Etisalat and Cisco join forces to elevate the UAE telecom standards to the next level

The agreement translates into transforming Etisalat as a unique supplier to provide its customers with full life cycle management - from preparing and designing to installation, final deployment and support. Through this approach, Etisalat will be able to offer services extending into customer premises thereby relieving them from the hassles of managing today's complex networks.

'Our partnership with Cisco furthers Etisalat's commitment to offer total solutions while maintaining one interface with our valued customers.' said Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, Chief Operating Officer of Etisalat. 'With Etisalat's regional and UAE market knowledge and Cisco's global expertise, we can ensure the provisioning of advanced and unique services to our valued customers. These solutions include state-of-the-art managed data, security, unified communication and video services'

Etisalat and Cisco will work in cooperation in four major areas: Wireline and Mobile Infrastructure, Managed ICT Services development and building, whilst addressing the demands of rapidly growing real-estate sector in the UAE.

'The demand for Managed ICT Services is increasing dramatically in the region,' said Samer Alkharrat, Cisco Gulf General Manager.

'The partnership with Cisco will help Etisalat reap benefits by consistently reducing IT costs while increasing employee productivity and the level of services in the country. Cisco's Managed ICT services solution removes much of the burden associated with the enterprise's operational expense and overhead, thus allowing businesses to optimize cost and focus on their core business.'

'We will be working with Etisalat's Sales, Marketing and Engineering teams in developing those services and taking them to market. We will make sure Etisalat is supported with the right level of resources from Cisco to help them succeed in the UAE market with Managed ICT services,' said Tarek Jundi, Cisco Regional Manager.

The concept of Managed ICT Services is prevalent in Europe and the United States, and is currently picking up pace in this region. Cisco's Managed ICT Services solution helps service providers deliver comprehensive, higher-quality IT services, leading to greater reliability and availability. In addition to Managed ICT Services, Cisco will continue supporting Etisalat in migrating its network to an all-IP network.