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Subject: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: - [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: Wed, Jun 27 2007, 05:36:05pm cut and paste http://www.redknee.com/news_events/news_releases/archive_2007/208/ Digicel Selects Redknee Turnkey Converged Billing Redknee to Provide Robust, Configurable and Flexible Billing Solution for Papua New Guinea TORONTO – June 26, 2007 – Redknee (AIM: RKN), a leading provider of innovative infrastructure software that monetizes and personalizes services and content for mobile operators, today announced that Digicel Pacific Ltd., one of the fastest growing GSM mobile telecommunications companies in the South Pacific and the sister company to Digicel Group in the Caribbean and Central America, has selected the Redknee Turnkey Converged Billing solution to support their growth strategy in Papua New Guinea. The Turnkey Converged Billing Solution utilizes Redknee’s CRM and advanced real-time rating and charging architecture to provide a robust end-to-end solution for prepaid and postpaid subscribers across voice, messaging and data services. Redknee’s value-added functionality enables Digicel Pacific to pass further value on to their subscribers using a personalized service offering and through the introduction of innovative service and bundle plans. With a population of 5.9 million people and mobile penetration at just 1%, Papua New Guinea is poised for tremendous growth. Digicel Pacific is committed to delivering a world-class pan-South Pacific GSM network to Papua New Guinea that will transform the market with accessible and high quality services. Digicel Pacific continues to build on the successful business strategy of its sister operation, Digicel Group, which has launched operations in 22 mobile markets across the Caribbean and Central America. Vanessa Slowey, CEO of Digicel Pacific, said: “Digicel is excited about entering the underserved Papua New Guinea market, which will be its second market in the Pacific region. We look forward to creating a substantial business in Papua New Guinea, creating employment and allowing more people here to harness the benefits of mobile telecommunications in their day-to-day lives. We are confident that the partnership with Redknee will support us in our strategic aim to provide innovative world-class mobile communication services for our subscribers.” Lucas Skoczkowski, CEO of Redknee, added: “Digicel Pacific will leverage the real-time capabilities of Redknee’s Turnkey Converged Billing solution to expand its market penetration and rapidly grow its revenues while providing cost-effective services to meet market requirements. The success of Digicel Pacific demonstrates how Redknee’s monetization and personalization products can fulfill the demands of leading growth operators by providing standard-based, scalable, robust and cost-effective solutions with an evolutionary path to more advanced product offerings.” About Redknee: Redknee (RKN : AIM), established in 1999, provides real-time monetization and personalization products, solutions and services to over 30 mobile operators globally. The Redknee monetization product suite enables mobile network operators to optimize the lifetime value of each subscriber through advanced billing, rating and charging. The Redknee personalization product suite enables operators to offer personalized voice, messaging, and data services for the enterprise and consumers to meet mainstream, niche and individual market segment requirements. Redknee customers provide services to over 290 million wireless subscribers in over twenty countries. Redknee Solutions Inc. is the parent of the wholly-owned operating subsidiary Redknee Inc. and its various subsidiaries. References to Redknee refer to the combined operations of those entities. For more information, visit www.redknee.com. Contact Redknee: For more information, contact Redknee Inc. Tel: +1 408 997 1897 Fax: +1 905 625 6485 Email: marketing@redknee.com About Digicel Group Ltd. Since its launch in 2001, Digicel has become the fastest-growing wireless telecommunications operator in the Caribbean. After five years, Digicel is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services, and state-of-the-art handsets. It is the largest GSM operator in the region. Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and has operations in 22 markets, including Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, Curaçao, The Cayman Islands, Dominica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and El Salvador. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barths. The company is the lead sponsor of Caribbean sports teams including the West Indies Cricket Team, Special Olympics teams across the Caribbean and is title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Football Union Cup, which involves over 30 Caribbean countries and is an important qualifier towards the CONCACAF Gold Cup. For more information, visit www.digicelgroup.com. About Digicel Pacific Ltd. To date, Digicel has launched GSM services in Samoa. It has a GSM license from the Government of Papua New Guinea, and was granted a license in principal from the government of Fiji in April 2006, as well as an experimental license in the Solomon Islands. Digicel is also a proud sponsor of Fiji Rugby, and is title sponsor of the Digicel Fiji Sevens Team and the Digicel Pacific Islanders team. Digicel Pacific Ltd is headed by Ms Vanessa Slowey, who prior to joining Digicel Pacific, was instrumental in the roll out of Digicel operations in the Caribbean islands of Anguilla, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti. Digicel Pacific is committed to delivering a world-class mobile telecommunications services to the South Pacific that will transform the region by placing it at the cutting edge of wireless technology, while challenging competitors in a manner that drives positive business development. The fast growing multinational mobile telecommunications company has a reputation for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage and superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services, and state-of-the-art handsets. Digicel Caribbean, the sister company to Digicel Pacific Ltd, launched in 2001 and is now the largest GSM provider in the Pan Caribbean region. For more information on Digicel, visit www.digicelgroup.com. