2006
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Apple IMC at Gitex
Apple's independent marketing company in the Middle East, Arab Business Machine, is to participate at Gitex 2006. ABM's stand will feature Apple's various product lines as well as demonstrations of innovations such as iLife 06, podcasting and final cut pro. Apple's IMC Middle East will also launch MyBlu, which is an iPod accessory that connects iPods and mobile phones via Bluetooth technology.
NTT Com to DIC
NTT Com, a subsidiary of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, is to open a representative office in Dubai Internet City next month. The base is to provide support to locally based Japanese and other multinational corporate clients. NTT Com intends to work with local carriers and system vendors to offer services such as system integration and virtual private networks.
Etisalat revamps WebMail
Etisalat has revamped its WebMail service, with the new version offering features such as an Arabic and English interface, the importing and exporting of address book contacts and quick access to Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail accounts. Users also have the option of sending SMS messages worldwide through a special composer. Email storage capacity has also been increased with customers now getting 50 MB of storage for a standard email account.
ictQatar, licensing procedures
Qatar's Supreme Council of Information and Communications Technology will soon finalise the procedures for issuing licenses to new service providers in the telecommunications sector following last week's lifting of Qtel's monopoly, reported The Peninsula. An ictQatar official would not be drawn on a time frame for issuing new licences but there should be more operators by the end of next year. No operator has as yet approached ictQatar regarding licences.
i2 at Gitex
Mobile phone retailer i2 is to participate at Gitex 2006 from November 18 to 22, the first time it has attended the show. Shoppers can visit i2's retail arm at Gitex Shoppers and will receive bundled packages and special promotions including 25,000 free Skywards Miles, a disposable charger and a free headset with the purchase of a Nokia 6600.
Google Toolbar 4 in Arabic
The Google Toolbar 4 for Internet Explorer is now available in Arabic. Google Toolbar enables users to access Google search capabilities from any website, without first having to visit the Google homepage; Google Toolbar now offers online bookmarks, enhanced search features and new sharing capabilities in Arabic. The toolbar is now available in over 40 languages.
Gates, Saudi broadband call
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has urged Saudi Arabia to provide cheaper Internet access and to prioritise the provision of broadband connections to aid educational development, reported Arab News. Speaking in an interview in front of a host of Saudi CEOs, Gates also suggested that Saudi needed to do more to crack down on software piracy.
Iran businesses turn to VoIP
VoIP operators in Iran are moving into the virtual private networking sector in order to maximise profits in a congested market place, reported Gulf News. Around 100 licenced companies currently sell calling cards to consumers but some firms are now targeting private companies and hooking up their various remote office locations via VoIP. Mid-sized Iranian firms can benefit from phone bill reductions of up to 80%.
Gulf eyes North Africa
European and Gulf based telco operators are set to lock horns over the developing mobile market in North Africa, according to Reuters. French and Spanish firms have already bought into the Moroccan market while Dubai's Etisalat has made investments in Tunisia and Egypt. The privatisation of Algerie Telecom, expected next year, will see fierce competition between European outfits looking at emerging markets and Gulf firms boosted by high oil revenues.
Dubai 90% services online
Dubai Municipality has put 90% of its services online, 12 months ahead of schedule. The most used online services are DM clinic health certificates, no objection certification, food control health certificates and Dubai Central Lab block certificates.
Du tests mobile service
UAE telco Du has started testing its mobile phone service ahead of an imminent launch, Emirates today reported. The company issued a range of phones with pre-paid and post-paid SIM cards to employees to fine tune its network over Ramadan. The company's mobile services are expected to start before the end of the year.
Gates signs Saudi deals
Microsoft head Bill Gates signed 14 separate development agreements with Saudi universities, businesses and ministries during a visit on Wednesday. He urged the kingdom to make a commitment to educational excellence, in a keynote address to the Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh.
Vodafone, Telecom Egypt deal
Vodafone and Telecom Egypt have agreed to jointly develop a range of products and services for the Egyptian market. Among other things, the deal will see Vodafone Egypt extend its distribution channels for Vodafone products and services through Telecom Egypt's outlets. Vodafone says it is putting up for tender an additional 4.9% of shares in Vodafone Egypt worth around £108m, a proportion of which Telecom Egypt has agreed to take up.
DM deploys Cognos
Dubai Municipality has chosen Cognos 8 Business Intelligence for its statistical information project called EHSA, Cognos said in statement. BSG, Cognos' regional partner, will deploy the Web architecture. It will give employees faster access to data.
Lebanon to get high-speed link
High-speed DSL Internet should be available in Lebanon in March 2007, The Daily Star Reports. The lengthy delays in rolling out the service have cost the country economic growth and foreign investment, according to experts cited by the daily.
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