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...term, such self-improvement courses may not make or break a technology career. "No matter where you're working in the IT industry, in three to four years' time, everyone reaches a uniform level of sensitivity and an ability to communicate," says C. Mahalingam, chief people officer at training firm Symphony Services. But the basic principles the classes teach can help many get their foot in the door. "Everyone picks up these skills along the way," says Gerald Santiago, a Dale Carnegie student from Bangalore. "If you want to join the ranks, you must learn these...
...design mix is a good metaphor for Telenor's successful business strategy. At its core, the firm is undeniably Norwegian. It's the leading fixed-line and cell-phone operator in the country where it started more than 150 years ago; the government is still the largest shareholder. But Telenor's influence extends well beyond the borders of Norway, a country of less than 5 million people. It's a big player in the telecom markets in Sweden and Denmark, and has quietly built up cell-phone operations in five Central and East European countries. More surprising, though, Telenor...
Elsewhere, Telenor's prospects appear even brighter. Subscriber numbers at Grameenphone swelled by 53% last year to 16.5 million, giving the firm half the market. In Pakistan, Telenor's user numbers more than doubled. (Back in Norway, the customer base grew by just 5%.) Yet fewer than 50% of Pakistanis own a cell phone; in Bangladesh, the rate is even lower...
...rough-and-tumble of emerging market politics can pose risks for firms like Telenor. Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh have all experienced political turmoil in recent years, but that has posed less trouble than unexpected tax increases. Operators were forced to subsidize a 2005 levy imposed on the sale of SIM cards in Bangladesh, for instance. And in Grameenphone's case, work with its local partner hasn't always been straightforward for Telenor. The Norwegian firm owns 62% of Grameenphone, with Grameen Telecom - part of the bank founded by Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus - owning the rest. Yunus claims...
...threat." That perception could ease Telenor's way into a fresh round of expansion in Asia. "We have a lot to offer in markets where Telenor is not present for the time being," says Baksaas, with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines all on watch. Back at the firm's Oslo headquarters, meeting rooms could get even more eclectic...