MTN rolls out cloud services

MTN will go live with its bouquet of cloud services aimed at small and medium-size enterprises this month, following a trial in six of its main markets across Africa.

MTN will go live with its bouquet of cloud services aimed at small and medium enterprises ( SMEs) this month, following a trial period in six of its main markets across Africa, the company said yesterday.

Cloud computing refers to the use of the internet to provide technology services, including software, from a remote location, or through data centres, or at the client’s premises.

MTN group enterprise business unit executive Farhad Khan said the response to the MTN Cloud trial, launched in December, was positive. “What the pilot project confirmed is that our offerings are on the mark. There is great appetite for ICT solutions that are relevant, customised and affordable,” he said.

MTN’s cloud computing project model centralises access to services where a third party, in this case MTN, acts as the single point of contact for customers.

Centralising access to services eases the administrative burden for businesses as they now only deal with one service provider.

“A particular challenge facing small and medium-sized businesses in Africa is the high cost of IT (information technology) software and hardware. This includes the licence fees. What MTN cloud services seek to do is enable SMEs to minimise these costs, and at the same time improve productivity and efficiency,” Mr Khan said.

The group will be going live with MTN Cloud in Ghana and Nigeria today, with other markets to follow later in the year.

A report published by International Business Machines (IBM) late last month revealed that the future of cloud computing for telecom companies in Africa was bright, and nowhere is cloud’s potential effect on driving telecom business more relevant than in Africa.

“The prevalence of mobility and the lack of legacy IT infrastructure make Africa an ideal launching pad for innovative cloud-based services,” IBM computing expert Kedrick Brown said.

According to Mr Brown, numerous communications service providers were launching or exploring the feasibility of similar cloud-based services throughout the emerging world — especially in Africa. “Cloud computing is no longer just about making IT more efficient and effective,” he said.

“Cloud is seen by business executives, generally — and telecom managers in particular — as a key to accelerating revenue growth, both organically and into adjacent markets that had previously been outside the purview of telecom,” Mr Brown said.