Ericsson reaches for client wins prior to MWC

Any client win will do when you’re trying to build positive momentum leading into the annual telecoms jamboree.

With all due respect to Montenegrin operator Crnogorski Telekom and niche Canadian operator Eastlink, their business is unlikely to be a major factor in the long-awaited Ericsson turnaround. But a win’s a win, so Ericsson decided to whack out a couple of press releases anyway on the off chance that a telecoms hack might be so desperate for something to cover on a Monday afternoon that they take the bait.

The significance of the Crnogorski gig is not so much the seismic significance of Montenegro as a market, but a handy proof point of Ericsson’s industrial IoT credentials. That’s because the deal consists of a ten-year energy infrastructure management contract, the first born of Ericsson’s energy-as-a-service collaboration with Panasonic, announced a year ago.

“We are pleased to announce the signing of the Energy Infrastructure Management agreement with Ericsson,” said Valentina Radulovic, Technology Director at Crnogorski Telekom. “This is another sustainable solution which we decided to implement in order to further reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.”

“Energy Infrastructure Management minimizes energy consumption and total cost of ownership while maximizing system resilience and connectivity uptime, which is why we like to think of this offering as ‘energy-functions optimization’,” said Philip Herman, VP of Green Tower Solutions at Panasonic Enterprise Solutions. “We’re combining Panasonic’s expertise in energy solutions with Ericsson’s strength in telecommunications, and the result is networks that are smarter, more efficient and more sustainable. Our batteries’ high energy density, high voltage, lack of memory effect, and flat discharge voltage make for a very stable power supply.”

“Together with Panasonic, we will reduce the cost of energy equipment ownership for targeted Crnogorski Telekom sites by up to 40 percent,” Peter Laurin, Head of Managed Services at Ericsson. “This is primarily a result of Ericsson’s advanced power source selection logic, extended battery life-cycles, and the reduced need for site visits. Our offering is based on an as-a-service business model, which provides Crnogorski Telekom with immediate savings with minimal upfront investment.”

Meanwhile Ericsson also wants us to know that Eastlink, which seems to be a relatively minor player in the Canadian market, has picked it as the lead supplier for its VoLTE and wifi calling efforts.

“Telecom operators are looking for cost-effective solutions to manage the ever-increasing volume of mobile traffic and demand for enhanced services,” said Graham Osborne, Head of Ericsson Canada. “Eastlink is dedicated to delivering the best experience possible to all their customers and this network upgrade will bring immediate improvements and position them well to add future services.”

It will be interesting to see how many more client win stories we get fed ahead of MWC as big vendors try to get some positive narrative momentum going. Ericsson is going to be facing a lot of difficult questions following another disappointing set of quarterly numbers and it will presumably be handy to have a few positive recent anecdotes to draw on.