ict - english - april 2010

ICT SULTANATE OF OMAN 2010

CONCEPT & CREATIONAkshay Bhatnagar

CONTENTVisvas Paul D Carra, Susmita De

Sushmita Sarkhel, Khalfan Al Rahbi, Ghalib Al Forie

DESIGNArt Directors

Sandesh S. Rangnekar Minaal G. Pednekar

Senior Designers M. Balagopalan، Shameer Moideen

DesignerKhoula Rashid Al Wahibi

Senior Photographer Rajesh Burman

PhotographerSathyadas

Production Manager Govindaraj Ramesh

MARKETINGShivkumar, Vinod

CORPORATEChief Executive Sandeep Sehgal

Executive Vice President Alpana Roy

Vice President Ravi Raman

Senior Business Support Executive Radha Kumar

Business Support ExecutiveAbeer AbdulRaheem Al Balushi

Distribution United Media Services LLC

Web Edition www.oeronline.com

Translator M Kamal

Published by United Press & Publishing LLC

PO Box 3305, Ruwi, Postal Code - 112 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Tel: (968) 24700896, Fax: (968) 24707939 Email: [email protected]

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission

of the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any loss occasioned to any

person or organisation acting or refraining as a result of material in this publication. OER accepts

no responsibility for advertising content.

Copyright © 2010 United Press & Publishing LLC Printed by Oman Printers

Correspondence should be sent to: United Media Services

PO Box 3305, Ruwi 112, Sultanate of Oman Fax: (968)24707939

Email: [email protected]

Rapid IntegrationDuring 2009, the global economy was reeling under recession with most of the industries facing tremendous stress but information and communication technologies (ICT) sector continued its growth momentum unabated. Driven by new technologies being developed and popularized on a mass scale, ICT sector is changing our life in all respects. More and more educational and vocational institutions are taking the electronic route to impart quality education and training. At the work place, we have become totally reliant on the networks and computers to do our work. If the server goes kaput even for few minutes, the entire work cycle comes to a standstill. ICT has become increasingly integrated in our personal life. Our social networks were never so broadbased! Our social interactivity thanks to new tools and mediums of communication was never so consistent.

When it comes to ICT, the Sultanate of Oman is at the vanguard position in the Middle East. With a penetration of over 130% and five service providers, the mobile segment is well-developed in Oman. Though fixed line and Internet services’ segments have low penetration but they are poised for a major boost with the expected launch of services by Nawras this year. The IT sector in the Sultanate is set for a quantum leap with the growing interest of global IT companies in Oman, increasing level of IT education and the commendable efforts of the government’s IT arm Information and Technology Authority (ITA) in the creation of a digital society. The seventh edition of Annual ICT Handbook is a handy comprehensive reference dossier to get an overview as well as complete and latest details of the telecom and IT sectors, and the major ICT companies operating in Oman. We have been bringing out the Annual Handbook for the last seven years but 2009-10 has been a watershed year in the ICT history of the Sultanate. The industry has witnessed an unprecedented growth in the number of telecom users and expansion of IT services. For us it was quite challenging as well as more interesting than ever before to capture the dynamic growth in the ICT sector in Oman.

The Handbook, divided into various sections, analyses the recent developments in different facets of the ICT sector with historical perspective apart from speaking to senior officials in the ministries and related bodies, industry captains and professionals about the strengths, opportunities and challenges of the sector. We are thankful to the key industry stakeholders including the Ministry of Transport & Communications, ITA, Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA), Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), Omantel, Nawras and a host of other institutions for their overwhelming support and co-operation in bringing the 2010 edition of the ICT Handbook.

Enjoy reading!

Akshay [email protected]

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Signaling more changesMajor trends in telecom space in Oman

CONTENTS

Bridging the gapOman’s initiatives to introduce new products and services enabled by new generation technologies have expanded the telecom market 10

Measures of progressH.E. Mohammed Bin Nasser Al-Khasibi, the chairman of TRA, speaks on its progress

Mobilzing the connectThe mobile users can now look at a range of infotainment applications in Oman with the multiple choice of new technologies around

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Digital Oman for all – Dr Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA Information Authority Technology (ITA) has made tireless efforts to lead the eGovernance initiative in Oman and build a Knowledge Society.

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Variety is the spiceMobile resellers in Oman, by complementing the mobile network operators, are essentially bringing down the prices of call rates, a welcome change for consumers.

Go Gadget!Take a look at some of the smartest mobile phones in the market today which are very much in demand.

IT – Moving upBusinesses are opening up newer ways to operate online and customers have finally begun trusting the cyber world

Focussed approach Omantel will continue to enhance the product offering by launching segmented products and services, says Dr Amer Al Rawas.

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Growth Partner An interview with Adil Al Raisi, Vice President, CBU, Omantel.

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Going cellularCustomer profiles in Muscat vary according to location and so also the prices offered by retailers

Extending the value chain The logistics of telecom services is becoming gainful for the Sultanate

e-laws in OmanCharles Schofield, partner, Trowers and Hamlins, presents his view

Impressive IT development Tariq Hilal Al-Barwani speaks on IT growth

U have got the call Call centre industry in Oman is growing steadily

Getting ready for another rechargeAn interview with Nawras CEO Ross Cormack. 36

Broad PortfolioValue-added service to corporate customers

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KOM Building a technology community

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Signaling more changesDR.MohaMMeD alI al-WahaIbI, Under Secretary – Communications, Ministry of Transport & Communications talks to akshay bhatnagar and Ghalib al Fori on the major trends in telecom space in oman


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How was the year 2009 for the telecom industry in Oman?The major achievement in 2009 was the issuance of second fixed line license to Nawras. For a very long time, we had just one fixed line licensee, Omantel. We have two licensees now. Nawras is currently building the necessary infrastructure and we hope that they will be ready for the market in 2010.

The second achievement is the substantial growth in the mobile segment. The number of mobile users in the country has exceeded the population. We have more than 100% penetration in the mobile segment alone. Another notable development has been the introduction of mobile service resellers in the market with the issuance of Class-II licenses. So far four such licenses have been issued. Overall, six companies had applied for the license. Three – Friendi, Renna and Mazoon - have started their operations. Samatel is the fourth license holder. Kalaam was also issued the license but the company is in the process of withdrawing it. Globally, they are known as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs).

What is the time frame that you have given to Nawras for rolling out their services?The time frame has been adjusted because they had some issues regarding frequency allocation. Now it has been sorted out. So hopefully by the first quarter of 2010, they will be ready. But of course they will not be able to cover the whole country immediately as it is difficult to roll out the technology throughout the Sultanate in such a short span.

What is the need to have so many telecom operators in the country as the penetration levels are in excess of 100%?We do understand the developments in the market and value the importance of quality players. But you see the TRA and

the Ministry cannot reject companies seeking a certain type of license if they fulfill the criteria and have a strong business case. We do highlight the complexities and issues involved to the investor and if the investor insists on pursuing the opportunity, we usually allow them to go ahead and let the market decide.

In general we prefer more infrastructure based investors because they add more value not only to the customers but also to the economy as well. They

make significant investments, generate employment in the market. As a result, there’s a cascading value effect. However, due to our small market size, difficult terrain and horizontal distribution of the inhabitants, it is not easy for the infrastructure based investors.

How do you monitor the performance of class-II players?TRA does it indirectly by reviewing the results of the Mobile Operators. We get their subscriber numbers from the main service providers. They have signed up with main operators for certain predetermined targets. As they are relatively new so it will take at least

three-to-four quarters to really assess their performance.

How has been their performance so far?They are doing very well. They have exceeded our expectations. But for them the real issue is going to be sustainability. With more players entering the market, this year and onwards is going to be challenging for them as the market is going to become intensively competitive.

What are the other opportunities for the telecom industry in Oman?

There are many. Take for example, the international traffic as a sizable expatriate population is living in Oman. We have a substantial international traffic between Indian subcontinent and Oman. As the telecom market in India has become extremely competitive, the rate of calling from India to Oman has become very low compared to the prevailing rates for calling from Oman to India. As a result, the inbound traffic from India to Oman has gone up significantly. So there is an opportunity in this segment for the Omani telecom operators. Apart from calls made from mobile, this segment can be tapped by the fixed line products also. So far only Omantel is operating

We prefer more infrastructure based investors because they add more value not only to the customers but also to the economy as well. They make significant investments and generate employment in the market

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in this field but with the launch of fixed line services by Nawras, this segment will become more competitive. We can further fuel this segment by introducing resellers in the fixed line segment also. As well the Internet and Broadband market is still growing and investors may consider investing in this area. The focus of the investors was on the consumer side. As a result, not many have focused on the corporate customers. There is a good opportunity on the corporate side of the market as well.

What is the status of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services?We are currently undergoing the process of reviewing this and the TRA has gone a long way. In 2010, we’ll regularize VoIP. There have been certain instances of many resellers say cyber cafés providing VoIP to consumers. They have been targeted by the authorities as they have violated the Telecom Regulatory law.

The TRA will be introducing a regulation to accept VoIP as a legal service. As a consumer you might have a frustration as a result of the delay. We don’t have any problem in introducing it but the operators are not ready. They are actually experimenting VoIP services for international calls. They also have to design their VOIP products.

The traditional telecom networks are giving way to new converged platforms based on new generation networks that are based in IP protocol. The quality offering differences through the traditional network and IP call are being bridged now. If the service providers do not build products around the VoIP they will eventually lose this market because new entrants may tap into this segment. But they have to act very fast.

Your target is to achieve 90% broadband penetration in the household segment by 2015. How are

you going to achieve this?If you look at today, we have only one service provider for Fixed Internet. One way of achieving our target is to indentify multiple ways of providing service to the market. Now many people are opting for mobile based wireless Internet. 3G and WiMax are the newer ways to provide access to Internet.

The limitations of providing the bandwidth through fiber optic or copper cable right to the last mile say a house will be overcome by these new wireless technologies which

are much faster and easier to obtain for the customers. The plan is to encourage investments in 3G and WiMax. Nawras is working on WiMax whereas Omantel is yet to get the WiMax frequency. The investments will continue in the copper cables but in the case of new cities, wireless and fiber are more viable option. One of the limitations of the 3G is that the price is higher as well as bandwidth availability. We are working with the TRA to prepare a national broadband strategy by utilizing an international consultant to assess on this project.

The TRA will be introducing a regulation to accept VoIP as a legal service. We don’t have any problem in introducing it but the operators were not ready


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What are the current strategies that the TRA is working at? The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) defines its priorities and program of Action for 2010 and beyond, based on its mission and vision statements and long term objectives. Currently, the TRA has a long term outlook for Oman as the region’s most advanced communication hub, supporting the Vision 2020 of the national economy. The projects and programs pursued in 2010 would enable TRA to enhance its role as an effective regulator in the ever increasing face of a competitive telecom market.

The TRA aims at delivering its regulatory obligations which supports not only the telecommunications sector as a whole, but also meets expectations of the consumers in respect of a knowledge society and information services. In

order to gain perspective of the key areas of focus, TRA carried out a strategic planning exercise at the end of 2009. As an outcome of that exercise, the following main objectives have been identified for implementation in 2010:

Meet stakeholders’ expectations (price, quality of services, range of services),

Accelerate expansion of telecom networks (especially in unserved and underserved areas) over the next 3 years;

Target broadband development intensively with a planned and committed approach and methodology;

Increase liberalization with fair competition;

Develop rules and regulations to stimulate competition;

Complete ISO certification for its Units; and

Develop a detailed plan for policy implementation (those identified consequent to the policy review process).

The TRA feels that the above objectives are critical to achieve the regulatory mission and vision. These will be completed through in – house and outsourced projects.

Some of the projects underway to meet the objectives set are the following:

Universal Service Obligations pilot project

Accounts separation Competition framework Introduction of internet service

providers Release of spectrum for commercial

use Promotion of passive infrastructure to

Currently, the Telecommunications Regulatory authority of oman has a long term outlook for oman as the region’s most advanced communication hub. h.e. MohaMMeD bIn naSSeR al-KhaSIbI, the chairman of TRa, tells more about its progress

Measures of progress

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support broadband expansion.

Tell us about the unified licensing scheme Unified licensing enables the participation of a player in all telecom services in a single circle with a single authorisation. With a unified license, any operator will be able to offer any type of service using any technology.

The situation in Oman is different, as the level of competition is limited, with only one service provider providing the fixed, international long distance and Internet services. So far, in coming months the second operator will also start providing this type of services. They will also have the necessary infrastructure to support the development of provisioning of new set of services.

Can you elaborate on the National Broadband Strategy and its prospects? The government has identified broadband as a key supporting and enabling infrastructure to realize the vision of Digital Oman (eOman) and increasing the competitiveness of the Oman economy in the committee of nations. Broadband roll out is believed to have a positive impact on the nation’s economy (GDP increase) and more importantly in the generation of jobs.

In light of the above, the government has laid out the following objectives for the broadband program:

Every home, business, public or private institution should have access to affordable high speed Broadband Internet;

Access to Broadband Internet should be open to all service providers, content providers, and application providers;

Access to Broadband internet should be offered via multiple technologies and access mechanisms;

Promoting greater competition across the telecom industry; and

Broadband networks should provide the quality required to enable Omani business to compete in the global market.

In order to translate the above objectives into reality, the TRA has embarked on an initiative to develop a comprehensive roadmap and a strategy blueprint to identify programmes, initiatives, policies and interventions to put in place an actionable plan. In line with this, TRA has commenced the process of preparing a study with the help of an international consulting firm. It is expected that the roadmap and blueprint for the National Broadband Strategy would be ready by the third quarter of 2010.

What are the challenges that Oman’s IT sector is facing? What measures are being taken by the TRA to meet these challenges? In June 2009, the TRA announced the Sultanate’s Universal Service Policy (USO) in order to provide telecommunication services including

high speed broadband to its remote and sparsely populated areas.

The plan was announced, in line with the Sultanate’s objectives of expanding the telecommunications services and networks in all under-served and un-served areas. The TRA announcement invited interested parties and telecom operators to bid for the first Universal Service License in the Sultanate of Oman. The competitive bidding process is in line with the TRA’s efforts to support the development and liberalization of the telecom sector in Oman fairly and transparently. The TRA hopes to conclude this landmark initiative by the end of second quarter 2010 when the Universal Service Provider will be selected to provide services in the selected area.

Furthermore, TRA is to assist in reducing the digital gap by currently studying ways on how to implement sustainable telecommunications centers (like Telecentres) in rural areas in coordination with the Information Technology Authority (ITA). Several locations have already been identified in the USO pilot project areas. This project will be implemented as a separate project to complement the USO pilot project once it is complete.

What are TRA’s plans for the future?The TRA is looking forward to be the most competent Regulatory body, supporting a sector that is capable of providing world-class telecommunications services to all. It aims at developing the entire industry through a market-driven environment and ensuring accessibility of all kinds of services within limits to all. The current TRA endeavours and activities are trying to make use of the spectrum, in order to deliver more telecom services to the consumers through competition and open access to all.

The projects and programs pursued in 2010 would enable TRA to enhance its role as an effective regulator in the ever increasing face of a competitive telecom market

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oman has embarked on a number of significant initiatives to expand the telecom market and introduce new products and services enabled by new generation technologies

Bridging the gap

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With the establishment of General Telecommunications Organization, now

known as Oman Telecommunications SAOG (Omantel), in 1980, the Sultanate took a major stride towards the creation of a well-developed telecommunications market. In a span of 30 years, Oman has a thriving telecommunications market driven by mobile services and, fixed line and Internet services on the verge of an exponential growth.

Till 2005, the telecom services market in Oman was the monopoly of state-owned Omantel. But 2005 proved to be a watershed year. Omantel was converted into a listed company with the government diluting 30% of its equity via an initial public offer (IPO). In the same year, the second telecom services company, Nawras started its GSM based mobile services. In 2009, Oman became the first market in the GCC region to introduce mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) popularly known as mobile service resellers.

Currently, the market is served by overall five telecom service providers including three mobile service resellers. The fixed line and Internet penetrations pegged at 9.4% and 2.6% (as on Sept 2009 according to TRA) are expected to go up rapidly with the imminent launch of services in 2010 by Nawras as the second fixed line operator.

So far Omantel has a monopoly on the fixed line and Internet services. But with a mobile service penetration of 132%, the Sultanate has become one of the most developed and competitive market in the Middle East region.

Mobile – Widening the NetDespite the global economic downturn, the mobile subscriber base in Oman continued to grow in 2009. Currently, Omantel (Oman Mobile) and Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company (Nawras) are the two authorized Class I license holders for the installation, operation, maintenance and exploitation of a 'Basic Public Mobile Telecommunications System'.

The Sultanate ended the third quarter (ending Sept) in the year with 3.78 million mobile subscribers, compared to 3.22 million by 2008 end. The prepaid segment comprises 90% of the market. Overall, Oman Mobile with 49% share led the market, closely followed by Nawras with 47% share, according to TRA as on Sept 2009. Rest of the 4% market share was held by Renna and Friendi, the first two mobile service resellers. The third reseller, Mazoon Mobile, launched its operations in the last quarter of the year. These resellers have been granted Class II licenses for providing ‘public telecommunications services’ by using the capacity of Class I license holders.

On the revenue front, it was a difficult year for the market players. If we look at the figures for Omantel’s mobile services (marketed under Oman Mobile brand) for 2009, the total revenue (excluding interconnection) decreased from 240.7 million rials in 2008 to 226.9 million rials in 2009.

