Will Play throw down the gauntlet to Google and Microsoft? CEO announces new services

Play plans to offer cloud services to customers, Play Group CEO Ken Campbell revealed to WNP. During the European Economic Congress, the company announced a partnership with Scaleway, a European cloud provider.

• The changing transatlantic relationship could be an opportunity for European telecoms companies, according to Play Group CEO Ken Campbell.
• The company has announced a partnership with Scaleway, a European cloud provider, to develop local cloud solutions.
• Speaking to WNP, the Play Group CEO admitted that he wants to compete with the big US companies where the value to the customer is data sovereignty.

According to the Play Group CEO, one of the most important changes that has recently affected the telco industry is the recognition of this sector as strategic.

- 'The importance of the connectivity we provide has been taken for granted for a long time, but today it is clear that we are at the forefront of a number of key themes - from business support, to the use of artificial intelligence, to cyber security and protecting network integrity,' Ken Campbell assessed in an interview with WNP.

Stability in energy key to development

He noted that energy will play an increasingly important role for the future of the entire sector - ensuring the stability of the country's energy infrastructure will be a priority in the near future. And, he stressed, simple regulation.

- Supporting investment through sound regulatory policy is one of the key trends we see not only in Poland, but also across Europe, Campbell said. - There is a tendency in Europe to adapt EU directives locally, i.e. to add a national 'flavour' to European regulations. I am not in favour of this approach. I don't see the point in over-regulating and complicating the system - he added.

The president of the Play Group noted that the company invests around PLN 1.5 billion annually in infrastructure development. - We are a large employer and a significant taxpayer. Overly restrictive regulations could undermine these investments. I hope that the government will keep this in mind when planning new regulations - he admitted. 

A new direction - competition in the cloud services sector

He also revealed that Play also plans to offer cloud services to customers. During the European Economic Congress, the company announced a partnership with Scaleway. Like Play, it belongs to the Iliad group.

- The partnership with Scaleway enables us to offer cloud solutions - public and private - which translates into greater data sovereignty, Ken Campbell pointed out.

As the Play Group CEO emphasised, developing local solutions will become increasingly important in Europe. Especially in view of the changes in transatlantic relations.

- I am Canadian and 100 days ago I woke up with the belief that we would be the 51st US state - we are not. The world has changed and we need to redefine our approach," he argued, referring to Donald Trump's words early in his term announcing the annexation of Canada. The seizure of territory did not happen, but the US president's declarations undermined trust in relations between the countries.

Campbell declared that Play wants to be a competitor to major US cloud companies such as Google and Microsoft.

- 'I think Europe needs to build its own ecosystem and Play has a huge role to play in that,' he argued, adding that he sees a growing number of customers who have a particular sensitivity to data sovereignty issues. - It is for them that we want to create an answer, he stressed.