| Achievements
MIROSLAV RADOVANOVIĆ (M. A.), THE MANAGER OF ”PUPIN TELEKOM AD”, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS IMPORTANT COMPANY
The speed of technological changes
Established by the decision of the Government of Serbia, back in 1947, this prominent company, the main part of Serbian industry of telecommunications, survived the country’s breakdown and the breakdown of the market, as well as wars, sanctions, transition, operating in the private sector. And that is not all: during a very harsh competition on the market, the company kept its development and its technological track with the most prominent world producers. In collaboration with the American company ”Navini Networks”, this company is on its way to work with the technology of mobile internet access
 The pride and the hope of Serbian industry of telecommunications, now and then, ”Pupin Telekom AD” from Belgrade is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its work. Given that the technology of telecommunications has been changing very fast during many years, this prominent company successfully adapted to these changes. The 60th anniversary will be in the spirit of technological changes: the famous digital central stations developed in ”Pupin” taken over by the internet technologies, including speech communication, which is a popular world trend. The first steps towards that new technology were made in ”Pupin Telekom AD”.
— We expect that very soon, all over the world, and in Europe as well, the technology of mobile access to the internet will take over. The new generation in mobile communications was, among others, developed by the American company ”Navini”, with which we have established good contacts — says Miroslav Radovanović (M. A.) for the National Review, the Manager of ”Pupin Telekom AD”. — It is a new technology which will make possible the wireless internet access, from desktop and laptop computers, but from mobile terminals as well which will look like mobile phones and will be able to transmit data, speech and images... If everything develops by our plan, we could install the equipment made in the USA, in the first stage, and later, we would talk about making some of these parts in our country.
The experts of ”Pupin Telekom AD” have already prepared themselves for the occasion, says Radovanović. Last year, they visited the Bulgarian operator ”Max Telecom”, they tested the system and the technology of the company ”Navini” was chosen for covering all Bulgaria with basic stations, which represents the biggest WiMax network of that type in Europe. Besides, ”Navini Networks” was also established in Ireland. It is expected that Serbia will be next, as the third European country to use the equipment of this company from Texas.
LOYAL TO THE NAME AND THE TRADITION  The first steps of the collaboration with the prominent American company Navini Networks” confirm that the company ”Pupin Telekom AD”, which still carries its old name, this not being a common case today, did not only survive the heavy technological temptations of war years, isolation, transition, but it stayed capable to fight in the open market, to make profit and to glorify its name again, slowly but undoubtedly. — We exist for 60 years, and today, the hardest thing is to make business in the open liberal market, in the most severe concurrence, with the biggest world companies which deal with communications, such as ”Nokia-Siemens Networks”,”Ericsson”... In such conditions, we have survived all transitions and transformations and we have successfully operated in the private sector, says the Manager Miroslav Radovanović. — Now, we are a stock company, with about one thousand stockholders. The owners of 31 percent of our stocks are physical persons, mostly domestic but there are foreign citizens as well. There are also our employees and retired persons. There are people from the ex Yugoslav republics as well. The bigger part of stocks, 64 percent, is the property of juristic persons, mostly domestic companies and foreign ones as well.
Today, it may sound as a phrase (because of its often incorrect use), the biggest capital of ”Pupin Telekom AD” are its employees. From 557 employees, 203 of them have a degree. The biggest part are engineers, specialized in information technologies and telecommunications. About 200 technicians are making a great success in their part of work. The capital of ”Pupin Telekom AD” is also the office space, three buildings in Batajnički Road, with the surface of 22 thousand square meters. Total incomes of the company are from 20 to 25 million Euros, the profit is one to two million Euros and dividends are always paid.
— Two years ago, we were the biggest Serbian producers of public telephone central stations. We are speaking about DCTS (digital commuting telephone system). The building and the work of these central stations in ”Telekom Srbija”, our biggest and most important business partner, represented the biggest part of the business achievements of our company. Besides central stations, we work on telephone networks with copper and optical cables with ”Telekom Srbija”, we are a part of the building of their corporative network, as well as other complex moves. However, with the changing of the technological level, digital central stations are not popular anymore and telecommunication operators do not ask for them. That is what accelerated our existing intention to introduce new equipment into our production program, based on internet technologies — says Radovanović
SUPERVISING TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND VEHICLES Besides this, ”Pupin Telekom AD” is dealing with cable and distributive systems (CDS). In collaboration with ”PTT Srbija”, these systems are placed in Belgrade settlements Tošin Bunar and Slavija. In these kinds of networks, television and internet (and speech) signals are transmitted through one cable.
— We have made a large number of fiscal cash registers for the Ministry of Finance, and we have also developed the system of distance supervision of these registers. Besides fiscal cash registers, we can also supervise traffic lights, electric meters and many other devices. We have also developed the system of counting the number of vehicles on the road. This system works based on mobile telephony — says Radovanović.
”Pupin Telekom AD” developed the production of traffic light. These devices for regulating traffic are a domestic product, form projects to the final phase, through production, software and installations, all the way to putting it into operation. Technical possibilities for supervision these devices from one place were achieved. The experts of ”Pupin AD” are preparing a software for supervising all traffic light in a town. With the control of the vehicle number on the streets, one can get a precise insight into traffic and the work of traffic light can be coordinated from one place. Traffic jams can be significantly lessen. Belgrade is supposed to introduce that kind of program for the approaching Universiade, and ”Pupin Telekom AD” will try to get the job.
THE CONCEPT OF THE INTELLIGENT BUILDING  About 20 years ago, ”Pupin Telekom AD” developed, and it is still developing and improving, the network for data transmission JUPAK. It all started with the PTT telex centrals, then town and internal corporation networks. Besides that, the so-called active and passive structural object cabling was made, after the concept of ”the intelligent building”. The active cabling understands the setting of electric switches which make possible the connecting of computers in a local network. With newer buildings this is done by project, when during the building all necessary installations are set. It is also possible to set this kind of system in older buildings, with additional equipment and some changes.
”Pupin Telekom AD” is successfully producing and implementing business communication systems, call centers and corporation networks, in the early times from domestic production and now in collaboration with ”Alcatel-Lucent”. One of the bigger projects of the kind was recently finished in the renovated Business Center ”Ušće” (the former Central Committee building), where the general communication system was built with about two thousand telephone and computer connections.
— ”Pupin Telekom” is achieving important results in producing and delivering of telecommunication equipment, optical and copper sections, mechanical parts, cabinets and all other equipment. They have also made good cooperation with a prominent Swiss company ”Reichle De Massari” — says Radovanović.
Before the breakdown of ex Yugoslavia, in 1990, the company ”Alkatel Pupin Jugoslavija” was established, which still exists under the same name and hires about 50 employees. ”Pupin Telekom AD” is the owner of 44 percent of the capital and ”Alcatel-Lucent” of 56 percent of the capital. When the company was established, it was planned to move all produced machines from ”Alcatel” to ”Pupin” halls and to start the production of telecommunication equipment. At that time, sanctions were introduced in Serbia and the factory was moved to Timisoara. When the sanctions were cancelled, the company started working, take part in jobs which ”Alcatel” signed with ”Telekom Srbija”. There is a possibility, depending on the decision of stockholders, that ”Pupin Telekom AD” finds a strategic partner , and the most natural thing would be that that partner is ”Alcatel-Lucent”.
National Review Press |
