Info2cell.com launches www.mymobile.ae portal to deliver value added services to UAE mobile subscribers

Addressing a press conference to launch www.mymobile.ae, a dynamic portal delivering advanced data services to Etisalat's mobile phone subscribers in English and Arabic, Dahabra said data services presented a tremendous growth potential in the Middle East, against falling revenues from voice calls. Recent research conducted by Info2cell.com has shown that data services over telecommunications networks are the fastest growing revenue earners in the Middle East.

Info2cell.com, the leading wireless application service provider and multimedia service integrator in the Middle East, has launched the dedicated mobile portal to offer an exciting range of services that include a News Channel offering Breaking News, News Headlines, Business Headlines and Sports Headlines and a Fun Channel offering Horoscopes, Jokes, Ladies Channel, entertainment magazines (Dubai and Abu Dhabi Time Out), ring-tones, picture messages, operator logos and email via mobile phones.

"The exclusive mobile portal is designed to provide value added services to mobile phone subscribers in the UAE. The move is part of Info2cell.com's ambitious plan to triple our existing subscriber base by May 2005," said Dahabra. "The value added services include the Women channel which has sections on Fashion, Beauty and Health. The new channels, available in English and Arabic, are already open for subscription in the UAE by calling 8004480."

The new portal, which uses the combined strengths of the web and mobile phones, has been built and designed on Info2cell.com's advanced Wireless Platform and will be powered by Etisalat for IVR subscription and billing aspects. The portal uses advanced inputs from Acotel, the leading European wireless application service provider, the parent company of Info2cell.com.

"The telecommunications sector in the GCC region, especially in the UAE, is evolving rapidly, both in terms of technology and market structure. The recent move of the UAE government announcing the deregulation of the sector will lead to intense competition amongst service providers," said Dahabra. "Excellence in technology and services provided will be the only way forward in a market, where the consumer is increasingly aware of global telecommunication trends and will not settle for anything less than the best."

"Info2cell.com has always been a pioneer in introducing innovative services to its mobile phone subscribers. When we first introduced the SMS Breaking News service in the region back in 2001 with Fastlink in Jordan and later on with MobiNil in Egypt, Etisalat in the UAE and MTC Kuwait, it was an instant hit, because it brought news to the subscriber much faster than any other media source," said Dahabra. "Since then, driven by subscriber demand we have expanded and enriched our SMS offerings to cover a comprehensive set of news segments."

Info2cell.com is investing in more advanced technology to maintain its lead in the data services area. The company expects a boom in data services in the near future, based on feedback from 14 mobile operators in the region representing a network of 35 million subscribers who are already using SMS and MMS services on a regular basis. The category of data services for mobile subscribers includes SMS, MMS, WAP, e-mail access via mobile phones, e-mail notification, mobile portals and content delivery to mobile phones.

SMS and MMS services have gained wide popularity because of the relatively cost-effective nature of this instant exchange of information, in comparison to voice calls. The ability to send images, sounds and data via mobile phones has also captured considerable subscriber interest amongst both private and professional users. An increasing number of mobile operators have started providing WAP services to cater to users who use the Internet to access business crucial information and data.

New trends indicate that content delivery service is making waves amongst subscribers of mobile data services. As a way of instant access to news, weather data, stock market reports, as well as entertainment-centric content (such as jokes), the Info2cell's content delivery service has attracted big names such as the BBC and Agence France Press (AFP) as providers of content.

"Value added services are now at the cutting-edge of mobile communications revolution in the Middle East. Mobile operators that can offer such services, are the ones who will have a market advantage," said Dahabra. "However, as mobile subscribers in the Middle East are highly knowledgeable and mature, service providers need to be equipped with quality software and hardware, which can provide the scalability to meet market demands and continually enhance the value-add in the services."

Dahabra has also commended the role played by the GSM Arab Association in promoting the cause of Middle Eastern mobile operators with technology and product providers.

"Customized products, such as handsets, are a good selling point for mobile operators. GSM Arab Association, by combining the might of the vast regional subscriber base, has succeeded in bringing customized branded products within the reach of mobile operators in the region. The Association has not only consolidated the mobile communications industry's resources, it has also given the industry a voice with global manufacturers. This will prove to be a turning point in the growth of Middle East telecommunications market."