Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are among the leading sectors in Qatar that are benefiting from the advantages provided by the Internet of Things (IoT), an official of Vodafone Qatar has said.
“IoT initiatives and solutions are cost efficient, which is why many SMEs are relying on technology in order to save and bring costs down. This is why Vodafone is catering to many SMEs on a daily basis and providing them the necessary solutions that meet their business needs,” Vodafone Qatar’s Enterprise Sales director Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al-Thani told Gulf Times yesterday on the sidelines of Qitcom 2017.
“Since their businesses are small, they are agile and it makes it easy for them to adapt to the constant changes in technology…I am sure that Qatar is adapting very quickly to these technological advancements.”
Sheikh Hamad stressed that Vodafone is helping organisations of all sizes optimise, automate, and innovate using IoT technologies.
“This is a technology revolution that Vodafone is bringing to Qatar to support efforts to build a knowledge-based economy with a vibrant ICT sector that works as an enabler of Qatar National Vision 2030.
“In essence, this technology opens up a range of exciting possibilities for businesses regarding how they operate, how they grow, and how they can provide superior customer experience. By analysing relevant data and immediate feedback on how their assets are being used, businesses can improve performance and reduce their costs.”
Yesterday, Vodafone officially launched its ‘Asset Tracking’ and ‘Connected Cabinets’ solutions in Qatar, in partnership with Zelitron.
Zelitron Business Development director Dimitris Flokos said with Vodafone’s mobile asset tracking solution, customers can follow where their assets go “with complete visibility and control.”
“Mobile assets are critical to all businesses, whether they are delivery trucks or plant machinery, shipping containers, or pallets. By monitoring the status of these key assets in the field, a customer can ensure that they are put to the best possible use.
“And Vodafone’s connected cabinets solution will help customers optimise the performance of their remote retail cabinets such as drinks, fridges, and freezers, transforming them into intelligent, connected assets that can report on their location, operating conditions and stock levels in real time,” he explained.
‘Asset Tracking’ and ‘Connected Cabinets’ follows the January 2017 launch of Vodafone’s ‘Fleet Management’ solution, a telematics service designed to track and perform logistics management for companies aiming to enhance productivity and tackle road safety issues.
Similarly, Vodafone showcased its global provisioning of managed IoT connectivity for Philips Lighting, real-time facial image matching solutions for Video Surveillance Systems in partnership with Hitachi, and the latest evolutions in network technology with VoLTE and 5G showcases.
Vodafone chief technology officer Ramy Boctor said 5G will be the next generation of mobile technology, which the International Telecoms Union expects to be formally defined by 2020. He added that Vodafone “is at the forefront of making 5G a commercial reality” with 5G technologies research underway to prepare its networks for a transition towards the new mobile standard.