Letter from the Editor - May 2025
There was a time when transformation was a choice. When it was an opportunity to modernize, improve, or innovate at your own pace. But that time has now passed. The world is no longer changing gradually. The pace of change is accelerating rapidly and increasing exponentially. And it’s not just technology that’s changing.
The entire global infrastructure is in flux with economies, supply chains, labor markets, and even geopolitical alliances making significant shifts that are difficult to predict. Tariffs are being reintroduced across key markets, igniting ripple effects through global manufacturing and distribution networks. Supply chain disruptions continue to reverberate across industries, revealing critical vulnerabilities and accelerating the urgency to transform. To complicate things more, the systems we’ve built to manage our industries, economies and world are increasingly interdependent and fragile – at a time when we depend on them the most.
As legacy systems collide with next-generation technologies like quantum computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and intelligent automation, the gaps in legacy infrastructure grow more apparent. The reality is human workers can no longer scale to meet the demands of modern infrastructure. The complexity is too vast, the stakes too high, and the margin for error too small.
This is where automation and support systems begin to shine. Not as a luxury, but as a necessity. These systems are driven by technologies that surpass the thresholds of human capabilities. Technologies such as AI, Machine Learning (ML), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), digital twin simulations, predictive analytics, and autonomous networks. These technologies don’t just help, they take over. These systems can make decisions in real-time, mitigate risk, predict failure, and respond before a problem manifests. They manage what we can’t, and support what we must.
Transformation has now become an operational requirement, but the road to transformation is rarely smooth. The shift from legacy infrastructure to intelligent automation can often feel like things get worse before they begin to improve. More systems can lead to more complexity. Integration takes time. Organizational culture resists change. But only those that can adapt, persist, and commit to automation and adopt best practices will be the ones that survive. And moreover, they’ll be the ones that lead in the future. Transforming is not just about going digital anymore, it’s about innovating by becoming autonomous, intelligent, and future proof. Which is why this edition of Pipeline is so important.
In this issue of Pipeline, we explore the world of automation and support systems. Kinetic Business from Windstream shows us five ways Small-to-Medium Businesses (SMBs) can leverage next-generation technologies to grow and protect their business. Synchronoss demonstrates how AI is being used to transform enterprise operations such as across cyber security, software development, and unlock cloud innovation. VIAVI Solutions examines how technologies such as 5G, AI, AIOps, digital twins, and OpenRAN are transforming telecommunications. ASDA Mobile discusses how mobile payments are transforming the digital-first wireless customer experience. Dr. Mark Cummings illustrates how to navigate the path to Generative AI (GenAI) automation. Dr. Marty Trevino explores creating cognitive entanglement by gaining better understanding of the AI-human relationship in the context of digital transformation. In a special feature, I spotlight newcomer Constellation SaaS, and how they’re helping broadband providers transform their B/OSS back office by combining decades of veteran experience with best practices and best-of-breed solutions. The TM Forum looks at Level 4 autonomous networks, and FNT Software looks at streamlining fiber-broadband deployments to underpin and accelerate transformation. All this, plus the latest enterprise IT and telecommunications industry news and more.
We hope you enjoy this and every issue,
Scott St. John
Managing Editor
Pipeline
