2004
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Wataniya wins Maldives GSM licence
Wataniya Telecom has won a licence from the Maldives for a second GSM mobile phone network in the Indian Ocean resort nation. The Kuwait-based firm also leads a consortium installing a mobile phone network in northern Iraq and its network spans Kuwait, Tunisia and Algeria.
Kuwaiti bid for Palestine mobiles
Kuwaiti investors are in talks to buy a 60 per cent stake in Palestinian Mobile Communications for USD200m from Paltel, the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, reported Gulf News. The company has 400,000 subscribers and expects to reach 1m by the end of 2005.
Barrett to step down as Intel CEO
Intel CEO Craig Barrett, who has made several tours of the Middle East recently, will step aside and be replaced by President Paul Otellini in a long-planned succession, reported Reuters. Barrett will be taking the Chairman's job and replacing Intel veteran Andy Grove from May 18 next year after the AGM.
Mercator, Jet Airways solution
Emirates IT subsidiary Mercator has successfully implemented a frequent flyer and CRM solution for India's largest private carrier Jet Airways. This solution is also used by Emirates, Philippine Airways and SriLankan, bringing the total number of frequent flyer accounts managed with this system to 2m.
PC sales to rise by 25pc
Shipments of PCs rose 13.8 per cent in volume and 8.7 per cent in value last year in the Gulf states, according to a new IDC study. It says shipment volumes will jump by more than 32 per cent this year and falling prices will be partially offset by a shift to portables and higher-speed desktops, resulting in an expected rise in value of more than 25 per cent in 2004.
Etisalat, Eid offer on calls
Etisalat has announced that all peak rate national and international phone calls made during the period from 7am tomorrow morning until 7am on November 20 2004 will be charged at off-peak rates. This Eid offer will apply to calls to over 260 countries.
Mideast up for Disaster Recovery
Two-thirds of Middle East firms are looking at Disaster Recovery plans, well up with the rest of the world, according to a Dynamic Markets' study for Veritas. Companies here even spent more time reviewing strategies a month than firms in the UK and US, and 90 per cent said they would feel exposed without a DR strategy.
Nawras calls 60pc of Oman
New mobile phone operator Nawras will reach 60 per cent of Oman's population when it launches early next year, CEO Ross Cormack told reporters at the unveiling of its new logo. But he ducked questions on pricing saying that prices would be revealed within 30 days of the launch.
DIC to export its concept
The Dubai Internet City is negotiating with authorities in India, South Africa, Malta and Pakistan to establish similar research and development centres in these countries to be owned by Dubai Holding, the investment arm of the Dubai Government, reported Gulf News.
Saudi mobile cameras, royal plea
Four Saudi ministries have appealed to King Fahd to remove a ban on mobile phones with cameras in the Kingdom, reported Al Eqtissadiah. They argued that the cameras had become a fait accompli like television and the Internet, and that all mobile phones would soon have them as standard meaning more expensive special phones would have to be made for Saudi Arabia.
MTC, 143,000 Iraqi mobiles
Kuwait's MTC told Dow Jones its Iraqi unit, Atheer Iraq, added 80,000 new customers in Q3 bringing the total to 143,400. Atheer Iraq faces challenges in meeting demand in southern Iraq, but plans to accelerate network capacity and coverage.
Etisalat, push-to-talk GSM
Etisalat is to introduce a push-to-talk facility for GSM phones in Q1 next year, reported Gulf News. This will offer a service similar to a walkie-talkie and require special handsets. A second location tracker service will enable the tracking of vehicles or people in separate locations.
IP telephony now regional trend
Internet Protocol hosting platforms are the latest trend in tendering by regional telecom companies, Avaya MD Nidal Abou-Ltaif told Gulf News. This is preparing the way for voice over IP telephony which will dramatically reduce the cost of long distance telephone calls.
Egypt's IDSC deploys Oracle
Egypt's Information and Decision Support Center has deployed Oracle software solutions to support its cornerstone strategy of making information publicly available in the utmost efficient manner. IDSC is using Oracle Discoverer and the Oracle Database to record, analyze and report on socioeconomic data.
Tejari Mobile, Jordan launch
Tejari Jordan has launched a service that enables access to online e-markets through mobile phone devices. The Tejari Mobile service allows member companies to receive the latest information on available bids in the Jordan e-procurement market place without having to connect to the Internet.
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