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A quick roundup at midweek: … [visit site to read more]

Investor 3i Infrastructure has completed a $512 million investment to acquire a 100% stake in Global Cloud Xchange (GCX), a leading global data communications service provider and owner of the world’s largest private subsea fibre optic networks.

GCX says it provides high-bandwidth connectivity and global managed network services including managed ICT, cyber security, and UCaaS solutions, to a range of blue-chip customers inclusive of hyperscalers, telecommunications operators, new media providers and enterprises throughout the world.

GCX adds that it cover all aspects of cloud-centric connectivity from managed SD-WAN and hybrid networks, to direct cloud connections and 100 Gbps+ waves, providing connectivity throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America via the GCX subsea network.

In fact its 66,000km of cables span 46 countries from North America to Asia, with a particularly strong position on the Europe-Asia and Intra-Asia routes. 3i Infrastructure says it is partnering with GCX’s management team to invest in a leading platform for the sector, with the goal to increase the utilized capacity on GCX’s existing routes as well as to add new routes, services and customers.

3i describes its purpose as to invest responsibly in infrastructure, delivering long-term sustainable returns to shareholders and having a positive impact on its portfolio companies and their stakeholders.

“With 3i Infrastructure’s backing, GCX is well-positioned to support global growth and customer needs in key markets, including connectivity to India, across the Middle East, and enhanced managed services opportunities across Europe,” said Carl Grivner, GCX CEO.

GCX plans for the Middle East were highlighted in March, when GCX enhanced access to its Middle East network through a new point of presence in the Equinix data centre in Muscat, Oman.

The US may have been at the beach for a long weekend, but the rest of the world seems to have kept busy enough.  Here are three bits of news from around the globe, and especially undersea: … [visit site to read more]

Anyone who has taken an introductory course to business most likely learned the 4Ps of marketing. The 4Ps concept was developed over 70 years ago to help companies craft their marketing strategies. It consists of the four key components (product, price, promotion, and place) of marketing. 

As technology advances and marketing methods shift, you will be happy to know the marketing mix is following suit. There are now three more Ps to explore. 

Original Four 

• Product
• Price
• Promotion
• Place

Additional Three

• People
• Process
• Physical Evidence

However, to keep this blog post short and sweet, we will only cover the original four of the marketing mix. 

The goal is to identify each point, so readers in the unified communications industry can work through the Ps, establish the definition of their target market, and use the resources best. Knowledge of the target market is extremely beneficial for any business, especially for unified communication resellers. Since UC services are not tangible products, marketing campaigns look different. Also, whenever your business grows or your product suite changes, you can revisit the four points and adjust accordingly. 

Product

Every business is built off a product or service that solves a user’s problem.
When you think of your offering, ask yourself these questions. 

1. What is it?
2. Who needs this?
3. What features does it have?
4. What problems does it solve?
5. What do you have that competitors do not? 

You will better understand where your company sits in the market by answering these questions. In the UC industry, the solutions you sell are complete product software suites. The solutions are also customizable, so your customers can rebrand as their own and start using them immediately. Understand your product inside and out, so you can better sell it to your customers. 

Price

As we all know, there is no one size fits all solution for UCaaS. Different businesses require different needs, so it is not easy to set a standard price across the board. Since UC packages are customizable, it is best to allow your customers the option to pick and choose what they need or want. 

However, at the end of the day, you are running a business and want it to be successful. You need to make a profit, so your prices must be competitive yet fair. Explore what competitors are pricing and keep in mind any discounts or offers you will give out. 

Consider how you want your business to be perceived in the industry. Are you the luxury option? Or the cost-effective option? 

Remember that your provider will sell you the software licenses at a certain amount. It would be best if you always charged above that to make a profit. Ask your provider for advice and build packages based on your target audience. 

Place

Ah, unified communications, a remote worker’s dream. UC has features like chat, video, screen share, and all the tools users need to work where they most desire. So, if you can work from anywhere in the world using UC, why can’t you sell UC to anyone worldwide? 

