21712 - SCTE Broadband Nov2022 COMPLETE v1

30 Vol. 44 No. 4 - November 2022 Issue Alex: Yes it is. What IQgeo and GE are already doing is not uncommon, but to do what we are doing - equivalent of CAD manufacturing is relatively uncommon. Other vendors exist but it’s not the number one method. Leading edge no, at the front, yes. Alex, I really am impressed by the level of upskilling taking place, the opportunities around what you do and the pay scales on offer. Is what you’re offering going to be extended beyond the East of England? Our business plan is to focus on the East of England region and become the regional player. There is quite a lot to go at here. There are others who have different business models - but the one size fits all doesn’t work everywhere we find. Are we restructuring our talent pool to this region? No. Our talent pool is based all over the UK - Warwickshire, London, East Yorks…. In fact we even have a team overseas in Spain now. Our technology enables remote working very well. Colin, GE is an enormous company involved in many sectors beyond the fibre roll out. How much of a focus is GE placing on this and is this an initiative the company is expanding worldwide? Colin: GE Digital has a clear focus on all of our customers, who determine our success. We’ve been working with global telecommunication organisations for well over 20 years – in this time we have supported their needs in an ever-evolving market. The GE Digital Smallworld PNI solution is widely perceived as the industry leader in Inventory Management supporting the full end-to-end process (Plan/Design/Build/ Operate). Our team is really proud of this status and our commitment to customers – we work closely with all our customers to ensure that our Roadmap is in line with their evolution – we also schedule regular conferences/seminars where we bring our customers together to share experiences and grow together. Kelly, presumably your software is being updated regularly I wondered what that means for GE and Upp - do you all have to update when that happens? Kelly: We usually have 2 software releases per year. Clients are not forced to move to the latest software version, but most are very enthusiastic in doing so when they see the new features that come with it. Our clients and partners are made aware of the new releases in advance to ensure a smooth transition if they wish to adopt it. What happens when this whole setup goes wrong - if there is a fault, how do you work out where the issue is, given that you are working so collaboratively? Kelly: The set up of our software is done between all stakeholders through a robust and proven delivery project. This methodology ensures all requirements are clearly identified, expectations are set, and the action plan is created and executed successfully. Everyone knows their role and what they must deliver. from the industry