Led Vodafone Businesses’ B2B SaaS Cybersecurity and IoT portfolio, driving €600M in annual revenue contributing to €1B in annual revenue, across Europe.
The global telecommunications industry faces mounting pressure from the commoditisation of traditional connectivity services, driving providers to diversify with high-value digital solutions. In response, Vodafone launched its B2B SaaS Marketplace to serve SOHO and SME business customers with a comprehensive suite of technology enablement services. Initially focused on Productivity and Collaboration SaaS solutions like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, Vodafone’s strategic vision for the platform evolved to address more sophisticated business needs and challenges.
Key challenges included:
Business clients in sectors such as logistics, healthcare, and finance increasingly required solutions that combined secure IoT functionality with robust data protection.
Vodafone needed to ensure its offerings aligned with industry-specific compliance requirements while remaining agile enough to support diverse business models.
Cybersecurity threats continue to escalate, with global cyberattacks rising by 38% in 2022. Vodafone’s clients, many of whom manage sensitive data across interconnected devices, sought comprehensive security solutions to mitigate these evolving threats.
This demand necessitated a portfolio of services extending beyond basic connectivity to encompass advanced threat detection, endpoint security, and incident response capabilities.
The markets for cybersecurity and IoT are projected to grow rapidly, with the cybersecurity sector expected to reach $376 billion by 2029 and IoT anticipated to expand from $478 billion in 2022 to $1.85 trillion by 2029.
With hyperscalers and niche providers entering these markets with specialised offerings, Vodafone recognised the need to differentiate its platform by delivering industry-relevant, high-value solutions that drive digital transformation across all customer segments.
To expand the SaaS Marketplace’s value proposition and solidify its competitive positioning, Vodafone engaged a seasoned expert to mature and orchestrate its Cybersecurity and IoT portfolio across Europe.
This role involved close collaboration with subject matter experts, strategic partners including Accenture, TrendMicro, and Lookout and regional teams to craft and implement tailored go-to-market strategies, ensuring alignment with global objectives while addressing local market nuances.
To meet these challenges, an end-to-end product and portfolio management strategy was designed and implemented, focusing on data-driven decision-making, customer-centric innovation, and scalable technical enablement.
Led a cross-functional team of 150 and forged alliances with Accenture, Cisco, and Trend Micro. These collaborations fast-tracked the development of Vodafone’s cybersecurity offerings, directly contributing to €600M in revenue and enhancing Vodafone’s competitive position in the Cybersecurity and IoT space.
Orchestrated the SaaS GTM strategy for 15 new Cybersecurity and IoT services, such as Breach Response & Forensics, Penetration Testing, Managed Firewall, Phishing Awareness, and IoT enabled Tag & Track. This strategic expansion drove a 25% annual revenue uplift, leveraging tailored regional strategies to reinforce Vodafone’s market presence.
Centralised investment, sales, and performance metrics within PowerBI, enabling data-informed Go/No-Go decisions. Delivering critical insights that contributed to a 23% increase in customer acquisition, a 36% growth in upsells, and a 54% reduction in customer churn.
Deployed an OKR and KPI framework to establish strategic direction for rigorous validation of iterative experiments. Aligning product development with customer needs, improving service maturity, and enhancing customer satisfaction across the product lifecycle.
Conducted over 50 time-boxed experiments to validate demand in various regions, employing manual processes to gauge market interest. Informing future investments and establishing a foundation for scalable automation and sustainable growth.
Redesigned the customer journey for new and existing users, enhancing onboarding, messaging, and support experiences for key services, leading to a 30% improvement in customer satisfaction.
Aligned business requirements with technology capabilities, including Vodafone’s IDAM, ServiceNow, and AppDirect, considering present and future product needs. Facilitating the timely technical enablement for growth and integration within Vodafone’s ecosystem.
Played a pivotal role in 24 Program Increments, ensuring consistent planning and execution through SAFe. Optimising cross-functional alignment, significantly improving time-to-market and operational efficiency across Cybersecurity and IoT teams.
Strategic, leadership and technical competencies applied to this engagement.
Platforms, systems, and technologies involved.
This engagement advanced Vodafone’s capabilities in delivering B2B SaaS Marketplace offerings tailored to SOHO and SME business customers. Through strategic due diligence, evaluation of new and existing services, and leveraging data-driven insights, Adeeb Khan led critical GO/NO-GO decisions to introduce or further develop Cybersecurity and IoT services.
By collaborating with industry leaders, Vodafone successfully delivered new and evolving solutions to meet customer needs, reinforcing its position as a trusted technology partner across Europe.
