Africa rising; the case for pan regional roaming in the African continent

By Paul Merry, Operator Strategies, Informa Telecoms & Media, April 4, 2012 

A recent client request for analysis on the African roaming market brought up a number of interesting conclusions and insights on the continent: its approach to roaming and the future of this developing region.

The opportunity for roaming in Africa is tied to the available audience which is limited by factors that include the available audience for such services based on national expenditures and the GDP PPP of would-be roamers and travel patterns in the region. On the positive-side Africa’s roamers are biased toward enterprise users who generally have higher expendable incomes and greater resistance to price fluctuations (price inelastic).

This characteristic will result in the region seeing a CAGR of 13.37% between 2012 and 2016 according to our latest forecasts (www.informatandm.com/gmroaming) the largest growth of any region over this period albeit coming from a lower starting point.

One of the main challenges facing operators in Africa and beyond is customer perception of roaming. Issues range through a full gamut of customer emotion from fear of overspend (bill shock) to confusion regarding services (service and pricing transparency).  What is universal is the urge to be in control of the roaming experience.

In Africa a number of operators have sought to tackle this challenge. Safaricom offers a simplified roaming activation process whereby exactly the same services are available in the home network as when roaming while setup is simplified by removing the requirement for subscribers to migrate to any special roaming tariffs.

The operator also allows all its customers to roaming without the need to have roamed before. Although this is slightly more of revenue loss risk it does engender a greater comfort with the roaming process; an invaluable asset when attempting to encourage roaming use.

Indeed this open transparent and simplified approach touches upon many of the most important features required to popularise a service which had historically been perceived negatively i.e. roaming and Bill shock.

The need for transparency is particularly important with data services. Data is the next great opportunity for roaming as it is resistant to commoditisation and potentially a more attractive proposition than simple voice being more adaptable, having greater scope for service development and being something more than a communication platform. However historical approaches to data roaming have not taken on board the need for transparency. Whilst a number of African operators have migrated to zonal pricing, a mechanism that has greatly simplified tariff tracking for customers in the region, the majority sell data in terms of kilobytes and megabytes. This approach is almost universally derided by customers based on their inability to reconcile specific services with data consumed. A far simpler approach is to provide a data calculator that shows how specific services consume data in a customer’s data plan. Vodacom is one operator who has experimented with this approach in the region. Alternatively offering unlimited data plans that incorporate voice and SMS allowances is an option, but perhaps not the best one for Africa were customers have limited expendable income. In this case data limits and automatic shutdown of data roaming when thresholds are breached would be applicable. It is immensely important roaming operators implement such protocols in the African region early in the development of data roaming in order to avoid the legacy of bill shock.

In some quarters it has been argued that due to the lower average mobile spend of customers in Africa and the lack of cross regional and international travel there is little potential for roaming. However this argument misses a glaring point specifically that roaming is a two way revenue generating process. There is both outbound (revenue generated by the HLR owning operator when their customers roam to other regions) and inbound (revenue generated by interconnection with incoming roamers from their home networks) revenue opportunities. Although this is a lower opportunity that retail being based on wholesale relations it is nonetheless an opportunity. Analysis undertaken around the World Cup held in South Africa by the data exchange provider AICENT showed a marked increase in data roaming traffic in the region while specific matches were ongoing, in some cases growing by 300%. Consequently it would be in the best interests of roaming operators in the region to provide specific roaming price plans tied into both international and regional events. Such an approach would also create opportunities for customer segmentation along interest lines i.e. events geared to specific customer roaming segments. In this manner roaming can be popularised through association with popular large-scale and niche events.

There are a number of challenges to face in the African continent but the potential market for roaming is palpable. The voracious appetite for mobile services in the region will no doubt drive roaming take-up but regional operators can also encourage roaming trends as they occupy a pivotal position in the process

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About the Author

Paul Merry

Operator Strategies

Informa Telecoms & Media

Area of expertise: Operator converged service strategies, roaming pricing and implementation strategies, mobile transactions, future voice approaches and market outlook, operator segmentation strategies, MVNO market entrance strategies.

“If operators move to more flexible tariff structures, this will stimulate roaming traffic on their networks and thereby maximise an important revenue stream. With the right approach to inter-operator tariffs, everyone is a winner – the operators through increased revenue and businesses through affordable and transparent data roaming plans tailored for the latest range of mobile connected devices.”

