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X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.gtwn.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for GTWN
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TZID:UTC
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20061017T070000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20061017T090000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001856
CREATED:20190115T180906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T123920Z
UID:13294-1161068400-1161075600@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN Power Breakfast Sponsored by Intel
DESCRIPTION:        \n \nPress Release Singapore
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-power-breakfast-sponsored-by-intel/
LOCATION:Raffles Hotel\, Singapore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/raffles.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20060629T123000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20060629T170000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001856
CREATED:20190114T175721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T123843Z
UID:13289-1151584200-1151600400@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN Power Lunch  Hosted by Denton Wilde Sapte
DESCRIPTION:     \nInvitation to the Event \n 
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-power-lunch-hosted-by-denton-wilde-sapte/
LOCATION:One Fleet Place\, London\, EC4M 7WS\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1-Fleet-Pl-London-LND-Building-Photo-1-Large.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20060118T070000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20060118T100000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001856
CREATED:20190113T175125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T115253Z
UID:13286-1137567600-1137578400@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN Power Breakfast Sponsored by France Telecom
DESCRIPTION:The Global Telecom Women’s Network (GTWN) and France Telecom are pleased to invite you to a GTWN Power Breakfast to be held during the upcoming Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) meeting in Honolulu\, HI \nWednesday\, January 18\, 2006 at 7:00 am.\nThe Rainbow Suite 1&2\, lower level Rainbow Tower Hilton Hawaiian Village \nDear Colleague \nTo enable everyone to begin their day at PTC refreshed\, registration will be at 7:00 am and the Power Breakfast will commence at 7:30 am and will be concluded by 9:00 am. \nThis is an ideal opportunity to discuss not only the future of telecommunications\, but also the exciting opportunities for women in the industry. \nAfter the presentation\, there will be time for attendees to network\, discuss key issues and exchange ideas and information with women who are changing the culture of global telecommunications. \nWe hope you will join us for our Power Breakfast. In the GTWN tradition\, you are invited also to bring with you a young woman mentoree\, who will benefit also from the opportunity to meet and get to know women leaders in the telecommunications arena. \nLooking forward to seeing you there! \nWith kindest regards\, \nFrance Telecom and the GTWN Steering Committee
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-power-breakfast-sponsored-by-france-telecom/
LOCATION:Rainbow Tower Hilton Hawaiian Village\, HI\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_7461.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20050124T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20050124T150000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001856
CREATED:20190112T154945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T115529Z
UID:13272-1106568000-1106578800@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN Telecoms Lunch
DESCRIPTION:        \nDear Colleague \nOn Monday 24 January 2005 the Global Telecom Womens Network (GTWN) and Taylor Wessing will be co-sponsoring a lunch in honor of GTWN Founding Members and Steering Committee Members\, Janice Hughes and Dr. Jessie McLeman as they reach important milestones in their careers and for the telecommunications field in general. Following on his address last year to the GTWN\, Lord David Currie\, OFCOM Chairman has graciously accepted to speak at this event honoring these two telecom pioneers about the second phase of the OFCOM Strategic Telecommunications Review. We are also very pleased to welcome Anne Heal\, Director Regulatory Affairs\, BT Group who will moderate the discussion following Lord Currie’s remarks. \nTen years ago\, Janice Hughes founded Spectrum Strategy Consultants and therewith an important policy maker and catalyst for telecommunications authorities and companies throughout the world. Spectrum Strategy’s work has literally shaped the present and the future of global telecommunications and broadcasting. Dr. Jessie McLeman will be retiring from BT shortly to pursue new directions after a most successful career highlighted by executive positions at BT Wholesale\, BT Regulatory Department\, BT Germany\, and representing BT as UK Signatory on the Board of Eutelsat. \nWe would like to invite you to join us\, Lord Currie and other telecommunications and policy leaders as we celebrate these important milestones of these two extraordinary Telecoms Leaders at lunch on Monday 24 January at 12:00 noon taking place at Taylor Wessing’s London Office\, Carmelite\, 50 Victoria Embankment\, Blackfriars\, London EC4Y ODX . \nWith kindest regards\, \nBridget Cosgrave\nGTWN Global Speaker President\,\nBelgacom Wholesale \nIngrid Silver\nPresident\nGTWN Europe Associate\,\nTaylor Wessing \nCandace Johnson\nGTWN Founding Speaker\nPresident\,\nEurope Online Investments \nJulie Meyer\nPast GTWN Global Speaker\nChairman and CEO\,\nAriadne Capital \nEditorial Board×Editorial Board \nSusanne Paech (Editor-in-Chief)\nStephanie Hansen (Editor + Layout) \nproduced and published by: \nstar consult GmbH\nBavariafilmplatz 3\nD82031 Gruenwald\nGermany \nTel: -49/89/693 58 100\nFax: -49/89/649 20 27 \nVicki MacLeod\nSecretary General\nGTWN Secretariat\nTavistock House South\nTavistock Square\nLondon WCIH9LF\, UK\nTel: 44/171/388 06 71\nFax: 44/171/380 06 23\nemail: vicki@iicom.org \nClose
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-telecoms-lunch/
LOCATION:Carmelite\, 50 Victoria Embankment\, Blackfriars\, EC4Y ODX\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/london-cta.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20050115T073000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20050115T090000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001856
CREATED:20190113T164935Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T124021Z
UID:13279-1105774200-1105779600@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN Power Breakfast Sponsored by Qualcomm Inc.
DESCRIPTION:                \nThe Global Telecom Women’s Network is pleased to invite you to the 10th annual GTWN Power Breakfast at the GSM Congress sponsored by QUALCOMM\, Inc. \n7:30 a.m. Wednesday 15 February\nHotel Casa Fuster\, Barcelona \nDear Colleague \nDear Global Telecom Women’s Networker and 3GSM Woman Executive\, \nEvery year at the GSM Congress\, the Global Telecom Women’s Network has their traditional GTWN Power Breakfast. Once a year\, this event reunites the foremost senior women telecoms executives to take stock of the state of our industry and to discuss and create new trends. \nThis year will be the tenth GTWN Power Breakfast at the GSM and we are particularly pleased to have as our keynote speaker\, Peggy Johnson\, president for QUALCOMM Internet Services. In a year when data services\, mobile TV\, games and information services are poised to take off not only into cyberspace but into the stratosphere\, we believe we could have no better speaker to kick-off what is always a lively\, spirited discussion among our peer group. \nAs always\, each senior women executive is asked to bring a special young women mentoree\, someone they have been encouraging and helping either within or outside their organization. \nThe venue this year is Barcelona’s most beautiful hotel\, the Casa Fuster\, located in the center of the city. Transportation will leave at 9 a.m. to bring everyone to the Congress center. \nWe thank you in advance for filling out the RSVP form below and sending it back to us at communication@gtwn.org. We look forward to welcoming you and your mentoree and send\, in the meantime\, \nKindest regards and best wishes for safe travel to the 3GSM and Barcelona! \n\n\n\n\nBridget Cosgrave\nPresident Belgacom International\nGTWN Global President \n\n\nJulie Meyer\nPresident\, Ariadne Capital\nGTWN Past President \n\n\n\n\nIngrid Silver\nPartner\, Denton Wilde Sapte\nGTWN Europe President \n\n\nCandace Johnson\nGTWN Founding President \n\n\n\n\nWe hope you can join us for the Power Breakfast. Looking forward to seeing you there! \nWith kindest regards\, \nThe GTWN Steering Committee \nCONTENTS \nNewsletter – Barcelona Edition (pdf) \nEditorial Board\n\n×Editorial Board \n\nSusanne Paech (Editor-in-Chief)\nStephanie Hansen (Editor + Layout) \nproduced and published by: \nstar consult GmbH\nBavariafilmplatz 3\nD82031 Gruenwald\nGermany \nTel: -49/89/693 58 100\nFax: -49/89/649 20 27 \nVicki MacLeod\nSecretary General\nGTWN Secretariat\nTavistock House South\nTavistock Square\nLondon WCIH9LF\, UK\nTel: 44/171/388 06 71\nFax: 44/171/380 06 23\nemail: vicki@iicom.org \n\nClose
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-power-breakfast-sponsored-by-qualcomm-inc/
LOCATION:Hotel Casa Fuster\, Barcelona\, Spain
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/lw1430_67685833_720x450.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20040318T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20040319T170000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001856
CREATED:20190111T154509Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T124304Z
UID:13269-1079596800-1079715600@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:Conferences with GTWN - March 2004
DESCRIPTION:Dear Colleague \nThe Global Telecom Women’s Network and t-info are pleased to invite you to a GTWN Power Breakfast to be held during the upcoming CeBIT on Friday\, 19 March in Meeting Room 18 at the Messegelþnde (fairgrounds) in Hannover. \nThe Power Breakfast will commence at 8:00 am and will be concluded by 9:30 am\, to enable everyone to continue their day refreshed at CeBIT. Our special guest speaker will be Professor Gertrud Hšhler Ð publicist\, top management consultant and the author of many influential books.  Dr Hšhler will share with us her thoughts on the role of women in top management\, as well as her ideas about the challenges posed by the ever-increasing volume of information that confronts us in our day-to-day business lives. In addition\, our host Dr. Susanne Paech\, Managing Director of t-info\, will provide us with insights on the newest trends and developments in online communications. \nWe are also pleased to invite you to a reception hosted by t-info on Thursday 18 March (the evening before our GTWN Power Breakfast)\, commencing at 7:00 pm in the Hannover city centre (details to be advised). \nWe hope you can join us for both the Power Breakfast and the t-info Reception. Looking forward to seeing you there! \nWith kindest regards\, \nThe GTWN Steering Committee \n  \nCALENDAR \n18 March 2004 \nGTWN Reception\nHannover City venue \n 19 March 2004 \nGTWN Power Breakfast\nMeeting Room\n18\, Messegelaender\,\nHannover \nEditorial Board×Editorial Board \nSusanne Paech (Editor-in-Chief)\nStephanie Hansen (Editor + Layout) \nproduced and published by: \nstar consult GmbH\nBavariafilmplatz 3\nD82031 Gruenwald\nGermany \nTel: -49/89/693 58 100\nFax: -49/89/649 20 27 \nVicki MacLeod\nSecretary General\nGTWN Secretariat\nTavistock House South\nTavistock Square\nLondon WCIH9LF\, UK\nTel: 44/171/388 06 71\nFax: 44/171/380 06 23\nemail: vicki@iicom.org \nClose
