ICT Insight (November 2013)

etisalat.ae Issue 15 | November 2013

Etisalat Business Update

The whole world in our hands Etisalat partners with public and private institutions to deliver the vision of a smarter world

INSIDE

Smarter solutions

SME services

M2M

MPOS

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I

Management speak

Managing success

Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, ICT, Etisalat

When it comes to urban competitiveness, it’s time to get smart. Cities around the world are deploying ICT to generate social and environmental capital, and the Middle East is at the forefront of this drive.

Governments, operators and IT providers are partnering up around the world to prepare nations for this transition. In this region, Etisalat is leading the charge.

We have been committed to transforming from flagship carrier to regional ICT service provider, and our progressive plans to benefit the national economy are setting the standards for smart solutions. In line with the technology vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, we want to help make our cities smarter with our underlying infrastructure and our emerging enabling platforms.

Whilst it is a tough job, we are also lucky to be in a region that possesses the necessities to enable rapid ICT growth. Through continuous investments by Etisalat over the years, the UAE now boasts a telecommunications ecosystem that every country in the world would be envious of.

The Dh19 billion we invested on laying out the much-celebrated Fiber to the Home (FTTH) network is testament to our commitment to this vision. Both coverage and broadband speeds stand amongst the highest rates in the world.

Perhaps the most important statistic, however, is that of mobile penetration, which the UAE holds the world record for at 170 percent. It is this trend which is really driving the transition to a ‘smarter world’, and Etisalat fully realises that the future is based on services available via smart devices.

The recent launch of the ‘Smart Nol’ service, which allows Dubai commuters to purchase Metro tickets via NFC-enabled smartphones, is just the latest example of this realisation. Initiatives like this are firmly in line with our longterm strategy to support mGovernment and other similar drives to raise the profile of the country, and to positively impact the lives of the UAE’s people.

Furthermore, our Emirates Energy Start (EES) programme continues to gain momentum. Etisalat SIM cards can now gauge how much energy is being utilised in a building and reduce consumption through efficiency measures.

As more and more businesses adopt M2M technology, we will all start living smarter. There are already 83 buildings in UAE using energy-efficient M2M solutions, and we expect this number to rise rapidly as more enterprises are exposed to the technology.

That said, the responsibility to bring the Middle East forward into the smarter age lies not only with Etisalat. To achieve this task, it is on all entities, be they business competitors or government departments, to work together and to cement long-lasting partnerships. Only by working together can we really turn the smart city concept into a reality, and Etisalat welcomes collaboration on any level if it means the results will contribute to the development of the country.

At this year’s GITEX Technology Week, we demonstrated our willingness to form meaningful partnerships. We also dedicated our presence at the mammoth trade show to displaying our smart solutions across multiple verticals. These offerings help organisations increase workforce mobility, employee productivity and network efficiency, while reducing cost and complexity.

You can read all about our smart technologies in this issue of ICT Insight.

Enjoy.

etisalat.ae

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Smarter solutions

Building a smarter world With its new Smart Solutions offerings, which are tailored to specific industry verticals, Etisalat hopes to put an end to the one-size-fitsall approach peddled by all too many solutions providers. Instead, the company believes a more considered, bespoke approach is the answer to creating smarter industries.

While Etisalat has tailored Smarter Solutions for specific industry verticals, there is one common trait that unites all of its Smart offerings – they’re about getting the right information to the right people at the right time. At least, that’s how Sahebzada Haider Khan, Senior Manager, Business Development, Etisalat sees things.

“When you discuss this at a high level, it really is about removing any delay that comes in any interaction that exists between provider and receiver. If you look at these specific verticals, it’s about giving people the right information at the right time,” he says.

Etisalat’s Smarter Solutions business unit was set up earlier in 2013 in order to bring tailored technological solutions to market. Instead of expecting customers to bend their businesses to the technology currently available, the ICT solutions provider now hopes to offer technology mixes that are designed specifically for various verticals.

4

ICT Insight

Already, Etisalat has made strong inroads into the

Meanwhile, solutions like Vehicle Tracking and Field

healthcare, transport and education sectors, among others.

Force Automation can provide a wealth of invaluable

For example, the company recently made available

data (the right information), helping business heads

its Digital Hospital offering, which aims to create a

(the right people) to make better decisions about the

complete digital care ecosystem. The solution unifies

company’s operations going forward (the right time).

communications and information flow across internal

To come up with such solutions for these verticals,

and external subsystems, with components spanning

Khan has a specialist team of industry-vertical experts,

from handheld mobile devices to back-end ICT

whose job it is to delve deeper into the industries

infrastructure and expert services.

that Etisalat wants to help modernise, whether it’s

Etisalat can also add and integrate new health ICT

government, healthcare, transport or any other specific

products and services into existing environments, negating

vertical. Through research and customer consultations,

the need for a complete rebuild. And the ICT solutions

the team is able to identify key industry drivers, as well

provider recently announced the availability of a cloud-

as challenges that need to be overcome. From there,

based Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).

it’s simply a case of making available new technologies

According to Khan, Etisalat’s positioning of its

that can help to either accelerate business drivers or

Smarter Health offerings is a perfect illustration of the

else conquer business challenges.

need to get the right information to the right people

“In my team, we have industry-vertical experts, and

at the right time. “Better decision making is dependent

their job is to get deeper into that industry so that

on that and those three things need to happen. What

any propositions that we do bring to market are the

we believe is that technology can help them do that.

ones that the industry wants and needs. Sometimes

What we’re enabling is information,” he says.

we might be slightly ahead of their requirements, and

Likewise, the sentiment is echoed when discussing Etisalat’s Smarter Education Services, which range

sometimes it’s a case of filling out a need that they already know about,” Khan says.

from offerings for collaborative and virtual learning to

In many cases, no matter the vertical, organisations

campus safety and security surveillance. The company

simply want to operate more efficiently, Khan adds.

also offers such technologies as a cloud learning

Etisalat’s role, then, is simply to provide the technology

management

that can drive better efficiency.

system,

smart

classrooms,

mobile

Sahebzada Haider Khan, Senior Manager, Business Development, Etisalat

applications, and, of course, high-speed Internet

“How business is done hasn’t changed over the

access in order to better serve students and teachers.

years. People are in business for certain reasons. The

Of course, no vertical is completely similar to the

commercial part of those reasons is to do things that

next, so extra considerations need to be taken into

add to the bottom line. The way they do that is to

account when discussing education, according to Khan.

improve their revenue and reduce their costs. That

“I think, in education, one of the major challenges is

element hasn’t changed since the dawn of time. What

around allowing the knowledge to be delivered not only

we look to do is assist the organisation to do that, and

at the right time and in the right place, but having that

provide better efficiencies for them so that they can

interactivity that leads to deeper understanding of the

operate better,” Khan says.

information people are looking at. We feel that, because we

Though Khan believes that he and his team have

are the technology provider, we can provide that,” he says.

been extremely successful in determining key industry

Etisalat’s offerings for the transport vertical provide

drivers and bringing the right products to market, he

another example of taking that right-information,

also says that Etisalat is only at the beginning of what

right-people, right-time concept and building on it with

promises to be an enlightening journey.

next-generation solutions. With its Smarter Transport

“We are the biggest carrier, and we’re the best

and Logistics solutions, the company brings together

carrier of information. We’ve got to now think about

core technologies such as Smart Networking, cloud,

what scenarios those people operate in and how we

mobility, M2M and security, providing insights on

can best provide that information to them,” he says.

schedules, routes, hazards and vehicles.

