Parm Sandhu

Parm Sandhu

Vice President Enterprise 5G Products and Services

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Parm Sandhu pioneers 5G and Edge Computing at NTT DATA. Here he shares his Enterprise journey so far and data centre sector predictions for the future

NTT DATA is a US$30bn global innovator of business and technology services, which serves 75% of the Fortune Global 100 and is committed to helping clients innovate, optimise and transform for long-term success. 

As a Global Top Employer, NTT DATA has diverse experts in more than 50 countries and a robust partner ecosystem of established and start-up companies. Its services include business and technology consulting, data, AI and industry solutions, as well as the development, implementation and management of applications, infrastructure and connectivity. The company is also one of the leading providers of digital and AI infrastructure in the world. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over US$3.6bn each year in R&D, to help organisations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future.

Here, Parm Sandhu, Vice President of Enterprise 5G Products & Services at NTT DATA tells us about his career, the role of 5G and his predictions for the data centre sector. 

Hello Parm, please introduce yourself.

I am the Group Vice President of Enterprise 5G and Edge Compute Products and Services at NTT DATA, responsible for spearheading the development of cutting-edge digital offerings to fuel growth and instigate transformative change for our enterprise clients. I have over three decades of experience across wireless and wireline telecommunications, industrial automation, Private 5G (P5G) networks, Edge computing and industrial AI. Throughout, I've been fortunate enough to bring to market these technologies and continue to revolutionise the way business works. 

Tell us about your background.

My career has been dedicated to the convergence of technology and business, with a focus on information communications technologies and wireless networks. I began my journey in the telecom sector, where I honed my skills in network operations, product development and service delivery. Over the years, I've expanded my expertise to encompass emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT and Edge computing.

In my role at Sierra Wireless (now Semtech), I led strategic initiatives to drive the company's IoT leadership by empowering businesses to excel in the connected world. Before that, I led transformative initiatives at TELUS, including product strategy and development for consumer wireless and home communications services.

What 5G products and services does NTT offer?

We offer a comprehensive suite of P5G, Edge compute and AI solutions designed to accelerate enterprise digital transformation and are well-positioned to guide our clients on this journey. Our core offerings are tailored for industries such as manufacturing, automotive, retail/cpg, energy/utilities, smart cities, and transport/logistics.

For P5G network connectivity, we deliver a full-stack solution encompassing network design, build, integration, management and optimisation. This approach, combined with our expertise in Edge computing and Edge AI, enables us to create bespoke, purpose-built solutions aligned with specific business needs and use cases.

BOXOUT Our commitment to innovation is bolstered through partnerships with industry leaders like Schneider Electric and our involvement in groundbreaking projects such as the world's largest P5G networks in Europe at Frankfurt Airport, and in the U.S. for the City of Las Vegas. BOXOUT 

We don’t look at P5G in isolation but rather as part of a complete Edge strategy. That’s why we recently launched our Edge AI platform, which further enhances our capabilities. This innovative, market-first solution addresses the growing demand for real-time AI insights by processing massive data sets at the Edge, enabling faster decision-making and optimising operations.

By combining P5G, Edge computing and AI, NTT DATA empowers enterprises to unlock the full potential of their data, improve operational efficiency and gain a competitive edge.

What skills have you had to build for the role?

Over the course of my career, I’ve had to cultivate a deep understanding of 5G and the foundational technology behind it. This is complemented by my ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business strategies for executive leadership teams, and a strong foundation in financial management, particularly in P&L optimisation. I've built robust industry relationships and have learned to lead and motivate high-performing teams. This combination of strategic vision, and technical and operational expertise has been instrumental in allowing me to drive product development and market penetration, which are core to this role.

How do you motivate your team?

The P5G/Edge team is a start-up within NTT DATA Inc. focussed on building new growth products and services for enterprise clients. I believe in fostering a collaborative and empowering work environment where team members feel valued and challenged. I set clear, ambitious goals and empower my team to take initiative. Open communication and cross-functional collaboration are essential for understanding their needs and driving success. In creating a supportive environment, I’ve helped foster a high-performance culture focused on delivering exceptional results. Ultimately, our motivation comes from a shared vision and the belief in our collective ability to make a significant impact and drive customer service excellence.

What does a typical day look like for you?

As an executive responsible for driving the global growth portfolio, I work across global business units to ensure that growth targets are met or exceeded and that all resources are utilised optimally. Managing a global team and being part of an organisation that operates across 60 countries, my day starts with early morning 6am meetings with European team members, then onto meetings with NA team members and I finally close the day with late evening meetings with APAC team members. I always squeeze in a workout or a walk around late afternoon between meetings. My objective is to remain focused on activities and decisions about acquiring new customer logos and growing revenue, retention, monetisation, and product life-cycle management for the growth portfolio.

I spend a significant amount of time meeting with clients and visiting factories, as well as collecting and analysing data to make informed decisions about the portfolio life-cycle and go-to-market strategy. This helps me to better understand the P5G and Edge industry and be able to identify market trends to capitalise on them. I work with my team and our industry partners to develop and execute growth strategies; for example, how to expand the availability of the Edge products into new markets and industry segments or create differentiated offerings by incorporating global NTT Data Assets for regional markets. 

What are your predictions for the data centre sector over the next year and beyond?

Edge AI and P5G are accelerating digital transformation across industries by delivering the high bandwidth, low latency and enhanced reliability required to overcome connectivity challenges that have historically hindered Industry 4.0 initiatives. This is facilitating a rapid shift towards Edge computing and fundamentally reshaping the data centre landscape.

The next year will be pivotal for Edge computing and the data centre sector. As P5G matures and Edge AI and IoT adoption grows, the demand for low-latency applications will drive the broader development of Edge data centres. Investments in micro data centres and Edge computing platforms will be essential for supporting AI, augmented reality, and autonomous systems.

Beyond the immediate term, hybrid cloud architectures will gradually become commonplace, with data processing and storage distributed between core and Edge locations. Advancements in Edge technologies to support the growth of AI applications will not only create new business models but also redefine industries that rely on real-time data streams such as manufacturing, healthcare and transportation.

To accommodate this growing demand, data centre operators will need to prioritise flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. Innovative approaches to power and cooling will be equally crucial as the Edge infrastructure expands.

What do the next 12 months hold for you and the company?

We are seeing tremendous success with our growth portfolio by bringing together ecosystem solutions that are easy to consume by our clients to achieve their business outcomes. In the next 12 months, we are focused on closing more Edge and P5G portfolio clients, continuing to expand our offerings into new countries and expanding our Edge AI portfolio product sets with curated use case solutions.

To read the full story in the magazine click HERE

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