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/conferences-with-gtwn-march-2004/
LOCATION:Messegelþnde\, Hannover\, Hannover\, Germany
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/gtwn-placeholder-image.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20031014T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20031014T170000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001857
CREATED:20190110T153847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T124725Z
UID:13137-1066118400-1066150800@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN 10th Anniversary Breakfast Roundtable
DESCRIPTION:Invitation to the GTWN 10th Anniversary Breakfast Roundtable \nAnother key issue facing broadband is that whilst the requisite technology exists\, there is still a problem in finding the right business models. Bridget Cosgrave\, President of the Carrier and Wholesale Business Unit\, Belgacom said “no one has come to me from Hollywood” about using her company’s infrastructure to deliver movies. \nKate Bulkley\, a freelance journalist who was once described by Candace Johnson\, president of Europe Online Investments and a founder of the GTWN\, as the world’s best media and telecoms analyst\, summed up the forum by saying that broadband is attacking the traditional business models of the TV business much as broadband has adversely hit the bottom line of the music business. \n“More work needs to be done on business models in this new\, broadband -enabled environment and that means different parts of the business from distribution to content need to work with each other as we have started to do here\,” said Bulkley. \nThe importance of the event and its conclusions in the ongoing debate about broadband were highlighted by Ingrid Silver\, who is a Taylor Wessing lawyer specialising in communications law and European Regional President of the GTWN. \n“Both the calibre of the attendees and the discussion which took place demonstrated the immense potential which women have to influence the communications sector. GTWN will continue to foster this debate in information and communication technologies\, by bringing together senior women in these once divergent fields.” \nEnds \nNotes to editors \nThe GTWN is holding a breakfast on 14 October to celebrate its tenth anniversary during the ITU’s World Telecom 2003 in Geneva. Amongst the topics under discussion at the forum will be the impact of the new communication technologies on societies around the world\, and whether the so-called ‘digital divide’ really does need to exist. If you would like to find out more about this event\, please email communication@gtwn.org. \nThe GTWN exists to promote the prespective of women and their role within the global information and communication industries by providing: \n– a forum for debate and discussion of key issues;\n– promotion of women at all levels;\n– networking among women to achieve these goals; and\n– role models and mentorship of women within these industries. \nFor more information contact the Taylor Wessing press office on 020 7300 4930/4234 or email d.shoukry@taylorwessing.com \nTaylor Wessing is a European law firm with recognised strengths in IP/technology\, corporate\, finance\, projects and real estate. www.taylorwessing.com
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-10th-anniversary-breakfast-roundtable/
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/InterContinental-Geneva-Hotel-lobby-nr.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20031014T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20031014T110000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001857
CREATED:20190109T155826Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T124410Z
UID:13261-1066118400-1066129200@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN Telecom Breakfast
DESCRIPTION:         \nDear Colleague \nOn Tuesday\, 14 October 2003 commencing at 7:30 a.m. in the Salon des Nations at the Hotel Intercontinental\, Geneva\, a unique event will take place during the ITU World Telecom 2003. We would like you to be part of it! \nTelecom women executives and government officials and the next generation of women leaders in ICT will arrive from around the world to network to inspire and be inspired\, to learn\, to exchange ideas and to celebrate ten years of the Global Telecom Women’s Network and eleven years of the ITU conference Women’s Breakfasts. \nFollowing a continental breakfast and opening remarks from our organisers and hosts\, the Oxford Internet Institute\, founded by Dame Stephanie Shirley\, will facilitate a discussion on “The commoditisation of telecommunications in the 21st Century and the Digital Divide – does it or does it not really have to exist?”    Participants will then be invited to present their views on this topic\, with the breakfast concluding by 9:00 a.m\, to allow delegates to attend the ITU forums. The conclusions arising from this debate will be published by the Global Telecom Women’s Network. \nBe part of this interaction among new and old friends and exchange of views and action plans on some of the most challenging issues facing our industry today. Bring your ideas\, your own reflections and prepare for a fun and stimulating exchange with colleagues and friends from around the world \nWe look forward to welcoming you at 7:30 am on Tuesday 14 October. to the Hotel Intercontinental and to your contribution to the “Next Generation and the Changing Culture of Communications” in the 21st Century. \nBridget Cosgrave\nSpeaker\, GTWN Steering Committee \nWalda Roseman\, Chairperson\, ITU Youth Forum andTelecom Development\nSymposium\, and Member of the GTWN \n\nFax +44 207 653 0284\nE-mail to communication@gtwn.org \nContents \nEditorial\n\n×Editorial \nComing Events \nOctober is a very special month for the GTWN\, as we will be having our Telecom Breakfast in Geneva\, in association with Vodafone. Don't miss it! And don't miss the lead articel in this issue: "The death of TV as we know it?". \nClose\nTelecom Breakfast Introduction\n\n×Telecom Breakfast Introduction \nIntroduction to the GTWN Telecom Breakfast \nDear Global Telecom Women Networkers\, \nIn commemmoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Global Telecom Women's Network\, Vodafone plc and the GTWN are pleased to invite you to a GTWN Power Breakfast to be held during the upcoming ITU World Telecom\, 2003 on Tuesday\, 14 October at the Hotel Intercontinental in Geneva. In order to underline the importance of this event\, this breakfast is being held together with the ITU World Telecom Women's Breakfast bringing together telecom women executives\, government officials\, and the next generation of women leaders in ICT from around the world. \nWe hope you can join us for what should be a seminal event. \nWith kindest regards\, \nThe GTWN Steering Committee \nClose\nThe death of TV as we know it?\n\n×The Death of TV as we know it? \nThe death of TV as we know it?\nJust one of the topics debated at the\nGlobal Telecommunications Women's Network Broadband forum\nhosted at European law firm Taylor Wessing this month \nThirty key executive women in the information and communications industries gathered to discuss the prospects for the growth of broadband in all of its forms. The event was organised by the Global Telecommunications Women's Network (GTWN) and was held at Taylor Wessing on Wednesday 1 October. \nJanice Hughes\, Chief Executive Officer at Spectrum Strategy Consultants\, and chairwoman of the discussion said\, \n"Broadband is becoming a viable "replacement technology" for other forms of distribution. At a recent Royal TV Society event a vote taken of the audience resulted in a majority saying that broadband will bring about the death of linear TV\, or TV as we know it\, by 2010." \nAlison Ritchie\, Chief Broadband Officer at BT\, confirmed that the UK is the fastest growing of the major broadband countries in Europe according to data from a study by Arthur D. Little management consulting firm. \nSusan Elkington\, Executive Vice President at arrivo on demand\, which focuses on the delivery of on-demand television and film content for distribution networks\, said\, \n"Video on demand (VOD) is a 'state of the art transactional model' that drastically lowers customer churn (or disconnection) and increases buy-rates. Our view is that with broadband we are delivering the same experience as video so we should be able\, in time\, to license the product at the same time." \nHowever\, Susan admitted that because of the level of financial re-engineering of balance sheets of many cable and telcos\, the actual commercial deployment of VOD had been slow and is still not the norm in most of Europe.\nMore follows \nAnother key issue facing broadband is that whilst the requisite technology exists\, there is still a problem in finding the right business models. Bridget Cosgrave\, President of the Carrier and Wholesale Business Unit\, Belgacom said "no one has come to me from Hollywood" about using her company's infrastructure to deliver movies. \nKate Bulkley\, a freelance journalist who was once described by Candace Johnson\, president of Europe Online Investments and a founder of the GTWN\, as the world's best media and telecoms analyst\, summed up the forum by saying that broadband is attacking the traditional business models of the TV business much as broadband has adversely hit the bottom line of the music business. \n"More work needs to be done on business models in this new\, broadband -enabled environment and that means different parts of the business from distribution to content need to work with each other as we have started to do here\," said Bulkley. \nThe importance of the event and its conclusions in the ongoing debate about broadband were highlighted by Ingrid Silver\, who is a Taylor Wessing lawyer specialising in communications law and European Regional President of the GTWN. \n"Both the calibre of the attendees and the discussion which took place demonstrated the immense potential which women have to influence the communicationssector. GTWN will continue to foster this debate in information and communication technologies\, by bringing together senior women in these once divergent fields." \nEnds \nNotes to editors \nThe GTWN is holding a breakfast on 14 October to celebrate its tenth anniversary during the ITU's World Telecom 2003 in Geneva. Amongst the topics under discussion at the forum will be the impact of the new communication technologies on societies around the world\, and whether the so-called 'digital divide' really does need to exist. If you would like to find out more about this event\, please email communication@gtwn.org. \nThe GTWN exists to promote the prespective of women and their role within the global information and communication industries by providing: \n– a forum for debate and discussion of key issues;\n– promotion of women at all levels;\n– networking among women to achieve these goals; and\n– role models and mentorship of women within these industries. \nFor more information contact the Taylor Wessing press office on 020 7300 4930/4234 or email d.shoukry@taylorwessing.com \nTaylor Wessing is a European law firm with recognised strengths in IP/technology\, corporate\, finance\, projects and real estate. www.taylorwessing.com \nClose\nEditorial Board\n\n×Editorial Board \nSusanne Paech (Editor-in-Chief)\nStephanie Hansen (Editor + Layout) \nproduced and published by: \nstar consult GmbH\nBavariafilmplatz 3\nD82031 Gruenwald\nGermany \nTel: -49/89/693 58 100\nFax: -49/89/649 20 27 \nVicki MacLeod\nSecretary General\nGTWN Secretariat\nTavistock House South\nTavistock Square\nLondon WCIH9LF\, UK\nTel: 44/171/388 06 71\nFax: 44/171/380 06 23\nemail: vicki@iicom.org \nClose