Though the total number of Oman Mobile’s subscribers went up from 1.6 million to 1.8 million in the same period but the average revenue per user (ARPU) declined from 12.6 rials to 10.6 rials. The trend has been attributed to the increase in the number of service providers, lower pricing, rise in subscriber base, illegal VoIP usage and of course, cut down in telecom related expenditure by subscribers as a result of the economic slowdown. On the other hand, Nawras registered revenue of 179 million rials for 2009, higher than the company’s expectations. The figures for rest of the companies are not available in the public domain.

Apart from voice based services, the users are heavily using their mobiles to send SMS and MMS. In the period July-Sept 2009 alone, total outgoing SMS were 1.242 billion whereas 8.579 million MMS were sent. The market for mobile services is set to become more competitive with the entry of more resellers in 2010. Samatel is expected to launch its services soon as

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2009 2008 ChangePost paid fixed 209,246 220,169 -5%Pre paid fixed 47,888 47,306 1.2%Total main telephone lines 257,134 267,475 -3.9%Post paid mobile 358,744 324,812 10.4%Pre paid mobile 3,605,922 2,894,537 24.6%Total mobile subscribers 3,964,666 3,219,349 23.2%Total Internet subscribers 78,135 80,167 -2.5%

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figures. The revenue was 48.8 million rials in 2009 compared to 56.3 million rials in 2007, as a result of competitive pricing strategy adopted by Omantel to arrest the decline. The blended monthly ARPU was 14.5 rials in 2009 against 16.9 rials in 2007.

Omantel has been trying to boost the fixed line business with comparatively more aggressive promotions. For example, it reduced the call rates to countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh by 10%. Similarly, it made calls from fixed line to fixed line free on Fridays for a specific duration. The company also officially launched its new enhanced brand and a new tagline ‘Together’ in February this year. In order to realize the full potential of the fixed line segment and provide more options to the subscribers, Nawras was awarded the second fixed line license in late 2008. The company is currently working on setting-up the infrastructure to roll out its services towards the middle of this year. It is building the new generation fibre optic backbone and WiMAX wireless access networks across the Sultanate.

Internet – Fastrack Connectivity The Internet is a highly promising segment in the telecom sector. Omantel, the only provider of fixed line Internet services, registered a good growth in Internet revenues (2009: 27.7 million rials). Its average Internet subscriber (including broadband) number was 99,141 in 2009. Interestingly, the company’s average revenue per subscriber per month blended increased by 37.1% to 23.3 rials against 17 rials in 2008.

Omantel has recently introduced Fibre to the Home (FTTH) technology in Oman to provide the fastest and most comprehensive range of Internet applications. The FTTH technology, supplied by Omantel’s technology partner Huawei, delivers at a first stage Ultra broadband with speeds of 80 MB/s and

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The telecom sector is now making a significant contribution to the economy, both by providing an increasing range of services for businesses and attracting foreign investment, and providing job opportunities to the people of the

Sultanate

H.E. MoHaMMEd Bin nassEr al-KHasiBiSecretary General, the Ministry of National Economy and Chairman of ITA &TRA

the fourth reseller. With prices dipping to lower levels at frequent intervals, the consumers are not complaining.

Fixed line – Poised for growthWith more players and reduction in the mobile service segment, the fixed line segment is under tremendous pressure

currently served by Omantel only. Over the last few years, the segment has remained stagnant in terms of the growth in subscriber numbers and revenues. At the end of 2009, according to Omantel, the total number of fixed line subscribers (including pre-paid and pay phones) were 279,761, a few numbers less than 2008

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will support such as high definition video, video on demand, e-education etc.

Installing FTTH requires the use of advanced Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology which has been introduced to the Omani market for the first time and allows the introduction of Triple Play Services. It is ideally suited for the introduction into new real estate projects with the technology becoming part of the infrastructure network as the Muscat Hills and The Wave residential projects have been developed.

Omantel already has the fibre infrastructure in place that is connecting different parts of the country through four main local fibre-optic rings and with the rest of the world through several submarine fibre optic cables. Mobile broadband is leading to the rapid rise in the Internet usage in the Sultanate. In March 2009, Oman Mobile launched 3.5G to offer wireless broadband services to corporate subscribers and individuals at homes or on the go.

Nawras, on the other hand, offers broadband Internet using the 3G+ network. The company provides a wide range of solutions to the business and retail customers. Its ‘Business Broadband Share’ enables multiple users to make use of a predefined pool of data volume. Different packages provide cost effective choice, flexibility and convenience for both large corporations and smaller enterprises. The company is expected to give further fillip to the rapid growth of broadband Internet in Oman with the launch of its fixed line services.

TRA – Promoting the sectorThe Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), responsible for the regulation and development of the telecom sector, has done a commendable job by expanding the market with its growth oriented liberalization policy. From a monopolist market, Oman’s telecom market currently has multiple players in different segments. TRA has taken a number of path breaking steps especially in

the last few years that are expected to further transform the ICT landscape in the Sultanate. The authority is going ahead with its endeavour to provide telecommunication services including high speed broadband to remote and sparsely populated areas through its Universal Service Policy announced in June 2009. TRA has shortlisted the bidders for the first Universal Service Provider license in Oman. They are expected to expanding the telecom services and networks in all under-served and un-served areas.

In another important initiative, TRA has expressed an interest to facilitate the establishment and operation of an Internet exchange in Oman. TRA plans to issue a Class II license for establishing and operating an Internet Exchange (IX) that will operate as a distinct entity, not affiliated to any single ISP. The Internet Exchange will enable Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to link to the global Internet backbone by aggregating their traffic before sending it via leased tel-ecommunications transmission capac-ity provided by a Class I licensee in the Sultanate to the Internet Backbone. To regularize the IP telephony market, TRA also intends to issue Class II license for the provision of IP telephony services for an unlimited entry of service providers who meet the rules and procedure of Class II license application conditions.Through another programme, TRA plans to develop a comprehensive national broadband strategy for Oman. The key objectives of the strategy are to enable every home, business, public or private institution to have access to affordable high speed broadband Internet, access to broadband infrastructure to be open to all service providers, content provid-ers, and application providers, access is to be offered via multiple technologies and access mechanisms, promoting greater competition across the telecom industry.

Location courtesy: Omantel

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Stimulating the growth

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The fixed line market has remained stagnant in the last few years as a result of the excessive popularity of the

mobile services. Omantel closed 2009 with a subscriber base (including pre-paid and post paid fixed lines but excluding public telephones) of 257,134 which is 3.9% lower than 2008 figure. So far Omantel has a monopoly on the fixed line

segment but with the impending launch of services by Nawras in the same segment with a differentiated technology, it is going to be a different story in the coming years.

But Omantel is also gearing up for the battle with a new customer oriented approach and focus. In line with its intent to deliver an enhanced customer experience, Omantel recently launched

its new enhanced branding and a new tagline, “Together”. Omantel CEO Dr Amer Al Rawas said: “This is an important step in the transformation of our business as the enhanced brand has been defined to reflect our new vision, mission and values for the corporation and to form the source of inspiration for our future communication.” “Our new tagline also reflects our philosophy of togetherness as

The fixed line market in oman is set for an exciting time with the entry of the second operator in 2010

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this is at the heart of everything we do – as we lead the way in bringing individuals, families, businesses and communities together using leading edge technologies,” he added. Explaining the principles behind the new enhanced brand, Dr Amer said: “In terms of branding, we have Omantel to represent our corporate identity as well as our fixed business. We will maintain Oman Mobile as the product brand for our mobile portfolio. These will complement each other while working more closely together than ever before.”

Through a range of consumer promotions, Omantel has been pushing its fixed line and fixed broadband connections. In the beginning of the year, it started a unique offer covering the hi-speed ADSL Internet and fixed line enabling new subscribers to get additional 15 GBs of free Internet usage and free installation.

The hi-speed ADSL Internet service has seen major development including the addition of new capacities in certain exchanges and the provision of additional capacities in other exchanges in various parts of the Sultanate. This development is progressing to cover most of the Sultanate. The total capacity of this service in the various exchanges of the company until the end of December 2009 exceeded 108,000 lines.

The service has seen great demand from subscribers in view of the benefits and high speeds it provides. Residential subscribers can choose between 5 different packages and speeds starting from 512Kbps, 1Mbps, 2Mbps, 4Mbps and 8Mbps. These packages include a number of value-added services such as free Internet usage, and a number of email accounts as per each package, as well as antivirus and anti-spam protection. Omantel recently introduced Fibre to the Home (FTTH) technology. It promises to provide the fastest and most comprehensive range of Internet

applications. The FTTH technology, supplied by Omantel’s technology partner Huawei, delivers at a first stage Ultra broadband with speeds of 80 MB/s and will support such as high definition video, video on demand, e-Education etc.

GPON is an optical fibre access technology designed for the delivery of higher-capacity broadband services and a greater coverage footprint than can be provided by the legacy Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) systems. In Oman, Huawei delivers services to Omantel both directly and through its local sub contractor Oman Fiber Optic Co.

More choiceIn 2009, with the issuance of a royal decree, Nawras was granted the Class I license for the installation and operation of a common fixed telecommunications services system. Nawras is utilizing the international experience and expertise of its parent and majority shareholder Qtel in developing and deploying fixed line and broadband services for Oman. Qtel has developed leading IP, media, broadband and telephony services in other countries

including Qatar and Singapore.

With this fixed licence, Nawras is building the latest generation fibre optic backbone and WiMAX wireless access networks across the Sultanate to deliver broadband telecommunications and Internet access and to offer IP based media and communication services to consumers, businesses and government. Nawras is building a new international gateway in order to provide both international voice and internet access choice for all customers in the Sultanate.

The opening of fixed telecom market is a step towards TRA's goal of further liberalizing the telecom market in the Sultanate. As a result, many new issues will arise that will necessitate the need for a possible new regulations or amending existing regulations guidelines covering interconnections, right of ways and other interoperability issues between different networks. TRA has floated various consultation papers to ensure that the market moves on the growth path without any major conflict under a well-defined regulatory framework.

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Mobilizing the connectWith the advent of new technologies, the mobile users can look at an array of infotainment applications in oman

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mObilE SErviCES

The telecom sector in Oman has transformed in the last five years like most of the emerging markets. In 2004, there were 35 mobile phone

subscribers for every 100 people in Oman. With over 3.9 million subscriber base, Oman’s mobile services market is currently on a roll. The liberalization policy adopted by TRA to open up the market has paid rich dividends. The launch of second mobile service operator in 2005 and three mobile service resellers in 2009 have pushed the penetration to over 130% (2008: 117.4%).

However, the sharp increase in the number of subscriptions may slow down this year. With the launch of services by the new fixed line operator, the consumers will have more options at their disposal. Secondly, many subscribers buys multiple SIM numbers and in many connections remains unused but they remain valid for one year. In a recent development, TRA has reduced the period of validity of SIM cards of the mobile telephone services. The decision stipulated to reduce the validity of non-active and unused cards of the subscribers to six months instead of one year. TRA has also reduced the quarantine period. Recovered or withdrawn numbers from the consumers can be re-allocated by licensees of the telecommunications services to other consumers after three months. The decision came in sequence with the steady growth of the telecommunications market in the Sultanate, which requires a well planned management of a limited national numbering resource and make it available to licensees of the telecommunications services in the country in line with growth requirements efficiently.

The mobile pre paid services are preferred choice of the customers as compared to the post paid services. Pre-paid subscriber base share is around 90% of the total mobile subscribers. The pre-paid has been growing at a higher rate compared to the growth rate of the post-paid segment. According to TRA, at the end of September 2009, the market share of different companies in the mobile services segment included Oman Mobile 49%, Nawras

47% and mobile resellers (Renna and Friendi) 4%. The mobile traffic increased significantly in 2009 compared to the year before. It went up by almost 20% in the first three quarters compared to the corresponding period in 2008. In the period Jan-Sept in 2009, the mobile subscribers generated 3.028 billion minutes. In the same period in 2008, the figure was 2.562 billion minutes (full year 2008: 3.430 billion minutes).

Total outgoing messages are also increasing every quarter. In the last quarter (Oct-Dec 2008), the figure was 1.040 billion which went up to 1.241 billion in the third quarter of 2009. MMS are also on the rise. The number of outgoing MMS was pegged 8.579 million in the third quarter of 2009. The average revenue per user (ARPU) has been on a constant decline with the growing competition, falling prices and increasing subscriber base. In the third quarter of 2009, it was 8.81 rial compared to 11.41 rials in the same period in 2008.

Omantel’s Oman Mobile is the leading mobile services brand in the Sultanate. The two million-plus subscribers who use the Oman Mobile network have access to services in Oman and international roaming coverage with agreements in place with 374 roaming partners in 155 countries. The company has been aggressively introducing consumer promotions at regular intervals to attract and retain the customers.

In February this year, the company made few changes in its popular pre-paid service Hayyak to deliver additional benefits to its customers. The most notable among the changes is the introduction of lower off-peak rates from 45 to 39 baisa a minute. As part of the changes it introduced a new daily off-peak time starting from 8pm in the evening to 6am the following morning. The new rates also applies to Fridays and national holidays. In 2009, Oman Mobile launched its 3.5G network to fulfill its promise of providing total communication solutions. The new network of Oman Mobile has enabled its customers to surf the Internet at higher speeds, enjoy watching and downloading

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action films, follow up the news, listen to popular music and play their preferred games 24 hours a day.

Nawras, celebrating five years of its operations in 2010, provides mobile services including voice and data through deployment of 2G Edge and 3G plus technologies. The company has more than 1.8 million subscribers using its various kinds of services targeted at enterprise and retail customers. Recently Nawras announced its participation in the TATA Global Network (TGN) as the exclusive landing party in Oman for one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks in the world. This development means that Nawras customers will be able to benefit from connectivity to more than 200 countries through the latest technology.

The new state-of-the-art cable system linking the region to the rest of the world

via the TGN will be used to provide Nawras customers with reliable high speed bandwidth to key cities worldwide. Using its own cable station Nawras will

mObilE SErviCES

Apart from Oman Mobile and Nawras as the Class I license holders, the mobile services market has been thrown open to mobile service resellers

be able to access the new high-speed route to the globe and at the same time will add resilience and diversity to the communications infrastructure in the Sultanate of Oman. Nawras chief strategy officer, Abdulla Issa Al Rawahy, explained, “This underwater cable is an exciting advance for Nawras which will enable us to provide our customers with a new pleasingly different way to get closer to their friends, family and business associates across the globe. Most importantly, we are delighted that for the first time, we will have end to end quality and cost control over our international voice and data traffic.”

Nawras offers more than 60 value added services. There are now 22 Nawras Stores across the Sultanate to serve the customers. Nawras received the ‘Customer Service Provider of the Year’ award from CommsMEA as well as the ‘Award for Brand Leadership’ at the Global Awards for Brand Excellence and the Middle East Call Centre of the Year.

Apart from Oman Mobile and Nawras as the Class I license holders, the mobile services market has been thrown open to mobile service resellers with the award of Class II licenses to six companies -- Injaz International, Kalam Telecommunications, Majan Telecom (Renna), Mazoon Mobile, Arabia connect (Friendi) and Samatel. So far Renna, Mazoon and Friendi have started their operations. (A more detailed note on them is provided in another article.) In yet another demonstration of the integration of mobile and broadband in the Sultanate’s society and business, Oman Air recently became the first airline to offer both mobile phone and broadband Internet services onboard its flights. The passengers can use their mobile phones throughout the flight except during take-off and landing. Phone users will be charged on a roaming basis, as if they were using a foreign network.

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Our particular strengths are a deep understanding of the physical foundation of existing and emerging technolo-gies, many years of experience implementation projects and the ability to integrate technological and economic aspects. Using our unique combination of management and technical expertise we can provide you with solu-tions for tomorrow’s business today. DESIGNING FUTURE BUSINESS.

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mObilE SErviCE rESEllErS

June 2008 was a watershed for the tel-ecommunications market of Oman because that was when the Telecom-

munications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of Oman granted Class II licenses to compa-nies to operate as resellers of basic mobile services in the Sultanate. The opening up of the mobile telephony market by the TRA has been hailed as a radical step and has ushered in an exciting time for consumers.

After more than a year and a half after five Class II mobile licences were awarded by the TRA, there are now four mobile resellers under the brand names FRiENDi Mobile (Arabia Connect); renna (Majan Telecommunications); Mazoon Mobile and Samatel. Regulatory norms had deemed that the mobile reselling companies had to tie up with any of the two Class

I operators Oman Mobile or Nawras. Accordingly, FRiENDi Mobile and renna tied up with Oman Mobile and launched their operations in May 2009 while Mazoon Mobile and Samatel signed up with Nawras. Mazoon Mobile began their operations towards the end of last year.

StakeholdersEffectively, the Class II licensees have been allowed to provide basic mobile services to subscribers at retail rates with their own brand names and SIM cards by buying airtime. FRiENDi Mobile has been formed by a group of Omani and regional investors who have a broad vision of launching pan-Arab operations based on the MVNO model. The success of their Oman operations will enable them to use the same strategy in other countries as well. Majan

Variety is the spiceMobile resellers in oman are complementing the mobile network operators in more ways than one by focussing on a niche segment. by doing so they have brought down the prices of call rates, which is good news for consumers, reports Visvas Paul D Karra

Telecom – whose mobile brand ‘renna’ is popular among the Omani youth – is the first 100 per cent Omani owned company out of the whole lot of basic resellers as it is backed by some of the most prominent and well known players in the Omani market with shareholders including the Al Yousef Group. Samatel is also a 100 per cent Omani company with Sheikh Khalid Al Matani as its sole promoter. Mazoon Mobile is a joint venture between METCO (Middle East Telecom Company), a subsidiary of WJ Towell Group and Etisalcom, Bahrain.

