The political instability and war situation severely disrupted telecommunication services throughout Iraq, including international connections. Over the last few years, the country is undergoing a whole new beginning towards developing ICT Infrastructure and services.

The country is Iraq is aiming to encourage an increased role for the private sector in telecommunication sector under the leadership of H.E.

Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, Minister of Communication of Iraq. Carrying an extensive experience of public infrastructure development, social service and Telecommunication administration, the Minister of Communications vows to increase capacity and connectivity both at domestic and International level.

Teletimes International had a chance to meet the honourable Minister during Telecoms World Middle East Conference at Dubai recently. We also got an opportunity to arrange an exclusive interview with H.E. Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, hereby presented to our readers.

Khalid Athar – Minister Tawfiq, kindly tell us the role, scope, responsibilities and functions of Ministry of Communications of Iraq?

Tawfiq Allawi – Before 2003 the Ministry of Communications held a monopoly over fixed telephone lines and postal services, there were only a few hundred internet connections, and there was no mobile network nor any communications regulator.

After 2003 the Ministry expanded its services to provide infrastructure for all types of connectivity, including mobile telephones and broadband internet, and next year will itself will have a stake in a mobile network company.

The Ministry of Communications has three state companies, one responsible for infrastructure and voice communications, the second for data, and the third is charged with communications security.

However the state monopoly is receding with the private sector playing a very effective role in providing mobile telephone services, WLL and internet services.  Additionally many projects are now joint public-private partnerships  with the Ministry charged with providing the necessary infrastructure; such partnerships have and are taking place for fixed telephone services, broadband services (both wirelessly and through FTTH, Fibre-To-The-Home), postal delivery services and there are also plans to make the post office network a joint public-private partnership.

KA – What is the present telecommunication and postal policies framework in the country?

TA - Our long term policy for telecommunications and postal services is eventual privatisation through gradual phases to allow growth of the private sector so as to absorb public sector employment.

Breaking this down, our first phase policy for the communications sector is to broadly push for public-private partnerships, with the subsequent phase ensuring that state and jointly-owned companies are profitable, this will be combined with listing the companies on the Iraqi Stock Exchange to allow the public to participate in their success.  To a large extent profitability depends on good management, the right use of marketing and efficiency, and for this we will be seeking strategic partners in the private sector.

KA – Demand for telecom services, mobile telephony and Internet is growing fast. Sir, which major actions are being undertaken by you to help develop and modernize the telecom infrastructure in Iraq?

TA - Before 2003, Iraq’s communications infrastructure lay almost completely demolished, including 150 Ministry of Communications buildings that were damaged, for Iraq had been badly hit by the three wars and over a decade of sanctions which prevented infrastructure rehabilitation.

Over the last eight years however the infrastructure has been developing rapidly.  Already we have rehabilitated and laid around 12,000km of fibre optic cables with DWDM technology and are expecting to cover 20,000 km by 2012 and have set  up two microwave routes in the country (north to south, and middle to west).  We are currently increasing capacity and connectivity to neighbouring countries including Turkey, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and to the Gulf through submarine cables.

KA – Would you share the present market status for fixed-line, mobile telephony and Internet in Iraq?

TA - We have almost 2 million fixed lines of which 750,000 are NGN (Next Generation Networks) and have signed agreements which will see this increase to 4 million lines by the end of 2012.  The connectivity between switches and end users is very old and in a bad state, but we are in the process of installing 300,000 FTTH connections which will be completed in a few months, and have partnered with the private sector to install 1.8 million FTTH connections during 2012 and a further 1.8 million throughout 2013.

As regards the mobile phone market, we have three private operators with approximately 23 million subscribers – representing a penetration rate of more than 75%.  The Ministry of Communications will also be entering into a public-private partnership for the fourth mobile licence which will using LTE technology, also known as 4G technology.

The internet penetration rate remains at a low 5%, and our plan is to increase it to 30% within three years by increasing the number of FTTH connections and wirelessly through LTE technology.

KA – How are you focusing to attract investment in the telecommunication and postal sector? Is there any open invitation extended to interested parties?

TA - To attract the necessary private sector investment, we recognise that we must move away from the typical state-run model – that can afford to be loss-making – and move towards making projects profitable even before the private sector has invested, and then to gradually encourage increased private sector investment and ownership.  Without the private sector it is difficult to develop the sector to the best levels.  As an example, to reach our target FTTH penetration rate of 20-25% will require $3.5 billion, of which the Ministry of Communications will contribute $1 billion over five years; the remainder is based on investments from the private sector.

Another example is that for postal sector, we have around 380 offices, and looking for further 1000 postal agencies to be established around country and are looking for strategic partner.

Of course the invitation for investment in the sector is extended to all, and we look for parties that can demonstrate the right level of technical and financial capability, as well as management expertise.

KA – Are you looking forward to attract Venture Capitalists to Iraq especially in IT businesses?

TA - Private equity is important towards ensuring that Iraqi companies can establish themselves in this developing sector, and venture capital will of course play a key role.  As yet there is an interest to invest in Iraq by a handful of private equity firms, with some having made progress and invested in the telecommunications sector, and interest lying principally in the mobile phone network companies.  We expect increased interest of private equity firms in Iraq’s communications sector as we implement our policy of gradually moving the sector towards privatisation.

KA – What cross-cutting benefits ICT have produced for people of Iraq?

TA - The development of communication networks and infrastructure has brought mobile telephone networks and increased access to internet and broadband speeds for personal and business users.  Additionally ICT is being increasingly relied upon by the Iraqi government with telemedicine being introduced to support healthcare workers, education institutes starting to provide e-learning, and additionally financial institutions have started to provide e-banking for the public.

KA – How do you envisage future ICT development in your country and the likely contribution it can play in economic and social development?

TA - The future of ICT in Iraq will play a very effective role which will increase as broadband penetration rate increases, and will increase Iraq’s GDP by opening up new sectors and making it easier for businesses to succeed (for example through e-shopping) while delivering consumers with increased access to goods and services (for example accessing bank accounts online).  Likewise, as mentioned earlier e-learning will increase students’ access to educational resources, including journals and papers and will enable communication with other educational institutes across the world, and telemedicine will enable healthcare providers to seek the opinions of specialists across the world.

KA – Iraq is likely to join the World Trade Organization; we observed some discussions during the course of this year as well. How will this impact Iraq’s telecommunications sector?

TA - Iraq is already taking steps to ensure that it will be WTO compliant in the communications sector as membership to the WTO will allow for increased use of Iraq’s communications infrastructure that will support Iraq’s role as a key communications hub for the region, will allow for increased access to other markets stimulating economic growth and ultimately will enhance technical cooperation between Iraq and other member countries allowing Iraq to develop the sector more rapidly.

KA – How important is regional cooperation for infrastructure and development? Are you looking to build such cooperation?

