ICT is an enabler
of technology innovation, driving social and economic development, and creating
value for individuals and society as a whole.
Advancements
in ICT and the deployment of networks enable greater opportunities for
development, access to information and more open communication.
We
have seen companies in the ICT sector striving to bridge the digital divide -
so everyone can afford to enjoy the benefits of communications. Some have moved
farther to shift their focus from ‘a phone for everyone’ to ‘broadband for
everyone’, to enable users to tap the infinite possibilities that a connected
world presents.
It is no doubt that ICT is the most active driving force for
innovation. However as ICT continues to change the way of our living, the
industry must focus on enhancing the user experience and value creation in
order to drive social and economic development.
We
have seen how a stronger ICT innovation can help promotes greater convenience
in our daily lives and in countries that ICT has been taken seriously; it helps
enterprises and governments boost efficiency.
An
even more significant contribution of ICT, however, is how it provides the
means and opportunity for equal access to information for people around the
world, thereby bridging not just the digital gap, but the knowledge gap as
well. By delivering knowledge to local communities, ICT enables social progress
and sustainable development.
It is against this background that I managed to have a
one-on-one interview with Zhang Yong Quan, Managing Director of Huawei
Technologies in Tanzania -one of the companies that have taken ICT to another
level and has also penetrated into many countries- in order to know their
activities in Tanzania and how their presence will change the lives of locals
and their consumers.
QUESTION: Tell us about yourself?
ANSWER:
I am a humble man with over 13 years’ experience in the ICT industry and a
background in Computer Engineering. My performance in this sector earned me a
position as Managing Director of Huawei in Tanzania effective March 2012.
Q: Tell us, who is Huawei?
A:
Huawei is a leading global ICT solutions Provider, Serving 45 of the world's
top 50 operators, and one third (1/3) of the world’s population. A Fortune
Global 500 company, Huawei has operations in more than 140 countries, with 14
Regional Headquarters.
Q: When was Huawei founded globally, and when did you establish
operations in Tanzania?
A:
Huawei was founded in 1987, in Shenzhen China, where our headquarters are
located. Huawei has been in Tanzania since 2001, providing innovative ICT
solutions in partnership with operators and government to enrich the lives of
people of Tanzania through Telecommunication.
Q: How has Huawei performed financially?
A:
Last year, our global sales revenue was $32.4 Billion; Compound average growth
rate is 22 per cent in past five years. USD 3.42 billion for Africa, and a 15
per cent growth year-over-year. Sustainable financial growth will help us to
establish long-term partnership with our customer and provide better service to
our customer.
Q: Tell us about your business in Tanzania.
A:
In Tanzania, Huawei has enriched lives through communication in:
Carrier
Network (Operators e.g. 2G, transmission), Consumer (Devices e.g. modems,
handsets), and Enterprise (Enterprises and government e.g. data center,
telepresence) business groups to provide end-to-end integrated solutions.
The
products of GSM/CDMA/Transmission/Terminals from Huawei have been widely
adopted in Tanzania Market, serving for TTCL, Vodacom, Airtel, Tigo, Zantel and
Government organizations. Nowadays the annual revenue of Huawei Tanzania is
about 100Million USD.
Our
company provided transmission equipments for the Tanzania's national optical
backbone network in 2009, making Tanzania’s information highway
To
promote quality and affordable user experience through our devices, Huawei has
brought into the Tanzania market data cards/modems, smartphones e.g. Huawei
IDEOS, Huawei Sonic, Huawei Ascend Y200, and Huawei Torres, and Tablets such as
Huawei S7 Slim, and Huawei Media pad
Q: What is your Corporate Social Responsibility strategy for
Tanzania if any?
A:
From corporate point of view, our commitment on CSR is focusing on six domains:
1.
Bridging the digital divide. This is done through expanding communications
coverage, elevating local telecommunications expertise and narrowing broadband
gap
2.
Fair operation; we do this through having a transparent sales, transparent
procurement and building a harmonious business environment
3.
Employee; we encourage recruiting dedicated employees who form the foundation
of our growth, we have programs that look into employees’ occupational health
and safety, employee career path and growth and our company is proud to have
open communication channels.
4.
Environmental protection; we have green communications, green Huawei, and green
world
5.
Supply chain; in this segment, we strive to improving CSR awareness and
capability of Huawei and its supply chain and also strengthen supply chain CSR
management.
6.
Community support; here we have programs that look into disaster relief
efforts, social welfare contributions and we engage local community in
activities that aims at changing their loves to the better.
In
Tanzania, Huawei has been involved in: Bridging the Digital Divide- Computer
Donation to secondary schools in regional area in Tanzania.
We
have been contributing to local communities through sponsoring of Half-Marathon
activity with Vodacom.
In
education/knowledge transfer, we have been making donation for the construction
and development of secondary schools in Zanzibar.
We
are going to be more focusing on talent training in ICT field in Tanzania. And
we are going to launch a long term ICT talent training plan “Huawei ICT Star”
together with Tanzania ministry of communication, science and technology this
November (year 2012). We hope to continue investing in CSR initiatives to
ensure more Tanzania people share in the Huawei’s success.
Q. What is your take on developing ICT skills in Tanzania in
bridging the knowledge gap?
A:
Through our ”Huawei ICT Star” Program for Tanzania Education, Huawei is
committed to promote knowledge transfer to promote local talent in Tanzania so
that they can be able to compete on the same level with pears globally. This
will be made possible through hands-on training in our resources which include
one R&D center and seven training centers in Africa.
This
will include: Facilitating experts for training, Huawei certification programs,
career mentorship programs for ICT students, Internship programs, supporting
research projects and donation of ICT equipment to schools and Universities.
Q. In Summary, what is Huawei’s Investment in Tanzania:
A:
As a global company with local presence, Huawei’s investment in Tanzania can be
seen in different areas:
Innovative
Solutions: Huawei is optimistic in long-term investment in Tanzania
communication industry; through provision of the latest and innovative
technologies through our global pipe strategy at competitive prices to
contribute to the economic growth of the country. This will enhance
competitiveness in the local ICT industry
The
Guardian Tanzania