The IT Nerd

Earlier this year, news came out that TELUS might have been the victim of a cyberattack. Here’s what was said to be out in the wild at the time:

Canada’s second-largest telecom, TELUS is investigating a potential data breach after a threat actor shared samples online of what appears to be employee data. The threat actor subsequently posted screenshots that apparently show private source code repositories and payroll records held by the company.

At the time, TELUS said that they were investigating this. And today we have the results of that investigation:

We have concluded our investigation of this incident and have discovered that no systems used to support our customers were impacted, and that TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods were not impacted in any way. 

We also discovered that a small amount of customer data may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party. While our ongoing monitoring has not discovered evidence of any personal information appearing in any public forum, we will be notifying impacted customers in the coming days.

So this confirms that TELUS was pwned. And I have to wonder what “a small amount of customer data” means. Plus whatever amount of customer data that “may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party” is too much as no amount of customer data should ever get out into the wild. It will be interesting to see how many people get notified by TELUS. And finally, I have to wonder what effect this will have on TELUS as a brand. You can expect me to keep an eye on all of this.

TM Forum today announced that Canadian communications technology company, TELUS, has become the first North American Communications Service Provider (CSP) to secure ‘Running on ODA’ status. Joining Axiata, Jio and Vodafone Group, TELUS is the fourth CSP to gain this recognition, meaning network architectures following TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA) principles now support millions of customers worldwide.

ODA provides a blueprint to help CSPs transform into agile digital organizations, rapidly bringing new products to market at significantly reduced cost, while improving customer experience.

The ‘Running on ODA’ award recognizes advancements in TELUS’ IT architecture and delivery capabilities, using cloud-native, vendor-agnostic solutions integrated by TM Forum’s industry standard Open APIs. ODA enables TELUS to deliver products and services built from reusable components to over 9 million customers.

ODA has enabled TELUS to continue delivering innovative technology solutions and revolutionize its go-to-market strategy. For example, it recently launched a new offering across all six of its go-to-market channels simultaneously at a third of the usual cost and reducing time-to-market by one third. Prior to ODA-aligned architecture, this would have involved creating two versions of a product for wireless and wireline systems and launching it sequentially over various channels.

TELUS is the latest CSP to have been awarded ‘Running on ODA’ status, with another four organizations under assessment and three further organizations eligible.

 In response to the devastating wildfires spreading throughout Alberta and its impact on children and families, TELUS, in partnership with TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods and TELUS Health are making an initial commitment of $5 million in cash donations and in-kind contributions to local charities and organizations supporting relief efforts and first responders, including the Canadian Red Cross and Salvation Army.

TELUS technicians continue to work around the clock to maintain critical infrastructure and network connectivity under the most challenging of conditions to ensure Albertans and first responders stay connected. These efforts include ensuring emergency generators are running for cell sites to provide wireless coverage throughout the province. In partnership with Ralcomm Ltd., a portable cell tower was placed outside of Drayton Valley for evacuees and first responders to stay connected. TELUS is also deploying extra network technology to evacuation centres such as Smart Hubs and power banks so everyone can stay connected to their loved ones.

Donations and in-kind support to assist with wildfire relief efforts in Alberta include:

• TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, TELUS Edmonton and Northern Alberta Community Board, TELUS Calgary and Southern Alberta Community Board, TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods, and TELUS Health are committing $500,000 to help evacuees and Albertans in need through local relief efforts, mental health support, emergency care and providing food and supplies to affected areas.
• TELUS Health has initiated a free community crisis hotline available 24/7 to all Canadians at 1-844-751-2133 and is providing support through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) help line for eligible employees of their clients.
• Notifying impacted TELUS and Koodo residential and business customers via SMS that we are waiving all domestic voice, text and data overage fees, helping them stay connected to loved ones.
• TELUS Health and TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods are providing complimentary mental health support for farmers and in-kind emergency veterinary care for cattle.
• TELUS Friendly Future Foundation has activated a text-to-donate fundraising campaign whereby TELUS customers can text DONATE to 41010 to give $20 to TELUS Friendly Future Foundation to support registered charities providing wildfire relief across the province.
  TELUS team members are contributing to TELUS Friendly Future Foundation which TELUS is triple matching in support of Alberta fire relief efforts.
• TELUS Community Ambassadors delivered disaster kits with essential items like bandages, USB car chargers and flashlights to support evacuees from Brazeau County and Drayton Valley.

