Mobile World Congress is coming to Dublin – well, part of it is

25 Oct 2016

Pictured from left: Anam CEO, Dr Noel Kelly; Minister for Foreign Affairs, Charlie Flanagan, TD; and Anam COO, Brian D’Arcy. Image: Susan Jeffries

300 mobile operators from 60 countries, who serve half the world’s mobile subscribers, will be in Dublin next week as part of a summit organised by the GSMA, the organisers of the Mobile World Congress.

The GSMA is a global industry body, representing the interests of over 800 mobile operators and 250 companies from the broader mobile ecosystem.

It is the organiser of the prestigious Mobile World Congress, which takes place every year at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. It attracts over 101,100 delegates from 204 countries, including 60 Irish software firms.

More than 1,200 senior executives from mobile giants including AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, Hutchison and China Mobile are attending the GSMA Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group (WAS#4) Summit, which previously took place in Asia and Europe.

The four-day event takes place between 31 October and 3 November, and was brought to Dublin by Irish company Anam, which beat off intense global competition to land the event.

Showcasing Dublin mobile tech talent

The event is estimated to be worth over €3m to the local economy.

Anam is a mobile software company headquartered in Dublin with worldwide operations in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi.

“On a macro-level, the long-term benefits of hosting such a premier telecoms event in Dublin will result in greater awareness amongst leading mobile operators about Ireland’s skilled software talent, cutting edge research IP and innovation, as well as EI and IDA supports for innovative export business,” said Dr Noel Kelly, CEO of Anam.

“Anam benefits through hosting this major gathering of GSMA WAS#4 industry leaders, as it literally brings existing and potential customers right to our doorstep. It’s of enormous significance in the context of our business development strategy and reflects Anam’s strong position in this global industry.”

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com