Helsinki, Finland – Finnish telecom giant DNA is embarking on a major five-year partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to move a large chunk of its operations to the public cloud. This move builds on a 17-year relationship between the two companies and aims to migrate up to 80% of DNA’s enterprise applications by 2030. It’s a big bet on cloud technology, with potential impacts that could ripple through to its 3.7 million customers.
At the heart of this strategic shift is a goal to improve customer experience, enhance operational efficiency, and—hopefully—cut costs. Jussi Tolvanen, CEO of DNA Plc, made it clear: “Cloud adoption is essential for DNA’s business, as we have millions of customers and the data volume we handle is enormous.” He also pointed out that running AI services is “practically impossible” without cloud-based data platforms. So, it’s not just about storage—it’s about enabling new technologies.
This ambitious initiative, dubbed DNA’s ‘Journey to the Cloud,’ will see TCS leverage its proprietary tools, TCS Cloud Counsel and TCS Migration Factory on Google Cloud, to automate and simplify the complex migration process. The first phase focuses on shifting over 100 applications to Google Cloud in the next two years, signaling a very hands-on approach from the start.
To make this happen smoothly, TCS plans to set up a dedicated Cloud Migration Factory at its nearshore delivery centmodernisationer in Portugal. This facility is designed to handle application migration and modernization more efficiently, which sounds promising for reducing the usual headaches that come with large-scale tech transformations.
DNA’s CTO, Sari Leppänen, underscored the importance of having a strong partner on this journey. She said, “By leveraging TCS Cloud Counsel and TCS Migration Factory on Google Cloud, we are poised to lead the Cloud Transformation of the Finnish telecom sector.” According to her, this move will bring new levels of speed, adaptability, operational flexibility, and long-term efficiency. That sounds optimistic, though such transitions often come with unexpected bumps.
Telenor Group, DNA’s parent company, also chimed in. Thomas Skjelbred, Head of Global Procurement at Telenor and CEO of Telenor Procurement Company, described TCS as a “trusted and capable partner” central to their long-term digital strategy. His confidence suggests this isn’t just a one-off project but a critical step in shaping the company’s future.
Akhilesh Tiwari, President of Communications, Media and Information Services at TCS, highlighted their role in helping DNA become a “future-ready, digital-first telecom leader in Finland.” He pointed to the companies’ long-standing relationship as a foundation for this new chapter.
DNA isn’t just a telecom provider; it’s a significant player in Finland with around 3.7 million subscriptions spanning mobile, broadband, fixed line, and TV services. So, any change in its infrastructure could mean noticeable differences for a lot of people.
TCS brings decades of expertise to this partnership. Its Communications, Media, and Information Services unit has 25 years of experience, serving clients in 45 countries and supporting over a billion subscribers worldwide. Their broad range of services—from modernization to network support—makes them a strong candidate for handling such a complex migration.
Subhadipta Samantray, TCS’s Country Head in Finland, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, noting that TCS will combine deep knowledge of DNA’s operations with cloud migration expertise across industries. The plan includes deploying a custom cloud operating model and advanced AI tools, powered by Google Cloud.
TCS has been active in the Nordics since 1991, employing over 20,000 people across Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Their repeated high rankings in customer satisfaction surveys and recognitions as a Top Employer reflect a solid reputation, which likely adds confidence to their ability to deliver on this project.
All in all, DNA’s cloud migration is much more than just a tech upgrade. It’s a fundamental shift in how the company manages its services and vast amounts of data. For customers, this could mean better service quality, faster response times, and possibly lower costs, as DNA aims to streamline operations and tap into the power of cloud computing and AI. Of course, how smoothly this five-year journey goes remains to be seen, but it’s certainly one to watch in the Finnish telecom landscape.
