LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 EURASIA, MOSCOW: Local leaders from Huawei and ZTE highlighted conversations with customers in the region had evolved beyond network technology in the last 18 months, as digital transformation efforts increase.

Speaking separately on the keynote stage, Huawei Eurasia Region president Daniel Zhou (pictured) and ZTE SVP and CIS regional president Mei Zhonghua discussed the changing nature of customer relationships in the months at the peak of the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

“During the last one-and-a-half years the position of Huawei has changed,” Zhou said. “The discussions and topics between us and our customers is not just limited to the networks and technologies, more and more it’s about ecosystems. It’s about how to do something together as one industry.”

Pointing to examples of digital initiatives in the vendor’s home market, he added “in China and Russia we see a lot of similarities in terms of government policies and industry development”.

Zhou noted the vendor’s strategy in the Eurasia region was based on “building a digital community with a shared future”.

Efficiency
Discussing the role of mobile and connectivity during the pandemic, Mei noted the changing demands of individuals, society and enterprise had highlighted the vital role of connectivity while accelerating digital transformation.

He added the vendor had been aiding a range of parties to meet evolving requirements.

“ZTE has done exploration with different industry partners, working together with operators, enterprises, upstream and downstream partners as well as system integrators to empower different industries.”