Batelco to support Bahrain International e-Government Forum 2009 as Diamond Sponsor

The Forum is taking place under the patronage of H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister.

The event, which is scheduled to take place from May 25 to 27 at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre, is aimed at spreading e-awareness across Bahrain and the GCC by discussing topics related to e-government services, security, management and other relevant issues. The three day event will also provide participants with the opportunity to share their experiences gained in the international arena.

As the Kingdom's leading integrated communications provider, Batelco has invested over $1.4bn in telecommunications infrastructure for Bahrain. The completion of Batelco's NGN (Next Generation Network) at the beginning of 2009 was a significant milestone for Batelco and Bahrain and lays the foundation for the future of telecommunications for the Kingdom.

Additionally, Batelco has invested in enhancements for its @ltijara service. Batelco's payment gateway -@ltijara - the Gulf's first payment gateway, was recently re-launched with an improved and more secure platform that allows using multiple channels.

Dr. Abdulla Al-Thawadi, Batelco's Enterprise Division & Government Business General Manager, explained:

"Batelco invested in the enhancements for @ltijara to cater to the growing demand for highly secure electronic payment systems which continue to grow as more and more people are discovering the convenience of completing transactions electronically."

Batelco's @ltijara is a powerful and secure e-commerce payment gateway allowing organisations to successfully establish themselves online. Goods and services can be sold online and payments are processed in real time through @ltijara. The @ltijara payment gateway can be accessed by a company's customers either through multimedia kiosks, the Internet or by phone using Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

"Over half a million transactions were channelled through Batelco's @ltijara last year," added Dr. Al-Thawadi.

Such ongoing investment stems from Batelco's commitment to support the government in its initiatives towards building an advanced digital society, enhancing the lives of residents through capitalising on the latest available technologies.

Besides being a Diamond Sponsor for the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum, Batelco will also participate in an exhibition, the Bahrain ICT Expo 2009, which will be held alongside the Forum. At the exhibition, Batelco will showcase its latest services and e-facilities.

Batelco Product Managers will be on hand to demonstrate a number of products & services for the Forum's participants and visitors to the exhibition. Included in the products & services that will be showcased are @ltijara, IP (Internet Protocol) Telephony and the latest in the wireless broadband services.