This is not the first time Ericsson’s office in Beirut has continued to operate during a time of crisis.

“Unfortunately, I must say, we’ve been through this process before,” says Hans Severin, Ericsson’s country manager for Lebanon and Syria. “Many other companies have already closed their offices and evacuated their employees, but we continue to provide complete support to operators throughout the country.

“That means we have the ability to help Télécoms Sans Frontières’ people with logistics when they arrive,” he says.

Severin and his staff secured accommodation for two TSF volunteers at a hotel near Ericsson’s office in the eastern part of Beirut. They also reserved office space in the Ericsson facility where the aid workers have access to phone and internet services, as well as other office support.

They are expected to work from that office until they can travel to southern Lebanon where most of the destruction from the Israel-Hezbollah conflict has occurred. If and when they reach the region, they will deploy mobile telecommunication centers with WiFi internet access.

Technology
To make this possible, TSF sent eight satellite data transmitters, two WiFi routers, and one Visio conference station. The volunteers also brought an assortment of technology gear such as laptops, printers, photocopiers and a scanner, a representative with the organization said.

Ericsson sent employees to Beirut harbor Wednesday afternoon to pick up the TSF volunteers when they arrived by boat from Cyprus. But Severin says he is not dispatching any Ericsson workers to southern Lebanon for now.

“All cars traveling on the road in that region right now are potential targets for bombs,” he says. “It’s just not safe.”

Should the situation become too precarious for travel in Beirut as well, local Ericsson employees have the technology to work from their homes.

The TSF volunteers may spend several weeks at Ericsson’s office before they move into areas where their help is most needed. Nobody can plan anything for sure in a situation that can change from one hour to the next.

What is certain, says Ericsson Response Director Dag Nielsen, is that by helping out during a catastrophe or crisis, Ericsson employees feel both pride and a strong sense of accomplishment.

“This is a way for our employees to help out beyond the scope of their normal jobs,” Nielsen says.

“We receive a lot of electronic messages from employees across the world when an action like this takes place. Providing communication for all is part of Ericsson’s Corporate Responsibility mission, but it also gives employees tremendous satisfaction,” he says.

Ericsson’s office in Beirut is part of a network of offices in 140 countries that Ericsson serves – each with its own set of cultural and language skills.

“That means we’re often in a better position to provide immediate response than the international emergency aid organizations are,” Nielsen says.

Karin Rives
Editorial Services