TA - Sitting between Asia and Europe – through Turkey, and between the Gulf and the Mediterranean – through both Syria and Turkey, Iraq – from a communications perspective – is strategically located.  Already there are several communications projects underway which rely on its geographic position, such as SAIT (Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Turkey), GIT (Gulf, Iraq, Turkey), and in 2012 Iraq will connect to further high capacity submarine connections such as FLAG, GBI (Gulf Bridge International) and TATA, and all these lines will have backup connections through Iraq, and Turkey towards Europe, in addition to existing connectivity through the Red Sea and Suez Canal onwards to the US.

Our cooperation already extends to all neighbouring and most regional countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, Jordan, Turkey and Syria.

KA – Wireless broadband technologies have arrived with some promising additions to economies especially as a perfect alternative to fixed infrastructure. How your ministry does plans to reveal this opportunity to people of Iraq?

TA - Currently we are providing wireless broadband services through wide area coverage Wifi and we have a major project, the WBB (Wireless Broadband) to support e-government.  Furthermore wireless broadband in Iraq is also available over CDMA using the EVDO standard, and our plan for 2012 is to provide wireless broadband over LTE technology.

KA – What would be your final message to our readers; supposing they are international investors looking for new opportunities?

TA - Iraq becoming a free market economy in 2003 has presented immense opportunities both for investors and for telecoms companies. Although currently the GDP per capita stands at around $3000, this is projected to rise fourfold over the coming six years, as oil production which is now around 2.9 million barrels per day is estimated to reach 12 million barrels per day in 6-8 years which will dramatically increase country revenues. The increased use and reliance on telecommunications presents major investment opportunities especially in mobile telephony, fixed telephone networks, wired and wireless broadband, and also support for e-government, e-health and e-learning (for example we are now undertaking a project to provide 1 million laptops for students). Likewise as we overhaul Iraq’s postal services, major investment opportunities will arise – for example we are currently looking to set up around 1000 postal offices over the country.

Finally, Iraq’s transit infrastructure is fast making it a hub for international cables, that will host servers and make it a key strategic communications player in the region.

KA – Would you like to comment on Teletimes International, that is the only tri-regional magazine focused towards the ICT and Telecom sectors of the Middle East, Asia and Africa?

TA – I would like to congratulate you on covering this sector and undoubtedly Teletimes International plays an important role in allowing professionals from the sector to keep up-to-date with communications developments in the region.

Asher Siddiqui, the new CEO of USF shares his thoughts with Teletimes
Exclusive Interview

Teletimes – There have been a lot of rumors and delays for the appointment of CEO, USF position. Would you like to tell the selection procedure followed in your case?
Asher Siddiqui – There is a standard procedure for selection of CEO of USF which requires time and detailed scrutiny. Clause no. 21 of USF rules clearly states that “The Board shall have the power to appoint and remove the CEO in accordance with the provisions of the Ordinance”.
The short-listing of CVs for the post of CEO was analyzed by the HR Governance Committee (HRGC) of the USF Board which comprises Chairman-PTA and nominees of fixed lines and cellular licensees. HRGC after thorough scrutiny forwarded its recommendations to the Chairman of the USF Board i.e. Prime Minister of Pakistan who ultimately carried out the interviews of short listed candidates by HRGC. After appointment, all BOD members’ concurrence was taken.

TT – You were also interviewed by the Prime Minister before the selection. How was the experience while being judged by Head of the Government?
AS – It was indeed an experience that reflected the importance and significance of the post of CEO-USF. Being interviewed by Head of the Government surely makes one realize the responsibility that is attached to this assignment.
Before my appointment, I felt if I would be successful in acquiring this post, it would be a great opportunity for me to contribute significantly towards the technological progress and prosperity of the Telecom Industry and my lovely country Pakistan.

TT – What challenges are in your focus to strengthen the USF Co?
AS – USF despite achieving so much success has faced a difficult year due to its uncertain future. Now that most of the uncertainties have ended, we plan to revise our plans for the launch of future projects and implementation of the on-going ones.
Apart from this, challenges like security issues, power crisis in USF projects’ areas, increase in costs (inflation, rupee exchange rates) etc. are some of the major challenges which are in our focus.

TT – You had been professionally associated with Navy Directorate in GHQ for defense network project. What experiences will you brought in for bringing telecom revolution to all corners of Pakistan from such assignment?
AS – The biggest common factor among both the job assignments is that a person is directly involved in making a contribution towards the society. I feel serving the Naval forces develops a strong patriotism within a person which is pertinent for working on a assignment like my current one. Both the jobs require sheer devotion and dedication along with being sincere to your work and nation.

TT – Broadband Pakistan presently captures the major share in USF Fund distributions. How important is Broadband proliferation through USF for you?
AS – As you are aware, broadband is a key element of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals on poverty reduction and is globally bringing a paradigm shift to the way people run their lives. It is also transforming every mode of communications, from entertainment and telephone services to delivery of vital services like health care.
One of the primary objectives being achieved by USF is delivering the social and economic benefits of ICTs to the masses through affordable broadband, thus helping to achieve Government’s objective of breaking the poverty cycle and eliminating the social divide.
I plan to devise mechanisms which will ensure that the on-going and new USF Broadband projects sustain this momentum plus, launch innovative and fast deployment projects to play our part in bringing up un-served areas at par.

TT – Accountability factor to handle USF Funds is another critical issue under discussion. What are your thoughts on this?
AS – USF is following and complies with PPRA Ordinance 2004. Along with this, USF also has a “Financial and Accounting Manual” which comprises the principles, policies and procedures for financial transactions. In order to ensure transparency, USF has already been and will be conducting bi-annual audits of the company also.

TT – Can VoIP solution be helpful to bridge the digital divide for rural and remote population in the country?
AS – In Pakistan, in order to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban societies it is essential to provide connectivity through technology neutral transmission (optical fiber, microwave and satellite) first. Then comes services such as Broadband, USF has already entered into broadband programme and achieved many milestones. Broadband facilities in rural areas will also cover the VoIP services.
In the Optic Fiber Programme. USF has so far connected 58 un-served tehsils with almost 3,960 kms of optic fiber cable.

TT – What additional transparency, evaluation and monitoring steps can be required to maximize USF Fund gains?
AS – I need to find out the existing practice and procedures being followed first. If need arises, we will address the missing links and improve them or take necessary actions to enforce these, so that the desired objectives of USF can be achieved in a more smooth, transparent and efficient way.

