The Telco Opportunity
Lunch & Expo
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After lunch, we dive into the telco opportunity. As you return from networking, this block sets the stage for understanding how Network APIs and telco innovations create new business value. It’s the bridge from the success stories of the morning to the strategic outlook that will carry us into the Analyst Summit.
Identity in the Open Gateway Era
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Helene Vigue (Identity & Data Director, GSMA)
A GSMA perspective on the API momentum and why identity is central.
Network API Platforms: Building the Road Ahead
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Zita Lesnik (Simon-Kucher) + Markus Kuemmerle (Project CAMARA), Mark Harvey (Sekura.id), Andres Burgoa (Aduna), Alvaro Navarro (Vonage)
Perspectives from partners, innovators, and advisors on how APIs will reshape engagement.
Building a European Telco CPaaS Platform
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Sebastian Schumann (Deutsche Telekom)
How Deutsche Telekom is building a European alternative for global CPaaS, and what this means for enterprises.
Platforms Telcos Can Call Their Own: From UCaaS/CCaaS to Vertical APIs
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Melissa Holtz (IDC) + Nicola Fidanzia (Ooma/2600Hz), Michael Brandenburg (RingCentral), Jon Brinton (Crexendo), Jorgen Bjorkner (iotcomms.io)
For many service providers, sovereignty, privacy, and regional requirements make it impossible to rely solely on global CPaaS platforms. That’s where vendor-provided UCaaS/CCaaS and CPaaS platforms come in — deployable in the telco’s own datacenter or cloud.
This panel brings together leading vendors to explain why their telco customers choose this approach. Starting with voice (UCaaS/CCaaS), and expanding into vertical use cases and region-specific requirements, they’ll show how flexibility and ownership help service providers deliver differentiated offerings in the API era.
Reinventing a Telco: Culture as the Catalyst
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Miruna Anastasoaie (VP Digital&Platforms, KPN)
KPN shares its transformation journey — not as a story of technology first, but of culture. How do telcos adapt their DNA to stay relevant in an AI-driven world? What shifts in mindset, leadership, and ways of working are needed to survive and thrive? This session dives into the human side of reinvention, where culture becomes the true competitive edge.
Capital Meets Innovation
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Nicolai Schaettgen (Match-Maker Ventures) + Mike Mills (Gamma), Dan Phillips (Sandbox), Mark Castleman (Intel)
Panel – Capital Meets Innovation: Fueling the Next Wave
Innovation in CPaaS doesn’t just happen with new APIs — it takes capital, go-to-market support, and the right partners to scale. This session brings together venture funds, corporate innovators, and ecosystem builders to explore how money meets ideas.
We’ll look at the hard truths of venture building: why so many great projects stall, what investors are really looking for, and how corporates can avoid innovation theatre. The discussion also introduces the new CPaaSAA + Sandbox Investment Fund — designed to give builders not only the financial runway but also the GTM muscle and ecosystem access they need.
Expect candid insights into the challenges and opportunities of scaling innovation at the intersection of telcos, CPaaS providers, and the startup world.
CPaaS Showcase Challenge
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Kevin Nethercott (CPaaS) + judges + Telnyx, Creo Solutions, XConnect (Sekura), Radisys
Moderated by Kevin, spotlighting startups with real innovations. Expect live Network API and AI demos - and unfiltered feedback from the crowd.