Etisalat rings in latest technology to partner UAE Census initiative

The Census, a programme spearheaded by UAE Ministry of Economy and Planning, is aimed at investing in the UAE community and providing vital benchmark data on the state of the society, demography and economy.

For the Tedad project, Etisalat through eCompany, its Internet services and ICT business unit has provided ISDN connectivity and telephone lines to link five centres across the emirates of Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and the East coast to the main census centre in Abu Dhabi.

Through eCompany, Etisalat has also provided web hosting service for the Tedad 2005 website thereby providing them with a powerful package for supporting and updating the website including creation of related email addresses. Findings of Tedad are set to impact the social and economic future as well as the global positioning of the UAE in the 21st Century.

Talking about the partnership of Etisalat with the nationwide project, Hafsa Abdullah Al Ulama, Assistant Under-Secretary for Planning and Director-General of Census 2005, said: "We are extremely grateful to Etisalat for consenting to partner us in this historical initiative. Etisalat is a key contributor to the UAE economy in many respects and this association with the Census 2005 has underlined its commitment to the nation. The initiative also embodies the real integration and harmony among the federal and local governments and this would not have been possible without Etisalat's state-of-the-art network."

Etisalat has also provided a toll free number -- 800 83323 or 800 TEDAD which is IVR (Interactive Voice Response) based -- so that the common public can call from anywhere in the UAE in order to get more information about the project. This Interactive Voice Response number has been activated to respond in four languages -- Arabic, English, Urdu and Malayalam. Moreover, the Higher Census Authority has also designed a website www.tedad.ae, which showcases all the information and progress on the nationwide initiative.

Commenting on Etisalat's partnership, Mr. Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, General Manager of eCompany as also the General Manager of Etisalat (Dubai Region), said: "Etisalat and eCompany are proud to contribute towards the successful implementation and completion of this project. Etisalat is committed to the social and economic development of the UAE and is the most well placed enterprise to assist the Census Higher Authority in achieving their objectives in a reliable and responsible manner. Etisalat does not wish to derive monetary benefit from this initiative. The success of the Tedad 2005 will however demonstrate our capabilities and technologies to the region and to the world."

He added: "Our main responsibility is to ensure that the communication technology implemented for the Tedad project is reliable in operations at the user level and at the backend. We have ensured that there will be no glitches in terms of down time at these levels as they can seriously impact the project. We have actively participated and contributed to the marketing campaign for communicating Tedad 2005 messages to the businesses and people of UAE. Additionally, we have also made financial contribution towards this project."

The 2005 UAE census has been divided into two phases. The first phase, which began in September, is calibrating the type of businesses, buildings, residential units as well as flats. The population census, slated to begin in December, will focus on families and individuals. Apart from English and Arabic, Tedad will also be undertaken in Urdu and Malayalam with an objective of reaching out to all sections of the population.

This year, Tedad is planning to include data about sections of the population that are handicapped and afflicted by diseases. In addition, it will include data related to number of existing computers at homes and internet connections. In order to augment data processing and data dissemination with perfection, Tedad is featuring the use of the state-of-the-art satellite technology in pinpointing locations of all buildings in the emirate. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) will be used for first time in a general census in the UAE, replacing the traditional forms and registers.

Etisalat provides mobile as well as Internet connectivity and a host of value added services to keep the country's economy moving. It is a major engine of growth in the UAE, driving technology adoption and implementation.