Page 71 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

PTA Directs Its Licensees to Provide Uninterrupted Telecom Services to

Consumers

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority customers have access to their services. providers by ensuring that support staff
(PTA) has directed its licensees to The CMOs should also coordinate of all telecommunication companies
remain fully prepared for the provision with local authorities for functioning be facilitated in providing logistics and
of uninterrupted telecom services to of franchises, top up outlets and maintenance services. Alongside this,
the consumers. It was also directed communication networks in the affected customer support centers, franchises,
that necessary resources should areas. They should resolve consumer retailers be allowed to remain open in
remain available at all levels for smooth complaints efficiently, with fully equipped case of a lock down for provision of
functioning of voice/data services and teams, and issue awareness messages in uninterrupted services and support. This
networks. The advisory also emphasizes national and regional languages, in wake will not only facilitate local administrative
on all support staff adopting necessary of Corona Virus spread threat. Moreover, and health services but also general
preventative measures against COVID-19. the Federal and provincial government public to maintain social distancing while
All Cellular mobile Operators (CMOs) and authorities have been requested to performing their essential functions.
Local Loop operators should ensure that facilitate communication services

Mena IT Spending to Hit US$160 Billion in 2020

IT spending in the Middle East and North next three years as more organizations methodology relies heavily on rigorous
Africa (Mena) will total $160 billion in 2020, move to cloud-based products and analysis of sales by thousands of vendors
an increase of 2.4% from 2019, according services. As local organizations continue across the entire range of IT products and
to Gartner. “Non-oil economic initiatives to invest more resources and IT budget services. Gartner uses primary research
such as the Dubai Expo 2020 in UAE; the in their digital transformation initiatives, techniques, complemented by secondary
Al Qiddiya entertainment, sports and arts technology consulting will increase among research sources, to build a comprehensive
complex; The Red Sea Project and the local companies. In 2020, IT services database of market size data on which to
Neom living laboratory in Saudi Arabia are spending is expected to total $13.1 billion, base its forecast. The Gartner quarterly
boosting business activity in Mena, which an 8.4% increase year over year. Compared IT spending forecast delivers a unique
will heavily influence IT spending locally,” to other regions, the levels of spending perspective on IT spending across the
said John-David Lovelock, distinguished on IT services in Mena are among the hardware, software, IT services and
research vice-president at Gartner. “In highest four in the world (after Greater telecommunications segments. These
2019, organizations in Mena disinvested China, Emerging Asia/Pacific and Latin reports help Gartner clients understand
in data center systems, devices and America). Gartner’s IT spending forecast market opportunities and challenges.
communication services, which led to a
decline of 2.8% in the overall IT spending.”
In 2020, businesses in Mena are on pace
to increase their IT budgets across all
segments with spending on enterprise
software expecting to achieve the highest
growth. Spending on devices will achieve
growth in 2020, following a double-digit
decline in 2019. The currency effects that
raised prices on hardware will abate and
business spending on devices will grow
3.6% to $28.47 billion in 2020 locally.
Enterprise spending on software continues
to grow, achieving a growth of 12.3% to
$7.425 billion from $6.612 billion in 2020.
This trend is expected to continue for the

71 MARCH 2020