Operating modelTypically, the business model of the mobile resellers is to identify certain segments of the mobile customers which are either not served properly or have not been reached by the existing mobile providers, namely the existing Class I operators who have consolidated their position in the market. The primary strategy for the mobile resellers is to slice and dice the market to find segments that would be their future target groups. They would then woo them by adding value added services. The mobile resellers banked upon the limitations of how fast a Class I operator can grow. The taking onboard of mobile resellers apparently helps the Class I operators to incur jumps of 10-15 per cent in customer base growth as the resellers will be aggressive to acquire their own customer base. The success of resellers’ capability to quickly acquire more customers is based on focusing on smaller segments. It’s all about jointly setting common goals between the

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reseller and the host operator. Although all the resellers are upbeat about their operations, market watchers feel that it will not be easy going as there are totally six players operating in the mobile telephony market including the Class I operators.

Friendly connectFRiENDi Mobile has concentrated on its target segment – expatriates from the Indian subcontinent, having got the first mover advantage. With the rest of the Class II players also following suit, in trying to get a share of the expatriate pie, the ensuing competition triggered a price war, forcing all the mobile operators to slash their inter-national call rates. FRiENDi Mobile went one step further and tied up with Idea, a mobile company operating in the southern State of Kerala offering a call price that is lower than the existing call rates to calls originating and terminating with Idea. This is a strategic move for FRiENDi because out of the 600,000 Indians living in Oman, at least half of whom hail from Kerala.

Class actIn its pursuit of providing class to the masses, Mazoon Mobile is not looking at short-term gains. Mazoon aims to be a model mobile reseller in the Middle East by addressing customer lifestyle needs and delivering value with unique experience to the Omani mobile market, as well as to build an organisation with the right talent and opportunities for growth. Being a part of the W J Towell Group the service provider can rest assured about financial support from its parent to establish the brand in the long run. On the other hand, Samatel, which is yet to begin their operations, hopes to offer more benefits for the same price and value added services that are not present in Oman. This could be in the form of web-based services, loyalty programmes or offering a choice of products in one bundle. Offering customised solutions to a number of niche segments is another option, which Samatel may explore to target new customers.

Simplicityrenna has its hand clearly on the telecom pulse of Oman as it continues to pioneer the mobile telecommunications landscape and set new industry benchmarks. renna exceeded all its expectations of customers intake having crossed the 75,000 mark within six months of its launch in May 2009. Backed up by insightful experiences of its management team in the mobile telecommunications industry including 3G, renna has positioned itself as a 100 per cent Omani company with simplicity as their slogan to attract Omanis and expatriates. The mobile reseller also introduced innovative features like instant messaging, after every call, informing about your remaining balance; and a facility to call someone even though you have no credit balance.

The youthThe youth segment is also one big segment, which has become the target for mobile resellers. On July 7, 2009, Hamad Al Battashi, a young college-goer from Bausher was crowned the star of Oman when he was judged the best singer at the finals of the Fannan Halafoni singing competition. The event, targeting the youth of Oman, was conceptualised by

Halafoni, the mobile brand in Oman for youngsters, and was supported by the popular Hala and Hi FM radio channels.

Meanwhile, Shababiah, Oman’s first youth-focused mobile brand from Nawras, also announced that it has sponsored the recently launched and highly acclaimed album ‘Wa’tasimoo’, an Islamic singing project by a group of talented young Omani singers. Halafoni brand, owned by Connect Arabia the operator of FRiENDi mobile service, and Shababiah point out to the general direction in which the mobile operators are headed in Oman at the moment as they create new brands to target specific segments of the market. The developments are not surprising though because the numbers speak for themselves. More than half a million (precisely 600,000) of the Omani population is in the age bracket of 16-25 years, not considering the expatriate youth.

Dynamic marketOne of the strong points of a mobile reseller is the fact that they need not worry about a full network. Therefore, to recoup, their prime focus is on marketing and selling the wholesale minutes bought from the network operator. As the market becomes more dynamic with more promotions from all the operators, everyone (mobile companies) will have to respond and then everyone will know where they stand. Driven by new technologies, there has been a flood of new products in the market in the recent times. So far the market has been dominated by basic voice and SMS based services. But with the advent of new technologies, the mobile users can look at an array of applications such as video calls, gaming, emails, web surfing and other multimedia content being offered by not only the big players but also the mobile resellers. This could only mean that customers will have a variety of choices.

The youth segment is also one big segment, which has become the target for mobile resellers

mObilE SErviCE rESEllErS

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Since the dawn of the Renaissance in 1970, Omantel as the pioneering and leading telecommunications group in the

Sultanate has offered the full spectrum of telecommunications’ solutions to the people and businesses in Oman. In the process, it has undergone various stages of changes to evolve as a corporate entity par excellence. The launch of an enhanced brand identity and new brand tagline ‘Together’ in February 2010, defines a new

stage in the transformation of Omantel. The development is a natural continuation of the merger into an integrated operating model for Omantel and Oman Mobile. It is in line with the company’s commitment to deliver an enhanced customer experience.

New DirectionIt is an important step in the company’s transformation as the enhanced brand has been defined to reflect Omantel’s

Enhanced branding, enhanced customer experienceomantel introduced its new enhanced branding and a new tagline ‘Together’ in February 2010 to reflect the progressive spirit of the group

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new vision, mission and values for the corporation and this forms the source of inspiration for the company’s future communication. Omantel has always been the pioneer of total communications solutions in Oman. These are solutions that bring people together and help individuals and corporates across the nation. Modern consumers demand a diverse range of telecommunications services. Bringing its businesses closer together means Omantel can offer a single point of contact for all of its customers, benefit from efficiencies of scale and respond more quickly to deliver a better quality products and services. The Omantel name now acts both as the corporate identity and for the company’s fixed business, while Oman Mobile continues as the product brand for its mobile portfolio. These will complement each other while working more closely together than ever before.

Progressive SpiritIn developing the enhanced brand, the company has stayed true to the Omantel logo, which embodies the Omani heritage, in the form of the Khanjar, and blended it with the orange in the Oman Mobile logo to signify the vibrant and progressive spirit of the group. The Omantel name, combined both in Arabic and English, is now cradled and encapsulated in the new brand symbol reflecting one of the company’s core values - caring. Through its brands Omantel and Oman Mobile, the company promises to deliver the widest choice of state-of-the-art services with the broadest network coverage.

“The coming together of Omantel and Oman Mobile has been a logical, planned and natural evolutionary process. It is a process that has always had at its heart - improved customer service and product delivery,” a spokesperson of the company said. The spokesperson added, “Omantel is very proud to have been serving the nation since 1970 and of the integral

role our company plays in helping the economic development of our nation – especially as we celebrate the Sultanate’s 40th anniversary. It has been bringing individuals and communities together for four decades and has successfully connected all Oman’s communities to each other and to the rest of the world. The new enhanced brand is one part of a much wider change that Omantel’s business is currently undergoing. The new direction of the company has been extensively communicated across the enterprise way in advance of the external brand launch so that every member of staff understands the future direction

and can start to deliver on the new promises that the brand embodies.” It is also Omantel’s strategic intent to be at the forefront of the industry, ensuring that it introduces the latest technology and services in the market – helping individuals and businesses to become even better connected. The new philosophy of “together” is at the heart of everything the company will do – as it leads the way in bringing individuals, families, businesses and regions ever closer together using leading edge technology and communications.

Omantel has laid the foundations for a stronger, better and more unified future over the past year. The announcement of a new and enhanced brand is a very practical and visual part of that process. Omantel is now on a road from which there is no turning back -- a road it is confident is the right one for the business to follow; a road that has placed customer requirements at the very heart of the business decision making process.

The company has now embarked on a phased plan to rebrand its business and operations. This started with the launch of an integrated Omantel website for fixed, mobile and internet, followed by rebranding of the buildings in the coming few months and subsequently, a revamp of stores throughout the Sultanate.

Omantel had the first opportunity to showcase its enhanced brand throughout the country in February as the Gold sponsor for the very first “Tour of Oman” cycling event, hosted by Muscat Municipality in association with the Tour de France. Immediately following the announcement, Omantel commenced a major advertising campaign to support the new enhanced brand that emphasized the “together” theme in newspapers and publications across the Sultanate.

More power to Omantel!


In creating the new logo and tagline we were looking for a simple and clear signal of how the corporate merger is bringing both company brands under a single umbrella brand

ZuWAINA Al RASHdI Senior Manager Branding and Advertising, Omantel

Focussed Approachomantel will continue to enhance the product offering by launching segmented products and services, says DR.aMeR al RaWaS, Ceo of omantel, in an interview with akshay bhatnagar


When you look back at 2009, what have been the key achievements of the Omantel Group?The past 12 months have been a year of strong development and growth – a year where we moved strongly ahead with the closer merger of Omantel and Oman Mobile and laid the foundations for the recent announcement of our enhanced brand. As a business we have maintained our leadership position in the fixed, mobile and internet telephony sector and have welcomed the challenges that our competitors have posed. These challenges have made us a stronger, more focused and innovative operation – helping bring considerable benefits to all of our customers across the Sultanate.

The achievements of the past year have been customer focused as the company continues to deliver an enhanced customer experience in all areas. We have been successful across all of our business areas – developing stronger and long lasting corporate partnerships and relationships, delighting our individual customers with promotional offers and new products and working to support large scale infrastructure projects.

How has been your performance across product categories – mobile, broadband and fixed line – in 2009?We had achieved a good performance in 2009 and our profits increased by 5% to 125.233 million rials compared to 119.248 million rials for the corresponding period of 2008. The company’s revenue also grew to 412.297 million rials from 411.498 million rials in 2008. Given the global economic downturn and challenging economic circumstances 2009 proved to be a very successful year for us with significant growth in a number of our business segments.

With the introduction of 3.5 G by Oman Mobile, our wireless broadband services has gained significant momentum. With

attractive, affordable and innovative offers, Oman Mobile was able to penetrate the wireless broadband market effectively. The offer we launched of 1 rials for 24 hours surfing was an instant hit especially among our younger customer base. Overall, the mobile data segment recorded enviable growth close to 13%. Similarly, the fixed line Internet and data market has also recorded considerable growth in 2009. The end to end fully managed corporate solutions through Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) has become one of the sought after service for corporate clients looking for security and breadth of network service. The Internet and data usage by our corporate and home customers saw a rapid increase of 23% in 2009 while our fixed Internet broadband services now totals 41,000 lines.

What is Omantel’s strategy to grow its business across subscriber base – individual, enterprise and service providers?The key to our strategy is an underlying commitment to enhancing our customer experience – whatever requirements or needs that customer may have. Among our plans for the coming year are a commitment to continue to introduce new enterprise products that meet market demands including those for SOHO/SME and large corporate customers. In the corporate sector, we will continue to offer

New Technologies launched by Omantel 3.5G services. Omantel on line services for fixed

line and internet. New ADSL broadband packages. Fibre-to-Home (FTTH) Technology

using GPON(Giga Passive Optical Network).

Managed internet leased lines. Multi-Service Access Nodes (MSAN). Next Generation Network (NGN).


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excellent tariffs for corporate clients in order to have better prices with effective contract periods and more discounts. We will also continue to introduce new innovative products & solutions to attract new customers and enhance our product offering in all areas by launching segmented products and services.

What kind of cost optimization strategies you have adopted and how effective they have been?Omantel has embarked upon a cost optimization strategy in view of the increasing competition and challenges in the market. The most significant transformation has been the process of the integration of Omantel and Oman Mobile that has helped to achieve a number of operational synergies and efficiencies. We more or less completed the internal restructuring by announcing the new structure last year, which has been created to ensure meet the specific market segments – consumer, corporate and wholesale through our fixed, mobile and internet offering. This process now allows the Omantel group to offer seamless services covering both fixed and mobile services.

We also introduced series of internal measures to control costs, which resulted in overall operating costs for the domestic operation fell by 1.2%. Another measure has been the implementation of a Voluntary End of Service (VEoS) program. The objective of this programme is to enhance the internal efficiency and most effective operational size of the Group. We have already secured savings of 9.5 million rials and anticipate the programme continuing over the next few years.

What steps you are taking to ensure that Omantel is prepared to play its rightful role in Oman’s ICT landscape?Omantel is in the process of up-scaling its existing infrastructure in order to offer more sophisticated infrastructure facilities

to host IT systems applications in its Data center. This is addition to focusing on cloud computing solutions, which will provide essential services for our corporate customers in the future.

Tell us about the salient features of the network infrastructure of Omantel?The existing Transport and IP infrastructure is undergoing a major upgrade in order to move to a unified network that will offer most of the major services including DSL, Leased Liners, MPLS, Voice, Video and Internet. There has been a significant increase in traffic over the past years with the increase in the number of subscribers in 3G, DSL. We are continuing to ensure that the deployed network will be to grow in order to accommodate the growth.

Omantel’s transmission network is also undergoing considerable expansion through a number of fibre optic rings being introduced throughout the Sultanate of Oman, including the rural and remote areas who can now benefit from fast and seamless services. With the introduction of GPON technology for the first time in Oman, we are now in the process of targeting real estate and other corporate customers through the use of Fibre to the Home (FTTH) technology.

What steps you are taking to strengthen your network infrastructure to retain/gain market share?We have many initiatives in this regards. These are:-Network resilience through ring networks.Signing of SLA’s with corporate customers to ensure minimum level of service to them.Network KPI which allows monitoring the performance and ensuring that we meet TRA targets.

What challenges do you face in the network rollout in Oman to provide

network coverage for seamless services?Omantel is committed to meeting any challenge we face as the company continues to ensure that we offer the very widest and broadest network coverage in the Sultanate. The size and geography of our nation, the scattered and a rapidly growing population, pose challenges that telecoms operators in smaller countries in the region do not face. But given our four decades of experience we are well placed to meet and deal with these challenges using the experience and technical skills of our staff located all over the nation.

Key Initiatives in 2009 Launching the hugely successful

3.5G Network which enabled the company to provide services such as Mobile Broadband, Video Calls and Mobile TV

The PDO WAN Re-design Project Working with the Ministry of

Information to establish and create a TV broadcast backbone network including broadcast equipment

A network upgrade for DGCAM radar and VHF stations network with full VSAT redundancy

Introduction of VSAT Internet Broadband Tariffs

The re-balancing of most of our corporate tariffs including internet leased line/ADSL/IPLC/Nama plans to ensure we both individual customers’ demand and market needs in one of our fastest growing business areas

Reducing the international calling to Bangladesh, Pakistan & India to be 98Bz/Min during the Super off-Peak Period.

Conducting the “Pay & Win” promotion which rewarded the customer with valuable prizes when they pay their bills




What makes the corporate solutions from Omantel so unique?Omantel is the leading provider of corporate telecommunication solutions in the Sultanate and offers organizations affordable prices with contract durations that are created to suit their business needs. The continuing growth of the corporate segment requires high quality and secure telecommunication solutions

at cost effective prices. The solutions Omantel offer covers the full range of services that are needed by the corporate segment such as ADSL, mobile voice & data, fixed line telephony, leased lines, 3.5G Internet plans, IP MPLS, Internet leased lines, email & web hosting and international private leased circuits in addition customized solutions. Omantel has the widest coverage compared to

any telecommunications company in the Sultanate with a solid and resilient network that allows us to help our corporate customers to grow and prosper.

large enterprises, small and medium enterprises and professionals need different kinds of corporate solutions. What are your key corporate solutions for each of these categories?

Growth Partneromantel is committed to support the corporate sector in improving and enhancing efficiency with its broad range of cutting edge services, says aDIl al RaISI, Vice President – Corporate business Unit, omantel, in an interview with akshay bhatnagar

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Omantel is currently serving a wide spectrum of corporate segments ranging from small retail outlets with simply an ADSL need to a large corporate with complex needs to be connected with the world in a secure and cost effective environment. We are pioneers in serving the banking sector, as an example, with our advanced IP MPLS managed solution whereby customers are connected through our secure, reliable and resilient network. Our corporate solution team works with customers not only as solution providers but also as a consultant to ensure customers get better solutions and long term value.

When companies are under pressure to reduce their costs, how your corporate solutions help them in bringing cost efficiency and add value to their customers or business partners?The demand for a diverse range of corporates’ communication solutions

is continuing to rise in first quarter of 2010 as private and public sector organizations are seeking state of the art telecommunication solutions to run their business in a cost effective and secure environment. Omantel is also benefiting from improving technology and internal efficiency allowing the company to offer competitive price plans on a number of products and services aiming for customer satisfaction and long-term relationship.

The company’s growing corporate customer base includes the banking sector, retail, oil & gas companies, small businesses and Government Ministries. We experienced good growth in 2009 as Omantel continued to provide the broadest range of modern telecommunication solutions ranging from basic telephone lines to advanced MPLS solutions, international leased circuits and web hosting.

What system do you have in place to ensure optimum customer satisfaction to your corporate customers – specially the most valued ones?Our corporate solution experts work together with customers to understand their needs for various services and find ways to make them grow and prosper especially in 2010 whereby business growth prospects are visible. In 2009, we became more competitive in the market as we reduced the prices of several services such as Corporate ADSL, Internet Leased Lines and International Private Leased Circuits. In 2010, we are working to further review our prices such as managed solutions and more flexible contract terms to satisfy customers’ needs. Omantel is committed to serve the corporate segment in the Sultanate in a way that organizations improve and enhance their efficiency that will contribute to economic growth and development of Oman.



NAMANama is a post-paid mobile service from Oman Mobile. Nama plans are flexible and have high value-for-money. Nama plans are affordable and any company can avail of to connect its workforce. Nama plans give certain discount to customers who have high number of post-paid subscriptions. The discount ranges from 5 to 30% depending on the number of lines.

