Service Owner

Ericsson appoints Randeep Raina as Head of Vi Customer Unit. August 05, 2026 Ericsson today announced the appointment of Randeep Raina as Head of Customer Unit Vodafone Idea (Vi) Randeep brings with him more than 27 years of experience across technology, sales, strategy and business development and will be based in Mumbai. He will report to Andres Vicente, CEO of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson and will be part of the regional leadership team. Randeep succeeds Krishna Patil, who has been appointed Executive Advisor to Andres Vicente. Prior to joining Ericsson, Randeep has served as Head of Telco and Strategic Partnerships at Google India and has previously held the role of Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at Nokia Networks India. In his new role, Randeep will lead Ericsson's engagement towards Vi, working closely with the service provider to support its network evolution and accelerate the delivery of next-generation connectivity solutions. Andres Vicente, CEO of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India, Ericsson, says " It's a pleasure to welcome Randeep on board as we collaborate with Vi to build a future ready network and accelerate its digital transformation journey. With his extensive leadership experience, strategic vision and customer-first mindset, I am confident Randeep will play a pivotal role in further deepening our partnership with Vi and support its network evolution ambitions." "I would also like to recognize and thank Krishna Patil for his invaluable executive leadership over many years at Ericsson and for establishing a strong and trusted partnership with Vi. As India's digital transformation gathers momentum, we remain committed to being a trusted technology partner, helping our customers create lasting value and deliver exceptional experiences to millions of Indian consumers." Ericsson and Vi share a long-standing strategic partnership focused on advancing India's digital connectivity. Most recently, Vi expanded its collaboration with Ericsson by selecting the company's cloud-native Charging solution to modernize its postpaid services, while continuing to strengthen its 4G and 5G network footprint through network augmentation, capacity expansion and AI-powered operations. CT Bureau

Nokia open sources first AI video enhancement standard. August 4, 2026 Nokia has open-sourced its Neural Network Post Filter (NNPF), bringing the first AI-based video enhancement technology into international video standards and enabling higher-quality streaming with existing codecs instead of proprietary solutions. Nokia has open-sourced its Neural Network Post Filter (NNPF), an AI-powered implementation that enhances compressed video quality after decoding on compatible consumer devices. According to Nokia, it is the first AI-based video enhancement technology to be integrated into international video standards. NNPF applies a neural-network post-processing filter to recover visual details lost during video compression. Rather than introducing a new codec, it works alongside existing standards such as High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) and Versatile Video Coding (VVC) using Versatile Supplemental Enhancement Information (VSEI) and Supplemental Enhancement Information (SEI) metadata to identify and apply the appropriate neural-network model during playback. Nokia researchers Miska Hannuksela and Jill Boyce contributed to the Versatile Supplemental Enhancement Information standard, which defines how this metadata is carried with coded video. If widely adopted, the technology could help streaming providers improve perceived video quality, reduce video CDN costs and make better use of AI acceleration already available in modern consumer devices, without abandoning established compression formats. Deployment will still require support from encoding platform providers, chipmakers, device manufacturers and video application developers. The release also highlights the contrast between open and proprietary AI video enhancement approaches. While NVIDIA's AI enhancement is tied to RTX GPUs and restrictive SDK licensing, Intel's OpenVINO demonstrates growing support for open AI inference across CPUs, GPUs and NPUs.

Ghobash Group appoints Marc Veelenturf as Managing Director of CNS Middle East. Ghobash Group has appointed Marc Veelenturf as Managing Director of CNS Middle East, while also entrusting him with leadership across the Group's broader technology cluster in the region. The appointment marks an important step in Ghobash Group's strategy to strengthen its technology portfolio and expand its capabilities across digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data, application modernisation and cybersecurity. In his new role, Veelenturf will oversee CNS Middle East alongside the Group's wider technology businesses, with a focus on helping customers achieve measurable outcomes through secure and effective digital innovation. His mandate will include strengthening commercial performance, developing strategic partnerships and aligning the technology cluster's capabilities with the changing priorities of organisations across the Middle East. Veelenturf brings more than 25 years of global leadership experience across technology, telecommunications, software, hardware and professional services, including nearly two decades in the Middle East. Throughout his career, he has led large-scale transformation programmes, managed complex international operations and supported organisations navigating rapidly changing technology environments. He joins Ghobash Group from Atos, where he served as CEO for the Middle East and Türkiye and Chief Growth Officer for International Markets. Based in Dubai, he led regional business operations while overseeing sales across growing markets including Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, as well as major sporting events. During his tenure at Atos, Veelenturf focused on commercial growth, strategic partnerships and customer value across technology and digital services. His responsibilities included guiding the company's regional direction and strengthening its position across telecommunications, media and technology markets. Before joining Atos, Veelenturf served as Chief Operating Officer at AwareX, where he supported operations within the digital customer experience and telecommunications technology sector. Earlier, he was Global Head of Sales for Business Support Systems at Ericsson, leading international sales activities for technology solutions supporting telecom operators. His career also includes serving as Head of Services for Asia-Pacific at Amdocs and Head of Sales for the Middle East and Asia at Redknee. Veelenturf previously held several leadership positions at Nokia Siemens Networks, including Head of BSS Sales for Cluster East and Head of the Business Solutions Organisation across the Middle East and Africa. These roles strengthened his experience in regional sales, technology delivery and the management of customer-facing organisations across diverse markets. His earlier career includes senior leadership positions at Amdocs, British Telecom and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he gained broad expertise across managed services, information and communications technology, consulting and operational transformation. Across these roles, Veelenturf has developed a reputation for combining strategic business leadership with a strong understanding of technology and customer requirements. His experience spans traditional and cloud-based business models, including software-as-a-service environments, as well as B2B, B2C and B2B2C operations. As a trusted adviser to senior executives, he has worked with organisations to identify complex operational and technology challenges, develop practical solutions and deliver mission-critical systems. His leadership approach centres on customer success, commercial discipline, strategic growth and the development of strong teams. Commenting on the appointment, Rashid Ghobash, Managing Director of Ghobash Group, said Veelenturf joins at a pivotal stage in the Group's ambition to position its technology cluster as a regional industry leader. He highlighted Veelenturf's experience in managing complex technology organisations and his commitment to placing customer success at the centre of business delivery. Veelenturf said it was a privilege to lead the Group's technology cluster and noted the strength of its existing capabilities, customer relationships and specialist teams. He added that his priorities will include deepening partnerships, maintaining a strong focus on customer outcomes and building a dynamic workplace for employees. Ghobash Group is a UAE-based business conglomerate established in 1981, with a portfolio spanning sectors including technology, energy and utilities, and healthcare. The Group employs more than 3,000 professionals and operates under its "Growth for Good" mandate, which focuses on sustainable growth and long-term value creation while supporting the UAE's development as a knowledge-driven economy. Veelenturf's appointment reinforces the Group's continued investment in digital technology and artificial intelligence as it works to expand its regional capabilities and support customers through increasingly complex transformation programmes. With his extensive international experience and long-standing knowledge of the Middle East, Veelenturf is expected to play a central role in shaping the future direction of CNS Middle East and Ghobash Group's broader technology cluster.