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-telecom-breakfast/
LOCATION:Intercontinental Hotel\, Geneva\, Switzerland
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.gtwn.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/InterContinental-Geneva-Hotel-lobby-nr.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20021113T110000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20021113T140000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001857
CREATED:20190108T153615Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T124641Z
UID:13255-1037185200-1037196000@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:GTWN Power Lunch
DESCRIPTION:Editorial\n\n×Editorial \nWelcome back! \nWelcome to the newly designed site of the Global Telecom Women's Network! \nThis month\, Ashurst Morris Crisp and Spectrum Strategy Consultants are hosting a GTWN Power Lunch on Wednesday\, November 13th at 12:30 p.m. at the Ashurst Morris Crisp headquarters. The discussion topic for the luncheon will be "Is Content the Killer Application for Broadband?" \nWe are also featuring one of our member's articles about this subject\, "Europe Online – Building the Next Generation Network" by Candace Johnson. \nClose\nMember’s Article \nEditorial Board\n\n×Editorial Board \nSusanne Paech (Editor-in-Chief)\nStephanie Hansen (Editor + Layout) \nproduced and published by: \nstar consult GmbH\nBavariafilmplatz 3\nD82031 Gruenwald\nGermany \nTel: -49/89/693 58 100\nFax: -49/89/649 20 27 \nVicki MacLeod\nSecretary General\nGTWN Secretariat\nTavistock House South\nTavistock Square\nLondon WCIH9LF\, UK\nTel: 44/171/388 06 71\nFax: 44/171/380 06 23\nemail: vicki@iicom.org \nClose\nCandace Johnson\n\n×Candace Johnson \nEurope Online -Building the Next Generation Network For Today's Citizens\nCandace Johnson\,\nPresident Europe Online Investments S.A.\,\nGTWN Founding Speaker \nImagine beaming content from one place to another without transporting it. \nImagine talking on the computer while you are downloading a virtual learning game for the kids while sharing the thrills of a classic Hollywood Movie with your loved one. \nImagine creating a meaningful living / work area within the space you desire\, be it at home or office\, and being totally connected to the world and various communities you have chosen via one device when\, where\, and how you want. \nImagine pooling the various resources at hand today in the developed world and harnessing them to try and exercise a global citizen's responsibility\, whether at home or abroad\, to make the world a little better when we leave it then when we came. \nThis truly is the promise of Next Generation Networks – networks\, which\, now liberated from all barriers\, serve people in all environments around the world\, enabling them hopefully to lead better lives. For just like the Industrial Revolution which preceded it\, the Global Communication and Information Revolution is but a tool to help us all create value\, or as Saint Exupéry said\, « to feel as if when you are posing your stone\, you are helping build the world ». \nAt Europe Online\, we have tried to build a network that not only reflects the new paradigm of the digital world but also takes into account the needs of citizens. It is a world\, which has become idea-driven instead of market- or technology- driven. It is a world where universal « convergence » and « networking » have not only brought about the « Death of Distance » as coined by Frances Cairncross\, but also made « Time stand still »\, due to the great advances in storage and storage area networking. It is a world\, which celebrates and depends on the individual and his or her ability and passion to make his or her impact on the world. \nIn order to define this « Next Generation Network » and to really architect a network infrastructure which would reflect and fulfill the needs of the new paradigm of the digital world\, we at Europe Online devised the following maxim for our satellite-based IP Broadband Next Generation Network: \n:: The Medium is the Message\n:: Content is Delivery\n:: Storage is Transport\n:: Push is Pull \nThe Medium is the Message \nThe old maxim of the broadcasters of « one to many » has been shattered by the Internet which not only allows but inspires « many to one » or « many to many » communication and production. It is not clear at all if such file-sharing applications as Napster and Gnutella are the copyright "agents of evil" they are made out to be or if they are simply giving rise to a new art or communication / production form\, akin to « Theme and Variations » of the Renaissance and Baroque musical epochs. \nIn any case\, what is clear\, is that in the Next Generation Broadband Internet Networks\, there must be a flowering of content and it must come from new sources. Who better\, in the age of interactivity\, profiling\, personalization\, and agents\, than the content consumer to become the content creator and communicator? Particularly in Europe\, the rich diversity of cultures and languages lends itself to content creation\, production and communication where the « medium is the message ». \nContent is Delivery – Content is Connectivity \nIncreasingly\, the technology world is beginning to understand that even in an age of unprecedented amount of available bandwidth\, it is inefficient to transport the same content multiple times over bandwidth. In an age of « object-oriented technology »\, this inefficiency becomes heresy to the content or « bit » itself which needs to obtain additional properties to become more valuable to the creator\, consumer\, or communicator. Hence\, the rise in « peer to peer » networks or as this author likes to refer to it « beaming content from one place to another without transporting it ». \nIn any case\, « peer to peer » and « content networks » are much more akin to a distributed network architecture and a "Global Village" approach where every citizen is a player. \nStorage is Transport \nWith the cost of storing data spiraling downwards and the efficiency of storage area networks rocketing starwards\, the maxim « Storage is Transport » makes good economic and commercial sense. Thus\, Europe Online has created not only a « Digital Library » or « Content Warehouse » on its own premises to host the most popular digital products\, movies\, games\, software\, applications\, music\, etc. at its network center\, instead of transporting it mindlessly back and forth across the network\, it is also forging ahead with plans to create « personalized digital libraries » on users' individual network platform devices\, be they set-top boxes\, Ethernet lans\, or individual « blue tooth » servers to be queried via a DVD\, mobile phone\, MP3 player\, refrigerator or what have you. \nIn the developing world\, where bandwidth and transport infrastructure are at a premium\, distributed storage networks could be an inexpensive reliable way to disseminate knowledge and simplify logistics. In fact\, recent studies have shown that when carefully architected\, storage networks could allow a population of 5 million inhabitants to effectively and efficiently communicate on 12 Mbps of bandwidth. \nPush is Pull \nIt is a well-known statistic that over 80% of the Internet community draw up the same top Web sites around the world. Even though this « broadcast » phenomenon in the Internet is paradoxical to the « many to one » and « many to many » nature of the Internet\, it is one to be capitalized on in architecting Next Generation Networks. The art of « multicasting » and properly targeting\, profiling and personalizing multicasting is one that next generation network operators must master if they\, and most importantly\, their users are to derive the most benefits from their networks. \nProperly used\, « multicasting » is perhaps the greatest « community builder » for next generation networks. At the same time\, multicasting offers great bandwidth efficiencies as well as content and anonymous- or personalized-user profile aggregation. In the "asymmetric" and «asynchronous» world as the Internet «Push becomes Pull».The Europe Online Network\nAgainst the background of the new paradigm of the digital world and the desire and need to create a « next generation network » along the lines described above\, Europe Online set about architecting its network for the 21st century\, the era of the «Celebration of the Individual».\nIn order to create a community of users who would be inspired from and create a rich diverse\, new interactive content\, Europe Online chose to go on the Astra satellite system\, which gathers citizens from the UK to the Urals; from Portugal to Finland within its beam. 27 million individual households in this true cyber "space" have satellite dishes to capture content on their TV's or PC's. Another 50 million have cable connections to their TV's or PC's fed by the Astra satellite signals. And all fiber\, DSL\, and mobile networks can take and contribute to the signal as well. The Internet Protocol (IP) content produced by Europe Online\, its partners\, and its users is encapsulated in the transport mechanism of the DVB – Digital Video Broadcasting Standard – the most promulgated European standard\, even above but compatible with GSM\, UMTS and the like. \nFor the storage\, connectivity\, and transport that equates to the content of the Europe Online Network\, huge fiber optic lines connect the « earth » content to the « sky » content on its way to and from the citizen\, creator\, communicator and consumer\, be it via his or her home TV or PC or his or her office PC or TV. \nCorresponding disk space\, — be it at the center of the network\, at content/connectivity partners\, at the edges of the network\, or at end-users'devices — provide for the content\, its storage\, transport and creation. Europe Online Network applications intertwine existing digital TV and radio content on the Astra satellite system (more than 400 digital television channels) with the new interactive content created by\, for and with Europe Online content partners\, providers and users. Digital Rights Management technologies are used by those desiring them in order to create and be remunerated for value. \nBuild and they shall come \nIn the idea-driven world of the Global Communication and Information Society\, Europe Online is doing its part to contribute toward building an infrastructure which reflects the lives and needs of our time. \nCandace Johnson \nClose
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/gtwn-power-lunch/
LOCATION:Ashurst Morris Crisp H.Q.
