Meet the Experts - Samer Geisah VP Innovation DU

Behind every successful man……, and behind every successful mobile device there is an optimized network. Seriously, we love our gadgets and show off the latest and the hottest devices to friends and acquaintances. We exchange information, share photos, receive files and stream live audio and video. We are also hearing about new and strange acronyms such as “Internet of Things”, what things, but it is already here. BUT, do we really know that there’s a massive infrastructure that is hidden behind some walls that are making our smart gadgets go beep and bop or whatever. The only indication of the presence of this machine are the names such as DU, Etisalat, Mobily, T-Mobile etc. This conversation is going to take the readers through the wonderful world of “Mobile Infrastructure” and the associated technology. I had the good fortune of talking to my ex-colleague from Siemens and now the VP of Innovation at DU, Samer Geissah. We were both in the Technical Division of Siemens with the difference that Samer was associated with the Infrastructure and I was handling the handsets division. Samer went on to join DU and was involved in the launch of the network. A Techy at heart, Samer would not spare any Gadget or Device that hits the market. He has programmed his house with Smart Home Technology; so, when he gets near his home the front door unlocks itself, the AC temperature reduces by 2 degrees, lights dim to his taste and the audio and tv adjusts to his liking. I am sure that you would enjoy the rest of the chat as well so come along.

Najib: Good Day Samer, thanks for joining us, please take us through your early days.

Samer: Appreciate it Najib and its great to catch up after a long time. Well I was born in Egypt and grew up in Abu Dhabi. It was great growing up in a multicultural environment with friends from around the world. I inherited the love of engineering from my father who had a passion of science and as soon as the first personal computer was in the market, he made sure that we had it at home. I wrote my first BASIC program when I was 9 years old, also used the first 1200 bits/second modem so I was hooked on technology from an early age.

Najib: Any specific memories or influencers from your childhood.

Samer: Obviously my hero and the man I still look up to has been my Dad. He is the reason I became an engineer. In my high school days, there were two teachers in specific that I would like to mention who have had a lasting impression. The first one being Mr. Demitri Chami who made me love math and taught the whole class how to act like gentlemen, he also instilled the sense of problem solving and to have passion in what we do. Mr. Taher Al Shayeb from Palestine was our Arabic teacher who showed us the path that there is more to this life than earning, eating and sleeping. He drilled the intent for us to have a higher purpose and to leave a legacy for the generations to come. I would never be able to repay their dedication and the imprint I still have of their wisdom.

Najib: We had spoken earlier in our Siemens days regarding your love of sports.

Samer: I had tried everything I could get my hands on including Cricket, can you imagine an Egyptian playing cricket, this was because of the close-knit Indian and Pakistani friends. I used to Wind Surf and regularly play volleyball. On top of this I would regularly disassemble every toy and gadget I could get my hands on and to top it all I loved unlocking doors and bags, I can still unlock any bag requiring a number combination. I had friends from several nationalities and it was a bouquet of fun and learning with so many cultures around. Yet basketball was and still is my passion. The team chemistry and individual skills mix still drives me to try my best regardless of the knee and back pain that comes with age.

Najib: Let us know of your higher education.

Samer: I went to the US as I always wanted to do something that is against the status quo, my brother went to Egypt to complete his Business Management Degree. I wanted to attend the best Engineering University I could get into and I ended up choosing the North Carolina State University that was ranked among the top 10 in the country at the time.

Najib: How was University life.

Samer: I was fortunate to have joined the University the year “Internet” was introduced at a few educational institutions and the connected networks used UNIX OS. I took the course in this intriguing technology and voila, I was hooked and spent most of my time in the lab hacking, programming, changing profile names and even changing desktop photos. I used to regularly hack into the other rival’s university (UNC) servers as they were our main competitors in all fields especially sports. That semester had been instrumental in shaping my career in so many ways as not too many people were well versed with this modern technology. Me being a sophomore (2nd year Student) was asked to teach a class to other professors, Ph.D. and Master’s students and this was a game changer of sorts. My fear of public speaking just vanished as I was on top of what I was doing, these big guys were listening to a kid and it was great.

Najib: This is WoW Samer, tell us something more.

Samer: These experiences cemented my love for computer science and I ended up doing a double major together with computer engineering. I always wanted to leave a legacy and this was the first step in doing so. I did a Co-op program with Alcatel and was inclined towards Telecoms.

Najib: How was life in the US.

Samer: Growing up in Abu Dhabi, I had my initial impression of the United States watching TV programs like CHIPS, Miami Vice, Magnum PI and Dallas and had a bit of an impression to expect the same as soon as I would land there. Life, well was quite different especially in Raleigh, people were nice and down to earth. North Carolina was a farming community and I got to travel all over US East Coast during summer and winter breaks. People were simple and had no idea about Abu Dhabi which somehow, they thought was a part of Saudi Arabia but once they got to know you, you were family to them.

