights for the products we develop. So, for example, if you go to companies or normal vendors who provide you with the software, you need to pay for licenses, you need to pay for maintenances and support, and you need to pay for upgrades and it all becomes a part of your TCO.
When it comes to Luxoft, we tailor and provide customized experiences for our customers. Specifically, in core network functions, if there's a component missing—be it AMF or SMF function, UDR, UDM, NEF or NWDAF or others—we develop it, granting the customer intellectual property rights for independent management, ultimately reducing their total cost of ownership (TCO).
Could you please share your perspectives on contemporary data centers and network management, as well as the most recent advancements in automation techniques?
Luxoft is the greatest expert in terms of automation techniques. One of the biggest capabilities we have in our company is test automation. We have a number of case studies where we have helped our customers to reduce their TCO using test automation. Previously, a Canadian carrier had a testing team of 150 individuals. Through our test automation capabilities, we have reduced this number to only five-seven people, showcasing our significant expertise in this area.
Regarding modern data centers, I think they essentially involve relocating the racks, switches, and routers of traditional data centers into the cloud space; this is also something we can help with, and it's also Luxoft’s expertise.
As a female executive, how do you leverage your capabilities to contribute in Luxoft? Is ICT a good career choice for women?
We harness our leverage in a manner similar to how men do. I think ICT is a very attractive industry right now for women because there are tremendous opportunities specifically for women in tech and I think we should embrace these opportunities, and educate our children. I have a daughter —six years old— who can obviously go into a career in this domain, and there's no reason why she shouldn't; but obviously we shouldn't force anyone, right? We either want to, or we don’t. There obviously should be no barrier for women to enter into the ICT domain.
North America is a great example. At T-Mobile (one of our carriers), I see tremendous diversity not only in terms of gender, between men and women, but in terms of race, apprentices, location, and of age as well. I think it’s one of the greatest examples, and I hope it becomes a common worldwide practice.
