Nathan Bell, global head of products of Telstra Global, said that as companies look at expanding, they can’t ignore innovating. “The path to success is to adapt, to leverage technology,” he said.
PHUKET, THAILAND – With businesses in the Asia and the Pacific (APAC) region eyeing to further grow, those who helm them need to recognize the changing information and communication technology (ICT) landscape for businesses. This was stressed by Nathan Bell, global head of products of Telstra Global, here at the NetEvents Asia-Pacific Press and SP Summit 2014.
For Bell, the need to adapt is even more defined in the APAC region not only because of the region’s dynamism, but also because much of the growth is expected to come from the region.
“We’re always very aware of the dynamics of Asia,” Bell said, adding that this is important since “by 2017, (it is estimated that) 50% of all mobile users will be in Asia; and that’s huge.”
Earlier, Telstra Global interviewed 4,155 senior executives from all over the APAC region, including in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It found that 45% of businesses are looking at expanding into new countries; while 56% are consolidating their operations in other countries.
Bell said that the business that succeed at all follow paths to success. The paths include driving multiple strategies; adaptability; leveraging technology; and having a culture of accountability.
Focusing on ICT, Bell stressed the need to recognize that innovation is the central issue in economic growth.
With the current pace in advances in technology, “it is estimated that, now, innovation has a two- to three-month cycle,” Bell said. With this fast pace, there is a need to “understand this, and then make the actual changes in the businesses (for them to succeed).”
For Bell, the cloud is already affording some of the innovations that companies need, even if cloud itself has to change. The future of cloud is expected to allow companies to have business process virtualization having the ability to scale; portals focused on business elements not just ICT; integrated cloud and telecom infrastructure able to adapt to any change; and commercial models that use the language of business.
To deal with the changing market demand, Telstra Global already focuses on products and services that can be consumed as and when required; cloud and network fabric becoming one; and transparency on cost and performance.