TT – Your major experience revolves around private sector. Do you foresee any change in your professional behavior as CEO, USF?
AS – Please note that I have an Engineering degree from NED University, Karachi and also have a successful and diversified professional career spread in both government and private sector. My professional career started with defense and afterwards I successfully designed, implemented and run multimillion dollar Telecom and IT projects. In private sector, I headed and successfully run two multinational companies in Pakistan (my last company is fully owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company), headed business development unit of third multinational, did mentoring and entrepreneurship as founding and chartered member of TiE Islamabad chapter and played leading and active rule in launching SAMENA Telecom Council for regional and international level.
Joining USF is no doubt challenging as it is also a combination of public and private sectors. Therefore, it perfectly suits my skills and experience. In short, my approach would be an amalgam of the positive sides of both public and private sectors.

TT – Few words about Teletimes International.
AS – As stated above, I am also a mentor and believer of entrepreneurship. When I met Mr. Khalid Athar first time (six years ago) he gave the idea to start TELETIMES International, I liked that concept of Khalid Athar and extended my full support (As part of my entrepreneurship).
As for Teletimes International, it has made its mark when it comes to the coverage of IT& Telecom news pertaining to the Middle East, Asia and Africa. I also feel it has a very big edge over rest of the magazines/publications by being the only tri-regional magazine focused towards IT & Telecom. Not only this, it also has to its credit, organization of some really useful and note-worthy events which turned out to be huge platforms of knowledge sharing and exchange of ideas between government, media and industry stakeholders.
I sincerely wish that Teletimes International keeps the people well-informed regarding IT& Telecom in future as well and achieves more milestones in time to come.

Andres Lindblad
(President and CEO, Ericsson ME, NEA)
Shares his insights on 4G and other trends in mobile sector
in the region with Teletimes

Interview: Khalid Athar

Teletimes – Please tell us about your position at Middle East Region.
Andres Lindblad – When Ericsson’s new regional structure was announced in February 2010, I was named Head of Region, Middle East and North-East Africa, which makes me responsible for Ericsson’s operations in 22 countries. Ericsson has been present in the Middle East for over 120 years and I truly believe that we’ve played a key role in growing and developing the telecommunications market in the region together with the operators which we work closely with.

TT – What are the recent trends in mobile infrastructure and services at your region?
AL – We are seeing a definite convergence of media and telecommunications driven largely by a strong demand for devices like smartphones, tablet computers and laptops. All indications point to further growth in demand and our belief is that we will have as many as 50 billion connections by 2020. We believe that in the future everything that will benefit from being connected, will be connected. This definitely presents an opportunity for 4G in 2011 and beyond and as the global leaders in the field we will look at ways to make the most of this demand. So, we expect a transition to 4G to become a reality soon and Ericsson as key driver of this technology and as a key driver of faster throughput, will help make this a reality.
Some global research that we have conducted recently shows some interesting findings around mobile infrastructure in general and mobile broadband specifically:
• Mobile data traffic will grow 10-fold between 2011 and 2016, mainly driven by video.
• Mobile broadband subscriptions grew by 60 percent in one year and are expected to grow from 900 million in 2011 to almost 5 billion in 2016.
• By 2016, users living on less than 1 percent of the Earth’s total land area are set to generate around 60 percent of mobile traffic.

TT – How do you foresee the region in terms of 3G and LTE mobile networks deployment?
AL – Each country features its own peculiarities and inherent challenges; as a result it is difficult to generalize and think of each of these countries as one region, as some countries are more prepared for 3G and LTE than others. However, it is clear that there is a tremendous amount of growth taking place and while some countries may be quicker in their adoption of these new technologies, inevitably we expect all operators across the region to adopt the technology as demand for true connectivity and hyper-mobility continues to grow.
TT – What are the barriers in your view with regards to mobile broadband adoption in the region?
AL – Smartphones have been held back to an extent by the limitations of the cellular networks; current systems in place, while much faster than the older technology that was available, are still slow in comparison with even relatively inexpensive home broadband options such as cable, and lag far behind fiber optic technologies. In an age where people consider constant connectivity a necessity, 4G is an inevitable next step as it will allow users to communicate more effectively and efficiently.

TT – How does Ericsson is planning for the network convergence trends in the Middle East region?
AL – Given where our customers (the operators) are heading and their strategy to go there we will take different approaches. In short we try to support them in three areas:
1. Become more operationally efficient.
2. Evolve networks to meet current and future needs.
3. Improve net subscriber revenue.

TT – In your opinion, what is the importance of next decade in the mobile sector of the Middle East region?
AL – The region shows much promise in the mobile sector and you’ll find that this is one of the most stable sectors. We expect demand for connectivity to continue to grow at a rate that will push all operators across the region to adopt newer, more efficient technology such as 4G. while some operators have already started rolling this technology out, each country has its own particularities and while we expect that most if not all countries in the region will launch the technology in the near future, it is important to remember that each county, with its own challenges and considerations will have to work at a different pace to provide its consumers with the connectivity they seek.

TT – What is the Ericsson position when mobile is meeting the Internet?
AL – We see three forces that are rapidly shaping the fundamental digital infrastructure in our world where we as a technology and service provider can contribute>
• Mobility. People and businesses want to be able to accomplish all of their tasks no matter where they are. It’s no longer a question of when to get ON-line, it’s when you go OFF-line. (Just ask my family about that one.)
• Broadband. Faster and better quality broadband enables new btusiness processes, new value networks and new ways for machines to communicate with one another — all to improve accessibility of goods and services; and
• The cloud, where applications are more accessible, where the entry point is lower thanks to lower costs, and where cheaper, more powerful devices can run these applications.
These three forces together open up a new interaction logic within the networks — built on presence, identity, location, preferences, etc. — that in turn enables new activities in society that are transformed by ICT (healthcare, transport, utilities, media and so on).
The sum of these changes and developments is a Networked Society, where everything that benefits from a connection will have one, and where people are using ICT when they are interacting, learning, innovating and socializing.
Our vision for a Networked Society is where people, knowledge, devices and information are networked for the growth of society, life and business — a society where people are empowered, businesses are strengthened and societies are vitalized.

TT – 50 billion connected devices by 2020, what are your thoughts for the Middle East region in mapping the Ericsson’s prediction?
AL – Ericsson has a vision of more than 50 billion connected devices by 2020, and Ericsson mobile broadband modules will play an important part in connecting every segment of our society. Ericsson ConsumerLab research shows that, regardless of the device they use, many people are discovering how difficult life is when they are not continuously connected. Internet everywhere is becoming a prerequisite for consumers as well as professional users. Devices will therefore be required to work in increasingly varied environments and situations, and Ericsson can help ensure those experiences are of the highest quality.
In brief, we strive to work hand in hand with our customers to add value to their business while introducing initiatives to provide optimum benefits to end-users. Considering that we talk about 50 billion connected devices around the world, this region is corresponding to 10% of that (5 billion connected devices). In the Middle East, there will be very affordable chipsets that will be able to fit into devices such as cameras and readers. It is a very good investment for governments, and can stimulate the GDP.
TT – Ericsson has introduced a specific ‘Technology for Good’ program. Are there any examples of this program from your region?
AL – As part of its ongoing corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, Ericsson, has a number of initiatives across the Middle East that support the communities that the company operates in. A recent example of this is Ericsson Egypt’s efforts in developing an in-house charity organization that supports underprivileged communities in Egypt as well as communities around the globe that are in dire need of assistance such as the people of Somalia who are suffering from the hunger crises. Ericsson takes its responsibility towards the community very seriously and is constantly looking at ways to contribute.
CAPEX and RIO remains the top concern for the carriers while they move along to network expansion and scalability. How Ericsson does assist them?
The main focus for us is of course to help operators become more competitive in three main ways:
1. Become more operationally efficient.
2. Evolve networks to meet current and future needs.
3. Improve net subscriber revenue.
Being a global market leader we also have an opportunity to share our knowledge from other parts of the world. Being present all over the world gives us unique insights and experience what works well and less well. This we try to leverage in the Middle East. Being a local leader with global presence is a key differentiator for us.