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:19980110T080000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:19981130T170000
DTSTAMP:20260501T001857
CREATED:20190107T152024Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T125000Z
UID:13252-884419200-912445200@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:Conferences with GTWN - December 1997
DESCRIPTION:Calendar \n10 – 14 January 1998\nPacific Telecommunications Council Conference\nHonolulu\, Hawaii\n12 January 1998\n7.30 a.m.\nGTWN Power Breakfast\nMay 1998\nAfricas Telecom\nGTWN Event\nNovember 1998\nComdex\nGTWN Event\nITU Telecom ’99\nGTWN Award for\n“Innovation and Impact in Global Telecommunications”\nGeneva Switzerland \nContents \nEditorial\n\n×Editorial \nAn appraisal of the past and a view to the future \nIn this year's last issue of the GTWN Newsletter we focus on two main topics: We review the efforts the GTWN and its members have made during the last 12 months to become a useful instrument of women's networking in the field of telecommunications all over the world and give a short forecast for 1998.\nThe other dominant theme is deregulation. While in this issue we give a summary of Johanna Plante's Sydney speech on the history and future of deregulation (with a special focus on Australia)\, in the next issue\, Janet Yale will write about telecom regulation in Canada.\nFinally\, we have an interview with Susan Mirbach on the challenges she meets as President Belgacom North America. \nA happy holiday season and a successful 1998 to you all. \nSusanne Peach\nEditor-in-Chief \nClose\nInaugural GTWN Event in Australia\n\n×Inaugural GTWN Event in Australia \nInaugural GTWN Event in Australia \nThe 1997 Annual Conference of the IIC in Sydney provided the opportunity for Australian members to get together with overseas colleagues and to promote the goals of the GTWN\, at an inaugural event at the Sydney Regent Hotel on 1 October. \nAustralia Regional President and Director of Corporate Affairs for Telstra Corporation\, Deirdre Mason\, hosted a lively and informative breakfast\, which brought together local representatives from a variety of organisations with delegates from Indonesia\, California\, Canada and South Africa. \nOpening the breakfast\, Frank Blount\, CEO of sponsor Telstra Corporation\, welcomed the participants and commented on the changing environment for women in the telecommunications industry\, especially over recent years. He highlighted the skills of women in understanding customer needs\, which he believed would be an increasingly important competitive advantage in the future. \nJohanna Plante\, CEO of the newly formed Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF)\, an industry selfregulatory body\, then spoke about the history and future of deregulation in telecommunications\, providing some insights from her previous roles\, both in the industry and as a former member of the telecommunications regulator\, Austel. (The highlights of her speech are reprinted on pages 4 to 6.) \nClose\nGTWN Review and Forecast\n\n×GTWN Review and Forecast \n1997 in Review and Breaking Ground for 1998 \nDear Colleagues\, \nThis has been an exciting and busy year for the GTWN. As we approach year's end\, we wanted to take time out to review the year and to look ahead to 1998 a flagship year in telecommunications. \nIn particular\, we would like to thank each and everyone of the GTWN members and supporters for making the Global Telecom Women's Network a thriving\, international community of professional women leaders networking and improving telecommunications around the globe. \nA year of exciting events \nThe year got off to a start when the GTWN participated at the Canadian Women in Communications Annual Conference in February. What a fabulous group! The Canadian Women are very organized and very 'with it' in global telecommunications. \nFrom Canada we went on to have four major GTWNorganized events which pretty much took us around the globe. \nWe kicked off the year at the world's largest communications and electronics fair in Hanover\, Germany\, in March. O.tel.o.\, the new German telecommunication player\, sponsored the GTWN Power Breakfast which featured the President of the German Telecommunication Council\, Minister Dr. Peter Fischer; Elke Geising\, Senior VicePresident of TSC\, and Gaele Hotellier\, stepping in for Cathy Dobson\, Director of Corporate Strategy at o.tel.o. Thirty 'Power Women' attended the Breakfast taking place in the Tower Room overlooking the entire fair. \nOn June 10\, Ida Chow\, GTWN Regional President for Asia\, arranged a super event at the ITU's Asia Telecom in Singapore. Singapore Telecom sponsored the event which brought 35 top women from the four corners of the earth together. \nJonathan Parapak\, Indonesian Secretary General for Telecommunications addressed the gathering. From all accounts it was a superb event and assembled our largest attendance ever. The magic happened and Ida waived her wand majestically. \nOn June 3rd\, Candace Johnson kicked off the first U.S. GTWN Regional Meeting in New Orleans at the Super Comm. It was beautifully arranged by Susan Mirbach\, USA Regional President and Belgacom USA President. The Belgian Chocolate telephones were not to be missed! \nThen in October\, the GTWN visited Australia for the first time as well. We were very fortunate to have Telstra as our sponsor. Deirdre Mason\, GTWN Regional President for Australia and Corporate Director of Telstra\, did a great job in putting together a stellar program and giving the GTWN a high profile in the media and at the IIC convention. \nFor the first time in this year\, we kicked off the idea of the GTWN Regional Presidents an idea which has reinforced our global dimension and added an entire new level and scope of activities. \nThank you to all our GTWN Regional Presidents and Steering Committee Members for your incredible dedication and commitment to making the Global Telecom Women's Net Work! \n1997 also saw the appearance of the GTWN's own Internet site. It now has its own address and can be found at http://www.gtwn.org. \nUpcoming highlights \nLooking ahead to 1998 and 1999\, the GTWN will be present at the Pacific Telecommunications Conference in Honolulu\, Hawaii\, with a GTWN Breakfast sponsored by Orion Network Systems Incorporated on Monday\, January 12 at 7:30 a.m. \nThen\, we will go to the Africas Telecom in May 1998 and will be present also at Comdex in November 1998. At all three events\, we will be breaking new ground as it will be the first time the GTWN will be present in Honolulu\, Africa or at Comdex. \nAt the Honolulu Breakfast we will be announcing the launch of the GTWN Awards for Humanity and Excellence in Global Telecommunications. The Awards will be given at a blacktie event in Geneva in conjunction with the ITU and Telecom '99. \nFinally\, we would like to extend a special thanks to star consult and Dr. Susanne Paech and Stephanie Hansen. Thanks to these two wonderful women and their company\, the GTWN is not only present via its events around the world\, but is present every day in every part of the world via the GTWN Newsletter.\nA very happy holiday season to all and a great 1998! \nCandace Johnson\nVicki MacLeod \nClose\nNews about GTWN Members\n\n×News about GTWN Members \nNews about GTWN Members \nArely Castellon has been named Vice President and General Manager of Motorola Wireless Networks\, Latin America. Arely has moved to Florida to head the region. Arely came to Motorola from Global One where she was Vice President and General Manager for the Americas. She will continue on as GTWN Regional President for Latin America. \nWendy Franz Richards has become a Director of the Telecom Practice Group for HSBC in charge of mergers and acquisitions\, financing and IPO's. The HSBC Telecom Practice is the largest in the world. Wendy comes to HSBC from Air Touch where she was Managing Director. Wendy is now based in London and continues as a strong and active founding GTWN Steering Committee Member. \nDr. Mina Schachter-Radig has become Managing Director of Arcis Media.Com Management GmbH based in Munich\, Germany. Arcis is focusing on broadband interactive multimedia networks. Mina has come to Arcis\, which she helped found\, from VIAG where she was Managing Director of TBD. She is an active GTWN Steering Committee Member. \nSusan Dark is keeping her base in London but opening up the AsiaPacific Region for her company TSC where she is Senior Vice President. Surely a sign of the wonderful Global Telecommunications environment we are living in. Susan who is GTWN Regional President for Europe is now in regular contact with colleagues\, Ida Chow\, Managing Director of Pacific Electric and Wire\, GTWN Regional President for Asia\, and Deirdre Mason\, Corporate Director of Telstra and GTWN Regional President for Australia. \nAmbassador Diana Lady Dougan\, one of the founding members of the GTWN\, has been touted as one of the possible candidates to become the next ITU Secretary General. We are tremendously proud of Diana for this distinction. \nOn behalf of all of the Global Telecom Women's Network\, I would like to congratulate these „movers and shakers" and to wish them well as they assume their existing new responsibilities. Their new addresses can be had from the GTWN headquarters or via the GTWN Internet page http://www.gtwn.org at the password protected GTWN directory. The passwords have been sent out by separate letter to all our members. \nSpecial Tribute to Vicky MacLeod \nVicki MacLeod will be leaving her two-year secondement as Executive Director of the International Institute of Communications to return to Telstra on January 1\, 1998 to take up her exciting work in the corporate strategy and regulatory department. \nThe very good news is that Vicki will be staying on as GTWN Secretary General and contributing to making our organization even more global and more virtual. Our global headquarters are in London; our regional presidents\, steering committee and members come from all over the world\, and our Secretary General will be in Australia. \nVicki is the consummate 'networker' and 'organizer'. She has worked unfailingly as our Secretary General for the last year and a half to get our organization organized on a solid basis and she has built the partnership with the IIC to be one of mutual value. \nAll of us wish Vicki the very best for her return to Australia and look forward to continuing to work with her to make the GTWN grow and all our members prosper. \nClose\nThe History and Future of Deregulation\n\n×The History and Future of Deregulation \nThe History and Future of Deregulation\nby Johanna Plante\,\nCEO of the newly formed Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF)\,\nextracts of her speech held at the Power Breakfast in Sydney on 1 October 1997 \n[…] I would like you to imagine it is the 1890s rather than the 1990s. Imagine you are sitting here prefederation\, more than a hundred years ago not to hear about the liberalisation of telecommunications and the intricacies of deregulation\, reregulation\, procompetition\, cable duplication\, cable rationalisation and Professor Alan Fels\, but to hear about and see for the first time a wonderful new invention the telephone. […] \nA new business develops \nNow imagine you are considering this new invention from a business perspective. You look at the supply and demand side of the equation and quickly conclude that this telephone business is much too risky. […] \nAs you analyse further\, you soon discover the sheer magnitude of the capital you would need to build a network and connect people to that network. You also quickly realise that if you tried to charge people the thousands of dollars it would actually cost you to connect them\, you would get very few customers. And of course the less people there were connected to your network\, the less attractive and useful the service would be for those that were connected. […] So all these things – the capital intensity of the telephone business\, the need for hefty\, ongoing crosssubsidies and the difficulty in attracting new customers together with massive uncertainties as the time as to who would really want such a service and how much they would actually use it would probably have stopped any reasonable business person from investing on a