Vodafone to start machine-to-machine platform

K.V. Kurmanath Updated - March 12, 2018 at 03:06 PM.

To set up exclusive vertical to address Govt opportunity

Vodafone Business Services, the arm of Vodafone that focuses on corporates and small and medium enterprises business, will launch a machine-to-machine platform in two weeks.

A 250-member team is drawing roadmap for this initiative.

Close on the heels of launch of a global initiative for European business, the telecom service provider will form part of the applications, machines and services offered by players in areas such as automotive, power, logistics and manufacturing.

Vodafone’s SIM cards will form part of the solutions that will increase efficiencies and reduce scope for human errors, Naveen Chopra, Director (Vodafone Business Services), told

Business Line .

The telecom firm has already starting doing some pilots for a few players. “About 80,000 SIMs are in use in this segment,” he said.

This arm of Vodafone contributed about 10 per cent of its overall revenue of Rs 32,000 crore last year.

“This segment is growing very fast. We expect it to grow at least 50 per cent more than the (retail) consumer business. We are targeting a pie of 15 per cent in the next five years,” he said.

Government business

Identifying the Government as a big consumer of telecom services and solutions, the company will be carving out a separate vertical to take care of this business beginning April 1.

Naveen Chopora said the Government consumption is more than all the combined consumption of the private sector. About 10 per cent of the 900 employees working for this arm would work for this vertical.

This arm offers solutions such as wire line data solutions, Internet leased lines, toll-free services, conferencing, application mobility and mobile email and connectivity.

SMEs

The other major focus for the company was small and medium enterprises with turnovers in the range of Rs 10-250 crore. “We estimate this number to be at 1.50 lakh. We are focussing on SMEs in 100 cities. We have appointed 100 channel partners to reach out to them,” Naveen Chopra said.

“We will appoint 10-15 more in the next six months,” he added.

kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in

Published on December 17, 2012 15:58