Telecom CEO of the Year | Napoleon Nazareno, Smart Communications |
| Last year's winner: | Sung Min Ha, SK Telecom |
| Most Innovative Partnership | Smart Communications and Land Bank |
| Last year's winner: | SK Telecom |
| Most Advanced Approach to Customer Experience | Smart Communications |
| Last year's winner: | N/A |
| Major shareholder: | PLDT |
| Business segments: | Consumer mobile, broadband, satellite, enterprise, mobile payments |
| Key stats (end of 2014): | Consolidated wireless revenues (PLDT): Php119 billion, flat y-o-y; consolidated wireless net income (PLDT): Php21.9 billion, flat y-o-y; 67 million subscribers (Smart) |
The fact that Smart Communications racked up nominations in seven categories in our 2015 Telecom Asia Awards is a testament to the fact that it’s been a busy and productive year for the company. The fact that it won three of those seven awards is further testament that all that productivity is paying off.
Little wonder Smart chief Napoleon Nazareno edged out a competitive field to collect the Telecom CEO of the Year trophy. He’s won this category before (in 2012), and he won it this year for leading the challenging transition of both Smart and its parent company PLDT from a traditional telecoms group to a “multimedia communications group” offering Filipinos a growing range of digital services.
According to Smart, a significant part of that transition is reflected in its “Smart Stores” that earned it the Most Advanced Approach to Customer Experience award.
“Under the Smart Life initiative, our retail hubs became spaces that encourage a more personal interaction between customers and our lifestyle solutions consultants. We think we won because we treat customers as partners and enable them to enjoy their passions fully.”
Smart has also developed a savvy partnership strategy as part of that transformation, which is why it also took home the award for Most Innovative Partnership for its work with Land Bank for innovative mobile money solutions and affordable financial services, which gained notable commercial traction in a short timeframe.
Eight months after its launch, according to Smart, the service has processed and disbursed loans totaling more than Php2.2 billion (approximately $50 million), covering over 16,000 borrowers in the government sector. By July this year, this service will be expanded to cover private sector employees as well.
So yes, overall it’s been a good year for Smart.
The operator will spend the next year making “significant network investments” to support the anticipated growth in data traffic. That will mean more converged product offerings that include mobile, fixed line, data, and multimedia content. Smart says it is also developing new businesses that will provide additional revenue streams beyond pure telco access.
Meanwhile, Smart will be working with e-commerce platform Rocket Internet to export the Smart Money platform to emerging markets beyond the Philippines, with launches scheduled for four Asian countries within the year.
Also, Smart is in talks with global financial service providers for possible tie-ups involving another in-house-developed service that enables people to protect credit cards or bank accounts from fraud by using their mobile phone to lock and unlock accounts.
Judges’ comment
Telecom CEO of the Year - “Mr Nazareno navigated a tough year in the face of serious competition both from telcos and OTT players, responding with characteristic innovation aimed at transforming the company from plain old access to a converged, digital communications business.”
Most Innovative Partnership - “These two companies successfully partnered to deliver innovative mobile money solutions and bring affordable financial services to underserved and marginalized customers, as well as fast cash for survivors of Typhoon Haiyan.”
Most Advanced Approach to Customer Experience - “Smart’s initiative to transform its retail hubs recorded an increase in overall customer satisfaction, and activations of broadband postpaid accounts that were 71% higher than the previous year’s activation figures.”
VIDEO: TELECOM ASIA AWARDS 2015 CEREMONY
Telecom Asia Awards 2015 Winners:
- Asia Carrier of the Year - Telstra
- Telecom CEO of the Year- Napoleon Nazareno, Smart Communications
- Best Mobile Carrier- Telstra
- Best Broadband Carrier- PCCW-HKT
- Best Emerging Market Operator - Globe Telecom
- Best Mobile Payment Service - Indosat, Dompetku (partnership with WorldRemit)
- Best Community Telecom Project - Ooredoo Myanmar, Maymay
- Most Innovative Telecom Project - SK Telecom, commercial tri-band LTE-Advanced service
- Best Cloud-Based Service - NTT Communications
- Most Innovative Partnership - Smart Communications, Land Bank
- Most Advanced Approach to Customer Experience - Smart Communications
- Most Advanced Approach to Analytics - Singtel, video-analytics-as-a-service (VAaaS)
- Most Innovative Video Service Project- KT, Olleh TV Mobile
- Best Managed Services Provider - BT Global Services
- Best International Wholesale Carrier- NTT Communications
- Best Data Center Services Provider - NTT Communications