commercial\, unprotected basis. \nAnd so\, right across the world\, governments created monopoly telephone companies mainly public sector (with a few exceptions) and gave them the protection and certainty to make the necessary longterm investments in what soon came to be seen as a 'public good' natural monopoly infrastructure just like water and electricity. This protected monopoly went on for almost a hundred years. And then\, in the short space of just over a decade\, it was turned completely upside down. \nWhy? Why was it that after a century of fairly effective monopoly telephone provision\, the world suddenly decided that telephone monopolies were all wrong and that competition was the way to go? What changed? What was so radically different in those last few decades of this century? \nTechnological progress \nThe answer is simple: technology. Not just telecommunications technology\, but all the other technology developments of the last few decades that changed forever the face of telecommunications. \nBecause we have all experienced such dramatic and accelerating rates of technology change in our own lifetimes\, it is hard for us to realise that in the first sixty or seventy years of the telephone business\, nothing much has changed from the day the first automatic telephone exchange was installed. […] \nThough the users and usage continued to grow as the network was expanded\, the only use continued to be plain old voice communications. […] \nElectronics changed all this. Electronics catalysed exponential growth in both telecommunications and computing that created an explosion in the diversity\, utility and uses of telecommunications. It also led to escalating customer demands for better\, faster and more sophisticated communications demands that the incumbent monopoly carriers found more and more difficult to meet. Market pull was replacing technology push as the main driver of telecommunications growth\, severely challenging the capital investment and construction capabilities of the monopoly carriers. \nAt the same time\, plummeting costs\, greater diversity of demand and explosive technology innovation were progressively making telecommunications a much more attractive business proposition potentially a business that people would invest in without regulatory protection a business that people actually wanted to invest in. And this was all occurring in an era of privatisation and microeconomic reform. \nThe beginning of deregulation \nSo\, by the early 1980s\, the world of telecommunications and monopoly carrier operations was being turned on its head. […] \nEnter deregulation or\, more accurately\, market liberalisation. Worldwide\, reducing or removing barriers to market entry was coming to be seen as a way of increasing investment in telecommunications\, improving the efficiency of the industry\, catalysing faster innovation and growth and reducing prices not to mention the opportunities it promised for private sector business profits. \nBut of course there were also countrydriven specific drivers for this deregulation as for example in the USA\, where network liberalisation flowed from a judicial decision rather than being driven by government policy\, […] or in Australia\, where network deregulation flowed from the government's "Review of Structural Arrangements" which was\, in fact\, a review of the structures and relationships between the governmentowned telecommunications carriers Telecom\, OTC and AUSSAT.[…] \nThe Australian way \nAustralia is now in the final stages of its decadelong transition from government monopoly to full and open competition in telecommunications. The government's ultimate objective is to achieve an efficient and internationally competitive industry in the longterm interests of end-users. \nThe vehicle through which it set out to achieve this was the introduction and growth of competition\, progressively in all areas of the industry. And the process it adopted was progressive market liberalisation\, starting with the introduction of a second network competitor in 1991 and the explicit promotion of duopoly network competition. \nYet\, ironically\, the end result of this process has been an order of magnitude increase in industry regulation. […] Some of you may find it rather strange and counter intuitive as to how there can be such a massive increase in an era of socalled 'deregulation'. But I guess there are some fairly plausible explanations:- As telecommunications markets are liberalised and you get multiple\, interconnected carriers and service providers you need more rules and regulations to protect consumer interests\, safeguard endtoend network integrity\, maintain endtoend service quality\, achieve carrier cooperation and coordination\, ensure compatibility between different provider services and ensure 'anytoany' connectivity […]. \nAnother reason is that if youreally want competition in an infrastructureintensive industry such as telecommunications that has substantial and increasing inherent economies of scale and scope\, you need rules and regulations to give new entrants access to those 'bottleneck' natural monopoly facilities that they need to viably compete. \nAnd also where you have one or more incumbent players that have substantial market power\, you also need to protect smaller players from anticompetitive conduct.\nBut the whole 1991 concept of actively promoting network competition as opposed to just providing an opportunity for more widespread fair and even competition is something that seems to be unique to the Australian telecommunications industry. […] \nWe are in a fully and openly competitive marketplace with no regulatory barriers to entry and a whole gaggle of new regulators and regulations: \nFor suppliers this means opportunities for new business ventures and revenue streams. It also means much more intense competition and escalating pressures on productivity\, prices and costs. \nAnd for customers it means many more technology\, service andprice options and much greatercomplexity of choice.\nSo\, how will things evolve from here? Well\, one thing is certain nobody really knows. But I would like to conclude by giving some of my views on what might happen and where things might go. \nExpectations for the short run \nI believe that technology will remain the main driver of significant marketplace and product changes\, but it will be competition that makes sure that the benefits do actually flow through to the customer. There will be much more vigorous long distance and international price competition between existing and new players\, breaking down at last the duopoly pricing regime. \nNewer market entrants will have lower cost structures. They will also be able to get costeffective access to the facilities of existing carriers through the new regulatory regime and minimise their capital investment. […] \nI believe that the number and diversity of niche market players\, both telephony and Pay TV\, will grow\, particularly in regional centres. Concentration by competitors on the highmargin market sectors such as long distance telephony and data will probably leave room in other less popular areas for low cost\, efficient and entrepreneurial new entrants to carve out attractive niche businesses through innovative product packaging and pricing. […] \nThere is also likely to be strong interest in the highgrowth\, highmargin area of data communications and this will mean a dramatic increase in optical fibre and satellite transmission capacity. I would expect that this would eventually lead to sharp price declines and shrinking margins. \nThe importance of customer service \nIn the longer term\, pricing pressures on what is really a commodity product that is\, a plain old telephone call are likely to shift the focus to product and service differentiation and to what other things can be bundled in to increase the value and attractiveness of the total telephony package. Price will become less important\, and the evolution from an 'infrastructure' business to a 'service' business will be complete. \nBut one thing is certain it will become harder and harder for customers to keep across all the product and price options out there in the marketplace. So I would expect that over time\, the vast majority of consumers will just tend to stick with a service provider they know\, they trust and they feel comfortable with. \nAfter all the hype about technology\, liberalisation\, deregulation and competition has died down\, the key to success in the telecommunications industry will come down\, not to what ACIF\, the ACAF\, the ACA\, the ACCC\, or the Minister does\, but to the simple common denominator of customer service as it does in all other industries the world over. \nClose\nInterview with Susan Mirbach\n×Interview with Susan Mirbach \nInterview with Susan G. Mirbach\,\nPresident Belgacom North America\,\nGTWN Regional President USA \nGTWN: As President of the U.S. 'branch' of a European carrier\, thousands of miles from headquarters\, have you faced any unique challenges? \nSusan: Yes\, I have. One of my biggest challenges with customers and with Belgacom headquarters has been what I will call the 'educational challenge.' And in this context I am the teacher. Let me explain. \nFor more than ten years\, my customer the American telecom manager has been buying products and services in an increasingly competitive market place. And she is used to doing business with certain carriers and service providers. Now her company is getting into the international arena for the first time. My 'educational' challenge with this customer is to get her to understand that the European market is not just a clone of the American market that happens to be overseas. And that her familiar American OneStopShop may not be the place to go. \nAbout half of the telecom managers I work with realize that they do not know about the European market. But the other half do not even know that they do not know and that is a much tougher course of study. \nGTWN: How does the European market differ from the American market? \nSusan: Let me count the ways: \nThe types of services offered are different.\nThe standards are different.\nThe acronyms are different.\nThe pricing is different.So it is my job to acquaint her with the European 'facts of life'. \nI said that I had an educational challenge with Belgacom headquarters\, too. To Belgians\, the company is as familiar as AT&T was in the predivestiture days: everyone has been a Belgacom customer. So when I told my boss that we have to develop name recognition\, he seemed surprised. But Belgacom North America is a small player in the U.S. market and there is so much competitive 'noise' that even getting noticed is a challenge. One advantage for us is the Belgacom name does not carry any negative baggage in this country. \nGTWN: Do differences in culture play an important role? \nSusan: Yes\, differences in culture can become a critical business issue. My role is to build a cultural bridge between the American telecom manager and the European marketplace. For example\, there is the question of speed. In describing the typical American\, George Santayana once said: "All his life\, he jumps into a train after it has started and jumps out before it has stopped; and never once gets left behind\, or breaks a leg." \nThat is not the way Europeans do things. In the European market\, if you want to sell\, first you have to patiently build relationships. And that can take time. \nWhen I was describing the American telecom manager\, I said that she was used to operating in a competitive marketplace. She welcomes competition\, because it means that she has more choices\, and it also puts her in a much better bargaining position\, when it comes to price\, features\, discounts\, installation intervals just about everything. \nGTWN: That sounds like the telecom manager's dream. Is it really like that? \nSusan: Well\, let me offer a footnote to the dream. And it creates another challenge for me the 'ambivalence challenge'. You see\, in reality\, the competitive silver lining has a cloud: there are often too many choices too many potential suppliers too many competing packages of products and services. \nThe American telecom manager sometimes feels like she is in the strategic equivalent of Las Vegas. A huge choice of games to play and every dealer trying