Najib: You must have been around smart people Samer.

Samer: The area I was residing used to be referred as the Research Triangle Park (RTP), this was the vicinity of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill and it had the highest density of PhD holders in the whole of US, you can’t imagine the buzz.

Najib: Let’s move ahead with your professional experience and journey.

Samer: I wanted to work in the US but unfortunately during those days it was very difficult to obtain a work visa so I moved to Canada. After emigrating I initially did some odd jobs selling PC’s and carried out Level 3 support for IBM. I was then offered to join a start-up, it was working on building what was later to be known as “Soft Switches”, called TELOS Technologies based in Richmond, British Columbia.

Najib: How was Canada as compared to the US, how was your experience.

Samer: Canadians are one of the most easy-going fun-loving people I have ever come across, you just blend in and you are in the company of the happiest people in the world. Believe me, these guys have the greatest sense of humor and no wonder comedians like Jim Carry and Michael J Fox come from there. Vancouver also had a spellbinding landscape and offer wonderful experiences to the travelers and explorers alike. I have great memories of traveling from Vancouver to San Diego. 

An Interesting poetic conversation from Al Mutanabi that Samer regularly quotes

Najib: Coming back to your professional experiences in Canada, please take us through it a bit more.

Samer: I started off as a software developer and then moved to consulting and then to the lab for development. I had the opportunity to work on hardcore technology and connected the switch to systems like Marconi, LG, Samsung etc. I was identified as a useful resource and the management started to send me on International assignments regularly to Europe and the US, this was great as an exposure to someone who had just started his career.

Najib: What else kept you busy during those days.

Samer: You won’t believe but I created a startup with a friend of mine that was a bit too early for its time. The world had moved from “Text Search” to Browsers such as Netscape etc. We started the company called “Interad” where we bought the Yellow Pages on a CD and created a “Google Maps Like Program on the Computer”, this was 1997 mind you. We went to restaurants and told them to pay a monthly fee and if someone goes on to the site he or she would be able to see his or her location online; our customers were not convinced at that time as this was way too early so we had to close the company. I still cringe thinking about this venture as a lot of companies have been faltered because of this early exit.

Najib: Well this has been heart-breaking Samer, what was your next move.

Samer: In 1999, I married an Emirati girl and the choice was to either settle in Canada or move to Abu Dhabi, we took the middle ground and settled in Dubai. I had an offer from Eisalat and Siemens and as I was already working for a Telco I decided to work for a vendor a bit more and joined Siemens Networks Division.

Najib: Well we have both worked at Siemens but for the benefit of our readers can you please elaborate your experience.

Samer: Siemens had created a Center of Competence in Dubai for the Middle East and Africa region and I was the first person to join this facility. My job was basically to explain to the operators why they should be buying the Siemens equipment. I was moved to Munich to get a better perspective, it was a phenomenal opportunity both professionally and personally as I could enjoy an independent life with the family. Germany was one of the best experiences that I have ever had in my life and I learned a great deal from the locals. The most important being the trust in the system as everything worked as clock work. I got a promotion and returned to Dubai and ran a Tech consulting role for Middle East and Africa, I had a team of one hundred very smart people report to me, this had been a memory of a lifetime.

Najib: How did the transition to DU come about.

Samer: Siemens had consulted with TECOM for the establishment of the second operator in the UAE, I had taken to myself to ensure the success of this venture. After a few meetings with the TECOM Authority, I was identified as a key candidate and was asked to join as the first employee for the deployment of a nationwide network. Mr. Farid Faraidooni was the Deputy GM responsible for the project, I had moved in May 2005 and by January 2006 DU was created and was awarded the 2nd all services telecom operator license.

Najib: That’s interesting Samer, please tell us more about your role at that stage.

Samer: I was tasked to design, build and operate the mobile network and this eventually led to the launch of DU in February 2007, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was the first person to have initiated the call to launch the DU mobile network. In 2009, I was tasked to run the core network (Fixed Voice / Mobile Voice / Mobile Data / Internet Gateway / IPTV).

Najib: This must have been a busy time for Samer and one of the most creative as well.

Samer: Would you believe that during the same time I also had my second startup. It was me working with a partner, Ahmed Zaharan and we launched a crowd funding project on kick starter. It was an HDMI, Android-based dongle that converted a normal Television to a Smart TV. Well, this had been a blessing in disguise as DU Management realized the various innovations I did within and outside the company and had me promoted as the VP of Innovation.

Najib: Please take us through this next phase of your career.

Samer: Well basically I managed all digital services and that encompassed partnering with existing entities, video services, product management, OTT, Content Acquisition and Video on Demand Rights and Management, Exploratory works on Machine to Machine, Mobile Commerce, Mobile Health, App Eco System, how to collaborate with Google etc. It’s quite a bit of work and these are exciting times that we are going through. I am doing all this with a team of 16 great members.

