ZAIN is streamlining operations in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda and is modernizing its network to improve customer experience in the East African region.
The move is aimed at improving the quality of services and increase efficiency.
As part of this process, Nokia Siemens Networks has been awarded a strategic five-year contract to optimize, modernize and manage Zain’s over 3,000 multi-vendor mobile network sites in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The operator currently serves over 9 million customers across these three countries.
This contract marks Nokia Siemens Networks’ biggest multi-vendor outsourcing case in the region and it’s one of the first supplier swap Managed Services deals of its kind in Africa.
Nokia Siemens Networks will also implement its Energy Solutions within the Zain network to reduce operating costs and power consumption by exploiting more efficient technology for an efficient and sustainable growth across multiple East African countries. Its off-grid site solution combined with Energy OPEX management are key components included in the deal.
As part of the agreement, approximately 350 Zain employees who work on networks operations in these three East African countries are to be transfer to Nokia Siemens Networks. They will transfer with employment terms which are as favourable as their existing terms and will undergo further development and training in the latest wireless technologies.
Chris Gabriel, CEO of Zain Africa, said he was confident that the outsourcing agreement will have a far reaching impact on the company and its customers.
“Choosing Nokia Siemens Networks to help operate our networks in East Africa fits perfectly with our ‘Drive11’ business objectives of improving efficiency and the quality of our networks and operation,” he said.
“As a result, we will be in a far stronger position to dedicate resources and assets to our customer-facing activities, continuing to improve customer support, developing and launching new products, services and mobile applications, as well as delivering on our Zain brand promise of ‘A wonderful world’.”
The agreement will further strengthen Zain’s competitiveness as Nokia Siemens Networks will take over complete responsibility for network operations, allowing Zain to focus on activities core to its business.
Nokia Siemens Networks will leverage its strong global service delivery capabilities through its Global Network Solutions Center (GNSC) for faster time to market, faster, higher network and service quality and improved efficiency.
“This deal is unique as it’s the first mobile network outsourcing contract in East Africa and with this we are able to capture a strategic market share in the Managed Services arena that further strengthens our leadership position in this business,” said Joerg Erlemeier, head of the Middle East African region, Nokia Siemens Networks.
“We will also modernize the network with our state-of-the art equipment for a sustainable and robust network that has the required capacity to capture the expected high customer growth within the next five years.”
As part of the contract Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide optimization services and deploy its latest mobile soft-switching and subscriber data management solutions.
Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to over 70 million active customers as at 30 September, 2009.
In terms of country footprint, Zain is one of the largest mobile operators in the world with a commercial presence in 23 countries, including Tanzania.