This means you are not restricted to one geographical market when selling unified communications solutions. Resellers can tap into a market or unlock an industry that has not yet been utilized. 

Promotion

Last but not least, promotion! How are you going to market your business? Similar to place, it is important to think of location when you look into ways of advertising. There are many options, such as print or social media. However, you then must consider different platforms. 

When selling B2B, chances are you will find more potential customers on LinkedIn vs. Tik Tok. Do not discredit other platforms; they are great for building brand awareness! 

Examples of places to promote: 

• Print in an Ad
• Banner Ad on a Website
• Blog Post
• Social Media Post
• Guest on a Podcast
• Sponsorships

After reading this blog post, how do you feel about your business’s marketing mix? We hope you found this helpful and ideas sparked for future promotion!

Learn why you should be a UCaaS Reseller and be a part of this ever-growing, million-dollar industry by becoming a Bicom Systems partner today. Stay tuned for our next blog post, where we dive into the newer Ps in the marketing mix. 

Let’s Connect.
📞 +1 (647) 313 1515
📧 sales@bicomsystems.com
💻 www.bicomsystems.com/contact-us 

Two of the biggest players in the cloud space, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google, are planning to enhance their presence in South Africa.

Amazon and its cloud computing arm AWS have announced the opening of a new office in Johannesburg. The office will aim to bolster South Africa’s burgeoning cloud market and provide a range of cloud-based services to organisations of all sizes.

AWS says that the new office continues Amazon’s growing investment in South Africa, which began in 2004 in Cape Town with the launch of a development centre to pioneer technologies focused on networking, next-generation software for customer support, and software programs used by AWS, among other technologies.

In 2020, Amazon launched the Africa (Cape Town) Region, the first AWS Infrastructure Region in South Africa. However, plans for the construction of a new Cape Town-based Amazon Africa headquarters were blocked earlier this year by the Cape Town High Court as Amazon had allegedly not gone through the proper process to acquire the land.

Google, meanwhile, is planning a cloud region in Cape Town with a data centre likely to be housed inside an upcoming Africa Data Centres (ADC) facility.

The Data Centre Dynamics website says the 20MW facility will cover 15,000 square metres in eight data halls. Work is set to start on the site in the last quarter of 2022. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2023.

Google is the last of the major US cloud players to enter the South African data centre market. This, however, is rather timely news given that Google’s new Equiano cable linking Portugal to South Africa went live last week.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news, articles, event and product updates posted on Developing Telecoms.
Subscribe to our FREE weekly email newsletters for the latest telecom info in developing and emerging markets globally.

ZTE’s H1 results for 2022 painted a rosy picture, with the Chinese vendor’s operating revenue up 12.7% year-on-year alongside a 12% increase to its net profit.

For the six months ending 30^th June 2022, ZTE achieved operating revenue of RMB 59.82 billion, while net profit attributable to holders of ordinary shares of the listed company reached RMB 4.57 billion. Net profit after extraordinary items attributable to holders of ordinary shares of the listed company amounted to RMB 3.73 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 65.8%.

Despite the challenging global environment, during H1 2022 ZTE was able to ensure the security and stability of its own supply chain as well as continually improve its operational quality and efficiency by leveraging its advantages as an ultimate cloud company, its rich experience in digital transformation, mature business continuity system, and its own self-developed cloud platform that can support tens of thousands of people across the globe to work online.

ZTE has strengthened its end-to-end R&D investment and innovations, spending RMB 10.15 billion – 17.0% of its total operating revenue – on R&D during the first half of 2022. During this period, ZTE’s operating revenue in both domestic and international markets and its three major businesses (carriers’ networks, government and enterprise, and consumer business) all achieved double-digit increases year on year. Domestic operating revenue rose 12.9% to RMB 40.60 billion, accounting for 67.9% of total operating revenue, while international operating revenue was up 12.3% to RMB 19.22 billion, or 32.1% of the total.

In terms of carriers’ networks, ZTE achieved operating revenue of RMB 38.72 billion yuan, an increase of 10.5% year-on-year. In the operators’  traditional network market, ZTE proactively participated in global 5G construction including 5G networks, Gigabit fibre networks and 5G transport networks.

