A Bahraini technology group has launched its new identity underpinned by plans to foster business and equip consumers in the shift to a digital-driven society.
Beyon is the new flagship under which the erstwhile Batelco Group will sail into uncharted waters going beyond pure-play Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Unveiled last month with the tag-line ‘A technology group born in Bahrain to reach out to the region and beyond’, the home-grown brand has regional and global ambitions building on Batelco’s 42 year legacy as the principal telecommunications provider in the kingdom.
During a glittering ceremony that included a dazzling laser lights display and live music at the company’s headquarters in Hamala, Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, chairman of Beyon and Batelco, said the launch of the new ‘umbrella brand’ was the realisation of a long-held vision.
He added: “As our business has grown in scale and evolved in scope, we adopted a new structure to provide the right framework to enable future growth and accommodate the company’s aspirations not only in Bahrain but beyond. Today, we are delighted to unveil Beyon, and our vision is to accelerate the digital future for better lives and to strengthen businesses.”
Emphatic in pointing out that the kingdom’s strong digital ecosystem provides the right platform for the group’s transformation, Shaikh Abdulla said he sees the possibilities for further growth as the Beyon brands develop and explore new opportunities regionally and internationally in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.
“Over recent years, we have been implementing an ambitious strategy, which includes diversifying business operations to go beyond the company’s core business while maintaining Batelco’s position as a leading telecoms company. This strategy has resulted in the launch of four new digital firms during the past year; Beyon Money, Beyon Solutions, Beyon Cyber and Beyon Connect,” he added.
The significance of the mega event was made obvious through the presence of senior ministers including Finance and National Economy Minister and Mumtalakat chairman Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, under whose patronage the ceremony took place, Supreme Council of Health (SCH) president Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, government officials, diplomats, captains of industry and business owners.
Extending congratulations on the launch of Beyon and its various brands, Ericsson vice-president and GCC head Nicolas Blixell said: “As a long-standing partner, we will continue to collaborate with Beyon to connect individuals and businesses, foster digital innovations, and create game-changing solutions that will support the transformation of Bahrain and the wider region.”
Concurring with Shaikh Abdulla in crediting the kingdom’s innovation driven approach as an enabler of digital transformation, BENEFIT chief executive Abdulwahid Aljanahi, who attended the official launch, hailed Beyon as a great example saying: “We look forward to Beyon’s success stories, and also strengthening our partnership to continue expanding our offerings that provide added-value services to meet customer demands for online payments. Our efforts are in line with Economic Vision 2030 to drive innovation and transform Bahrain’s economy from a regional pioneer to a global contender within the sector.”
BENEFIT’s range of services includes operating Bahrain’s national electronic fund transfer system (EFTS), ATMs and points of sale (POS) machines and the BenefitPay e-wallet.
Cloud communications and workstream collaboration services provider Avaya’s North Gulf regional sales lead Sam Sarraf expressed his views on the major strategic vision that has led to the launch of ‘Beyon’, and its various digital arms and how they will help to accelerate the technology industry in Bahrain.
“The kingdom’s digital ecosystem is developing at a fast pace, thanks to the efforts being put into Economic Vision 2030. As a result, the right frameworks now exist for Beyon’s digital arms to really address the needs of highly focused public- and private-sector organisations,” added Mr Sarraf.
“Bahrain’s technology sector is well-known for being fast-moving, and Beyon will make it easier for large organisations to bring innovative products and services to market. With a new framework to enable the adoption of advanced technologies, Beyon will be a crucial partner to the kingdom’s top organisations looking to transform.”
Beyon has its origin in the global revolution that has brought quick and convenient digital services, providing consumers and businesses access to new tools and changing mindsets of users.
The Batelco think-tank was quick to realise that the ever-increasing intertwining of technologies with traditionally ‘brick-and-mortar’ activities needed dedication of resources into newly emerging and rapidly accelerating phenomena.
Responding to the needs of the public and private sectors in the kingdom, the four Beyon digital companies are already changing the digital landscape in Bahrain.
According to Beyon and Batelco chief executive Mikkel Vinter, while the group has shifted its focus on creating an international, diverse digital growth portfolio that spans across a variety of sectors including financial services, ICT solutions and cybersecurity, ‘gov-tech’ and ed-tech, it will continue to invest in telecoms connectivity businesses to “connect the world, provide innovative solutions to our customers and offer the best-in-class customer experiences”.
Explaining the strategy to make Beyon as the overarching brand identity of the group, Mr Vinter said it has been designed to become “a leading regional technology powerhouse” and embeds the scope “to ‘go beyond’ our core business to venture in any direction, without limits”.
The Beyon portfolio already includes financial services, cybersecurity, digital post-box services and identity authentication, said the official, adding that more innovative services that support the consumer and business segments were in the pipeline, without going into details.
“We have made excellent progress with our digital plans and successfully launched four Beyon digital companies, which are gaining solid market traction across the region.
But we are not stopping here, we have plans for further growth in the digital space including investments in established digital companies, as well as in early-stage digital start-ups in Bahrain and the region,” concluded Mr Vinter.
avinash@gdnmedia.bh
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