• Singaporean telco StarHub expands its relationship with Matrixx Software
• The operator will use a real-time converged charging system for 4G and 5G services monetisation
• The move is part of StarHub’s strategic journey to become a “well-loved digital service provider” in its home market
• Matrixx Software has long been a digital enabler for major telcos, with Telefónica, Vodafone and Verizon among its customers

Singapore-based operator StarHub has expanded its collaboration with Matrixx Software as it pushes ahead with an ambitious plan to become a leading digital service provider in its domestic market.

StarHub, which has more than 2 million mobile subscribers, will use the software vendor’s cloud-native, converged charging system (CCS) to monetise 4G and 5G standalone (SA) services using a single platform. The system will, essentially, play a key role in the telco’s digital IT infrastructure supporting its mobile prepaid and post-paid customers, Matrixx Software noted in its announcement.

StarHub previously deployed a solution by Matrixx to help launch its digital brand giga! in 2020: That deployment went live in less than six months. 

Building on that deployment, the telco now aims to tap “the commercial agility it needs to drive new revenue” by offering 4G and 5G offerings “with unmatched flexibility, scalability and efficiency”.

The partnership boost between the pair is seen as a key element of StarHub’s DARE+ strategic transformation and growth programme it unveiled in 2021 and which aims to position the mobile operator as “a company that connects digital lives for customers”. It aims to do so by, apparently, “doubling down on digital across everything StarHub does, accelerating value creation, realising growth without frontiers, and delivering an endless continuum of experiences that enrich customers’ lives.”  

The five-year plan also aims to turn StarHub into a “well-loved digital service provider with frictionless digital engagement at the core,” according to Matrixx Software’s statement. Among the expected benefits from its transition towards a digital player are: Improved customer experiences; shorter time to market of connectivity, entertainment and business solutions; and reduced operating costs.

“Playing to our strengths as a leading digital service provider, we are boldly scaling up agility across our systems, building a fully digital ecosystem that is ready to evolve for whatever customers want next, from speed and responsiveness to truly personalised experiences as part of our DARE+ strategy,” commented Johan Buse, chief of Consumer Business Group at StarHub.

He added that the partnership with Matrixx will allow the pair to integrate “game-changing flexibility in our platforms” and deliver “enriching experiences” to customers.

“Powered by our industry-leading 5G monetisation platform, we will enable StarHub with the operational agility they need today to redefine customer experience for the entire Singapore market now and into the future,” said Glo Gordon, CEO of Matrixx Software. She also touted the “transformative success” the companies have achieved as part of their earlier partnership.

The CCS system was also chosen by Telefónica Germany/O2 in March 2021 for the operator’s set-up of a new IT architecture and opportunities to monetise 4G, 5G and fixed services in the consumer and the enterprise domains.

Matrixx Software solutions are also used by multiple other Tier 1 operator names, including Orange, Vodafone, Verizon, Telstra and Zain.
The company recently raised another $50 million to invest into R&D efforts and up its presence in the field of 5G enterprise solutions, taking its total funding since launch to $150 million. (See Matrixx reloads its bank balance.)

- Yanitsa Boyadzhieva, Deputy Editor, TelecomTV