Telkomsel, Southeast Asia's largest telecommunications operator, has launched a vertical Software-as-a-Service platform developed with Singapore-based Circles to support large-scale digital transformation initiatives in complex legacy environments, according to PR Newswire.

The deployment for by.U, a Telkomsel brand, represents one of the most complex modernization programmes undertaken by a Tier-1 telecommunications operator. The initiative consolidated multiple legacy BSS, orchestration and digital experience systems into a unified, configurable, cloud-native platform while maintaining service continuity for millions of active users.

The transformation was executed in a true brownfield context involving deep integration with existing infrastructure, processes and customer journeys. The platform continued serving active users nationwide throughout implementation, supported by structured change management, monitoring and mitigation measures.

Joyce Shia, Director of Information Technology at Telkomsel, said: "The platform's configurability enables our teams to respond more effectively to market dynamics. This transformation strengthens our ability to innovate at speed, while maintaining operational discipline and service reliability."

The platform delivers measurable improvements including reduced transaction and journey latency across checkout and product activation, enhanced configurability across products, pricing and campaigns, and modular API-first architecture operating at national scale. The consolidation reduces operational complexity and technical debt while establishing foundations for AI-enabled use cases.

Sanjay Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer at Circles, said: "This collaboration with Telkomsel demonstrates how large-scale brownfield transformations can be executed responsibly in live environments. Together with Telkomsel and by.U, we've shown that Tier-1 operators can modernize critical platforms at scale, supported by purpose-built telecom SaaS capabilities and deep operational expertise."

The partnership establishes a scalable approach applicable to telecommunications operators globally navigating legacy system modernization while maintaining operational stability.

Learn about the brownfield transformation methodology and implementation framework in the complete article.