NAMA CPNImagine talking your business to greater heights! Now you can! Link your team to a single service that makes a big difference in the way you do business. Corporate Private Network or CPN is another innovative business communications solutions service from Oman Mobile that is designed to make connections within your company easier. CPN is especially created for Nama postpaid corporate subscribers. It is a private numbering plan that links a minimum of 10 or more people within the company.

BlACkBeRRyOman Mobile brings you BlackBerry®, the world’s leading solution for connecting mobile users to customers, colleagues and information that drive business. Whether you need to check your email on the go, return a phone call, quickly send a text message, or look up information on the Internet, consider a BlackBerry® solution from Oman Mobile.

Benefits of Oman Mobile’s BlackBerry® service:

oman Mobile, the leading mobile telecommunications company in the Sultanate offers a wide range of services that are designed to add value to corporate customers.

broad Portfolio

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Expertise : Our partnership with BlackBerry® gives us the expertise in deploying BlackBerry® Solutions for large enterprises.

Coverage: In Oman and abroad.

Flexibility : For your individual or corporate use, choose from:

BlackBerry Internet Solution™

BlackBerry Enterprise Solution™

BlackBerry Enterprise Solution Plus™

IBulk SMSOman Mobile’s iBulkSMS portal is a new SMS provisioning and purchasing scheme that allows Oman Mobile to extend mass SMS usage to businesses and organizations to cater a variety of needs. The service enables businesses and organizations to easily broadcast SMS messages to SMS capable devices of their customers and/or workforce.

Oman Mobile’s iBulk SMS Portal offers you the ease, efficiency and effectiveness of communicating with opt-in customers or mobile work force either individually or collectively using SMS messaging.

All you need to use Oman Mobile’s iBulk SMS is access to the Internet, a valid account, and a list of opt-in mobile phone numbers you wish to interact with.

IMASS SMS iMass SMS is a solution for the business community and organizations that provides instant mass awareness to all Oman Mobile subscribers on their personal mobiles in a cost effective manner.

Marketing opportunities don’t come better than to tap the end consumer directly at his disposal. Mobile phones have become the essential medium for the social life of the whole generation. The popularity & cheapness of mobile phones have made them a ‘must have’ accessory.

Oman Mobile subscribers are able to receive SMS messages and it is unlikely to delete a message without reading it.

IMASS FIlTeR SMSTarget your market message:-

Where do you want your messages sent?

You have the choice of Muscat, Dhofar, Al Batinah, Al Dhakhliya, A’Sharqiyah, A’Dhahirah, Al Wusta, Musandam, Al Buraimi. Or choose a combination of areas.

WhO DO yOu WANT TO ReACh?Select the age group, or age groups, that you know is most likely to be interested in your product or service.

Is your product or service more appealing to men or women?

Choose the gender of the people who will receive your SMS marketing message

What language group do you want to speak to?

Choose whether you want to speak to your potential clients in English or Arabic.

What nationality are the people you want to reach?

Choose any or all the nationalities options offered by iMass Filter SMS.

Corporate customers can also decide whether they want to send their messages to Hayyak or Mada (postpaid) Oman Mobile subscribers or which segment they need to target whether it’s business or consumer.

iMass Filter SMS allows corporate customers to even select the occupation of the intended audience! And because it’s all about options they can as well choose any combination of the following: location, age, gender, nationality, language, place of work, occupation, segment or pre or postpaid subscribers – allowing corporate customers to fine-

tune their marketing campaigns and get optimum value for the budget.

iMass Filter sMs BeneFits:- Gets your message to the potential customers you want to speak to

Immediate impact and wide reach

Easy to set up

No hidden costs or charges

Highly reliable and has a high response rate



Push-to-talkPush-to-talk is similar to a walkie-talkie experience and makes it easy to communicate with one person or a group of people with a simple push of a button – no need to dial. All you need is a compatible handset that supports the push-to-talk service.

eNjOy gReAT FeATuReS WITh Push-to-talk:

Individual-to-individual: Set up a voice communication between two users

Individual-to-group: Set up a voice communication with up to 10 other subscribers at the same time.

Presence Status: Know the status of the users and groups in the contact list.

Cell BROADCAST SeRvICe:Cell Broadcast (CB) is designed for simultaneous delivery of messages to

multiple users in a specific area. Where as the short message service “SMS” is a one-to-one service, Cell Broadcast is a one-to-many geographically focused cellular based system that instantly broadcasts voice, data, or multimedia content to a large number of people. The broadcast range can be varied from a small area to the entire network. Broadcast relays the message indiscriminately to every phone without having to identify and locate individual phone numbers.


36

SPECiAl FEATUrE - NAwrAS

What have been the major achievements for Nawras in 2009?A continued strong growth has contributed to our success. We’ve seen growth in customer numbers, overall traffic and probably the fastest growth in data usage. We have added another 250 independent dealerships to take their total tally to 1500 all over the country. And we have continued to grow our

people. We now have around 750 people across the Sultanate, most of them are involved in customer facing roles. A part of our success has been in our customer services and in getting great people in our team who are enthused about customer services. We’ve continued our network growth covering capacity enhancement as well as extra geographical coverage. We now cover over 96% of the population of

the country with our 2G EDGE services. We cover over 40% of customers with our 3G+ services with sophisticated HSPA capability. But we don’t try and confuse customers with technology, we just make our services easy to use and understand. We’ve been building our roaming capability. Among all the telecom operators in the Gulf region, we are now the third largest in terms of roaming partners. We

Getting ready for another rechargenawras is continuing to change the telecommunications landscape in oman, says nawras Ceo RoSS CoRMaCK in a conversation with akshay bhatnagar and Sushmita Sarkhel



have roaming partners in 168 countries. We’re always building our data roaming capability so that our customers can use their smart phones and Internet access for their laptops. So 2009 was a story of growth but at the same time, we focused on the nuts and bolts of our business. At the end of the day, we are making a successful long term business which really starts and ends with people. We are very fortunate in having a very good team and it was a record year for Nawras.

Tell us about the growth of your customer baseWe had a very healthy growth in terms of number of customers with a base of well over 1.8 million representing about 47% market share. We have signed agreements with three resellers. Mazoon is up and running; they’ve been growing steadily and we’re proud to be working with them. And we’ve got two more resellers who’ll be coming soon. The market is very interesting, and our job is to make sure we speak plainly to customers so that they can understand what our offers are about. But the secret of our success will be through continuing to listen to our customers.

What’s the progress on the introduction of fixed line services and expansion of your infrastructure?We’ve built about 1000 kms of backbone. And we’ll build another 1000 kms over the next few months. So the Northern ring, around the coast is done. Currently, we are in the process of building what we call the Eastern ring - Sur and back to Nizwa. We are going to shortly place orders for half of the Southern ring. So that will take our count up to slightly more than 2000 kms in the next few months. We have built the international voice gateway but there’s still some final work going on there. We’re in the process of building the international data gateway. We’ve signed an MoU for an international cable which will give us access to a lot of capacity and attractive value added services. It will give us the

freedom to manage the cost and quality trade-offs and capacity as well. We’re also working on building a ‘next generation network’ based on 4G technology over our existing radio networks. It’ll provide fixed broadband access to customers. The plan is to cover most of the built up areas of Oman this year and next year. That’ll be another exciting opportunity because when we started with the mobile business Oman had a mobile penetration of 30% approximately. With the fixed broadband currently at a mere 10% penetration level, we have a huge 90% untapped market to go for. Nawras is focused on continuing to change the telecommunications landscape in Oman with the launch of fixed services around the middle of this year.

How much investment are you making in the fixed infrastructure development?In total, we’re investing about 150 million rials for fixed and mobile over the next couple of years. It’s a very healthy investment for the Sultanate.

How you are funding the investments?We are generating funds from our core

business. The business was funded originally with a mixture of shareholders’ equity and debt and we extended the loan at one point.

How has the Nawras brand evolved over a period of time?The journey of our brand development has been very enjoyable and pleasingly different. When we were born, we had the name Nawras as a project name. We had our own unique values and aspirations that we wanted to add. We did focus group studies to test the Nawras brand and variants of the logo with customers.

And during those deliberations, a particular colour set was chosen as the best. So customers really did help us form our brand, logo and image. And from there on, we started to work and build our team according to our values. We did brand-tracking every three or four months since we started service so that we could learn in a structured manner about what people thought we did well and what they thought we needed to improve as well as what they liked and didn’t like. We knew that the first and second year, we’d focus on getting the basics right, then from the third year on we stepped up our game by launching 3G+ as well as continuing to give our customers many ‘firsts’. All of this contributed to the brand because what we always wanted was, when you see our logo, you should say ‘that’s a company I can trust’.

did you expect this kind of growth when you started your journey?No, we’ve outstripped our targets and we’ve gone beyond our wildest imagination. We’d thought that at the end of five years we’d have half a million customers and actually we have over 1.8 million. We are thrilled that so many people have joined the Nawras family and we remain committed to meeting their ever-changing communication needs with both fixed and mobile solutions.

We’ve gone beyond our wildest imagination. We are thrilled that so many people have joined the Nawras family

38


Awards galore for NawrasNawras was accorded the prestigious ‘Customer Service Provider of the Year, Middle East and Africa Award’ during the fourth annual CommsMEA Awards 2009 organized in Dubai. “This is the result of our company wide determination to always stay focused on our customers as we deliver pleasingly different service to more than 1.8 million people all over the Sultanate of Oman and it is a tribute to the concerted efforts of everyone at Nawras. Our customers can be confident that their communications provider is made up of friendly professionals who are dedicated to giving them pleasingly different service that is award winning in the region and beyond,” said Ross Cormack, CEO of Nawras. This was the second customer service award picked

up by the company in 2009 after Nawras was named ‘Middle East Call Centre of the Year’ by INSIGHTS. Earlier Nawras had received ‘Award for Brand Leadership’ in the 18th Global Awards for Brand Excellence held in Mumbai. In yet another achievement, Nawras was awarded ‘Superbrand Status’ following a closely guarded, rigorous selection process carried out by Oman Superbrands Council. The Superbrands programme is currently running in a total of 84 countries worldwide; Oman was being included for the first time in 2009. A Superbrand is defined as offering consumers significant emotional and, or, physical advantages over its competitors.

Great success with mobile number portabilityThousands of new customers moved to Nawras while keeping their existing number with the introduction of mobile number portability (MNP) in August 2006. In over three years of MNP in Oman, almost nine out of ten porting customers opted for Nawras. MNP gained high visibility thanks to the participation of Oman’s popular, international goalkeeper, Ali Al Habsi who became Nawras MNP Ambassador. Al Habsi appeared in the extensive advertising campaign which helped to generate widespread awareness of the service.

MNP customers can use their new Nawras SIM-card with a temporary Nawras number as soon as it is activated which takes a couple of hours at the most. After two or three days, the temporary number gets replaced by the customer’s original mobile number.

Smart Roamer Following the launch of international roaming service – SmartRoamer – by The Qtel Group in Barcelona, Nawras, a Qtel Group company, also started offering this service to its customers who can benefit from lower rates for calling, sms and data usage when roaming in the GCC countries of Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Nawras is giving more than 60% discount on call tariffs, more than 80% on wireless data services and a reduction of over 45% on SMS. The significant reduction in data charges has been greeted with great enthusiasm by travelling business customers, in particular. The SmartRoamer service gives all Nawras customers the potential to enjoy considerable savings when making local calls in any of these GCC travel destinations as well as when calling back home to Oman. The ‘SmartRoamer’ service from Nawras is for all customers – postpaid and prepaid - in contrast to other more limited regional offers.

Oman Air information via SMSIn 2009, Nawras also tied-up with Oman Air, the national carrier, to provide travel information directly from the airline through an exclusive SMS based service. Customers have access to flight schedules, fare enquiries and booking status via a great value SMS. Even special meal requests can be made easily with this handy communication tool. To obtain Oman Air information, an SMS sent to 90910 with the key word Help will give customers answers on flight schedule enquiries, seat availability, fares and booking status as well as enable the addition of local contact details.

Oman Air customers using a Nawras SIM card also have an option to receive messages on various products and services offered by the airline. This service costs 100 Baisa for every successful request while help messages are charged at the standard SMS rate of only 10 Baisa.



MyNawras for Business In 2009, MyNawras for business was relaunched to offer even greater convenience for corporate customers and add to Nawras Business Solutions. With this free communication tool, customers operate a complete overview of corporate telecom accounts. It is easy to use and performs many functions. MyNawras for business is accessed via the Nawras website. Corporate telecommunications administrators are able to use the website to view payment and e-recharge history for an individual in their organisation or for their entire company, for any given period during the preceding six months. With the unique facility of being able to export bill information to a Microsoft Excel sheet, customers can easily analyse mobile call spend and identify call patterns. This detailed breakdown of mobile activity can be particularly useful in helping to support a company’s cost saving measures. Corporate users can also take advantage of cost-effective, secure Web SMS to send bulk marketing, sales or service messages by SMS to their own customer database. This service is easy to use and available for as little as 3.7 Baisa per SMS.

Nawras recently unveiled a new business solution ‘Business Broadband Share’, designed to enable multiple users to make use of a predefined pool of data volume. Three different packages provide cost effective choice, flexibility and convenience for both large corporations and smaller enterprises. Companies can choose from packages of 25GB, 50GB or 100GB of data volume with a minimum of five SIM-cards up to a maximum of 50. ‘Business Broadband Share’ is making it easier for companies to become more productive by increasing the number of employees using mobile broadband with this exciting new solution which is easy to manage and makes it simple to track usage. Monthly subscription fees start at just 190 rials for 25GB. If customers exceed their agreed data package volume, they can choose to pay for each additional GB and retain the speed they have been enjoying or select a price capped package where speed degradation kicks in if data volume exceeds package limit however the package price remains unchanged.

Business Broadband Share

40

a Success StoryDetecon’s services focus on consulting and implementation solutions

which are derived from the use of ICT. Its know-how is based on a

comprehensive understanding of markets

Detecon International is one of the world’s leading companies for integrated management and technology

consulting. Our services focus on consulting and implementation solutions which are derived from the use of ICT.

Detecon’s know-how is based on a comprehensive understanding of markets, technologies, and business processes which has been tried and tested and which bundles the knowledge from successfully completed management and ICT projects in over 100 countries. Detecon is a member of the Deutsche Telekom Group.

Designing future business The rapid development of ICT is having an increasingly strong influence on company strategies as well as on the processes within organizations. The adaptations which become necessary as a result of this, affect both business models and corporate structures, not only technological applications.

If these adaptations are to be mastered, then the integrated knowledge of various disciplines is required, and Detecon brings these together under one roof. Due to the unique combination of strategic management, organization & process, and technological know-how, we can provide our clients today with the

solutions needed to ensure their business success tomorrow. We are independent of manufacturers and our sole obligation is our clients’ success.

Focus lies on ClientWe concentrate on market segments in which our know-how has been proven in a wide variety of integrated management and technology consulting projects. These market segments include the public sector (e.g. governments & regulators), telecommunications operators (fixed, mobile, satellite), digital media, service industries and some specific manufacturing industries.

Integrated management and technology know-howOur service portfolio focuses on areas in which we can provide special stimuli for our clients through our unique integrated management and technology knowledge. Our service portfolio includes Strategy & Marketing, Operations & Performance and Information & Telecommunications Technology.

Detecon has a long and successful history in the Sultanate and set up a Branch in Muscat in 2004. Since then Detecon has been providing consulting services in the field of telecommunications networks design and related issues. Detecon aims to strengthen and expand its business in the Sultanate.

Contact details: E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.detecon.com

SPECiAl FEATUrE - DETECON


Right ConnectionNSN is one of the largest telecommunications equipment suppliers in the world.

StefaN SiebeR, Country Director & Customer team Head, speaks on Oman operations

Tell us about Nokia Siemens Networks’ (NSN) business in Oman with special focus on your current projects In 1983, we installed in Oman the first digital fixed network in the Middle-East region. We began our Mobile business in 1996 by supplying Core, Transmission and Radio for the first GSM network in the Sultanate.

One of our recent big-scale prime projects is the consolidation and optimization of the 2.5G network between Fanja (near Muscat) and Yemen border in Dhofar. It is quite challenging with the unique combination of Mountains, Wadis and Deserts. We support the business of Oman Mobile by improving network efficiency and new revenue streams of mobile internet in rural areas. We continue our path of success with a new project which includes various enhancements of existing systems as well as the first Green Radio network in Oman. It is a 3.5G radio network with first elements of a 4G architecture and upgradable to LTE. Remarkable is that the design is focused on reduced energy consumption (around 50 per cent less then traditional 3G solutions), less maintenance and integrated transmission capabilities – a real “Green Solution.”

What have been the key achievements of NSN in Oman?It starts all the way back in the 1970’s when we brought color TV to Oman. Another key achievement is the introduction of mobile pre-paid service to Oman in 2002. Further, in 2006 we implemented mobile number portability in Oman as the first country in the region. Another key achievement is the support of the

e-Government initiative by implementing GPRS/EDGE services in the rural areas of the Sultanate.

What are the new business opportunities that you are planning to tap in the coming years?Until now, development in our industry has mainly been a matter of delivering connections – faster, cheaper, and more efficient. Our vision is that by 2015 there will be 5 billion internet users on this planet. We are also a strong partner for the business needs, e.g. for providing expertise and solutions for Pre-Paid, Billing and Charging and Customer Care.

What is your vision of tomorrow’s connected Oman?I have been traveling extensively in this country. Today, I come across an educated young generation in rural areas who relate naturally to modern technology and communication. With HM’s focus on education and ICT in Vision 2020, projects like e-government will become more important and transform Oman

into an Information Society. In the long run I expect the availability of broadband services for almost every citizen.

