MTN South Africa and IBM South Africa have joined forces to offer South African businesses a pre-packaged, start-up wireless offering.
The offering is aimed at businesses with ten or more users of handheld devices. The solution includes a pre-negotiated, subsidised network connection, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) software licences, OEM service agreements and built-in security facilities.
The announcement was made at an educational seminar about wireless technology for companies held in Johannesburg today.
"MTN Business Solutions provides South African companies of all sizes with innovative, simple mobile data solutions and we seek to form alliances with companies which assist us to deliver these. IBM is one of these companies," says Georges Bongi, Group Executive Marketing at MTN South Africa.
The MTN/IBM offering simplifies the installation of wireless options, bringing users quick, easy productivity wins and easing acceptance of wireless technology as a business tool.
The offering is focused on personal information management (PIM), in that it enables mobile users to dial into their corporate network and gain access to their email and calendar information.
IBM SA`s Mark Anderson said that companies are looking for entry-level solutions.
"Businesses, large and small, understand that mobile wireless technology is going to be as essential to them as the fixed phone was and the cell phone is now.
"But there is still a perception that the technology is immature and that there is inadequate knowledge for deploying it.
"Also, wireless mobility is as much a cultural issue as it is operational. Both employers and employees need to be acclimatised to the ways in which wireless technology improves their productivity and efficiency."
According to Bongi: "MTN has the requisite capabilities in the wireless data networking arena and our strategic positioning will assist IBM in bringing this mobility solution to market. It is fitting for MTN and IBM to work together in this new market space."
MTN`s emphasis on enhancing people`s lives, whether at work or play, fits well with IBM`s outlook on product and service development.
"Most people work with their email and calendars often in a given day, so that`s where they`ll get early benefits from wireless connectivity.
"Then they`ll begin to see other ways to use wireless facilities, which is when the company can begin to move business processes on to wireless devices," said Anderson
Speaking at the wireless seminar, IBM SA`s Gerard Dumont emphasised that, as with any technology, businesses should not seek wireless options unless the business case justifying them is clear.
"Wireless technology is a tool that physically extends your current operational capabilities. It doesn`t replace them.
"It`s greatest benefit to your business lies in its ability to reuse your existing technology in extending your operational capabilities into the field.
"Properly used, it can improve productivity, increase customer loyalty, cut or manage costs and transform processes," said Dumont
Also, integrated with legacy systems and seamlessly added to infrastructure, wireless technology protects an organisation`s existing technology investment.
"Because organisations don`t need to migrate to new technology in order to have mobile options, they can extend the life of their systems for up to ten years," added Anderson.
"And, because wireless technology enables you to bring your backend administrative and operational facilities to the front, customer-facing end of your business - in the field - it improves your efficiency and customer service."
Responding to geometrically increasing market demand, IBM is investing US $1 billon worldwide in the next 12 months on enterprise wireless technology research and development.
"Customers trust IBM with the integration of their backend systems with telecommunications systems, because, through its extensive research facilities and global experience over 80 years, IBM has an intrinsic knowledge of business as well as technology," said Anderson.
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