Service providers today will need to transform their businesses, while maintaining their network investments, experts at the Ericsson Change-Makers Forum discussed on Sunday.
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of Emirates Airline and Group, the event brought together prominent speakers from around the region and the globe to highlight subjects related to the transformation of information and communications technologies, and how the networked society can contribute in setting new growth trends.
Experts at the event also urged businesses to think of alternative business models to seize the opportunities brought about by the networked society. Nowadays, the effects of digital technology are experienced far beyond the Information and Communications Technology, or ICT industry, transforming sectors and industries previously not connected with digital technologies, and creating a fundamental and positive impact on every aspect of life.
Rafiah Ibrahim, president of Ericsson for the Middle East and East Africa region stressed that ICT is transforming the way people work and communicate. "People's lifestyles are changing; we are using more data to access products and services, and we want the best experience when doing that. As devices are online and interacting, and as mobile broadband unites with cloud services, every industry that we represent today will find itself in a new reality. In short, when disruption accelerates, we need to anticipate change and act to remain relevant."
"The networked society is here," Jan Wareby, senior vice president, head of sales of Ericsson Group and chairman of Ericsson region Middle East, said during his presentation at the event. "The telecoms revolution today is enabled by mobility, broadband and cloud technology. Less than 20 per cent of users today use their mobile phones for talking alone; the majority of them are interacting with mobile broadband," he said. "5G is the next step. Take self driving cars for example, which were a major focus at CES 2016. That particular technology put enormous demands on network coverage and reliability." Speaking about harnessing the power of social media, Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, delivered a keynote speech, where he said: "As the Internet continues to grow and change at exponential rates, open-source, open-content technology will affect the fundamental ways that businesses interact with customers, distributors, suppliers, and the public in the future."
"Social networks have become an imperative part of people's lives across the world," Ari Kesisoglu, regional director for the Africa, Middle East and Turkey region at Facebook, stressed.
"Today, Facebook has transformed into a technology company used by over 1 billion people every day. Whatsapp and Messenger are used by 900 million and 700 million people respectively each month. The ability of social networking and messaging services to reach people at scale in times of emergency with streamlined communication is immense. Besides, emergencies, these services will also be used by organisations to engage one-on-one with audiences and deliver real-time CRM support. As we enter a mobile first world, social networks will unlock possibilities which have a positive impact on society."