Paul is a senior analyst in operator strategies. He is responsible for thought leadership in the converging mobile, roaming, enterprise and VoIP sector. His most recent work has covered strategy development within the roaming sector with specific concentration on segmentation, data and pricing strategies. Paul is a frequent speaker and chair at international conferences, as well as a regular press commentator.

Paul has been with Informa since 2002. He has 12 years experience in research as an analyst and strategist. He is a regular speaker and moderator at international conferences and is regularly quoted in the global business press. Paul’s research experience is diverse incorporating mass-media broadcast, marketing strategy and fixed telecoms experience enabling him to bring a broad analytical approach to his analysis of the cellular sector.

Prior to joining Informa Paul was a Billing and CRM consultant at PBI Media a full spectrum telecommunication research company and was tasked with developing the company’s BSS and OSS practice. Prior to this he was a Broadcast Strategist for ITV Plc formerly Granada Media undertaking research projects into viewing characteristics and socio-demographic analysis of advertising consumers.

Paul is currently studying for a Masters in Research at the University of London and holds a BSc (hons) degree from Bristol University.

www.informatandm.com 

Eat Out speak at East Africa Com; hear from the Founder of the leading restaurant guide, content provider & marketing consultant for restaurants

Eat Out is now the leading restaurant guide, central reservation centre, content provider and marketing consultant for restaurants in Kenya. From a simple concept to now a Kenyan landmark in hospitality and information technology, Mikul Shah birthed the first successful online dining guide and reservation portal in Kenya.

In 2010 Eat Out received the Vision 2030 Award for ICT Innovation in Tourism and in 2011 Mikul Shah received the first runner up position in the CIO100 awards, demonstrating the use of Information Technology in innovative ways to delivery business value, and beating some of East Africa’s largest corporates.

The Com World Series - organisers of East Africa Com which takes place in Nairobi on 17-18 April - caught up with Mikul Shah, a speaker at the event, to get a better idea of what Eat Out will have to show the East Africa Com audience, and what the company's experience of the Kenyan market has been.

CWS: In brief, please describe Eat Out and the work it's doing in East Africa.

MS: Eat Out is the region's largest restaurant guide and booking engine, operating on both mobile and web platforms. Eat Out allows consumers search for restaurants based on location, cuisine or budget in order for them to make table reservations at hundreds of establishments in the country.

CWS: How would you sum up the characteristic of the East African telecoms, media and ICT industry this year?

MS: The industry is very vibrant and also seems to be maturing. Many large international players have entered the market as well as investors hoping to find the next big thing.

CWS: What would you say is your organisations priority for 2012?

MS: We are aiming for growth in to other countries in the region as well as introducing new products and campaigns for increase our current market presence.

CWS: Which type of services do you think consumers are going to be calling for in 2012?

MS: For our target market, smart phone penetration will hit new highs this year and therefore services that can be used on these devices will be key. Consumers will demand richer services while they are on the go.

CWS: How important do you think cost-efficiency/reduction is for service providers in East Africa this year?

MS: I think the market is extremely sensitive to price and therefore cost efficiency will be very important. However consumer’s time is also very important and 2012 will see certain groups of consumers using products that help to more time efficient. Products that don’t require consumers to repeatedly fill out forms or queue for hours need to be affordable for mass adoption.

CWS: What do you think is needed to improve connectivity for the underserved in Africa?

MS: Infrastructure can always be improved, lower connectivity rates and most importantly high quality and relevant content.

CWS: What do you think are the 3 key attributes needed to succeed in East Africa’s telecoms, media and ICT industry going forward?

MS: Creativity, Simplicity & Affordability

CWS: Which key message do you want to highlight to the audience during your participation at East Africa Com in Nairobi this April?

MS: Obviously health care, environment and solutions that address the needs of the underserved command attention, but we want to show that even small SME’s should and can embrace technology in order to provide a measure of ROI and increase efficiency.

East Africa Com is taking place in the luxurious Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi, next week on Tuesday the 17 and Wednesday 18 April. Don't miss your opportunity to join this important industry forum - register now by clicking here.

Cloud in East Africa: ionacloud Founder gives an interview to East Africa Com organisers

Cloud interview with… Kageni Wilson - Founder & CEO, ionacloud

Cloud is not just a buzz-word anymore, it's a need-to-know business model, and it potentially holds the key to Africa's ICT future - so the Com World Series (organisers of East Africa Com and Cloud Africa) caught up with Cloud Service creator Kageni Wilson, to get his thoughts on the matter...

