By Staff writer
US-based Ruckus Wireless, a global supplier of advanced wireless systems for the rapidly expanding mobile Internet infrastructure market, on Monday announced that it was expanding its presence in SA with a new office to accommodate its growing staff, providing centralised operational management and sales support of partners and customers in the sub-Saharan region.
“We have been operating on the continent since November 2011 with a direct presence in South Africa for the last three years, and have grown tremendously,” said Michael Fletcher, sales director for Ruckus Wireless, sub-Saharan Africa. “The next logical step is having an office from which we can better serve our partners and customers.”
The move is part of the company’s strategy to provide better services to its expanding base of enterprise channels, mobile carriers, broadband service providers and enterprise users across Africa.
“A lot has happened in the African broadband industry over the last year, with much of it driven by a nearly insatiable demand by users for more and more wireless data capacity to support the explosive growth of smartphones and other data-centric mobile devices. Wi-Fi continues to play a hugely important role, with the latest statistics from Mobidia showing that close to 80% of all smartphone traffic worldwide is being carried by Wi-Fi,” said Fletcher.
The new Ruckus Wireless regional office in Africa is based in Waterfall Estate in Midrand, South Africa, and will include newly hired sales, post sales support and technical specialists.
“It’s an exceptionally exciting time to be involved in the wireless industry in Africa. It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 525 million smartphones*, up from only 72 million at the end of 2013. Data traffic in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to grow 20 times between now and 2019 – twice the global average,” said Fletcher.
He concludes, “As a pioneer in the wireless infrastructure market, we are enabling carriers and enterprises to keep up with the exploding demand for high-bandwidth applications and services and delivering our innovative, Smart Wi-Fi solutions to help resolve some of the most critical issues facing today’s wireless networks, including how to create cost-effective, reliable wireless networks while managing exponential growth.”