Eng. Saud Al Daweesh, STC Group CEO

TT – STC has been the first to introduce 4G in the Middle East, how do you see this achievement as one of the many milestones STC has reached over time?

Teletimes – Please tell us about the achievements of the STC group during 2011 on national and international basis?

Saud Al Daweesh – STC group has grown from a local leading company to one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the region. This transformation took place in a record time, through a series of significant investments that led to the success of purchasing operations, agreements and partnerships. Some of the most significant operations and investments are the following: Winning the Kuwait and Bahrain licenses, launching them commercially and their success to obtain large market shares in short times. Acquiring a market share in (Maxis) that operates in both Malaysia and IndiaAcquiring a market share in (OTL) group that operates in Turkey and South Africa.Locally, the company pursued its strategy that aims to develop the telecommunication industry in the kingdom. The company headed towards transformation into digital era of Saudi economy and society, through radical development, in form and content of the telecommunication and information sector, by strategic investment in the wire and wireless infrastructure of the next generation of telecommunications’ network, including Fiber Optics network for plants and homes and 4G LTE for mobiles.This strategic investment in technology led to a significant growth in local revenues from broadband services (fixed and mobile), fixed broadband customer base increased by 27% and interactive TV (inVision) and converged services customer bases grew by 946%, 112% respectively. Aljawal customers have increased by 3%, during 3rd quarter, as a result of the company’s excellence in introducing new innovative offers on postpaid and prepaid jawal, quick net and smart device services.In order to present the latest technologies to its customers, the company continued its uniqueness in the field of smart and tablet devices which sales have increased by 300%.

TT – Our readers would be interested in reading about your thinking behind the re-structuring of STC. What type of improvements are you expecting from this development in the near future?

SD – STC, as the biggest integrated telecommunication group in the Middle East, is heading towards further development and advancement, to expand in its local and global markets. A new organizational structure has been adopted to go in line with this new direction. Organizational structure consists of five key components:Strategic Operations which is responsible of strategic plans, human capital and regulatory affairs of the group.Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC) which provide fixed and mobile telecommunication services, broadband and enterprise sector services, in addition to financial activities in KSA.Technical Operations which is in charge of the network, IT and wholesales services.International Operations.Financial Operations.The implementation of the new organizational structure comes as an output of the LEAD strategy which focuses on maintaining the leading position of the company in fixed, mobile and broadband services as well as the enterprise sector services, taking into consideration external opportunities, where one of the important components of the new organizational structure is the International Operations sector, that deals with planning and managing group’s activities internationally what reflected in an increase of 34% in revenues from external operations, while maintaining its position in Saudi market.The LEAD Strategy is based on 6 elements:Load in Next-Gen BroadbandDifferentiated Customer Experience.Consolidate International Leadership.Invest in People CapitalDrive financial performance and agility.Promote leading brand and reputation.

TT – STC has been the first to introduce 4G in the Middle East, how do you see this achievement as one of the many milestones STC has reached over time?

SD – The launch of 4G LTE services by STC as the first operator in MENA, is an important step from the company’s keenness to adopt and launch the latest technologies in digital telecommunication world. The company adopted this technology in the beginning of 2010 after successful rehearsals indicating that it is the next choice of a new era of mobile telecommunications.Furthermore, the company has the largest and the strongest infrastructure in the region, as well as it is one of the leading companies in the field of Fiber Optics and submarine cables and a key partner in all submarine cables that link South East Asia to Western Europe and North America through the Middle East. In addition to an infrastructure of wireless networks such as the 3G and WiMax and 4G LTE networks. The GSMA – ranked STC as the first company to launch the 4G LTE service on the region where it stated in its website that STC was the first company to launch in the region at the 12th of September 2011.

TT – Could you please give us a current overview of the international operations of STC?

SD – As I have said, in the answer of the first question, STC managed to develop itself from a leading local company to one of the largest companies in the region. In Bahrain, STC group continued its growth, achieving an excellent performance that exceeded its entire targets, where customers’ number increased by 28% during the 9 months, exceeding target by 15% which led to revenues growth of 167% compared to the same period last year. In Kuwait, despite fierce competition in the market, VIVA continues exceeding its target in Q3 revenues.In its East Asian markets, Maxis in Malaysia continues its leadership to Malaysian telecommunication market, with a customers’ base of 13 Millions. In Indonesia Axis acquired new customers in the 1st three quarters that reached 15 Million customer, and Axis revenues grew up to 268% for the last 9 months.

TT – How do you see the competition STC is facing on international level? Do you foresee any tough competition for STC inside Saudi Arabia?

SD – STC group, with its internal experience in a market deemed one of the largest telecommunication markets in the region, and through its expansion with partners in external markets, is highly qualified to lead the industry in the region, and introduce the best services to its customers who exceeded 150 million.TT – Would you like to tell us about some of the new innovative services, STC has launched recently?SD – STC has signed several strategic partnerships with the best global companies, to deliver the best smart technological solutions, such as Blackberry and Samsung devices. The partnership with Facebook resulted in enabling STC customers to exclusively stay connected to the new Facebook java system mobile application in a new style, while the Twitter messages service kept customers in constant contact with the renowned Twitter website. The company also allowed customers to send SMSs through Gmail™ to any STC mobile for free. STC customers also enjoy the service of Nokia Store which is linked to the STC client billing system, i.e. the purchase value goes into customer’s Jawal bill or deduct from the prepaid credit (SAWA or LANA)The invision service, being the first in its kind in the kingdom, provides customers with viewing TV, calling and browsing the internet, in addition to the launch of the Cloud Computing technology which will make radical difference in performance improvement for enterprise sector customers.

TT – Please share with our readers, your thoughts about the latest and upcoming trends for telecommunications worldwide.