CWS: How would you describe existing ''cloud services'' in Africa?

KW: Existing cloud services in Africa are in their infancy (most if not all have sprouted sometime in the past 2 years) but their popularity is rapidly increasing. For enterprise cloud, the services are progressing at a healthy rate driven by the awareness and business needs of companies with data handling operations. As for public cloud, with the exception of services like ionacloud where we are doing research and development specific to public cloud, not much else is being done as far as I know.

CWS: What would you say is the level of awareness about cloud in your country/region's ICT market?

KW: The level of Cloud awareness in my country (Kenya) and region (East Africa’s) ICT market is quite high. Kenya being an ICT hub on the entire continent has turned attention in the region more and more towards new developments and the latest trends in the tech industry. In this regard, the entrance of telcom companies into the cloud computing business and the resultant marketing of cloud services has definitely helped raise awareness about cloud technology and its benefits.

CWS: Which 'type' of cloud would be your choice - public or private?

KW: Neither. I believe the best suited solution lies in a hybrid cloud that incorporates both public and private cloud. At ionacloud for instance, we are building public cloud infrastructure that is open to anyone at a personal level but allowing for the creation and plug-in of multiple private clouds within the public cloud service. Companies will never embrace public cloud’s standardized services because needs differ with companies meaning that for cloud to work properly at an enterprise level it has to be tailored and customized to suit each clients needs. I believe the future will see private cloud being the choice for most companies and public cloud being the choice for individuals. However as the focus on cloud begins to shift from safe data storage to optimized data accessibility, the lines between the two will be forced to blur (after all even a company precipitates its data to individuals) resulting in a balance. The hybrid cloud.

CWS: How rapidly do you think the adoption of cloud will reduce capital and operational expenditure for enterprises in Africa?

KW: I think it will take quite some time. The effect of cloud technology adoption on the bottom line of enterprises in Africa is clear in theory but is yet to show empirical validity with actual figures from actual companies that have undergone the process of cloud integration mostly because its simply too soon to tell. Secondly, cloud integration costs money and this is part of capital. At the moment the market favors large corporations over smaller operational business. As time progresses and cloud adoption goes into hyperdrive, economics of scale will kick in for service providers and this combined with competition will serve to bring both the implementation cost (affecting capital) and recurrent cost (affecting operational expenditure) of cloud services much lower for enterprises. Only then can we study the big picture and hope to give an accurate, average period for effect of cloud on capital and operational costs. Till we have enough data, any period given would simply be an estimate that may vary from case to case.

CWS: What do you think is needed to drive improved and cheaper bandwidth in Africa for cloud?

KW: More investment in ICT infrastructure especially internet connectivity technology such as fiber-optics as well as set up of in-house data centers on the continent (exporting our data to centers in other continents for storage is needlessly cumbersome and expensive). The latter will give rise to more cloud hosting services driving competition (always good for the consumer – in this case cloud users) and the former will increase available bandwidth at a reasonable cost meaning precipitation of data from the cloud will be smooth and effective.

CWS: Have you seen an increase in IT spend (in your business/country/region), and if yes, has it included investment in cloud?

KW: Yes. I have witnessed increased spending on IT at all levels of business. Everything from hardware purchase and IT staff hiring for computerization of paper records in old organizations to the migration of already tech-savvy companies into the cloud serves to indicate this. Service providers in the region have invested tens of millions of dollars in cloud technology in the past year alone.

CWS: What do you think is preventing enterprises in Africa from implementing cloud?

KW: 1. Under-information and/or misinformation about cloud, 2. Cloud’s currently steep implementation costs and 3. Change phobia (fear of pioneering change also known as the ‘wait and see’ phenomenon)

CWS: What do you think are the 3 key advantages gained by companies using cloud as part of their IT services?

KW: 1. Safer, better data storage and management (assuming a good cloud choice) 2. Savings caused by the operational efficiency of cloud compared to traditional IT practices 3. They have more resources to direct towards other IT developments

CWS: What key message would you give to cloud enthusiasts in Africa?

KW: Live, breathe, eat and sleep cloudlife.

