BOOKOF

TheNeW

We are The eNgiNe

ThaT drives mOBiliTy

BOOKOF

TheNeW

Book of the NewFirst published in 2011 byCable&Wireless Worldwide plc6 Temasek Boulevard#33-03/05 Suntec Tower 4Singapore 038986www.cw.comwww.theconversationswith.com

Designed by Splash Productions Pte LtdPrinted in Singapore

© 2011 Cable&Wireless Worldwide plc

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN 978-981-08-9661-4

08 Contributing to our ecosystem

16 Quotes from the industry

12A brief look at: The business of partnerships

The business of partnerships101

CO

NTE

NTS

04

IntroductionYou might be thinking – why a book of quotes?

In the last couple of years, our industry has had endless discussions about partnerships, with no clear vision of what this really means or how we want to achieve this amazing symbiosis.

This book is an attempt to create a legacy with a group of like-minded individuals on this very important topic. Book of the New features quotes from the movers and shakers in our industry on their perspectives of creative partnerships.

05

It doesn’t try to answer questions nor explain our industry. Instead it aims to track a new beginning we are headed towards – one that sees us working closer together and innovating through our creative partnerships. What forms these partnerships take will be up to us to determine.

06

Book of the New is a compilation of pearls of wisdom from over 40 telecommunications executives from around the world. Reflecting heady idealism, spontaneous humour and brutal truth, all are grounded in the experience that each community member brings to the conversation.

This book is our legacy for the telecommunications industry at the start of the 21st Century.

07

Business journals the world over can’t stop talking about innovation. They deliver thesis after thesis on how employee inspiration and motivation will be the core driver behind innovation. They talk about making the environment we work in conducive for developing creativity, or nurturing creative ideas

through employee mentoring programs, brainstorm sessions and powwows – all in search of a benchmark – the aspiration that brings about innovation. What’s interesting is that the path to innovation is clearly collaboration.

Contributing to our ecosystem

Collaboration =08

Many say the telecommunications industry today is functioning like dinosaurs and that we lack innovation. They talk about the death of old-school telecommunications business by the dumb-pipe syndrome, just like what they say about death of TV by internet.

Innovation=

Is this true? Will we see the death of carriers by more innovative players, who were once our customers? The answer is NO.

09

Wikipedia defines creativity as a phenomenon. The telecommunications industry today is a phenomenon. We have spent the last decade realising the value of partnerships, defining it in our investments, re-inventing it through our agreements, creating ourselves through our partners and comparing ourselves by the standards our partners keep.

We have spent the last decade, getting to know each other. We have spent the last decade nurturing our community of practice. A practice that is all inclusive and knows no boundaries – our industry today, through our ability to partner creatively, has innovated on the way we do business. Today, the wholesale telecommunications business brings value through innovation to a variety of different communications companies through the power of creative partnerships.

Our creative partnershipswill drive innovation.

10

We are the managers of the World Wide Web, and today, we are helping customers the world over to have more visibility of their internet and the internet traffic of their world, empowering them to make better business decisions. Our innovation empowers our partners with the freedom to expand into opportunity markets with the confidence to deliver new ideas.

As partners, we are delivering outsourcing services to mobile network operators that allow them to enjoy lower and up to zero capital expenditure investments while still expanding globally. Our services help free up their time so that they can spend more face time with their customers. We are the engine that drives mobility. Our industry is helping content creators and distributors deliver to consumers all around with uninterrupted, live content across multiple devices.

Partnerships drivebusinesses, instigate new ideas and propel innovation.

11

It might appear to be contradictory. Business is all about maximising your profits, about returning value to your shareholders, and about gaining the most market coverage. So why share that with another company? Why entertain the notion of partnerships? Yet it’s human nature to collaborate on all aspects of life. The best results come from seeking complementary skills and abilities, and then sharing the benefits.