SD – The ICT industry is the cornerstone of modern economy, that is why STC has established one of the up to date telecommunication infrastructures in the world, through which we are proud of delivering integrated telecommunication services, high speed broadband services for government, commercial, individuals and home customers, as well as we are proud of being the first in region to launch the 4G LTE and the Fiber Optics services and the only operator who presents comprehensive packages of voice, internet and digital TV.

TT – You have been declared the winner of ‘Teletimes Man of the Year’ Award for 2011 by the Awards Committee which has long been considering three very well-known personalities for this award. Please share with us your feelings on receiving this award.

SD – “I am pleased to be nominated and declared ‘Teletimes Man of the Year 2011’, and I would like to thank the Teletimes team and the committee. In return I would like to congratulate Teletimes on their remarkable work over the past six years, indeed they have proven worthy to the IT & Telecom industry readers.”

CEO  Karim Daoud speaks to Teletimes

Interview: Khalid Athar

Teletimes – Please give us an overview of the services you are currently providing?

Karim Daoud – Intigral was established in 2009 as a joint venture between Saudi Telecom Company, All Asia Networks and Saudi Research and Marketing Group. The company was created to form the link between telecom operators, media content providers and end users. We decided to establish Intigral in response to the unprecedented emergence of digital content in the region. Intigral is focused on delivering digital media content services and solutions to operators and serves as a one-stop-shop for all their growing digital media needs on different platforms: Mobile, IPTV, and Web. We also provide Mobile Advertising solutions to our operators as we believe that this rapidly growing channel holds great opportunities to reach targeted audiences and generate positive responses.
In the today’s hyper competitive mobile industry, digital content has become a key differentiator for telecom operators. Providing unique digital entertainment Mobile content to the operators’ consumers is increasingly becoming a core service rather than an added value one. At Intigral, we offer our operator partners the entire spectrum of content and managed services, to help them maximize loyalty and revenue opportunities.
In addition to the locally relevant content aggregated from hundreds of local and global suppliers and service providers, we also design, develop and customize interactive and enriched content to meet the consumers’ growing expectations.
In the case of IPTV, we have a state-of-the-art broadcast, editing and post-production center in Dubai. We recently expanded our delivery from 50 to 180 channels, 30 of which are HD. We also provide managed TV services covering content acquisition and aggregation, user interface design and management, product management, marketing, and other services critical to the success of the operator’s TV offering. A key achievement of our IPTV division has been the launch last January of the first advanced interactive TV service in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Invision). This service delivers video content like live TV, Catch-Up TV and Video-on-Demand (VOD) to the TV screens of STC’s broadband customers. The VoD service features a vast collection of Hollywood, Bollywood, and Arabic blockbusters, movies and series as well as documentaries, religious titles and sports events. This feature also offers a large selection of movies to the KSA customers on their release dates in theaters in the Middle East.
As an illustration of Intigral’s approach to best support the telco’s agenda while leveraging the specificities unique to the market where it operates, Intigral was proud to be the first provider of on-demand Cinema at Home, featuring recent Arabic and Western releases at the same time they were playing in neighboring countries like the UAE and Bahrain.
The Web is a key marketing tool for telecom operators. Through the web, customers can now view and purchase telecom products and services, interact with customer care representatives, and ask questions. To help operators increase customer loyalty, reduce churn and ultimately increase profit, Intigral enables them to deliver their products and messages digitally by designing, developing, and managing their websites and turning them into customer retention tools and cross-selling platforms.
Finally, in terms of Mobile Advertising, Intigral has gathered a set of unique skills that helps its partners and clients in monetizing two key types of mobile inventory generated by telecom operators: “permission-based opt-in” inventory and “content-based” inventory. The company supports its clients in running carefully planned Opt-in programs to enroll end-users to the mobile advertising service, which is done by running segmentation exercises and lifestyle mapping to be able to provide advertisers with a clear breakdown of customers.
In order to enable telecom operators to run their mobile advertising service, Intigral works closely with key mobile advertising technology vendors which can help those operators in marketing different inventory across multiple platforms.

TT – Do you focus on providing any single service or catering to some specific section of the market?
KD - From a consumer perspective, we cater to all sorts of segments and we purposely build our offerings in line with our understanding of the consumer market which is based on thorough analysis of demographics and the segmentation of our operators’ end users. This applies to all our lines of business.

TT – Which countries is Intigral currently operating in?
KD - We currently cater to Saudi Telecom as our launch client from our offices in Dubai and Riyadh. Moreover, we have signed similar content providing contracts with Viva Bahrain, Viva Kuwait, Umnia in Jordan and on the verge of finalizing deals with several Telecom Operators in North Africa.

TT – Are you planning to expand your operations in the near future and do you have any plans set out to take place throughout the rest of 2011?
KD – Our TV value proposition brings all the premium TV and cinema content to the consumer in a simple, seamless user experience: one set top box, the largest selection of movies, pay TV and FTA channels relevant for the local market.
We have teamed up with the biggest Pay TV provider in the region to offer OSN channels to our operators’ consumers. We will be bringing to the end users the same OSN packages (Platinum Extra, Premier Plus, Movies Plus and Family Plus) available in the market with enhanced PVR capacities on all our linear channels. Our offering also includes Al-Jazeera Sports channel and Abu Dhabi Sports, all in Invision’s set top box.

TT – The nature of web services allows you to work from anywhere in the world. So do you provide to customers outside the countries you are actually based in?
KD - Our TV head-end is based in Dubai, but it provides full managed video services to Saudi Telecom in Riyadh. We have signed agreements with STC Wholesale enabling us to provide similar services to any telecom operator in the region, leveraging the great broadband infrastructure deployed by telecom operators.
Certainly, we have strategically chosen to be a B2B player without a B2C business, and this includes our web portal solutions. We manage consumer broadband portals on behalf of our operator partners. Utilizing our web and mobile platforms hosted in Saudi Arabia, we can serve operators across the region with their consumer broadband portal needs.
As a B2B focused company, our primary customer is the operator. And our aim is to fully support our operator partners in their efforts to bring the best and most relevant digital content to their customer base. As such, we are wholly focused on being an end-to-end solution provider to our operators, from content acquisition, to content and portal management. Taking on the entire role of managing an operator’s mobile content or web portal services allows the operator to focus on its core business, while outsourcing its content business to a trusted digital content expert. We work very closely with our operator partners to define their strategic needs in the content space and manage it on their behalf.
It is crucial to note that central to our ability to be the end-to-end partner of choice to our operators is out ability to leverage analytics on the customer database to enable the fine tuning of the offered content and promotional campaigns to each customer segment.

TT – Could you please talk about the business relationship between Intigral and STC?
KD - STC in Saudi Arabia is Intigral’s first and key operator partner. STC is also a founding shareholder of Intigral. Intigral is a separate entity under a different management.

