Connected to the future - ITnation

THOMAS SCHNEIDER Grand entretien
What is your vision of the relation
between IT and business ?
IT plays the role of a business-enabler; it must
provide the environment and the tools which
the business requires to operate. We need to
make sure that employees can access any
information they need, anywhere and at any
time. Our goal is to deploy state-of-the-art
and robust technology. It is essential for IT to
be in permanent dialogue with the business.
If someone took a picture of your IT,
what would we see ?
You would find a classical, controlled mix of IT
infrastructure, using the appropriate environment
for any particular purpose. We are not
tied to technology and use Microsoft or Unix
platforms wherever we feel they best serve our
needs. Collaboration tools are used extensively
within the SES group. Instant Messaging
helps to overcome the geographical spread of
the organisation, and collaboration databases
are very often documenting the entire life of a
satellite, from construction to graveyard orbit.
Can you give a portrait of SES
ASTRA within the SES group today,
in terms of people ?
SES is one of the world’s leading satellite
operators with 39 satellites in orbit, covering
the entire planet and distributing roughly
13,000 services at any time – this is a vital
communications infrastructure. SES operates
through its market-facing entities, SES
ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in North
America, SES NEW SKIES in South America,
Africa, and Asia.
L'Annonce_Avaloq_2007_210x45mm-left-hand-page.pdf 30.11.2007 13:39:05
SES ASTRA is the leading satellite system
for direct-to-home broadcasting and serves 4
out of 5 satellite and cable homes in Europe,
approximately 117 million homes in 35 countries.
SES ASTRA’s current fleet of 16 satellites
provides transmission capacity for the world’s
and Europe’s leading broadcasters and distributes
more than 2,300 television and radio
services in Europe. SES ASTRA also provides
satellite services through its affiliates ASTRA
Platform Services (APS), NDSatCom and SES
TechCom. ASTRA has 240 employees from
23 different nations, creating an environment
that you want to be part of.