Etisalat Business Update

5

Smarter solutions

A broader Reach Etisalat’s Smarter Solutions reach across several industry verticals, and Mehdi Quraishi, Senior Director, Product Management & Marketing, takes us through more of the company’s vertical based smarter technology offerings.

When it comes to using technology to drive smarter business, Etisalat believes that the UAE is well ahead of the curve. With recent trends like social media, Big Data, Mobility and the Cloud all having profound effects on the way the companies do business in UAE. In relation to the rest of the world, UAE is showing a bigger willingness to adopt emerging technologies and use them to drive smarter business. At least, that’s how Mehdi Quraishi, Senior Director, Product Management and Marketing Etisalat, sees things.

“At Smarter Technology we understand the importance of precise and efficient business strategies and how information technology should support critical business processes.

We understand because we have been providing successful strategic business solutions to a variety of industries. We know that more technology is not necessarily better technology. We know that working smarter is better than just working harder,” he says

6

ICT Insight

Etisalat offers a portfolio of Smart Solutions to provide reliable, efficient and sustainable infrastructures—optimized to reduce costs today while providing a platform for the innovations of tomorrow.

Our smart solutions employ innovative technologies that use advanced data analytics to help enterprise enable new energy-conserving initiatives, plan for secure networks, improve the performance of mission-critical applications, improve business processes through wireless technologies and

enhance

resource

utilization

through

energy

management services, according to Mehdi.

We are able to deliver the smarter technology solutions because etisalat, invested in core infrastructure such as fiber optic and LTE network which is now contributing to the development of other sectors such as education,

At Smarter Technology we understand the importance of precise and efficient business strategies and how information technology should support critical business processes.

healthcare, business, banking, hospitality and others.

Today Etisalat got the highest 4G LTE speed in the world,

Mehdi Quraishi, Senior Director, Product Management and Marketing, Etisalat

reaching speeds of 300 Mbps. This is a breakthrough

Etisalat Emirates Energy Star programme which delivers

for the international telecommunications industry and

energy efficiency through Managed Energy Monitoring

establishes etisalat as a global leader in mobile broadband,

Services. The smarter energy solutions leverages upon

according to Mehdi.

Machines to Machines Technology (M2M) and aims to

It is with this in the mind that etisalat has opted to help

reduce the energy consumption of the UAE by monitoring

drive this advancement with its smarter solution offerings.

the building in real-time 24x7, comparing actual energy use

Targeting key industry verticals, wherein real business

with the forecast base load, and identifying the cause of

needs are addressed, the smarter solutions aim to use

any variations from the expected consumption, energy use

technology to help organization rum more efficiently.

can be optimized.

Today’s high-powered consumers make decisions on the

Etisalat is enabling UAE Hotels to offer a differentiated

go, which means mobile devices have become portable

Internet guest journey in the hospitality sector. Through

offices and points of sale in their hands, according to Mehdi.

the bandwidth on demand offering, Etisalat is able to

Etisalat recently announced mobile point of sale (mPOS)

deliver an end-to-end high speed internet access (HSIA)

offering as part of their smart money which revolutionize

solution, covering conferencing, public area and in-room

retail and payments.

requirements. These solutions provide more choice to the

According to Mehdi, Mobile POS technologies are

hospitality service provider and underline Etisalat’s position

bringing new opportunities and challenges for all players

as the leading ICT service provider for the sector, according

along the entire value chain. Mobile POS solutions were

to Mehdi.

initially offered to micro and small merchants with card

“We have delivered next generation cloud based High

acceptance functionality. But mPOS isn’t only for micro

Speed internet Access (HSIA) service which will support

merchants anymore. Big retailers want robust mobile

hoteliers in providing solutions to the ever-increasing

POS solutions enabling integration with their complex

bandwidth demands and expectations in the digital age,”

backend systems.

he says.

A lot was talked about internet of things and M2M.

Another area focus for Etisalat is in supporting the smart

We at Etisalat has launched M2M Control Center Which

government initiative by incorporating the capabilities of

enables customers to manage connected devices the smart

social, information, cloud and mobile technologies. The

way. It empowers customers to take control over their own

above forces have

business processes with a robust set of self-service tools,

worked together to offer new ways to permanently

so customer operations are more efficient and profitable.

improve how governments serve and interact with the

It delivers a powerful automation engine, so enterprise can

needs and expectations of the public. “ Smart government

scale operations while driving value to the bottom line. It

enables collaboration among government entities, nonprofit

also gives enterprise the depth of intelligence that need to

organizations, private-sector companies and the public,”

respond in real time to market conditions and to customers.

according to Mehdi

Etisalat Business Update

7

Interview

Contributing to growth With the UAE’s SME segment playing such an important part in the country’s economic growth, Etisalat has tailored its offerings to provide SMEs with affordable and reliable ICT support.

8

ICT Insight

With the UAE’s economy now back in full swing, it has become increasingly clear that much of the country’s growth is coming from the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment. Earlier this year, Mohammed Al Shehhi, Undersecretary, UAE Ministry of Economy, said that SMEs made up more than 60 percent of the UAE’s GDP, and that these companies provided 86 percent of all private sector employment.

For any technology provider in the Middle East, then, the SME segment is hardly one to ignore. And this is why Etisalat has recently been at pains to show its recognition of the importance of the UAE’s SME segment.

“Etisalat views SMEs as a very important segment for the country because SMEs are the engine of growth for

any economy, and especially for the UAE because the UAE

Etisalat also offers SME-centric security services,

is trying to position itself as a business hub,” says John

including intrusion prevention, Web security and email

Lincoln, Senior Vice President, Business Marketing, Etisalat.

security, among others. Lincoln says that any particularly

“You can see why SMEs are very important. In macro-

security-conscious SMEs can even take advantage of

economic terms, imagine if there was no SME growth in

a unified threat management (UTM) solution through

this country - the economy would putter. Most employees

Etisalat.

are employed by SMEs if you really think about it, and

Storage is another big area for Etisalat’s SME

those employees purchase things in the economy.

customers, he adds, so the company encourages SMEs to

They use the services of other SMEs and retail outlets,

think about disaster recovery and back-up, in case they

restaurants, hotels and all these other things that people

find that mission-critical data is lost. “Imagine if one or

do in the UAE.”

two of the key employees leave, and take away all the

Etisalat’s interest in the SME segment is two-fold. For a start, it would be ludicrous for the company, as an ICT solutions provider, to not tailor offerings for such a large

John Lincoln, Senior Vice President, Business Marketing, Etisalat

information on all the suppliers, all the purchases, and all the employee details. Low and behold it’s gone, and the business is dead,” Lincoln explains.

chunk of the economy. But perhaps more importantly, the

Etisalat also offers communications management –

company wants to help contribute to the UAE’s growth,

whereby email servers are set up along with phones

and so it has worked out how to provide SMEs – which it

etc. All of these offerings, Lincoln says, address the four

defines as any company with less than 100 employees -

needs that modern SMEs have – value for money, the

with affordable and reliable ICT support.

ability to turn Capex into Opex, convenience and a lack

Granted, some of the UAE’s SMEs could be considered

of complexity.