A brief look at: The business of partnershipsGuy Daniels, Telecom TV

So it’s no wonder that in the highly competitive telecoms market, partnerships are seen as the perfect route to success. Especially as the alternative – to try and do it all yourself – was widely attempted by telecoms carriers about 5–10 years ago and resulted in failure. And so partnerships were found to be the best way to extend geographic reach or as a means to enter new technology markets.

Yet history is riddled with partnerships that are put together for the wrong reasons.

1212

For a partnership to work, the people involved need to think alike, dream alike and trust each other. If you can achieve that, then you’ll have created a solid partnership that will benefit all.

The wholesale carrier market is certainly big, and it’s certainly competitive, but it also acts as a community – everybody knows each other and everybody’s got the same issues. This makes the chances of creating a successful partnership a lot easier than in other industries.

1313

Pick a good strong partner who can deliver to you the services you want in geographies you want.Diarmid Massey, Cable&Wireless Worldwide

14

15

16

Richard Elliot, Apollo

– Now we are six by A A Milne. 1927.

Piglet said, “If we all pulled at the same time, it might be easier.”

Eeyore thought it still wouldn’t work.

They all pulled together and the log moved.

Eeyore was wrong again and Christopher Robin cheered.

17

Adel Al Daylami, Batelco

It’s like a marriage; it’s about getting to know each other.

18

19

Franco Carida, Batelco

– Aristotle

Friendship is essentially a partnership.

20

21

Vinnie Waters, Eircom

By working collaboratively we can develop innovative approaches to maximise economic opportunities in an increasingly competitive global environment.

maximise

22

opportunities

maximiseeconomic

23

24

Mohamed Marhoon, Batelco

Only together we serve our customers better.

25

Toshiyuki Sakurai, KDDI

Integrity is the most important piece.

inte

grity

26

inte

grity

is the most important piece

27

Diarmid Massey, Cable&Wireless Worldwide

Telcos need to partner or miss out.

28

29

Jennifer Shen Tong, China Unicom

If we are together, nothing is impossible.

30

31

Danny Bottoms, GTS

Partnerships based on trust are the foundation for the creative energy which drives mutual growth.

32

partnerships based on trust are the foundation for the creative energy which drives mutual growth.

33

Mahesh Jaishankar, DU

– Jim Rohn

If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.

34

35

Mohamed Elagazy, GBI

Partnerships are important in this business because nobody can do everything alone. With partnerships, we can do something big.

36

37

38

Fabien Vieau, Google

Creativity is the ability to see relationships where none exist.

39

my team is now the trusted partner of choice for customers who depend on teLUs for industry expertise, innovative technology and a seamless experience for their own customers.

40

Brent Allison, TELUS

My team is now the trusted partner of choice for customers who depend on TELUS for industry expertise, innovative technology and a seamless experience for their own customers.

41

Francois Sterin, Google

Sometimes you gotta create what you want to be a part of.

42

43

44

Jayne Stowell, Google

Don’t be evil.

45

Cable&Wireless WorldWideViVa

ViVaiTW

ViVaour ParTner

46

Shinsei Iwashiro, KDDI

Viva Cable&Wireless WorldwideViva our partnerViva ITW

47

Yoshihiro Sato, NTT Communications

We bridge our partners;we bridge networks;we bridge one heart to another.

48

49

Alexandre Pebereau, Orange-France Telecom

At Orange we consider partnerships as an open cooperation where each partner knows what to bring and what to expect, in a pragmatic way, for a first-class performance. Each partner is not alone.

50

51

successmutual s

sUcc

es52

Artur Ostrowski, GTS

Partnership aims to bring mutual success. Take good people, positive energy and a lot of trust and commitment and things start moving in the right direction.s

53

54

Ioannis Konstantinidis, Oteglobe

I can always do more… “With a little help from my friends”.

55

56

Andrew Kwok, Hutchison Global Communications

Partnership based on creative models is our cornerstone of success.

57

Helena Féria, Portugal Telecom

Creative partnerships... Long-term business.