to get her to play at his table: "Everyone a winner!" There is lots of uncertainty and lots of risk. So the dream takes on some nightmare qualities. That is why\, along with the telecom manager's hunger for choice\, there is a parallel hunger for the OneStopShop – the single point of contract – the prime contractor. Having one's cake and eating it\, too: enjoying the benefits of competition\, without really getting in harm's way. \nWorking with that manager\, my challenge is to satisfy that ambivalent hunger: to offer her lots of choices from Belgacom\, or from third parties but\, at the same time\, acting as her agent\, to make the process userfriendly and free of anxiety. \nGTWN: The U.S. has been through a similar deregulatory process. Are there lessons that European telecom companies can draw from their American colleagues' experience? \nSusan: Actually\, when all of the EU's directives take effect\, the European market will be more competitive than the U.S. market. But I think\, for the PTTs\, there are some lessons to be learned. \nFirst\, get used to the idea that you are going to lose market share. That is inevitable\, particularly as telephone service per se becomes commoditized. The best way to make up for that loss is to move into new markets the way Belgacom is moving into VSAT and Internet access and to develop new products and services\, or package them in innovative new ways. \nSecond\, there is what I will call a 'hometown advantage': your customers may complain about you sometimes\, but they know you you have relationships with them you have been their phone company for as long as they can remember you live down the street. And that 'history' you share can help you keep a customer or make a sale not every time\, of course\, but sometimes. \nThird and this is the reverse side of the 'hometown advantage' in a competitive marketplace\, strategic alliances become much more important. For Belgacom\, our worldclass partners Ameritech\, Singapore Telecom and Tele Danmark who own 49.9% of us (with the Belgian government owning the remaining majority stake) give us a much stronger competitive position more buying power with equipment vendors and they bring a wealth of broader experience to the table. In other words\, in a global marketplace\, you have to be a global company. \nGTWN: If a young woman is interested in getting ahead in the telecommunications industry\, what preparation education\, training\, etc. would you suggest? And how did you get into this industry? \nSusan: That young woman should have as much of a technical background as possible. And she should know how to write. And she needs one other basic skill: networking. That is why GTWN is so important. It is a great opportunity for networking\, sharing knowledge\, making contacts\, finding out about opportunities. \nIn fact\, that is how I got my first job in telecommunications. I was actually interested in the commercial space industry and satellite communications. But a woman I knew suggested that I meet with a telecom executive not for a job interview\, but for an 'informational' interview: he would tell me about the field. \nAs far as filling the position was concerned\, he intended to hire a telecom engineer with a sales background and perhaps with some knowledge of French. \nI was not looking for that job. I was not an engineer. I did have a telecom background. I was fluent in French. I got the job. Networking! \nSusan G. Mirbach \n… has been President of Belgacom North America since the office opened in April 1990. \nShe is responsible for all the carrier's American operations\, with a focus on customer service\, sales and marketing of Belgacom's services to North American-based multinational companies. \nMs. Mirbach's extensive experience in International telecommunications includes four years as Director of Marketing and Major Accounts\, working with the largest American clients of France Telecom Inc.\, the U.S. arm of the French carrier. \nPrior to that\, she served as Faculty Research Associate at INSEAD\, the European Institute of Business Administration in Fountainbleau\, France. \nBefore that\, she was a Consultant in the Business and Strategic Planning Group of Coopers & Lybrand\, Washington\, D.C. \nSusan holds an M.B.A. in International Business from INSEAD\, and a B.A. with Honors in International Relations from Stanford University. She also earned a Certificate in Telecom Analysis from New York University. \nClose \nEditorial Board\n\n×Editorial Board \nSusanne Paech (Editor-in-Chief)\nStephanie Hansen (Editor + Layout) \nproduced and published by: \nstar consult GmbH\nBavariafilmplatz 3\nD82031 Gruenwald\nGermany \nTel: -49/89/693 58 100\nFax: -49/89/649 20 27 \nVicki MacLeod\nSecretary General\nGTWN Secretariat\nTavistock House South\nTavistock Square\nLondon WCIH9LF\, UK\nTel: 44/171/388 06 71\nFax: 44/171/380 06 23\nemail: vicki@iicom.org \nClose
URL:https://www.gtwn.org/event/conferences-with-gtwn-december-1997/
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTAMP:20260501T001857
CREATED:20150106T140511Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T125105Z
UID:13242-873705600-884797200@www.gtwn.org
SUMMARY:Conferences with GTWN - September 1997
DESCRIPTION:CALENDAR \n8 – 14 Septembre 1997\nTelecom Interactive ’97\nPalexpo – Geneva\, Switzerland\nhosted by the International\nTelecommunication Union (ITU) \n11 September 1997\nGTWN Meeting \n29 Sept. – 2 Oct. 1997\nIC Annual Conference\nRegent of Sydney Hotel\n199 George Street\nSydney\, Australia\nhosted by Telstra \n1 October 1997\nGTWN Power Breakfast\n27 – 28 October\nIIC Telecommunications Forum\nIntelsat Headquarters\nAstrain Room\, 7th Floor\n3400 International Drive\nWashington D.C. – USA \n10 – 14 January 1998\nPacific Telecommunications\nCouncil Conference\nHonolulu\, Hawaii \nITU Telecom ’99\nGTWN Award for\n“Innovation and Impact in Global Telecommunications”\nGeneva Switzerland \nCONTENTS \nEditorial\n\n×Editorial \nDear Members\, \nmore and more countries are opening up their telecommunications markets. In Europe\,1998 will be a crucial and interesting year in this respect. \nAs a consequence\, former state monopolies and their future private competitors will have to decide on their strategy in the liberalized market. \nIn this issue\, Ann Johnson from IBM will report on the growing importance of customer care in this con. text. Other topics are the chances women will find in this growth market and how the GTWN can help to promote them. \nSusanne Peach\nEditor-in-Chief \nClose\nGTWN Moving Forward into the 21st Century\n\n×GTWN Moving Forward into the 21st Century \nNetworking and Changing the Culture of Telecommunications \nGTWN Moving Forward into the 21st Century \n"More than ever before\, there is a need for women telecommunications executives to network and to combine their vision and leadership to bring about a more international\, more creative\, more innovative global telecommunications culture. The GTWN and its members can facilitate this networking and serve as a catalyst for this change."\nIn a nutshell\, this statement summarizes the outcome of an excellent GTWN Steering Committee Meeting hosted in London on August 4th by GTWN Steering Committee Member Janice Hughes\, owner and president of Spectrum Strategy Consultants. \nThe meeting was attended physically and virtually (by e-mail and telephone conference hook-up) by GTWN Regional Presidents and Steering Committee Members from around the globe. The meeting reaffirmed the original goals as described above of the GTWN and set forth an agenda for the next two years. \nA Network is of course as excellent as its people. As Marshall McLuhan said "The Medium is the Massage". Over the next months and years\, each GTWN Regional President and Steering Committee Member will do her best to find and help develop women telecommunications leaders in her region and to invite these executives to network with the GTWN All fields and sectors are open as long as international telecommunications is the prime business objective. \nUpcoming events \nTop-notch events with excellent speakers at international telecommunications fairs will continue to be a venue for networking and promulgating the GTWN's special brand of international telecommunications. Looking to the short term\, a group of GTWTN members will meet informally at the Telecom Interactive in Geneva on September 11th. \nThe GTWN will also have its first Power Breakfast in the Australian region in Sydney on October 1\, with special guest Frank Blount\, CEO of Telstra Corporation. \nLooking a little bit ahead on the horizon\, GTWN Regional Presidents from the USA\, Canada\, Asia Pacific and Latin America will all be collaborating in a major GTWN event taking place at the Pacific Telecommunications Council Conference in January in Honolulu\, Hawaii. \nGTWN Award \nOver the next weeks and months\, the GTWN will be collectively working to establish the criteria and award categories for The GTWN Award for "Innovation and Impact in Global Telecommunications". It is planned to give these awards at a black-tie award ceremony to take place at the ITU's Telecom '99 in Geneva. This is being announced two years in advance in order to provide a go for people to strive for and to receive candidate nominations from around the world. \nIn closing\, we had two excellent events in June – one in New Orleans at the Supercomm organized by GTWN USA President Susan Mirbach and one in Singapore\, organized by GTWN Asia President Ida Chow. They are reported on further in this issue but we just wanted to say bravo to Ida and Susan for having organized these two super Networking venues. \nCandace Johnson\nVicki MacLeod \nClose\nGTWN Power Breakfast in Singapore\n\n×GTWN Power Breakfast in Singapore \nGTWN Power Breakfast at Asia Telecom '97\nby Ida Chow\, Regional President of the GTWN for Asia \nThe first Asian GTWN event was a Power Breakfast held in Singapore on 10 June 1997 in conjunction with Asia Telecom '97. The gathering was sponsored by Singapore Telecom. \nStrong attendance \nThe event was attended by 29 women and 1 honourable gentleman\, Mr. Jonathan Parapak\, our guest speaker. The attendees came from Singapore\, USA\, Switzerland\, New Zealand\, Australia\, Indonesia and Hong Kong. \nThere was very strong interest in the gathering\, with some women bringing their friends on an impromptu basis. Heather Hudson showed a shining example of our \,\,Mentor Program" by bringing four young women with her. \nThe GTWN Asia President\, Ida Chow\, welcomed the group by giving an introduction to the GTWN and its activities. She introduced the guest speaker\, Mr. Jonathan Parapak\, Secretary-General of the Department of Tourism\, Posts and Telecommunications of Indonesia and the Chairman of the GMPCS Policy Forum. \nThe 21st century – an era of women \nMr. Parapak gave an encouraging speech on the 21st Century being the era of women. The world is progressing so rapidly and women have so many capabilities to enable them to adapt and succeed in the next millennium. Telecommunications has developed so much that countries have used various standards and gone on different routes\, he encouraged us to follow the motto of Indonesia \,\,Unity in diversity" in our ventures. Mr. Parapak also brought his wife\, Anne – the First Lady of Telecommunications in Indonesia – to the gathering. \nThe second speaker was Madame Koesmarihati Sugondo\, President Director of Telkomsel\, a national GSM operator in Indonesia. Madame Koesmarihati spoke of the obstacles faced by women in reaching the senior levels in the telecommunications industry in Indonesia. \nCareer and family \nHowever\, the opportunities are plentiful and a woman must be confident of her abilities and be willing to seize such opportunities. She also spoke of the balance between the pursuit of success in her career with her family time as she is a proud grandmother. Many women were touched by Madame Koesmarihati's personal speech and she is a role model to young women in the industry. \nMs Chua Sock Koong\, Senior Vice-President of Singapore Telecom\, also addressedthe audience on behalf of the sponsor. \nLively discussions \nThen the famous networking of GTWN started\, led by Steering Committee member Walda Roseman. The women exchanged contacts\, ideas and there were cross-cultural discussions amongst the