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Australian telecommunications company Telstra has announced the acquisition of enterprise application development firm Readify to accelerate digital transformation for enterprise customers both domestically and internationally, according to a press release.
Readify employs around 200 people across Australia and provides a broad range of services across enterprise and mobile technology stacks. The company has a strong Microsoft focus, supporting Azure cloud—where it is recognised as an expert support partner—alongside SharePoint and Office 365. Readify also delivers platforms for building B2E and B2C applications for Android and iOS.
“Applications and software are becoming increasingly central to business operations,” said Michelle Bendschneider, Telstra executive director of global enterprises and services. “Readify will bring application development and data analytics capabilities that complement Kloud’s existing cloud services.”
Bendschneider added that the acquisition will enable Telstra to offer enhanced value to customers through enterprise cloud applications, API-driven customisation and extensions, and business technology advisory services. Graeme Strange, Readify managing director, said the company looks forward to growing as part of Telstra: “Readify has a strong track record of creating innovative solutions with our customers, and with Telstra’s scale the opportunities are very exciting.”
The acquisition highlights a broader theme in the industry—how mobile operators can position themselves in the enterprise and mobility markets. A recent report by analyst house CCS Insight, sponsored by Red Hat, argued that with the right partnerships telcos can establish a meaningful presence in enterprise mobility, even if other areas such as telco cloud present challenges because of scale and complexity.
Red Hat’s experience illustrates that model. Their collaboration with Three Ireland delivers application development services as part of a managed mobility offering. Cathal McGloin, VP of mobile platforms at Red Hat, observed: “Telcos are strong at scaling and mass production—they may not always lead in innovation, but by partnering with innovative companies they bring scale, customer relationships, billing capabilities, and other strengths.”
Financial terms of the Telstra–Readify deal were not disclosed.