What is your approach to corporate social responsibility in Oman?Manifold: By training staff on business ethics, developing skills of young Omani engineers, applying a correct approach for recycling waste materials, and bringing in fresh innovative approaches for energy consumption, we take our corporate responsibility in all earnestness.

Are there any changes within Nokia Siemens Networks in Oman?After staying in Oman since 2005, I am returning to the Headquarters. My successor in Oman, Mr. Juha Alanen, has an extensive experience in the Telecom and IT industry and will carry forward our contributions to the development of Oman. I wish him and his family all the best for the coming years in Oman.

Contact Details: Tel: +968 2452 5710 Website: www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Juha Alanen, Country Director & Customer Team Head, Nokia Siemens Networks, Oman

Stefan Sieber, Country Director & Customer Team Head, Nokia Siemens Networks, Oman

special feature - nokia siemens network

42

forging aheadOman fiber Optic Co. has procured state-of-the-art plant and machinery to

produce the wide range of cable products, including fttH cable that will

cater for infrastructure projects

In this period of revolutionized communication and rapid growth of the telecom sector, Oman Fiber Optic Co. S.A.O.G. (OFO) is

positioned in the hub of business and technology in the Sultanate. Situated in Muscat in the 90’s, OFO uses state-of-the-art technology to manufacture and install world class fiber cable products to meet the increasing demand generated by high speed transmission of voice, video and data. The company is successful in offering total solution to its customers.

Formed by a group of Omani and Gulf investors, OFO is a joint stock company and the shares are listed at Muscat Securities Market. OFO is the only company, in the GCC Region, which manufactures both fiber and cable products. It is the vision of the company to emerge as leader in the Middle East and North Africa Region in its chosen field. OFO is known for its quality, on time delivery and meeting customer requirement.

Specialty applicationsThe company manufactures cables for long haul backbone communication links, LAN networks, video transmission and Cable TV, traffic signaling, Fiber to the Home (FTTH) solutions, etc. In addition to manufacturing, OFO has a telecom services division which can provide turnkey solutions, starting from survey, design, implementation, integration, testing, commissioning and supply and installation of fiber optic cables. Its clients include telecom service providers, oil and

gas companies, utility companies and system integrators.

Innovative technology Due to the spurt in bandwidth requirement to cater to the ever growing need for better and more reliable communications, FTTH is the next big thing which will permit access to the various media applications related to IT, communications and entertainment. OFO has procured state of the art plant and machinery to produce the wide range of cable products including FTTH cable. These are low diameter, high fiber capacity cables suitable for reaching to every home. Further OFO has increased its manufacturing capacity and also is in the process of enhancing its capability to manufacture wire armoured double sheath cables

to cater to the oil and gas industry.

Key AchievementsOFO has managed to maintain consistently its position as preferred supplier of Fiber Optic Cable in the Region. Installation services division of OFO, which was started in 2007, is holding good market share. OFO believes in continuous development and steel wire armoured cable and Micro dia cable are the latest additions to their product list. OFO is the recipient of His Majesty’s Trophy for three years since inception and His Majesty’s Certificate of Excellence in Quality for 2009 and has also ISO 9001:2008 accreditation. OFO has an appreciable percentage of Omanisation, as a part of the contribution to the society.

Growing Opportunities Mohammed Harith Al Barashdy, CEO of OFO, is optimistic about the growing demand for fiber optic cables in the market. “With the issuance of 2nd and 3rd fixed licences in the Region and rise in bandwidth, the demand for fiber cable by the telecom operators is bound to go up. With the steady oil price, the SCADA projects will roll on which will seek substantial quantity of fiber optic cables. Further demand will be there due to new segments like Railway projects in the Region, FTTH and other telecom related infrastructure,” he says.

Contact details: Tel: 968 2444 8444 Website: www.omanfiber.com

Mohammed Harith Al Barashdy, CEO Oman Fiber Optic Co

special feature - oman fiber optic co.


special feature - renna

How has been Renna’s performance in the first year of its launch?Over the past 10 months or so, renna has grown from strength to strength. We have 110,000 customers. We’re pleased to see that almost half of them are Omanis – we were surprised because we went strong on the international segment in terms of communication and pricing. Our aim is to continue serving our customers with original and innovative methods to enhance their experience through unique valued-added services. We are delighted to see that the small benefits are being accepted by our customers, more than 30% are using the credit in advance function. There has also been a visible increase in international traffic due to the decrease in international prices since the inception of renna.

Currently, renna has 60 people on board, majority of them are in sales and customer care. We have some of our own shops, kiosks, and we’ve also initiated the concept of a control channel which helps in technical queries and supports our presence in different places. We launched our service with the basic services calls and SMS. And we have new services and content in a new innovative way coming out in the beginning of this year. We are also introducing roaming, all this without changing the rate plan and maintaining our competitive rates.

How many consumer touch points do you have currently?For recharge, a little more than 4,000 and for SIM cards about 480 to 500. Right

from the beginning we’ve been focussing on channels because when you’re a new player it is hard if you do not have more channels available. So the distribution part is very important. And we’ve been focussed on that a lot. Now that we’ve set up, we even get requests to set up additional channels.

What makes renna standout compared to the competition?The Omani telecommunication market has witnessed a shift from network based to service based competition therefore allowing existing and new mobile resellers an edge to penetrate the market. renna is an agent of change and a company on a par with TRA’s vision and have always reiter-ated the importance we place on customer service and customer centric strategies as key differentiators in the market, always focusing on our end users and what would benefit them more. We believe we stand out from what is available in the market by our simple and transparent approach with no fine print. Our offers and pro-motions are studied to ensure ultimate customer satisfaction and experience, an example would be renna’s successful movie night which we look forward to repeat and our current promotion where customer receive 10% extra credit on our 3 rial recharge cards and 20% on our 7 rial recharge

following the customerrenna is an agent of change and a company on par with tRa’s vision, says JOakim kliNgefJORD, CeO of renna, in a chat with akshay bhatnagar and Sushmita Sarkhel

cards.We also believe that customers need to be able to find renna wherever they are and therefore in addition to the usual distribution channels, we recently partnered with various outlets introduc-ing a new distribution channel of branded retail shops, allowing for greater market penetration and customer reach while maintaining the renna look and feel. The new form of distribution channel is a hy-brid to what is currently available in the market, providing customers with total convenience to purchase their renna SIM cards and package while shopping.

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mobile handset market

From high flying corporate executives to school going pre-teens, everyone owns a cell phone today. Radical

advancements in mobile phone technology have enabled people belonging to all demographics to own and use a mobile phone – whether as a fashion accessory, a business aide or travel companion. Be it basic models that allow

users to make calls and send texts or state-of-the-art communication devices which also incorporate a variety of media-based applications in tune with modern day lifestyles, mobile phones, once considered items of luxury have become ubiquitous. With over four billion mobile phone users across the globe, mobile phone technology has revolutionised the way people in today’s world keep in touch.

With time, these gizmos have now gone sleek and stylish and have successfully incorporated into today’s frenzied, hectic lifestyles. Cameras, social networking applications, radio and television – these are just a few of the standard applications available in mobile phones today. Not only are they capable of satisfying a diverse range of customer needs, but cell phones today also give users the freedom

Go Gadget!Cell phones today, with multitudes of features, are the ultimate testament to the scope of technological convergence. Here’s a look at some of the smartest and most sought after mobile phones in the market today Sushmita Sarkhel reports



of choice to decide what they want and sometimes even how much they are willing to dish out for it. This has mainly been possible because of multiple brands competing against one another. Also, unlike the US, where cell phone service providers tend to drive the purchase of handsets, in Oman the service providers do not restrict the purchase to certain mobile handsets. Users are free to buy their desired handsets irrespective of the service providers.

Depending on the target demographic, key players in the mobile handset industry design and market cell phones accordingly. But on a more universal note, the underlying success formula, other than performance, definitely seems to point towards aesthetics. Optimise both these parameters and you’ve got an unbeatable combination that’s destined for success. Key players in the industry like, Nokia, Samsung, LG, Motorola and Apple have certainly indentified this and today, they bring to customers some of the most progressive gadgets ever imaginable.

The youth today are targeted by almost all industries and it’s no different for mobile phone companies either. Music, self expression, access to social networking sites and short messaging services seem to be the main areas of interest for youngsters today. Handsets especially catered for this demographic، hence the need to support such applications. And most handsets today support MP4 files, equipped with top notch media players, cameras and provide direct links to social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is one of the most popular models in this genre. Nokia, the Finnish telecommunications giant, has long mastered the art of making aesthetically pleasing cell phones and XpressMusic is Nokia’s first attempt at producing the increasingly popular touch-phone models. Along with that the phone is equipped

with excellent quality speakers, up to 16 Gb storage space, a 3.15 megapixel camera, and is 3G enabled – all at a highly competitive price. It’s of little surprise then that this model is so popular. Of late, Nokia is said to have been losing out to Apple, especially in the US markets. However, according to some retailers in Oman, Nokia still remains immensely popular in the markets here.

Sony Ericsson has also a line of cell phones especially dedicated to music buffs – the Sony Ericsson Walkman® Collection. The Walkman® phones come with great sound and may be practically considered portable music playing devices. Their latest mobile, Sony Ericsson W705 (still to hit the markets in Oman) is yet another well featured addition to this line. The SenseMe technology (and a revolutionary one that) plays songs according to the user’s mood by translating it on a scale of happy to sad and fast to slow. According to retailers in Muscat, however, Sony Ericsson W810i is a more popular model (among the Sony Ericsson Walkman® Collection), mainly because of its trendy cosmetic design. For busy online networkers, Motorola has launched a

Music, self expression, access to social networking sites and SMS seem to be the main areas of interest for youngsters today

46


The youth today are targeted by almost all industries and it’s no different for mobile phone companies either

messages you received across all platforms in one screen.”

Moving over to mobile devices suited particularly for business communication needs; there are a plethora of models available in the market. Modern day smartphones offer highly advanced features like e-mails, e-book reader capabilities, internet access, personal organisers, ability to read business documents and a fully functional built in keyboard, among many others. In other words, smartphones or business communication devices may be considered as miniature computers with telephone capabilities. Another popular feature of these smartphones is the ability to store enormous number of contacts as the memory available permits. Most cell phones limit the number of contacts to a few hundred but in smartphones, users have the freedom to store as many as 5000 contacts. All major mobile giants have diversified in this field with aggressive strategies to gain stronger market shares.

BlackBerries are becoming increasingly popular in the markets in Oman, especially since network service providers are offering special advantages for BlackBerry users (for instance, the Nawras Data Roaming Service). The simplicity of its pushmail service is undoubtedly one of its most popular features and a big draw – mainly for business executives on the go. However, with touch-screen phones making the headlines everywhere, the BlackBerry might lose some of its popularity. Despite this, the new RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 is a sleeker, lighter, more sophisticated and more powerful model compared to its predecessors and holds much promise. For those not keen on purchasing a BlackBerry, there are a plenty of other options in the market. Popular alternatives to the traditional BlackBerry include the Samsung Omania Pro, Nokia E71, Nokia E63 and HTC Snap.

new model (yet to be available in Oman), called the Motorola Dext. Motorola is one of the first major phone manufacturer to use the Google Android platform (the Moto Blur software) and is great for tracking Tweets, updating status messages on Facebook and checking emails. According to the Guardian, “…the desktop has a group of social-networking widgets such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and email. All the tweets, status updates and new emails appear as speech bubbles by the relevant widget so you can keep track of them all. Also, it opens the applications on Moto Blur’s own platform, so you can check a new message on Facebook quite quickly, without having to open the website. You also have the ‘universal inbox’ application where you can look at all the



Touch-screen phones are the rage world over and it is no less in Oman. Over the last few years the touch-screen technology has rapidly developed and is no longer reserved only for high end PDAs. And the Apple iPhone 3GS takes the cake for touch phones, be it in terms of the responsiveness of touch displays or well designed interfaces. Ever since the first iPhone hit the market in 2008, all mobile giants have been trying to imitate the technology. However, no one has really managed to pose a serious threat to this almost perfect gadget. So impeccable is its design that the iPhone has become a

benchmark for all the touch phones in the market – Nokia, included! Yet another contender in this category is LG-GW620, an Android powered smartphone with a three inch touch-screen and QWERTY keypad. This much awaited model will soon hit the streets of Oman. Sony Ericsson Satio is a touch screen phone by day and a 12 megapixel camera by night. With its sturdiness, sleek design and an exhaustive list of features, the Sony Ericsson Satio is a standout feature in Sony Ericsson’s booming repertoire. Perhaps the closest competitor to the iPhone, according to industry experts, is

the Motorola Droid. Droid is a powerful Web surfing and communications tool which utilised the Google Andriod platform to the fullest. Also the Droid’s 480 by 854 pixel display offers 409,920 pixels, more than double the 153,600 pixels that the 480 by 320 pixel, 3.5-inch screen on the iPhone 3GS offers and does a lot of things that the iPhone doesn’t. According to experts, this phone certainly lives to its hype and will satisfy users with its functionality and design.

Despite the economic crisis, luxury phones have been making quite a few heads turn. The coveted phones look and feel like a million dollars and include big names

Most cell phones limit the number of contacts to a few hundred but in smartphones, users have the freedom to store as many as 5000 contacts

like Vertu, TAG Heuer and Gresso. Made with precious metals and embellished with precious stones, these mobile phones are the ultimate symbols of luxury and contain exclusive features unseen in any other. For instance, Vertu’s Constellation Ayxta include features like ‘a concierge service; a selection of dining and nightlife suggestions for 70 cities; and a reworked custom ring tone, originally composed by the London Symphony Orchestra for the brand’s Signature model in 2002’ (New York Times, 2009). Although some of these phones might fall short of state-of-the-art applications and high-tech features, these deluxe phones have a class of their own and are popular among the top echelons of business communities. Cell phones today are not only a reflection of technological innovation but also of personal style and self identity. Depending on specific demographic cohorts, cell phone manufacturers bring out models that comply with social and personal communication styles. As a result, today, mobile phone buyers have a wide variety to pick from and there isn’t a shred of doubt that potential buyers are extremely spoilt for choice.

48

mobile retailinG

The face of mobile retailing in Oman has changed dramatically over the past few years. Mobile phones

are increasingly being marketed as commodities that fit certain lifestyles than just branded products. With the rise of distinct socio (and economic) demographic profiles and competitive trading conditions, it has been seen that mobile phone retailing, in terms of store formats and target markets, has taken the shape accordingly. Depending on the location, customer profiles in Muscat vary and hence there has been an emergence of a diverse range of mobile

phone retailers, from small, stand-alone retailers that specifically sell handsets to larger stores that include handsets as a part of their product list – all catering to specific market segments.

A multitude of stand alone stores with heterogeneous trading zones can be found across Muscat. And an ideal example would be the ones in the famous retail district in the city – Ruwi High Street. These over-the-counter stores are staffed by non-commissioned sales persons and specialise only in the sale of mobile phone handsets. These stores are mainly small and do not employ specific display

strategies to attract customers. In most of the outlets, mobile phones are displayed behind glass displays in counters.

Unlike other retail outlets, product information is mostly provided by the salesperson (as opposed to information written on placards next to respective handsets). And most of the time customers get the real low down about different handsets and their performance levels. If required, the salesperson will give a quick demo of the handset and even show the potential customer how to operate it. Hence the service in these stores is essentially one-on-one and more

Prices of the handsets vary from one retailer to another, although the difference isn’t usually that large, explores Sushmita Sarkhel

Going Cellular


mobile retailinG

personalised. Prices of the handsets vary from one retailer to another, although the difference isn’t usually that large and depending on one’s bargaining skills, mobile phones may even be bought at prices much lower than the marked/mentioned price. In order to get customers to spend more at the stores, accessories may be offered at specially discounted prices.

These stores cater to a diverse range of customers in terms of socio-economic backgrounds. And since it is a well known fact that there is a strong link between customers’ propensity to purchase certain models and their socio-economic profile, it may be seen that these outlets sell everything from high end touch phones to basic, no frills models. Also, apart from brand new handsets, many of these retailers also sell second hand mobile handsets, thus appealing to a truly wide range of clientele.

More upmarket stand alone stores like Fono are, however, completely different from the aforementioned stores. A stark contrast would be in the way the mobile phones in these stores are displayed. Mobile phones are displayed in chic glass display units and every single handset carries with it a placard describing the features of the particular model. Also, the mobile phones are usually grouped according to the brand and then further arranged in terms of price or features, that is, basic, low price models are grouped together and the high end ones with more features are grouped separately. This makes it easier for customers to look at phones that particularly interest them.

Apart of cell phones, all accessories and informational pamphlets are also strategically displayed in these stores. Prices are fixed, however, during promotions and offers some models may be available at a steal. Although it is not necessary that these stores provide a wider

and deeper product range than their other counterparts, it is certain that most of the latest models will be available at these outlets and their target market segment is more defined.

Malls are becoming popular places to shop and more and more people head to the city malls during the weekends even if purchasing isn’t their top priority. Opening up mobile phone retail outlets in these malls may hence be a good strategy for retailers and examples include stores such as Cellucom, Bell Tel and Radio Shack. These outlets also lay great emphasis on how the mobile phones are displayed and usually these are arranged on racks attached with special harnesses so that customers can touch and feel the models.

Huge emphasis is laid on customer experience in the stores as it ultimately affects purchase decisions. From well trained sales people to strategically written product descriptions, every aspect of customer service in these stores is well planned out. Mobile phones are not displayed as just that they are exhibited as reflections of people’s lifestyles; be it business people or college goers. Prices for mobile handsets are fixed and usually on the higher side. Stores such as these, again, tend to cater to definite market segments and set a lower limit when it comes to displaying basic cell phone models.