different nationalities on doing business in a challenging\, high growth Asian telecommunications market. \nWe learned interesting things like the predominance of women in the Telecommunications Authority of Singapore so that women have a strong role in determining the future of telecommunications in Singapore. \nNumerous women groups that have been established in Singapore for business executives and in the information technology area to empower women for the Internet era. \nHaving forged this first link\, we look forward to more GTWN gatherings before this year is over. \nClose\nInterview with Marie-Monique Steckel from France Telecom\n\n×Interview with Marie-Monique Steckel from France Telecom \n"Take the Risk and Seize the Opportunity" \nInterview with Marie-Monique Steckel\, President France Telecom North America \nGTWN: Our members are always interested in learning about other women who have reached the most senior levels in the telecommunications industry\, and who have realised a strategic vision. Can you tell us how you developed your career in telecommunications? \nMarie-Monique: I believe that in many cases\, for both men and women\, major career moves rely heavily on luck but also on identifying an opportunity and being willing to take the risk and seize that opportunity; when I began in telecommunications in 1978\, only a few of my colleagues in France Telecom were ready to take the opportunity presented to them of coming to the United States to establish an office here. The risk of leaving headquarters and the seat of power was considered to be too dangerous for one 5 career ambitions. \nI\, on the other hand\, had already realised that I wanted to create a bridge between the US and France. While French by birth\, I studied at Yale and then married an American. I had worked for six years as the Head of the Industrial Development Agency for the French Prime Minister; then for two years with Jacques Chirac's office as the National Delegate for Telecommunications. I was eager to return to the US and play a useful role in building on my experience within the US and French markets. \nGTWN: So what do you think was essential for your career? \nMarie-Monique: In many ways I was in the right place at the right time\, before telecommunications was as complex as it is today. I was prepared to take a risk\, and seized the opportunity. I believe women are more gifted at creating their own careers and raking advantage of new situations\, as they don't have as many prejudices as men.\nThis is why there are so many women entering the multimedia industry today. \nGTWN: What have been the greatest challenges that you have faced? How have you overcome then;\, and what are the lessons for those who wish to succeed? \nMarie-Monique: The greatest challenge is to have enough self-confidence to enable you to start something yourself without anyone to tell you what to do. The key is to find a good mentor (I have had two – both in France).A mentor is essential in telecommunications\, as it is such a special club. Iris a unique industry requiring an understanding of a mixture of technology\, marketing and economics. \nToday everyone is expected to have a 'background' in the industry; no-one is prepared to train you\, as in the old days. We want instant experts\, who are au fait with the jargon and the culture of the industry This is where a mentor becomes a vital link to that inner group. \nGTWN: Given your experience of operating in the US\, what advice can you offer to new entrants wishing to enter the market now? \nMarie-Monique: For new entrants coming into the US marketplace\, the major challenge is in understanding the culture of the US market\, which is quite different from Europe. Hiring the right executive in the US has become very difficult\, not just in telecommunications\, but in many industries. For example\, for a European-based carrier\, it is a challenge to identify skilled staff who can also understand and appreciate the French cultural differences. The HR strategy of a company today is critical\, as people are a company's biggest asset in the US. \nGTWN: How would you characterise the US telecommunications market and what differences\, if any\, has the Telecommunications Act 1996 made to the US market and in particular the prospects for new entrants? \nMarie-Monique: The US market today is characterised by big 'blocks'. Previously there were several second tier operators; now the trend is to be allied to one of these blocks. The changes to the legislation (which allowed players to enter into each others' backyards) have pushed people to form alliances. The US market is getting too big for any one carrier to do it alone. The investment required would be enormous. \nSince the 1996 Act US carriers are focussing on the US domestic market as their priority. They are no longer pushing out internationally for a global reach as much as the RBOCs did before. So to cover the needs of their customers\, they are looking for global partners. \nGTWN: What is your view of the future prospects fir the telecommunications industry in general\, and telcos in particular? All carriers are now going into content related areas; do you think this is the way forward\, or will carriage remain the core activity? \nMarie-Monique: A main area carriers are now focussing on is mobile telephony. A second priority is emerging markets\, in particular in Africa\, the former Soviet Union and Asia. Thirdly; carriers are busy consolidating the alliances they are forming. An alliance\, for example\, is really just like a marriage. It takes a lot of work for it to succeed. \nPersonally\, I think that the strength of the carrier will remain in the backbone – the network. Resellers without infrastructure will be increasingly under pressure in the marketplace from carriers. Carriers can build value-added services on top of their networks\, as evidenced by the number of telcos going into multimedia and online services. \nI believe all carriers should now be going into voice on the Internet. In the future\, one can imagine the consumer having a communications instrument with various buttons – one for image\, one for low quality voice\, one for high quality voice\, etc. and you will pick which service you require for each particular application. \nGTWN: What role can the GTWN play in assisting women to take advantage of the opportunities now developing in telecommunications? \nMarie-Monique: Women are particularly geared to being leaders in this industry They are prepared to take the risks for their career\, and go into areas that men may avoid. \nWomen are more interested in foreign cultures and in communicating with others\, and they are usually more gifted linguistically. Therefore they are ideally placed to thrive in the new global environment\, which requires adaptability and risk-taking. \nMany people are unaware of the number of talented women now in telecommunications\, or those interested in entering the industry. And equally\, many women are unaware of the opportunities that are presenting themselves. \nThe GTWN can therefore play a very useful role by being an 'information exchange' among industry; the business schools\, the conference organizers\, and talented women in the industry. \nFor younger women\, The GTWN can play an additional role\, of assisting them to identify appropriate opportunities and enabling them to gain the experience they need to progress in their careers. \nClose\nGTWN Powerbreakfast in New Orleans\n\n×GTWN Powerbreakfast in New Orleans \nGTWN Power Breakfast in New Orleans \nSusan G. Mirbach\, president of Belgacom North America\, recently accepted the role of United States Regional President for GTWN. In this position\, Susan hosted the first GTWN North American meeting at Supercomm'97 in New Orleans this past June. \nThe group was addressed by Candace Johnson\, founder and president of the Supervisory Board of Europe Online a.s.b.l. and a GTWN founder and steering committee member. Candace spoke about 'Convergent Trends in the Satellite and Internet Arenas'. \nFuture GTWN North American events are being considered at upcoming industry conferences including the Communications Managers Association (CMA) Conference in New York City\, November 10-13th\,and the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) Conference in Honolulu\, January 10-14\,1998. \nNancy Wilson\, director global marketing and business development from Ameritech International\, is assisting in contacting current and prospective members. \nClose\nCustomer Care\n\n×Customer Care \n\n\n\nCustomer Care What does it mean?\n\n\n\nby Ann Johnson\, Vice President Management Consulting IBM \nIt's hard to summarise the environment for telcos as the millennium approaches without striking into cliché or repeating standard industry analysis. \nWe have all attended numerable presentations and seminars on the forces driving telcos into the 21st century – demonopolisation\, privatisation\, liberalisation\, deregulation\, and the technological progress which fuels both dramatic improvements in productivity and a never-ending stream of new products and services. Within this market place\, IBM has concluded that a key area for telco solution investment is in Customer Care (see fig. 1) \n\n\n\nFigure 1: Sources of Differentiation \n\n\n\n\nTechnology\nImprovement\n\nSources of Differentiation \n  \n\n  \n\n\n\nCustomer Care\n\n\nQuality of Service\n\n\nProduct Features\n\n\nPrice\n\n\nBasic\nAvailability\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\nSources of\nCompetitive\nAdvantage\n\n\n\n\nThe report was produced by IBM Consulting Group\n\n\n\nWith the present global market\, price is still the major competitive weapon. New entrants tend to differentiate themselves by quoting the percentage by which their prices will' be lower than those of the incumbent PTT. \nNew ways of differentiation \nWhere competition is more mature\, the breadth and quality of service offerings has become as important as price when fighting for market share. Increasingly sophisticated consumers are prepared to draw comparisons between residential facilities such as call waiting\, call forwarding\, or3-way- calling\, and business facilities such as integrated billing for multiple services\, fixed-mobile integration\, and complex international VPNs. \nOver time\, it is my expectation that – as in other industries such as banking\, insurance and retail – both price and service competition will commoditise in the telco world\, due to the ready availability of cheap common technology. \nIn other words\, no telco will be able to have more than a temporary advantage over another from a price or service viewpoint. Whatever technology enablement is used for business advantage\, that advantage will quickly become available also to the telco's competitors. \nSpeed-to-market will of course continue to be away of gaining genuine commercial advantage\, but it will be difficult to sustain.\nFocus on Customer Care. \nSo\, as price and service become less unequal\, the key battleground for acquiring customers\, retaining them\, and maximising the telco's revenue from them will be the Customer Care process. This is the key tong term source of advantage. \nCoupled with a best in class Customer Care process will be the restructuring of the overall operation. These together will achieve sustainable cost levels and competitive advantage. \nExcellent Customer Care is not about including it in your mission statement\, stating you will give everything to your customers 365 days a year; you are unlikely to achieve the right result without ensuring it is really what your customers want and what you can afford. \nHow to achieve good Customer Care \nTo achieve world class Customer Care telcos should be benchmarked against two critical criteria for ensuring profitable and long term customers: \n\nsatisfying your customers immediate needs\nbuilding long term loyalty.