JAKARTA, Indonesia and SINGAPORE, Feb. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- by.U, part of Telkomsel, Southeast Asia's largest and one of the world's leading Tier-1 telecommunications operators, today announced the launch of a new vertical Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, developed in partnership with Circles, a global telco technology company. The platform is purpose-built to support large-scale digital transformation initiatives for telecommunications brands operating in complex, legacy environments.
The deployment of the Circles platform for by.U, a Telkomsel brand, represents a significant milestone in by.U's evolution and Telkomsel's broader digital transformation journey. This initiative marks one of the most complex modernization programs undertaken by a Tier-1 telecommunications operator. By adopting Circles' cloud-native vertical SaaS solution, Telkomsel and Circles successfully modernized critical digital capabilities while ensuring service continuity and operational stability throughout the transition.
A Tier-1 Brownfield Transformation, Executed in a Live Environment
Through its strategic partnership with Circles, Telkomsel consolidated and modernized multiple legacy BSS, orchestration, and digital experience systems into a unified, configurable, cloud-native, vertically integrated SaaS platform. The transformation was designed to support rapid innovation, operational resilience, and long-term scalability, while mitigating the risks typically associated with large-scale system replacement in live environments.
Unlike greenfield launches or limited digital pilots, this program was executed within a true brownfield context, involving deep integration with existing infrastructure, processes, and customer journeys. The transformation was carried out while the platform continued to serve millions of active users nationwide, supported by structured change management, monitoring, and mitigation measures.
Tangible Business and Technology Outcomes
The new platform delivers measurable, operator-grade improvements across business and technology dimensions, including:
- Performance optimization: Reduced transaction and journey latency across key digital flows, such as checkout and product activation, contributing to more responsive customer experiences.
- Business agility: Enhanced end-to-end configurability across products, pricing, journeys, and campaigns, enabling faster time-to-market while maintaining established governance and approval processes.
- Enterprise scalability: A modular, API-first architecture designed to operate reliably at national scale and support a large active subscriber base.
- Technical modernization: Consolidation of multiple legacy systems into a unified platform, helping reduce operational complexity and technical debt.
- AI-ready foundation: A modern data and orchestration architecture that establishes a clear path toward future AI-enabled use cases, including digital monetization and autonomous operations.
"The platform's configurability enables our teams to respond more effectively to market dynamics," said Joyce Shia, Director of Information Technology, Telkomsel. "This transformation strengthens our ability to innovate at speed, while maintaining operational discipline and service reliability."
Setting a Scalable Blueprint for Tier-1 Telcos
"This collaboration with Telkomsel demonstrates how large-scale brownfield transformations can be executed responsibly in live environments," said Sanjay Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Circles. "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 result is a repeatable blueprint for sustainable innovation and operational stability."
The partnership highlights Circles' capability to deliver enterprise-grade, Tier-1-ready SaaS transformations within complex legacy landscapes and establishes a scalable approach that can be applied by telecommunications operators globally.
About Circles
Founded in 2014, Circles is a global technology company reimagining the telco industry with its innovative SaaS platform, empowering telco operators worldwide to effortlessly launch innovative digital brands or refresh existing ones, accelerating their transformation into techcos.
Today, Circles partners with leading telco operators across 14 countries and 6 continents, including KDDI Corporation, Etisalat Group (e&), AT&T, and Telkomsel, creating blueprints for future telco and digital experiences enjoyed by millions of consumers globally.
Circles is backed by renowned global investors, including Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia), Warburg Pincus, Founders Fund, and EDBI (the investment arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board), with a track record of backing industry challengers.
To learn more about how Circles enables digital transformation for leading telcos worldwide, visit circles.co.
About Telkomsel
Telkomsel is Indonesia's leading digital telecommunications provider, committed to unlocking every opportunity through innovative connectivity, services, and solutions. Established in 1995, Telkomsel delivers 4G coverage to 97% of population areas and pioneers the widest 5G services in the country. Serving hundreds of millions of mobile and fixed broadband customers, Telkomsel continues to expand digital services while advancing the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ESG principles.
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