IT leaders with little need for Etisalat’s support, Lincoln

But the solutions provider goes further than simply

says. However, the vast majority of SMEs have four basic

providing SME customers with what they need. Lincoln

needs when it comes to IT. Firstly, they need value for

says that Etisalat encourages SMEs to implement more

money, which translates into pricing predictability and

solutions to give them added business value. The thinking

transparency. Secondly, they want to convert Capex to

is, he explains, some SMEs may assume that they run

Opex because most of their cash is tied up in the business.

just fine without the added expense of extra technology

Thirdly, they want convenience, meaning easy access

solutions, but Etisalat can provide them with inexpensive

to hardware and services. Lastly, they want as little

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions so that they can

complexity as possible, simply because they can’t afford

achieve better efficiency.

to hire expensive IT administrators.

“For instance, most SMEs have not really gotten into

“From this, we have multiple propositions that are

CRM systems. It’s very simple, CRM – you need to track

targeted at SMEs. Of course, the core telecoms services

your sales, track your orders, in order to give good customer

are bundled and meet these criteria – you get a basic

service. The second thing is with financing and accounting

phone that you don’t have to pay up front for. You can pay

applications, and the third thing is HR applications. In this

monthly, and it’s also subsidised and the prices are very

part of the world, with labour restrictions and work permits,

transparent,” explains Lincoln.

everything needs to be tracked and managed, and all the

“We also believe that, with most SMEs, the IT systems

information needs to be stored. So our HR management

are mission-critical. And if it’s down, it affects their

systems are also available. And instead of paying

business operation, and most SMEs don’t realise this. So

thousands of dollars in licence fees, or using unlicensed

we do basic LAN management. From CAPEX, they pay on

software, we offer this through various partners on a per-

a per-site, per-port basis.”

user, per-month model,” Lincoln says.

What’s more, with Platinum-level services available, SMEs can make use of dedicated account managers,

We believe that, with most SMEs, the IT systems are mission-critical. And if it’s down, it affects their business operation.

and all verticals are catered for. Indeed, Etisalat’s SME offerings are so comprehensive that Lincoln believes the solutions provider offers SMEs the most advanced services in the market today. And as the SME segment continues to drive the UAE’s economy, Etisalat will be right behind these businesses, supplying them with the technology they need.

Etisalat Business Update

9

M2M

Total control Having gradually evolved across the value chain in the machine-to-machine (M2M) market, Etisalat has made a regional first by launching the M2M Control Center, which promises to be one of the most comprehensive SIM-management platforms on the market.

Etisalat has been leading the way in innovation

Already, several deployments have been well-

and building new capabilities by synergising its

documented. For example, Dubai’s Roads and Transport

state-of-the-art mobile network in the machine-to-

Authority has deployed smart parking meters, which

machine (M2M) market for more than six years now.

are all connected to the RTA back end systems using

Originally, the company focused simply on providing

Etisalat’s M2M connectivity. The RTA also makes use of

the connectivity that would link various machines

Etisalat’s connectivity to monitor its fleets of taxis and

– through SIM cards and data packages – though in

buses, thereby gleaning valuable information so that

recent years, Etisalat has considerably upped its game

the fleets can be run more efficiently.

when it comes to M2M.

10

ICT Insight

These M2M solutions are no doubt impressive in their

Now, the company has “evolved across the value

ability to drive better business efficiency. However,

chain”, according to Zakaraya Alashek, Senior Manager

according to Alashek, the “crown jewel” of Etisalat’s

for Product Marketing, Mobility Solutions and M2M,

current crop of M2M offerings is the newly launched

Etisalat. Instead of simply providing the means to

M2M Control Center, a sophisticated, cloud-based platform

connect various devices to one another, the ICT

offering unique capabilities that enable enterprise

solutions provider now offers M2M platforms, M2M

customers to launch, manage, and rapidly scale connected

applications and M2M devices.

device businesses or deployments. The platform promises

“As a result, enterprises can get to market quickly, run their operations efficiently, and grow their business profitably. This proven platform is used by organisations around the world in a broad range of M2M applications including

vehicle

telematics,

consumer

electronics,

healthcare, point-of-sale, fleet tracking, asset monitoring, energy,

and

telemetry.

Control

Center

promises

continuous innovation paired with software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery to ensure that companies have the very latest technology to manage their connected devices most effectively now and in the future,” he says.

Zakaraya Alashek, Senior Manager for Product Marketing, Mobility Solutions and M2M, Etisalat

The M2M Control Center also provides the possibility to run SIM diagnostic tests, coming with tier-1 and tier2 support functionality, Alashek says.

“If customers have any issues with running the applications or connectivity, they can do diagnostics, so they will get to know what’s happening in terms of whether the SIM’s connected to the network, if the SIM’s connected to the device, or if the device is working,” he explains.

The M2M Control Center also offers enhanced device automation, and allows users to set custom rules about what the SIM should be doing. Alashek says that customers can use the Control Center to automate business processes, respond instantly to specific

The M2M Control Center provides enterprises with a global view of the activity of all their M2M SIMs, and enables them to drive efficiency and profitability.

events, and drive advanced interactions between devices and their own web applications.

The Control Center also offers open APIs that support deep integration with customer applications, according to Alashek. He says that customers can integrate the Control Center’s output through APIs to their own applications. This means that they do not need to use the Control Center to glean the information – they can simply source the information from the Control Center,

to give customers global visibility into the activity of all

and run it through their own platforms, if needs be.

Whether a customers wants to use the Control Center

their SIMs on the Etisalat wireless network.

“M2M Control Center is a hosted platform that allows

interface or not, Alashek is convinced that they will see

SIM management. In this case, customers can monitor

a significant return on investment upon availing of its

the activity on their SIMs, and they can get to know

capabilities.

all about the usage of their SIMs and all their M2M

“Through the technology, or the components of the solutions we provide, we increase business

applications,” he says.

More than this, however, Alashek says that the M2M

efficiency, the time to deliver to the customer, customer

Control Center enables customers to drive efficiency

satisfaction, et cetera. And that will definitely help to

and profitability, empowered with robust self-service

reduce on costs in the long run,” he says.

and

The M2M Control Center represents something of a

usage controls, as well as streamline operations and

turning point for Etisalat, as it has decided to take the

scale faster with a powerful automation engine. The

M2M market head-on, according to Alashek. He says

solution can also help users gain strategic insight and

that M2M is a global trend, and it makes sense for the

manage their businesses with an unparalleled depth of

UAE’s largest carrier to involve itself in the whole chain

intelligence, he adds.