In addition, TELUS is engaged with evacuated Indigenous communities to understand their needs and supply necessities such as water, diapers and non-perishable food items.

To support Albertans who may not be able to travel to see their doctor, TELUS Health MyCare is free to download and offers a robust suite of services, including those covered by provincial health insurance, such as access to licensed medical professionals in numerous languages, specialist referrals, mental health counsellors and registered dietitians. TELUS Health patients who were evacuated and usually receive their prescriptions by home delivery can contact: 1-877-796-7979 to re-route their prescription, if needed immediately, to another location or accessible pharmacy.

Customers in Alberta and B.C. can redeem their TELUS Rewards points for a $20 donation to TELUS Friendly Future Foundation in support of wildfire relief efforts. To learn more about TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, visit friendlyfuture.com.

TELUS today announced the kick off of its 18th annual TELUS Days of Giving, a month-long initiative that mobilizes TELUS team members, retirees and partners around the world to volunteer and give back in their local communities.   According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, Canadians are increasingly looking to businesses to do more to help solve pressing social issues. Almost 60 per cent of Canadians believe businesses are not doing enough to address climate change and 81 per cent agree companies should be doing more to give back. Championed by team members almost two decades ago, the annual TELUS Days of Giving movement continues to grow, now bringing together a record-breaking 75,000 TELUS team members and retirees across the globe. From cleaning local shorelines and parks, donating blood, planting trees, recycling old mobile devices, or volunteering at neighbourhood food banks, the TELUS team is committed to creating long-lasting impacts and helping address some of today’s most pressing challenges in their local communities. Since 2000, the TELUS team members, retirees and their families have contributed 2 million days of global volunteerism and donated C$1.5 billion to local charities and not-for-profit organizations.

In addition to the TELUS Days of Giving program, TELUS leads by example, stepping up and providing support every day of the year. Last year alone, TELUS:

• Gave back five per cent of its pre-tax profits in 2022, including devoting $125 million and 1.44 million volunteer hours
• Enabled $6.6 million in 2022 for humanitarian and emergency relief around the world, directly helping those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian, the flooding in Pakistan, and the unrest in Iran
• Provided over $1 million worth of food and meals to communities in need nationwide
• Filled and distributed 17,000 backpacks, filled with back-to-school essentials for Canadian youth, as part of TELUS’ Kits for Kids program
• Planted 265,000 trees in 2022, helping reach a 2023 milestone of 1 million trees planted to date, and removing 10,000 bags of garbage from shorelines across the country
• Donated over 145,000 handmade and collected care items, such as hand sewn baby clothes, heart pillows, knitted knockers and comfort kits, for organizations supporting the health and wellness of Canadians from coast to coast

To learn more about how TELUS is helping create a friendlier future for all, visit telus.com/purpose.

TELUS recently celebrated the planting of its 1 millionth tree at TELUS Garden, achieving an incredible milestone that is equivalent to planting 20,000 acres of forest, which is twenty times the size of Vancouver’s Stanley Park. A single full-grown tree absorbs approximately 22 kilograms of CO – the equivalent to a gasoline-powered vehicle driving 76 kilometres – and produces about 100 kilograms of oxygen every year. As the world continues to face biodiversity loss, urgent action is needed to restore ecosystems and help mitigate climate change. In partnership with leading restoration companies, including Veritree and Flash Forest, TELUS is working to leverage the power of its world-leading networks and innovative technology to revolutionize nature-based solutions with the goal of replenishing forests and seaforests. To start, TELUS, Veritree and Flash Forest are focusing on reforestation and seaforestation projects in western Canada and internationally. 

TELUS’ mission to restore forests and seaforests is all part of its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and become a zero-waste, carbon-neutral company by 2030. This focus on building a better, more sustainable future has once again earned TELUS the title of one of Canada’s Top 100 Greenest Employers. Last month, TELUS released its 2022 Sustainability Report outlining its environment, social, and governance strategy and priorities which includes the ambitious goal to use 100 per cent renewable or low-emitting energy by 2025. It highlights TELUS’ sustainable business practices, which includes: 

• Reducing company-wide GHG emissions by 45 per cent since 2010;
• Generating and purchasing 215,000 Megawatt hours of renewable energy since 2010;
• Diverting 70 per cent of TELUS’ waste from landfills, a 1.7 per cent decrease in landfilled waste from October 2021 to September 2022.