Then there are outlets such as Emax which do not specialise in the sale of mobile handsets but include them in their product portfolio. These stores are less vulnerable to competition since selling mobile handsets isn’t their core business. Similarly, hypermarkets such as LuLu and Carrefour also sell handsets via specialised kiosks. Although the product range remains pretty limited, prices there tend to be lower than in other stores and suit people who are looking for a good rate.

Display of models is pretty straightforward and only convenient when one knows exactly what they would like to buy.

Retail Mobile Units (RMU), also known as retail kiosks or mall kiosks are a speciality in the retail industry. Not only are these kiosks visually appealing, but they provide a distinct advantage of being exposed all around. Mobile phone retailers strategically place these RMUs in the centre or focal point of malls where there is a good flow of people and easy to attract the attention of potential customers. Designed to highlight the handsets for maximum visibility, these RMUs are certainly effective crowd pullers. Sometimes they may act like miniature versions or replica of the actual store and at times some retailers may only employ RMUs for selling handsets. Whatever the case maybe, these are also popular features in malls and effective means of selling cell phones. The prices are relatively the same and these kiosks mainly exhibit the latest models available in the market.

Apart from all these, special retailers like Khimji Ramdas sell high end, luxury mobile phones. These handsets are sold for exclusive customers in the upper echelons of society and the retailing is completely different. Ornate glass displays, expansive floor space and tactically placed lights exude refinement and bring cell phone retailing to a completely new level. Like all luxury item stores, these retailers mainly lean toward a more micromarketing strategy and more emphasis is laid on the presentation of the products and service offered than pricing. Service providers like Nawras have also opened stores wherein special ‘bundle packs’ are available and handset bundle offers are becoming more widespread. Customers may now purchase handsets at special prices offered by various service providers and with a variety of plans now available, more and more people are turning to this option.

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telecom loGistics

the logistics of telecom services are becoming gainful for the Sultanate as it is supporting Omanisation. Susmita De reports

Extending the value chain

If anybody says that the population of Oman is 8 mn, would you buy that? The official figure ranges anywhere between 2.5 to 2.8 mn. However, it only makes sense when we say, people in Oman enjoy 2/3 mobile connections per head; invariably the demographic figure multiplies. “The idea of a penetration rate of a 100 per cent is gone. We don’t talk about that anymore. We talk of a penetration rate of 160 per cent now,” says Mohamed Alhashili, CEO, Mazoon

Mobile. The logistics of supply of telecom services like calling cards and starter packs to wholesalers and retailers by the telecom operators and MVNOs, in this perspective, is a complex, comprehensive distribution network. All are trying to make it easy and convenient for customers to obtain their products and service wherever they may live and work. Established telecom operators like Nawras and Omanmobile have already built up a reputation for its services.

Selling SIM CardsNawras has adopted its own evaluation process to ensure that a professional service will be provided to customers, aiming for quality delivery wherever its products and services are being sold. While dealers are not required to invest money, they do need to meet Nawras’ requirements. For maintaining security of personal data, there are formal TRA and ROP procedures that need to be followed before anyone is permitted to sell a SIM-card.


telecom loGistics

For new MVNOs like Friendi mobile, SIM cards and re-charge cards first go to distributors, who carry them directly to the hundreds of dealers across the Sultanate. And from dealers, it goes to different outlets through one or two layers in between. These outlets can be categorised into organized and unorganized channels. Retail stores like mini grocery shops, convenient stores, supermarkets and others fall under the category of organized channels. They have a daily transaction with their product suppliers who bring them the recharge cards and a huge number of cards are sold through this channel as people visit these shops regularly.

Barber shops and laundry are the non-mainstream telecom product outlets that come under the unorganized channel. Customers don’t frequent the shops daily but at regular intervals. There are freelancers who go around selling small value of recharge cards to a barber shop, or to the laundry. The shops sometime even offer credit to customers. For convenient stores, a portion of their sales come from telecom products. These are the products that expire after one year and often get sold off within two weeks, hence it is a convenient product for the shelves. In fact, for selling recharge to the customers, there are more than 10,000 outlets. But for SIM cards, the number may be limited to only 1000. Apart from these retail stores, there are part-timers who are involved in the logistic chain of selling recharge cards. He may work for a printing press till six in the evening. And then he takes cycle and goes and sells peanuts outside any shopping complex and if he does not have pea nuts, he will give you recharge cards. These part timers, through their brisk business, essentially help telecom companies like Friendi mobile, who appreciate their service through incentives. Some supermarkets chains do not deal with different companies for the same re-charge as it is not a quality-concern product. So they buy from one company only and if any telecom company

has to make it to the branded chain, it has to sell its products to this company only.

Sitting at Muscat and reaching a laundry shop in Ibri, calls for a long chain of links. This is how it goes at Friendi mobile office. Distributors at Muscat pick up cards from the office, and they send some of them to the branch at Nizwa. And from Nizwa, one of the local wholesalers call them, and buy on wholesale, thousand rials worth of cards. The wholesaler goes and gives it to the freelancer. The deal can be of two types: One, cards worth, say, 100 rials is given to him and if he can bring back the money at the end of the day, he gets a commission of 5 rials. Two, the freelancer gives credit to shops. So the risk is managed among them. The company may not know everybody in the multi-layered structure. The agents in between are scared of the fact that the company will supersede the links in the chain and contact the last point of sale directly. That is why they keep their customer list confidential and they make money in between. The most amount of money is made by the last point of sale.

United Media Services is one of the four distributors of Renna cards, the other three being Raka, 3G and OIFC. Cards are procured from warehouse and Renna office at Azaiba, and the wholesalers fetch cards

from UMS and sell to a hundred outlets which are their control points and where their influence works. Newspaper sales persons also procure orders, mostly against cash. Renna does not have facility for e-charge. Rajeev Sinha, Media Distribution Group, informs that e-recharge is yet to pick up. For visibility as well as the availability of the product at the outlets, investment could be as low as 250 rials a month and it can go up to even a 500 to 1000 rials a month. They are the contenders for newspapers. Supermarkets are now trying to steal business away from newspapers and argue that they keep their shops open for 18 hours a day enjoying footfall of 5000/10000 everyday and unlike newspapers, it is also a point of sale. So MVNOs cut a slice from the budget for newspaper advertisements and invest money in outlets. After all, they are the people who sell their products.

Low margin, high volumeMargins in telecomm are quite wafer thin, say distributors. Whatever money the telecomm companies make, they make it within the margin. It’s a very low margin, high volume business. So if one needs to make money, one needs to do business in volumes. The volume is quite small for MVNOs as none of the companies are more than a year old. When compared to big operators, who run into tens of millions they have not even reached million rials worth of cards with different denomination yet.

The entire business is based on commission and retailers make a fair profit, in general, and this fact is borne out by simply observing the tremendous growth and success of the Nawras distribution model. The numbers speak for themselves. Today Nawras recharge cards are available at around 15,000 different points of sale all over the Sultanate. Many of the retailers have seen their businesses expand substantially and credit Nawras for their success. When the volume is big, distributors do get a slice of the pie,

Mohamed Alhashili CEO, Mazoon Mobile

52

though it is a risky business that demands huge investment. A cash security deposit or a bank guarantee would do for caution deposit. Whatever money distributors make is on activation of SIM cards starter pack and bonus and incentives offering. Different strategies are adopted for keeping in loop the multiple players in the entire channel operation. The telecom operators, in the business of facilitating communication for the customers adopt different strategies for different entry points. A duty free shop is different from Carrefour. E-max has a different approach altogether, requiring a case by case handling. For the mass market, entry is made through dealers but there is no one general method of entry for the premium places or the key accounts. Investment in the outlet and sales projection, branding spots and visibility are some of the yardsticks for decision making.

E-rechargeNawras has been working hard to encourage the development of e-recharge both for the environmental benefits and in support of the government’s drive to increase e-commerce. Today Nawras offers 200 points of sale (POS) across the country through Tawasul, Enhance and Khimji where customers can electronically recharge. This is growing by 10 to 15 new

POS every day. There are also 21 Nawras Stores nationwide that offer this service as well as it being available through selected banks and additional 26 self-service machines located in dealers across Oman. “The idea of electronic recharge has yet to be embraced by the majority of the population and while Nawras is playing its part in educating the market, it will take time for everyone to accept this service and until our customers are comfortable to use e-recharge, we will continue to provide them with alternatives,” says a Nawras official. Herein lies the relevance of printed recharge cards even though e-charge is gradually making its presence felt.

Friendi mobile is the only company that has paper card. The lifespan for the card, once it reaches the customer, is 10 seconds. Scratch, punch the number in and then you find it on the street. Electronic distribution or self-service kiosk is an expensive terminal, feels Randall G. A. Bernard, Sales Director, Friendi Oman (FRiENDi mobile and halafoni), security being a point of concern. Even 50 terminals are no match for 10,000 outlets to sell cards. If those machines are installed within the premises of a company, instead of barber shops, people can come and get it recharged. But when the company is not located in a strategic position, it may mean a loss of business. Friendi mobile has a service on phone where one can buy a bulk credit of 500 rials and can transfer in multiples of 10 baiza to others. Every Friendi mobile dealer is actually an electronic sales point for customers.

Automation in bill paymentNawras e-payment service ‘MyNawras’ is provided in collaboration with the Information Technology Authority of Oman and offers its customers the convenience of settling their Nawras Ajel bills with a Visa or MasterCard credit card using this secure self-care service via the website. It is a service that is gaining in popularity as customers find it convenient

and easy to settle their bills online with a credit card from the comfort of their own home or office. Payment is carried through a secure network and reflected in real time on customers’ accounts and it is a free service. With MyNawras there is also the facility to view and update profiles and view detailed usage within a selected period. This service was introduced for consumers originally and recently extended to its business customers. Nawras has also installed around 50 self service machines across the country providing another convenient way for customers to obtain electronic recharge or settle an account. As time goes on, more and more customers are trying these new automated bill payment choices and enjoying the convenience and flexibility they provide.

Serving the cause of OmanisationMobile is for function, mobile is for status symbol also and the companies are vying with each other for reaching out to the customer. For better flow of logistics, it needs to be more structured. Sometimes the means adopted are not ethical. But nevertheless, this chain is becoming gainful for the Sultanate as it is supporting Omanisation by creating employment opportunities for many small businesses like grocery shops, family stores, electronic and mobile outlets.

Rajeev Sinha GM, Media Distribution Group, UMS

Randall G. A. Bernard, Sales Director, FRiENDi Oman

telecom loGistics


sectionINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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IT – Moving upbusinesses are opening up newer ways to operate online and customers have finally begun trusting the cyber world

The Government of Oman has taken a very serious note of the role of IT in its overall development and has carved out a plan which is guided by the broad goals of Vision 2020 – the government’s 25-year programme established in 1995. This

aims to enhance the country’s human resources and expand the information and technology sector, upgrade national infrastructure, resulting in a free and diversified economy with a vibrant private sector and an economic development that is

carried out in an ecologically sound way.

Growth CurveAccording to the estimates of the market experts, the total IT spending in Oman in 2009 was $309 million. Half of it was spent on hardware. With economy looking to improve and crude oil prices being stable at around $70-80 per barrel, the future of IT looks bright in the coming years. “It is expected that the IT market is going to witness a YoY compounded growth of 5% till 2014. In addition to the ongoing demand in oil and gas sector, verticals like telecoms, financial services and aviation are likely to generate good amount of IT spending,” said the head of one of the largest IT companies in Oman.

He added, “Of the total spending, the software and services industry contributed to $145 million. In software, the focus was on packaged software like ERP and CRM. In services, support and maintenance accounted for one-third of the pie, followed by system integration and managed services.” Talking of IT’s scope in different verticals, the focus areas for IT investment in the oil and gas would be manufacturing execution systems, ERP financials, ERP human capital management and supply chain analytics. Financial services in general and banking in particular are the next major area focusing on IT investment – mainly in the areas of trade finance and remittances. Construction is another promising industry for the growth of IT as technology is a crucial factor in the development of buildings, infrastructure and transportation facilities amidst the

Parameter Oman’s rank

Government usage 45

Government success in ICT promotion 34

Availability of government online services 38

ICT use and government efficiency 38

Presence of ICT in government offices 50

E-Participation Index 58

Mobile telephone subscribers 45

Personal computers 69

Broadband Internet subscribers 86

Internet users 83

Internet bandwidth 57

Prevalence of foreign technology licensing 49

Firm-level technology absorption 82

Capacity for innovation 49

Availability of new telephone lines 88

Extent of business Internet use 67

Government readiness 39

Government prioritization of ICT 46

Gov’t procurement of advanced tech products 22

Importance of ICT to government vision of the future 21

E-Government Readiness Index 76

Laws relating to ICT 42

Intellectual property protection 30

WOrld EcOnOMic FOruM’S AnnuAl GlOBAl iT rEPOrT 2008-09

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growing demand for sustainability. Real estate is another sector where CRM deployments are being seen as Omani developers and sales organizations look to capture customer data and requirements in one centralized system.

Moving up on readiness The Sultanate has made great strides towards the spread of IT. According to World Economic Forum’s Annual Global IT report 2008-09, Oman was ranked 50th out of 134 countries on ‘Networked Readiness Index’. The year before, it was ranked in 53rd position. On number of parameters -- such as government’s success in ICT promotion, availability of government online services, intellectual property protection, mobile penetration etc. -- Oman has made good progress.

All this has been made possible as result

of the effective implementation of the 'National Strategy for Digital Oman & e-Government' that was unveiled on 30 November 2002 to lay the roadmap for the creation of a Knowledge Society in Oman. Through eOman, the Information Technology Authority (ITA) is providing eGovernment services to individuals and businesses in Oman while establishing knowledge-based industries and creating more job avenues for Omani youth.

In just few years, ITA has facilitated number of important initiatives such as e-payment gateway, e-purse and e-transactions etc which are changing the way business is conducted. Apart from these, ITA is working on a number of key programmes simultaneously. The National PC Initiative targeted at college and university students is one of the priority areas for ITA. The focus will be to strengthen their abilities

to own a computer and to facilitate their use of the supporting programmes of the educational process. The initiative will be directed in the first stage towards strengthening the capacity of teachers in public and private schools who have a graduation certificates from the training project for civil servants. In addition to working with the concerned authorities to make the Internet easily available in university, ITA will support students with tools and software to help in their learning.

E-Commerce gaining confidenceThe e commerce revolution in Oman has been seeing as upward swing over the past couple of years, albeit at a rather deliberate pace. Businesses are opening up newer ways to operate online and customers have finally begun trusting the cyber world. Simply put, e commerce is all about doing business online. Banking, retailing, trading stocks - even something as commonplace as booking movie tickets falls under this category. A few years back, e commerce in Oman was limited to online banking and bill payments. Today however, the cyber infrastructure of Oman is improving and the mindset towards the technology, particularly among laymen, is changing. No longer is the cyber world stunted by fears of security breaches and financial scams. Day to day services are being carried out online via secure systems and people are beginning to enjoy the effortlessness of it all.

Banks have perhaps been the most successful in using the Internet portal to connect with and provide a plethora of services for their customers. What started out as a ‘luxury’ provided by only certain financial institutions, electronic banking has now become the norm among most people. Not only individuals, but businesses have been reaping benefits of electronic banking. And ever since the launch of the e-Payment Gateway by ITA, there have been a rapid adoption of e services by businesses and individuals alike. A breakthrough in terms of online

The National PC Initiative targeted at college and university students is one of the priority areas for ITA

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transactions has been the development of the e purse. Residents of Oman can now pay for Government-related transactions via their National ID and/or Residents Cards which have to be ‘topped up’ with a desired amount – all in a safe and secure manner.

Security issues aside, the retailing component of e commerce in Oman is certainly seeing a new growth phase. Online retailing has its own set of advantages – time saving and economical being the key words. Sites like Omanbay have slowly been springing up wherein people auction/sell wares via a secure e platform – quite a deal, considering the hassle involved in running around in stores and standing in never-ending checkout queues. Be it ordering flowers or browsing through the latest bestsellers, consumers have started recognizing the convenience of shopping online. International stores have also taken an interest in the Omani market and have begun catering to customers

in Oman (from showing prices in local currency to discounting shipping charges). Leading mobile service providers have been providing basic services, like e-recharge for a while now. This has now shifted to paying bills online and purchasing/downloading software from their websites. Although many businesses are now offering online services, the response to online retailing has been rather lukewarm. Perhaps socioeconomic factors play a significant role in the retail trends of any country. Experts, nonetheless are positive and predict tremendous growth in e retailing.

Real estate brokerage has also gone digital. Potential buyers and renters can now visit websites and view properties available online. Major real estate firms across the Sultanate have opened up their websites with detailed listings of available options. Movie goers can now book tickets with just a click of the mouse, and even decide which seat they would prefer. Thus it goes to show

that the e-commerce arena in Oman has not only targeted businessmen but also casual everyday users, including the youth.

Business to business transactions too, have fared well by shifting some of their operations online have resulted in greater ROIs. Today tenders are submitted online (e-tenders), procurement is done online and even e-registrations are the order of the day. Having these operations online not only streamlines the entire business process but also economises businesses and reduces margins for errors – a boon at a time when businesses are trying to finding new ways of driving costs down. eSourcing has been gaining popularity among key businesses in the country and many specialized solution providers have sprung up giving a positive impetus to e-commerce in Oman.

B2B and B2C marketing have also started making waves online. E-marketing has its own strategic advantages and companies have started recognizing its importance. However, e-marketing is still at a rather nascent stage and it is yet to have a positive impact on businesses, since conventional marketing and advertising still remains the preferred choice.

