Industry Spotlight: Enxoo’s Artur Ostrowski

One corner of the industry that I don’t spend much time on but which is critical to the operations of everyone in the sector is OSS/BSS software and systems.  But as automation continues to reach deeper into everyone’s systems, it’s a subject that needs a bigger voice.  With us today to delve a little deeper is Artur Ostrowski, CCO of Enxoo.  Enxoo uses a Salesforce-based platform to target telco-specific needs for OSS/BSS.

TR: What are the origins of Enxoo, and how did you get involved?

AO: Enxoo is one of the few specialised solution providers for the telecoms industry. We combine Salesforce with our telco industry knowledge to transform OSS/BSS. We help customers to automate, integrate and visualise inventory, processes and their overall operations. Our approach is about extending Salesforce with industry-specific customer touchpoints, data models and processes.

The industry cloud approach is a key part of Enxoo’s origins, and enables us to improve the solution quality, reduce implementation time, and minimise the risk of failure. We deliver an all-in-one platform based on Salesforce technology and telco-specific Enxoo solutions. Our solution is ready-made and designed for the telecoms sector. As a result, we can quickly solve customer challenges and give them a foundation for transformation.  Using a cloud-based approach, we can move with speed at the implementation phase and deliver reliability and security. In other words, Enxoo takes a client on a digital transformation journey and serves as a guide – a competent, experienced and dependable one.

My background is in managing different telco businesses in different organisations across a variety of markets. Over the years the organisations that I’ve worked with have all struggled with building IT support systems that serve both internal users as well as customers. None of these systems seemed to be creating value for both sets of users. When I saw Enxoo, I was impressed with its unified approach and the team’s ability to serve telcos. They understand the specific pain points in the industry.  

TR: What types of customers does Enxoo focus on, and what problems do you help them solve?

AO: Enxoo’s customer base is primarily in the telecommunications sector, helping companies facing digital disruption. Our Enxoo for Communications solution addresses the main industry-specific pain points, such as decreasing profit margins and revenues, legacy systems and disjointed processes. For example, our solution helped the carrier Tele2 Latvia make transformation a success without needing to replace its existing legacy IT systems. This minimised investment while maximising the value of its transformation. 

We solve customer problems using cloud solutions, telco expertise, partnerships and exceptional project realisation. We call it Industry Cloud Experience. We partner with our clients by combining business acumen and technical knowledge to deliver exceptional results. Our main aim is to increase our customers’ business agility and enhance operational visibility.

TR: Are there industries or verticals which you find greater success than others? 

AO: We have particular expertise and success in the telecommunications industry – our flagship solution, Enxoo for Communications, is industry-specific, with 80% of the solution ready to be used. We leave 20% to be adjusted to our customers’ specific needs. As we are Salesforce consultants, we have the skills and capabilities to implement, integrate and develop Salesforce solutions. We work with companies like Telia Carrier, Tele2 as I mentioned previously, and wholesale FTTH provider NEXERA.  It is quite a mixed bag but all of these telcos see an opportunity to refine their approach, automate more processes and use data to drive decision making.

TR: In what new technologies and services is Enxoo investing its resources today and why?

AO: We continuously invest in our core product development, Enxoo for Communications, extending its CPQ, Commerce, Vendor Management, Order Management and other functionalities. We also develop other products, including our own billing and document generator. As all Enxoo products are based on the same backbone functionalities – our own CPQ – customers benefit from easy and fast integration.

We observe market trends and work together with industry standardisation. We are a member of MEF as well as the TM Forum. We develop solutions that follow the important standards related to operational management, data exchange and APIs. We also continually invest in people and skills development. We hugely rely on people and competence, so we invest in Salesforce certification and software competencies.

TR: Does Enxoo view M&A as a viable means to expand the business, or is the organic path more attractive today?

 AO: Since we started, Enxoo has been growing organically. We’ve gone through our start-up phase and seen demand only grow. We’re proud of what we have achieved so far in such a short time.

However, there is always a trade-off between the appetite for smart M&A and the organic approach. We monitor the M&A market with attention and believe that going forward, that path might become more attractive for us. It is the question of the right momentum and the right partner.

TR: How has Enxoo and its ecosystem weathered the COVID-19 pandemic?  What is going smoothly and what isn’t?

AO: The first thing we did was focus on our people. We were one of the first companies in Poland to move to 100% remote working and we will continue that way for as long as it takes.

From a business perspective, the entire world has seen how critical communication infrastructure is to both our personal and professional lives. Digital transformation is also essential to ensure the adaptability of telco businesses, so I see COVID-19 as a driver for more transformation projects. Telcos have been ready to scale up, pivot and change to meet demand. They can’t do that with rigid legacy systems. Overall, one of the outcomes of COVID-19 will be the acceleration of transformation in our industry.

At the same time, I do miss industry events. We have a lot of fun on the road and the kind of global comradery there is in the telecoms industry. That’s the stuff you don’t get while remote working. 

TR: What’s the biggest challenge ahead of Enxoo and/or companies like it in today’s marketplace? (e.g. Hiring specialized talent? Breaking into new markets? Getting in front of the right people to make your case?)

AO: We have clients in Europe, Asia and Africa. The challenge that we are facing now is breaking into the American market more deeply. We’ve already taken the first steps, by opening an office in the US and developing local partnerships. Everywhere in the world telcos know they need to change. They know that they need to optimise back office processes to make digital transformation a success. We just need to get in front of them and explain that they don’t have to do it all themselves. With the right partner, they can get transformation right the first time and not waste money and time on complicated deployments that fail.

TR: Thank you for talking with Telecom Ramblings!

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Categories: Industry Spotlight · Software