Telecom Namibia Managing Director Frans Ndoroma hosted an executive cocktail dinner for partners, IT and business executives at a local restaurant in the capital city last night ahead of the company's ICT Summit which gets underway at Safari Hotel & Conference Centre in Windhoek this morning.
According to the organizers, the Summit is heading for a major success. By yesterday afternoon 793 individuals have already announced their intention to participate in the largest ICT event in Namibia, says Chrissie Fendler, ICT Network Solutions Consultant at Telecom Namibia. "We still have tomorrow for registrations," she added.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Joel Kaapanda will open the two-day Summit scheduled to start at 08h30 today.
Speaking at the cocktail dinner last night, Mr Ndoroma said the event is Telecom's most innovative platform for knowledge sharing and partnership building among Namibian industry players as well as with their foreign partners.
Mr Ndoroma explained that the world has seen the emergence of three forces of change - people, markets and technologies - that transcend geographies and which, he said, are both converged and intertwined and are bound to alter and shape the future.
"Telecom Namibia ICT Summit 2009 will, among other issues, take a close look at these three forces of change and discuss solutions for the many challenges we need to tackle," he said.
"We have representatives from various nations and entities, where each has their own unique capacities. Let us through this ICT Summit explore opportunities and collaboration in order to build on each other`s strengths and benefit mutually."
The Telecom MD said by visualising the future and promoting effective ICT-based solutions to present-day challenges exacerbated by the current global crisis, the Summit is helping to ensure that the ICT sector reposition its services for the upturn in future through investment in infrastructure and the rollout of cost-effective services, such as next generation networks (NGNs).
Telecom Namibia has developed a clear strategy for transformation that puts customers at the heart of its business. As it aims to become an integrated ICT service provider, the company is focusing on the following:
- Replacing existing legacy switched core networks with packet-based all IP networks (NGN);
- Introducing diverse access technologies like ADSL, WiMAX, WiFi, Fixed Wireless and CDMA, as well as fibre rollouts into the local loop either to the cabinet or the street;
- Making it possible for consumers to obtain multiple services or a single service on a single platform or device or obtain any given service on multiple platforms or devices;
- Placing strong focus on and need for nomadic and fixed broadband, international capacity as well as data services and connectivity; and
- Delivering the communications experience whereby people have access to the services they want and all of their personal content -- anytime, anywhere, on-demand and on any device.
Mr Ndoroma thanked the stakeholders for supporting Telecom's efforts to create a world-class telecommunications infrastructure for Namibia and next generation products and services for Namibia for our customers.
He wished the participants a fruitful exchange and learning in order to be ready to tackle the future, "armed with fresh knowledge and strengthened through new and stronger partnerships."
This year`s summit is on the theme: "Visualising the future: Confronting the crisis."