In the elevator with...

In the elevator with … Ong Sing Jye, vice president, Comba Network Solutions

A: This is a very good question. I would say in our business, service comes first, hardware second. Naturally I will always try to push Comba products and recommend third party products for items that fall outside the Comba portfolio to complete the solution.  However, if it is the case whereby customers insists on using a competing product for example, we would still serve and manage the process, but the final responsibility for the acquisition, installation and maintenance of that particular product is down to them.

 

     At the end of the day, most of our customers come to us for a complete solution and trust us in providing a robust and efficient solution to their issues.  To that end, it is very important that in implementing the process, everything such as the cost-effective analysis, being transparent on which products and the utilization has to be made clear at every step to earn and justify their faith in us.   

 

Q:  There are many independent systems integrators (SI) supplying the same kind of services which has the advantage of not being aligned to any particular manufacturers, thereby offering a “true” impartial service.  With this in mind what is your strong point that distinguishes CNS from these others?

 

A: Firstly, it’s a perceived advantage and I do not believe there is true impartiality in these cases. There is always preferences and partiality within SI and customers: partiality in personal preferences, partiality in SI alliances across its own network of suppliers; and all for different reasons. Without commenting further on such situations, I believe that the CNS advantages lies in our ability to develop upon core competency and our flexibility to transform into a  knowledge-based service entity.  Comba has the full support of three complete lines of business units with customized hardware solutions. As such, this translates to shorter delivery times, a degree of customization and guaranteed performance that I believe is unmatched by any other “me-too” SIs.

 

Q:  What’s your target in the future and how is your plan to fulfill it?

 

A:  There is no quick answer since there is no single homogenous services model that fits all the countries and areas we serve currently…. But I think the most important thing to do right now is to continue building a core team of people who have the core competency and knowledge, not only on technology front, but also on the project front.  This also means building a set of processes that can be adapted by our local teams for them to work. 

 

     Selling services is everything about people and localisation, core competency and local knowledge and developing trust with customers. From the corporate level, we have to listen to feedback from the ground and make sure localization is achieved with P&L responsibility. This is vital to the success of providing services and solutions to local projects.

 

Q. You joined Comba during its formative years and it must have a lot to say about your experience in this company, would you mind sharing some of these experiences with us?

 

A:  Honestly speaking, I have gained some of my richest experiences from working in Comba. I believed I was the first “foreigner” in this company in the sense that I am neither a PRC nor a Hong Kong native. I first came across Comba when I was working in Hutchinson Whampoa (China) as an investment manager with engineering and project background.  At that time, Comba was focused only on the PRC market, but even then, I was largely impressed with its management, strategic direction, its product portfolio and international vision.

 

     I was so convinced of the potential of Comba that I eventually joined in 2002.  At that time, I promised Tony Fok (Chairman & President) that if I could not deliver Comba’s first non-PRC sale within six months, I would accept any consequences that may occur.  Of course, the rest is history, with my first indoor antenna sales, OEM arrangement, BTS antennas, and POI sales amongst others.  Since then, my roles have included the setting up of Singapore office, creation and management of a global service and support team. And now, finally, I am growing a new business unit for service.

 

     I have seen Comba grow from being a single-market company to a major player in the global arena. I have been witnessing Comba grow healthily and taking on different structural challenges. It has not been easy, and many challenges lie ahead – I look forward to contributing to its future successes. I would like to thank those who have shared the company’s vision, those who have started out together in the early years and look back together at the wonder years in fondness.

 

      Thank you for your time, and may the future  years be just as interesting and successful.

 

      Thank you.

- Continued -

 

 

Q:  You actually touch on a few things such as third party products, how are you addressing potential situations where your customers may be wary that any consultancy you provide ends up as a hard-sell of Comba hardware?

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