Ericsson Innovation & Technology Culture

Fabio Cerone, Managing Director, EMEA Telco business unit, AWS, says: "Ericsson's launch of Agentic rApp as a Service represents a major milestone in the telecom industry, combining Ericsson's proven telecom leadership with AWS leading cloud and AI capabilities. This as-a-Service model transforms how communications service providers can consume network automation expertise on-demand through AWS. CSPs can now accelerate their journey to autonomous networks while focusing resources on delivering exceptional customer experiences. This collaboration demonstrates how AWS and industry leaders like Ericsson are transforming telecommunications through intelligent and scalable solutions."

James Crawshaw, Practice Leader, Omdia, says: “While many in the market now claim to provide rApps, only a small number have demonstrated successful, production-level deployments with ORAN-compliant interfaces. And no other vendor offers a comparable rApp-as-a-Service solution. These two aspects create a real distinction, setting this new offering apart.”

Jean-Christophe Laneri, Head of Cognitive Network Solutions, Ericsson, says: “Our Agentic rApp as a Service represents a significant milestone in our vision for autonomous networks. By harnessing Agentic AI and AWS capabilities, we reduce operational complexity and empower CSPs to focus on delivering enhanced network experiences. This launch is a testament to our commitment to innovation and partnership."

The new rApp aaS, hosted on AWS, connects to the Non-RT RIC (RAN Intelligent Controller), within the service management and orchestration (SMO) framework via the R1 interface – the open, standardized interface defined by the Open RAN Alliance that connects the global innovation ecosystem to a CSP’s network.

This launch builds on Ericsson’s long experience in delivering AI-driven network optimization - demonstrating a reduction in optimization time, capacity increase, and improvement in user experience in numerous real-world deployments.

Ericsson AI solutions for network optimization currently handle more than 100 million AI inferences daily across 11 million cells serving more than 2 billion subscribers. By combining Ericsson’s expertise with AWS cloud capabilities and Agentic AI capabilities, rApp aaS enables CSPs to get the benefit of rApps with increased flexibility and elasticity without heavy upfront capital investment.

Ericsson supports innovation by giving employees access to advanced technology, emerging use cases, and the people developing the future of connectivity. This reflects a workplace where employees can apply deep technical experience, collaborate with brilliant colleagues, and help shape groundbreaking developments in networks, communications, and advanced technology.

“What I love about my role at Ericsson is that I am close to the actual technology vision and the people making these groundbreaking innovations. My Ericsson role takes advantage of my decades of engineering and leadership experience and brings it all together to advocate for our imagine possible vision.”

What tools support your day-to-day work?

I rely heavily on standard tools. As I always say, “Excel still rules.” It’s my baseline for organizing work and analyzing data.

On top of that, I use Office 365 daily. When you work with people across the globe, it’s a must-have. Teams, Outlook and shared documents make it possible to stay connected and aligned with different locations and teams.

I also use management and recruitment tools like SuccessFactors and Eightfold, which help structure processes, support decision-making and build strong teams effectively. For project-related work, I also use FPT Tracker, which helps me stay on top of deliverables, timelines and overall project progress in a structured way.

In addition, I actively use external platforms such as LinkedIn. It’s a key channel for building employer branding, reaching candidates and showcasing what we do as a team.

At the same time, I’m growing in the AI space and increasingly support my work with an agent I’m building in KIRO (WSL). It still requires effort and learning, but I already see the impact. Things are getting easier, especially with repetitive tasks. Step by step, I’m adapting to the changes that the future is bringing.

How does your team experiment?

I experiment in a structured and intentional way. I consciously create space in my calendar by setting up “focus zones,” dedicated blocks of time where I’m offline and can fully concentrate on planned work or self-learning.

I also take advantage of initiatives like Lantern Day in RTE, where I can see how others build their agents and try something similar myself.

Additionally, we have knowledge-sharing sessions between line managers, where we exchange ideas, share what has already worked and inspire each other. The goal is to use these tools in a smart way to free up time for higher-priority, more valuable activities.

How does your company adapt to change?

Change? I like it! Whether it’s reorganizing a workspace, changing domains, or adopting new ways of working, I’m always open to it.

A great example is the opening of the new RTE unit in Łódź. For me, it’s a completely new chapter with new responsibilities, new challenges and a lot of excitement. I feel like we’re building something truly valuable from scratch. Something meaningful and, hopefully, long-lasting.

What I appreciate most in these moments is the opportunity to embrace change fully: meeting new people, learning new things, influencing direction and seeing the tangible results of my work.

Of course, not every change is easy. Some require more time and energy than others. But I always try to focus on the positives, because every change brings new opportunities and creates value in the long run.