Mobily and Huawei Announce First Commercial Service Delivery Platform in the Middle East
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, March 4, 2012/PRNewswire/ --
Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) [http://www.mobily.com.sa/wps/portal ], Saudi Arabia's
leading mobile operator, and Huawei [http://www.huawei.com ], 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
[http://www.huawei.com/ilink/en/solutions/arpu-up/HW_001252?KeyTemps= ].
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
[http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2011/SDP-Deployment-Strategies-Survey-Highlights.asp ] 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