Global Telecoms Business (GTB) Innovation Summit and Awards is an annual telecommunication event that ‘recognizes the industry’s most innovative & successful project partnerships between operators and vendors’. The GTB summit brings together the leaders and representatives of telecom industry; the likes of operators, solution providers, and vendors and showcases the very best of their projects ‘to reveal the latest innovations, be it application, design, network or product’.
This year the GTB summit held on 23rd of May at The Marriot Grosvenor Square, London was attended by more than 200 senior level representatives from the community of operators, solutions providers and vendors. For Seamless Distribution Systems (SDS), this year’s summit was particularly special as it marked an impressive participation where SDS truly outshined at the event! Here are some reasons why:
5. Believer of digital disruption
Seamless Distribution Systems has been the believer of digital disruption for telecommunications industry since 1998 when it first came with the idea of bringing innovation and digital technology to the telecom space. The idea that that laid the foundation of SDS was the belief of a group of enthusiasts to bring the benefits of digital technology to the arena of telecom supply and distribution, around the globe. This push was to a) bring new opportunities to telecom sector and b) digitalize the operations and distribution needs of telecom operators to increase efficiency, reduce costs and carbon footprint and allow operators to strengthen their service delivery. The focus has been on creating value for telecom service providers and becoming a catalyst of implementation of digital technology to the benefit of all.
This philosophy resonated well with the community members of telecom industry gathered at the GTB Telecom Awards 2017, in London and they witnessed the positive impact SDS is creating with powerful partnerships with telecom operators in Africa.
4. Contributor of the community
From a decade and a half, SDS has continued to be an integral contributor of the telecom community and stayed true to its motto of creating an impact, through technology innovation. Instead of dodging the digital disruption; SDS grabbed the bull by its horn, tamed it to the speed and scope of telecom sector and harnessed its power to create a digital ecosystem that can benefit all.
Out of the rewarding partnership of SDS and MTN Zambia came the project, “Be your own boss”, that outshined at the GTB Awards night, and is one such example of reflecting the true spirit of entrepreneurship and empowerment bottom up. Click To Tweet
With this innovative project, the end-users of our partner telecom operator, MTN Zambia, benefit from the opportunity of becoming resellers of mobile airtime by a simple subscription over phone. This allows the users to earn commissions with each sale under a highly flexible and mobile environment while giving MTN Zambia unparalleled market penetration and increased airtime sales; thus, creating an ecosystem of success for all!
3. Taking up the exhibitor space
Ideas like “Be your own boss” and projects with innovation and empowerment at their heart stood out at the GTB Summit and Awards ceremony. This is why SDS’ partnership project with MTN Zambia thoroughly resonated with the spirit of innovation celebrated by GTB.
The insights SDS shared, gathered with the help of partner MTN Zambia, at the project showcase and the exhibit pavilion were also received very well by the industry leaders and technology enthusiasts participating at the summit. The most encouraging notions were around SDS’ efforts on creating a valuable culture of innovation with telecom giants like MTN in regions of Africa, to share the benefits of digital ecosystem with local communities.
2. Valuable interactions
An encouraging and positive environment of innovation at the GTB summit initiated valuable conversations around latest trends and technologies, impact of automation and digital disruption on telecom industry and on the culture of creativity and innovation. The interactions with representatives of telecom operators greatly reflected the true opportunities that lie in the industry to be fully channelized by technology innovation and value addition initiatives.
SDS’ exhibit table remained a zone of valuable interactions and exchange of positive ideas and insights around building the ecosystem of success through technology, digitalization and successful partnerships.
1. And of course, winning!
Hands down nothing beats the feel of winning; and truly the most magical moment of the summit was the crowning of SDS’s “Be your own boss” project in partnership with MTN Zambia. The award, judged by an independent committee, recognized SDS’ and MTN Zambia’s project success under the GTB’s Software & Applications Innovation category as the most innovative project of 2017 with positive socio-economic impact.
The “Be Your Own Boss” project is commercially known as MTN Tamanga in Zambia and has been up and running since April 2016 and has allowed thousands of end-users to earn their livelihood through selling mobile airtime.
SDS’ win marks the celebration of innovation and positive impact of powerful partnerships between telecom operators and technology providers.
Take a look at SDS’ shining moments at GTB Awards 2017 in visuals:
GTB Award Summit Halls, Marriott, London
Frank Malola, Business Developer & Key Account Manager of SDS at Exhibitor’s Pavilion
SDS showcase presentation on partnership with MTN Zambia for project “Be your own Boss”
Frank Malola, third from left, presenting the MTN Zambia & SDS’ project presentation
From left to right:
Alan Burkitt-Gray – Executive Editor of GTB,
Frank Malola -Business Developer & Key Account Manager of SDS,
Tommy Eriksson – COO of SDS
James Pearce Deputy – Editor of GTB