– rather than just the connectivity aspect of the market.

tools

for

provisioning,

real-time

diagnostics

Etisalat Business Update

11

from pa Era Before Security

Era of Pain

1999 Not Much Online Commerce, Not Much thinking About Security

1999 Worldwide PC shipments

$20 million

1999 Worldwide Security Software

$3.8 Billion

Security submarkets tracked by IDC 1999 Antiviral, Firewall, Encryption, Security AAA

Web commerce grows; hackers take notice, mischief turns to theft

Worldwide E-Commerce Spending (B2B & B2C) $B

2012 Worldwide PC shipments

$371.1 million 2012 Worldwide Security Software

$19.3 Billion

Security submarkets tracked by IDC 2013 Identity and access management; Advanced authentication; Web single sign-on; Enterprise single sign-on; Legacy authorization; User provisioning; Personal portable security devices; Software licensing authentication token; Unified threat management; Intrusion detection and prevention; Virtual private network; Security and vulnerability management; Security information and event management; Proactive endpoint risk management; Forensics and incident investigation; Security device and systems management; Vulnerability assessment...

8000 7000 Code Red costs top $2B

6000 5000

Slammer Worm infects an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 servers worldwide

$6,884B

I LOVE YOU Emerges

4000

DataLossDB.org incidents 2004-2007

3000

644

2000

774

$357.4B

1000

43

0 2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

157 2005

2006

2007

2008

ain to empowerment Era of Empowerment

Era of Obtrusive Security

2016 Enterprises lock-down infrastructures.

Breaches mount.

Cloud, mobile and consumerization disrupt IT. Security empowers business.

Web grows as a top threat source Top security challenges facing large enterprises over the next 12 months

64%

60% EMPLOYEE USE OF WEB 2.0

DIFFICULTY SECURING WEB APPS

2007 Yes

55%

No

45%

Complexity of security solutions Increasing sophistication of attacks Increasing volume of threats and/or attacks

2008

2009

2010

Does your organization have a formal documented security policy?

Which if any of the following is your company currently using/likely to purchase or implement during the next 12 months?

63%

53% 61% 63%

$67B $29B

2011

2012

Yes

No 35%

37%

IT-CONTROLLED

BYOD

Worldwide cloud revenue ($B)

Top rated enterprise security challenges (a five year comparison)

45% 45% 41%

How would you describe your mobile device environment?

659

65%

Data loss prevention: 62% Network Admission Control: 57% Employee Monitoring Solutions: 57%

Any potential security risks cloud computing or SaaS introduce are far outweighed by the benefits.

2013

2014

2015

SMARTPHONE SHIPMENTS (M)

45% 33% 22%

AGREE DISAGREE NEUTRAL

2016

1,161 63% 23% 14%

Employees using personal smartphones at work understand the risks, and are aware of security proper security practices.

Source: IDC and Blue Coat

Source: IDC, Gartner

Executive Brief

Next-gen retail Expanding card acceptance to small merchants globally through Mobile Point of Sale (MPOS) dispersed base for increasing payments. Furthermore, this expansive phone base can deploy payments functionality with essentially no marginal costs; smartphones enjoy economies of scope with respect to payments acceptance.

2

The ability to remove this cost barrier to wider acceptance by small merchants presents merchant

acquirers with an attractive growth opportunity. In developed markets, there is an opportunity for cardholders to conduct commerce with an expanded set of merchants.

In emerging payments markets, cards themselves will become more attractive as the transaction costs associated with their usage diminish relative to cash as a result of widespread acceptance.

3

Finally, new business models have emerged with the potential to achieve scale in the small business

In developed payments markets, where acceptance has been

segment under a variety of market conditions.

generally widespread, some markets focused on intensifying

A number of companies providing MPOS technology

card spend in everyday purchase categories during the 1990s,

and pursuing innovative business models have emerged.

displacing cash and checks. In emerging markets the challenge

Their approaches range from the provision of necessary

has been more complex, emphasizing expansion of acceptance

hardware to enable MPOS (e.g., card reader accessories,

in new and existing categories in parallel with card issuance in

sometimes referred to as dongles) to innovative processing

order to increase the overall utility of electronic payments.

models for acquirers that bring these processing capabilities

The small business segment is an area of acceptance

in-house or provide them on an outsourced basis (e.g.,

expansion that has not been fully explored. In both developed

Payment Platform model and Payment Facilitator model).

and emerging markets, value chain participants have faced

In assessing the business opportunity of expanding

structural barriers as they have sought to extend acceptance

acceptance into this new merchant segment, a number

to the small business segment. One barrier has been the

of critical questions need to be considered to clarify your

prohibitive cost of point of sale (POS) devices. In emerging

organisation’s objectives, the paths available to you, and

payments markets, this cost barrier has been exacerbated

how you will execute on this opportunity.

by several market characteristics: low card usage due to the absence of widespread acceptance, a fairly small card base,

Critical Considerations

and the relative importance of small merchants to overall

for Strategy and Execution

economic activity, which is particularly pronounced for some

This paper begins by highlighting the importance of market

consumer segments.

structure and the choice of an appropriate business model for

A number of factors have come together to make small

developing a strategy for expanding into the small merchant

business acceptance a viable and attractive business

segment. There is no single approach to monetising this

opportunity for merchant acquirers.

opportunity. Instead, a strategic approach must be crafted

1 14

ICT Insight

that accounts for critical market factors, including the level

Falling prices have reduced costs for entry-level

of development, the nature of acceptance in the market,

smartphones, resulting in one of the highest rates

and the availability of merchant information. Next, essential

of adoption ever observed for a new technology. This

features of the business models that have emerged for

widespread acceptance provides a broad and geographically

commercialising the small business segment are explored.

Finally, we highlight key elements of critical

and in many cases less than one device per 1,000

when determining your strategy and its

thinking required for developing and executing

residents. This situation is further compounded

execution. Some of the relevant dimensions of

a successful MPOS strategy for small merchants.

by the absence of a robust issued card base in

market structure include industry concentration

these markets.

in payments, regulatory structure, authentication

Developed Payments Markets: In developed payments

markets,

the

opportunity

is

A

properly

formulated

and

executed

methods (e.g., magnetic stripe or PIN), and

straightforward, given the existing base of

acceptance strategy can foster deepening

issued cards: merchant acquirers should focus

and expanding payment systems in emerging

specifically on driving merchant acceptance.

markets by focusing efforts so as to have the

Generally, developed markets are characterised

largest impact on card utility. In turn, increased

by lower cash usage, usually in the range

usage of card payments will drive greater card

of 20 to 30 percent of all retail purchases. In

issuance (e.g., prepaid cards), helping to resolve

addition, they are well served by extensive POS

this chicken-and-egg problem by igniting a

networks, typically with more than 15 devices

virtuous cycle of payments growth in the market.

per 1,000 residents.

Increases in card utility can be maximized by

ensure alignment with your acceptance strategy

mobile money deployment.

3

A review of your organizational readiness lets you inventory deployable assets that can be

utilized during the execution of your strategy.

4

Business model selection is an opportunity to evaluate and adapt business models to

Developing an acceptance expansion strategy

focusing development efforts on those areas of

and leverage your assets. For example, there

will be critical in identifying your organisation’s

greatest value to consumers, such as everyday

may be an opportunity to leverage your FI’s

use cases for MPOS. For example, will your small

spend categories, and on those merchants

positioning with small business, both directly

business acceptance efforts focus on specific

where mass market consumers are typically

and through the extensive agent banking

merchant categories? Do these merchants

engaged in commerce. In addition, there are

relationships that exist in some markets.

have different needs? Or should your efforts

opportunities to craft value propositions focused

be broader, focused on enabling merchants to

on recurring payment categories such as utility

improve their customers’ shopping experience

payments and insurance premiums, as well as

through the deployment of MPOS-enabled

supporting valuable segment functionality like

another value chain participant based on the

tablets by retail staff that augment or replace

“cash in” and “cash-out.”

market structure analysis. This will inform you

existing POS terminals?

