BOSTON (July 2, 2010)—Pioneer Consulting, Project Manager of the Main One Cable System Implementation, is pleased to announce its contribution to the completion of Phase 1 for the submarine cable’s implementation. Appointed by Main One Cable Company in 2008, Pioneer Consulting led the project management and oversaw engineering for the system—over 6,900 kilometers of fiber optic cable providing connectivity along the West Coast of Africa from Portugal to Nigeria and a branch to Ghana.
“Through each stage, Pioneer’s team addressed the implementation risks and prioritized key actions to ensure that delivery of the system would be on schedule, to specification and within budget. Their project management experience was a great asset to Phase 1 and our company,” stated Funke Opeke, CEO of Main One Cable Company.
From inception, Pioneer reviewed the contract with the turnkey supplier, guided the route engineering, coordinated with the system supplier to deliver optimum protection for 25 years of service within strict design, operational and environmental requirements. Crucial roles included desktop study review, product assurance, project reviews and preparing for marine maintenance through Pioneer’s maintenance and operational support service. In addition, the firm provided expert owner’s shipboard representation aboard the survey, shore-end and main lay installation vessels, auditing the terminal stations during the installation and commission stages.
Keith Schofield, Director of Submarine Networks and Main One Project Manager stated, “We are excited about the success of Main One Phase 1. In addition to our core implementation skills, through our research and advisory services, we were able to validate traffic projections for the system which contributed to finance support and our implementation support allowed Main One’s internal capability to prepare its facilities and staff team for System Operation.”
Pioneer audited the system engineering for Main One during design, manufacturing and delivery. Pioneer’s Lead Systems Engineer, Howard Kidorf emphasized the importance of an approved program. “Through a working group of engineers, we reviewed the supplier’s plans for commissioning and acceptance in order to agree upon a plan that delivered confidence in the installed equipment.”
For more information on Pioneer Consulting send an e-mail to:
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or call +1 978 357 3605.
BOSTON (May 10, 2010)—Pioneer Consulting is pleased to announce that, following three years as Director of Submarine Networks, Keith Schofield has become a co-managing partner, along with existing managing partners Howard Kidorf and Julian Rawle. Keith will continue with his oversight of the submarine project implementation and engineering business.
Since joining Pioneer, Keith has provided consultancy support for organizations considering entering the market for marine services, carriers seeking to expand their international cable networks and has supplied project development expertise to several companies wanting to invest in submarine networks. Keith leads Pioneer's submarine network consulting activities in project development, feasibility and implementation.
"For over three years Keith has been an integral part of the company. He has been instrumental in the success of the Main One submarine cable system as its lead project manager," commented Howard Kidorf, fellow managing partner and lead systems engineer for the cable system.
Before Keith joined Pioneer he worked at Cable & Wireless where he guided several submarine network consulting programs including system-managing Latvia Sweden, the world's first unrepeatered cable to exceed 300km, the Brazil Domestic Submarine Cable Integration Project, and Southern Cross Consultancy for Cable & Wireless Global Networks.
At the current SubOptic 2010 Conference Keith Schofield expressed his enthusiasm for Pioneer and servicing the needs of its clients: "It's my aim to ensure Pioneer retains and grows its internationally respected position as a company that is first for service, quality, and value-added when it comes to submarine network and implementation consulting. Pioneer will continue to grow as it attracts the best of the industry to work both in the company, and as associates."
"We are delighted that Keith has chosen to make this long-term commitment to Pioneer” stated Julian Rawle, Pioneer’s managing partner. “Retaining his skills as an experienced commercial development director and general manager of highly complex telecommunications infrastructure projects creates certainty for us and for our clients. Pioneer will continue to deliver major infrastructure projects on time, to specification, and within budget."
Keith is available at SubOptic 2010 from May 11-14 in Yokohama, Japan, for individual meetings and to present information regarding Pioneer Consulting and its products and services.
Article written by Keith Schofield, Director, Submarine Networks,
Pioneer Consulting
Article originally appeared in Submarine Telecoms Forum;
#49; Special Edition; February 2010; SubOptic 2010 Conference Preview. Reprinted with permission.
BOSTON (February 1, 2010)—During the morning of Sunday, January
17th, a diverse group of panelists debated and discussed market
developments, current changes and technology advances from within the
submarine cable industry at PTC ’10 in Honolulu, Hawaii, while upwards
of 200 international delegates participated.
Organized by Pioneer Consulting, three panel
sessions were included during the three hour workshop: “Market,
Business and Industry Developments”, “View from the Supply Side” and
“Marine Maintenance & Restoration Trends”. In addition, Keith Schofield (Director, Submarine Networks at Pioneer and host of the workshop)
conducted the keynote interview with Fiona Beck, CEO of Southern Cross
Cable Network. Panelists were drawn from cable owners like AT&T,
Australia-Japan Cable, FT/Orange, GlobeNet/Oy, Hibernia Atlantic, and
Main One; system suppliers such as Alcatel, Huawei Marine, NEC, Tyco
Telecommunications, and Xtera; and marine contractors like Global
Marine.
“Pioneer truly appreciated the invitation by the
Pacific Telecommunications Council to organize and facilitate this
popular annual event,” stated Keith Schofield.
“Using our extensive contacts throughout the industry, Pioneer gathered
a talented roundtable of industry leaders who expressed their views and
opinions in a lively dialogue that held audience attention throughout.”
Key themes arising from the submarine cable workshop
included the resilience of the market through the recent global
financial crisis; the increasing industry trend toward
cost-effectiveness of 40G line cards in submarine systems; and the
pressure for change in maintenance arrangements for submarine fiber
optic cable networks.
Pioneer Consulting is an international
telecommunications consulting, engineering, and market research firm.
For more than 10 years, Pioneer’s accurate, insightful, and thorough
advisory services have provided clients with objective and independent
guidance in support of their projects and their strategic goals.
Pioneer’s capabilities range from market analysis and feasibility
study, through system design, engineering and supply, to project
implementation. For more information about Pioneer Consulting and its
services please visit http://www.pioneerconsulting.com or send an
e-mail to:
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To view Keith Schofield's interview from
PTC ‘10, please watch the video below.
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