Security issues remain the crux of all potential e-commerce initiatives. However, with positive measures being taken by regulating authorities, business owners as well as customers can be assured that taking businesses online is the way of the future and can be done in a safe, secure and profitable manner. Oman has successfully jumped on the e-commerce bandwagon; it now just needs to hold on!

2009 2008 change in %

Internet subscribers-Dial up 77,722 79,819 -2.6

Broadband Internet ADSL 40,701 31,635 28.7

Total Estimated Internet User 453,183 NA NA

inTErnET SuBScriBErS’ BASE in OMAn

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special feature – ita

Digital oman for allDr Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CeO of the information technology authority (ita), talks about the ita’s tireless efforts to lead the egovernance initiative in Oman and build a knowledge Society

Currently, what are the key initiatives being undertaken by the ITA as part of Oman’s IT Strategy?The Sultanate of Oman has embarked upon an ambitious journey in transforming Oman by empowering its people within the digital society. ITA, having been entrusted with this task, has the responsibility of the implementation of e.oman, the nation’s IT Strategy. The goal of e.oman is to significantly improve

the quality of services the government provides to its citizens. It aims to create an effective government-community-citizen infrastructure that provides better public services to people. ITA is working towards transforming Oman through the following key initiatives:

Official eGovernment Services Portal Our latest success and certainly one of

the most important achievements to date has been the launch of the Official eGovernment Services Portal. The main benefit of the Portal is to facilitate and ease the process of accessing government services online. Navigation on the portal site is simplified through a live event service delivery model and searchable content. A key benefit of the portal is it can be accessed by anyone, from anywhere, and at anytime.

ePayment Gateway The National ePayment Gateway (ePG) provides the facility to allow secure online payments for government services and can also be used by the private sector to make available their online services to their cus-tomers. Similarly, the development of the ePurse is another achievement designed to simplify the lives of citizens and resi-dents of Oman. The ePurse, embedded in national ID and residence cards, enables users to load the ePurse with cash and use it for government transactions.

Innovation & Support CentreThe Innovation & Support Centre houses international and local technical experts and offers innovative solutions to the government’s electronic projects while developing trained Omani IT experts.

National IT Training & AwarenessThe National IT Training & Awareness Initiative is a governmental nation-wide initiative aimed at developing ICT skills capability and increasing ICT awareness within the government and the community. This initiative has started two key projects - Government IT Training & Certification (GITTC) and the Community Knowledge Centers (CKCs). The GITTC project aims to provide internationally recognized digital literacy certification to all civil service employees in a phased manner during the period 2008 - 2011. The Community Knowledge Centers (CKCs) are and will be set up in locations throughout the country in an effort to



reduce computer illiteracy and bridge the digital divide by providing free or low cost IT education to the community.

Tell us more about the National PC InitiativeThe National PC Initiative or the National Personal Computers (NPC) Programme is one of ITA’s e.oman initiatives. It aims to build capacity in the general population by creating a PC bundles offer (PC, digital literacy training, licensed software tools, and Internet access). The programme will contribute to the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) sector enhancement by developing locally-based capability to deliver associated services like the provision of hardware and software, and training, to name a few.

What has been the impact of the eco-nomic slowdown on Oman’s IT sector?Oman’s IT sector has not been directly affected by the economic downturn. Based on Oman’s annual budgets during 2005-2010, all of the IT projects planned for have proceeded on schedule. In fact, rather than being adversely affected many of the ongoing projects have been granted more funds than initially expected.

How would you describe Oman’s e-commerce scenario – current as well as future perspectives?In March 2008, ITA implemented the first phase of the National ePayment Gateway which has proven to be very successful at providing internet payment services for eServices as part of the eGovernment and eCommerce services. The ePayment Gateway (ePG) for Oman was launched for live operation for ministries, and private sector companies have signed up as merchants to provide online payment services for their customers. The ePG thus far has the sole participation of BankMuscat, but is designed to support multiple acquiring banks and we are expecting to sign a second acquiring bank soon. Successful eCommerce will

soon become inseparable from everyday surfing of the web, as online shopping is becoming more and more popular. eCommerce is becoming more obvious and is growing enormously, as the nature of the Internet and the technology exclude the geographical factor from sales. Thus the prevailing future trend of eCommerce will be the growth of Internet sales, both here in Oman and worldwide.

What measures have been taken to make online business transactions more secure?Online business transactions, while inherently convenient, are not without challenges. This past year ITA has introduced internal fraud monitoring tools, and has provided fraud awareness and daily monitoring of transaction techniques by our merchants in an effort to mitigate the fraud risk. Globalization and technological advances have given us opportunities for growth. Through the development and implementation of Phase 2 of the ePayment Gateway, ITA will provide a greater variety of ePayment services which will expand the reach to a larger population and increase transaction volumes of ePayments in Oman. It is ITA’s intention to implement the following ePayment services in the near future:

Account Transfer: In addition to indi-vidual account-to-account transfer, we will implement recurrent bulk payments for payroll, utility bills, insurance premiums, and monthly instalments of mortgages or financing. To support merchants, we will provide the interface to enable the account transfer transactions to ministries, larger corporations, and other merchants by uploading bulk payment files.

Mobile Phone Payment: We will implement mobile phone payments via SMS/USSD and enable WAP-supported payments. The SMS/USSD payment will allow people to make purchases for goods and services through their mobile devices.

ePurse Card Payment: Through the advancements of the ePurse technology, ITA in Phase 2 of the programme will open up the ePurse services to all licensed banks allowing them to join as acquiring banks and issuing banks. ITA will eventually offer ePurse top-up and purchasing ability via various distribution channels between the banks and the banks’ merchants.

What are ITA’s plans for the future?In 2010, ITA has set for itself a number of ambitious targets. Among them are the following:

To initiate general and specialised zcapacity-building programmes for citizens and public workers at all levels.To develop Oman’s ICT industry to play za critical role in meeting the e.oman vision and objectives through attracting direct foreign investments and opening up new opportunities for start-up and existing Omani companies.To elevate the eLifestyle in Oman zthrough taking advantage of computers and broadband connectivity at reduced rates while promoting access and use of online services and resources.To coordinate and follow-up zeLifestyle implementation plans with stakeholders with special emphasis on taking advantage of broadband access to networks and the internet, thus realising a high internet penetration rate in the Sultanate.To ensure the security of government zIT infrastructure and electronic transactions in e.oman initiatives.To play a central role in coordinating zpublic and private sector IT development and adoption.

It will be through the continued successful implementation of the e.oman initiatives by which each of these targets will be met. And as we scan the horizon toward 2011, ITA will take pride in all that has been accomplished in 2010.

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In August 2009, the Information Technology Authority (ITA) introduced its captivating new e.oman brand. Visually aesthetic,

the new e.oman brand evokes an intense reaction upon first glance. Multicoloured and dynamic, the e.oman logo constantly changes shape and colour. The centrepiece of the logo and the e.oman under the centrepiece remain unchanged. The centrepiece is the ‘Aian’ letter in Arabic, the first letter of Oman. It also resembles the capital ‘E’ in the English language, which can also stand for the ‘e’ in the electronic era. Thus the design shows a willingness to embrace two languages – Arabic, the official language of Oman, and English, the language of IT and business. The changing pattern reflects the many initiatives under e.oman and the shape and colours reflect the Omani heritage and culture. The

new brand reflects the integrity and modernity both at the same time.

Historical Outlook The e.oman initiative aims at making knowledge a basic element of all programmes and activities. ITA is responsible for driving the Digital Oman Strategy, or e.oman for short. e.oman is comprised of a wide range of initiatives and services that are designed and created to electronically transform the government, improve the efficiency of government services, enhance the activities of businesses and empower individuals with skills and knowledge in order to meet society’s needs and expectations and to direct Oman towards becoming a knowledge-based economy. The launch of the new e.oman brand is not a simple matter of replacing the previous branding. It is the symbolic

expression of the future policy of the e.oman initiative in the implementation of a knowledge-based society in Oman.

Industry ViewpointThe new e.oman brand reflects both integrity and modernity at the same time. The new brand represents the platform on which the Sultanate will move towards in the new electronic era. Many achievements have already been realized in the implementation of the e.oman initiative. Those who work in the ICT industry feel the launch of the new e.oman brand is an impressive development that highlights ITA’s commitment to keep pace with modern development. The new e.oman logo in its ever changing digital format marks constant forward development which means that the Sultanate is going in the right direction.


Same Commitment, new Identitythe new e.oman brand is an embodiment of ita’s unrelenting pursuit of transforming Oman into a digital society



The Sultanate of Oman aims to create an effective government-community-citizen infrastructure that provides

better public services to people. The launch of www.oman.om in November last year was a major achievement in that direction. As the main entry point to the Government system and its services, the official eGovernment Services Portal, www.oman.om, caters to all individuals in the Sultanate of Oman, and bridges the gap between government bodies and citizens, residents, visitors and the business sector. A key benefit of the portal, is that it can be accessed by anyone, from anywhere, and at anytime. Aiding in the transformation of Oman into a sustainable Knowledge Society, the Official eGovernment Services Portal uses digital technologies to improve the efficiency of internal processes and is designed to serve the public quickly, effectively, and in an interactive manner.

This bilingual portal is designed as a customer-centric model, as its contents are structured by the daily events of life so that online visitors can easily access the services that are most relevant to them. Through a multi-channel service delivery system, navigation is simplified to enable easy access to services within the portal. The portal also authenticates entry to other government services and permits access to their integrated services. The portal is of use to both users and government entities alike. Users benefit by being able to access a number of government agencies at their convenience. Users have access to contact information, service procedures,

processing fees, online payment options, and electronic forms to request for services within just a few clicks and can themselves keep track of their request status. On the other hand, government entities can share the user-related information and also certain common applications such as authentication and online payments. Integrated service delivery through a single window is possible for all government entities that are connected to the government network which is the fundamental backbone of the portal. On the launch, HE Mohammed bin Nasser Al

Khasibi, the Chairman of the ITA Board of Directors stated, “The progressive development of eGovernment services bears witness to the aspirations, ambition and effort put forth to secure the desired national objective. This is especially relevant, as information technology has become the driving force behind economic advancement.” Within Oman, the portal provides the only comprehensive repository of government services with over 600 services provided by 23 government agencies – and the list is still growing.

new era of eGovernancethe Official egovernment Services Portal, www.oman.om, is the main entry point to the government system and its services

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national PC InitiativeThe National PC Initiative or the National Personal Computers (NPC) Programme is one of ITA’s e.oman initiatives. It aims to build capacity in the general population by creating a PC bundles offer (PC, digital literacy training, licensed software tools, and Internet access). The programme will contribute to the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) sector enhancement by developing locally-based capability to deliver associated services like the provision of hardware

and software, and training, to name a few. Ultimately, the vision of the National PC Initiative is to have a PC in every home in Oman. Among its objectives is to increase the internet penetration rate of the Sultanate’s citizens – to enable everyone in the country to have the ability to access the Internet. ITA will announce the different segments that will benefit from this initiative in due time. The Government of Oman, through ITA, will roll out subsidized PCs (laptops

and desktops) through approved local distributors and their respective retailers. For example, the targeted population will pay a particular percentage of the price and the other remaining cost will be paid by the government. Currently, this programme is at its pre-implementation stage where the plans are being prepared, so that a rapid start can be achieved once initiated. ITA hopes to officially launch the National PC Initiative Programme in the second quarter of 2010.

Oman National CERT is the National Computer Emergency Response Team of the Sultanate of Oman and it is one of the e.oman national initiatives aiming at addressing cyber security risks. OCERT is also responsible for building local cyber security capabilities within the Sultanate of Oman, creating cyber security awareness amongst public and private sector organizations, and establishing critical national infrastructure and key industries within the general public and

ICT users. It serves the public and private sectors, and businesses as well as citizens and residents, by providing a wide range of information security services.

Oman National CERT is a vital component of the nation’s IT strategy aiming to create adequate cyber security awareness as well as to respond to security incidents in a timely manner.

Increasing incidents of security risks in

the use of computers and the Internet as well as the lack of adequate information about security awareness are a global phenomenon requiring organized ways to tackle the related issues. Taking a proactive approach, ITA has established the Oman National Computer Emergency Response Center (CERT) in order to create cyber security awareness and to undertake proactive measures to minimize security risks and their impacts as well as to respond to the security incidents.

The national Computer Emergency Response Team (oCERT)



Oman has embarked on an extensive programme ‘The National IT Training & Awareness (NITTA)’, a government nationwide e.oman initiative aimed at developing ICT skills and increasing ICT awareness within the government and the community. NITTA has started the Government IT Training & Awareness (GITTA) programme and Community Knowledge Centers (CKCs).

The Government IT Training and Certification Programme involves the training of civil service employees in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Services and the Ministry of Education over a period of three years. The initiative aims to provide ICT training opportunities to the civil service employees in order to enable them to offer electronic services to the public and businesses. The project also creates employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth of Oman by enabling them to become certified digital literacy trainers.

Through this programme, the process of building capacity within the public sector to expedite the process of eGovernment implementation and creation of a pool of ICT skilled civil staff has gained momentum. During the first phase of

the training project, centres have been established at the government schools under the Ministry of Education who is a key stakeholder of this programme. As well, government employees have been assessed for digital literacy training needs in the Muscat, Al Batinah and As’Sharqiya region of the Sultanate. Their current level of digital literacy has been identified as basic, intermediary or advanced. This will help to select appropriate the training to improve their skills to higher levels so that on the completion of the training program, they can be certified formally under the internationally accredited IC3 digital literacy certification. While most of the training centres are located within government schools, some others are

located within government offices.

On the other hand, the Community Knowledge Centers (CKC) programme involves the establishment of Knowledge Centers in the various governorates and regions of the Sultanate, with computers, digital literacy training programs, Internet service, and other training programs. The main objective of the CKC programme undertaken by ITA is to train Omani citizens in basic IT skills in order to reduce IT illiteracy and bridge the digital divide.

The training programmes offered at the CKCs have been developed so that the community at large is educated in basic IT skills and thus able to utilize the eServices offered by the public sector. Through internationally recognized curriculums, students will learn the computer basics: how to access the Internet, how to use productivity programmes, how to maintain computer security and privacy, and how to avail of the digital lifestyle. To start, ITA is establishing four CKCs established in four regions – at the Sultan Qaboos Complex, in Muscat; at the Sohar Complex, in Sohar; at the Sport Center, in Sur; and, at the College of Technology, in Salalah. Through the CKCs, around 60,000 Omani nationals, over the next three years, will be trained.

national IT Training & Awareness (nITTA)

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Formally launched in January 2008, the Innovation and Support Centre’s (ISC) objective is to create a local ICT centre with world-class capabilities, managed and operated by highly trained Omanis. Its mission is to create innovative solutions, deploy the latest technologies, train local Omani talent, support IT environments through best practices aimed at enhancing government services and helping people and government entities, to realise their potential.

The Innovation and Support Centre is aimed at empowering individuals with skills and knowledge through training local Omani talent based on best practices and industry standards and becoming a host hub for internships. It also looks at improving the efficiency of government services through the profiling of govern-ment entities, conducting IT and environ-ment health checks, ensuring best operat-ing practices are followed and drafting IT roadmaps for government. It is geared towards enhancing the activities of IT de-partments through use of the latest Micro-soft software, sharing development codes

with clients, helping develop solutions for government entities and developing shared services and solutions. It is oriented towards providing Operations Excellence Support through the deployment of high-quality backend server support, delivering proactive preventive maintenance services and sharing real-life experiences.

ISC is committed to transferring knowledge to local government staff and offering quality services through qualified professional staff. As a customer-service-oriented organisation, ISC focuses on encouraging creative and innovative

thinking among its staff, aimed at tackling challenges facing customers while coming up with customer-centric solutions. To achieve this target, ISC uses the latest technology in the market in its daily operations and for supporting its customers. ISC has a number of inherent strengths including certified staff with extensive experience in their field, multinational experience obtained from large companies and industry-leading corporations, well-defined target groups, specialized teams in different technology areas and a direct link to Microsoft and its worldwide resources.

Information Security CentreThe Information Security Centre (CIS) provides a set of security services which are based on standards and best practices of the Oman Government entities to ensure information confidentially, integrity, availability and non-repudiation. Since its inception in 2007, the centre has provided security consultancy to a number of government entities in establishing information security management systems, trained a number of security professionals from the government in implementing information security management systems as per the ISO 27001 standard, conducted a number of security seminars and conferences for government staff, and provided security solutions and security advice and consultancy to other e.oman projects and initiatives.

Innovation and Support Centre (ISC)



Oman hosted the first ever GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) eGovernment Con-ference & Exhibition in December 2009. A number of GCC eGovernment leaders and international Information Communication Technology (ICT) experts attended the

prestigious event. The conference created a platform for GCC eGovernment authori-ties to share their experiences, facilitated discussion about the challenges of im-plementing eGovernance, enabled agree-ment on the priority eServices to provide

in the GCC, and explored ways of linking eGovernment portals of member states. The event culminated with the inaugural GCC eGovernment Awards in five catego-ries of excellence – eServices, eContent, eMaturity, eEconomy, and eProject. From Oman, the Official eGovernment Services Portal, the MSM mobile application, and the Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Water Resources website, each picked up awards in the categories of eMaturity, eEconomy, and eContent respectively. The 1st GCC eGovernment Award was cre-ated by the six eGovernment bodies in the GCC with the objective of rewarding ideas and helps towards transforming and improving institutional performance that supports an information society and delivers world-class standards of eExcel-lence in countries across the GCC. A jury comprising 9 international and regional ICT experts evaluated and decided on the winning entries.