Najib: Talking of teams, can you elaborate a bit on your management style.

Samer: I am a strong believer in empowerment by providing an unobstructed vision and direction to the team, individual members update the stakeholders based on the agreed deliverable. I consider micromanagement as a disease so many managers are inflicted with. I empower and select leaders based on their initiative to get things done and how they lead their teams. It is always great to surround oneself with talented people coming from diverse backgrounds who complement each other’s strengths. I always encourage debate and an active feedback, we hang out together and have created a great bond.

Najib: These guys must be fun to work with Samer as there are so many new things you tend to do together.

Samer: After working together with this group for the past 5 years I am proud to say that I have an excellent group of change agents across the UAE. It is an honor to know from your team that they respect your leadership to an extent that as and when I leave they have a resolve to leave with me. I do not have any plans of the like though. In return for this great teamwork, I tend to support their agenda passionately.

Najib: How is DU different and what have you been working on lately.

Samer: DU realized years back that they needed to exist outside the connectivity world i.e. voice, data and SMS. We analyzed our competition and realized that it was not the Telcos that we must compete with but rather with other OTT (Over the Top) players. To give you an example, WhatsApp killed SMS, YouTube and Netflix wiped out Video & Music Download Services, Skype and VoIP replaced International dialing.

Najib: What had been the counter strategy then.

Samer: For us not to become a data utility company we had ambitions to provide more than connectivity. We needed to find and did a complete study to see what differentiation we can provide to the customers. After an extended period, we deduced that in certain areas we had to either build our own or partner. We started to apply these on various verticals of business that run on top of connectivity, i.e. area of music, video and general entertainment.

Najib: How about Enterprise business.

Samer: I think we are on a big S Curve of the iOT domain and what fuelled it is the cost of manufacturing of connected devices, that have significantly gone down. It’s still early for the consumers but for me as a techy, I have it quite a bit figured out. When I arrive home the front door unlocks, AC in my room goes to 22C, lights in my room dim, curtains slide to close and audio system fixes as I switch on the TV. This end to end experience would soon become easy and automated soon. Voice commands are becoming powerful in machine to machine communication. This is the right time for people to invest in this arena both for the consumer as well as the enterprise systems. I attended an IoT conference in Toronto recently and there were hundreds of companies working on one to two IoT devices.

Najib: Do you think that the region is ready to embrace this modern technology.

Samer: The region is covered for sure as the connectivity is here and modern technologies such as LORA are being deployed for connected devices.

Najib: What would it take for a plain old trading company to start investing in this new vertical.

Samer: First, these people have to speak to the right people and seek advice, this product and technology is not something off the shelf that can be bought and sold. Fleet management devices are now easily available on Alibaba, there’s a fantastic opportunity to put together a software and a billing system and there’s a business available.

Najib: What is the main challenge operators are facing across the world and in the region.

Samer: There has been a decrease in revenue because of OTT players as I had mentioned earlier, at the same time the cost of building best quality networks hasn’t decreased. The long-term business case for operators really doesn’t look very promising if they are only going to focus on connectivity. Basically, to continue to provide higher bit rates or speed in basic terms to users while not getting the margin to sustain operational costs is a win / lose proposition and this is the dilemma for the operators today.

Najib: How about the hardware vendors.

Samer: The ones who survived the consolidation will be under pressure to optimize the costs of the infrastructure and of maintaining it; all this while still having to provide the best in class service to the operators. We now have vendors moving away from just selling boxes to selling services, cloud-based solutions and software defined networks have the opportunity to survive in the long run. As far as 5G is concerned, I seriously do not envision too much of a difference to an end user as compared to 4G.

Najib: Thanks a lot Samer for your time, I just want you to leave us with a few thoughts regarding your vision for telecoms in 2027.

Samer: We’ve already crossed the connectivity curve and all devices are now beyond the point of being smart. They are close to being at the point of enlightenment. Users won’t have to think whom they have to call as they would be prompted to do so. Artificial intelligence, IoT and big Data will transform the way we live. Telecom operators and other partners who decide to invest in becoming relevant in these domains will be around in 2027 to prosper. Those who keep focusing on traditional use case will disappear. So as of my bosses (Carlos Domingo) used to say to Telcos, Stop Crying and do something about!

Here are some final thoughts from Samer.

Kazi Najib Ashraf is a Telecoms Professional and a Blogger who is passionate about talking to achievers and then relating their success stories. In today's age and time, there's a drought of wisdom and talking to real professionals with true leadership qualities is nothing less than poetry. So please join me in these conversations as well as enjoy the regular snippets about the @ Regional Telecoms @ market. You can get in touch with me on kazi.najib"playtorium.com.