Telstra, Quantium to combine forces on new joint venture

Telstra and Sydney-based data and AI specialist Quantium are set to form an as-yet-unnamed joint venture that will combine the companies’ capabilities and assets.

Quantium will apply its data science and AI capabilities to Telstra’s customer, product and network data assets, particularly focused on enterprise.

The telco said the plan is to create a ‘whole of tech stack’ proposition for enterprise and industrial customers, focused on providing enhanced automation, and business intelligence and decision making.

This will then be delivered in partnership with Telstra Purple, the telco’s IT services arm.

Telstra chief executive Andrew Penn said the partnership would be a key enabler of Telstra’s T25 data and AI ambitions. 

“This new JV will not only provide personalised and data-enabled products and offers for Telstra’s customers, it will also embed proactive and predictive AI and machine learning across Telstra’s core business,” Penn said. 

“Focusing on our customers and improving the way we serve them is crucial to the success of our T25 strategy, and this partnership will supercharge that ambition by reshaping how we add value for our enterprise customers and enable improvements in the personalisation of offers and value for members of Telstra’s rewards program, Telstra Plus. 

“This partnership goes beyond just those direct benefits for customers and will look at how we can also use advanced analytics and machine learning to drive value for our core business, for example to identify fraudulent activity more effectively, or to make enhanced credit decisions.”

The partnership will also leverage Telstra’s Data Hub to enable enterprise and government customers to securely share and aggregate their data whilst also harnessing Quantium’s big data capabilities, the statement said.

Quantium chief executive Adam Driussi said, “We are delighted to partner with Australia’s leading telecommunications company to help unlock the potential of data and AI for both Telstra and its customers. 

“The three key ingredients in any digital transformation are cutting-edge smart networking and connectivity, superb IT and world class data science and AI. This partnership brings all these ingredients together to create a unique ‘whole of stack’ solution that promises to transform Telstra and deliver enhanced experiences and incredible value for its customers.” 

The two companies say they have already begun co-servicing enterprise clients and plan to finalise their new partnership in the coming months.