Huawei invests in R&D to diversify products

Winners of an apps developing contest in Bangladesh pose for photographs at a programme in Beijing recently. Photo: Huawei

China's Huawei, a leading ICT solution provider, invested around 14 percent or $5.4 billion of its revenues in research and development last year to bring more sophisticated ICT-enabled services and solutions.    
The company has recently upgraded the 3G networks for Bangladesh's Grameenphone, Banglalink, Airtel and Teletalk.  
“We focus on making continuous investments in research and development to bring more ICT solutions and services that are dedicated to providing broader and smarter experiences to our customers,” said Baker Zhou, chief executive officer of Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh).
“Our goal is to take the lead in research, innovation and implementation of future networks.”
Huawei has also set up 28 'joint innovation centres' globally to translate leading technologies into a competitive edge and business success for customers, he said in an interview at their office in Dhaka recently.  
Zhou, who joined the Dhaka office in November 2011, said: “We openly cooperate with industry partners, focus on building future-proof information pipes, and continuously create value for our customers and society at large.”
Based on these value propositions, Huawei is dedicated to enriching life and improving efficiency through a better connected world, he said.
Huawei is the leader in 3G, 4G and 5G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over one-third of the world's population, said Qu Wenchu, senior vice president of Huawei.
“We have 14 regional headquarters and operations in 170 countries all over the world.” He spoke at the closing ceremony of 'telecoms seeds for the future' in Beijing recently.
Huawei organised the programme to help bridge the gap between what is learned through ICT education and what is necessary for the industry, Wenchu said.
The company also organised a training session at its headquarters in Shenzhen for eight Bangladeshi students from the Institute of Business Administration at Dhaka University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology.
The winners of an apps developing contest -- Grandmaster -- have got the opportunity to join the programme in China. Banglalink, the second largest mobile operator in Bangladesh, has been running the competition for the last three years.
“During the training, we came to know about the future of the telecommunication industry,” said M Shahriar Khan, a student of Buet.  
Banglalink and Huawei Technologies have organised an 'international youth camp' in China to help create better-equipped manpower in the fields of telecommunication and information technology.
“Overall, the youth camp was the best opportunity for us to increase our knowledge on telecommunication,” Khan said.
Talent is crucial for maintaining growth and development of any industry, Wenchu said.  
The fast growing ICT industry is bringing constant changes to business models and customer requirements, he said.
“As a result, across the ICT ecosystem, there is an urgent need for a large number of technical staff, who can address the challenges of transformation,” he said.    
Huawei created more than 10,000 jobs in Bangladesh during 2006-2013, said Ruhidas Jodder, commercial counsellor at the Bangladesh embassy in China.
“Digital Bangladesh is not a dream now, it has become a reality,” he said.
Omar Ibne Hossain, a Bangladeshi national working as a senior marketing manager of Huawei, suggested Bangladeshi students should know more about the fast growing ICT industry as it will help develop their career.  
ICT in education is an integral part of the socio-economic development of countries around the world, Hossain said.

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