\n\nTo ensure this happens\, telcos will need to gather much information about their customers and be able to use it in the correct way. The key is effective market segmentation\, then understanding closely your customers' needs\, future usage and improved time to market with new products and services. \nThe role of billing \nThe role of billing and billing systems has changed to be a key component of support to both Customer Care and competitive response. By its nature\, the billing process is the key source of customer-related information. The release of this information to all customer-facing functions is allowing a new customer perspective to develop. Billing is the primary information source for the identification and measurement of: \n\nchanges in effective revenue streams\ncustomer profiles\ncustomer services and product trends\ncustomer satisfaction trends\ncustomer retention trends new opportunities for growth.\n\nThese changes enhance the ability of an operator to compete and serve the customer in the future market for telecommunications. \nTotal customer orientation \nHowever\, other systems must also be brought into line\, for example: \n\nservice management (for self-service operations)\ncomplaints handling (with the ability to solve the problems)\nworkforce scheduling (to meet customer needs not internal needs).\n\nThese and other areas of the organisation and systems are core to the radical realignment many telco organisations need to go through to become customer-facing and accurately address their market (see fig. 2). \n\n\n\nFigure 2: Pressure for Change Pressure for Change \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nCURRENT CAPABILITY\n\n\n\n\nline based\nslow & unreliable\ninflexible/ fragmented\nbureaucratic\nnot geared to customer needs\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\nPressure for\nChange \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n \n\n  \n\n\n\n\nFuture Vision \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\nMigration Path\n \n\nprocess\norganisation\nsystems\npeople\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nDESIRED CAPABILITY\n\n\n\n\ncustomer responsive\nspeed\nfront-end intelligence\nflexibility\ncontinuous improvement\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe report was produced by IBM Consulting Group\n\n\n\nBefore the advent to the Customer Care concept\, most telco's prime interaction with their customers was through billing. The billing process is large and complex\, even when it deals only with a single service line\, e.g. PSTN. Because of size\, billing processes and systems were difficult to update or enhance\, and therefore increasingly became critical inhibitors to the introduction of new services or tariff packages. Hence\, the telco's inability to react competitively in market place. \nOlder billing systems were also not designed to be customer-friendly; billing integrity was top of the list of functional requirements\, rather than anything defined by the marketing department of the telco. Realisation that this key customer interaction had the potential to do more than simply bill accurately\, is leading many telcos to look for an effective Customer Care solution (see fig. 3). \n\n\n\nFigure 3: Pressure for Change \n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\nOne Stop\nShop\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\nSingle Point\nof Contact\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\nCustomer\ncontrolled\nServices \n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe report was produced by IBM Consulting Group\n\n\n\nThree steps towards perfect Customer Care \nThe three phases of the customer care challenge have not been fully achieved by any operator\, yet this eventually provide.\nBilling and Customer Care information is key to making this transition happen\, yet the systems and processes to enable this are not simple Simplification\, whilst retaining efficient manageability of complex transactions\, is the aim. \nToday\, the number of Customer Care solutions is into action with double figures. Telcos must ensure they are geared for success through their customer service operations and have in place: \n\ncustomer-focused culture\nflexibility and scaleability of systems\nflexibility of services\nability to map closely to the business processes\nbandwidth on demand\nvariable payment options with suppliers\nclose working relationship\nrapid addition of new products in response to new or emerging market requirements\, such as integrated mobile support\nservice guarantees\ncustomisation of services\n\nTo telcos this means: \n\nbetter response to customers\, as all customer information is available to the CSR\, and hence improved customer satisfaction leading to lower churn rates\nsignificant workload reduction for CSRs. with associated cost savings\naligned business processes systems and resources.\n\nClose\nMentoring (2)×Mentoring (2) \nThe Benefits of Mentoring – GTWN Reports (2)\nby Marta T. White\, Vice President of A T Kearney\, London \nIn the first part of her essay on mentoring\, Marta T. White summarized the key roles of mentoring\, gave a literature survey of the definitions distinguishing between specific and general uses of mentoring. The second part of her article deals with the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring. \nAdvantages of mentoring \nThe advantages of mentoring to the protégé include improved self-confidence; learning to cope with the formal and informal structure of the company; career advice and advancement. \nMaureen Scholefield (1990) in notes on a mentoring workshop for women\, lists the advantages for the protégé of mentoring as follows: \n\nindividual support\nguided advancement\nconfidential relationship\naccess to information\nsounding board\npractical assistance\nfriendship.\n\nThe benefits for the mentor can include: \n\npersonal involvement\nmotivation\njob satisfaction up-todate knowledge\nefficiency\ncareer advancement.\n\nMentoring allows protégés to develop new ideas and experiment with concepts and approaches within a relatively 'safe' environment and at the same time can allow mentors to learn about new approaches and techniques from recently-qualified protégés who may be more up-to-date and academically better informed about recent developments and theories than they are themselves. \nPrevious research findings confirmed that informal mentoring systems can be effective for developing young managers\, and that senior executives and managers should be encouraged to act as mentors to high performers. It is important\, however\, to point out that mentors may need to be taught how to mentor. Mentoring tends to reinforce hierarchical networks\, it is therefore worth first examining informal networks and then deciding whether mentoring was the best form of enhancing one's career or simply strengthening a peer group. \nMentoring can also be used alongside other methods of development\, such as networks\, social events\, internal groups and professional associations; peers can act as mentors as well as more senior colleagues. \nDisadvantages of mentoring \nThere is of course a negative side of mentoring\, when mentoring relationships turn out badly for participants\, due to faulty assessments of mentor's or protégé's needs\, goals or intentions\, or because of difficulties between members of the relationship. The main factors that can adversely affect mentor relationships are: \n\nfailure to communicate needs\nfailure to communicate goals\nprotégé's failure to correctly assess mentor's intentions\nemotional overdependence\nboth parties' failure to assess political environment\nmentor's inability to control political environment\nprotégé's failure to establish other alliances.\n\nWhile some of these problems may arise in any mentoring relationship\, many of the disadvantages of mentoring described above are more applicable to workplace mentoring rather than mentoring relationships that take place outside the work situation. Here it is more likely that the disadvantages of mentoring will relate more to practical difficulties\, such as when and where to meet\, how often\, and problems of sustaining a mentoring relationship at a distance. Some of the pitfalls of mentoring can be: \n\nlack of commitment or preparation for mentoring\nunsuitable or poorly-briefed mentors\nabuses of confidentiality and misuse of mentoring for personal or business ends\nbadly-managed mentoring relationships leading to overdependence or too deep a personal involvement.\n\nA successful mentoring relationship requires honesty\, mutual respect\, time\, commitment\, a sense of humour\, regular meetings\, good communication and effective feedback. \nMentoring can overcome some negative features of minority groups. One area of underrepresentation is that of women in managerial positions. \nMentoring for women \nQuite a lot has been written about the ways that mentoring can help women's career prospects. Women are a group for whom mentoring can be particularly beneficial. Mentoring has three clear advantages for women\, in that it can legitimise access to key people\, increase their visibility within organisations\, and bestow legitimacy. However\, there may be difficulties in cross-gender mentoring\, such as rumour\, innuendo and gossip about the nature of the relationship\, jealousies between partners. \nIn order to resolve such difficulties\, the mentoring relationship must be characterised from the start by a high level of openness and communication\, with great clarity about the expectations and commitments of the parties. \nIn reviewing the literature on mentoring\, we find that the mentoring process is possibly more critical for women than for men. There is strong evidence that successful professional women had mentors who had sigirificantlv influenced their careers. \nSuccessful application \nMentoring has benefits which extend beyond the programme. Mentoring is a valuable development experience for the mentor and the protégé and should be recognised as part of the participants' personal development plan. \nBased on the general rule that not everyone is suited to be a mentor\, a filtering and selecting process should take place. Mentoring is and should be a voluntary initiative\, but it should also be quality oriented. It is recommended that a selection panel be appointed to decide\, from those who put their names forward\, who would be better suited to join the programme. The selection is based on a questionnaire which highlights their desire\, commitment\, suitability and interests and skills to be shared. \nIt is important that mentors fully understand their role in the relationship and are particularly suited and skilled in all those areas. Mentors are responsible for managing the mentoring relationship and should be trained to do so. A successful mentoritig programmme should entail a session on what is expected from mentors and protege's. \nQuality control \nMentors and protégés should obtain a manual framework for the programme. Each participant is able to refresh their memories and their experience of the basic training and will be able to measure their own skills development. Each participant have the opportunity to have embodied a personal record of their individual journey\, a record of skills they have developed\, collect evidence and measure success. \nGeneral caveats that should also be borne in mind are: \n\nthe need for quality control\nethical considerations and the need for a protected confidential mentoring relationship to be preserved\nthe voluntary nature of the mentoring relationship.\n\nThe mentoring model may be appropriate for different kinds of people in different circumstances\, while for others it may not be helpful. The perceived value of a mentoring is likely to be affected by the quality of existing management training and development in an organisation\, and/or by the quality of a person's relationship with their line manager. This does not mean that if both of these are good mentoring is unnecessary; mentoring is likely to fulfil a different role for each individual. \nOn the other hand\, the demand for mentoring may be greater if the quality of the management training is less than adequate\, or if the scope for individual development within an organisation is limited. \nMentoring can play a crucial role in 'out-of-companies' networks. Mentoring helps junior professionals receive guidance and support from senior professionals allowing them the opportunity of exploring\, planning and brainstorming ideas in a safe environment. There is evidence of successful professional mentoring schemes which are run out-of-companies. All one needs to have is a common theme. \nClose
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