5

In the partner selection analysis, you can determine if there is enough revenue for

of your ability to partner across the value chain Additional Considerations

to fill in remaining capabilities gaps necessary

merchants through MPOS deployment will

for Expanding MPOS Adoption

for the success of your strategy.

expand the addressable market for merchant

Additional points need to be considered in

For instance, can partners help you to

acquirers. In the U.S. alone, Aite Group reports

developing your approach to MPOS deployment.

mitigate risk or is this an activity best carried on

that this segment will grow from $2.5 billion in

First, beyond the small business segment

within your organization?

GDV in 2011 to an estimated $80 billion in GDV

examined here, there may be additional merchant

in 2016, generating approximately $1 billion

opportunities to consider in your market.

Opening

up

card

acceptance

to

small

6

Finally, during implementation, you will

in net revenue. Furthermore, Aite estimates a

Second, there are a number of players

considerable upside as MPOS becomes more

interested in entering this market such as MNOs

pervasive. Similar opportunities for expanding

(Mobile Network Operators), which are particularly

to properly address the opportunities afforded

acceptance into the small merchant segment

attractive because of their extensive customer

by your acceptance strategy.

exist in other developed payments markets as

base. Thirdly, there are key elements of critical

Technological innovation and subsequent

well. A well-developed acceptance strategy

thinking. MasterCard Advisors has developed a

market entry of new and existing payments

will bring focus to your organisation’s efforts to

six-step methodology for driving expansion into

players have reduced the structural barriers to

monetise this opportunity.

the small merchant segment. Because one size

small merchant acceptance. This development

Emerging Payments Markets: High cash usage,

does not fit all, there is a need to design the proper

presents an opportunity to profitably expand

generally assumed to be more than 90 percent

approach for your organisation to effectively

acceptance and drive further development of

of retail purchase volume, makes emerging

develop this opportunity in your market.

payments systems, especially in less-developed

payments markets particularly attractive for MPOS development. These markets, however, present additional development challenges; namely, their poorly developed electronic payment ecosystems create a chicken-and-egg syndrome. They are characterised by geographically spotty and underdeveloped acceptance networks, typically with fewer than six devices per 1,000 individuals

develop or refine the process through on-

boarding, customer service, and risk management

systems that may exist in emerging markets. A

1

An acceptance expansion strategy will give

number of critical questions must be answered to

your efforts direction and help you stay on

clearly define a strategy and successfully execute

track. This strategy will be influenced by the

your realization of this opportunity. MasterCard

level of acceptance in your market.

Advisors can partner with you to design an

2

approach for your organization to realize the

A detailed understanding of the market

opportunity to expand into this new segment and

structure in which you operate is critical

help you deploy a mobile point of sale solution.

Etisalat Business Update

15

Review

The best iPhone yet With cutting-edge architecture, a better camera and Touch ID, the iPhone 5S offers a lot of hardware for the money. pixel resolution and a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch.

Below the screen is the now-familiar Home Button with integrated Touch ID, on top of the phone is a lone sleep/ wake button, and on the left side you can find the silent switch and the volume up and down.

The most obvious new feature of the iPhone 5S is the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which is ingeniously built into the Home button and allows you to easily unlock the phone using your fingertip. Far from just a superfluous addition, this new feature has already prompted us to change our security habits.

But if Touch ID is the most obvious change externally, the biggest change internally is the new A7 processor. It’s a dual-core chip that’s up to twice as fast as the A6 used in the iPhone 5, according to Apple. And it’s 64-bit, which means it works very well in combination with iOS 7, which is now a 64-bit OS. Even without 64-bit apps, performance gains are noticeable in daily use, even in simple things like browsing the operating system. There’s a fluid smoothness to the way apps launch, emails are deleted and animations are displayed that’s not as obvious when using iOS 7 on older devices.

The faster architecture is put to good use by the updated Camera app. The A7 chip features a signal processor, which results in performance gains that outclass the iPhone 5 (itself, no slouch). Autofocusing is faster, and the new hardware allows for burst mode, which lets the iPhone capture 10 photos per second when the shutter is depressed. The Camera app then processes each photo and suggests which photos in the burst are the best ones, although you can view all of them and decide for yourself.

326 The pixel density (in pixels per inch) that the iPhone 5S’ 4-inch screen sports

16

ICT Insight

The iPhone 5S and 5C arrived last month to a record-

As for battery life, we’ve found the iPhone 5S’ battery

smashing first weekend of sales—9 million were sold,

life is roughly on par with the iPhone 5. Yes, the 5S has

with the iPhone 5S proving more popular than the less-

a larger capacity battery, but the phone also has new

expensive 5C. As technology writers, getting the more

hardware that needs more juice. The result is that the

expensive 5S makes sense for us. But is the new iPhone 5S

5S gains speed and processing power without losing any

worth it for the less tech-centric?

significant battery life.

Like last year’s iPhone 5, the new 5S sports a glass front

If you’re due for a phone upgrade, this phone is highly

and aluminum back, weighing in at a svelte 3.95 oz. And

recommended. But if you still want to wait another year,

like the iPhone 5, the 5S has a 4-inch, fingerprint-resistant

remember this: if history serves, there will be features that

oleophobic-coated multi-touch screen with an 1136 x 640

improve over the 5S on the iPhone 6 and then 6S and so on.

Third time’s a charm Samsung has thrown everything but the kitchen sink into its new Galaxy Note 3, and the vendor’s efforts have paid off.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 is the third iteration of the company’s not-quite-phone, not-quite-tablet Note line, and its internal specifications make it one of the most powerful handsets out on the market right now. It also features 4K video recording and a new suite of applications for the S-Pen aimed at making it easier to jot down notes, leave yourself reminders, and multi-task. For Samsung, this is one of its better phones available out on the market right now, but like the rest of its device family, it’s just as bloated with bundled apps.

The Note 3 is stylish with its rounded corners and a faux-leather backing, but the fake metal banding and plasticky chassis still make it feel like a cheap phone.

At 0.33 inches thick, its 5.95 x 3.12-inch chassis is comfortable for composing long emails and tapping out witty Twitter responses, and as with the Note II, there is still a setting for one-handed operation if you need your other hand to hold on to something else.

The Note 3 features a 5.7-inch, 1080p, 386 pixelsper-inch (ppi) Super AMOLED display. That’s a huge improvement over its predecessor, which featured a lower resolution display than the original Note. Its screen is certainly bright, but it uses up a significant amount of battery life when it’s at its fullest, and you still can’t see it

not many televisions or monitors can play back the video

too well out in direct sunlight.

at full resolution just yet, and the phone itself certainly

The Note 3 did not pass our pocket test, nor did it pass our purse-pouch test. This isn’t a device to buy if you’re looking for something compact and minimalist.

Samsung packed the Galaxy Note 3 with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and its own TouchWiz Nature UI 2.0 overlay.

