Seychelles' own local global provider forges new path to success

Usman Saadat, Chief Executive Officer of Cable & Wireless Seychelles, explains how the company continues to be an integral part of local economy and society while transforming its operations to reach new heights.

A Rich Local History…
The hopes, challenges, and opportunities of Seychelles economy and its people are intertwined with those of Cable & Wireless (C&W). The country's largest and most successful communications company today, with revenues of over SR200m and over 250 employees, has come a long way since 1893.

That's over 112 years! Certainly a momentous achievement in itself and one that carries with it an enormous amount of pride. Who in 1893, when the first telegraph cable was laid linking Zanzibar, the Seychelles and Mauritius, could have foreseen that this "little island company" would not only stand the test of time, but also evolve and expand to consistently deliver communication services of the highest quality for more than a century!

Over this period, Seychelles' history is dotted with the landmark achievements of C&W. From its introduction of the first automatic telephone exchange (1954) and telephone link by High Frequency (1967) to the digitalisation and the modernization of its cable network (1980s onwards), C&W has, time and time again, ensured that communication services throughout the islands were, and remain, among the best and most modern in the Indian Ocean Region.

…and an established international heritage gives you best of both worlds
C&W is a leading international telecommunications company with customers in 80 countries. It has constantly reinvented itself to embrace the latest technological advances to serve its customers' needs.

C&W provides integrated conventional and IP (Internet Protocol) voice and data services to business and residential customers, and services to telecoms carriers, mobile operators and providers of content, applications and internet services.

More and more of the world's leading companies choose C&W to transform their communications and computing infrastructures.

Here are the reasons:

• A strong reputation - A FTSE-100 company, we have a proven track record in delivering voice, data and IP solutions to businesses.
• A world-class customer base - Over two-thirds of companies in the Fortune 500 use C&W.
• Advanced solutions - Our industry-leading voice, data and IP solutions are delivered to customers in 80 countries, and are underpinned by our extensive international networks.
• World-class performance - Network World recently ranked C&W as having a top performing ISP network backbone delivering 'picture-perfect availability' with zero downtime and perfect uptime.
• A service culture - Our most important assets are our customers. We strive for excellence by listening to your needs.

Customer service excellence at heart of Company Values
The C&W of today is tough, value driven and highly customer focused. In an environment where most companies would be content to settle for second best, C&W has no such intention. In fact, the Company through its people has devoted itself to doing what it takes to exceed the needs of its customers!

When it recently launched its Customer Charter, which has been well received by customers, C&W was the first to do so…not just in the communications industry, but in all service sectors. The Charter itself reflects C&W' corporate values, effort and commitment in providing customers with the highest possible standard of service for fault restoration, installation works, query resolution and operator services

Partner Tourism Sector
Tourism is the most critical sector of the economy and C&W is no different to the rest of the business community in its effort to support and grow tourism. C&W's extensive international roaming services on GSM, wide network of public payphones and communication facilities at the hotels ensure that our valued tourists can choose to communicate in a manner that suits them best.

In fact, C&W is working hard behind the scenes to ensure that those sectors that interact directly with tourists are working efficiently. We are providing modern and reliable services across the tourism industry and we are delighted that:

• All tour operators
• All airlines
• Mahe & Praslin Airports
• Outer islands; and
• Over 95% of all hotels in the country

are satisfied C&W customers.

Investment and economic contributions
Throughout the years, C&W has maintained a heavy investment programme to ensure the development of its networks and products. During 1995 alone, the Company re-invested SR50 million in technology advancements - fibre optics, cellular GSM systems, four new satellite switches in high population density areas and advanced customer equipment.

As recently as 2005, C&W once again took the initiative to announce a further SR35 million investment into the purchasing of a brand new state-of-the-art GSM/GPRS (2.5G) mobile network to make mobile communications in Seychelles easier and more advanced than ever before! By mid 2006, individuals and businesses alike will reap the benefits of this massive investment through value-added services including MMS (Multi Media Messaging), WAP (mobile Internet Browsing) and GPRS data services, whilst prepaid enhancements will allow for more functionality for all users.

In addition, the financial strength of C&W is a key contributor to the economy through various taxes and licence fees as well as wages and salaries. For every SR1 C&W collects from the customer, 42 cents goes back to Government (e.g. business tax, GST, licence fee, trades tax, SSF) and 18 cents are used for salaries and wages; the rest is made up of operating costs, capital expenditures and profits.

Of course, the foreign exchange challenges places a strain on managing the business that C&W does not face in any of its other international operations. Although its UK shareholders have been starved on any dividends and repatriation of profits since 1990, there is on-going commitment to the country and its people.

Strategy to grow Internet
Today, Internet provides an opportunity for growth as well as contributing towards wider social development objectives (e.g. bridging the digital divide). C&W has been looking to be part of this opportunity for many years and the company made history on the 31st of December 2005 when it purchased Atlas (Seychelles) Ltd - the leading Internet Service Provider in the islands.

In fact, this was the first acquisition of its kind in Seychelles and has set C&W even further apart from the rest of the field by creating a stronger player with scale to achieve success in an increasingly competitive market. Now armed with the ability, through Atlas, to offer enhanced dial up, broadband and wireless Internet solutions, this SR19 million investment is a further step towards offering customers in Seychelles a full range of services backed by the local & international expertise of C&W. This in itself not only demonstrates the Company's commitment to the Seychelles, but is also destined to assist with the wider social development objectives of the country through a forecasted increase in the take-up of Internet services!

Social Vision
C&W is an active partner in the social development of the country! For over 100 years, millions of rupees have been donated to many worthy causes, from sponsorships of educational, environmental, health and cultural programmes that have benefited the community at large. March 2005 saw the Company, once again, set precedence with the launch of the Cable & Wireless Seychelles Foundation - a fund from which support and assistance is being provided to specific areas on a yearly basis. Working under the slogan, "A helping hand for a stronger community", and positioned as an extra to its normal sponsorship and donation activities, the Foundation aims to establish and build partnerships with local charitable and community organisations focusing on groups with "special needs". Already, significantly large donations have been made to groups of youth with such needs, including children from the School of the Exceptional Child, Foyer de Nazareth, St. Elizabeth Convent, and the President's Village to name a few.

Putting the pieces together
And so the success story of Cable & Wireless continues as the Company makes inroads into the new millennium. Superior service delivery, highest quality products and services, unparalleled experience and the ability to re-invent itself to embrace the latest technological advances to serve its customers' needs, has kept the Company two steps ahead of the game. With its ongoing investments in the Seychelles, coupled with a strong belief in itself and in its people, C&W strives forward in its quest to continue to connect consumers to the people and information that matter most to them.