Huawei, a leader in next-generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, has announced a five-year managed services agreement with Vodafone Ghana. Under the agreement, Huawei will be responsible for the Operations and Maintenance of the Vodafone Mobile, Microwave, SDH, and Fixed Switching networks. In a press statement signed by the public relations manager of Huawei (GH) Ltd., Harry Yuan, network planning and optimization, the Network Operations Center, and management of the spare parts of Vodafone will be performed by Huawei Staff under the agreement. The partnership provides Vodafone Ghana with a long-term sustainable operating model, reducing its operational expenses and enabling the operator to focus further on providing more attractive new services to its customers. The network operations agreement also guarantees the performance and quality of the Vodafone network, which is used by multiple vendors across the country. Under the managed services agreement, a number of Vodafone Ghana employees will also be employed by Huawei in similar roles and receive cutting-edge training on new processes, technology and tools that will be introduced by Huawei. “The award of this Managed Services contract to Huawei is a significant milestone in meeting our objective of providing a superior network to our customers in Ghana. In selecting Huawei, we have combined their product innovation with an extensive training and development programme for employees, so that Vodafone delivers the best network with the best products and services, with the best people. In the competitive market in Ghana having a superior network is is not enough; we must also strive to give our customers the best value. We will expand our mobile network and improve the quality and speed of our fixed broadband network. This partnership is a step towards meeting that goal,” said Tony Dolton, Chief Technology Officer of Vodafone Ghana. For his part, Mr. Simon Xie, Vice President of West Africa for delivery and Service said, “Huawei is honored to be chosen by Vodafone as it managed service partner. “We will focus on improving the network quality and operating efficiency to further allow Vodafone to devote even more attention to providing its customers with the latest mobile and fixed services with excellent network quality,” he added. The contract was signed after a six-month rigorous procurement and authentication process. This is one of the single largest procurement programs undertaken in Vodafone Ghana. The rigorous authentication process was used to assess Huawei's capabilities, which included Huawei's environmental, health and safety record. It also took into account the solutions and direction of Huawei's corporate development strategy, management system, quality control system, project management capability and corporate social responsibility. Story by Manasseh Azure Awuni/Ghana