Per Simonsen appointed CEO of Telenor Connexion

Press release
Fornebu
4 minute read
Telenor today announced that Per Simonsen (45) has been appointed CEO of the newly established company, Telenor Connexion AB.
Telenor Connexion is a newly established international company that aims at taking a strong position in the market for connecting devices, also known as machine-to-machine communication (M2M). The company will provide SIM cards and mobile connectivity to large, global enterprises in selected industries and markets around the world.

A prioritised business area


"The Board of Directors is very pleased to appoint Mr. Per Simonsen as the first CEO of the company. This is a prioritised area within the Telenor Group. Telenor Connexion will both provide a technical platform for the Telenor Operating Companies, supporting them in becoming market leaders in their respective markets, and address markets outside of Telenor's footprint. Having an extensive international experience and coming from the position as Head of Group Strategy, Per Simonsen will be in the best possible position to succeed on both arenas," said Arve Johansen, Chairman of Telenor Connexion.

Per Simonsen has served as Head of Group Strategy since September 2004, and has previously held a number of leading positions within the Group. He holds a Master in International Economics and Management from SDA Bocconi in Milan. Per is married and has three children.

"I am honoured to be given the responsibility for heading this new and exciting business in Telenor, and I look forward to working with the team in Sweden which has already positioned this as a promising business area," said Per Simonsen. He will start in his new position on 1 February 2009.
About Telenor Connexion and M2M

Building on the experience of the world leading M2M-operations within Telenor Sweden, Telenor Connexion is headquartered in Stockholm and is wholly owned by Telenor ASA.

Connected objects, or M2M, are two terms used to describe data communication between machines or devices using networks, especially public wireless networks. Some examples of services utilising this technology include: location tracking of containers, fleet monitoring, alarm signals forwarded automatically to alarm centres during burglary and emergency services in case of car accidents, in which essential information about the accident (i.e. impact and location so forth) is sent via the mobile network.

Most advanced mobile operator within M2M

Telenor was recently named "the most advanced mobile operator in the area of M2M" and "the dominant provider of wireless M2M connectivity" by Berg Insight, a leading M2M Industry analyst firm. Telenor's largest customers in the M2M-market today include; Securitas, Daimler and Volvo.

For more information, please contact:


Scott Engebrigtsen, Head of Media & PR, Telenor ASA
Tel: +47 90043484 E-mail: scott.engebrigtsen@telenor.com

Fredrik Salvesen, acting CEO Telenor Connexion
Tel: + 47 993 39 999 E-mail: fredrik.salvesen@telenor.com