Abu Dhabi: e& UAE, the flagship telecom arm of global technology group e&, has achieved “Running on ODA” status from TM Forum, the leading global alliance of telco and tech companies. This accreditation reinforces e&’s focus on modern, cloud-native, component-based digital platforms as it continues to evolve as a leading global technology group.

e& is the first organisation in the UAE to achieve Open Digital Architecture (ODA) accreditation, which is the de facto industry standard for a cloud-native, component-based architecture that enables agility, interoperability, and rapid innovation across digital ecosystems. It enables e& to operate on a common, open digital foundation, improving speed of delivery, simplifying integration, and supporting scalable innovation across its businesses and partner ecosystem.

Marwan Bin Shakar, CTO, e& UAE, said: “Achieving Running on ODA status recognises e&’s success in operationalising TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture across our live technology and delivery environments. By embedding open standards, modular components, and API-first principles into the way our systems and processes run day to day, we’ve built a cloud-native foundation that scales with our ambitions. This milestone strengthens our ability to move at ecosystem speed, deepen integration with partners, and consistently deliver differentiated digital capabilities that create measurable value for customers and partners.”

George Glass, CTO, TM Forum, said: “We congratulate e& on achieving Running on ODA status — a clear signal of their commitment to modern digital architecture and industry-wide standards. By aligning with TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture and Open APIs, organisations can simplify complexity, accelerate time to market, and unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth. This recognition reflects not just a technical achievement, but a strategic transformation toward composable, cloud-native operations that benefit customers and ecosystems alike.”

This journey encompassed several strategic milestones guided by a rigorous transformation roadmap focused on dismantling legacy silos and building a future-ready foundation. Key achievements on this path included:

Standardising APIs: Implementing TM Forum Open APIs to ensure seamless connectivity and interoperability across e& UAE’s digital ecosystem.

Legacy decoupling: Moving away from monolithic systems toward modular, microservices-based environments.

Cloud-native adoption: Scaling operations in the cloud to ensure enterprise agility and resilience.

Collaborative excellence: Thousands of hours of dedication from engineering, product, and IT teams to align internal standards with global benchmarks.

Achieving “Running on ODA” status demonstrates e&’s ability to translate open architectural principles into day-to-day execution, strengthening business agility, operational efficiency, and the speed at which new digital products and services can be introduced to market.

About e&

e& is a global technology group committed to advancing the digital future across markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. With the group's financial performance in 2024 showing a consolidated revenue of AED 59.2 billion and a net profit of AED 10.8 billion, e& continues to maintain its position as a financial powerhouse, reflected by its strong credit rating and solid balance sheet.

Founded in Abu Dhabi over 48 years ago, e& has evolved from a telecom pioneer into a technology group. Its footprint now spans 38 countries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of innovative digital services ranging from advanced connectivity, entertainment, streaming and financial services to AI-powered solutions, cloud computing, ICT, cybersecurity and IoT platforms.

The Group is structured around five core business pillars: e& UAE, e& international, e& life, e& enterprise and e& capital, each catering to distinct customer and market needs. These pillars empower e& to lead in various sectors, from telecom and digital lifestyle to enterprise services and venture investments. The ongoing strategic investments in AI, IoT, 5G and cloud services reinforce its leadership in the global technology landscape, driving the future of smart connectivity and innovation.

Driven by innovation, sustainability and a commitment to digital empowerment, e& is set on creating a smarter, more connected future for individuals, businesses and communities.

To learn more about e&, visit eand.com.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

About e&

e& is a global technology group committed to advancing the digital future across markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe. With the group's financial performance in 2024 showing a consolidated revenue of AED 59.2 billion and a net profit of AED 10.8 billion, e& continues to maintain its position as a financial powerhouse, reflected by its strong credit rating and solid balance sheet. 

Founded in Abu Dhabi over 48 years ago, e& has evolved from a telecom pioneer into a technology group. Its footprint now spans 38 countries, offering a comprehensive portfolio of innovative digital services ranging from advanced connectivity, entertainment, streaming and financial services to AI-powered solutions, cloud computing, ICT, cybersecurity and IoT platforms. 

The Group is structured around five core business pillars: e& UAE, e& international, e& life, e& enterprise and e& capital, each catering to distinct customer and market needs. These pillars empower e& to lead in various sectors, from telecom and digital lifestyle to enterprise services and venture investments. The ongoing strategic investments in AI, IoT, 5G and cloud services reinforce its leadership in the global technology landscape, driving the future of smart connectivity and innovation. 

Driven by innovation, sustainability and a commitment to digital empowerment, e& is set on creating a smarter, more connected future for individuals, businesses and communities. 

To learn more about e&, visit eand.com. 

About Gulf Business Machines (GBM)

For more than 35 years, Gulf Business Machines (GBM) has been the region’s technology trusted partner. With seven offices and over 1,500 professionals across the Gulf, GBM offers the region’s most comprehensive portfolio spanning digital infrastructure, hybrid cloud, cybersecurity, digital business solutions, and managed services.

GBM combines deep local expertise with global technology leadership, partnering with companies such as IBM (as sole distributor in the GCC, excluding Saudi Arabia and select IBM products and services), Cisco (Gold Partner), and VMware by Broadcom (Pinnacle Solutions Provider). This unique ecosystem, together with GBM’s skilled workforce, enables the delivery of secure, scalable, and customer-centric solutions that address the region’s most complex business challenges.

For more information, please visit www.gbmme.com