SourseAI strikes New Zealand telecoms deal with 2degrees

SourseAI has signed a partnership with New Zealand telecommunications provider 2degrees, extending its work with telecoms operators beyond its existing presence in the mobile virtual network operator market.

The agreement links the Australian decision intelligence software company with one of New Zealand's full-service telecoms providers, as operators assess where artificial intelligence can deliver measurable commercial results. The partnership strengthens SourseAI's international telecoms customer base and reflects operator demand for tools focused on customer value management, retention and forecasting.

SourseAI has focused on telecommunications, media, entertainment and utilities, positioning its software as a way to turn customer and operational data into insights for commercial and marketing decisions. In telecoms, that includes customer retention, campaign performance and lifetime value.

For 2degrees, the arrangement adds a specialist supplier in predictive analytics and decisioning as it seeks to improve campaign conversion and reduce customer losses. The operator provides mobile, broadband and electricity services, giving it a broad customer base across consumer and business segments.

The partnership comes as telecoms groups move away from broad experimentation with artificial intelligence and towards narrower applications tied to financial outcomes. Companies in the sector have faced pressure to show that spending on data and AI systems can support growth, retention and more efficient marketing.

That shift is also changing who influences investment decisions. Chief Marketing Officers and executive leadership teams are playing a larger role in shaping AI spending, with greater focus on measurable customer and business outcomes.

Tanya Hyams-Young, chief executive of SourseAI, described the agreement as part of the company's international expansion with network operators.

"This partnership is significant for us because it demonstrates how operators are becoming more focused on specialist decision intelligence capabilities that are purpose-built for telecommunications," Hyams-Young said.

She said operators now wanted practical use cases rather than general AI branding.

"The industry has moved beyond simply wanting AI. Operators now want meaningful intelligence, greater certainty around decision-making and the ability to execute at pace.

"SourseAI was originally built for telecommunications providers because of the unique commercial and customer challenges this industry faces. Partnering with 2degrees is an important validation point as we continue building our international operator portfolio.

"We're also deliberate about the organisations we choose to work with. Strong partnerships should be built on aligned values, compatible expertise and commercial ambition. 2degrees' focus on customer outcomes, innovation and ESG made them a natural fit for us," Hyams-Young said.

Sector focus

SourseAI has built much of its profile in the telecoms sector in Australia and other markets and is now working more often with operators, utilities and media businesses. It argues that specialist software built around the economics of sectors such as telecoms is more relevant to decision-makers than general-purpose AI tools.

That view is gaining ground across telecoms, where customer acquisition costs are high, churn remains a central metric and pricing decisions can have an immediate effect on margins. Operators have also been under pressure to use customer data more effectively while maintaining a clear link between technology spending and commercial performance.

At 2degrees, the partnership will sit within customer value management and insights functions.

"We choose partners that understand our business and can deliver real business value. SourseAI stood out because of its specialist focus in telco, utilities and predictive analytics.

"We are looking to unlock significant value through AI-driven decisioning, improving campaign conversion, reducing churn and increasing customer lifetime value," said Anna Gavin, general manager of CVM and Insights at 2degrees.

The deal also illustrates how smaller and mid-sized operators are seeking external software partners with sector-specific products rather than building all such systems in-house. For suppliers like SourseAI, those agreements can provide both recurring operator revenue and a reference point for expansion into other regulated consumer sectors such as utilities.

2degrees has positioned itself in New Zealand as a challenger brand in telecoms and related services. Its reach across mobile, fixed internet and electricity creates multiple opportunities for customer analytics and targeted offers, making customer value management an important area for revenue growth and retention.

For SourseAI, the agreement adds another operator to a client list previously associated more closely with the MVNO segment. That expansion from virtual operators to established network providers is likely to be watched closely in the telecoms software market, where vendors are trying to show that specialised analytics tools can deliver clear commercial outcomes.