Since its founding in 1902, Tbaytel has become the largest independently owned telecommunications provider in Canada. The company is keeping Northern Ontario connected with a wireless network that covers over 300,000 square kilometersa territory the same size as countries like Norway and Poland.As a regional telecommunications provider, Tbaytel must address typical issues faced by customers in rural areas often lacking reliable, high-speed Internet or cellular connectivity. Network outages, slow speed, and inconsistent performance can hinder productivity and daily life.Canada's Tbaytel has made sizable investments in robust network infrastructure and has a sharp focus on proactive maintenance and quick response to service disruptions.gettyOur mission is to ensure connectivity for all communities in order to foster regional growth and help people develop business opportunities, said John Blanchette, director of finance at Tbaytel. He was speaking on a recent panel highlighting how Tbaytel utilized SAP cloud ERPPart of the companys mission is to ensure digital inclusivity and provide an exceptional customer experience through advanced, competitively priced communication solutions. To achieve the mission, Tbaytel has made sizable investments in robust network infrastructure and has a sharp focus on proactive maintenance and quick response to service disruptions. Tbaytel is in the process of expanding infrastructure to provide fiber-optic Internet, LTE, and 5G coverage across the territory it serves.Our goal is to enhance the lives of everyone in our neighborhood, and we take pride in supporting the local economy, Blanchette explained. Were delivering a telecommunications infrastructure that supports economic growth.Businesses in smaller markets often have a hard time finding telecom providers that understand their unique needs. Tbaytel offers tailored solutions such as managed IT services, business Internet, and secure communication tools, along with personal relationships with small business owners. The company offers dedicated support for small and medium-sized enterprises with competitive pricing for mobile, Internet, and flexible packages with bundled services.Modern technologiesBlanchette highlighted some of the challenges regarding technology.Our legacy systems hindered our ability to adopt automation and AI, and we were having difficulty focusing on strategic initiatives due to outdated processes, he explained. Our ERP struggled to communicate with other tools, creating data silos, and our complex workflows were slowing down our ability to make informed decisions in real time. And, due to resource constraints, we were prioritizing network support over ERP maintenance.All these challenges emphasized the need for a modern, integrated financial solution to support Tbaytels goals. The company decided to partner with SAP and NTT DATA to modernize its financial and operational systems through cloud ERP.A long-term SAP partner specializing in midmarket solutions, NTT has supported several Canadian telcos, including Tbaytel, since 1997. NTT specializes in supporting smaller clients in the midmarket that most people aren't familiar with. We help these customers understand how SAP brings tremendous value, and of course we provide the services, the implementation, and long-term support to ensure their success, said Jason Mausberg, managing director of NTT, on the same panel.NTTs expertise spans migration from on-premise systems to cloud ERP for businesses of varying scales, making it the perfect partner for a telco like Tbaytel.Blanchette and Mausberg went on to explain how the transition to SAP cloud ERP solutions are helping Tbaytel stay agile and competitive while addressing financial and operational challenges. They also discussed the broader implications of modernizing financial systems.Need for simplificationTbaytels transformation was driven by the need for simplification. Basically, cloud ERP reduces the complexity of managing IT infrastructure, and standardized solutions enable faster deployments with minimal internal resources.The company can now focus on core operations while shifting resources from ERP maintenance to customer-centric and network-focused initiatives. To keep things even simpler, Tbaytel opted for a greenfield implementation, creating a new system from scratch in the cloud. This approach enabled the company to build a modern, streamlined ERP environment tailored to their evolving needs.Last but not least, cloud ERP is helping the company prepare for the future. It allows for integration of emerging AI technologies for trend prediction, profitability analysis, and enhanced decision-making. The company is now able to explore AI-driven tools for customer support, predictive analytics, and service optimization. It now has access to real-time data and analytics services to improve customer decision-making and operational efficiency.By addressing these challenges, Tbaytel is not only providing reliable telecom services but also empowering communities and businesses in the region to thrive in a digitally connected world.Having streamlined its own operations to improve service delivery, Tbaytel can now better support businesses and customers in migrating to modern platforms, including cloud-based solutions and next-generation telecom services. Its continuous success has enabled Tbaytel to support the City of Thunder Bay, where it is headquartered, with an annual contribution that has increased to $18 million over the years.Our commitment since our inception has been to help the people in the neighborhood connect to the world. After a century of working with our customers to provide technology that delivers the best possible experience, were going stronger than ever, said Blanchette. Stay tunedwere just getting started!Follow me on LinkedIn.