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10 Questions

with Muriel Anton
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May 21st, 2008 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Muriel Anton says mobile phones are bound to become a primary internet gateway.
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THE ANTON FILE



Job title: CEO, Vodafone Czech Republic
Age: 46
Nationality: Canadian
Previous position: CFO, Vodafone CZ
Education: B.Com. and M.A. in economics, University of Alberta, Canada
This June, Muriel Anton will succeed Grahame Maher as the chief executive of the mobile phone operator Vodafone Czech Republic, which began its life as Oskar Mobil before being acquired by the telecom giant in 2005. Vodafone is the third-largest operator on the market, trailing Telefónica O2 and T-Mobile. Anton talks to The Prague Post about the convergence between mobile and fixed-line operators and regulation of roaming fees.
? You’re soon taking over the reins at Vodafone. What are your objectives in leading the company?
We have just recently started to fulfill our new strategies, which I took part in developing: increasing our business market share, implementing mobile advertising, bringing more Internet access into mobile devices and being the most desirable brand and best employer in the Czech Republic. My primary goal is to ensure that we keep fulfilling all of these objectives and keep breaking any useless rules for our customers.
? Your corporate marketing head said earlier this year that Vodafone would like to raise its share of the business market with an acquisition or venture with an alternative fixed-line operator. Is that still the case and why?
We’re seeing a continued convergence of fixed lines and mobile devices. Our goal is to provide business customers with the right solutions for what they need to run their business. This can mean providing them with fixed/mobile converged services based on our current Vodafone OneNet solution, which offers complete telecom services in one bundle. We want to grow this segment and will continue to look at the best ways to do this, which could include partnerships or acquisitions.
? Maher has called on your rival mobile operators, Telefónica O2 and T-Mobile, to stop their use of multiyear customer contracts. Why should such contracts be abolished?
We didn’t expect T-Mobile and O2 to follow us in this no-contracts attitude, but we wanted to draw public attention to the fact that long-term contracts take away customers’ freedom of choice. Customers will stay with us because they want to and not because they have to. It is necessary to draw attention to such useless barriers on the market. And it will pay off — just look what is happening with banking fees.
? What do you consider to be the next big technology advance in the mobile phone market?
Vodafone is primarily focused on providing services and products that are relevant to our customers. We look first at innovative ways of leveraging the technology that is already available. Take mobile Internet for instance. Most customers around the world still use it mainly for e-mail or WAP [wireless access protocol] portal content. However, we have already started using this technology for mobile advertising and for converged solutions for our business customers. For us, it’s about making the best, most efficient and cost-effective use of technology to provide customers with what they want.
? Has the introduction of Apple’s iPhone, which Vodafone will offer in the Czech Republic later this year, shaken up the mobile phone market?
It’s definitely highlighted to people what Vodafone views as one of its key strategies: The mobile device will increasingly become the way of accessing the Internet, and the mobility aspect provides real value to customers. Making the complex simple is also something we believe in, and something that the iPhone has done for the market.
However, it still is a rather high-end device whereas our strategy is to bring value-added services — like music, Internet, e-mail, instant messaging — to as many customers as possible. We have already launched a couple of exciting services with Seznam and ICQ and, together with our partners, will soon be providing other new services as well.
? What is Vodafone’s response to the government’s proposed bill that will require all mobile phone operators to store data on all calls registered?
Our focus has always been on doing what’s right for the customer, so we support protecting the privacy and security of our customer’s mobile calls. We, of course, recognize the need for the government to protect the security of the country so we will work with the authorities, if the bill gets passed, to ensure the best outcome for customers while delivering the requirements of the law. We also would want to work with the government to ensure that the high costs for this storage and access do not get passed on to the operators and customers.
? Switching to a broader regulatory body, since last summer the European Union has imposed caps on mobile roaming fees in its member states. How has that gone?
We have been seeing increased awareness and usage of roaming in our customer base ever since Oskar became part of Vodafone. This was well before the EU directive on roaming caps. We have always been focused on providing value and simplicity to customers when it comes to roaming and we support continuing to do that in a competitive market context. We don’t see the need for EU regulation in that regard. For example, we introduced Vodafone Passport in the spring of last year, months before the caps were required by the EU, and we’ve seen substantially higher usage by our customers as a result.
? Are people still learning the etiquette of the mobile phone, when it’s proper to talk or text and when it is not?
Mobile phones have been commonplace for many years here. We reached 100 percent mobile penetration in 2005. As in all situations, common sense, courtesy and concern for others will determine the proper etiquette. For example, you often see people turning their phone off or putting it on silent mode when they enter movie theaters. But, of course, sometimes this is prompted by an announcement before the movie begins.
? Last year, you introduced the Vodafone 225, a low-cost handset that Vodafone developed directly with a Chinese manufacturer, skipping the traditional powers like Nokia. Are people buying it?
The launch was extremely successful. Indirect sales channels like Tesco, where we introduced the 225, are now a significant contributor to our sales and enabled us to reach the highest sales in our history last year. We are the only operator in the Czech Republic to offer its own handsets and we plan to continue to do so and further expand our portfolio of such handsets to include those with value-added functions like a camera or an MP3 player.
? As a Canadian, what first brought you to the Czech Republic and do you have any plans to settle here?
I first came to the Czech Republic in January 2000 to help launch Oskar. Originally I planned to stay for only one year and return to Canada, where I had taken a one-year leave of absence from my Canadian employer. But the Czech Republic is home for me now and has been for many years. My two sisters, their families and my dad still live in Canada, so I expect some day to return there … but I also said that eight years ago!
Want your manager to answer our 10 Questions? Contact Paul Voosen at pvoosen@praguepost.com


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