By:
On:
In: Africa Focus, Features, Networking, Telecom

Alcatel-Lucent announced that Tunisiana, a mobile operator and a subsidiary of Qatar Telecom, has selected Alcatel-Lucent to transform its mobile network to IP as Tunisiana prepares to evolve to 3G and Long Term Evolution (LTE). Based on its High Leverage NetworkTM (HLN) architecture, Alcatel-Lucent’s IP solution gives Tunisiana the infrastructure necessary to meet the demands of its customers for increasingly sophisticated and high bandwidth mobile services. This includes offering a genuine mobile broadband experience with video, multimedia and data services as well as mobile banking applications. In addition to driving new revenues, Tunisiana will garner significant benefits of an all IP transformation with increased reliability, scalability and speed all while reducing operational cost and complexity.Read More…

By:
On:
In: Expert Views, Software, Telecom

Global research and analyst firm Gartners is predicting that worldwide smartphone sales will reach 468 million units in 2011, a 57.7% increase from 2010. According to Gartner, by the end of 2011, Android will move to become the most popular operating system (OS) globally and will build on its strength to account for 49% of the smartphone market by 2012. Sales of open OS devices will account for 26% of all mobile handset device sales in 2011, and are expected to surpass the 1 billion mark by 2015, when they will account for 47 percent of the total mobile device market. Read More…

By:
On:
In: Features, Networking, News, Telecom

Aastra, a leader in Enterprise Communication technology recently joined hands with Redington Value, the value added distribution division of Redington Gulf. Redington will distribute Aastra SIP and IP terminals and small IP-PBXs in the Middle East and North Africa. As part of the introduction of Aastra’s IP phones for Microsoft Lync, Redington Gulf and Aastra are launching a promotional offer for Microsoft’s voice partners for use as demos and proof-of-concept, which will be available during the second quarter of 2011.

Read More…

By:
On:
In: Expert Views, Telecom

Over the past decade and a half, an unprecedented wave of expansion has altered the global telecom industry. New global competitors are emerg­ing swiftly in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, bringing with them the oppor­tunity for operators to capture their full synergy potential and derive maximum benefits from their enormous foot­print. GCC operators must recognize to what degree they can create synergies across six key areas: procurement, product and service offerings, new revenue sources, shared services, knowl­edge sharing, and international best practices. Read More…

By:
On:
In: Features, SME, Telecom

Aptec concluded its Avaya IP Office roadshow in Dubai on a high note. The event saw more than 70 partners geared up and trained to sell Avaya solutions in the Middle East. Resellers at the event were greeted by Avaya and Aptec’s senior management to increase their familiarity with the companies’ channel programs and product offerings. Built from the ground up specifically for small and medium-size businesses, Avaya IP Office delivers the communications capabilities that big business are used to, with the elegant simplicity and ease of use that small businesses consider a “must-have”.Read More…

By:
On:
In: Features, Products, Telecom

Inmarsat, the leading global mobile satellite communications service provider, recently announced the availability of a data service on its global handheld satellite phone, IsatPhone Pro. The new circuit-switched data capability, offering an effective data rate of up to 20kbps is provided in the firmware upgrade to the handset. In addition to the data capability, the next firmware upgrade for IsatPhone Pro will feature a number of service enhancements. IsatPhone Pro is one of the most innovative phone in its category and have won several awards, gathering highly favourable reviews in every single country in which satellite communications is authorised.
Read More…

By:
On:
In: Features, News, Telecom

AFCOMP part of Al-Futtaim group signed an partner agreement with Nokia to distribute mobile phones to key domestic retailers in the UAE. AFCOMP will supply the full range of mobiles phones including the latest feature-rich smartphones such as the Nokia E7, C7 and N8. Distribution agreement follows the earlier partnership agreement between Techserve, an Al-Futtaim group company, and Nokia to act as its Care Centre partner in the UAE. The Care Centre offers holistic solutions to consumers providing not only repair assistance, but also support for Nokia services including the Nokia Ovi Store, Nokia Music Store and, Nokia Mail for Exchange, as also Nokia Messaging.
Read More…

By:
On:
In: Enterprise, Features, IT Services, Telecom

Huawei, the leaders in next-generation telecommunication network solutions, showcased its latest innovations in the area of Managed Services (MS) at the fourth Informa annual event “Managed Services for Growth Markets 2011”. The event which was attened by more than 200 professionals and experts representing 20+ regional Telco service providers, leading global telecom vendors, and industry analysts. The Huawei presentation entitled “Going Beyond Traditional Managed Services” provided the audience with a glance at new trends to reduce TCO, yet more importantly the evolution route for next generation Managed Services to support evolving technologies and network convergence with the subscribers’ Quality of Experience as the focal point.
Read More…

By:
On:
In: News, Telecom

The number of mobile subscribers in Pakistan reached the 100mn mark in September 2010 and is expected to continue its growth momentum due to the relatively low penetration rate. Fast Market Research expects the subscribers base to grow to the level of 136.078mn in Pakistan by end-2015, representing a penetration rate of 70.3%. Pakistan’s broadband subscriber base reached 1.053mn in October 2010, an increase of 63.5% from the 643,892 in December 2009. While DSL remained the main technology used to access broadband services in the country, alternative wireless solutions WiMAX and EV-DO are catching up fast. The number of DSL users grew by 96.5% from 262,661 in June 2009. By contrast, subscriber figures of WiMAX and EV-DO increased by 246.6% and 708.5% over the same period to reach 306,665 and 181,947 respectively. Read More…

By:
On:
In: Component, Features, News, Telecom

Taiwanese mobile chipset maker MediaTek has opened its office in Dubai, a move the the company believes will help it to court mobile handset manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa market. The vendor is aiming to capitalise on its already growing business in the Middle East with its semiconductor solutions for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions. By having a local presence in Dubai, MediaTek will further strengthen the company’s regional partnerships to better serve one of the world’s fastest growing mobile markets. According to the vendor, the strategy for the Middle East is to link start-ups and existing mobile handset manufacturers in the region with its OEM partners in China.

Read More…

By:
On:
In: Africa Focus, Features, News, Telecom

BMI’s latest update on Ghana’s telecoms market contains revised forecast figures for the country’s mobile telephony and fixed-line markets. Our new mobile forecast includes December 2010 data as published by Ghana’s telecoms regulator, the National Communications Authority (NCA), for YE10 and Q310 market data published by leading mobile network operators, including MTN Ghana, part of South Africa’s MTN Group, and Tigo Ghana, owned by Luxembourg’s Millicom International Cellular. Read More…

By:
On:
In: News, Telecom

Google launched a new service in Saudi Arabia allowing its users to send SMS service from their Gmail accounts. The new service is the result of a partnership between Google and Saudi Telecom Co (STC). Google demonstrated the service and new products such as localised Arabic versions of YouTube and Maps at its first technology event in Riyadh. Attendees at the two-day G-Day Saudi explored Google’s technologies through a combination of tech talks, breakout sessions and codelabs run by some of Google’s top engineers, product specialists and business managers. Read More…