In addition to being honoured as one of Canada’s Top 100 Greenest Employers, TELUS has also been awarded the Sustainability Excellence Award at the World Sustainability Awards 2022; recognized as the only telecommunications company in Wall Street Journal’s top 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World; ranked as the top North American company in environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in the telecommunications sector for the 21st year in a row by the Dow Jones North American Index; awarded the inaugural Terra Carta Seal for leadership on climate change energy transition; featured in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 100 Companies in Sustainability, ranking #8; recognized by Corporate Knights in its Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations, and as one of the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada in 2022.

To learn more about TELUS’ commitment to a more sustainable future, visit telus.com/sustainability.

Today, TELUS introduced its next generation of Optik TV, unleashing a revolutionary content experience and simplifying the way customers find, stream and interact with their favourite content. The new Optik TV offers live and on demand TV across all devices, in addition to new features like personalized profiles, universal search, voice remote and access to thousands of apps through the Google Play Store, all in one intuitive digital box, making the entertainment experience for customers easier and better than ever. 

Powered by a sleek TELUS TV Digital Box with Bluetooth voice remote that takes only minutes to set up, the new Optik TV provides customers with an immersive entertainment experience. New features include: 

• Simplified menu: The simplified menu and home screen provide easy access to live TV, recordings, search and On Demand content on the navigation bar.
• Personalized profiles: Enjoy a more personalized TV experience where every member of the household can create a unique profile and get a customized home screen showcasing their favourite channels, movies, recent recordings, and the ability to pick up where they left off at any time.
• Voice remote: Powered by Google Assistant, customers can control their TV and search for shows using the built-in microphone on the TELUS Remote.
• Universal search: Customers can conveniently search across Live TV, On Demand, and streaming services to discover content faster without switching between apps.
• Unlimited recordings: Cloud PVR offers customers unlimited recording capacity so they can save as many shows as they want, and watch them from any device at any time, anywhere in Canada through the TELUS TV+ app.
• Sports Zone: Customers can create a curated home page capturing their favourite events and sports teams to easily navigate to live or upcoming games and current scores with just a single click.

Optik TV provides access to thousands of apps from Google Play, including YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video preloaded for easy access. All plans come with the Core TV package which includes up to 36 HD channels, as well as local favourites. Customers can choose a Core+ Premium package which includes one premium streaming service such as Netflix for just $38 per month. For even more content, TELUS offers the Combo packages such as 4 Theme Packs + 1 Premium and 7 Theme Packs + 1 Premium where customers can choose from popular theme packs such as Disney Time, Sportsnet & Beyond, and Blockbusters. To learn more about TELUS Optik TV, visit www.telus.com/optiktv. 

The research speaks for itself – animals have a profound impact on Canadians’ wellbeing. From this study that shows watching images and videos of animals for just 30 minutes positively affects blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety, or this study that shows those who engaged in a 10-minute interaction with a live animal reported higher levels of contentment, it’s clear we look to critters for comfort and joy. 

TELUS has launched the Critter Comforts video playlist on YouTube and Optik TV, providing Canadians with a healthy dose of relaxation and delight watching their favourite TELUS critters. Watching the playlist won’t just help viewers feel good, it will also do good for animals and the charities that support them: for every view of the Critter Comforts playlist on YouTube, TELUS will give $1, up to $100,000, through the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, to charities that support service animals, wildlife rehabilitation and animal therapy across the country. 

Similar to the fireplace channel or calming musical playlists, the TELUS Critter Comforts playlist is designed to boost Canadians’ well-being with a warm combination of calm and joy in a convenient, digital way, featuring TELUS’ iconic critters who Canadians have come to know and love. 

To further examine the human-animal bond, and just how much critters mean to us – whether in our homes, on our screens, or in our natural environments – TELUS conducted an online survey (between January 20-27, 2023) surveying a nationally representative random sample of 2,114 Canadians adults. 

Below are the top survey findings. 

Canadians feel that simply watching animal content online has a positive affect on their mood: 

• 63% of Canadians said that videos like TELUS’s Critter Comforts Playlist content improved their mood and made them feel happy (58%), relaxed (48%), and joyful (41%).
• Those who consume animal content online are more likely to feel happiness (80%).
• Top Animal Video Content for Canadians are baby animal videos or photos (52%), pet rescues (51%), or touching and wholesome animal stories (50%). 
• And some believe their pets enjoy entertainment too! 56% of Canadians leave the TV or other entertainment on for their pet when they go out so they don’t feel alone. 

