Vodafone Qatar was the knowledge sponsor of Qatar University (QU)’s Innovation Day, which was observed yesterday in the presence of students and faculty.
QU Innovation Day involved a number of speakers, including Simone Eliantonio, head of Strategic Projects & Innovation at Vodafone Qatar, who spoke about the importance of adopting a more digital model for business success and continuity.
In addition, Vodafone’s Al Johara team joined the Innovation Day to speak to students about how the adoption of digital transformation can positively and strongly impact the level of customer experience in any business or industry, sharing related Vodafone case studies.
“Digital technologies are the keys that drive innovation in our time. Digital technologies are to the 21st century what steam power was to the industrial revolution and for digital transformation to happen, businesses must look at a complete framework that touches upon customer experience, operations and business model,” said Eliantonio.
Companies that commit to digital transformation across all aspects of the business do better, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“SMEs across Mena have more to gain than anyone else by joining the digital revolution,” Eliantonio said.
“But there is a glaring gap between the way consumers in Mena use digital technology and the way small companies do. Mind-blowing smartphone penetration, a huge appetite for data and multiple SIM ownership keep individuals in the Middle East - particularly the Gulf - more connected than most.”
For SMEs, however, the picture looks different, Eliantonio said. A recent report by Deloitte shed light on ICT adoption by SMEs in the region. In Qatar, over 55% of SMEs have no presence on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, while 83% of Qatari SMEs spent less than 10% of their budget on ICT services.
Regarding customer experience, digital solutions can support any business in enhancing its reach by creating a wider and more engaged customer base for its products and services.
Eliantonio ended his talk with a view on the role of telecom providers in supporting innovation for SMEs.
 “Telecommunications providers have a central role to play in supporting SMEs on this journey. Just as the rise of instant messaging is ushering in an era of innovation, exploration and new revenue streams in our own industry,” he said.
“SMEs must be ready for what’s next. Digitisation is a top priority for us at Vodafone in Qatar and across the world and we are aggressively looking at new ways to help SMEs also make it a priority. As a telecom provider, we need more digitally enhanced companies in our ecosystem as digital awareness creates further demand for telecom services.”



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