October 10 - 16, 2012
FinancialMirror.com
COMPANY NEWS | 15
MTN looks to business market l
Total market share at 32%, 4G is “imminent”
MTN, the alternative telco in Cyprus, hopes to build up its business telecommunications services, having already reached out to one in every three consumers. Employing some 400 people, the company opened two new “experiential” MTN Stores in Nicosia and Larnaca where even the most demanding customer can enjoy the full telecom experience, having the opportunity to browse, test and play with live devices, while “Data Gurus” are on standby to give the necessary advice. In an interview with the Financial Mirror, MTN Cyprus CEO Pieter Verkade also said that superfast 4G mobile telephony is imminent, but this will happen only after the telecoms regulator releases
the necessary frequencies as part of the Digital Cyprus agenda. “We have been steadily increasing our market share to 32% while constantly investing in technologies and services. Our strategy is to assist the Republic to achieve its digital agenda goals in terms of increasing mobile broadband usage and penetration in the best possible way,” Verkade said. As regards the split between pre-paid and post-paid telephony, he said that MTN’s proportion is about 60/40, “a reasonable split considering the level of maturity of the Cypriot market. We expect the post - paid to increase alongside the increasing data demand.” One of MTN’s new schemes is the “Up2U 10+”
Tennis can give you an advantage for college and in life Ever since Marcos Baghdatis played centre stage on the world’s tennis scene with his extraordinary run to the Australian Tennis Open final in 2006, thousands of young Cypriots have been inspired to follow suit. But what few of these tennis hopefuls know, is how difficult it is to become a successful tennis professional. Success in tennis, that is, reaching a point whereby you can earn a living through the game, means reaching the top 100 in the world. A good indicator of whether or not you will be successful is if you manage to reach the top 30 of the ITF Junior World rankings. Even then the figures aren’t encouraging. According to the ITF, only five of the top ten juniors in the world eventually reach the top 100 in the men’s and women’s game. In other words, becoming a tennis professional is not easy, not cheap and with very low probabilities of success. It is much more feasible to use tennis to get a scholarship for universities in the US or Europe and thereby get a great start on one’s career path and a new tennis training centre in Nicosia will help tennis players do just that. Tennis Zone is beginning operations in the grounds of the Junior School, Nicosia and is welcoming applications both from beginners from the age of 4 upwards to more advanced players in their teens. The Tennis Zone is the brainchild of Stelios Christofides and Simon Aynedjian, both parents of tennis kids. Simon is a top-ranked veteran tennis champ with over 200 local and international championships under his belt and a long-standing involvement in the game. His teenage son is already showing promise and is in the process of developing his game in order to benefit from a tennis scholarship in the future. Stelios’ son is already in his third year of a tennis scholarship at an American university, playing number one in his university team. With arguably one of the best coaches in Cyprus, Akis Asproftas, as head coach, the new tennis centre has already attracted a high caliber of tennis hopefuls who want to benefit from his
expertise. Having trained a large number of top local players, he knows what it takes to achieve high performance, as regards technique, strategy and psychology. He has a professional coaching diploma from the Osterreichische Tennisakademie (the Austrian Tennis Academy), and a first class coaching certificate from the International Tennis Federation (ITF). While not just a training centre for high flyers, the Zone will also help develop players from beginners onwards, providing sound basic training in technique and fitness, to an extent that parents and children will see noticeable progress, month to month. Getting to a high enough standard in any endeavour requires putting in the hours of practice. In tennis this means spending hours on court, which necessarily requires a fine balancing act so that schooling does not suffer. The academy will offer practical advice to parents on how best to achieve this balance, so that their children reach their goals both academically and in their sport. “More than just a training centre that teaches the basics of the game and provides an hour or so of entertainment a week, our tennis programme will also help kids find scholarships to top US and European colleges and universities”, said Simon. “We wish there had been a centre in Cyprus when our son was growing up to have given us the guidance we needed in order to combine education and tennis and succeed in both”, Stelios added. “Through the experience we have gained over the years in following this very path for our own children, we will strive to make the Tennis Zone just such a place. We have a holistic approach to tennis and aim to help children to be the best that they can on court and in life”. When it comes to finding work after college, having played competitive tennis is a major attribute on any CV, because employers know that playing tennis at a high enough standard moulds a person and prepares one to handle the inevitable challenges of life. Classes have already begun at the Tennis Zone. For information, call Simon on 96-441027.
hybrid programme, aimed at all age users. “The first week of the new plan was really promising. We call it hybrid because it combines absolute control over your telecoms spending with the lower rates of a contract. You can set your preferred credit limit simply by an sms. If you change your mind (and you can change your mind as many times as you want) you just send another sms and we adjust it.” On the other hand, Meemob is aimed at the younger consumers. “Big Cypriot brands are connected to Meemob, offering exclusive discounts in coffee shops and fashion outlets as well as special privileges and content. On top of that you can already have unlimited sms once you spend over 15 euros a month.” HIGHER SPEED Verkade said that in March, MTN launched HSPA+, the high-speed mobile broadband technology that multiplies the speed of mobile internet data and paves the way for otherwise unimaginable possibilities and applications. “HSPA+ is often referred to as 3.5G. More importantly, it is about three times faster than the basic HSPA service we had before and gives a noticeably different experience,” he added. Looking ahead, MTN hopes to emulate some of the MTN Group products, especially as regards electronic payments, but these are services unique
to each market. “MTN as a group is very involved on the Mobile Money technologies and has contacts with both Visa and Mastercard, through that we stay in touch with developments in this area. As for our plans for 2012 and 2013 I would like to keep some of the surprise! I promise you that we will have some exciting announcement in store as we keep on innovating.” As regards corporate services, Verkade said that big and small business are choosing MTN and this is our best advertisement. Our customer base grows day by day because we offer a complete business solution portfolio that meets all business needs in Cyprus. “Our clients enjoy high quality communication everywhere with a modern, fast performing network, excellent coverage wherever they are, cost-effective solutions on mobile and fixed services and a personalised service. They can be assured that whatever happens we will be there with a dedicated expert who knows them and works with them as a team.”
INVITATION The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has the pleasure to invite you to the 4th annual
‘Holland Trader Evening’ Theme: Corporate Social Responsibility Two speakers have been invited: - Mrs. Irma Keijzer (Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovation) - Mrs. Georgia Lefkariti-Ioannou (PR Manager at Petrolina Holdings Ltd., winner of CSR Award 2011) Reception will follow at the roof garden Date: Venue:
Thursday 18th of October 2012 The Royal Hall (former Theatre Royal)
Time:
19:30 – 21:30
(next to Ochi roundabout Nicosia)
Parking areas in front of the venue Please confirm your attendance before Monday 15th October by e-mail nic-ez@minbuza.nl, tel. 22 873 663 or fax 22 872 399