In other words, don’t stop thinking about it, talking about it, marketing it, discussing problems and solutions at every possible chance and most importantly, never ever stop developing it. It is the future and its potential is an iceberg 90% of which we haven’t even seen yet. We are slowly succeeding in turning cloud tech from a luxury into a necessity but our goal should be to make it the new IT standard of choice. What we have on our hands here is something as potentially revolutionary as the invention of the computer itself and it has the ability to change human life just as much if we turn it into a way of life as early on as possible. Working on this puts you at the cutting edge of IT research. We are the pioneers and it is our responsibility to head the revolution. To stop at nothing until the mark of African cloud has been made around the world.

Kageni Wilson is an innovator, writer and tech entrepreneur. He is the Founder & CEO of personal cloud computing service provider, ionacloud.

About East Africa Com:

Taking place in Nairobi on the 17-18 April, and endorsed by those at the top of regional telecoms, East Africa Com delivers the most heavy-weight speaker-line up that features established giants, new, smaller entrants and everything in between.

You’ll gain a comprehensive overview of all the latest “need to know” topics in the multi-streamed conference while meeting potential new suppliers and partners in the 25 stand networking exhibition which is packed with some of the world’s foremost technology and solution providers.

If you do telecoms business in East Africa, this is an event you cannot afford to miss! Click here to download the brochure

Inovar and Qualcomm join North Africa Com - Tunis, 15-16 May

Two new sponsors confirmed their participation to North Africa Com, the regional event for the telecoms, media and ICT industry.

As the world leader in next generation mobile technologies, Qualcomm ideas and inventions are driving wireless growth and helping to connect people to information, entertainment and one another. Qualcomm’s breakthrough technologies enable the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere.

Inovar is a telecom solutions company with an innovative and attractive solutions portfolio and an extensive customer base around the globe. Founded in 1996 (as Integrated Telecom Solutions), Inovar offers an unparalleled suite of value-priced IN and IMS based voice and data solutions for the global wireless marketplace—solutions that increase revenue, boost network traffic, enhance customer loyalty, and capture and retain high-value customers.

They join key companies to showcase their innovative products and dynamism in the region's market: Tunisie Telecom as Technology Partner of the event, fibre optic provider Corning, carrier BICS, and more companies speaking and exhibiting at the event.

For more information on how to participate in the event as sponsor or exhibitor, please contact:
Corrie Thompson, corrie.thompson@informa.com, tel: +44 20 7017 5249

Mobile Money & Cashless Societies in Africa: An interview with Orange's Chief Mobile Money Officer in Kenya

Snehar Shah is Chief Orange Money Officer at Orange Telkom Kenya and will be representing OTK at the East Africa Com conference, taking place at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi on the 17-18 April. East Africa Com’s organisers, the Com World Series, had a chat with Snehar to find out a bit more about his perspective on the market, and his message for delegates next month.

CWS: In brief, please describe your organisation and the work it is doing in East Africa.

SS: Telkom Kenya is the incumbent integrated telecoms operator in Kenya. France Telecom – Orange acquired a 51% stake in the business four years ago and just over year ago we launch Orange Money in Kenya

CWS: How would you sum up the characteristic of the East African telecoms, media and ICT industry this year?

SS: The launch of agency banking one year ago and financial institutions adopting the mobile channel to serve their customers has provided an opportunity to expand the eco system of mobile money

CWS: What would you say is your organisations priority for 2012?

SS: Orange Money has been launched on a robust platform involving a bank account which provides significant opportunities to expand products including bulk payments for corporates, loan and insurance products, international money transfer, partnerships with card associations etc

CWS: Which type of services do you think consumers are going to be calling for in 2012?

SS: Consumers want convenience and cost effective and comprehensive products which cannot be provided by a single player. Therefore our approach is to partner with the Eco system for the benfit of the consumer

CWS: What do you think are the 3 key attributes needed to succeed in East Africa’s telecoms, media and ICT industry going forward?

SS: Innovation, open partnerships with the eco system players and profitable models

CWS: Which key message do you want to highlight to the audience during your participation at East Africa Com in Nairobi this April?

SS: Since, apart from a couple of anomalies, mobile money has not really delivered the desired results, Orange Money would like to show that by adopting a different approach of open partnerships with the Eco system players, there can be a win-win-win situation to benefit us, our partners and the customers.

Snehar Shah is Chief Orange Money Officer at Orange Telkom Kenya. He has had fifteen years experience in the Telecoms and Banking Industry. Snehar was made Deputy Chief Financial Officer in Kenya three years ago, and last year, since being appointed as Head of Orange Money, successfully launched Orange Money in Kenya with a rich and differentiated product offering for this market. The product will soon be expanded to other markets in East Africa.

