John François Béguin, Chairman
Communications companies are experiencing what many analysts and industry insiders would term the perfect storm — a sluggish recovery, bleeding revenues and an abiding capacity glut, coupled with a cash crunch, heavy debt and eroding franchises. Added to these afflictions are fierce competition, transformational innovation and complex new regulations. With falling prices and the battle to gain market share intensifying among non-traditional and traditional telecom operators, there is just not enough room for multiple operators in most markets.
To regain firm footing and financial stability, most telecom executives are feverishly scouting new business opportunities through consolidation. Telecom players worldwide are racing to upgrade their transport and access infrastructures to enable cost-effective ways to provide new integrated services via a single network over a single access pipe.
This Special Issue will concentrate on this year’s ITU TELECOM WORLD meeting. Held every few years, TELECOM is a truly global, world-class event and networking platform for the global telecommunication and information communication technology sector. As the telecom industry undergoes a sea of change and as retrenchment and consolidation speed up, TELECOM’s focus on highlighting the reach and role of telecommunications and ICT in areas of societal change such as the digital divide, climate change and disaster relief will be of great interest, as will be the ITU’s intent presenting to stakeholders from across the sector and around the world, important global and local development opportunities. As well as offering a platform for competitors to potentially morph into valuable allies and form industry partnerships to extend and complement existing technologies and service offerings.
This issue touches upon some of the many preoccupations of the industry and presents the points of view of some of its main actors as well as providing some examples of successful endeavours. Swiss Style is honoured to be able to participate, thanks greatly to the Lake Geneva Region association and its President, Mr Jean-Charles Magnin.
That Geneva hosts this unrivalled event speaks volumes of the importance and attractiveness of the Lake Geneva region. The area is famous as a global centre of international and business affairs. Many companies, international organizations and NGOs have chosen to set up their headquarters in the Lake Geneva region because of its exceptionally favourable business and investment environment. In the very heart of Europe, the region offers a first-class transport infrastructure, with easy access to any major European city. Communications are among the most sophisticated in the world. People are open, welcoming and highly skilled, making this region an ideal location. According to recent studies, 20% of international corporate structures rank the Lake Geneva region amongst the world’s most attractive areas to relocate to, in great part thanks to the political stability and legal structures to be found here as well as the highly enviable quality of life available in the area.
So, welcome to ITU TELECOM WORLD and welcome to the Lake Geneva region!
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