For the general public, the term “high-speed communication network infrastructure” might be an unfamiliar one. But did you know that all the basic services we use in our daily lives – from the phone to the internet, social network, cable and satellite TV, as well as digital TV which started broadcasting in Thailand earlier this year – are all made available to consumers via a high-speed network infrastructure, no different from the systems used by businesses and organizations. All of us – for business and pleasure – enjoy the security, safety and speed provided by these state-of-the-art network infrastructures to operate businesses and enhance our daily lives.
Mr. Supornchai Chotputtikul, Executive Vice President of Engineering at Symphony Communication, one of Thailand’s premium high-speed network infrastructure providers, said that “The demand for IT consumption in our country continues to rise due to the ever-growing usage of smart devices and the growth of social media. The amount of content that is being created and the fact that the market is opening up for even more competition means demand is rapidly increasing for high-speed network infrastructure and large bandwidth capacity. With users accessing content online and being connected 24/7, we, as a network provider need to deliver the best possible experience for consumers.
“During the past few years, bandwidth demand has doubled every year. Modern-day internet users are growing ever more savvy and have high expectations when it comes to their media consumption. Symphony sees this as a great opportunity to meet the demands of this group of customers by working with our clients who are service providers to deliver the best possible experience for end-consumers.”
Symphony Communication’s customer group consists of large-scale service providers, including mobile phone and internet service providers, for the general public and other enterprises. It provides bandwidth for end-to-end communications for large clients, such as between their headquarters and overseas offices. In addition, Symphony provides services for small and medium enterprises that are looking for enhanced network infrastructure to meet their expanding businesses needs.
Even though there are many players – from very small firms to multinational entities – in the network infrastructure business, Symphony Communication has clearly positioned itself as an “upstream” provider whose solutions can be used in conjunction with and in enhancement of the services of other providers of all sizes. For premium services, Symphony offers a Service Level Agreement guarantee of 99.9%, which means that within the span of one month, a network’s downtime would not exceed 43 minutes. Flexibility of service is also another one of Symphony’s strong points as the company is impartial and avoids conflict of interest by not operating in areas that puts it in competition with its clients. The company also prides itself of being forward-thinking and continually invests in state-of-the-art technology.
The vital factors for Symphony’s trusted and reliable “quality of service” are composes of:
Highly stable network equipment with an advanced protection system and automatic rerouting to ensure smooth operations even in unexpected circumstances
Service-minded personnel who are experts in their field and are able to analyze and solve problems promptly
Internal processes that allow for quick and efficient operations. Any network problem can be traced back to its origin, wherever it may be. Thanks to this, Symphony is able to continuously improve its services and shorten the amount of time it takes to respond to problems
Investments in personnel, process and technology that deliver the best possible network infrastructure
One of the crucial tools that allows Symphony to provide smooth high-speed network services is the NetkaView Network Manager, developed and provided by Netka . The software solution equips Symphony personnel with the ability to monitor a network’s operations and receive real-time alerts via mobile messages and e-mail anytime problems occur. Thanks to the NNM solution, Symphony’s field staff, which are stationed in all five regions of Thailand, are alerted about network issues instantly and are able to respond to problems quickly and efficiently. Pre-set preferences allow for staff members to receive alerts only about their area of responsibility.
Once the personnel have been alerted, the system automatically logs details of the network problems including nature of the issue, date and time, area, equipment and who’s responsible for implementing a solution. The goal is to resolve network problems within four hours after the alert. If the software finds that the problem has a direct effect on the clients, alerts will also be sent to customers that include technical details, solutions and a timeline of when the issue is expected to be resolved. Alternatively, if the problem does not affect the clients, Symphony’s technicians will analyze the root cause and solve the problem internally as soon as possible.
“Currently our networks operate on equipment from three to four different makers, and each piece of equipment is connected using the NetkaView Network Manager,” Mr. Supornchai said. “When a problem occurs within the network, an automatic alert is sent to our staff at the National Operation Center, so that they can keep abreast of the situation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When the monitor displays any problems, the analytics are then sent to related authorities in the region where the problem originates.”
NetkaView Network Manager provides a faster, more accurate and efficient way of monitoring and solving critical problems. In developing the solution, Netka worked closely with the makers of the network hardware used by Symphony to ensure the software would operate properly with all of the equipment and was not restricted by the different technology platforms or network equipment models.
In addition, the software allows for network operators to recall all data to be used as an analytical tool to improve network capacity and quality of service. This further helps Symphony achieve its goal of offering quality networks and excellent service.
Currently, Symphony provides high-speed network infrastructure for no less than 6,000 enterprises across the five regions of Thailand. The infrastructure also extends beyond the Thai borders into neighboring countries including Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar. This aids in meeting customer demand for international network communication and increased bandwidth levels in these countries, especially in preparation for the ASEAN Economic Community, which comes into full effect in 2015.
Symphony’s top three customer groups are high-speed internet providers for enterprises, telecommunications companies including mobile phone operators, and multinational organizations that require international private leased circuits. The latter group has the greatest growth potential as demand for high-speed data transmission is expected to steadily rise. Last year saw high growth for this group, and within the next one to two years it is expected to become Symphony’s second largest revenue generator.
The broadcast industry is another important growth target. The recent birth of digital TV in Thailand should result in rising demand for higher bandwidth by satellite and cable TV operators, many of whom are already Symphony’s customers. The shift to high-definition broadcasting along with content consumption via smart devices and IPTV will also mean higher demand for quality network infrastructure.
Symphony forecasts its 2014 revenue to rise 30% year on year. In 2013, the company’s gross revenue was 1,013 million baht as per its filing with the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Credit by E-Enterprice No.307 ,September 2014