TT – How has Intigral progressed over the years since its formation back in 2009?
KD – The year 2010 was the year in which the foundations were laid from a technology and platform perspective. The year 2011 is now fully focused on bringing the value added digital content to our key operator partner, STC, as well as our new operator partners in the region.
Having completed the installation and integration of our platforms and content management systems, we are now fully focused on bringing new products to the market. Expect a summer busy with announcements across all areas, from a revamped TV offering on Invision with great Ramadan content, to state of the art mobile portals covering Islamic, Women, and Music.

TT – How do you see the future of the organization?
KD – Our future is tied to our operator partners! We have a singular focus on growing the business through our operator partners, by delivering to their customer base the most attractive and locally relevant digital content across 3 screens.
And if we look at the state of the digital media industry in the region, we see lots of room for growth. As of today, only 1% of the global online content is in Arabic, while the Arab speaking population is up to 4% of total global population. Online advertising was a meager 1% of total advertising in the Arab region in 2009. However, given all the activity and buzz that is happening in this space, the prospects look very good. The recent Arab Media Outlook report forecasts the online advertising market to grow to 4% of the total advertising market in the region by 2013. Mobile content spending is expected to hit $1.9Bn by 2013, from less than $670m in 2009. All of this will be driven by the flurry of activity from nimble start-ups across the region, as well as investments going into this space from the larger telecom and media players, all of whom are seeing a boost in demand from the young and internet savvy generation coming of age across the region.

Teletimes – Would you like to talk a little about Qualcomm and its background.
Ziad Matar – For more than 25 years, Qualcomm has been at the forefront of wireless research and development, providing the technologies and networking expertise for 3G services used by more than 1 billion wireless subscribers worldwide. Our track record of delivering advanced multimedia and business solutions and services has helped support and drive the success of the entire wireless value chain—operators, manufacturers, developers, publishers, content providers and end users. Qualcomm offers a range of technology licensing, hardware, software and service solutions to support its ecosystem partners.
Our primary goal in the Middle East and Central Asia region is to grow the market for 3G services. We do this by working to expand the regional 3G ecosystem—the group of mobile operators, handset manufacturers, infrastructure providers, software developers and others who each contribute to making 3G services more broadly available—and then partnering with the regional distributors and retailers to push the complete solution of a services-enabled device to the consumer.

TT – Please talk about Qualcomm’s growth and progress in terms of business activity in the Middle East and Africa region where it has been working for the last three years now.
ZM – Qualcomm’s MEA group team has spent the last 3 years, since officially setting up its presence in Dubai in April 2008, building up the foundation for our partnerships and strategies. The last year has been the year where the initial impact of our presence and results started to show.  Qualcomm has done extremely well in this region as you see from the multiple announcements with regional operators like Du and its collaboration with Qualcomm to be the first in region to deploy a 42mbps HSPA+ network.  We’re also cooperating with Mobily and have in place an overall collaboration model across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with multiple initiatives from technology, to services to developers. Mobinil and Great Connection recently collaborated to introduce the Mobile Baby service in Egypt with facilitation from Qualcomm.
We have collaborated quite a bit with operators on their network evolution, services and applications. However, we have recently started engaging the regional/local device distribution channels actively to catalyze the sale of smartphones in general, and Qualcomm-based devices specifically. You will see an expansion of those activities across other markets in the Middle East and Central Asia with the development of a new innovative business model that will accelerate the use of 3G services and data. Stay tuned!

TT – How do you feel about the ecosystem for 3G services in the region?
ZM – We believe that the foundation of 3G uptake lies fundamentally in a high quality network that provides fast and reliable services to the consumer, viable applications availability that improves people’s daily lives and communication, and the reach to the consumer that allows the largest percentage of the population to have access to such services and devices.
Based on the robust dynamics of this region, we believe that the region holds a very promising picture for all the elements of the eco-system, starting from the technology suppliers to the end users. Qualcomm’s strategy in Middle East and Central Asia is to collaborate on the best and most optimized network evolution path with regional operators to ensure the availability of fast and reliable services. Qualcomm’s global expertise and reach is enabling us to build a regional ecosystem of applications and content developers, and to work with OEMs and distribution channels.

TT – Do you think Augmented Reality holds big potential in the Middle East?
ZM – I think it does. Augmented Reality enables a user to view his/her environment with a camera —such as the camera on your smartphone — and superimpose virtual content, such as 3D graphics, over the top. This technology has the potential to enhance many industries, such as advertising, gaming, location-based services and social networking.
Imagine being able to hold your phone up to the dashboard in your new car and have a step-by-step how-to teach you to use all the controls (via a visual overlay). Imagine a billboard, poster or magazine advertisement that comes to life, providing information in a much more easily accessed and understood way than ever before. Imagine playing a 3D game with your friends, all brought to life on your dining room table through your phone’s viewfinder.
Given the strength of the advertising and location-based services in the Middle East, including the UAE, Saudi, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan among others, consumers could benefit from Augmented Reality in a number of ways. We are actively exploring these sorts of uses in MENA.

TT – Our readers would be interested in details about some of your latest chipsets and exciting new consumer products.
ZM – We have recently announced that together with Microsoft, we are collaborating to enable Qualcomm’s Snapdragon™ next generation family of mobile processors to power the first generation of upcoming Windows 8-based PCs, becoming one of the only silicon providers to date positioned to support both Windows smartphones and PCs. In addition, Qualcomm’s Gobi™ mobile Internet connectivity solutions will provide Windows 8-based PCs with wireless 3G/4G connectivity to deliver an always-connected experience.

O3b Networks, Ltd. is a next generation network service provider building the world’s first Medium Earth Orbit satellite constellation. The network will combine the ubiquitous reach of satellite with the speed of fiber to deliver satellite Internet services and mobile backhaul services to emerging markets. The organisation has financial backing from the likes of Google, HSBC, Liberty Global, Allen and Company and Northbridge Venture Partners etc. and seems more than capable to achieve the mission it is set out to accomplish, which is to serve the ‘Other 3 Billion’ people on the earth who are not yet connected to a broadband network. Teletimes got the opportunity for an exclusive interview with the CEO of O3b Networks, Mr. Steve Collar, The transcript of which is given following for our readers.
Gulraiz Khalid – Please talk about the background of O3b networks, its vision and the inspiration behind it.
Steve Collar – ‘O3b’ stands for the ‘Other 3 Billion’ people in the world who do not have access to a broadband internet connection. Our view is that the Internet has become ‘the’ means for people to communicate and ‘the’ means for people to do business and we believe that everyone should have an opportunity to participate in that phenomena. The economic and social benefits are tremendous in areas where people are connected to broadband. Businesses flourish, regions develop and that’s really where the idea for O3b comes from.
I’d also like to share quite interesting story here. Our founder, Greg Wyler was running a telecom company in Rwanda, Africa, about six years ago. He was pretty frustrated by not being able to get high quality fiber solutions, and from that he had this idea that if you can’t get high quality terrestrial solutions into a region, there’s another combination through which you can get a fiber like service.. So this story stems from a very real world, practical frustration of not being able to get high quality connectivity in a developing market.

