With convergence becoming an unavoidable buzzword throughout the telco industry, the telco and media ecosystems will have to learn to become playmates.

IBC and TM Forum are stepping in to make sure sparks fly. Like Mobile World Forum for the telco industry, IBC is the annual meeting place for those on the technical side of media. It might seem an odd proposition to have a conference organiser taking the lead in setting the tone, though such is the breadth and depth of the industry these annual meetings hold significant influence over the activities and conversations which will dominate the year.

This latest announcement from the pair builds on a partnership announced earlier this year, and puts five new ‘Catalyst’ projects onto the agenda. Each Catalyst team will build a working proof-of-concept solution to a specific industry challenge and the successful projects will be showcased at IBC2019 and Digital Transformation World 2019, the TM Forum’s own annual bonanza.

“IBC is pleased to be able to help facilitate the convergence that we are seeing throughout the industry,” said Michael Crimp, CEO at IBC. “With our unique position within the media community, and now our collaboration with the TM Forum, we are now fully equipped to facilitate long-term solutions to the most vexing problems facing the telecoms and media industries today.”

“Media is an increasingly important sector for our global membership as the boundaries between telecoms and media continue to blur,” said Nik Willetts, CEO of the TM Forum. “The digital age is changing the landscape for creation, distribution and consumption of media, and we believe that through industry collaboration we can drive a new wave of innovation and growth. We’re delighted to collaborate with IBC, and to extend the Catalyst model to explore the convergence of telecoms and broadcasting.”

Examples of the projects include:

With the world becoming increasingly mobile, and customer experience for the telcos being increasingly defined by the ability to access the right content at the right time, getting these two ecosystems on the same page will become more and more important. Let’s hope IBC and the TM Forum prove to be effective match-makers.