In general, Canadians feel pets are good for their wellbeing: 

• 6-in-10 Canadian households (59%) currently have a pet. 
• Two-thirds of Canadians have a dog, and half of Canadians are cat owners. Other pets include fish, birds, reptiles, farm animals, and squirrels.
• Even non-pet owners agree that having a pet, or interacting with any animal has a positive impact on health and overall wellbeing (83%) with seven-in-ten Canadians noting they spend time in nature to support their mental health (69%). 
• 70% of Canadian pet owners were motivated to get a pet to help with their anxiety and/or depression, to battle their loneliness, or to reduce their stress levels. 
• 94% of Canadian pet owners agree that pet ownership has positively impacted their life, and nearly all pet owners agree that animals have a positive impact on all people’s health and wellbeing. 
• 78% of parents said they were motivated to bring a pet home to their children to help with their children’s loneliness, to help with their anxiety, or to help boost their children’s self-esteem and confidence. 

How regional locations stack-up on all-things-critters: 

• 63% of Canadians said that videos like TELUS’s critter content improved their mood and made them feel happy (58%), relaxed (48%), and joyful (41%). 
  • Quebecers reported to feel happy the least (48%), while Atlantic Canadians felt happy the most (68%). 
• Those living in the Atlantic provinces (63%) and the Prairies (63%) currently have a pet – higher than the national average (59%). 
•  62% of Atlantic Canadians leave the TV or other entertainment on for their pet when they go out. 
• Atlantic Canadians like to watch TV with their pets (77%). 
• Atlantic Canadians are most likely to look to their pets for comfort on emotionally challenging days (77% compared to national average of 66%), with Quebecers least likely to seek solace from their pets (60%). 
• 70% of Canadian pet owners were motivated to get a pet to help with their anxiety and/or depression, to battle their loneliness, or to reduce their stress levels. 
  • Higher in Atlantic – To help with my anxiety and/or depression (27%).
  • Higher in Quebec – Battling loneliness (23%). 
  • Higher in Ontario – To reduce stress levels (35%). 
• British Columbians were more likely to both celebrate their pets ‘gotcha day’ and to take their pet on a play-date to meet other pets, versus any other province (63% and 51% respectively, compared to national averages of 55% and 40% respectively).

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced TELUS as the club’s premier partner through 2027. The multi-year partnership brings together two longstanding Vancouver-based organizations with a proven and shared commitment to drive meaningful change in their local communities. 

To kick off the new partnership and 2023 season, Vancouver Whitecaps FC also unveiled its new 2023 jersey today, featuring the iconic TELUS brand. The new ‘Bloodlines’ Jersey shines a light on the pressing need for donors to support Canadian Blood Services, encouraging all Canadians from coast to coast to coast to download the Canadian Blood Services app and learn how they can help save lives.

The new jersey prominently featuring TELUS, will hit the field for the first time at the Whitecaps FC home opener on Saturday, February 25. To celebrate the new partnership, TELUS team members will be giving away co-branded Whitecaps scarves to every fan attending the match.

From February 16 to March 31, fans will be able to register for an account on the Canadian Blood Services app GiveBlood (myaccount.blood.ca) and show it at the Whitecaps FC Official Store or at a home match at BC Place to receive free personalized cresting (name and number) on a 2023 Bloodlines jersey. For more information on how to help support the Canadian Blood Services, visit blood.ca. 

Today, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation launched the “Livable Communities for our Youth” Innovation Challenge, a $1 million funding opportunity to help address some of the most pressing social challenges youth in Canada are facing today, including lack of access to mental health support and housing, low academic achievement and barriers to employment. “Liveable Communities for our Youth” encourages out-of-the-box thinking and collaboration between innovators, entrepreneurs and youth focused charities, connecting them to help meet the needs of Canadian charities overwhelmed with demand. 

The Innovation Challenge uses a unique crowdsourcing platform, HeroX.com, that encourages entrepreneurs and innovators to come forward with new approaches that can help make communities across Canada more livable for youth, in one or more of the following areas: 

• Youth mental health
• Youth homelessness
• Barriers to youth education and employment 
• Making our communities safer and more inclusive for youth

Entrepreneurs, innovators and charities are invited to apply to the “Livable Communities for our Youth” Innovation Challenge until March 31. Up to five winners will be chosen to partner with a registered charity in Canada, with the total prize purse of $1 million being awarded to fund the most compelling approaches.

To learn more visit herox.com/SolutionsForYouth.