GK – You have your main focus on the emerging markets. What is the idea behind that strategy?
SC – It’s true that we’re focusing on the emerging markets because it’s where the need for our kind of service/product is required. Our MEO satellites are four times closer to the earth than traditional GEO satellites and therefore provide faster internet connections. We don’t necessarily see the developed world as having a particularly good market for the high capacity, low latency solutions that we offer. It does not mean we will not deploy them for niche applications in developed markets but our focus is mainly on the emerging markets.

GK – The O3b orbit is much closer to the earth than geo-stationary satellites. Would you like to explain to our readers, how these MEO satellites are going to be better than the previous ones and other predeceasing technologies?
SC – Our satellites are four times closer to the earth thangeo-stationery satellites which have to maintain a huge distance from the earth. Our satellites have latencies which are four times lower and latency is becoming increasingly important in all IP applications ranging from voice to web services to cloud computing. This gives us a performance edge that cannot be achieved through traditional satellite connections.

GK – Apparently, one connection is going to be using 8 satellites throughout the day and will switch over to the next satellite when the previous one passes by as the speed at which these satellites will orbit is very fast. So is there going to be some sort of disconnectivity when the modem switches from one satellite to the other?
SC – There will be no disconnectivity and it’s an absolutely seamless connection. The modem which the customer will use will automatically detect which is the primary satellite to receive service from and will automatically connect to that with no effect on customer service. Our antennas on the ground actually move very slowly, about the speed of the minute hand on your watch.

GK – What exactly is the change that O3b is trying to bring to the internet ecosystem and how will the end users be affected through it?
SC – The developing world is dependent on mobile networks, not fixed networks for its telecoms. And increasingly when we’re talking about mobile services, we’re talking about data and services that can be delivered over IP. They include voice, data to handheld devices and video. So the revolution that we will bring is that we’ll make those connections more affordable and give them higher quality from the lower latency that we will provide.
I think what we’ll see as a result of O3b’s deployment is that mobile operators for example, will be able to provide data services, IP services further into the network. It will be more affordable for them to do that. So from the users’ perspective, you’ll get data coverage in areas where it won’t be possible to get it otherwise.

GK – What is O3b’s current position regarding customers?
SC – The important thing as always is our customers. We have customers in all regions of the world in which we operate. We have customers in Latin America, in Africa, in Middle East, in South Asia and the Pacific. Today we can say we are a truly global business.

GK – Some of our readers will be very interested in your agreement with Etisalat to provide Backhaul services.
SC - This is one of the most important customer agreements that we have signed to date. We have a global frame agreement with Etisalat,which allows all the regional and local operators of Etisalat to use the O3b network of satellites. We are the only satellite operator to have such an agreement and we appreciate the confidence that Etisalat has shown in us, confidence born from a year of diligence on their part.

GK – Are we looking forward to any agreements of such nature in the near future?
SC – That’s clearly our objective. We see ourselves as becoming an integral part of mobile network operators’ infrastructure and we see Etisalat as the first of many.

GK – Please talk about your relationship with Pak Datacom?
SC – Pak Datacom is an extremely important customer and partner for O3b here in Pakistan. They are a very nimble and entrepreneurial service provider. They have great relationships with the mobile operators here and have been provisioning MNO networks for years, so they are a perfect partner for us here in Pakistan.

GK – How do you see the Pakistani Telecommunications market in comparison to the other emerging markets?
SC - The telecommunications market has grown rapidly here; about 25% growth rate over the last 2-3 years, and I think that will continue. I think more than a 100 million subscribers in the mobile industry tells a story of its own. I think what we’ll achieve in the next 6 to 12 months is some clarity about what’s going to happen regarding 3G. The licenses will be issued or auctioned which is definitely going to have a big impact on the market. It’ll be an important test to see how many licenses are taken up and how many operators actually provide these services within Pakistan. I think it will also be interesting to see whether there’s any consolidation between the operators. As far as challenges are concerned, I think the terrain is a big challenge in Pakistan. The current security situation is also a challenge for the mobile operators and service providers. But overall the picture is very healthy and I think it’s a very robust market and an exciting place to do business.

GK – Where do you see O3b within the next five years?
SC – We have a very scalable satellite constellation. We can continue to launch more satellites into the network in the same orbit which will add to the capacity that we can provide. So in five years’ time, I’m pretty optimistic that O3B will have doubled its capacity; which means that we will have added customers in all regions of the world and become a core part of the mobile network operators’ infrastructure.

GK – Would you like to comment on TELETIMES International?
SC – For the last few years we’ve been working with Teletimes and I think it’s the most important publication for anyone who’s involved in the telecommunications market in the region. So from my point of view it’s something very important. The content represents a good mix of interesting articles and features. It’s something I read and look forward to reading.

Chairman Etisalat, Mohammad Omran

Mr. Omran has worked for Etisalat over three decades and served in many different positions until he became the Chairman of Etisalat in 2005. In 2010, Arabian Business named Omran in its Power 100 list of the ‘Most Influential Arabs in the Arab World’ and he is the only representative from the regional telecom sector to maintain their presence in the list in 2010.
Omran joined Etisalat in 1977, one year after of its inception. In 1982 he was promoted to Area Manager in Ras Al Khaimah, and then appointed as Deputy General Manager of Etisalat in 1984. He held several managerial positions after this until he became the CEO of Etisalat in 2004.
Under Omran’s leadership Etisalat has accomplished a great deal in terms of financial and operational issues, in addition to its international expansion. Revenues increased at a compound annual growth rate of 24% between 2005 and 2009 to reach AED 30.8 billion. Net profits increased by 20% in the same period. And the total profit distributed by Etisalat in the last five years is equal to the total amount of profit distributed during the previous 24 years. The amount of bonus shares the company distributed in the last five years is also approximately the same amount of bonus shares it has distributed since its inception.

Teletimes – After years of success in transforming Etisalat from a local telecom operator into a global telecom player, how do you describe Etisalat’s role today and what’s your vision to the future?
Mohammad Omran – Think of the telecommunications sector as the bridge that allows us to speak, share thoughts and do business with nearly anyone, regardless of where in the world they might be.
Today at Etisalat, we are building bridges to the future, we provide much more than a dial tone or carrier signal, we serve communities and bring the latest technologies within their reach. We keep building and improving the infrastructure that leads to strong opportunities for years to come.
This means many things, for our employees around the world, it means giving them a place to build their own careers and fulfill their full professional potential. And for our shareholders, investors and business partners, it means building long term success in a company that meets inevitable and growing market demands for world class communications.
We’re uniquely positioned to bring this vision to the world. No other telecommunications company has a more complete portfolio of products, capabilities and talent. That also means no other company understands the business, technology and culture of communications like we do. And no other telecommunications company has invested in innovation the way we have. Not only do we offer next‐generation services that bring the future of telecommunications to our customers, we innovate heavily in back‐end processes to improve the efficiency and scale of what we do.

