BBIC Interview with Habib Hanna

Habib, would you mind giving us an overview of NCR Corporation?
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a leading global technology company. Based in Dayton Ohio, NCR (http://www.ncr.com/) employs approximately 28,000 people worldwide. In Oman, NCR is offering integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions in the field of Financial Solutions (ATMs, Bill Payment, etc.), Teradata enterprise data warehouse (EDW) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM), contact centres, retail solutions (web kiosks/ point of sales, etc.), cheque processing and Imaging Solutions, high-quality document and media consumables, turnkey ICT infrastructure and business solutions, as well as lifecycle support and managed services for critical IT environments.

Why have you become involved in the TKM – Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition?
One of our key objectives as NCR Oman is to effectively contribute to the development of the ICT sector in the Sultanate. This is our duty towards this country where we employ more than 50 people. And thus we will try to support all initiatives that we believe will bring positive results to the domestic ICT scene.

How important are start-ups to Oman’s economy?
Start-ups enable the ICT sector to become productive rather then being just receptive, allow new job creation, provoke business innovations, fuel capital investments into the country, and contribute effectively and sharply to the overall growth of the economy. In short, they’re important.

What personal experience do you have of the start-up culture?
I was engaged on the business side with many start-ups in the area of ISP/ASP business – where we were advising those new companies on how to build their business models, structure their mode of operation as well as to design, implement and manage their full technology infrastructure.

What characteristics do you need to be a successful entrepreneur?
Good vision, directed by a solid business plan and coupled with sound execution.

Which international entrepreneur has inspired you and why?
Google. They changed the rules of the game and have been very successful with introducing innovative services and products such as “Google Earth”.

What are the key ingredients for a successful start-up?
First, start-ups should come with something that the market needs and wants. Second, start-ups should have a solid business plan. Third, they should start with the minimum investment required. And lastly, they should start with the right people on board.

How could the region’s banking community improve the services they provide to start-ups?
Banks could support start-ups not only by offering financial facilities to those enterprises, but also to advise them on their overall financial plans. The banking community in the region is very sophisticated and has extensive experience and knowledge in various industries – and thus could help those start-ups by advising and re-shaping their plans to be the best possible.

What path do you suggest for would-be Omani entrepreneurs?
Improve something in what customers do today. Customers normally invest in technologies to at least fulfil one of those things: save money (think of ROI) , improve existing services, create new services, create new revenue streams, enable better security and control, and/or improve their image in the market place.

What are the drawbacks to being an entrepreneur?
There is always a risk involved when we talk about entrepreneurs. Will you be able to cope with the market challenges? How quickly the market would react to those products/services or even to the business model of the start-up? A lot of effort is needed initially to build the credibility of the start-up in the market. However, those could be covered with the proper market strategy and a solid business plan directed by sound execution.

What do you think the dotcom has done for enterprise and innovation?
On the positive side we have global reach – where any enterprise can market and sell its products globally. However, it also showed us that you have to have real value in what you do in order to stay in the market. You cannot create a bubble that will last for long.

How do you recognize the next big thing?
Simply by thinking globally and acting locally