Telecoms market defined by size and intense competition
Go’s outgoing chief information officer Ramana Palepu: “It is the smart human being that is behind all these fascinating developments.” Malta’s communications sector is marked by intense competition in such a small market but user trends are similar to...
[attach id="252878" size="medium"]Go’s outgoing chief information officer Ramana Palepu: “It is the smart human being that is behind all these fascinating developments.”[/attach]
Malta’s communications sector is marked by intense competition in such a small market but user trends are similar to usage habits overseas, according to Go’s outgoing chief information officer Ramana Palepu, an ICT veteran.
“Quality and service levels are equal to international standards,” he said. “So is innovation. Penetration and saturation levels in various segments are also at par with what we are seeing globally. What is different is the intense level of competition in the market place. Three operators serving a small population base of 400,000 makes it quite a competitive challenge.
“Maltese customer usage patterns and trends are similar to what is happening on the global scene. Fixed voice decline is less prominent in Malta compared to the rest of the world. Youth segment is quite prominent, and so is the tourist segment. There is a higher percentage of mobile prepaid user base compared to post-paid as a result. Mobile data usage is on the rise. Growth in smartphones is also following international trends. Malta provides lower TV second screen content comparatively.”
Mr Palepu has over 30 years’ international experience in telecommunications, retail, banking and financial services. He has been serving as chief information officer of Go plc since September 2011, having previously served in the same role between 2008 and 2009.
“Organisational transformation, IT infrastructure transformation, IT strategy and architecture, enhanced IT service levels, greater IT business alignment and shortened time to market are what we achieved together in the last five years of my tenure. When I first came to Go, the challenge and focus was on creating a new IT systems architecture by integrating the different lines of business which had previously been managed separately. IT organisation, change management, and application and infrastructure portfolio transformation were our focus areas.”
Yet, despite all this transformation, change remains the order of the day and Go has to continue to transform itself to remain aligned with the latest trends and technologies.
“Continuous transformation is always a challenge. While we have a great employee base, enviable market share, and exceptional customer loyalty, the telecoms industry is constantly evolving and with 4G and more, the industry will transform itself even further. Innovation, quality, convenience, value and superior customer experience are all extremely important.
“Go’s infrastructure is ready for this and more. It has a clear strategy and has made the right long-term investments in technology such as in superfast broadband with speeds up to 200 Mbps, a new nationwide 3G network with download speeds up to 42 Mbps, and 100 per cent fibre linked base stations. We will also continue to invest in creating a nationwide fibre-to-the-home infrastructure. Go is on the right path, poised to succeed,” he added.
The rise of mobile communication and very high speed internet access to the home are enabling technologies that sustain the growth of other areas such cloud computing and e-commerce. Here again, there are opportunities and challenges for the communications industry, according to Mr Palepu, but he is confident technology will make our lives better.
“Cloud is the way to go. E-commerce is here to stay. With prices falling, speed, convenience and quality of service dramatically improved, security and public confidence in the use of cloud increasing, the world will see greater and greater migration to the use of cloud and e-commerce. Anywhere, anytime, anyhow mode of communication requires all communication resources, especially data, available on the cloud and accessible through any device seamlessly. The developments in communications technology are most certainly changing our lives for the better. Smartphones, smart apps, smart homes, smart office, smart cities: One should not forget, it is the smart human being that is behind all these fascinating developments.”