Global Technology Group

ANSWERING THE GROWING DEMAND FOR DIGITAL CONNECTION IN MYANMAR

GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY GROUP

T

he Asian technology sphere is a booming market.

Even without the rapid growth in the incorporation of digital products and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, technological implementation and innovation has become a substantial space in pan-Asian industry.

In Myanmar, inter-connectivity, digital services and telecommunications are quickly growing to envelop the everyday lives and work of the people in large urban centres. In total, approximately 30 percent of the population in Myanmar had access to the internet in 2019; a huge rise from the one percent in 2011. Yet despite this, challenges arise when companies aim to maximise digital connection nationally.

“The country’s internet and telecommunication laws have always been very outdated, and so that makes it difficult for local private companies to operate,” says U Thein Than Toe, CEO of Global Technology Group.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact it has caused on everyone’s lives, the internet is essential for the individual household.

Mobile penetration rates have soared, however household broadband penetration is low due to the sudden explosive rise in internet usage.

From a national perspective, we need to encourage and empower our companies to fulfil customer requirements en-mass.”

Global Technology Group was

Answering Digital Demand With Myanmar’s population becoming increasingly digitalised, we speak to Global Technology Group about the company at the centre of digital connection and communication provision Writer: Marcus Kääpä Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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founded by three friends as a small training school in 2002. At the beginning the company provided networking services for organisations and businesses but has evolved a great deal since. At present, Global Technology Group has over 700 employees, a telecommunication license and provides IT services and solutions for various companies and national governmental organisations. Global Technology

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GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY GROUP

APAC OUTLOOK:

How did you come to enter the technology industry?

U THEIN THAN TOE: “Choices are limited in Myanmar.

Often life is fast paced and ever changing, and so working in a reliable career is important.

Thankfully in 1997, when I was 16, my parents noticed that I excelled in the areas that made for a promising engineer and so allowed me to choose this path.

I started learning about IT, and in university I met the partners that I would go on with to form Global Technology Group. At the beginning we didn’t have a plan, but instead just kept learning.

After working for some private companies separately, during which I worked for a machinery company as a Programmer, we came together in 2002 deciding to take the leap and plan to start up an IT company. At the time we knew that the internet was not accessible for everyone and there was no training school for IT. We mostly taught ourselves and finally decided to create the company in 2002.”

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Group helps inter-connection between international global players across multiple industries, and provides TMT (technology, media and telecommunications) services among others such as financial services, trading, and consultation.

“We provide fibre connectivity for the individual, household, companies and organisations across the country through wireless broadband using 4G technology,” Toe informs us.

The Group stands out from its industry competition due to multiple elements of company operation. First and foremost, Global Technology Group ensures that all solutions provided to its customers are tailored to their specific needs; fitting solutions that are provided by means of creating new products and services with regard to pricing and adaptability. As pioneers in the IT and communications industry of Myanmar, Global Technology Group’s innovative nature allows it to access, learn and

offer the best and latest high-quality services to its various customers.

Despite the negative impacts on many industries in the past year caused by COVID-19, Global Technology Group continues to expand its network coverage to cities across Myanmar. Where the company held a presence in six cities at the beginning of 2021 it is now expanding to 22 in total.

“This year we are working on our Express Wi-Fi project; a free Wi-Fi internet service that we are partnering with Facebook Connectivity,” Toe tells us proudly. “Facebook Connectivity have the same objective of providing internet connectivity to as many people as possible and providing this Wi-Fi freely. It is a very big project for this year.

“By utilising technology in collaboration with Facebook Connectivity we can manage the maintenance of more Wi-Fi zones across Myanmar. It is a very promising

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EMPLOYEE CENTRIC OPERATIONS Global Technology Group was founded by three individuals and its recognition of individual effort and achievement is reflected in its business operation.

The company shares, celebrates and encourages individual effort throughout the business. Through the company’s collaborative digital workplace these efforts and achievements are shared and celebrated by all members of the firm and are acknowledged as having contributed to the success of Global Technology Group. This platform is also used to share the knowledge and information regarding various projects providing an open and very flexible approach to project development that all company members can access.

For Global Technology Group, every employee contribution is taken into account and acknowledged, allowing the continuation of individual thoughts and input. The Group also encourages its employees’ personal learning and career development, as well as team learning and group collaboration to further maximise the skills of all those involved.

growth strategy through which the availability of digital connection shall be maximised for all to use.”

Global Technology Group exists as a networking company. Adhering to this, it plans to not only expand its services across multiple cities, but also develop its digital services to best suit its customers’ needs and requirements. This year Global Technology Group is investing in cloud-based technology, partnering with companies such as Californian software firm VMware to build its services to benefit its ever-growing customer base.

“We are also currently investing in an online education platform through which people can register, login and learn a variety of subject matter. To this end we partnered with many teachers in the creation of its content, to later provide full educational services online,” Toe informs us.

Global Technology Group manages to operate on this national level

through multiple elements without which the company would find themselves limited in potential. For example, supply chain partners are critical to the success of the Group.

To provide the best service with the cheapest prices, the company requires positive, efficient and reliable supply chain partnerships in order to meet the demands of innovative new products and services, and the supply chain changes that follow as a result.

“Having brilliant supply chain partners saves us costs and solves many problems that would otherwise arise. They are vital to our business,” Toe affirms. “Building relationships with local and international suppliers guarantees better cooperation and therefore smoother operation.”

As for the rest of 2021 and beyond, Global Technology Group is aiming to become the top IT and communications provider in Myanmar.

“We are changing our organisation as not just an internet connectivity

provider but also various other digital services,” Toe tells us. “This year, we will focus more on our alternative digital services and the Express Wi-Fi project as we want to deliver more productive services at a cheaper price.

“Global Technology Group is also going to continue developing its people centric culture, to keep embodying the employee-centred focus that has become so apparent during the challenging period that COVID-19 has brought.”

With the mass rollouts of vaccines globally, companies across the industries are left with a rapidly increased digital world in which they must adapt and maintain a presence within. At the centre of this sits digital communication services. With Global Technology Group at the heart of Myanmar’s digital future, and with a continually growing customer base, the future looks promising for the company.

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GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY GROUP #2-01, Building 16, Myanmar ICT Park, Universities’ of Hlaing Campus, Hlaing Township, Yankin, Yangon Tel: +951 654870 marketing@globalnetmm.com www.globalnet.com.mm

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