Leading the backbone of the Swiss economy into the digital future

Small and medium-sized enterprises are the engine that keeps economies running all over the world. This is also the case in Switzerland. According to SECO, they account for over 99 percent of companies. In absolute figures 607,820, employing a total of more than 3 million people. Against this backdrop, Yang Wang, Market & Enterprise Solution Sales Director at Huawei Technologies Switzerland, announced the slogan at the recent media and partner briefing in Huawei’s newly renovated premises in Dübendorf: Every industry is driven by digitalization, and the size of a company should not be an obstacle to exploiting the benefits of technology for business operations. Productivity, sales, and customer loyalty can be increased, and costs reduced – as Yang Wang, Market and Enterprise Solutions Sales Director at Huawei Technologies Switzerland, said at the start of his presentation of “eKit”, the new Huawei ecosystem for Swiss SMEs. He added: “The digitalization journey for SMEs is determined by the availability of affordable high-tech products, digital skills in the workforce and access to the latest connectivity technologies. With our new brand ‘eKit’, we address these challenges and offer carrier-class quality of enterprise products at affordable prices, easy implementation, and usability ‘by plug & play’ as well as a comprehensive portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, distributed by proven partners in Switzerland.”

The standard eKit package includes connectivity, storage and collaboration solutions that are integrated, preconfigured and therefore easy to install and operate. Huawei's new digitalization initiative is aimed at businesses in small or home offices, retailers, hotels and restaurants, property managers and start-ups. The SME packages are scenario-based and tailored to the requirements in these sectors and include the most important digital technologies for data transmission and connectivity such as WiFi, access points, switches and other network components and storage as well as the Huawei Idea Hub, a multifunctional video and collaboration solution that can be used variably as a meeting and presentation room, whiteboard, or virtual project platform. 

Successful model for collaboration with partners

Yang Wang added that the eKit helps Huawei partners to expand into the SME market. With 19 scenario portfolios and 62 marketable products, it provides policies and incentives, IT platforms, the brand, and other specific resources.

The one-stop digital platform, which links the eKit website with the eKit app, is particularly helpful. Sales partners and users can use it to put together their own eKit and control the hardware and software.

Huawei will continuously upgrade the product range and increase user benefits. WiFi 7, for example, will be available as early as June 2024 and will offer a better WiFi experience, higher guaranteed bandwidths with a setup time reduced to 6 minutes and response time to faults three-quarters faster.

The Huawei partners Alltron and Absolut attended the event as designated Distribution Gold Partners for eKit. 

Peter Müller, Head of Category Pro AV at Alltron, as well as from Absolut's side Ana Duarte, Head of Operations, and Ruben Honegger, Operations Webshop Manager, picked up on Yang Wang's thread.

In his presentation, Peter Müller focused on the advantages of an interactive meeting room for companies. The Huawei IdeaHub impresses with its user-friendliness in installation and operation, flexibility in the choice of data source and scalability, as well as security in the protection of information and data. The all-in-one meeting room solution consists of just a screen, video bar, wireless connection and mounting, which work together intelligently to reduce the complexity of traditional collaboration solutions.

Peter Müller particularly emphasized the strategic cooperation with Huawei: "The product offers high quality and versatile integration and expansion options, so that all the needs of decision-makers and other stakeholders can be met. And all this at an optimal price-performance ratio and with excellent customer service.

Absolut also highlighted its customer service. The eKit ideally complements the existing web shop portfolio. Cost-efficient processes, also between China and Switzerland, supported by local engineering, lead to attractive prices. The entire product range, valued at CHF 3 million in Swiss warehouses, can be delivered anywhere in Switzerland within 24 hours.

Building bridges between countries and cultures – and creating a win-win-win situation at the same time: Huawei, its partners and Swiss SMEs benefit equally from eKit, according to the tenor of the successful launch and briefing event.