Telkom launches Openserve

Telkom has launched OpenServe, marking the functional separation of its wholesale business unit from the rest of the company.

Although the split has been long anticipated, the name and branding of the unit was unknown.

Openserve will be a business unit within the Telkom Group, which is formed as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to strengthen customer focus through a flexible and agile operating model.

As a stand-alone business unit, Openserve will be autonomous and responsible for its own profit and losses.

Telkom said the separation heralds a new era in the Telkom Group, as it prepares to welcome a more open-access environment and all the opportunities it offers.

“Over the past two years, our strategy has delivered positive results, but it is not yet complete,” said Telkom Group CEO Sipho Maseko.

He said they have tackled inefficiency, complexity, and high costs – and their quest to improve customer experience remains a focus.

“But to fundamentally change the way we do business, while also working to take up a meaningful and impactful role in an increasingly open-access environment, we have had to review our operating model,” said Maseko.

Alphonzo Samuels, former head of Telkom’s wholesale and network services and the new MD for Openserve, said the separation signals Telkom’s commitment to a more competitive market and lower prices for consumers.

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