Maintaining Leadership
Chairman of Kazakhtelecom JSC Kuanyshbek Yessekeyev answers our questions.
As we all know, Kazakhtelecom JSC is launching a new Data Processing Center in Pavlodar on September 19, 2012, which will be the largest in the CIS. Could you tell us more about the specifics of this project?
The fundamental specific of this Data Processing Center (the DPC) is the higher level of security. The project has been developed jointly with Hewlett-Packard – the world’s leader in this sphere. Apart from the usual placement, arrangement and data backup, Pavlodar DPC is aimed to provide innovative services on the basis of cloud technologies to serve the good of our large corporate clients. The services will involve only data warehousing system but also IaaS, Dynamic Cloud Server, virtual backup center, Co-location and Dedicated under TIER 3 + SLA.
In general, what is the status Kazakhtelecom JSC data centers network development?
For our company, which in the modern context is being transformed into information and communication operator moving away from providing purely traditional communication services, the services of data centers are a new source of income. This year, we launched a new data center in Astana, and one more is scheduled for operation in Almaty. Moreover, in the framework of state-run program of accelerated industrial and innovative development our subsidiary company KT Cloud Lab plans to build a data center in Alatau Innovation Technologies Park.
As far as we know, establishment of this network is closely connected with the implementation of cloud technologies. What are the plans of Kazakhtelecom JSC in this sphere and what new services would your corporate clients obtain in this regard?
In the course of our activity, we are implementing this direction of business on the basis of our Informational System Directorate. Last year we signed a memorandum with Microsoft and this summer have already implemented Microsoft Hosted Exchange and Microsoft Hosted Share Point. The first one is a corporate mail platform with a wide range of advantages in the management sphere, while the second represents a set of program products designed to create a corporate portal. With the portal solving the issues of internal documentation turnover, collaboration, management and control over business processes, reporting and analysis at the departmental and organizational levels, it becomes possible to bring the increase of productivity and any data management in the familiar Office environment into reality. By the way, for us it is not the first experience with the “clouds”. At the end of last year a Cloud Video Conference was brought into commercial operation which allowed organizing video conferences though the internet in any place of the world.
Our immediate plans include launching of Dynamic Cloud Server, using which subscribers will pay only for the actually used resources. In addition, we are working on implementation of Microsoft Hosted Lync service, a communication program-client allowing users to communicate with each other in real time using various types of communication: instant messages, video and voice communication, general access to the desktop, conferences, files transmission and other.
Moving to cloud solutions makes greater demands on the speed and bandwidth of the Internet channels. In this regard, what is the status of Kazakhtelecom’s project to build an access network based on FTTH?
The project for construction of FTTH network was launched last year and is scheduled for finalization in the year 2015. During this time we intend to gradually provide optics to multi-compartment sector in all regional centers and cities of national importance, with the number of FTTH network ports exceeding half a million. Implementation of the project will ensure expansion of the range of services provided, increase the speed of broadband access, improve the quality of existing services and, most importantly, start the process of switching our subscribers from copper lines to optical.
It is commonly known that mobile services ensure more than 50% of income for domestic telecommunication businesses. What is the development strategy of Kazakhtelecom in this sector?
Two-thirds of the world’s population use mobile services. It is obvious that newcomers can hardly compete with large international companies in this sphere; however the situation at the mobility market is slightly different. Of course mobile high-speed networks have been successfully implemented and developed providing subscribers speeds comparable with existing terrestrial technologies, such as, for example, ADSL. However, the growth in demand for bandwidth necessitates implementing commercially viable solutions in mobility area, meaning new requirements to the mobile infrastructure operators. There are 49 fourth-generation networks in the world operating in almost all developed countries and in the nearest future 4G will be available in Kazakhstan. We possess frequencies for 4G implementation and are now working at the model of building of LTE network. Our team is realistic in assessing the situation and does not have Napoleonic plans: we cannot possess half of the current mobile market, but about 5 million subscribers (20% of the market share – author’s note) by the end of 2020 – is a very real figure.
Nowadays, the convergence of various information and communication services becomes a global trend. How the vision of Kazakhtelecom JSC corresponds to this trend?
This is one of the critical directions of Kazakhtelecom’s development strategy. At the moment it involves package set of services: internet, TV and telephony in one package, the so-called TriplePlay. In the nearest future for iDNet subscribers we are planning to introduce such new pay-TV products as HD and 3D channel packages. With the development of LTE network we would be able to offer our clients a single-point QuadroPlay package solution which will include mobile and fixed internet, telephony and TV. As you can see, the rhythm of modern life does not give us time to relax if we want to be at the forefront of the market.