58

59

there is no peace among equals because equality doesn’t exist in this universe. either one prevails and the other follows, or botnegotiate their differencand create a greater partnership

there is no peace among equals because equality doesn’t exist in this universe. either one prevails and the other follows, or botnegotiate their differencand create a greater partnership

Carlos Oliveira, Portugal Telecom

– Harold J. Duarte Bernhardt

There is no peace among equals because equality doesn’t exist in this universe. Either one prevails and the other follows, or both negotiate their differences and create a greater partnership.

61

Vsevolod Korzhaev, Rostelcom

Real partnership is the most important thing in today’s telecom business.

62

63

taLktome64

Yasuyuki Koide, KDDI

Talk to me, if you wanna have fun.Drink with me,if you wanna have fun.Go talk with Diarmid, if you wanna do business.Come to me, just in case, if Diarmid is not your type.

65

Makoto Imazumi, Softbank

Well done is better than well said.

66

67

Stephan Beckert, Telegeography

Good partners are really hard to find.

68

Good partners

are really hard to find

69

70

Sally O’Brien, Sprint

We pride ourselves on long-standing relationships with our valued customers. Success is when our customers consider us an extended part of their team. We look for ways in which we can grow our customers’ bottom line.

71

Rick Evans, Savvis

Partners share responsibility; suppliers shirk it.

72

73

74

Byron Clatterbuck, Tata Communications

As all of us try to expand our network capabilities and our service capabilities around the world, we have to do that in partnership. Partnership is key to supporting our partners globally.

75

Willem Offerhaus, iBasis

Partnership is the way to growth and innovation.Growth

and innoVation.

76

partnership is the way to

Growth and innoVation.

77

Rick Stokes, Telus

Harvesting the insights and experience of our best and brightest to create a future for both parties that is better than either could have created on its own.

78

79

80

Bhavin Shah, Telecom Malaysia

Great partnerships are created through excellent relationships.

81

Craig Walton, Telecom New Zealand

Revealing the potential: exploring the opportunities.

82

83

Edwin van Ierland, iBasis

Transparency and trust.

transparency

84

andtrUst

transparency

85

John Mitchell, Telecom New Zealand

Communicate, communicate, communicate.

86

87

88

Alexander Stolyarov, Transtelekom

– Russian proverb

Not have a hundred rubles, but a hundred friends.

89

Dr Anotai Rattanakul, True

The telecoms industry is a very special industry in the sense that competition is very intense and the way to work it out is to work together.

90

91

sprint wholesale believes that our customers’ success is our success. we are committed to delivering integrated, innovative products and services that drive our customers’ revenues, profits and subscriber base.

92

sprint wholesale believes that our customers’ success is our success. we are committed to delivering integrated, innovative products and services that drive our customers’ revenues, profits and subscriber base.

Bill Esrey, Sprint Nextel

Sprint Wholesale believes that our customers’ success is our success. We are committed to delivering integrated, innovative products and services that drive our customers’ revenues, profits and subscriber base.

93

94

Carl Roberts, Verizon Business

Think alike,Dream alike,Trust!

95

Jasper Snijder, KPN International

United we stand;Divided we fall.

96

97

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwinwinwinwin

Vivek Jhamb, Vodafone Essar South Limited

The wholesale business is about win-win: when you win and your competition wins as well. In our business it’s about relationships and partnerships.

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwin

winwinwinwinwinwin

100

It might appear to be contradictory. Business is all about maximising your profits, about returning value to your shareholders, and about gaining the most market coverage. So why share that with another company? Why entertain the notion of partnerships? Yet it’s human nature to collaborate on all aspects of life. The best results come from seeking complementary skills and abilities, and then sharing the benefits.

So it’s no wonder that in the highly competitive telecoms market, partnerships are seen as the perfect route to success. Especially as the alternative – to try and do it all yourself – was widely attempted by telecoms carriers about 5–10 years ago and resulted in failure. And so partnerships were found to be the best way to extend geographic reach or as a means to enter new technology markets.

