Gerald von Pok is Regional Sales Director, EMEA/UK&I, at Nomad Digital. In this guest writer article, he explains why the transport connectivity specialist will be exhibiting at Rail Live in Madrid from 29th Nov-1st Dec this year.
The UK’s rail heritage is unrivalled – and, 200 years since the first locomotive manufacturing works was founded in Newcastle upon Tyne, it’s still uniquely well-placed to support and advance the global transport industry.
Although Nomad Digital is proud to be headquartered in the North East and to share this with the historic manufacturing works, ‘Robert Stephenson and Company’, we are very much focused on the road ahead, and have a clear vision about the digitally connected journey of the future. Developed by a team of transport experts, our intelligent passenger, fleet management and monitoring solutions help organisations around the world to innovate and realise efficiencies. Now, we’re keen to develop a footprint across a range of different subregions. It’s why my team and I exhibited at Poland’s TRAKO trade show earlier this year, followed by World Passenger Festival in Vienna – and why we’ll soon be making our debut appearance at Rail Live in Madrid.
Existing customers and new connections
For Nomad Digital, Rail Live will be a unique opportunity to learn more about the Spain, Portugal, and Iberian Peninsula region. We were impressed with this busy, dynamic event (which brings together infrastructure managers, operators, rolling stock manufacturers, and suppliers) when we visited as delegates, and look forward to showcasing our integrated solutions as exhibitors.
Our objectives are simple. As with many industry events, Rail Live will give us the chance to tie in with our mother company, Alstom. We’re also hoping to meet with the other organisations we support – firms like world-leading train builder CAF, and fellow Spanish manufacturer Talgo.
And the show will enable us to speak to some of the prominent end customers in the region – including Renfe, Spain’s national rail company. We may also get an opportunity to meet with CP E.P.E., the state-owned rail operator for Portugal. It would be great to develop some new relationships, perhaps exploring the city transport sector. It’s all about showcasing our products and services, talking to existing clients, and making new connections. Hopefully, there will be an opportunity to generate new enquiries, build the sales pipeline, and perhaps even win some projects. We already have a footprint in the region – now, we’re thinking about how we can grow it.
Key transport connectivity themes
As part of these efforts, we’ll be explaining how our solutions help organisations to improve connectivity, with a focus on several key themes – including 4G and 5G, supporting trackside networks, and cyber security. Passenger experience is also key, and we’ll explore topics like entertainment, journey information, and personalised journey planning. Finally, we’ll be discussing Nomad Digital’s supporting and monitoring technology – tools that help to optimise fleet management.
These are the issues shaping rail transportation, whether in the UK, Poland, Austria, or Spain. Indeed, across Europe, organisations are rolling out sustainability initiatives that will support a modal shift from road to rail. Focus has also shifted from trains to the people on them, with operators thinking more about passenger experience. And the products and services they require vary depending on factors like journey length. On longer journeys, clients might need a full entertainment portal – while, for shorter urban journeys, shorter messages and journey planning tools would be more appropriate. We work with customers, helping them to deliver these services.
Developing partnerships
And Rail Live isn’t just an opportunity to engage with clients, new and existing. As part of its growth strategy, Nomad Digital is also keen to develop partnerships in Spain, Portugal, and the Iberian Peninsula. This might mean collaborating with local mobile operators, or systems integrators that specialise in IT and telecoms. As we grow our global presence, these partnerships will enable us to offer, not just complementary products, but truly local service too.
Because it’s Nomad Digital’s end-to-end service that sets it apart from the competition in Spain, Portugal, and the Iberian Peninsula. We deliver both innovative hardware products and services, and essential ‘back end’ operation and maintenance services – all underpinned by KPIs and service level agreements. This means that customers can rely on us for support, long after their solutions have been implemented.
And my team and I are looking forward to discussing our services at Rail Live later this month. It promises to be a great event, and an exciting opportunity for us to support more organisations in the region.
