C O M P A N YO V E R V I E W

Vodacom Business Africa Group (Pty) Ltd

Vodacom Business Africameets connectivity demand with innovative solutionsThe ICT subsidiary of the pan-African Vodacom Group is using its deep understanding of doing business on the continent to cater for the rapidly increasing challenges and needs of its customers by providing high quality SLA managed IP-VPN MPLS services as well as security and unified communicationsWritten by: Matthew Staff Produced by: Craig Daniels

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Vodacom Business Africa continues to react to the ongoing demand for enhanced connectivity on the Continent through its

dedication to providing innovative ICT solutions across a wider footprint than ever before.

The company’s primary objective is to offer total communications services to both multinationals and medium-sized enterprises, enabling customers to adapt into African markets and alleviating the technical strains that come from cross-country expansion.

This has been achieved through its innovative range of technical services, including IP-VPN MPLS connectivity, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), M2M, the launch of new data centres, the optimisation of cloud computing, and the company’s renowned converged solutions. The

‘Our reliable and wide Pan-African network capability enables us to provide secure network connectivity across borders and at scale’

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expansion and development of which means that customer demands are met on a wider scale, while staying abreast of technology trends.

Douglas Craigie-Stevenson, Managing Director (MD), said: “The increased demand for connectivity and speed has challenged Vodacom to continue to be innovative in the solutions that we develop to meet our customer requirements, and to ensure that we keep our customers reliably connected, wherever they are.

“Our reliable and wide Pan-African network capability enables us to provide secure network connectivity across borders and at scale.”

Innovative solutionsAs a customer-centric and market-savvy company; Vodacom Business Africa monitors

Servers are kept

cool in the basement

operations centre

24/7

Availability of our Customer

Operations Centre to support all of our customers

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trends and challenges to ensure it offers solutions that enable customers to not only be in line with industry requirements, but also future-proofed to take their business to the next level. The business also support Multi-national companies enter into Africa with a trusted partner.

“The technological infrastructure on the African continent is complex,” Craigie-Stevenson explained. “Many African markets do not have traditional terrestrial infrastructure and governments can be forced to bypass fixed-line solutions in favour of mobile and fibre-optic broadband. This is what we fix.”

Subsequently, the demand for more advanced cloud-based services has led to new data centres being launched in both Nigeria and South Africa

Server bank

“Many African markets do not have traditional terrestrial infrastructure and governments can be forced to bypass fixed-line solutions in favour of mobile and fibre-optic broadband”

– Douglas Craigie-Stevenson, MD

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in addition to existing ones, further enhancing the cloud capability. With the uptake of Machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions; the company has grown it’s M2M portfolio to drive and pursue growth opportunities in new vertical markets including transportation, logistics, insurance, and financial services.

Craigie-Stevenson said: “The spread of communication services into vertical markets – specialised sectors such as healthcare, hospitality or education - requires tailor-made solutions to meet customer requirements. More and more we are seeing the increasing role of technology in driving growth in some of the highly-industrialised sectors such as mining.”

The company’s continually expanding range of convergence and M2M services is not only an industry benefit, but an industry must, given the rate of tech development across Africa, also making the speed of bringing new products to market equally important.

Recently, these introductions have comprised deployments in vehicle telematics; fleet management, electronic metering, asset tracking and remote operations to ensure the latest in advanced efficiencies and business productivity are being catered for in Africa.

Consistent qualityThe company’s global footprint allows it to overcome the terrestrial and regulatory challenges faced by many service providers on

Key Personnel Douglas Craigie-StevensonGroup Managing Director

Douglas Craigie-Stevenson has been the Group Managing Director for Vodacom Business Africa since 2013 and is accountable for strategic direction, revenue growth, business policy and operational planning and execution across the African fixed line OpCos based in 16 countries across the continent.

Douglas is a visionary leader who has a strong understanding of the global and African business landscape.

http://www.vodacom.com/africa

VODACOM BUSINESS AFRICA T E C H N O L O G Y

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42the continent, its connectivity network spreading as far wide as 42 countries out of a possible 54.

This is supported by an on-the-ground presence in 16 countries as well as a 24-hour operational customer service operations centre which enables monitoring and tracking of network traffic to ensure all customers are confidently connected at all times.

Satellite hubs enforce this network structure of access mediums to enable customers to carry out business even in the remotest of geographies with underserved terrestrial infrastructure, making inter-branch connectivity across regions more manageable, Craigie-Stevenson explained: “Any multinational expanding into Africa needs to feel confident that it can establish reliable communications.

Number of countries where Vodacom’s network footprint provides reliable

connectivity

Satellite hubs enforce the network structure

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“The identification of a total communications service provider who can negotiate and navigate the regulatory and technological complexities can empower the business to focus on their core competencies and explore revenue opportunities.”

This is achieved by consolidating communications into one supplier, under one contract, and with one master service agreement, to help alleviate the stresses of cross-country

“This provides businesses with a consistent experience and better control of communications, costs and security”– Douglas Craigie-Stevenson

Vodacom endeavours to empower businesses

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The company offers

better control of

communications, costs

and security

transactions. “This provides businesses with a consistent

experience and better control of communications, costs and security,” the MD added.

Dedicated providerComplementing the role it plays in empowering businesses, the company has a similar ethos of care in its approach to Corporate Social Responsibility, driving technology to help people

Making sure customers are in control

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across regions. This commitment is spread far and wide,

epitomised by its work in Mozambique with ARK (Absolute Return for Kids), partnering with the Ministry of Healthy to trial SMS technology to improve adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV/AIDS.

The relationship with the Ministry of Health continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where it offers healthcare professionals free SMS technology to report on TB-vaccine stock levels in the combat against tuberculosis.

From a corporate standpoint, the same philosophy of care and pride in its community continues where Vodacom’s M-Pesa Empowerment Initiative (MWEI) is helping to develop SMEs being run by women by providing much needed microfinance credit access; an

“Pairing up our rich product set with our dedicated team of people, and making sure that our customers know that there’s ultimately only one provider they should go to will remain a key focus”

– Douglas Craigie-Stevenson

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initiative which has already aided thousands of women across 18 regions of Tanzania.

Vodacom Business Africa’s willingness to not only move with the times, but to keep ahead of the industry curve is what has set it apart throughout its development in Africa, and Craigie-Stevenson is confident that this trend will continue moving forward.

“We are excited about the journey that the flux in the telecoms industry will take us on, especially in Africa,” he said. “Pairing up our rich product set with our dedicated team of people, and making sure that our customers know that there’s ultimately only one provider they should go to will remain a key focus.

“We will continue to expand our product offering and solutions into the African market.”

Company Information

I N D U S T RY

ICT communications

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

Johannesburg, South

Africa

F O U N D E D

2008

E M P L O Y E E S

Not disclosed

R E V E N U E

Not disclosed

P R O D U C T S /

S E R V I C E S

ICT solutions, Cloud

computing, hosted

services, MPLS

connectivity, Total

Communications

3rd Floor, 082 Vodacom Boulevard, Midrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Tel. 011 653 5000

Africa.com@vodacom.co.za www.vodacom.com/Africa

Vodacom Business Africa Group (Pty) Ltd