Inside, it’s fuelled by a quad-core 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB of RAM—in laymen’s terms, that

2.3GHz The speed afforded by the Galaxy Note 3’s Snapdragon 800 processor

doesn’t have a 4K screen.

Following in the footsteps of its older siblings, the Note 3 features the venerable S-Pen nestled tightly in its own little dock-slot on the rear-side of the phone. It’s still one of the best features of the Note devices. And S-Note has come a long way since its launch with the original Note.

On the Note 3, it features an overhauled interface and

means that, at the time of the writing, it’s one of the most

the addition of newly polished templates since its last

powerful phones out on the market.

iteration. You can sync to Evernote, add charts and graphs,

With its 3,200mAh battery, the Note 3 petered out after about 11 hours of constant video streaming. That’s more than most of the phones out on the market right now.

and set up your own pen presets.

With the Note 3, you have a powerhouse phone that’s meant for the multi-tasker, with a quad-core processor,

Like Samsung’s last major release, the Galaxy S4, the

forward-thinking video recording abilities, and a battery

Note 3 features a perfectly capable 13MP camera with

life to get you through your long, arduous days. In

a plethora of different shooting modes. Its most notable

essence, that’s really what we’ve come to expect from our

feature, however, is its 4K recording capabilities. It’s

phones in this day and age, even if they don’t quite fit in

mostly a ploy for marketing points, however, because

our back pocket.

Etisalat Business Update

17

News

Etisalat partners with MoE for Duroosi video launch the ministry’s supervision. These

“Harnessing the latest technology for

offer self-learning options with

education is an innovative approach

visual aids and provide easy access

towards knowledge building in

to students of Grade 11 and 12 to

the UAE. Duroosi will revolutionise

develop their skills. Students can log

conventional education tools by

in to a dedicated Duroosi channel to

providing instant and convenient

access the tutorial videos for extra

options of learning. Students with

lessons offered by expert teachers

access to technology nowadays

handpicked by the Ministry of

want information at their fingertips.

Education.

UAE Minister of Education His

“The project is also unique in that it allowed us to unite government and

Excellency Humaid Mohammed

private players for a cause of national

Obaid Al Qatami said: “Smart

importance. The support of the

education is a key priority for

Ministry of Education was crucial to

The videos were launched during

the government and advanced

the success of this project. We hope

partnership with the UAE Ministry of

GITEX Technology Week, being held

infrastructure will play a critical

this alliance with the Ministry and

Education, supported by Google.

in Dubai from October 20 to 24,

role in the achievement of this

a private player will inspire similar

2013. GITEX Technology Week is

mission. Such strategic partnerships

strategic partnerships for knowledge

by UAE Minister of Education His

the Middle East, Africa and South

and unique talent development

development in the country.”

Excellency Humaid Mohammed

Asia region’s top ICT exhibition and

tools are critical for establishing

Mohamad Mourad, Managing

Obaid Al Qattami and Etisalat-UAE

conference

a knowledge-based, sustainable

Director, Google, MENA, said: “The

Etisalat recently launched Duroosi tutorial videos in strategic

The tutorial videos were launched

learning through social media tools.

UAE in the near future. This project

greatest impact technology can

Abdooli, in the presence of senior

Ayaadi Etisalat, the CSR arm of the

is another shining example of

have is on education. The UAE

government representatives and

telecom major, which is expected to

Etisalat’s visionary approach towards

Ministry of Education and Etisalat

Etisalat personnel. Google will be

revolutionise the ‘smart’ education

development of the education sector

are pioneering in this field by

offering strategic partnership for

sector in the UAE. Till now, 600

in the UAE.”

developing an education initiative

this project by providing a dedicated

tutorial videos for all subjects have

YouTube channel and enabling

been developed by Etisalat, under

Chief Executive Officer Saleh Al

Duroosi is a major initiative by

Saleh Al Abdooli, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat UAE, said:

to reach students using the web, powered by YouTube.”

Etisalat and NBAD to enable mobile transactions application from Etisalat.

goods and services. Businesses

of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) are coming

Digital Services officer, Etisalat

This, along with the mPoS

will soon be able to address

together to offer mobile point

said: “Etisalat’s partnership

reader, which plugs into the

this demand through the mPoS

of sale(mPoS) solutions to

with NBAD is significant as it

smartphone’s headphone jack

solution we have developed with

merchants in the UAE enabling

provides mobile merchants and

is a simple plug and play setup.

Etisalat. ”

quick and efficient process of

service providers an added value

Once linked up to NBAD’s

card payments for all existing

to offer customers flexibility in

merchant account, vendors will

particularly well suited to small

and new customers.

making payments from different

be able to accept payments

and medium businesses that

business locations. This gives

within minutes.

were previously unable to deploy

Etisalat and the National Bank

This pioneering collaboration

Abdulla Al Otaiba, Senior

The mPoS solution is

the infrastructure to process

between the two organizations

retailers a competitive advantage

makes their vision of placing the

and ultimate convenience to

General Manager, Retail and

card payment payments and any

technology that makes mobile

their large customer base.”

Commercial-Gulf at NBAD, said,:

businesses operating outside of

The solution allows

“Today, customers demand the

traditional retail environments,

card payment based ecommerce

18

Khalifa Al Shamsi, Chief

a reality into the hands of

merchants to use smartphones

convenience of being able to

such as fast food and other kinds

merchants across the UAE.

with a free downloadable

make card payments for all their

of delivery service.

ICT Insight

Etisalat and BT collaborate on healthcare ICT services Etisalat and BT have worked

will help us create an appropriate

together previously to establish

ecosystem for both public and

the Innovation Centre, a

private sector.”

technology based research-

Wael El Kabbany, Vice

intensive programme based in

President, BT Middle East and

Abu-Dhabi’s Khalifa University.

Africa, said: “We are delighted

The new partnership will help

to have been chosen by Etisalat

improve healthcare information

to help them in their drive to

and infrastructure in the UAE and

introduce comprehensive and

nearby regions.

advanced healthcare ICT services

Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice

in their territories. With our

Etisalat has announced a

large health IT programmes with

President, Etisalat said: “The

networked communications

collaboration with British Telecom

Etisalat’s local ICT footprint to

healthcare industry today

heritage and strong health

(BT), one of the leading global

address the needs of clients in

needs an environment which

experience, BT is well-placed

providers of communication

the UAE. The memorandum of

is connected 24/7 to deliver

to deliver the end-to-end ICT

services and solutions, to provide

understanding between the two

quality and advanced healthcare

infrastructure requirements for

healthcare ICT services to clients in

companies was signed today at

services. Etisalat has strived to

healthcare customers globally.

both the public and private sectors.

GITEX Technology Week 2013,

work towards the needs of the

We are pleased to be once again

the Middle East, Africa and South

industry towards addressing the

confirming our commitment to our

extensive experience working

Asia’s top ICT exhibition and

requirements of this dynamic

partnership with Etisalat, and to

with different organisations on

conference.

sector. The partnership with BT

the Middle East region.”

