- The app delivers immersive experiences and lets users shop and pay in virtual stores
- The project won the “Outstanding Contribution to TM FORUM Assets” award
- Tech-wise, it features standardized APIs that allow third parties to get information from telecom operators and configure network features
NTT DATA digital technology consultants has been awarded for developing and deploying an app that leverages metaverse technology to improve user experience by controlling certain capabilities of telecommunications companies. The app is built on standardized APIs (application programming interfaces), which allow telcos to expose their own capabilities and data to third parties. The result, among other features, is improved bandwidth and immersive experiences, from augmented reality to virtual reality. Users will also be able to shop in virtual stores, where payments are added directly to the mobile operator's bills, one of the challenges posed by the commercial implications of the metaverse.
This project received the award for “Outstanding contribution to TM FORUM assets” at TM Forum, an event recently held in Copenhagen that brings together digital and communications service providers, telephone companies, cable operators, network operators, cloud service providers, digital infrastructure providers, software providers, equipment suppliers, system integrators and management consultancies from around the world. The company picked up this award after presenting the app at TM Forum’s DTW (Digital Transformation World), and is part of the Catalyst Program, designed to champion those innovation-driven projects that have the greatest potential.
“We're proud to be recognized for our ability to apply disruptive technologies like the metaverse to new telco business models based on exposing and monetizing their network and IT assets and capabilities,” says David Caja Carreras, Head of Telecom at NTT DATA Americas.
The app was developed as a real use case of the Open Gateway initiative, which is supported by Telefónica, Orange, Vodafone and TIM, among others, and was presented at the Mobile World Congress 2023. Open Gateway challenged participants to find a way to enable and expose the capabilities of telecommunications companies so that third parties can access the information they have, which can be very valuable, such as changing network speed or verifying a user’s location, as long as they have provided their consent. To this end, the company has created an architecture based on standardized APIs.
NTT DATA has an extensive track record in the telecommunications sector and has collaborated on other projects with Telefónica. Last February, a milestone reached by both companies was announced when the two companies successfully deployed a groundbreaking end-to-end, multi-vendor Network Slicing as a Service solution.