Du signs major deals to expand reach, services

Dubai - Omantel partnership will enhance the telecom operator's reach to Oman, Vodafone agreement bring a new breed of Internet of Things services to the UAE, and DSI deal is based on business communications.

Dubai telecom operator du on Wednesday signed a number of partnerships at Gitex Technology Week with Omantel, Vodafone and Drake & Scull (DSI).
Omantel partnership will enhance the telecom operator's reach to Oman, Vodafone agreement bring a new breed of Internet of Things services to the UAE, and DSI deal is based on business communications.
Through the regional first tie up between the operators, Omantel will be able to launch IPTV service in their local market using du's IPTV platform, thereby reducing their time-to-market and offering their customers a world-class IPTV experience. The partnership agreement provides an opportunity for du to expand the regional reach of its IPTV platform.
Osman Sultan, chief executive officer, du, said: "Our partnership with Omantel marks a significant step.. We are now a regional ICT player, having diversified from pure telecommunications, and we're expanding our offerings for regional incumbents."
Talal Said Marhoon Al Mamari, chief executive officer, Omantel, said the partnership agreement with du will enable the company to offer its customers state-of-the-art IPTV service.
Vodafone deal
At the Gitex, du announced an extension to its existing partnership with Vodafone to provide the very best of Machine to Machine (M2M) solutions to UAE businesses. This new technology will allow more complex data to be shared via the Internet of Things (IoT) - allowing for more sophisticated services.
The partnership enables du to offer enhanced M2M services to enterprises looking to implement IoT services by pairing its local market knowledge with Vodafone's expertise and market leading M2M platform. This will be an important step forward in delivering the necessary technology required to make UAEs smart city initiatives a reality.
Initially du will focus on connected car opportunities such as enhanced safety, connecting drivers with garages and emergency services.
Drake and Scull partnership
Drake & Scull International (DSI) and du announced a business services agreement between the two companies.
As part of the agreement, du will provide its cutting edge telecommunication services to DSI to integrate all aspects of business telecommunication within the UAE as well as exploring the possibility of implementing International Leased line circuits.
DSI has been able to realise tangible cost benefits through their business relationship with du in the past, which resulted in a significant optimisation in fixed line costs with the seamless integration of "Closed User group" and "Call Select" functionality, and cost saving with the "Closed User group" feature that enables free calls between employees. DSI's agreement with du also spans the provisioning of mobile devices which resulted in savings in GSM calls which has generated substantial savings over a two-year cycle.
- abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com