Shaun Collins, Executive Chairman – CCS Insight & Chair of Judges, GLOMOs
Honouring those shaping the industry at the GLOMOs
We're absolutely thrilled to be able to once again host the GLOMO Awards, recognising the best of the best in the connected world. The GLOMOs continue to go from strength to strength and remain the premier awards programme in the mobile technology space. This year, we will honour the industry's achievements in a ceremony taking place on 28 February at 18:00 CEST at the Industry City Stage in Hall 4, with highlights later broadcast on Mobile World Live TV. We'd be delighted if you could join us.
The GLOMOs present a unique opportunity to winners and nominees. Every contribution is considered by a group of leading influencers in each category, who read, assess and judge the merits of the entry. For many companies, it would be impossible to achieve this kind of exposure without spending a small fortune on marketing and PR. And in such a competitive industry, being distinguished before a huge global audience on Mobile World Live TV is really a feather in their cap.
I know from talking to past winners that receiving an award has had an enormous impact on the success of their service, product or application, and for many, starting out with a limited budget and profile, it has also offered a boon to their business and credibility. Their customers can be confident these are products and services of the highest quality and effectiveness.
An important theme this year will be the rapid roll-out of "real" 5G and how this is transforming so many areas, including how mobile operators deploy networks. The promise of gigabit speeds, artificial intelligence, high-quality orchestration and massive analytics means we're witnessing the advent of new industries, and it's this excitement and anticipation that we're looking to capture.
One of the new awards puts the spotlight on cloud deployments with operators. The Best Cloud Solution accolade will highlight the move of massive computer workloads from the operators themselves to private and hybrid clouds. We are also bringing attention to the ongoing collision of telecom and IT with an award showcasing the impact of Web3 on our industry. Both these awards would not have even been considered five years ago.
We'll be giving out 27 awards in six categories, including Mobile Tech, Digital Everything, Tech4Good and Outstanding Achievement, all of which celebrate mobile innovations that improve our lives, foster greater diversity, build trust in the digital age and advance the vision for connected cities. It's also vital that we recognise the digital technologies laying the groundwork for a smarter, fairer world. In that context, winners of awards such as Best Mobile Innovation for Emerging Markets and Best Mobile Innovation for Climate Change are the epitome of the industry's work to be more inclusive and provide direction.
Of all the awards, the jewel in the GLOMOs crown is the CTO's Choice award. Here, the winners of each category in the Mobile Technology section are judged by more than 24 CTOs of the world's leading telcos, including BT, Deutsche Telekom, NTT Docomo, Orange, SK Telecom and Vodafone. It's an unrivalled opportunity to get in front of some of the most influential figures and decision-makers in our industry regardless of the size of the business entering the programme.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the judges involved in this year's event. As it does in so many parts of its operations, the GSMA seeks to promote and assemble a gender- and geographically diverse group of judges. Each of them brings considerable knowledge and experience to the process, carrying out this work without payment and in their own time. We're proud of many things in the GLOMOs, but especially the independence and expertise of the judging panel, which are central to the entire programme. The reputation of the GLOMOs is built on judges' efforts and fiercely held independence.
Finally, my annual plea for companies of all sizes to consider taking part in next year's awards and join us on the programme. The GSMA welcomes online submissions from individuals and businesses from mid-September, requiring only that applicants use mobile connectivity and technology to develop their products and services. There are discounts offering amazing value for start-up companies and GSMA members that apply.
There's no better platform to commend businesses for their innovation and commitment to creating the next era of mobile technology. The GLOMOs offers an opportunity to supercharge their success.