As telecom networks become more complex in their design and operation, partnering with a knowledgeable and capable managed services partner offers numerous advantages. As service providers in the Middle East move to launch LTE commercially, Alcatel-Lucent’s Nazih Lebbos explains the benefits of managed services in such an environment, and identifies where Alcatel-Lucent is gaining significant traction

Nazih Lebbos is Alcatel-Lucent’s Director, Services Business Development for Middle East and Africa

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Research In Motion (RIM) has confirmed the resignation of its global head of sales, Patrick Spence, the latest in a series of high-profile executives to leave the BlackBerry manufacturer.

A RIM spokesperson said that Spence was leaving to take on a “leadership position in a different industry” when he steps down on June 15.

“The sales function will report directly into Kristian Tear, our newly appointed [COO] when he starts this summer. In the interim, the sales function will report to [CEO] Thorsten Heins,” said the spokesperson.

Spence’s resignation may have been due to him being passed over for the chief operating officer role in favour of Tear.

London-based Spence is a 14-year RIM veteran and was considered a rising star at the firm, promoted to the global sales role in July after previously serving as managing director for the EMEA region.

Qualcomm has sold a 49 per cent stake in its Indian broadband wireless licences holding company to Bharti Airtel for approximately US$165 million. The intention is that Bharti Airtel will take full ownership of the licences by the end of 2014.

Qualcomm paid just over US$1 billion for the concessions in the auctions of 2010, but has struggled to finalise their handover from the government, with final approval only being granted earlier this year. The company said at the time of bidding for the licences that it would roll out a 4G network then sell the company.

Due to foreign investment rules, Qualcomm owns a 74 per cent stake in the Indian venture, with the remaining 26 per cent owned by Global Holding Corp and Tulip Telecom.

Under the agreement, Bharti is buying the 26 per cent stake held by Global Holding and Tulip Telecom, and the balance by way of subscription of fresh equity in those entities.

Qualcomm’s licences cover Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Kerala, while Bharti has BWA licences in four circles – Kolkata, Karnataka, Punjab and Maharashtra – and 3G licenses in thirteen circles in India.

With this agreement, Bharti has secured a near nation-wide broadband capability in 18 circles.

Qualcomm expects to provide technical assistance to Bharti in connection with network architecture and optimisation, infrastructure and device testing, as well as continuing to develop and support the underlying technology and the LTE TDD ecosystem.

Vodafone Group has reported a slight rise in its full-year revenues which rose by 1.2 per cent to GBP46.4 billion (US$73.4 billion), while net profit fell by 11 per cent to GBP7 billion.

EBITDA was down 1.3 per cent at GBP14.5 billion; EBITDA margin 31.2 per cent, down 0.8 percentage points (0.6 percentage points before restructuring costs).

Operating profit fell by 2.4 per cent to GBP11.53 billion, with the decline in adjusted operating profit due to the sale of the company’s 44 per cent stake in the French mobile network, SFR.

For the year ahead, adjusted operating profit is expected to be in the range of GBP11.1 billion to GBP11.9 billion, reflecting the weaker euro offset by continued profit growth from Verizon Wireless.

The telco ended the period with a total of 404.7 million subscribers, up 33.81 million users, or 8.4 per cent. Inclusive of Vodafone’s stake in Verizon Wireless, its total subscriber base stood at 446.5 million at the end of March 2012, up from 410.7 a year earlier.

Vittorio Colao, Group CEO, commented: "Our focus on the key growth areas of data, emerging markets and enterprise is positioning us well in a difficult macroeconomic environment. Our commercial performance and our ability to leverage scale continue to be strong, enabling us to gain or hold market share in most of our key markets, and reduce the rate of margin decline."

China Telecom has launched its previously announced MVNO network in the UK, running over the Everything Everywhere network.

The CTExcelbiz MVNO has been enabled by Transatel and is the first Chinese telecom operator to launch MVNO services outside China.

CTExcelbiz is a tailored prepay service aimed at the UK’s Chinese population.