STC is setting trends in technology

Saudi Telecom Company’s (STC) Saudization quota has reached 92 percent in all fields. “This is our best expansion tool,” says STC General Manager for Communication Amjad Shaker.
In fact, Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest IT consumer markets. “If you look at Twitter and YouTube consumption, it is among the highest worldwide,” Shaker told Arab News in an exclusive interview.
Google, who owns YouTube, has cask servers for YouTube hosted by STC because of the amount of traffic and to make it faster. “Part of our optimization is that we build on the knowledge of the country. This means that we optimize being innovative and customize with attention on the local need. This has allowed us to provide best services on occasions such as Haj where we’re able to market for STC through our performance and optimized network,” he said.

The following are excerpts from the interview:

How does STC benefit by attending events such as GITEX?
This is the biggest and largest event in the ICT world. All major players in this sector are participating. It is a showcase for products, offers wide network opportunities and platform for signing MoUs. STC will be signing a range of MoUs in many fields, among them improved customer services, network related, smooth Internet connection, etc.

How do you prepare for this event?
We start our preparation 6 months before the event. Our aim is to achieve better services from the experience we gain on ground and during the event. This includes decisions on how to take development for each sector. STC is a key and leading ICT player today; it is a solution-oriented company for wholesale buyers. We have gone through major transformation, on both local and regional level. At STC, our customers are stakeholders and partners in success. We want them to be part and interested in what we do and our operations. Therefore, we forge partnerships with entities that we need and provide them cooperation with required support. This is our main message.

There is no specific method to measure success after attending such an event. Yet, can you find out the benefits gained from your attendance?
We measure it through the impact of PR done, looking at spikes and talking to tenders. Gathering this kind of information helps our strategy team in developing new ideas. The number of new relationships and alliances forged is another tool for measurement as well as beneficiary for us as a company that aims to optimize its services all the time. There is no specific number that can be furnished on alliances formed, because one leads to another like Internet connection.

ICT is becoming increasingly important to the public and private sectors. Besides, GITEX is of interest and a must to attend event. What is the basis on which you make your decision to attend?
That is definitely the World Mobile Congress (WMC) in Barcelona. Other than that we have about 14 events we participate, also as sponsors. Events need to make sense as we owe to our stakeholders that they help us make profit.

What are STC’s expansion strategies?
STC has subsidiaries — for example, VIVA Bahrain/Viva Kuwait. In this way, we have about 150 million subscribers in 9 markets — the Middle East, Africa, and south Asia. We at STC are especially proud that our Saudization quota has reached 92 percent in all fields. This is our best expansion tool. KSA is one of the biggest IT consumer markets. If you look at Twitter and YouTube consumption, it is among the highest worldwide. Google — who owns YouTube — has cask servers for YouTube hosted by STC because of the amount of traffic and to make it faster. Part of our optimization is that we build on the knowledge of the country. This means that we optimize being innovative and customize with attention on the local need. This allowed us to provide best services on occasions such as Haj where we were able to market for STC through our performance and optimized network. We had 5,000 members of our team on ground to help and support pilfers, which led to great mouth to mouth marketing campaign for us. On the first Haj day, there was an increase of 400 percent in data usage compared with 2013. And on the actual Haj Day, the increase was 330 percent.

Can you share your strategy for development?
Very easy. Our team collects data and accordingly we develop plan, translate it on paper and then comes the physical optimization on ground.