ASEAN NEEDS OPEN AND CLEAR POLICIES

Takanobu Maeda, President & CEO, NTT Com Asia talks about his company’s drive into ICT market in China and Southeast Asia in an interview with ASEANAFFAIRS.

Q: What are your priorities after assuming your latest position in July?
A: My first priority goes to market expansion both horizontally and vertically. Despite the economic downturn, we see high potential of the ICT industry and in fact our business has still been growing in this year. The economy is now recovering and I believe the faster we act and the earlier we grasp any opportunities is the key to win when the economy is totally recovered. Therefore we strive to expand our market in Greater China and Southeast Asian countries, and we develop different brands and products to cater for different market segments.

Q: How important is Greater China for NTT Com Asia’s growth drive?
A: Greater China definitely plays a crucial role in our business development plan with its tremendous potential and huge market size. Hong Kong has always served as a bi-directional gateway to the mainland China for companies around the world; taking this competitive edge of Hong Kong we actually position ourselves as the communication bridge for global business to develop in Greater China.

Q: As an ICT solution provider, how would you compare China with India, the two fast-emerging markets?
A: Two of the most populated countries in the world actually have more similarities than differences. Their mobile and internet infrastructure (or communications) have been in rapid development which enables many people to gain access to online information from around the world. This desire for knowledge will help drive the demand for online services as well as core elements like IP transit and data center services.

Q: NTT Com Asia has an extensive outreach in the region. How are your Southeast Asian operations doing, in terms of growth, compared with other regions in Asia?
A: NTT Communications operations in Asia are still growing even under this tough economy; this reflects the importance of this region. Although Southeast Asia is not the fastest growing region in Asia but its future is very bright with more well educated students joining the workforce every year.

Q: The ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) plans to launch a single market in 2015, with the telecoms and IT among the key business sectors to be liberalised. What prospects are there for NTT Com Asia?

A: It is exciting to hear so many nations could work in coherence and harmony and even more exciting to learn that telecom and IT will be a couple focused business sectors. We love to contribute our knowledge and experience to help drive for innovations and deliver high quality services to citizens in these countries.

About NTT Com Asia NTT Com Asia is a subsidiary of NTT Communications, the international and long distance arm of NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world (ranked 44th in the Global Fortune 500 list of 2009). Established in Hong Kong in 1999, is a key arm of NTT Communications, the company is a premiere ICT Solution Partner for enterprises in Greater China region. In collaboration with its subsidiary in Guangzhou, HKNet Company Limited (HKNet), and other affiliates of the group in Greater China, NTT Com Asia offers global network services, IP connectivity, data centre and ICT services in the region. Address: Hong Kong Office 12/F., Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong http://www.ntt.com.hk/en/

About Takanobu Maeda Mr. Takanobu Maeda is the President and CEO of NTT Com Asia Limited and HKNet Limited, managing over 300 ICT professionalsin Hong Kong and Guangzhou. He came into the current role in July 2009, after serving for 21 years for the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT)

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