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Vodafone Qatar, the telecom operator that switched on its network in the country in 2009, has played a significant role in breaking the monopoly of Ooredoo, resulting in reduced call tariffs and better services. In the last seven years, the two telecom companies have been locked in a fierce battle for market share via offers and promotions. However, of late, Vodafone Qatar has turned to providing innovations and smart solutions rather than just being seen as a telecom operator. Its Chief Operating Officer Mohamed al Sadah spoke to Qatar Tribune's Asif Iqbal to give an insight into the company's future plans. Here are excerpts from the interview: Q. Why is sudden shift in the business strategy of the company towards innovation and smart solutions? A. Innovation and smart technology has always been a part of Vodafone's business model. We are a company known globally for embracing and driving innovation across a wide range of areas rather than responding to a narrow definition that centres on technology. Here in Qatar, I must admit that all these years people perceived us just as a telecom operator but we are changing that perception. In the last few months, we launched the global machine to machine (M2M) platform as the connectivity solution enables a wider concept of Internet of Things (IoT). More recently, we launched the new connect plans that offer customers maximum flexibility with no restrictions on the usage of their subscription plan. Q. What other innovative solutions are you planning to bring to the country? A. As I said earlier, Vodafone is committed to bringing its expertise and innovation from all over the world to Qatar. At this moment, I can tell you that very soon we will be announcing a major smart technology deal that will be seen for the first time in Qatar. Q. You have signed an agreement with Vodafone Turkey to bring smart stadium technologies to Qatar. What is the investment that is going into it? A. Vodafone Turkey has invested about $10 million for providing smart technology to the Vodafone Arena in Istanbul. But as we are bidding to provide smart technology for the 2022 World Cup, we anticipate that there will be more advancements in technology by then. That could possibly push up the investment. Q. Don't you think these additional investments would add to the company's financial woes? A. No, I don't think so. We are investing to provide the country with a world-class telecommunications infrastructure that supports the Qatar 2022 World Cup and Qatar National Vision 2030. Also having said that I can confidently state that there will be good returns on this investment too. Q.How many stadiums will you bid for and have you made any presentation regarding the smart stadium technology? A. We will bid for all the eight stadiums. We have already made a presentation about the smart stadium technology to the parties concerned for awarding the contract. We are a part of the transparent tender. We are past the first stages of the bid and we don't know who will win it, but if we win, we will be able to build intelligent stadiums. Q. What gives you an edge over your competitors? A. As you know Vodafone is a global company. We have the know-how and the expertise. So if we win the bid for World Cup it would be very easy for us to mobilise our team to execute the project.
