MTN’s mobile applications (apps) offer solutions for working, learning, living and having fun. We launched our mobile apps store for cellular, tablet and other mobile devices in 2011 and challenged developers to create innovative apps inspired by Africa and the Middle East.

Their creations can deal with any facet of life, from solving some of the regions' most pressing challenges to lifestyle and entertainment and social networking. Given our footprint across these regions, we believe we will play an invaluable role in the apps ecosystem in these regions and provide a much-needed distribution channel for the regions’ developer community. We are creating a platform that will be made available to the operations to guide local developers on the creation of new applications. This will improve interaction between an operation and the developers, and more relevant and applicable applications will be developed to add value in 2012.

Communication uses the cellular technology to link remotely located or moving devices, providing data on which to make informed business decisions. 2011 was the year MTN increased its complement of telemetry and smart solutions. In addition to MTN Fleet Monitoring and MTN Mobility smart electricity metering solutions (which also help reduce fuel, transport and energy costs and carbon emissions), we now offer air quality and water monitoring solutions. A sensor or automated reader monitors air quality levels, detecting any abnormalities. An SMS and email alarm is sent through a network (wired or wireless) to an application that translates this into meaningful information for industries, and municipal and other authorities. This helps to reduce response times, damage or loss to assets, related productivity and revenue losses, pre-empting evacuations and equipment failure, preventing downtime and enabling easier compliance with air quality legislation. This solution is already in use by an MTN mining sector client.

MTN Water Monitoring is a solution that monitors business’ water usage. Using a water meter’s standard pulse outputs, real-time reporting on flow rates helps users develop patterns of consumption. Any variations (for example, leakages causing increased water use, or dam water levels exceeding pre-set limits) trigger alarms with escalation via SMS and email, helping address problems and reducing water wastage.

Cloud computing was ranked second in Gartner’s list of top ten technology priorities for 2010 (in 2009 it was in 16th place). Within the ICT industry, 2012 is considered as the year of the cloud going main stream. Cloud computing is a solution to outsourcing technology via the use of the internet. This has proved to reduce operational costs to all businesses, from SMEs to multinationals, by positively impacting companies’ IT performance and effectiveness.

MTN Business’ R80 million infrastructure systems and expansion upgrade is one of the largest in the southern hemisphere, and will ensure that our customers can take full advantage of innovations such as cloud computing, server virtualisation and converged ICT solutions. MTN Business aims to make its Gallo Manor, Johannesburg data centre the main hosting and cloud services site nationally; it already hosts 30% of national internet content. The centre is built according to Uptime Institute Telecommunications Industry Association Standard 942. It serves as a technological ‘launch pad’ for our value-added services to ensure customers can scale their business technology innovation as necessary—all while benefiting from improved cost efficiencies, greener functionality and unsurpassed service and maintenance excellence. In Kenya, MTN offers cloud-based data backup services as a solution to frequent power cuts nationally.

Learn more about MTN Business’ Cloud Computing solution here

Our Enterprise Digital Assistant enables corporate and industrial customers to improve energy efficiency (other benefits include reliability of their business processes). MTN Fleet management is an application that allows companies to do real-time vehicle tracking, monitor fuel cap and ignition access, and lock down vehicles. Smart Office Management allows clients to track work flows of mobile workers, while Mobile Surveys automate data collection for survey efficiency. Uni-presence eliminates the need for desk phones for office-bound employees.