Comments on: Nortel Opens Office in Lagos

By: bob

bob — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:31:43 +0000

Nortel in Nigeria? Where were they when the race started in 2000. For them it's too much too little too late…I don't think they can compete. Other vendors with strong hold in Nigeria will eat their lunch and dinner. But then again I could be wrong.

By: bob

bob — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:31:43 +0000

By: less

less — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:37:55 +0000

See the natives flock to the Nortel job fair:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIzptExMRcA

By: many

many — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:32:35 +0000

You got my point……many

By: broadbandbill

broadbandbill — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:23:00 +0000

That was 'warehouse 52' ..–bb

By: many

many — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:33:36 +0000

I thought wharehouse 51 was in RTP where they kept moving inventory back and forth across the county lines to avoid paying property taxes

By: many

many — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:25:19 +0000

This is a better turn of events than during the Roth/Dunn years whe Lagos opened an office at Nortel. .

By: JamieMoody

JamieMoody — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:35:39 +0000

France Telecom sees Africa growth despite crisis

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTel...

By: less

less — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:53:24 +0000

Or maybe I'm totally wrong. Bergers website was much fancier in the early 90s.

Questions for Observer: Has Berger run its course like Cisco? How have they thus far avoided hiring American managers who don't know (the) culture? Will the global bear kill Berger, too? Whose path into the the global village should Nortel follow?

By: less

less — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:48:24 +0000

Good old DMS would be robust enough to survive in Lagos - plus its too big to cart off by hand. But I couldn't imagine an ATCA surviving very long there under even the best conditions.

Simplicity trumps complexity. Fine. I expect keeping a simple yet durable network up and running would take precedent over frilly upgrades and rapid expansion, but wheres the big payoff in that? That would mean serious commitment.
Prestige isn't everything. Cmon, Paris Hilton recently did her share to save Africa by posing with native South Africans in Africa. That puts her in the same stratosphere of nobility as Sean Penn visiting Hugo Chavez if you ask me.

Nortel would do well to crib from 100+ year firm Julius Berger

http://www.julius-berger.com/index.php?id=29

which has been operating in Nigeria forever (by African standards).

To offer innovative... cost effective solutions...conceptual ideas, engineering, design, procurement, construction ..* long term maintenance*.

To sustain... extremely short construction schedules... achieved by a continuously trained and skilled Nigerian workforce *and a fleet of modern... equipment*

To assist in the fight against HIV/AIDS

To be the most capable and trustworthy indigenous multi service construction company in Nigeria all for the benefit of the Nation.

Berger doesn't stand around giving away balloons, marble plaques and cheap pens with "Berger" tampo'd on them.