Q&A: Adel Al-Daylami, general manager, enterprise division, Batelco

Q&A: Adel Al-Daylami, general manager, enterprise division, Batelco

Capacity Middle East Day 1: Adel Al-Daylami, general manager, enterprise division at Batelco, talks about the company's contribution to global connectivity.

How is the global connectivity market shaping up?

Looking at the pace of development in the Information & Communications Technology (ICT) industry, service providers are under pressure to keep up whilst ensuring they provide optimal services. 

The move from legacy and Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM) based services towards IP and Ethernet services is a major driver for us to evolve and meet ever-changing demands. 

The rapid growth in international bandwidth, the drop in price expected by customers and the deregulation of telecoms markets are some of the major developments in the region, not to mention the increased number of cable consortiums deployed.

 

What are the customers looking for in a global connectivity solution?

It is essential to understand customer requirements in order to propose and deliver the right solution and exceed their expectations. 

Customers are more aware nowadays and they know what is needed for them to run their business. 

Reduced prices, better service-level agreements (SLAs) for availability and support, online performance monitoring, uninterrupted services, and fast and responsive support are few of the demanding requirements nowadays. 

Beyond connectivity, customers are looking for added benefits such as managed services to ensure end-to-end efficiency which optimises customers’ operational expenses. 

At Batelco, we aim to meet such demands and go as far as embedding them within our standard offerings.  

 

What are the main benefits of Batelco global services?

Firstly, Batelco has an impressive portfolio of global services made up of various services such as co-location, International Private Leased Line (IPLC), Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Ethernet services. 

Complementing that, Batelco has its own points of presence (PoPs) all around the region and beyond, and our global network is fully diverse and protected, ensuring high service availability; we ensure our customers are protected against cable cuts and other incidents. 

Not only that, but we also have a strong presence in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region and are globally supported by our joint ventures (JVs) and the great relationships we have with our partners – a key area we tend to emphasise at Batelco. 

Our exceptional service is delivered via highly experienced teams who ensure processes are handled at an optimum level throughout the entire sales cycle, up-to and including after sales support. 

Batelco’s main pillar of operations relies on the fact that we make sure our customer is our partner and that the customer is always happy.

 

Do you consider Batelco as the leader in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and what unique features can your customers enjoy?

Indeed, as Batelco has been a strong regional player for almost 40 years, and was instrumental in shaping the entire telecoms industry in the GCC region, there is no one better acquainted with this region to provide telecoms services. 

Over the years, we have embarked on a steep learning curve and as a result we know the region very well and how it works. 

This makes us well equipped to deal with specific regional processes and enables us to ensure services are delivered on time and promises are kept. 

Additionally, we have our own team of certified project managers looking after the entire end-to-end cycle of service delivery, acting as a single point of contact for our customers. 

We also provide our customer with many value-added services, such as Batelco NetView, which is an online monitoring portal where customers can log in and see live indicators of their services’ performance. 

Batelco is ahead of many in the industry, as it hosts a state of the art Service Management Centre (SMC) located next to our Network Operations Centre (NOC) which ensures our customers receive fast responses, inclusive of cases where network and second line support is required. 

Last but not least, as part of our organisational Business Continuity Plan, we have a backup SMC and NOC located in a different physical location ensuring proper business continuity is in place.

 

What are your plans to enhance your presence and portfolio of services?

First and foremost, our top priority is to guarantee all customer requirements are addressed and adhered to. 

As a result, continuous innovation is a must. As part of this innovation, we frequently seek new opportunities and address them ensuring Batelco is the partner of choice for both partners and end customers. 

We have already announced that we are planning for global expansion and reaching more disparate locations around the globe to further enhance our presence in the region and beyond. 

Ultimately, we look for strategic locations and partners and work closely with them ensuring our services maintain their prestigious positioning.  

Lastly, to provide an elevated customer experience, the organisation provides a range of managed and cloud services that enrich Batelco’s offerings such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), with plans to introduce more in the future. 

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