Sun powers Jordan's push-to-talk innovator XPress

Xpress, the first telecom provider in the Middle East to offer the innovative "push-to-talk" concept - also known as cell-phone walkie-talkies - was officially launched in Jordan in June.

"Jordanians have caught on quickly to the benefits of chatting by simply pushing a button rather than dialing a number," said Amer Mowafi, chief information officer, Xpress. "They are attracted to the groundbreaking service, and not only by the affordable rates, but also by the high-level of service that we offer."

As part of the deal, XPress invested in almost USD1 million worth of hardware from Sun. Included in the package was a Sun Data Centre Server Platform, a Sun Fire 6800 - multi-domain high availability server, and a SE9970 (SAN), which is the first Hitachi Data Systems machine of its kind to be sold in the Levant region. Sun also sold two V880s to run the Xpress Oracle human resources software. The project was implemented by Sun partner Specialized Technical Services (STS).

In preparation for the rush of subscribers, XPress prioritized a sturdy hardware system based on the need for fast processing speeds, and capacity to store vast amounts of vital customer and business information.

"The initial response we have had from the public has been overwhelming," said Mr. Mowafi. "The express speed at which Jordanians have adopted this new service demonstrates how much of an impact this new form of communication is going to have on the Middle East market," said Mr. Mowafi. "Plans are already in place to begin rolling out the technology in other Middle Eastern countries."

Push-to-Talk is a real-time direct one-to-one and one-to-many voice communication service in the cellular network. The principle of communication behind the service is simple - just push to talk. Thanks to the always-on connection, calls can be started to both individuals and talk groups with just a push of a key. The call connection is almost instantaneous and the receiver does not have to answer the call.

"XPress is a perfect example of how telecom companies can run their businesses efficiently and effectively by investing in a solid technology infrastructure," said Mehmet Iyimen, managing director, MENA, Sun Microsystems. "Based on the overwhelming response from the Jordanian subscriber base and the anticipated business growth, we expect that the company's infrastructure needs could easily double within the first year."