Intelligent CIO Europe Issue13 | Page 52

COUNTRY FOCUS: NORDIC “ HCL’S FAST-PACED MOMENTUM IN THE NORDICS STRENGTHENS ITS PRESENCE IN EUROPE, WHERE IT EMPLOYS MORE THAN 10,000 PEOPLE AND SERVES OVER 200 EUROPEAN CLIENTS. Mikael Damberg, Minister for Enterprise and Innovation, said: “I am happy to see global tech companies investing and growing in Stockholm and I hope HCL will continue its successful journey in the Nordics. Sweden is ranked as one of the most innovative countries in the world and to stay ahead we need to attract more international companies and talents.” Pankaj Tagra, EVP Nordic and DACH Head, HCL Technologies • Investment in 12 delivery centres in the region which are spearheading new-age research and technology innovation • High-profile industry, partner and client recognitions, including; the Key to the Heart of Gothenburg Award in 2017, for being one of the most important international businesses established in Gothenburg, the IBM Sweden Partner of the Year Award 2017 for the successful shared services and mainframe services partnership, and the SAP Nordic Quality Awards 2018 Gold Winner in the business transformation category, for its support of Vestas’ SAP initiatives • Powering the Volvo Ocean Race in 2017- 2018, providing race village infrastructure across 12 ports globally to deliver high- quality experiences to more than 1.5 billion fans worldwide • Co-hosting and sponsoring Yoga events in Oslo, Stockholm and Gothenburg in celebration of International Yoga Day, in association with the Embassy of India. 52 INTELLIGENTCIO “We are very happy about HCL opening a new office in Stockholm,” said Anna Gissler, CEO of Stockholm Business Region. “HCL has contributed to the local community in many ways, including creating jobs, establishing delivery centres and becoming a part of the community.” Jan Horsager, Research Director, IDC Nordic, added: “I would like to congratulate HCL for establishing a strong presence in the Nordics during the last 10 years. Growth has been significant in the Nordics due to its localisation strategy, investment in employees, client focus and business model. I wish HCL all the best in using its flexible business strategy and infrastructure to get even closer in helping Nordic clients transform digitally.” HCL’s fast-paced momentum in the Nordics strengthens its presence in Europe, where it employs more than 10,000 people and serves over 200 European clients. Also transforming the Nordic region into a major growth engine is Norwegian telecommunications company, Telenor Group, as the company launches the first 5G pilot in Norway. The pilot was launched during the technology and innovation conference, Kongsberg Summit, and is a milestone in Norwegian telecommunications history. “We have been preparing for 5G for a long time and it’s great to finally be able to share the technology with families and businesses in the tech city of Kongsberg. We are looking forward to testing the technology and learning as much as possible together with our new pilot customers,” said Sigve Brekke, President and CEO of Telenor Group. The development of mobile networks is faster than ever, with new generations launching roughly every decade since the introduction of analogue NMT (1G) in 1981. In 2012, Telenor launched 4G followed by 4G+ and according to Speedtest from Ookla, Telenor now has the fastest mobile network in the world. Telenor has kicked off its test of 5G in Kongsberg. www.intelligentcio.com