Bharti, IBM partner on IT infrastructure
Sep 20, 2010
BHARTI Airtel has partnered with IBM to manage the computing technology and services that power Bharti Airtel’s mobile communications network spanning 16 African countries.
By David Mugabe
BHARTI Airtel has partnered with IBM to manage the computing technology and services that power Bharti Airtel’s mobile communications network spanning 16 African countries.
Bharti recently acquired Zain Africa operations, including Zain Uganda at over $10b.
A statement from the Asian telecom giant said an agreement would be finalised by the end of the year in which IBM will deploy advanced technologies, including the spoken web, a voice-enabled Internet technology that allows users to access and share information simply by talking over an existing telephone.
Analysts say Bharti would rely on the economies of large-scale partnerships with giants like IBM to introduce solutions that should tilt pricing models in their favour, and thus lowering the barrier to entry for Africans to own a mobile device.
“This is particularly compelling for populations with little or no literacy, visual impairments, or which lack access to PCs,†read the statement
Since 2004, Bharti Airtel subscribers have grown from six million to 150 million today.
The statement quotes a Deloitte report commissioned by the mobile communications industry association, GSMA, indicating that only 40 out of every 100 Africans have mobile phones.
“However, demand is growing at an average rate of 25% annually, and a 10% rise in mobile penetration could increase gross domestic product by 1.2% in developing markets.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Bharti Airtel chairman and managing director, said: “There are huge opportunities throughout Africa to transform how people communicate and how communities interact. Delivering on that opportunity through affordable mobile communications for everyone is our focus.â€
“This transformational business delivery model, which will be a first in Africa’s telecom industry, will bring enhanced efficiencies to our operations and help us deliver world-class mobile services to our customers.
Under the 10-year planned agreement, IBM will consolidate 16 different IT environments across Bharti Airtel’s African operations into an integrated IT system and will oversee the management of all of the applications, data center operations, servers, storage and desktop services.
When the agreement becomes final, IBM will provide customer support applications that include customer relationship management, billing and self-care that will empower customers and assist Bharti Airtel in delivering innovative and convenient 2G and 3G mobile services.
BHARTI Airtel has partnered with IBM to manage the computing technology and services that power Bharti Airtel’s mobile communications network spanning 16 African countries.
Bharti recently acquired Zain Africa operations, including Zain Uganda at over $10b.
A statement from the Asian telecom giant said an agreement would be finalised by the end of the year in which IBM will deploy advanced technologies, including the spoken web, a voice-enabled Internet technology that allows users to access and share information simply by talking over an existing telephone.
Analysts say Bharti would rely on the economies of large-scale partnerships with giants like IBM to introduce solutions that should tilt pricing models in their favour, and thus lowering the barrier to entry for Africans to own a mobile device.
“This is particularly compelling for populations with little or no literacy, visual impairments, or which lack access to PCs,†read the statement
Since 2004, Bharti Airtel subscribers have grown from six million to 150 million today.
The statement quotes a Deloitte report commissioned by the mobile communications industry association, GSMA, indicating that only 40 out of every 100 Africans have mobile phones.
“However, demand is growing at an average rate of 25% annually, and a 10% rise in mobile penetration could increase gross domestic product by 1.2% in developing markets.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Bharti Airtel chairman and managing director, said: “There are huge opportunities throughout Africa to transform how people communicate and how communities interact. Delivering on that opportunity through affordable mobile communications for everyone is our focus.â€
“This transformational business delivery model, which will be a first in Africa’s telecom industry, will bring enhanced efficiencies to our operations and help us deliver world-class mobile services to our customers.
Under the 10-year planned agreement, IBM will consolidate 16 different IT environments across Bharti Airtel’s African operations into an integrated IT system and will oversee the management of all of the applications, data center operations, servers, storage and desktop services.
When the agreement becomes final, IBM will provide customer support applications that include customer relationship management, billing and self-care that will empower customers and assist Bharti Airtel in delivering innovative and convenient 2G and 3G mobile services.