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: Cool_Guy1 [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Thu, Jun 28 2007, 09:44:24am Foreign investment in fast telecommunication services is a plus for Papua New Guinea. Living away from home will make you understand what i mean. A pre-paid card to call Fiji, south africa or the asian countries is cheaper than calling PNG from Australian. Because there is no competition, telecom seems to monopolise the market and charge higher service fees with poor quality services. Even the current Pacific Mobile service is really poor. When someone sends you a text message you receive that message after an hour or two. Sometimes, the message multiplies itself and you tend to pay more. The world is moving towards a digital age, and PNG needs to move forward. It is a plus for PNG, when such companies like digicel is investing in providing fast telecommunication services. My thumbs up for such great investments. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: kattmeow [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Thu, Jun 28 2007, 10:57:34am It is a plus, but why does it alays have to be foreign investment that develops PNG. Why couldn't the government move forward and developed it's own telecommunications system instead of bringing in overseas investors where profits never stay in the country. The reason phone calls cost more to PNG from Australia, is because some 7 years ago Telstra Australia added a subsidy to all call costs, which was suppose to be used to develop and upgrade the system in PNG. Whether that money actually filtered back into PNG, we will never know. cheers [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: Cool_Guy1 [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Fri, Jun 29 2007, 09:16:58am kattmeow, to answer your question, let me put it this way. Studies have shown that, Government owned enterprises operate in-effciently. Their internal cost structures are high and provide inefficient services. You answered that question yourself, when you got the gave the example of the arrangement between Telstra and Telecom. Since, telecom is a state owned enterprises, inefficiency and blow-up of cost is a major defect that you can find in such state owned agencies. Proponents of privatisation claim that, private owned firms operate with cost conciousness and provide service efficiently to lure new clients and hold onto existing clients. The world is moving towards that kind of stage, where most services like roads, telecommunication, electricity, water etc.. are privately owned. Why do you pay toll in Australia, when you drive through a road. Those roads are privately owned roads, hence a toll has to be paid to the private owners. In this era, the government has to serve the people by providing much needed service and not get its hands dirty in running business. Businesses that are run by governments are inefficeint and poor. I think in PNG we have seen a lot of this failed state owned enterprises, like Air Niugini, Post PNG, Telecom.. etc. These enterprises if allowed to run like a private firm would make a big difference in the country. Costs would come down, and prices would be fair to those who use this services. So, i'd say, bring in the competition in the telecommunications industry and we will see competition. Now to your next question, why allow foreign owned firms to operate in this country? Take a look at whats happening in China and Russia. Both we communist countries and they never allowed any foreign firms to operate in their country. Most businesses were run by nationals. What happened? Russia had a crisis and humantarian assistance had to be brought into the country, even the IMF stepped in and rescued Russia. This days, Russia has a open door policy. They allow Foreign direct investment into their country. The same is true for China, they allowed foreign direct investment to come into their country. When they did that, the story has turned around. China is one of the worlds fastest growing economy. At the moment, the world economy, commodity prices, inflation, interest rates etc seem to correlate with the developments in the chinese economy. Why do you think China has accelerated it development status from a third world nation to becoming a first world nation? It is because of Foreign Direct Investment. Yes, repartriation of profit does occur once in a year, but the greater benefit goes to the host nation of that Foreign Direct Investment. Studies have shown a positive correlation between Foreign Direct Investment and Economic growth. How does Foreign Direct investment effect growth? When Foreign Direct Investment is allowed freely with no impediments, then, it provides job for the host nation, knowledge spill-overs take place etc. It also has spill over effects on other businesses in the country. Benefits by far outweigh nay costs associated with Foreign Direct Investment. Say for instance Digicel is allowed to operate. What happens? PNG people will be recrutied then trained - knowledge spillover. Local and foreign owned companies have a choice to either hook up with digicel or telecom. They choose the best price. Due to competition, we might see decline in prices, hence benefiting the welfare of the nation. So, in the long run, Foreign Direct Investment is good for the country. Media reports have blurred this countries image and many outsides think that PNG is full of hooligans, thieves and cannibals. Thats why there is not many tourist, there is not enough foreign direct investment in the non-mining sector.. etc.. Countries all around the world are removing all impediments to lure foreign direct investment, because they see the impact of it on economic growth. The other point is, local capacity to invest in such capital intensive project is minimal. Mark my words, PNG is moving in the right direction by allowing competition in monopolised state enterprises. