Hannover, 17 maart 2004
BT Global Services roept collega's ICT-industrie op tot samenwerking
Andy Green benadrukt in zijn keynote aan de vooravond van CeBIT het belang van samenwerking in de ICT-industrie. Er zijn kansen te over voor ICT-bedrijven die de visie hebben om die te verzilveren. Hij waarschuwt echter ICT-vakbroeders zich niet te concentreren op het deelgebied van hun eigen aanbod maar op de behoeften van hun klanten en hun complete ICT-vraagstuk. Met een concentratie op eigen technologie lopen bedrijven het risico dat 'utility' verwordt tot 'futility' waarmee niet alleen zij maar de hele markt jaren in de tijd terug gaat. Andy Green, CEO van BT Global Services en executive board member van BT Group, zei dit zojuist tijdens het ICT Forum 2004 in Hannover, Duitsland.
De onlangs door BT aangekondigde maatwerkdienst AAI (Applications Assured
Infrastructure) waarmee BT verantwoordelijkheid neemt voor gehele ICT-kwaliteit, is een voortvloeisel uit deze visie. Green is ervan overtuigd dat dit soort wijzigingen essentieel zijn om een ICT-industrie neer te zetten die echt van de 21e eeuw is.
Het volledige, Engelstalige persbericht over zijn speech is hieronder toegevoegd.
Over BT
BT Global Services richt zich op ICT-dienstverlening en telecommunicatie voor de grootzakelijke markt. BT biedt een wereldwijd geharmoniseerd portfolio van diensten op het gebied van applicatiehosting- en beheer, bandbreedte, broadcasting, data-VPN's, internet, voice en consulting.
Daarnaast verzorgt BT oplossingen op het gebied van e-business, e-CRM, mobility, desktopbeheer, security en connectivity. BT beschikt internationaal over tientallen datacenters en levert wereldwijd netwerktransport. BT Nederland is sinds 1989 actief en is onderdeel van BT Global Services.
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Voor meer informatie kunt u contact opnemen met:
Marlies Roest
PR manager BT Nederland
Tel: 020 203 8898
mailto:marlies.roest@bt.com
http://www.bt.nl
Leoni Janssen of Diana Budding
Edelman
Tel: 023 554 2030
mailto:nl@edelman.com
http://www.edelman.com/nl
Voor meer informatie kunt u ook terecht op de website van BT:
http://www.bt.nl.
Eerder verschenen persberichten kunt u vinden op:
http://www.btglobalservices.com/nl/pressrelease/index.html.
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March 17, 2004
ICT Forum 2004 - Hanover - Press Release
BT CHALLENGES INDUSTRY TO STEP UP TO THE MARK AT ICT FORUM IN HANOVER
BT executive board member, and chief executive officer of BT Global Services, Andy Green, today called for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry to pull together and rise to the challenges of today's connected world. During his keynote speech at the ICT Forum 2004 in Hanover, he outlined the tremendous opportunities that ICT offers to those businesses that have the vision to harness it. However, he warned that unless industry players focus on customer requirements for solutions to their problems as a whole, rather than their individual technology components, they risk the danger of the promised benefits of 'utility' computing becoming futile and setting the market back years. Green also emphasised the challenges facing companies, from macro level issues such as globalisation and consolidation to micro level pressures to reduce costs and maximise efficiencies, and described the role of chief information officer
(CIO) as essentially a 'balancing act'.
Taking the example of the CIO, he highlighted how the industry needs to empathise with its customers, offering a means for them to achieve this balancing act by providing guaranteed end-to-end ICT solutions that they can rely on to deliver their critical business communications. Drawing on the recent launch of BT's own Applications Assured Infrastructure* initiative to guarantee the performance of network and applications, he concluded that such changes were essential to "create a 21st Century industry".
Green said: "The reality today is that IP networking is creating a step change opportunity. Companies that seize it can create real advantage in the way that they operate, doing more for less and doing it in a way that gives flexibility both now and in the future.
"We in the ICT industry haven't always helped ourselves. At times, ICT has been viewed more as a commodity than a fundamental part of a business model.
It has the power to be transformational, therefore people should realise and harness its power, rather than treating it as a mere commodity. If we really want the industry to take off and at a rate higher than GDP, we need to put some effort into this."
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* BT Applications Assured Infrastructure is a major new initiative designed to enable organisations to understand and master the complex interactions that occur within their infrastructure - from desktop to data centre. As a result, it will become possible to guarantee that the performance of their information communications technology (ICT) is tailored to support business priorities and processes, improving the efficiency of their operations.
Available as a repeatable, standardised set of managed services, BT Applications Assured Infrastructure also brings a range of advanced skills and technologies - previously only available to customers on a bespoke basis - within the grasp of mainstream business.
About BT Global Services
BT Global Services is BT's business services and solutions division, serving customers worldwide. As an information and communications technology service provider, BT provides integrated data and value-added services to meet the needs of multi-site organisations with European operations.
Extensive global service capabilities and strong strategic partnerships also enable BT to serve customers in all key commercial centres of Europe, North America and Asia.
The BT Global Services portfolio ranges from desktop and network equipment and software, transport and connectivity, IP-based e-business solutions, managed network services and systems integration to consultancy for complex global requirements.
With 18 years of experience in global account management, BT has more than 8,000 people based outside the UK, serving our target customers around the world.