BT - the global IT provider
Since establishing its Polish office in August last year the giant operator has picked up 200 clients here. Not many you may think, however, these customers are from the upper echelons of the business world.
The company has identified its market as the top 10,000 international corporations that operate in at least four different countries and two different continents. For these high rollers, BT - the former British Telecom - offers complete digitized communication systems.
"We are looking at a digitally networked economy, this is the case with multi-nationals around the world, which might have production in China, Poland, with outsourcing in India, and head quarters in France," said BT's vice president strategic operations Europe, Aad van Waveren.
Digital world
"They cannot compete now without a digital network that allows them to communicate across the world. BT provides everything from consulting, developing, implementation, servicing and security of these networks.
"In Poland we are involved with HP, Unilever and Honeywell, and we support more than 200 multinationals here in Poland and we expect that to grow at around 30 percent a year."
Telecoms too
On the European level BT is running communication networks for the European Union and the European Bank. In Poland their operations involve local servicing, consulting and development of international clients.
Van Waveren says BT might consider networking solutions for larger elements of the Polish economy such as ministries or the proposed EU border guard, should it be located in Poland.
"We are interested in these projects but it would really depend on the economies of scale involved," he said.
Wi-Fi factor
Although BT is known the world over for its telephony arm, van Waveren describes the current company as an IT provider with a telecom inside. "Our core business here is providing IT infrastructure." For this reason he says BT is not interested at the moment in entering Poland's mobile market.
He is also concerned about the regulation and development of telephony in Poland. "I am very concerned about the regulatory situation with TP SA, and the whole public administration is very cumbersome because it has a long turnaround."
Van Waveren believes the country also faces potentially serious problems as it lags behind in preparedness for technological developments. "Wi-Fi, wireless access with an extended reach, will be ready to roll out in 2006 to 2007 where users can be several miles away from the source." However, he worryingly concludes: "Now this could replace local access and turn the world upside down - but I don't see any preparation for this here at all." J.T.
The company has identified its market as the top 10,000 international corporations that operate in at least four different countries and two different continents. For these high rollers, BT - the former British Telecom - offers complete digitized communication systems.
"We are looking at a digitally networked economy, this is the case with multi-nationals around the world, which might have production in China, Poland, with outsourcing in India, and head quarters in France," said BT's vice president strategic operations Europe, Aad van Waveren.
Digital world
"They cannot compete now without a digital network that allows them to communicate across the world. BT provides everything from consulting, developing, implementation, servicing and security of these networks.
"In Poland we are involved with HP, Unilever and Honeywell, and we support more than 200 multinationals here in Poland and we expect that to grow at around 30 percent a year."
Telecoms too
On the European level BT is running communication networks for the European Union and the European Bank. In Poland their operations involve local servicing, consulting and development of international clients.
Van Waveren says BT might consider networking solutions for larger elements of the Polish economy such as ministries or the proposed EU border guard, should it be located in Poland.
"We are interested in these projects but it would really depend on the economies of scale involved," he said.
Wi-Fi factor
Although BT is known the world over for its telephony arm, van Waveren describes the current company as an IT provider with a telecom inside. "Our core business here is providing IT infrastructure." For this reason he says BT is not interested at the moment in entering Poland's mobile market.
He is also concerned about the regulation and development of telephony in Poland. "I am very concerned about the regulatory situation with TP SA, and the whole public administration is very cumbersome because it has a long turnaround."
Van Waveren believes the country also faces potentially serious problems as it lags behind in preparedness for technological developments. "Wi-Fi, wireless access with an extended reach, will be ready to roll out in 2006 to 2007 where users can be several miles away from the source." However, he worryingly concludes: "Now this could replace local access and turn the world upside down - but I don't see any preparation for this here at all." J.T.
