Comm. Smart Cities and IoT supplement Smart Cities and IoT | Página 3

Welcome Note

Dear Reader,

I

t is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural issue
of Comm.’s Smart Cities and the Internet of Things (IoT)
supplement. It is a timely release for such a publication given the
interest and growth of this area both regionally and globally.
Analysts from various parts of the world have forecast the
significant gains that are set to be made from the uptake of
machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, with industry projections
predicting billions of connected devices in the years to come.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia specifically, the development of
fixed and mobile infrastructures has started to provide seamless
connectivity for service providers, supporting the growth of the IoT
ecosystem. Security and monitoring, smart grid, and smart traffic
are some of the emerging applications that are expected to become
more prevalent in the Kingdom imminently.
At STC Group, we are proud to be at the forefront of this emerging
technological landscape, and at GITEX in Dubai last year we
announced the launch of STC Solutions, a new initiative that forms
part of the company’s ongoing commitment to transform itself into
a leading regional ICT player.
STC values the importance of providing integrated, advanced
information communications technology (ICT) and services to
meet its customers’ requirements, and we expect STC Solutions to
accelerate our enterprise segment growth strategy by providing a
wide range of services beyond the traditional telco offerings, among
them M2M.
We are well aware that the telco industry is changing rapidly,
and as the leading service provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

These are exciting times for
all stakeholders in the ICT value
chain, traditional as well as new,
and opportunities abound for
the creation of significant value
for all participants should they
apply themselves
we believe it is imperative for us to embrace these changes and be
forward-looking in our approach to technology. These are exciting
times for all stakeholders in the ICT value chain, traditional as well as
new, and opportunities abound for the creation of significant value
for all participants should they apply themselves.
Thus, I look forward to the growth and development of this
supplement and the exchanging of ideas and knowledge
surrounding smart cities and the Internet of Things that it shall
facilitate. I am confident the journey ahead shall be both rewarding
and exciting.

Yours sincerely,

Khaled H. Biyari
STC Group CEO

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