CEO Insights Magazine

At the helm of steering a business towards tri­umph stands a Country Manager, a dynamic force blending strategic acumen with acute market insights. Serving as the nexus between corporate vision and local intricacies, they wield the power to navigate diverse landscapes, unraveling op­portunities, and charting pathways to success. With their finger on the pulse of regional nuances, these leaders craft bespoke strategies, orchestrating the har­monious convergence of global aspirations with grass­roots realities. As the Country Manager for Ubiik, Timo Halonen brings his wealth of experience and expertise to the forefront, spearheading initiatives to revolution­ize connectivity for utilities and industrial sectors.

Timo Halonen, a seasoned professional with a di­verse background in IT consulting and connectivity so­lutions, commenced his career in the late 90s in Tokyo, delving into IT consul-ting and gradually expanding his expertise from the automotive M2M market to encom­pass water treatment and utilities remote monitoring. His journey led him to pivotal roles, including a stint at Vodafone M2M, where he honed his skills in WAN connectivity. With an extensive tenure at a Japanese publicly listed IoT gateway manufacturer, Timo delved deep into LAN/WAN and sensor connectivity for seven years. This rich experience equipped him with invalu­able insights into the intricacies of connectivity solu­tions, particularly in the realm of utilities and indus­trial/enterprise clients.

Timo’s strategic vision, coupled with his profound understanding of market nuances, positions him as a key driver in Ubiik's journey towards success in the ever-evolving landscape of connectivity solutions. Let’s hear more from Timo.

How do you characterize Ubiik as a company and its present standing within the market?

Ubiik is an organization specializing in private LTE so­lutions, strategically positioned in a market where Ja­pan has slightly trailed the fervor surrounding private networks by a few years. Factors such as pricing con­straints and a scarcity of compatible devices have hin­dered the widespread adoption of Local 5G networks. This presents a significant window of opportunity for technologies like sXGP/4G LTE to assert dominance, adding complementary value for traditional WiFi so­lutions and addressing unmet needs in Local 5G de­ployments over the next 18-36 months. Ubiik's focus lies on penetrating over 10 key verticals in the Japa­nese market, particularly targeting enterprise, public safety, and utility sectors with their private LTE of­ferings.

Can you share insights into your leadership approach and the principles or methodologies that guide your leadership style?

Over nearly three decades in Tokyo, Japan, I've de­veloped a proven formula that centers around iden­tifying and addressing under-the-radar pain points, emerging applications, and pivotal connectivity pro­tocols and hardware choices. By connecting these dots, I create a comprehensive cross-industry service portfolio and forge essential partnerships within the stakeholder ecosystem. This involves collaborating with system integrators and technology partners, particularly crucial for intricate Industry 4.0 integra­tions and deploying connectivity solutions in unli­censed bands for both workers and machines.

A key aspect of this approach is establishing robust local and global support teams, comprised of skilled professionals aligned with our objectives. Together, we craft roadmaps tailored to the needs of end-users, in collaboration with channel sales and technology partners. My strategy emphasizes compressing time-to-market timelines without compromising on es­sential steps, while also exploring diverse avenues to engage effectively with partners and end-users alike.

Could you provide more detail on the technological architecture underpinning the company's solutions and outline any upcoming technology trends the company intends to embrace?

Our technology framework encompasses a Network-in-a-box solution featuring a 1.9GHz sXGP base station with Cat.4/Ethernet backhaul capabilities, tailored specifically for the Japanese VoLTE and IoT outdoor markets. This solution primarily targets enterprises operating in diverse sectors such as construction sites, ports, public safety, disaster management, stadi­ums, and water purification plants.

As for upcoming trends, we are constantly evaluat­ing and integrating the latest advancements into our offerings to ensure relevance and competitiveness in the market.

How do you ensure you're abreast of the latest industry trends to guide your organization into the future?

Over the past 28 years, my commitment has been to continually seek avenues through which I can support my network of Japanese professionals and colleagues, many of whom primarily communicate in Japanese. This entails active engagement in the realms of Tele­com Networking Hardware, Middleware, and Security Software. Additionally, I maintain a regular presence at industry trade shows, symposiums, and technical IoT conferences, spanning across events focused on 4G/5G/6G advancements as well as vertical-specific exhibitions such as those in manufacturing, ports/ offshore operations, public safety, military/defense, and utilities sectors.

What is the ultimate goal you are striving to achieve?

Our trajectory is set towards the convergence of Pri­vate LTE/Local 5G joint offerings, RedCap, Industry 4.0, energy-saving measures, and initiatives aimed at reducing connectivity costs. These endeavors are me­ticulously crafted to optimize operations in critical sectors such as industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, public safety, wind farms, port/offshore facilities, and automotive factories.

Given your extensive experience in the industry, what counsel would you offer to emerging leaders in the IoT sector?

First and foremost, it's imperative to grasp the tra­jectory of the market and identify the burgeoning growth opportunities and drivers within specific cross-industry verticals or applications, such as Non- Terrestrial Networks. Subsequently, selecting the right connectivity system integrator becomes pivotal, one that not only possesses the requisite capabilities and business interests but also exhibits interest in filling critical gaps in their existing service offering portfolio and hardware partnerships, aligning with emerging opportunities.

In my experience, successful market entry in Japan hinges on strategic partnerships forged with a select few system integrators, coupled with consistent team building and enablement within the ecosystem. Nota­bly, hardware, including servers, remains paramount for securing long-term corporate sales contracts and fostering commercially scalable IoT ventures in Japan. It's essential to comprehend the hardware aspects of the IoT stack, encompassing sensors, IoT gateways, servers, and base stations, while also culti­vating insights and business acumen in 1-2 industry verticals from the application standpoint. Moreover, understanding both on-premise and public cloud drivers is indispensable for navigating the evolving IoT landscape effectively.

Timo Halonen, Country Manager, Ubiik

Timo Halonen is the Country Manager at Ubiik, leveraging nearly three decades of experience in Tokyo's IT and connectivity sectors. With a background spanning IT consulting and roles at major telecommunications firms, Halonen specializes in private LTE solutions and cross-industry connectivity frameworks. His leadership focuses on optimizing connectivity solutions for diverse sectors, including public safety, utilities, and manufacturing.