Page 35 - SAMENA Trends - November 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

BSS can help CSPs accelerate their implementation offer CSPs the flexibility environment will be an important
deployment and go-to market which is key to manage and maintain the solution in- consideration for CSPs and MVNOs,”
to improving competitiveness especially house or externally. This adaptability, says John Abraham, Principal Analyst of
in emerging markets. The Nexign Instant alongside the ability to adjust the solution Analysys Mason.”
BSS’s open architecture and transparent in step with rapidly changing business

PCCW Global’s Console Connect Wins AfricaCom

Innovation Award

PCCW Global, a leading international security challenges, inconsistent quality, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Djibouti, with many
telecommunications service provider, has delays and excessive technical complexity. more on the way. Mr. Mike van den Bergh,
won AfricaCom Awards’ Most Innovative Console Connect incorporates network Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, PCCW
Product or Service Award for its Console automation software that manages Global, said, “We are thrilled that Console
Connect, the world’s first platform for access to PCCW Global’s dependable, Connect has been voted Most Innovative
Software-Defined Interconnection®. high-speed global private MPLS network, Product or Service at this year’s AfricaCom
Console Connect is a game-changer allowing users with minimal technical Awards. Our platform is providing local and
for business as it makes the process of capability to quickly spin up virtual private international businesses in Africa with new
connecting to cloud-based, business- connections, bypassing the insecure and levels of speed, agility and security as they
critical applications and geographically unpredictable public Internet and directly connect to more clouds and data centers.
distributed offices, partners and clients connecting to cloud application providers, Our Software-Defined Interconnection®
simple, predictable and secure. Decided partners and business locations. Console technology has the potential to completely
by an industry vote, the Award recognizes Connect offers a new level of speed and transform local interconnection in Africa
a product or service that has delivered agility, which can be achieved in a few and support the region’s rapidly growing
significantly on new opportunities for clicks with a simple, easy-to-use web cloud and data center ecosystem.” Mr.
revenue growth or customer satisfaction. portal, or integrated directly into enterprise Tom Cuthell, Event Director and Portfolio
As businesses in Africa push ahead with applications via an API. The platform Director, Connecting Africa, Informa Tech,
their digital transformation initiatives, the provides robust and secure enterprise- said, “Huge congratulations go to PCCW
automated Console Connect platform is wide access to partner infrastructure and Global for winning Most Innovative Product
playing an important role in facilitating fast the world’s leading cloud service providers or Service Award for Console Connect.
and secure access to the cloud and data including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Winning this year is an extra-special
centers located both inside and outside Azure, Google, Tencent, Alibaba, IBM and achievement as the people and projects
the continent. While businesses want to be Oracle cloud services. In addition, Console showcased continue to deploy technology
innovative and agile by taking advantage Connect is the only Network-as-a-Service to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, fuel
of new and disruptive technologies that (NaaS) platform that offers extensive reach Africa’s economic recovery and help build
the public cloud has to offer, the public across Africa, enabling interconnections a better and more inclusive digital world.
Internet has too many shortcomings for between data centers in a growing number We are all very privileged to have such
large-scale implementation of business- of African countries, including South Africa, brilliant people and organizations in our
to-business applications, including Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Uganda, community.” The AfricaCom Awards caps
a year of significant growth for Console
Connect, which has seen the number of
data centers enabled on the platform
more than double to over 350 worldwide,
with automated connections running over
PCCW Global’s industry-leading carrier IP
backbone and MPLS network, which now
reaches more than 3,000 cities and 160-
plus countries globally. PCCW Global is
the founding sponsor of the AfricaCom
Awards and is especially proud to be
part of this year’s event, given the trying
circumstances both businesses and
individuals have endured in 2020.

35 NOVEMBER 2020