John Stefanac

John Stefanac oversees Qualcomm’s SEA strategy

Comprised of countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – the Southeast Asia and Pacific region (SEA) features a wide cross-section of markets at very different stages of economic and technological development.

Driving Qualcomm’s strategy across this vast territory is John Stefanac, VP and President, Qualcomm SEA – a native Australian who calls both Singapore and Hong Kong home. “From a wireless technology perspective, the region is the most diverse in the world,” says Stefanac. “You have HSPA+ launched in Australia [see: link to Telstra article],New Zealand and Singapore, and places like Vietnam and Thailand where 3G licenses have been recently or will soon be issued, respectively.”

Of the 550 million people in the region, more than 70 percent (nearly 400 million) are wireless subscribers. About a third of these subscribers are located in Indonesia alone, which represents a tremendous opportunity for the entire 3G ecosystem, according to Stefanac.

Stefanac is excited about new opportunities in the SEA region including the emergence of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and smart services. “M2M technology has remarkable capabilities and we are starting to really capture people’s imaginations with its potential. Why can’t my mobile device be my credit card or perform micro payments? Why isn’t my car communicating to my car dealer’s service personnel? The technology is available. Now we just need to cultivate the industry.”

Going forward, Stefanac says that Qualcomm teams in the SEA and Pacific region will continue to be advocates for 3G licenses and the Company is working closely with governments and operators, providing them with technical advice and resources, to help facilitate their success in introducing and growing 3G services.

Print
Send