The relationship links BT’s

Etisalat inks strategic partnership with Sharjah Ladies Club Abdulaziz Taryam, CEO Advisor

and goals planned for the

and General Manager-Northern

well-being of our members. The

Emirates, Etisalat said: “Etisalat

club has always strived to work

has always encouraged activities

towards providing best-in-class

which empower women and

facilities and services. This is

build their goals for the future.

only possible by the investment

The partnership with Sharjah

in our club and our long standing

Ladies Club today reiterates our

partnerships in the country.”

objectives and helps us work

Etisalat will be offering

closely with the members of

exclusive and cost optimized

this prestigious organisation.

special offers to all Sharjah

Etisalat’s unique services and

Ladies Club members. The

Sharjah Ladies Club was

packages will help the women

latest handsets are provided

Club to extend its support in

founded by Sheikha Jawaher

members to remain connected

at attractive discounted rates

providing ICT services to develop

Al Qassimi, chairperson of the

with their peers and at the same

without any upfront costs, in

the club’s infrastructure.

Sharjah Supreme Council of

time gain access to information

addition to multiple add-on

Family Affairs, aimed to create

anytime anywhere.”

options based on the usage.

Etisalat has announced its partnership with Sharjah Ladies

Abdulaziz Taryam, CEO Advisor

GITEX Technology Week 2013.

Khawla Al Serkal, Director,

Due to the partnership, Sharjah

and General Manager-Northern

a prominent role for the Emirati

Emirates, Etisalat and Khawla Al

women in the community and

Sharjah Ladies Club said: “We

Ladies Club also plans to provide

Serkal, Director, Sharjah Ladies

provide best-in-class services

are glad to be partnering with

a special subscription offer to

Club, represented each party at

and facilities to women and

Etisalat today as it will help the

Etisalat female staff to utilise the

the signing of the MoU during

children.

club attain its long term mission

facilities of the club.

Etisalat Business Update

19

News

Etisalat partners with Dubai Courts wherever they are in the world.

Etisalat’s new cloud-based managed web security service gives business and government both the web access and web security they can rely on,” said Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, ICT, Etisalat UAE. Dr. Ahmed Saeed bin Hazeem, General Manager, Dubai Courts said: “Information Security has become a necessity in today’s advanced technological world.

All government institutions and organisations need solutions that provide security and Etisalat has partnered with

will provide Dubai Public Courts

by Zservices (Zscaler Middle

privacy protection for the data

Dubai Courts, with the telecom

with real-time reporting and

East Cloud), will supply Dubai

in their care. For this reason,

major providing the government

forensic summaries and up to

Courts with a fully logged

Dubai Courts has signed this

department with a cloud-based

six months of transaction logs,

cloud-based security-as-a-

agreement with Etisalat to

managed web security solution.

bandwidth management tools

service solution for all of their

provide the services and

to restrict non-productive web

web communications anywhere

solutions to protect Dubai

Etisalat to provide cloud-

traffic and data loss prevention

in the world.

Courts’ data. Switching to the

based, managed web security

solutions security, flexibility

solutions, thereby becoming an

and convenience as they need.

government departments

will ensure the courts’ high

integrated service provider for

The managed web security

require completely secure

standards of security are

the Dubai Courts. This solution

solution from Etisalat, powered

web services at the fingertips,

always maintained.”

The new deal will enable

“Many enterprises and

new services and technologies

Etisalat empowers Dubai Police Etisalat has announced an alliance with Dubai Police to

Etisalat’s convenient payment

higher satisfaction, resulting in

at their convenience, aiming to

better customer retention for

promote efficiency and greater

banks and service providers.

customer satisfaction.”

offer easier payment solutions

service solution provides real-

to customers during GITEX

time access to specifics such as

Technology Week 2013.

balance inquiry and payment

President, Business Solutions,

of e-Services Major General

Abdulla Al Ahmed, Senior Vice

Dubai Police General Manager

due details and allows customers

Etisalat-UAE, said: “Etisalat’s

Mohamed Saeed Bakhit said:

Etisalat to assist Dubai Police

to pay bills from any location,

alternative payment service

“We are proud to partner with

with its innovative solution for

at any suitable time. Payments

solution has been conceptualized

Etisalat to provide our customers

efficient bill collection and cash

also get updated in real time,

keeping in mind the extreme

with creative solutions to reduce

management. Customers can use

permitting immediate restoration

pressure that billing counters

time wastage, by implementing

this service to pay all their bills

of customers’ disconnected

face, as well as the rising

efficient bill payment solutions.

through multiple banking channels

services, as well as connection of

frustration among customers

Our core objective is to ensure

including ATMs, tele-banking,

new services. Besides reducing

who spend long hours standing

that our customers are satisfied,

internet-banking and bank-tellers,

investment on bill collection

in queues. This new solution

and all their needs are met with

reducing the burden of cash

counters, the new service ensures

allows customers to pay their bills

the utmost care and attention.”

The new deal empowers

20

collection at bill collection counters.

ICT Insight

Etisalat signs MoU with Fujairah Municipality Emirates, Etisalat, were present during the signing held at GITEX Technology Week 2013.

“Fujairah Municipality is one

Manager-Northern Emirates, Etisalat.

Mohamed Saif Al Afkham, General Manager, Fujairah Municipality said: “We have continuously invested

of the strongest governmental

in the future especially in utilising

departments of the East Coast

advanced telecom and ICT solutions

utilising Etisalat’s various services.

to deliver public services in the

They are our strategic partners for

most effective manner. Fujairah

business, network development as

Municipality has been a long

well as utility and general services.

standing partner with Etisalat, and

“Etisalat will continue to provide

this new partnership will help drive

ICT services aiming to boost and

our joint strategic initiatives and help the growth of the Municipality.”

Etisalat has signed an MoU with

Crown Prince of Fujairah, Saleh

upgrade the mobility services in

Fujairah Municipality to enhance and

Al Abdooli, CEO, Etisalat UAE,

the department. This is essential to

The new announcement will

strengthen its strategic partnerships,

Mohamed Saif Al Afkham, Director

enable effective flow of information

enable the provision of e-services,

services, special offers and projects.

General, Fujairah Muncipality,

and efficiency in all sections of

smart solutions and special offers

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin

Abdul Aziz Taryam, CEO Advisor

the municipality,” said Abdul Aziz

to all employees and workers of the

Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi,

and General Manager-Northern

Taryam, CEO Advisor and General

government sector.

Etisalat ties up with AirWatch for BYOD and MDM The BYOD Solution from Etisalat,

opportunity for BYOD solutions

powered by AirWatch, will enable

as corporate information security

IT administrators to manage

moves towards mobile devices that

large-scale deployments of mobile

are non-compliant with security

devices of different operating

policies, thereby making security

systems. Customers will be able

management a key challenge,”

to quickly enroll devices in the

said Abdulla Hashim, Senior Vice

enterprise environment, configure

President, ICT, Etisalat UAE.

and update device settings over-

“In line with our goal of

the-air, enforce security policies

ensuring customer satisfaction,

and compliance, secure mobile

the tie-up with AirWatch will

Etisalat has announced a

the first time as part of its mobility

access to corporate resources, and

enable best-in-class service for

partnership with AirWatch,

offerings, thereby becoming an

remotely lock and wipe managed

enterprise customers by enriching

the largest enterprise mobility

integrated service provider. For

devices.

our mobility offerings: from mobile

management (EMM) provider,

customers, the solutions will spell

Some of the key features

to offer a comprehensive secure

flexibility and convenience as they

include an ability to manage all

to developing applications. The

mobile device management

can now create and safeguard

devices in one console, create

tie-up is in line with Etisalat’s plan

platform for businesses to manage

their business environment across

organisation groups or import the

of creating a larger partner eco-

and secure their most sensitive

all devices, models and operating

existing directory structure through

system of value-added solutions

content, applications and email

systems.

directory services integration,

through partnerships to help

track compliance in real time,

drive down costs. We will also

on showcasing its solutions on

enroll devices in bulk and set up

continue our investment in the

Etisalat to provide Bring Your Own

workforce mobility, employee

enrollment restrictions for users

latest technologies to enable our

Device (BYOD) solutions and mobile

productivity, network efficiency,

and devices among others.

customers to stay ahead of the

device management solutions for

reducing cost and complexity.

across all mobile platforms.

