MMS handset sales rocket as Wataniya Telecom brings advanced multimedia services to Kuwaiti mobile users

"The response from the market has been incredible. We are seeing a significant change in the communication lifestyles of Kuwaiti mobile phone users after the launch of our GPRS and MMS services. By driving new value and enriching the way people communicate on the move, 'Action' services are allowing our customers to do more with their mobiles than ever before, "said David Richard Murray, GM & CEO of Wataniya Telecom. "The introduction of this service, along with close collaboration and joint promotions with some of the leading mobile manufacturers such as Sony Ericsson, Siemens and LG Electronics, has resulted in a huge uptake of MMS capable handsets with mobile users in Kuwait.
"Since the launch of the service in the beginning of July, more than 5,000 Wataniya customers have become active users of Action services where they can send and receive photo messages, access Qu'ranic verses, Blue Mountain Arts e-cards, wallpapers, movie previews, news on the latest fashion and lifestyle accessories, Arabic comics, Garfield, Ziggy and Heathcliff comics, celebrity and music news, screensavers, cartoons and horoscopes, compose and send greeting cards and access the Internet as well as their email accounts (from Hotmail to Yahoo and other popular local providers). Wataniya expects the number of active Action customers to substantially increase by the end of the year as it continues to enhance its networks capabilities and promote the unique value added services that Action offers to its customers.

This month, Wataniya Telecom announced that it was offering its 'Action' services for free till the end of the year to all its customers that subscribed during the summer promotion that ended on 30th September 2003. The company also refreshed its offer to provide unlimited use of the current offering of 'Action' services until the end of the year to new Action subscribers for a special promotional price for only 9KD.

"Since its launch, the service has enjoyed tremendous response and uptake in the market. We want to continue to build on this success and deliver even more value by refreshing our offer through more surprises and exclusive benefits to the Kuwaiti mobile market," added Andrei Torriani, Wataniya Telecom's Marketing and Product Development Director.

The service brings a whole new experience to mobile users by providing them with advanced multimedia entertainment, information and lifestyle services that uses color, audio, animation and video images.

"Action is fun and easy to use. Our subscribers can access and manage all 'Action' services both over their mobiles and online. The massive uptake of subscribers to the service has increased the traffic on our website in the last three months by more than three-fold to 1.75 million hits in September alone. We expect this figure to go up as we continue driving new value and the number of people subscribing and using more 'Action' services increases," continued Murray.

Over the last three months, Wataniya has embarked on a nation-wide promotional campaign in some of the biggest malls in the city, including Marina Mall, Fanar Mall, Souk Sharq, Muhallab Mall, Souk Salmiya and Magic Mall where especially trained staff are demonstrating the new service. The mall promotions offer visitors the opportunity to sample the service for themselves and experience the value it brings to their everyday mobile communication. Wataniya also ran a number of other promotional activities around 'Action', including Kuwait's first MMS-based photography competition and the 'Red Balloon Bonanza', where 'Action' promotion staff gave away thousands of red Wataniya-branded helium balloons to shoppers around Marina Mall.

Action is available to all Wataniya post paid and pre-paid "Xpress" customers with GPRS and MMS featured mobiles, where they will be able to access Action with unlimited service for a promotional price of only KD 9 ($30) from 1st October to the 31st December, 2003.