Yet history is riddled with partnerships that are put together for the wrong reasons. For a partnership to work, the people involved need to think alike, dream alike and trust each other. If you can achieve that, then you’ll have created a solid partnership that will benefit all.

The wholesale carrier market is certainly big, and it’s certainly competitive, but it also acts as a community – everybody knows each other and everybody’s got the same issues. This makes the chances of creating a successful partnership a lot easier than in other industries.

Vivek Jhamb heads up the wholesale business of Vodafone Essar. He says that without partners you can’t grow.

“You can’t do everything yourself; you have to have partners – partners who are reliable and dependable. Wholesale is about win-win. If you look at an access business it’s win-lose – you win, your competition loses. But wholesale is when you win and your competition wins – and your customer wins as well.”

Carl Roberts, President of International Partners at Verizon, echoes the value of partnerships:

“We’re interested in forming partnerships with trustworthy partners, partners who we can get on with, to allow us to extend the reach of our technology, to grow that partnership, share intellectual property and therefore we bring something and we get something back.”

The business of partnerships Guy Daniels, Telecom TV

101

Partnerships can work in two different areas. The first is for geographic expansion of a network or services. Who can afford to own and operate their own global network these days? The most practical route is to partner and share your network with other operators in different countries and regions.

Take the example of Gulf Bridge International, which is building a subsea cable to connect the Gulf region to the rest of the world. CEO Ahmed Mekky says:

“Without partnership with our landing partners, then we would not be able to reach the customers in these countries. We have the licence to land international cables, and we have to partner with the local operator to be able to serve our customers and connect them to each other. We build the bridge between these operators, so we’re partners with all of them. We complement each other – they provide the final connectivity to the customer; we provide the international connectivity. Nobody can do everything alone.”

The second reason for partnerships is for product expansion. So instead of investing in and developing a complete portfolio of your own products, a more cost-effective solution is to re-sell products for your partners. This view is supported by Jasper Snijder, MD of KPN International:

“I think it’s crazy to innovate everything by yourself. It’s better to use the power and the knowledge of your partners, and if you help each other with your knowledge and with your innovations, I think life will become easier, and altogether you will become more successful.”

Byron Clatterbuck, SVP of Carrier Business at Tata Communications, says he likes to work with partners who have strengths in their home market, whilst also finding and using unique skills and services:

“Ultimately the differentiation has to be on the kinds of services you offer, how you package them, how you interact with customers and the quality of services that you offer. So I think that by using a common infrastructure, differentiation really comes at the customer front end.”

102

103

“It’s like a marriage... You have good times, you have bad times, but as long as both sides are committed, you make it.”

Of course, the alternative to partnerships for those companies looking to expand is consolidation. For some carriers, the reaction is go out and buy in the missing capabilities and coverage. But partnerships are a relatively risk-free way of doing the same for a lot less capital investment. Is it really necessary to own all the infrastructure? Diarmid Massey of Cable&Wireless Worldwide doesn’t think so.

“We’re looking for partners to help us in those parts of the world where we’ve not been historically strong, such as Africa and the Middle East. It shouldn’t matter whether the infrastructure we use for that is our own or whether we are borrowing, buying or partnering to get it. Partnerships allow us to focus on our own strengths, which are customer service, relationships and delivering a Grade A service to our customers.”

Partnerships can also be a good way to test out a relationship before committing to an acquisition or an investment; they give companies a chance to see if the chemistry matches. And it’s this matching of cultures, people and personalities that make a partnership work.

John Mitchell of Telecom New Zealand knows all about the risks of being so geographically isolated, which is why his company places key people strategically around the world specifically to create new relationships and new partnerships.

“Business is about people. People like doing business with people, so the whole partnership thing, I think, is the layer that’s above those networks and those machines; it’s actually what is the driver of business.”

But whatever the reasons for entering into a partnership, both parties should be prepared to work at making it a success. As Vivek Jhamb of Vodafone explains:

104

Pick a good strong partner who can deliver to you the services you want in geographies you want...

105

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