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: kattmeow [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Fri, Jun 29 2007, 12:34:29pm Hi again Thanks for your reply. I hope it is all in the best interest of PNG with all these foreign companies entering PNG, starting and taking over existing businesses. I do believe over time there will be very few, if any PNG owned and operated businesses left, they will all be foreign owned and operated. A bit of information about what has happened in Australia over the past 30 years due to take over by foreign companies. http://www.ausbuy.com.au/pages/default.cfm?page_id=13019 cheers [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: pngean [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Fri, Jun 29 2007, 01:05:15pm well said, cool guy. peace pngean [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: support home grown [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Fri, Jun 29 2007, 03:28:19pm Instead of taking control changing the direction and utilizing and developing the existing infrastructure in place at Telikom as well as overhauling the training of personnel and continued growth, the PNG government have "coped out" and taken the easy step. Do you really think that prices will come down? For a foreign company to receive optimal benefits of it's capital investment they will be wanting top price for the services they provides. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: Cool_Guy1 [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Fri, Jun 29 2007, 04:20:19pm Support Home Grown, i do agree with your statement to revamp and encourage local businesses to take over service delivery. My point was; history has shown that Governments run businesses always result in inefficiency. So, Government should stay out of businesses. Prime responsibility of the government is to bring services to the people. No matter how much money is pumped into this state run enterprises, it will always be inefficient and non-profitable. Just look at the current state-owned businesses, heads of CEO's roll everytime a new government comes in. Some governments use this state run enterprises as own family business, with the type of influence they have on this enterprises. Now, such actions makes such government run institutions as failed businesses. As for encouraging and supporting home-grown businesses, i cant agree with you more. However, in such investments like telecommunication, initial capital cost is huge and local people dont have the capacity to enter into such venture. We cant depend on the government to pump in money to revamp telecom. Governments basically depend on tax money to bring services like health, education, roads.. etc. If government spends money on non-performing inefficient enterprises, then health, education, road maintenance has to miss out. So you see, there are costs associated with the governments decision to operate inefficient state run enterprises. If government focuses only on providing service to the people and let business to the businessman. Then, all i am saying is that, government will increase its tax base, with the inclusion of a new company and its employees and services. So government does not loose, it gains from foreign direct investment. As for locals saving capacity, its not that sufficient to fund big project like this. If you have high propensity to save in a nation, then that nation is capable of investing in their home country. For PNG, saving propensity is minimal, and to raise funds in the millions to set up a telecommunication faclity is obviously nil. In simple economics, competition results in price wars. Bettelnut prices in Port Moresby goes up because of few supplies controlled by few suppliers. When supply is high, prices drop. There are many people selling the same product so there is competition to get clients. The same economic concepts applies to all state run monopolies. If competition is allowed, business will strategically set up price wars to attain a client base. Competion allows prices to move down, services are of top quality and provided efficiently. My prediction, is that, digicel will bring in the much needed competition, consequnetly leading to a price war. For your information, it takes guts from a multi-national company to start up business in PNG. I have heard that, initial capital cost will be some hundreds of millions of US dollar. Thats definitely a plus for Papua New Guinea. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: pngean [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Fri, Jun 29 2007, 06:51:40pm I hope Digicel wins the court case currently pending and launch its mobile service in PNG. peace pngean [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Re: another foreigned owned company takes hold Author: ulpex [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: Fri, Jun 29 2007, 04:59:27pm Privatisation is not good for a country like PNG. What have the people of PNG achieved when BSP bought PNGBC???????? In the banking industry in PNG, ANZ Bank is better in terms of customer services than BSP. ANZ fees justify their interest rate and customer service. So the point is: let Telikom be a monopoly until such time when a "people and service first" government is formed. Cheers Ulpex [ Post a Reply to This Message ]