ABOUT COMPANY: HISTORY
Viva-MTS (“MTS Armenia” CJSC) (“VivaCell” at founding) obtained a license on implementation of activities in 2004. Launched in 2005 with a small staff under the leadership of the General Manager Ralph Yirikian, the team set a target to provide an extensive mobile network throughout the country as soon as possible and start the provision of services.
The first on-net call of Viva-MTS was made on July 1, 2005, marking the beginning of a new era in Armenia’s telecommunications field. The arrival of Viva-MTS in Armenia put an end to the monopoly in the field of mobile communications, and started competition to completely change the situation in the field soon. Thanks to the high quality, affordable tariffs, reliability and extensive network coverage offered by Viva-MTS, GSM services shortly became available to the population of Armenia.
In 2006 Viva-MTS continued to develop not only the network, but also the organizational structure. The Company’s long-term targets were based on improving the quality of the opportunities and the services provided to subscribers. Works were carried out in order to expand the mobile network and apply an effective policy for the involvement of human resources. As of January 2006, the Company managed to attract 50% of the market share (over 350,000 subscribers). In September of the same year, the Company’s mobile network was available in 90% of the country’s populated areas.
In September 2007, after the sale of 80% of the shares, the Company became a subsidiary of one of the largest telecommunications companies in the CIS area - the Russian company “Mobile TeleSystems” (“MTS”). In parallel with the new strategy, definition of goals, and the formulation of a common corporate mission, a new organizational structure of Viva-MTS started to develop.
In 2007, the Company reported significant progress in the development and growth of its subscriber base: the number of users of Viva-MTS services exceeded 1 million people. In parallel, the number of employees was increasing.
As a result of co-branding carried out in 2008, the Company’s brand changed. Viva became Viva-MTS. During this year, the Company also managed to gain a significant market share, exceeding 78%. In April 2009, Viva-MTS announced the commercial launch of its third generation (3G) network. For the first time in Armenia, 3G network was launched in the regions; besides, for the first time, network coverage was provided in the territory of the Yerevan metro.
The upgraded network provided subscribers with the opportunity to use innovative services of Viva-MTS, such as video calls and high-speed mobile Internet.
Viva-MTS’ success in the field of mobile communications is conditioned by the following principle: mobile services should be available not to a limited number of people, but to everyone. Thanks to roaming partnerships with foreign operators, Viva-MTS provides its subscribers with the opportunity to keep in touch with their homeland, regardless of their location. Viva-MTS has 529 roaming partners in 192 countries of the world.
countries
Roaming Partners
Viva-MTS launched 4G/LTE network for the first time in Armenia in 2010. This gave the subscribers an opportunity to enjoy much faster Internet speeds and work with higher efficiency. As a responsible corporate citizen, the Company was not solely guided by the principle of return on investment when deciding to install base stations. For Viva-MTS, ensuring a reliable communication infrastructure even in the most remote areas with a small population and insignificant prospects for the consumption of services is a target equally both from social and security points of view.
Upon the day of its foundation, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has remained not only a concept, but also a daily practice for all Viva-MTS employees. Viva-MTS is the first company in Armenia to introduce and apply CSR as a management model and is the first operator to be guided by the international principles of social responsibility ISO 26000.
In the course of its activities, within the framework of the CSR strategy, Viva-MTS has allocated over AMD 29 billion for social investments in Armenia for the improvement and sustainable development in the following areas:
- Healthcare;
- Culture;
- Education;
- Sport;
- Environment;
- Drinkingandirrigation water pipelines, including in border communities;
- Construction of dwelling buildings in border communities;
- Alternativeenergyfeedheatingand lighting systems;
- Volunteering;
- Children with special needs;
- Provision of apartments for 40 homeless families from the disaster zone;
- Promotion of information and communication technologies development, including startups
Viva-MTS has its own fiber-optical cable network throughout the country, extending from the north of Armenia to the south. The Company imports Internet through its own channels for the needs of the domestic market. In 2012, Viva-MTS strengthened its position in the financial services market, as well. With the release of the MobiDram e-wallet, and in 2016 with the release of the MobiDram mobile application, customers were given the opportunity to make secure payments with only one touch, using smartphones. Today, when buying any device from Viva-MTS online store, the payment may also be made with MobiDram.
