Mobily and Huawei Announce First Commercial Service Delivery Platform in the Middle East

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04 Mar, 2012, 07:00 GMT

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, March 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), Saudi Arabia's leading mobile operator, and Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, have revealed the implementation of the Middle East's first commercial next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) involving landmark advances to nearly every segment of the operator's nationwide mobile network.

Amidst fierce competition within the Saudi telecom sector, Mobily announced in early 2011 that it would undergo a strategic business transformation that would provide more innovative services to its customers while streamlining overall operations and management processes. The technology behind the resulting SDP platform has been engineered specifically for the operator by Huawei-a leading ICT solutions provider which has successfully deployed SDP solutions across the globe and ranks first in overall market share for SDP delivery.

With the next generation SDP, Mobily will be able to more rapidly implement new multimedia services collaborating with content publishers, service providers and all other players on the value chain. The platform also allows Mobily to do things like setting up their own app store, integrating with OTT content providers, and developing cloud-oriented services-all part of opening the door to more diverse revenue streams and a healthy business ecosystem.

"We are very proud of this cooperation between Mobily and Huawei. The Middle East's first commercial next generation Service Delivery Platform (SDP) is part of Mobily's initiative to enrich the telecom sector and customers' experience," said Mobily's CEO Khalid Al Kaf.

Mobily has partnered with Huawei on numerous occasions leading up to the SDP launch, including the initiation of Mobily 4G LTE services in September 2011 which will eventually cover more than 30 cities and towns representing 85% of the populated areas in KSA.

"This project was a fantastic opportunity to work with Mobily to build a strong operation, assurance, and optimization system that could be integrated into the pre-existing network," comments Yi Xiang, President of Middle East, Huawei. "As legacy services, operations and networks are replaced with these software-driven frameworks, the traditionally separate IT and telecom worlds are now converging. This particular Huawei SDP solution will enable Mobily to tap into new revenue streams across the telecom, media, and Internet industries by extracting value from mobile broadband and cross-industries business."

Market research firm Infonetics Research noted in a 2011 report that there has been a great deal of buzz over the last few years about leveraging SDPs for advanced applications such as machine-to-machine services, mobile advertising and cloud services; demonstrating a growing sophistication around the applications that operators are using SDPs to support while aiming to reduce time-to-market for new services.

Currently, Huawei SDP solutions are being used by more than 100 operators around the world including the top five multinational telecom operators globally.

About Mobily

Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) was established in 2004 by a consortium led by Etisalat, the UAE based telecom conglomerate. Mobily is the official brand name of Etihad Etisalat, renowned as the second mobile service provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The awarded 25-Year telecommunication mobile license was complemented by a subsequent purchase of a 3G license. Mobily is the 1st Saudi communications company to get an operation license for 3rd generation services and beyond. In December 2004, Mobily was listed on Tadawul Stock Exchange. Today, Mobily equates to 40%+ market share of the mobile subscriptions in the Kingdom. In March 2008, Mobily was granted approval by CITC (Communication and Information Technology Commission) to acquire Bayanat al-Oula which was a licensed Data Service Provider for a price of SAR 1.5 Billion. And, in November 2008, Mobily acquired absolute majority stakes in Zajil, the leading Saudi ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Mobily owns vast majority shares in the Saudi National Fiber Network (SNFN) composed with 12,800 KM of structured fiber cable, panned into 7 fully protected rings covering 35 Saudi cities plus access to 60 major hub sites for telecommunications prime points of presence, and complimented with 20 inter-metropolis fiber loops in major Saudi cities. Furthermore, Mobily is a lead investor in prime global submarine cable projects that are expected to be operational in the near future.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Through our dedication to customer-centric innovation and strong partnerships, we have established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, devices and cloud computing. We are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers by providing competitive solutions and services. Our products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world's population. For more information, visit Huawei online: http://www.huawei.com

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