Speaking exclusively to Telecom Review via the BlueJeans video conference platform, Yahia Sefrioui, chief digital transformation officer, inwi, shares the company’s continuous efforts in bringing digital agility and innovation to Morocco’s digital landscape.
As the leading Moroccan telecom brand, please tell us about inwi's digital inclusion efforts. How is it transforming communities and societies in Morocco?
Inwi has always tried to position itself as one of the leading innovative companies in Morocco. We identified digital transformation as a key ingredient early on for our company’s future and growth. That being said, I can mention many initiatives where inwi is contributing to enhancing digital inclusion in Morocco. As a telco operator, one of our core values is facilitating accessibility to secure a reliable internet for all through a large band of technologies such as mobile, broadband, fiber and satellite using state-of-the-art network infrastructure. We are also keen on bringing innovative solutions to our communities. As such, we have been the first telecom company in Morocco to offer a 100% digital mobile plan — win by inwi — as well as to roll out a mobile payment solution — inwi Money — [which] as you may know, contributes heavily to digital inclusion. From a business partners’ ecosystem perspective, our efforts can be illustrated through quite a few examples. We support the digital transformation of Moroccan companies through a wide variety of connectivity, cybersecurity and ICT solutions tailored to the needs of our customers. We are also offering our services to the largest data center in Morocco, as well as [being] very much present in key offshoring areas in the kingdom as well as economic zones that attract investors from around the world. From the societal and communities standpoint, our mobile payment solutions actively contribute to digital inclusion. We are bringing fiber connectivity to more than 80 higher education institutions whereby universities are using high-speed internet. We have been participating in the National Telecommunication Coverage plan and providing internet access to over 10,000 rural localities. In addition, we have quite a few innovation programs, such as inwi Challenges, inwi Innovation and Connected Classrooms to foster innovation in Morocco. Innovation is at our core, and we are very much focused on bringing digital transformation and digital innovation to Morocco.
Who comprises inwi's core customer segments, and how are you addressing their needs with innovative service offerings?
Just to add context, inwi is regarded as an innovative telecom company. Naturally, we appeal to a younger generation of customers who are often tech-savvy. That being said, we strive to serve all Moroccans through both our coverage and product offerings by trying to put together the right infrastructure and products to target all customer segments around the country. With regards to our retail reach, traditionally we are able to reach our customers in both urban and remote areas with the right infrastructure. The same logic applies to our digital solutions and offerings. Our e-shops offer services regardless of which area the demand is coming from. Another important component is our capacity to bring the right product to the right segment through a wide variety of catalogs spanning across traditional telecom offerings, be it mobile or home products, as well as innovation solutions. A prime example of our innovation is win by inwi, where any clients can access our digital solutions and tailor their products as per their requirements by choosing the volume of data and voice most suited to their specific need. This is an incredible capacity that benefits the needs of our customers.
With 2023’s seemingly challenging start for tech companies, how is inwi looking to navigate these choppy markets with its sights set on growth?
We do have many focus areas that we are looking at to create the competitive advantage in the Moroccan market to become more resilient. Out of those areas, I do want to mention digital and data transformation, which are some of our core priorities. We are going to continue to pursue the digital agenda further by offering the best digital experience and also increasing the autonomy of our clients through our self-care offering and digital products. We are also focused on leveraging the power of data and artificial intelligence. We do believe that AI is an incredible opportunity to increase our growth avenue, and we are conscious that it is going to be a key ingredient to boost our competitive advantage in the future. We have been pushing the AI agenda quite aggressively and will continue to make it one of our priorities. We are also focusing on operational excellence, as we do believe that it is critical for enhancing our customer experience. The ultimate point for us is to keep innovation at the core.