British Telecommunications announced a series of initiatives aimed at doubling its business across growth markets in Turkey, the Middle East and Africa.
The company said that global companies investing in these regions, as well as local companies, would be supported by additional staff, including professional services specialists, as part of these initiatives. BT added that the initiatives build on similar programs in Asia Pacific and Latin America, where orders in the first nine months of this financial year were up over 50%.
According to BT’s research, the addressable market in Turkey, the Middle East and Africa was worth a combined $8.5 billion in 2011. According to an IDC report, BT claims IT spending growth across the regions is expected to top 10% in 2012.
“The Middle East already hosts some of the world’s main business hubs, and is a crucial region for many of our customers. New opportunities are rapidly emerging in the region, and we are now expanding from our thriving base in the United Arab Emirates,” said Jeff Kelly, CEO BT Global Services, in a statement. “Turkey is a key business bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is growing rapidly. Sub-Saharan Africa remains largely a new frontier for ambitious businesses and is currently showing strong growth rates in a number of countries.”
As part of the new program, BT said it plans to hire around 170 new employees across the three regions, including professional services specialists to provide local support to customers and deliver consulting, integration and managed services.
According to the company, network reach and access options are being improved in Sub-Saharan Africa. These include the recently announced international routing facility in South Africa and a new network connection between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Three new network nodes are being launched in the Middle East, while additional network interconnections will be rolled out in Turkey, the company added.