To date, ZTE has entered into 5G cooperation with over 110 operators across the globe, covering major markets including Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Meanwhile, the company has actively seized the opportunity of domestic operators’ cloud-network transformation, and deeply integrated its own capabilities with their requirements while providing its products and solutions. ZTE has secured the domestic operators’ centralised procurements for multiple years.

In terms of government and corporate business, ZTE’s operating revenue increased by 18.3% year on year to RMB 6.71 billion during H1 2022. Focusing on the internet, finance, electric power, transportation, government affairs and the industry, and relying on its « Precision Cloud Network » and « Digital Nebula », the company has cultivated the digital transformation of the industry, promoted the integration of 5G and industry, and fully participated in major projects such as the east-data-west-computing project in China. In addition, ZTE’s core products and solutions such as server and storage, data centre, enterprise network, video conference, cloud computer and distributed database were widely applied in the government and corporate markets, gradually forming a cloud network ecosystem.

In its consumer business, ZTE accrued revenue of RMB 14.39 billion, a year-on-year increase of 16.5% in the first half of 2022. During the period, ZTE, while consolidating the businesses in the first curve represented by wireless and wired products, has been rapidly expanding its businesses in the second curve, including server and storage products, terminals, 5G industry applications, automotive electronics, and digital energy. In H1, the company has achieved around 40% increase year on year in terms of the operating revenue from its second curve business.

In keeping with its ethos of driving the digital economy, ZTE will continue promoting its own digital transformation, staying committed to building a highly resilient organization and implementing the ‘dual-carbon’ strategy to achieve sustainable development. In addition, the company will actively strengthen cooperation with its customers, industries and ecological partners to jointly advance the development of the global digital economy.

There was further good news for ZTE following the announcement that the vendor was officially named to the Fortune China ESG Influential Listing 2022, highlighting its continued performance and efforts in the field of environment, society and corporate governance.

This was the first year in which Fortune release the China ESG Influential Listing in a bid to recognise the companies shouldering environmental, social and corporate governance responsibilities while creating wealth and leading the global drive towards security and prosperity.

As a member of the UN Global Compact and Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), ZTE has released a sustainability report to the public for 14 consecutive years since 2009. In 2021, both of ZTE’s A shares and H shares have been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series.

To face the challenges of low-carbon transformation, ZTE is pushing a green transition to digital economy, promoting greener operations, supply chain, and digital infrastructure, as well as facilitating the sustainable development of operators and verticals by empowering the green development of industries.

ZTE has obtained more than 500 green innovation patents. By using self-developed high-performance chips and intelligent operation and maintenance tools, it has continuously reduced the energy consumption of network equipment. Compared with currently available solutions, ZTE’s PowerPilot solution can save double the amount of energy. Working with 500+ partners, ZTE has carried out extensive innovative practices in 15 industries, and has continued to explore innovative and green 5G applications worldwide. Through practising green operations, ZTE’s goal is to realize carbon peak carbon neutrality ahead of 2030 and before 2060, respectively.

While pursuing business development, ZTE also takes an active part in public welfare activities. ZTE focuses on educational development, medical assistance, vulnerable population assistance, rural vitalization, and environmental protection, and ensures that all public welfare projects effectively respond to recipients’ needs and achieve expected social benefits. In 2021, ZTE Foundation organized 220 public welfare activities, benefiting a total of 12,000 people.

As for internal control and corporate governance, by using digital tools, ZTE has established a relatively complete system for risk management and internal control, and constantly improved the Business Continuity Management (BCM) system. Meanwhile, upholding compliance and integrity in operations, ZTE has incorporated compliance requirements into the company’s business processes, thereby building a best-in-class compliance management system that is aligned with the company’s business practices. In this way, the company strives to achieve sustainable development together with its customers, suppliers, and other business partners around the world.

In the future, ZTE will continue to integrate ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) into its daily operations, to further make greater contributions to the global sustainable development.