We are broadcasting an interview that our colleague Nikola Petrović, CEO of Roaming Networks in America, gave to PC Press
Do you think that it is easy to operate in such a demanding and lucrative market as is the American market? Roaming Networks has been working with great success throughout the United States for some time, and there is no better person than Nikola Petrović, CEO of Roaming Networks USA, to convey to us what challenges the company faces, what projects it is working on and what are its plans for the future. We used his stay in Serbia to discuss current topics, especially if we have in mind a comprehensive and ubiquitous process of digitalization of business processes.
1. Can you tell our audience what it is like to work in the US market and what challenges you face?
Living and working abroad is a special kind of challenge from both the private and the business, or technical side. Far from family and close friends, each of us came to help the company grow and contribute to spreading the vision that began in 2014. Honestly, to believe that a small company from Autokomanda could become a world-renowned, international and multinational company, took a strong will and many years of dedicated work.
That is exactly what brought us to the United States, the market is fast and challenging in every sense of the word. The competition is strong, the poles on which we perform works are two to three times taller than the ones we are used to in Europe, the scope of works on the site is quite complex. The only right way to impose yourself as a reliable partner of operators in America is high quality and efficiency in work, something we have been working on day and night.
2. What exactly do Roaming Networks do in the US and how do you manage to cope with the standards of such a demanding market? What actions did the company management take to succeed in America?
Today, I can proudly say that Roaming Networks operates in six federal states of the Midwest, employs more than 60 people in America, and has plans to continue to rapidly build a better future.
We currently provide RAN system implementation and integration services to the largest US operators, vendors and pole owners, we provide services in the field of construction of new locations and poles for base stations, implementation and integration of 4G and 5G technologies, construction of new small cell networks, PIM analysis and hygiene, installation of new MW connections.
3. How does the company work on a territory that roughly covers an area the size of several former Yugoslavias and how do you manage to run the entire business remotely?
By introducing digitalization and using advanced tools, we manage to overcome remote work challenges. The georeferenced software solution Close Out, which we developed ourselves, proved to be very useful, which gives us complete control and insight into the work performed in the field, in real-time. Also, we have a responsible person in every market who, with the help and support of our team from Belgrade, monitors the dynamics and burden of building new networks, to meet the expectations of our clients.
4.5G is the world’s current story, what is your view on the arrival of the modern IoT era, telecommunications, machines that communicate with each other?
The basis for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is certainly the 5G network. The fact that we will have a “million” devices that communicate with each other and make our society considerably safer are just some of the fascinating benefits we will experience in the not too distant future.
Working on cutting-edge projects in America is a great privilege both for me and our whole company. This opportunity gives us a broader picture of what the future brings and the opportunity to get ready for it.
5. How do you see the potential for further growth? Are you going to focus on the US or are you planning to enter other affluent markets as well, given that whoever works in the US and meets the picky demand there can work anywhere in the world?
We plan to continue to expand in the North American market in small increments and at a constant pace. The first next step is the introduction of another business line – passive optical networks. Without a strong optical infrastructure, 5G cannot function and there we see the potential for further growth.
6. What are your plans? For a young manager as yourself, what is it like to run such a big business system, in effect – remotely?
I see motivation in everyday work with incredibly good quality people, it is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to recognize their potential and develop them into great managers. Entering such a big market at the right time allowed me to expand my horizons, realize the potential, and work on highly demanding tasks every day. I still feel that we are in startup mode, although things are slowly coming together, there is plenty of room for improvement, which further inspires me to continue to build a strong team, which can respond to all challenges. Source: PC PRESS