About East Africa Com

This year's event is the 7th annual - and the conference and exhibition have been the premier meeting place for senior executives from telecoms, media and ICT in the region. It delivers the most heavy-weight speaker-line up featuring influential thought leaders, as well as new, smaller entrants - and everything in between.

You’ll gain a comprehensive overview of all the latest “need to know” topics in the multi-streamed conference while meeting potential new suppliers and partners in the 25 stand networking exhibition which is packed with some of the world’s foremost technology and solution providers.

If you do telecoms business in East Africa, this is an event you cannot afford to miss! Click here to download the brochure

Michel Elame to talk on Warid Congo's turnaround at West & Central Africa Com

Warid Congo CEO Michel Elame has confirmed his participation as speaker to West & Central Africa Com, the region's annual event for the telecoms, media and ICT industry. He will give a presentation on how he successfully turned around Warid's position in Congo's highly competitive telecoms market.
WARID, an affiliate of Dhabi Group, launched in Congo in early 2008, becoming the country’s third telecommunications operator with now almost 500.000 active subscribers. The company has an EDGE network that offers a range of innovative services, including Ezetop, Warid Musik, Ezee chat, Warid Messenger, Warid World, to name a few.
Michel joined Warid Congo in January 2010 as CEO with a clear roadmap to turnaround the operation by creating the leanest organization capable to compete favourably with two of the largest African telecom players - Airtel and MTN. His presentation at West & Central Africa Com will cover how he achieved results through cost cutting, workforce restructuring, outsourcing, improving efficiencies, and ensuring the measures were sustainable for long-term success.
Prior to joining Warid Congo, he was one of the pioneers of GSM in Cameroon occupying various positions at MTN in the early 2000, notably as the first Head of Sales & Distribution. He subsequently joined Celtel/Zain as Sales & Distribution Director before rising to the top position and successfully lead as CEO the operations in both the Congos (DRC & Republic of Congo) conducting notably 2 major rebranding initiatives, grooming & nurturing several Young African Executives and significantly improving the bottom line and subscriber numbers.
Michel's vast experience of the region will definitely add value to the debates at West & Central Africa Com.

"Mobile social networking is the future of media consumption " says Ramzi Halaby of The Online Project

Ramzi Halaby is Co-Founder and Director of Business Development of The Online Project, the Middle East's leading social media agency.
Ramzi will share his experience on how to use social media to connect with consumers at North Africa Com in Tunis in May. He answers some questions ahead of his presentation.

CWS: What is your company’s position in North Africa’s telecoms, media and ICT market?
RH: The Online Project (TOP) is the region’s leading social media agency working with Fortune 500 companies by developing and executing strategies that help their organizations become more social.
Among our clients are leading GSM operators in the region such as Zain Jordan, Zain Iraq, Zain Sudan, MTC Touch, Zain Group and Nawras Telecom. Our experience with social media and telecom specifically has allowed us to demonstrate great value and ROI for our telecom clients such as reduced customer care expenses, enhance customer experience, reduced costs in generating market insights, long term marketing efficiencies and more

CWS: What is the importance of social media in the region in terms of usage and opportunities for business?
RH: Social media is playing a major impact in the region specially when it comes to utilization. A big portion of our population is young and we all know that telecoms in our region have it as a set priority to target the youth, build loyalty and market share. Youth are increasingly spending most of their time online and specifically on social networks. They mostly consume digital media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn) with much less traditional media consumption. The opportunity for telecoms in the region is to be early movers and adopters of the new ways of communication and engagement. It is no longer a push communication relationship but a two way relationship that needs to be fully integrated within the organization from top bottom.

CWS: Which companies are making the most innovative use of social media for the region?
RH: A good source to check out would be socialwatchlist.com, some of the key telecom leaders when it comes to social are Vodafone Egypt, Etisalat Misr, Zain, Jawwal, Mobily, STC...

CWS: Which trends or services do you think will shape the market in the coming year(s)?
RH: A huge area that will shape up the future of new media is social networking and mobile. This is the future of media consumption and operators need to morph their strategies to be able to monetize and take advantage of the next wave of consumers social journeys.

CWS: How important is the North Africa Com event in promoting the telecoms, media & ICT market in the region and what do you expect from your participation?
RH: I believe this is a very interesting time for telecoms in our part of the world. It is a time to integrate new ways of communication and engagement with our customers and stakeholders. The telcos have always taken a lead in our markets when it comes to adopting new schemes. I feel my participation will allow me to share knowledge and experience from working with the leading telcos through certain case studies but also to learn from the telecoms about their concerns and priorities in the coming few years.