The new tie-up will enable

Etisalat’s focus this year is

“There is a significant market

device management and security

technology curve,” he added.

Etisalat Business Update

21

HTNG event

Etisalat showcases the future of hospitality communications

22

ICT Insight

Etisalat has announced it revamped range of smart

In addition to these new services, Etisalat also showcased

hospitality solutions at the second annual Hotel

its range of reliable smart managed offerings, including IPTV,

Technology Next Generation event held at the Ritz

smart digital information displays, for in-hotel advertising, smart

Carlton DIFC, Dubai.

Wi-Fi, smart surveillance, and smart IP-based communications,

At the event, the telecom major announced its plans

which integrate a hospitality service provider’s IP network

to launch a next-generation, cloud-based High-Speed

with its telephone system, enabling central management and

Internet Access (HSIA) product later this year which

consistent communication features across the provider.

will support hoteliers in providing solutions to the ever-

Abulla Hashim, Senior Vice President, ICT, Etisalat UAE, said:

increasing bandwidth demands and expectations in the

“Etisalat continues to innovate in its hospitality offerings. We

digital age. Etisalat is enabling UAE Hotels to offer a

understand that hospitality sector needs an experienced and

differentiated Internet guest journey in the hospitality

reliable partner for its ICT services and therefore built these

sector. Through the new product offering, Etisalat is

qualities into our hospitality services. These propositions

able to deliver an end-to-end HSIA solution, covering

provide smarter and better hospitality solutions.”

conferencing, public area and in-room requirements.

Etisalat has been operating in the Hospitality sector

These solutions provide more choice to the hospitality

for a long time and offers a unique combination of digital

service provider and underline Etisalat’s position as the

voice Internet Dedicated Access (IDA) and Etisalat TV

leading ICT service provider for the sector.

services, all in a single bill.

@etisalat.ae

Law Update

07:35 - 6/11/12

Seham El Behissy @SehamElBehissy

@EtisalatUAE Thank you Etisalat, Best Service Ever. i almost forgot that we have something called 101 since Etisalat bird is tweeting here! https://twitter.com/SehamElBehissy/statuses/140725003585982464

Legal issues in cloud computing - part 2

damages. If they do not exclude direct damages entirely, they may seek to limit damages to a specific amount, such as the amount paid by the client for the services during a specific period of time.

07:35 - 12/08/12

When

wasim shaikh @wasims9

considering

provisions

relating to limitations of liability,

@EtisalatUAE love your eLife service :D

it is important to review these in detail. The client should specifically

https://twitter.com/wasims9/statuses/234899621158207489

consider whether the types of events giving rise to what the CSP 13:53 - 01/10/13

has described as indirect damages

Etisalat UAE

are, in fact, indirect – or whether

Mariam Essa Ali

they are exactly the types of

I will change my plan from rbis 49 to *107*4#...

I LOVE My BlackBerry and I Love ETISELAT...

damages that are likely to arise if the CSP fails to adequately perform its obligations. (A good example is

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=634543 319899864&set=a.116622321691969.13401.107 009842653217&type=1

‘loss of data’, and costs associated Cloud computing allows businesses

client is procuring a large volume of

with manually inputting any lost

to

services.)

data, both of which would seem to

convert

capital

expenses

23:41 - 29/09

associated with IT systems and

Etisalat UAE

infrastructure

Noufal Muhammed masha allah etisalat great,, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=6334 00303347499&set=a.116622321691969.1340 1.107009842653217&type=1

18:56 - 29/09

Sheikh Safwan Wakil Etisalat UAE

That is what I like about Etisalat UAE u https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=6334 00303347499&set=a.116622321691969.1340 1.107009842653217&type=1

When negotiating service level

be obvious losses resulting from a

operating

credits, the CSP will typically seek

failure on the part of a CSP.) Similar

expenses associated with platforms,

to use their own servers as the

considerations arise in the context

capacity and applications. For many

point of measurement for service

of force majeure provisions, which

companies the business case is

availability. In contrast, from the

are typically used to provide for

compelling. As with any business

client’s perspective, availability

natural disaster type occurrences.

decision, it is important to be fully

at the client’s own computer

Some CSPs may attempt to include

informed, and aware of the risks. In

is the natural point to assess

events for which it is reasonable

this article, the second in a series of

availability. In practical terms, it

to expect them to bear the risk

two, we look at some further core

is not always technically possible

directly.

legal

associated

to use the client’s computer

into

considerations

with cloud computing. (Part 1 was

as the point of measurement,

The risk of technical or commercial

18:56 - 29/09

published in the May issue of ICT

although it may be possible to

lock-in needs to be considered at

Etisalat UAE

Insight)

use the cloud termination point

the outset. Technical lock-in refers

at the client’s premises. If it can

to the risk that the manner in which

Service levels and service level

be justified by the business need,

the cloud services are provided

credits

then a leased line connection

means that it would be technically

services

to the CSP would provide a

difficulty and/or costly for the

20:01 - 25/09

agreements, service levels - which

reliable connection, as well as

client to migrate to an alternative

Etisalat UAE

provide objective and measurable

scope for the client to argue that

provider. When engaging a CSP, the

Wow that’s nice

standards

availability should be calculated

client should ensure that the risk of

on an end-to-end basis.

lock-in is properly understood and

Irfan Ali Babbar wooo nice https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=6334 00303347499&set=a.116622321691969.1340 1.107009842653217&type=1

As

Saeed Albaloshi https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=631 490343538495&set=a.116622321691969.134 01.107009842653217&type=1

with

most

and

IT

help

manage

performance and quality - are also

addressed. Technology develops

relevant to cloud services. One key difference, however, is that Cloud

Limits on liability

quickly, so the benefits of a long

18:14 - 25/09

Service Providers will typically set

CSPs will typically try to limit

term engagement with a CSP may

Etisalat UAE

service levels that are applicable to

liability. They may disclaim any

be short-lived, so the ability to

all their customers, and there will

warranties

move promptly to another service

be little scope to negotiate. (The

services as being offered ‘as is’,

situation may be different if the

and they may seek to exclude

cloud is a private cloud, or if the

direct, indirect and consequential

Abdulawal Chowdhury Its a great offer https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=631 490343538495&set=a.116622321691969.134 01.107009842653217&type=1

and

describe

their

provider is valuable.

Source: Al Tamimi & Company

Etisalat Business Update

23

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