Page 38 - SAMENA Trends - October 2021

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Facebook Completes Metamorphosi

Facebook changed its corporate name split by social media services and reality Mobile World Live the move is “pragmatic
to Meta as part of a move to expand laboratories beginning in the current and visionary”, as Zuckerberg will be able
its presence beyond social media by quarter. Nitesh Patel, director of wireless to focus on building “future value” through
creating a so-called metaverse. CEO Mark media strategies at Strategy Analytics, told VR, AR and its existing services.
Zuckerberg (pictured) explained in a letter
Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and
Instagram services will retain their names,
but focus on creating the new initiative.
“From now on, we will be metaverse-first,
not Facebook-first. That means that over
time you won’t need a Facebook account
to use our other services”, Zuckerberg
explained. Meta will allow people to share
“immersive experiences”, with Zuckerberg
citing holograms as an example. He tipped
greater use of AR and VR devices, while
noting mobile phones and PCs would still
have a role. Meta hopes to bring 1 billion
people into the metaverse in the next
ten years. In a separate statement, Meta
explained its corporate structure will not
change but earnings reports would be

Huawei Appoints Steven Yi Regional President for
Middle East

Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications
technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, has announced the
appointment of Steven Yi as President for the Middle East at Huawei.
In his role, he will work with both regional and global ICT ecosystem
partners towards Huawei’s vision to bring digital to every person, home,
and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. The appointment
comes as Huawei continues to strengthen its leadership role in the ICT
industry, supporting nations in the region with their post-COVID recovery
through the expansion of open, secure, and innovative digital infrastructure.
“The Middle East and Africa region is an incredibly dynamic geography.
Huawei has been proud to serve governments, telecom operators,
enterprises, and consumers here over recent decades,” notes Yi. “Today,
national digitization plans around the fourth industrial revolution are truly
breathtaking in their scope. With this in mind, Huawei will continue to
invest in its partners and its people to serve the businesses of tomorrow,
and assist nations in achieving their development visions." Yi will be
responsible for directing the company's operations across all countries
and all Huawei business groups in the region. He will guide the company’s
strategic direction, cultivate high-level stakeholder relationships, and play
an active role in supporting the adoption of Huawei solutions. “It all starts
with having a customer-centric mindset,” adds Yi. “We must always deliver
results while creating the best possible user experience for our customers.
Huawei has been doing that successfully for more than 20 years in the
region, and is committed to creating further value in a society empowered
by connectivity and digital economy.” As a longstanding Huawei

38 OCTOBER 2021