North Africa Com will take place at the Sheraton Tunis on 15-16 May. Other companies represented on the programme include Tunisie Telecom (the event's Technology Partner), Orange, Mobinil, Tunisiana, Vodafone Egypt, Mauritel Mobiles, Etisalat Misr and more.

Friday News-Round-Up

The Friday News-Round-Up - our pick of what's been happening in the last 7 days in telecoms, media & ICT in emerging markets:


Hot Stories in Emerging Markets

Telecom firms should follow the lead of social networks:
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/telecom-firms-should-follow-the-lead-of-social-networks-2012-03-28


Eurasian telcos adjusting to a changing market: 
http://ovum.com/2012/03/26/eurasian-telcos-adjusting-to-a-changing-market/

MTN jumps up in global rankings and retains its No.1 Africa spot:
http://www.africatelecomsonline.co.za/mtn/press-room/mtn/mtn-jumps-up-in-global-rankings-and-retains-its-no1-africa-spot

Samsung Showcases 2012 Vision to African Regions:
http://www.africatelecomsonline.co.za/samsung/press-room/samsung/samsung-showcases-2012-vision-to-african-regions


Image of the Moment
The wonders of mobile marketing:
http://www.biztechafrica.com/article/zambia-limits-mobile-spam/1021/


Analyst Comment
Not specific to emerging markets per se but a thought-provoking comment from our analyst brethren:
http://blogs.informatandm.com/4430/operators-must-not-blindly-deploy-wi-fi-without-understanding-risks-to-future-data-profitability/

Until next week....

Google sponsor Informa's Cloud Africa event, taking place in Johannesburg 23-24 May

Global giants Google have demonstrated their commitment to the dark continent and confirmed their sponsorship of the exciting new launch event - Cloud Africa. Via their partners Grove Group, they are exhibiting at the event, and giving a presentation for the CIOs and Cloud experts of Africa.

This new conference and exhibition is being led by the Com World Series, part of Informa Telecoms & Media, founders of Africa's leading ICT event - AfricaCom.

The Cloud Africa event promises to bethe premier meeting place for those looking to join the Cloud movement in Africa. The 2 day program is led by the industry, for the industry - and the exhibition will attract global players displaying world-class solutions. No other event can be relied upon to attract the diverse Cloud ecosystem with such quality learning & networking, a one-stop shop for seeing the future of cloud in Africa and forming all important business partnerships.

www.groveis.com

Senior executives at EurasiaCom demonstrated a healthy mix of confidence, innovation, and flexibility, says Angel Dobardziev of Ovum

The 8th annual EurasiaCom took place in Istanbul on 20th and 21st March, attended by senior representatives of the telecoms, media and ICT market in Easttern Europe, Russia, CIS amd Turkey. Among the participants was by Angel Dobardziev of Informa Telecoms & Media's sister company Ovum. Angel manages Ovum's research team on emerging telecoms markets, and is a regular speaker and chairman at Com World Series events.

Angel has given an overview of the debates held at the event, where he says one of the major discussion points at the event was the industry response to slowing growth caused by increasing market maturity, and the threat from Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and other over-the-top (OTT) players.
"While there wasn’t a single “silver bullet” strategy, he says, we believe that the industry has approached the challenge with the right mix of pragmatism and innovation. This was evidenced by the insightful debates on international expansion, broadband, mobile content, mobile banking, and mobile advertising. [...] On the whole, the senior executives at the EurasiaCom event demonstrated a healthy mix of confidence, innovation, and flexibility that should put their operations in a good position to respond to the changing market. However, it remains to be seen whether they can execute on these strategies to continue driving growth across their operations."
To see the full article click here.

Ovum is a telecoms, IT services and software company that analyzes changes, threats and opportunities ahead for clients including small companies, Fortune 500 corporations and governments around the world. We provide leading European business information in the technology, information, communications and telecoms sectors.
Ovum is a global advisory and consulting firm. Its primary activity is providing value-added advisory services and consulting to retain and project clients. The company acts as a well-respected and trusted source of industry data, knowledge and expertise on the commercial impact of technology, regulatory and market changes. Ovum engages in continuous research and industry analysis to determine market dynamics in its specialist sectors.