– The creation of new products and services now serves as the main driver of the development of technology companies. MTS is actively developing its B2B direction, that is, services for businesses in the field of digital solutions. What problems can a business solve using MTS IT products?
— Today MTS helps businesses solve many problems. In addition to high-quality mobile and landline communications and the Internet, the B2B ecosystem also provides Russian companies with modern services for business automation and digitalization. The company provides cybersecurity solutions (MTS RED), meeting hosting services, and online training services to businesses. MTS Link helps build private networks (Private LTE) and Push-to-Talk group radio communication systems for major industries.
The MTS Exolve platform allows you to establish a full cycle of communication with the client.
Additionally, MTS offers reliable cloud solutions for the creation and development of digital products. The cloud business segment of the ecosystem includes both its own provider CloudMTS and one of the major Russian providers IT-GRAD, as well as various data centers and the 1cloud.ru platform. In November 2023, our own cloud provider received GOST for secure placement in the cloud of information systems of banks and fintech companies containing financial transaction data. This means that the CloudMTS infrastructure has been tested for compliance with the information security requirements necessary to work with banking data, and now MTS cloud solutions will be made available to the banking industry.
— Which services of the MTS ecosystem are most in demand among businesses? Are the needs of small and medium-sized businesses different from the needs of large companies, or do everyone have common interests in terms of digitalization?
— Of course, the needs of small businesses differ from the solutions needed by companies in a large sector of the economy. You can give examples from the field of security and video surveillance; Last year, we opened our own center to provide these services.
Therefore, the greatest demand in small businesses is the equipment itself, that is, cameras and solutions for storing data from cameras in the cloud. For large companies, what is important is not the ability to shoot films, but video analysis, that is, intelligent video surveillance.
Smart video cameras can monitor the production line, count and classify objects on the belt, and detect defects.
You can also track objects on the site with the help of smart video surveillance and monitor compliance with the rules and regulations regarding the storage and transportation of objects on the site.
However, there are solutions that can become universal for both large companies and small businesses. A good example in this direction is the MTS Exolve platform, which we launched at the beginning of the year. This is a constructor for creating communication services; It allows businesses to develop their own applications to communicate with customers, providing seamless integration into existing IT systems and effective management of multi-channel communications. Both a large company and a small business will be able to choose a suitable set of solutions.
— Restriction on the use of foreign-made IT systems has become a serious challenge for Russian business. In what areas can MTS provide full-fledged import substitution and how is this achieved in practice?
— In the MTS B2B ecosystem there are a number of products that actively occupy the niches of departed foreign sellers. For example, the company MTS Link (formerly Webinar) offers various services for video conferencing (VCS). This is a service for online meetings and conferences, a platform for online training and webinars, a solution for creating online courses and organizing training, a service for hybrid and online events. An interactive online whiteboard and enterprise messaging tool for collaboration is also in testing. In the near future, the products will be available for commercial use and MTS Link will be able to completely replace the departed Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
– In addition to software, MTS also engages in import substitution in the field of hardware – equipment and components. What needs of the Russian business community does the company meet in this field?
— We start from customer requests and use the talents of our many partners and suppliers to solve the problems they identify. That’s why our product range includes phones, tablets and laptops, as well as servers, networking equipment and much more. We have also been developing the Telecom as a Service aspect for the last few years. And within the framework of this approach, we also develop solutions with customer-specific equipment.
For example, for one of our customers, together with our partners, we developed a shockproof laptop to communicate with field engineers at a quarry or other facility who needed the ability to sign work orders and delivery notes remotely. The laptop has a SIM card and MTS software. The laptop itself, operating system and office applications are connected products.
— Which B2B projects from MTS solved the biggest problems?
— There may be many interesting examples here. One of these is our private network implementation (pLTE) for one of the world’s largest metal companies. MTS started the project in 2021; We have established a special data transmission network in the Sheregeshskaya mine works to implement the digital transformation program, which in the first stage includes the creation of a voice radio communication system, video broadcasting, emergency notification, dispatch, positioning. and autonomous control of mining equipment – loading and unloading machines and mining locomotives. The mine-level network was seamlessly integrated with the mine’s existing communications systems and IT infrastructure.
Our solution helped improve the organization of production processes and enable more efficient interaction between various services.
But most importantly, the establishment of a local network made it possible to increase the level of safety of people working in mines, which significantly reduced the risk of emergency situations.
— What technologies developed at MTS serve as a driving force in the development of the B2B direction?
— MTS B2B works with various companies, including in the industrial field. We have our own developments in the field of geoservices, such as “Mobile Workers” and LocationPro. Both solutions are characterized by high geolocation accuracy. “Mobile Workers” is a product largely focused on the HoReCa sector; It helps organize the management of traveling employees and is very suitable for organizing delivery. LocationPro helps solve problems in geodesy and precision agriculture, as well as in the transportation industry, as it makes it possible to determine the route of a vehicle as accurately as possible.
— What awaits the B2B segment in the next two to five years? How will approaches and trends change, what will come to the fore?
— The trend towards a customer-focused approach in B2B will continue in the coming years. Companies try to make customers a priority in every sense, because without them it is impossible to do business. Therefore, all processes will be restructured to focus as much as possible on the needs of the end user of the product.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence will become an integral part of B2B. These technologies already help companies analyze large amounts of data, predict customer behavior and optimize pricing strategies. AI-driven chatbots will increasingly be implemented in B2B services to serve customers and provide them with 24-hour support.
Hyper-personalization is another trend that is slowly shifting from B2C to B2B.
In the next two to five years, customer experience personalization will reach new heights. Companies will use advanced data analytics to gain deeper insight into their customers as well as their customers’ customers. All this will enable us to better meet the individual needs of our customers.
Looking ahead, augmented reality (AR) could be a breakthrough for B2B. AR will change the way B2B companies showcase and sell their products and services. Customers will be able to use AR apps to “place” products in their environment and see how they work before making a purchasing decision. This is especially valuable for complex B2B products where visualization and personalization are critical. AR will also be used for training and equipment maintenance, increasing efficiency and effectiveness.
Another step that the B2B segment will take into the future will be smart business assistants for business purposes only, such as Siri. They will be able to carry out operational activities such as printing required documents by voice command or paying invoices, and they will also be able to create business development models and offer new products by collaborating with artificial intelligence.
— What are MTS’s current plans for the development of B2B?
— As MTS, we are trying to look for new ways to maintain the high development of the company in general and B2B in particular. We are always looking for opportunities to expand our product range, and 2023 was no exception: the MTS Link subsidiary acquired a service for creating online dashboards for collaborative remote working Jespo, we also acquired the company SKAI, which develops IT solutions for large fleets. The reformatted work with geoservices merged 100% of the Green Point Group of Companies. We plan to continue improving our IT services and customer service in 2024. Our immediate plans include updating the online storefront of B2B products, which will help businesses find the most suitable solutions more easily.