No Pain, All Gain: The Smart Way to Modernise Your Telco

Traditional migrations of legacy Business Support Systems (BSS) launched in the past decader or even earlier, are notorious for being costly, disruptive, and time-consuming while delivering limited results.

Meanwhile, digital-native challengers, unburdened by legacy infrastructure, are racing ahead, offering sleek, seamless, hyper-personalised services at speeds traditional telcos can only dream of. The industry is no longer debating whether to modernise—it’s a matter of survival. The real question is: how can telcos evolve without subjecting themselves to the torturous grip of migration?

The answer lies not in yet another upgrade of your BSS of the past, but in a radically different approach.

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The Pitfalls of Legacy BSS Migrations

Let’s take a moment to review the pitfalls of legacy BSS migrations, it’s a bit like untangling decades of tech spaghetti. It is no small feat, from technical complexities and financial burdens to data migration obstacles and organizational resistance, migrating legacy BSS has historically been a daunting endeavor. These systems, often deeply entrenched and customized over decades, present significant hurdles:

Complexity and Cost: Legacy BSS migrations are notorious for their complexity and high costs. The intricate web of outdated architectures and processes makes the migration process cumbersome and expensive. 

Extended Timelines: The protracted timelines associated with BSS migrations can lead to project delays and budget overruns, further straining resources. 

Operational Disruptions: The risk of service interruptions during migration poses a significant threat to customer satisfaction and business continuity. 

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The Hesitation to Upgrade

Modernizing legacy BSS is like replacing the engine of a plane mid-flight—complex, costly, and not without turbulence. Unsurprisingly, many TSPs hesitate, weighed down by meticulous cost-benefit analyses that pit high upfront investments against the allure of streamlined operations and long-term agility.

While modernized systems promise efficiency, the reality of training, maintenance, and transition costs often forces organizations into cautious, phased approaches. This deliberation can quickly stall progress, leaving modernization stuck at the planning stage.

The result? Year after year, outdated systems continue to weigh down innovation and agility, becoming the "just one more year" of telecom strategies. But how much longer can the industry afford to wait while more agile competitors move full speed ahead?

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How much longer can Telecom Service Providers hesitate?

Delaying the modernization of legacy BSS leads to significant operational inefficiencies and missed opportunities as the outdated systems continue to hinder agility and innovation. 

In contrast, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and digital-first brands with eSIM are capitalizing on modern, flexible infrastructures much faster than the larger market players, rapidly gaining market share.

MVNOs in particular have evolved from niche players to mainstream competitors, offering tailored services that attract diverse customer segments. This shift is particularly evident, according to Omdia analysis of 2023 data, in the emerging markets like Brazil, South Africa, and Mexico which have experienced exceptional growth rates of 34%, 51%, and 28% in MVNO subscribers respectively. Mature markets such as South Korea, Japan, and Australia posted double-digit subscriber growth. In Europe, Spain achieved 22% rise, while countries like Italy, France, Germany, and the UK saw steady single-digit expansions​.  

This demonstrates how digital-native, agile strategies are reshaping the telco landscape globally, with innovations like eSIM, AI, and hyper-personalized niche offerings. To remain relevant, traditional telecom operators must recognize the cost of hesitation and embrace a safe solution, the greenfield approach. 

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The Smarter Alternative: The Greenfield Approach

Instead of grappling with the complexities of legacy BSS migrations, TSPs can adopt a greenfield approach to develop a new, modern stack. This strategy involves building a separate, state-of-the-art platform from the ground up, offering many advantages including:

• Rapid Deployment: Launch digital propositions in record time—triPica built Source for Bouygues Telecom in under four months.

• Cost Efficiency: Skip costly legacy overhauls and focus resources where they matter most.

• Enhanced Customer Experience: Deliver seamless, personalized experiences, with digital-first onboarding powered by eSIM.

• Unmatched Agility: Introduce innovations and unlock the potential of AI without legacy constraints.

A greenfield strategy isn't just an alternative—it's a proven solution for staying agile, efficient, and competitive in today's fast-evolving telecom landscape.

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Greenfield Telco: The No-Risk Insurance Policy for Telecom Operators' Future

A greenfield telco environment acts as a no-risk, low-cost insurance policy for the future of telecom operators. It provides a controlled, flexible space to innovate, test, and explore new offerings without disrupting the main brand’s operations or shouldering the risks of legacy migration. By building a modern digital stack from scratch, operators can quickly respond to market demands, trial cutting-edge technologies, and refine customer-centric services.

This approach allows the greenfield brand to serve as a laboratory for innovation. Successful strategies and technologies can be seamlessly integrated back into the main brand, bringing value swiftly and efficiently. Furthermore, the cost savings and minimal risk associated with greenfield initiatives enable operators to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Much like an insurance policy, a greenfield telco safeguards the operator’s future, ensuring they stay agile and prepared to adapt to industry shifts while keeping the core business protected.

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Real-World Validation

For TSPs aiming to future-proof their main brands, the greenfield approach offers a pragmatic and efficient approach. By constructing a new, modern stack alongside existing operations, TSPs can achieve digital transformation with minimal disruption, positioning themselves for sustained success in the dynamic telecom landscape.

The greenfield approach is not just a theory; it has been successfully implemented by several forward-thinking telco operators. A prime example is Yoodo, originally a flanker brand of Axiata/Celcom in Malaysia, and since November 2022 Celcom Digi, which launched a fully digital offering. By leveraging a greenfield strategy, Yoodo created a lean product portfolio, empowered customers with self-service capabilities, and implemented a robust digital stack without the constraints of legacy systems. This bold move allowed them to meet customer expectations for flexibility and convenience while staying ahead of competitors. Yoodo remains a success story, even after its customers were re-integrated into Celcom Digi’s main brand in August 2024.

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Conclusion

For Telcos aiming to future-proof their main brands, the greenfield approach offers a pragmatic and no-risk path to modernisation. By constructing a new, modern stack alongside existing operations, TSPs can achieve digital transformation with minimal disruption, positioning themselves for sustained success in the dynamic telecom landscape.

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About triPica

Since 2016, triPica has redefined the standards for personalized, digital-first customer experiences. As a pioneering SaaS BSS provider, triPica’s next-gen platform is cloud-native and designed with customer experience at its core. Globally recognized with multiple MVNO World Congress and TMForum awards, triPica empowers service providers to launch innovative digital offerings in as little as four months. Notably, its client Bouygues Telecom was a Gartner "Eyes on Innovation" award finalist for its greenfield digital brand, Source. triPica accelerates transformation, delivering agility and scalability for the telco and utility industries. ‍