TT – Etisalat spread its wings to cover emerging markets in Africa and became part of the development that has been taken place in the African states. Apart from the success story we all have seen in Egypt, can you give us some examples on how Etisalat is contributing to the rest of the African states?
Omran – Etisalat is building the future of telecommunications, with a focus on benefiting the economy and evolution of every community we serve .  Zantel for example is a home-grown Tanzanian company which continuously seeks, in a positive way, to change the lives of all its customers through improved communications.
Zantel was the first private telecom company in Tanzania to own an international gateway that enabled us to reduce the rates for international calls significantly which paved way for cheaper international calls in the country.
Today, Zantel’s network covers all cities, major towns, highways and rural areas in Tanzania.
Recently we have  partnered with “Mobilera” to offer “Epiq Nation” which will provide  the Tanzanian`s youth with unprecedented services where they can have access to exclusive deals, discounts, experiences and competitions aiming at  improving the lives of the youth in Tanzania and to  meet their hunger for new technologies and products.
Etisalat Nigeria is another example, Etisalat began commercial operations in 7 Nigerian cities in October 2008. Today, network is available in all 36 states of the Nigeria covering all the populated areas, we keep expanding our network to guarantee the best quality of service.
Recently we have launched the First Branded Application Store in Nigeria which offers BlackBerry Smartphone users the access to a wide array of locally relevant contents.  Allowing the community for the first time to discover, download and enjoy a wide array of mobile applications for their BlackBerry Smartphone in a variety of categories including entertainment, games, social networking, news, weather and productivity.

TT – In the fully mature markets, why has keeping a customer become a real challenge for companies—operators and vendors alike?
Omran – While competing for market share, telecom operators need to meet high customer expectations and comply with ever-changing regulations.
Meanwhile, next-generation infrastructure changes the nature and delivery of services. Operators must offer increasingly innovative and high-value services.
Traditional revenue streams are under increasing stress from competition and market saturation. Owning or sharing infrastructure, creating value through managed services, winning the race for talent and creating more agile customer-centric organisations are key challenges for leaders across the telecom sector.
In general, increasing competition brings with it many challenges and one of those is in maintaining your customer base. Certainly when a new entrant comes to the market, your market share will automatically be impacted as they offer lower introductory prices to attract those easiest to shift but we look at such challenges as opportunities to provide further value added services. This segment of customers, which is a large segment, is not easy to maintain by any operator except by promotion of new packages and low prices. We strive in providing quality and innovative services in all our markets and to offer different promotional and effective campaigns to maintain customers loyalty.

TT – We believe that the global telecom sector will see more mergers and acquisition. What‘s the main criteria you consider if a new M&A opportunity   appears?
Omran – Etisalat is always exploring new opportunities whenever they arise.  We remain committed to a prudent and wise investment approach and our expansion to date has resulted in our presence in some of the most highly populated and under-penetrated countries in the world.
There are sets of imperatives to be taken into account when it comes to assessing M&A opportunities, seizing opportunities for growth, and consolidation of the sources, innovation; creativity and use of modern technologies is the key. The more there are clear policies and constructive strategies, the more opportunities for success are there.
Etisalat’s investment strategy is based on long term investment and also on delivering a return to our shareholders.  Clearly, careful analysis of market potential, the regulatory and competitive environments, and collaborative approaches like network interoperability, are all considered to minimize the risks before entering a new market, either through acquisition of existing operations or winning a new spectrum license.
As a commercial business we invest on adding values and to deliver the promise we made to our customers, shareholders and the communities for each market.  If these elements are not met, we would certainly consider walking out of a deal for the best interest of our shareholders.

Ayman Irshaid

Founder CEO – AreebaAreeba,  speaks to Teletimes

Interview by Khalid Athar

Ayman Irshaid, CEO of AreebaAreeba came into the social media business, as Founder of AreebaAreeba, a very exciting social networking website that connects businesses and business professionals around the world. With broad telecom and IT experience in the international and local marketplace, Ayman has established an enviable record of providing the Middle East region with the high quality of telecom and media solutions and services. He has extensive experience and vast knowledge of Telecom and Media services. His international experience extends to Middle East, Africa and Europe. He is focusing on an ambitious plan to transform the traditional business concepts and personal behaviour into more productive, creative and innovative approach.

On the next page are the few excerpts from a discussion with Ayman.

Teletimes – Please share with our readers some information about the background of AreebaAreeba and the story behind its formation.

Ayman Irshaid - AreebaAreeba is a professional social networking website that brings the world closer by helping professionals connect and transfer knowledge and recourse to develop and grow your business, promote yourself and your brand by using multimedia content.

TT – Our readers would like to know about the benefits of AreebaAreeba to its users?

AI – As members, you are encouraged to connect with like-minded professionals, associate with groups of similar interests, blog and contribute to the development of a specific sector and stay up-to-date with the latest news.

TT – Please talk in detail about your current goals and mission.

AI – A Digital Silk Road that Virtually Brings the world closer to the Middle East and the Middle East closer to the world. To become the premiere Social Networking Platform aiming primarily at providing our members with access to resources and knowledge to develop and grow their business, promote themselves and their brand by using multimedia content and by leveraging the AreebaAreeba professional community worldwide.

TT – Would you like to speak about how social networking has become one of the fastest growing things on internet and how this can be directed towards positive productivity?

AI - Social media has become the fastest growing phenomena on the internet and an integral part of the way we live and work. At the same time, it’s becoming a hub for online marketers that are taking advantage of the social media to reach out to their target audience. Companies need to design a policy framework on social media, which also require education of employees on how to use social media sites in a meaningful way. AreebaAreeba has also become great tools for attraction, recruitment, communication, connection, engagement and create new business opportunities. AreebaAreeba is a critical part of communication and collaboration technologies that can help to make people more productive. Clearly there is an opportunity for employees to share ideas, replacing the old style suggestion boxes with a more interactive process, which is being used by many forums to collect views from users.

TT – How do you see the future of the regional IT sector and AreebaAreeba as a part of it?

AI - AreebaAreeba is a first time initiative has been created from the region East and growing rapidly and has become a potential for regional IT sector to innovate and engage in the development of new applications and APIs for AreebaAreeba platform which will increase the IT jobs opportunities and IT recourse.

TT – Do you face any major competition? From who if yes, and how do you manage to overcome it?

AI – AreebaAreeba is a socio-economic development platform, fueled by social networking technologies, nurtured by knowledge transfer, enriched by many cultures, strengthened by professional growth, and sustained by common interests.