Ericsson, the world leader in telecommunications has been associated with the Indian telecom industry for over 100 years.
Ericsson supplied its first product to India - manual switchboards to the Government - in 1903. Since then, it has powered virtually every facet of telecommunications in India, right from handsets to entire networks.
Enjoying a unique position of being an end-to-end solutions provider, with the ability to offer complete mobile solutions on a turnkey basis, Ericsson has been successfully partnering the growth of the country’s cellular revolution since 1994, when cellular services were first launched in India.
With its powerful portfolio of offerings that comprise mobile and fixed network infrastructure and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers, Ericsson today has a pan India presence and provides mobile networks to all major Government and private operators. It is the leader in the wireless market with over 34% market share.
Ericsson works with all the leading mobile operators in India and has been part of their growth journey. Ericsson’s customers include Aircel, BSNL, Bharti Group, Idea Cellular, Vodafone, MTNL, Reliance Telecom, Tata Teleservices and VSNL.
Ericsson’s commitment to India
Ericsson’s long and illustrious history is reflective of its commitment towards India and the future of the Indian telecommunications industry. Ericsson is convinced about the Indian telecom industry’s rapid evolution, backed by strong demand, positive regulatory measures and increased affordability – all of which have been instrumental in fueling the growth of telecommunications in the country. Ericsson employs about 4000 people in India, across 25 locations.
In line with its long tradition of innovation, Ericsson successfully pioneered the concept of Managed Services in India. The Managed Services concept enables both parties to focus on their core business. The operator can focus on providing the “Best of mobile services”: to acquire, retain and grow the subscriber base. The Managed Services concept is a win-win for the operator and the supplier.
Ericsson has also taken several local initiatives to strengthen its role as a true value adding partner. Amongst them is the Nationwide Prepaid System - a common platform, which enables operators to provide uniformity of services as well as respond to regional requirements.
Ericsson is investing in developing mobile internet solutions to foster the growth of mobile internet in India. As part of this global initiative, an Ericsson Mobility World Centre has been set up in Gurgaon, Haryana. This facility allows Ericsson to partner with mobile internet application and solution developers, as well as network operators to develop new applications and solutions for Indian consumers.
Ericsson has also set up the Global Service Delivery Centre (GSDC) and a Customization Design Centre that leverages its global solutions portfolio for local customers. Ericsson’s Global Network Operations Centre (GNOC) handles networks of multiple operators across geographies.
Ericsson also successfully launched the Gramjyoti Rural Broadband Project, a successful rural India-based initiative that advanced its global vision of ‘communications for all’ and introduced benefits of connect communities in rural India to high-speed internet services for the first time using the globally proven WCDMA/HSPA technology. By creating a stable ecosystem based on this leading wireless technology, Ericsson aimed at providing these communities with a range of services including: telemedicine; e-education; e-governance; online local information; voice and video call services; and live TV and entertainment, to help stimulate socio-economic development.
Ericsson’s R&D facilities in Gurgaon, Haryana and Chennai, Tamil Nadu focus on developing value-added applications for the pre-paid and multimedia segments. The Systems Integration Competence Centre in Gurgaon is staffed with telecom professionals for regional support, with expertise in the deployment of Value Added Services (VAS) products such as MMS, Intelligent Networks (IN) and telecom management areas of charging, mediation, and network management solutions.
Of late, the move toward next-generation networks and richer multimedia services generates new opportunities for growth. With the creation of the Multimedia business unit, Ericsson is providing consumers and business users with innovative networked media and messaging solutions, enterprise applications, service delivery platforms, revenue management and mobile platforms.
Ericsson’s manufacturing facility at Kukas, Rajasthan
In the latest of a series of ‘localization moves’ by Ericsson involving the transfer of technologies to India, Ericsson has expanded its existing manufacturing level from AXE switching to become the first multinational company to set up manufacturing of GSM Radio Base Station (RBS) series at its facility in Kukas, Rajasthan. It has also developed a special series of RBS’, called the 2111 series that is customized for the Indian conditions and enables lower operation and maintenance cost, withstands severe climatic conditions, prolonged power cuts and voltage fluctuations. Local manufacturing ensures easier handling of repair and returns and flexible inventory management which further reduces cost to operators.
Recognizing its impressive contribution towards the growth of the Indian telecommunications infrastructure, The Telecom Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of India (TEMA) recently awarded Ericsson with the National Award for 2007 for ‘Excellence in Manufacturing’.
For more information on the Company please see http://www.ericsson.com.