Viva-MTS has a way rich of challenges, making its powerful mobile network available to 99.8% of the population. In 2014, the number of Viva-MTS mobile internet subscribers reached 1 million, and the Company owned over 60% of the market share.
Attaching great importance to information security, the Company became the first operator to implement the international standard ISO/IEC 27001:2013 on information security management (in 2015). This standard remains an important part of the Company’s management system. In 2017, Viva-MTS entered the B2B fixed-line market. Currently, the Company provides fixed VoIP services, fixed broadband Internet and data transmission, collocation and provision of communication channels. The acquisition by Viva-MTS of the assets of “ADC”, a broadband Internet provider with its own fiber-optical network and technological capacities having a significant subscriber base, was one of the largest transactions in the telecommunications sector in Armenia. As a result, Viva-MTS has significantly expanded its subscriber base, which uses broadband fixed Internet and related services, including legal entities, such as private/corporate sector companies, state and community structures. The digital transformation of Viva-MTS is in process, as a result of which the Company is taking significant steps aimed at simplifying the daily life of its subscribers. So, in 2017, Viva-MTS released the mobile application “My Viva-MTS”, which is an easy-to-use solution to the needs of subscribers and allows the subscriber to control the balance through a mobile phone, choose tariff plans and services that best meet individual communication needs, activate/deactivate the services used, etc.
Over the years, Viva-MTS has received a number of awards and prizes.
Thanks to the high responsibility shown in the economic and social spheres, Viva-MTS was able to present a CSR report in Armenia for the first time in 2018 in accordance with the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative.
In 2018, the Company The digital transformation of Viva-MTS is in process, as a result of which the Company is taking significant steps aimed at simplifying the daily life of its subscribers. So, in 2017, Viva-MTS released the mobile application “My Viva-MTS”, which is an easy-to-use solution to the needs of subscribers and allows the subscriber to control the balance through a mobile phone, choose tariff plans and services that best meet individual communication needs, activate/deactivate the services used, etc.
strengthened its cloud infrastructure and introduced the cloud infrastructure service #CloudMTS. At the same time, Viva-MTS became the first operator in Armenia to obtain a certificate of compliance with the international standards of anti-corruption and compliance systems, ISO 37001 and ISO 19600.
In 2019, Viva-MTS signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Staff of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia on the introduction of an anti-corruption and internal ethics system. In August 2019, MTS acquired the remaining 20% of Viva-MTS shares. Continuing to expand its digital services, in 2019 Viva-MTS, together with the “Shant TV” company, released the Armenian application of HD channels “MTS TV”, which is a new word in the process of increasing the availability of Armenian content. The application allows you to turn your smartphone into a full-fledged TV and watch a number of Armenian and foreign TV channels and TV series in HD quality in 3G and 4G/4G+ networks coverage of Viva-MTS, as well as via Wi-Fi.
In the beginning of 2020, the leading telecommunications operator in Armenia made stylistic changes to the corporate logo. The updated logo underlines the Company’s strategic focus on youth and the digital world
- bold and fun. “Viva”, which is the basis and symbol of the Company’s identity, and has become much-loved by subscribers for many years, remains unchanged as always.
Thus, today Viva-MTS offers to the market much more than just voice and data services, including a number of gaming, entertainment, educational applications, e-wallet, mobile TV, cloud services and useful solutions for effective business and financial management, etc.
The stage of digital transformation that Viva-MTS is currently in, involves the transition from a telecommunications operator to a company offering comprehensive digital services, which corresponds to global trends in the development of the sphere, as well as the growing needs and expectations of the subscribers.
Since 2005, Viva-MTS has paid more than AMD 258 billion taxes to the state. The Company is the largest taxpayer in the telecommunications sector and in general is always among the largest taxpayers.
Viva-MTS today has a wide service center network - 72 service centers in Yerevan and the regions, where MobiDram branches also operate.
The Company currently has about 1,200 employees and over 2 million subscribers.
taxes to the state
service centers in Yerevan and the regions
subscribers
employees