The 1st GCC eGovernment Conference & Exhibition

Oman has made rapid strides on the eCommerce front with the introduction of the ePurse in 2009. The launch of this state-of-the-art technology – designed to help those bulky wallets bow out for good – could well mark the beginning of a cashless society. Introduced as part of the national eGovernance initiative, the ePurse, embedded on national ID and resident cards, is the first of its kind in the region. Implemented by the Royal Oman Police (ROP), in association with the Information Technology Authority (ITA) and BankMuscat, the national ePurse project will revolutionise cash transactions. The development follows the launch of national ePayment gateway in 2008. The main goal of the ePayment Gateway is to provide a mechanism to handle the online payment for goods and services offered by the Government as well as other commercial entities and promote cross-border eCommerce.

Donations PortalIn association with the Ministry of Social Development, ITA also launched the Donations Portal for Charitable Organisations, www.onlinedonations.org.om, in January 2009. This official online donations portal makes it possible for donors to contribute to a number of charitable organizations. To date, the following charitable organizations

have registered to be part of the donations portal: Dar Al Atta Charity, the Association of Early Intervention for Children with Special Needs, Oman Association for Disabled, the Association of the Welfare of the Handicapped, Environment Society of Oman, the National Association for Cancer Awareness, and Al Noor Association for the Blind.

Towards a cashless society

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special feature – imtac

What kind of change has taken place in Imtac after the shift of ownership in the last two years?When The Services & Trade Group acquired Imtac, one of the key strengths of the company, as always, was its people. They are highly capable and have extensive experience, and have an exceptional track record and immense knowledge of local market dynamics. This, coupled with our intention to continue to bring in young talent with new ideas, will ensure that we continue to do well moving forward.

How was your performance in 2009?Our performance in 2009 was very much in line with our expectations. Imtac has an excellent historical track record, and it is our intention to ensure this continues.

What is going to be your focus area in 2010 and beyond?In the last two years, at Imtac, we have tried to leverage from the strength of our parent group’s operations in other markets. This has been a definite plus for

Top of the value chainFareed F. Al-Hinai, Vice Chairman of imtac llC, in a conversation with akshay bhatnagar, tells how the company is expanding its opera-tions and adding strength to its core compe-tence apart from penetrating into newer areas



us. We will continue to do that with a lot more aggression. On the vertical side, we are focusing on further penetration in sectors such as oil & gas, telecom and infrastructure which are undergoing a lot of action. Imtac has historically been a leader in the system integration in the IT sector. We would like to maintain that position and strengthen it further.

How do you see e-governance infrastructure build-up as an opportunity for you?The government has done admirably in the IT space through the setting up of the Information Technology Authority (ITA), which is driving the many e-governance projects in the country. I think there will be a lot of opportunities for companies like ours to participate along with partners from abroad in the government’s quest to create an e-community in Oman.

From a historical perspective, we have been intrinsically involved in the development of e-governance infrastructure in Oman. We view ourselves as a partner to the Government in its initiatives, and have been involved in a number of projects of national importance. Whether it is Muscat Municipality’s citizen services over an electronic platform that has resulted in greater time savings through automated processes or e-tendering, Imtac has played a key role in their creation. The e-banking framework in Oman is another area where we have executed major projects. We would like to continue assisting the Government in its e-Oman vision.

What are the major strengths of Imtac?We started as a support company, providing services to enterprise customers, namely, Petroleum Development Oman. In those days, PDO’s projects were considered as the benchmark for judging any company’s competence and quality standards. In the last 25 years, we have

continued to maintain our high standards as per the need of the times and our clients’ requirements. This has been our major strength as in the process of doing so, we have become pioneers in providing solutions in areas of banking, healthcare, e-governance, etc. We have continued to demonstrate to clients our ability to not only provide solutions but also support them afterwards to the best of their satisfaction.

As mentioned earlier, our biggest strengths are our employees. We have

continued to invest in hiring, retaining and training good professionals, who are best equipped to deliver solutions to meet the expectations of our clients.

Apart from developing our own compe-tence, we have developed lasting relation-ships with companies outside Oman, who specialize in a particular technology or domain to complement our services, thereby, providing a comprehensive bou-quet of services to our clients.

What role is Imtac playing in the development of Omani talent?Nurturing Omani talent is a very high priority for Imtac. We strongly believe that a knowledgeable and well trained national workforce is very important for us as well

as for the economy in the long run. Our human resource policy is directed towards recruitment of Omanis and training them adequately to enhance their skill sets on a constant basis so that they meet our clients’ expectations and add value to our business. In the process they make a meaningful contribution to Oman’s growth and prosperity.

From a historical perspective, we were the first IT company in Oman to get the ‘Green Card’ for meeting Omanisation compliance and putting in place definitive plans for

the development of a national workforce. In addition, we have been part of various steering committees (government/national) at different levels that looked at the current trends and needs for a national workforce support in sectors including telecom, IT, health and education, etc. In another first, Imtac has been the only IT company in Oman to have been publicly recognized for its efforts by the Ministry of Manpower in two functions (the only ones of their kind) in the last five years.

Can you tell us about your operations (offices/sister companies/projects executed) in other markets and how are you synergizing your operations in Oman with other markets?Our Indian operation is primarily focused

Our biggest strength are our people. We have continued to invest in hiring, retaining and training good professionals who are best equipped to deliver solutions to meet the expectations of the clients

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on clinical IT solutions. The company has a large ODC as well. Having this presence in India allows us to address the needs of our clients in a timely, cost efficient manner.

Imtac’s goal is to continue to explore new opportunities in the MENA region as well as East Africa. In Dubai, we have just set up our clinical technology company called ICT Health. This company brings in syner-gies between our operations in India and Oman. Through ICT Health, we are push-ing our own products in our target markets.

In addition to the above, we have an operation in Yemen. The first vocational training facility, which was inaugurated by the country’s President, was set up by Imtac. We have done projects in

other Gulf countries including Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Majority of our projects outside Oman have been in the healthcare industry as Imtac has been uniquely positioned in the clinical as well as IPR parts of the business. We have been doing projects in the banking sector, in niche areas like fraud management, risk management, compliance, etc as opposed to core banking. Horizontal space is another area of interest where we have done many projects in the region. Oracle financial was deployed by us in the Ministry of Defence in Bahrain. It is one of the largest installations of its kind in the region.

What is your outlook on the IT industry in Oman in 2010?

The effects of the global recession are still not over but with sentiments getting better, 2010 should see a marked improvement. The Omani government is committed to providing a robust platform to deploy citizen facing and other applications across the Sultanate. Buoyant industrial, tourism, telecommunications and education sectors will continue to fuel the growth of IT in the country. The government through the ITA will continue with its national initiatives. Corporates will be less hesitant than before to invest in IT. Given the above, I feel quite bullish about the future of the IT industry in Oman and the region as a whole.

For more information on Imtac, visit www.imtac.com

The government has done admirably in the IT space especially setting up of the ITA that is driving many e-governance projects in the country


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e-laws

It is a common misunderstanding that the online world is a lawless arena, a cyber wild west, which has developed faster than the laws

which regulate it. This is not the case. The human interaction that occurs in the online world is, at its base, the same as it has ever been. The laws that regulate human conduct in the physical world continue to have the same application. It is only the forum that has changed.

This is key to understanding the way in which the law applies to the cyber world. The changes in the law which have come about since the arrival of e-commerce have mainly aimed at cementing this principle and removing any doubt about the status of things done electronically. For example, you can buy and sell goods over the internet, just as you can in the real world. Such transactions can have the same legal effect as if the purchase had been conducted in person. New laws make this clear.

There are of course differences in the

online world that present particular issues to enforcing existing laws. These matters probably lie at the heart of mistaken claims of lawlessness in cyberspace.

Identification – z How do we know who we are dealing with? Proving identity is a prime concern for any transaction if we are seeking to hold the other party to a bargain. Geographic reach – z If I buy a camera online from England, do I get protection from Oman’s laws when the camera arrives and does not work?Privacy – z Is my personal data that I send to an online site safe? Where is it stored and how will it be used?Nuisance behaviour – z The internet allows nuisance behaviour to occur on a scale and in a manner we had not contemplated before, such as spam, computer viruses and defamation from afar.

It is these challenges that have spawned new laws across the world directly aimed

e-Laws in omanthe electronic transactions law (etl) lays a good foundation for future development of e-laws in Oman. Charles Schofield, Partner, trowers and Hamlins, writes about the issues involved

Charles SchofieldPartner, Trowers and Hamlins

Proving identity is a prime concern for any transaction if we are seeking to hold the other party to a bargain

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at addressing these issues. While the substance of the laws remains the same, the context in which they must be applied is new.

Oman’s e-lawsSince May of 2008, Oman has had a law dealing with specifically with cyber space issues – the Electronic Transactions Law (Royal Decree 69 of 2008) (ETL).

The ETL addresses subjects which are typically covered by such laws as enacted around the globe. The law aims to enhance certainty and security around electronic transactions. The main areas it covers are:

electronic equivalence zauthenticating identity, and zprotecting private data. z

Electronic equivalence, in the context of an electronic transaction, is the idea that what is done in the electronic world is accepted to the same extent as that done in the physical world. Importantly, the ETL provides that an electronic message shall have the same legal effect as if done in writing. This removes any uncertainty that, for example, you can agree terms and conditions by clicking ‘I agree’ or make a legally binding purchase when checking out an online shopping cart. The ETL also makes clear that the electronic records created in such transactions are admissible as evidence of the transaction if a dispute arises. It also allows for the doing of things electronically where the black letter of the law requires it to be done in writing.

A large part of the ETL deals with a key issue in electronic transactions – how do we know who we are dealing with? If you are a business selling goods or you give an online user access to your computer systems, then you may need to properly identify the person on the other end of the keyboard. For example, banks that allow online access to bank accounts need strict

authentication procedures to ensure only the right people can access an account. The ETL allows for online authentication services to be established in Oman. This will allow for the distribution and use of digital certificates that will be unique to individuals and can be used to identify themselves online.

The ETL also contains some provisions related to the protection of personal data. Any business that collects personal data in the course of an electronic transaction needs to give an individual special notice prior to processing the data. The notice needs to advise the user how the information will be used, the steps taken to protect the data and identify w ho is responsible for processing the data. The ETL also requires that before personal information can be sent outside of Oman there needs to be adequate protection of that data.

In addition to the ETL, there are other existing laws that continue to apply to conduct in cyber space. Importantly, Oman has a fulsome copyright law that was enacted around the same time as the ETL. In the online world, these types of laws become important for protecting peoples’ intellectual property in their websites and proprietary information posted online. The Commercial Code will also continue to regulate the substance of transactions, in the same way as it has been in the past, even though those transactions are now occurring online. Consumer protection laws and laws surrounding damage to reputation and public nuisance also continue to apply to online behaviour.

Future of e-laws in OmanThe ETL lays a good foundation for the development of e-laws in Oman. Ensuring there is a clear legal basis for the enforcement of online dealings is a prime necessity for encouraging growth in online commerce.

The introduction of electronic payment systems in Oman will no doubt require specific regulation at some future time. The past year saw the launch of the first e-payment gateway in Oman. As its usage grows and the private sector assumes control of such systems, issues such as liability for mistaken or fraudulent transactions may well give rise to consumer protection laws in this area. This is common in many jurisdictions where online payment systems are well established.

Another area that will come under increasing pressure as more people in Oman gain access to online services is personal privacy. It is easy to gather and manipulate data in an online world. Many countries have implemented strict regimes relating to when personal data can be collected, how it can be used and how it must be stored. The ETL remains limited in this area. Compliance costs for businesses can be significant for dealing with data protection requirements. While the light touch approach under the ETL may be appropriate for current requirements, we can expect more regulation in this area over time.

One other area that may see the introduction of new laws, is dealing with nuisance behaviour specific to the online environment. This could see the introduction of laws dealing with hacking, creating viruses or even spamming.

Ultimately, as the ETL does, the law should seek to facilitate trust in online systems so that they can be used without undue concerns over security, privacy and fraud. Luckily for Oman, these issues and the appropriate legislative response to them are now becoming reasonably well established internationally. When it comes time for Oman to take the next steps in e-laws, there will be much useful guidance to draw on in continuing to regulate this increasingly important area.

e-laws

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interView - kom

Building a technology communitymohamed Hamed al maskari, Director general, knowledge Oasis muscat sheds more light on the key initiatives and achievements of kOm in an inter-view with akshay bhatnagar and Sushmita Sarkhel

Tell us about the progress made by KOM and its contribution to the economy.It’s been six years since we started in 2003. In the beginning our strategic objective for the entire country was to be the hub of a knowledge based economy. The main motives of KOM are to create employment for Omanis as well as attract the latest technology in science and ICT as well and link all the players in the knowledge-based economy together in order to achieve the goal for Vision 2020. That has been a success story in terms of figures, activities and so forth, although we still need to do a lot. We have created the infrastructure and built a base. Our efforts have started yielding results. We feel that in terms of employment we have created more than 1200 jobs directly out of which 56 per cent are occupied by Omanis. And we are working closely with the Ministry of Manpower to achieve more.

The Government has invested almost six to nine million rials to set-up the infrastructure including building numbers one, two and three. On the capital

investment, companies in KOM have injected into the economy almost eight million rials. In terms of linking KOM with other players of knowledge based economy, we have set up three main clusters where we encourage or streamline the synergy between education and entrepreneurs as well as introducing technology for the whole country. There is a lot of interactivity between the three clusters. We had planned for this right from the beginning. That’s why we’ve two IT colleges - Waljat College of Applied Science and Middle East College of Information Technology - located in KOM. Both of them accommodate more than 3500 students offering bachelor to master’s degree; there’s a plan to go for a Ph.D as well.

The Government has been aiming to create many spinoffs by encouraging people to start their own businesses. We have a lot of youth programmes in the country, from SANAD to Youth Fund and Intilaaqah. We have been focusing on introducing entrepreneurship oriented people in the market through our initiative Knowledge Mine (TKM).

How far you have succeeded in meeting your objective through TKM?It has been fairly successful if you simply look at the number of people that have come out of the TKM. We are hosting the entrepreneurs through TKM for three years and we’ve given them a lot of intangible assets to them. We have not directly funded them but reduced the overhead costs for them. What’s unique in our programme is that we mentor these bright minds in terms of business management, marketing, human resources, project management, tendering, legal aspects, intellectual property etc. We have a lot of good partners throughout the country who are helping us to achieve this. The total number of jobs created by TKM is 40-50.

We receive almost five to ten applications per quarter but we cannot take more than five each year because we have limited space. The synergy between the 60 plus companies available in KOM and these start-ups is encouraged through subcontracting, joining business consortiums, etc. The other organizations operating in KOM say the ITA, telecom operators, the Research Council, Sultan Qaboos University and the PEIE are all key players in terms of innovation, technology, talent, building capacity, R&D, etc. We support each other and work together on number of initiatives to promote the right talent, create joint programmes and contribute in the development of the society and the economy.

We are trying to develop strategically day by day in terms of marketing. What’s different about KOM is that we are trying to break away from the real estate management shell. We don’t want to rent space, we don’t want to be a profit driven organization. We would like to create a competitive advantage in terms of helping those people who are here -- marketing for them, open markets for them, as well as introduce them to the community.


interView - kom

How do you plan to take this forward?To integrate more with the key players. The Research Council is just starting their implementation strategy. And they are looking at developing a critical mass of capacity building. In terms of technology development, the whole GCC (and not only Oman) has been perceived as ‘the consumer’. We are trying to be the developer. That’s our objective. And our objective is not only to transfer knowledge to the developed countries but also to the local people. So whenever a big company comes here we want to make sure that their latest technologies are not only sold here but it is also integrated with what we are doing. We consider ICT to be the enabler right now. We are trying to be the hub of science and technology for the whole country.

Has any work being done on the creation of Intellectual Property?Unfortunately not, nothing tangible. But

we have lot of people who have registered their ideas related to ICT or other branches of technology. We have noticed a lot of innovative ideas coming out from the TKM itself, in terms of environmental technology, security, electronics, etc. For instance in environmental technology or biotechnology we have people trying to register ideas like how to introduce new biochemical substances into the environment in order to get rid of environmental hazards.

We are trying to get in the blue chip organizations. We have achieved some sort of relationship with Microsoft through the ITA in building an innovation centre. What we are facing in reality is what these blue chip organizations are saying – we would like to be in KOM but how are you going to help us? Those organizations are profit driven organizations. But we are trying to overcome this and working on building some sort of hub, integrating education,

training, technology, thereby creating a sustainable growth within this sector, in terms of profitability and growth.

Why should a large company set up a shop in KOM?The government has injected a lot of incentives like 100 per cent ownership, labour clearance, relaxation in Omanization say 25 per cent as opposed to 35 per cent outside KOM, etc. When we started KOM we started with 5 per cent Omanization and incremented each year with 5 per cent. Apart from relief on taxation and custom duties, a major attraction is that we are trying to build a community. Geographically we are located in a very good place. In terms of facilities, we provide state of the art offices, cheaper than outside; latest technology and communication is also cheaper than outside. The landscaping is very attractive and makes a great working environment. When you’re working elsewhere, you do not know what your neighbor is doing, over here we are creating a KOM community in which every person understands what the others are doing. We also provide marketing strategy for KOM tenants.

Are you looking at setting up satellite KOM in other parts of the country?We have an ambitious plan of setting up in all the big cities in Oman. Very soon it will be in Sohar. On our radar, Salalah Free Zone is also there as it is a promising area for industries and logistic infrastructure. We would like to make micro level initiatives in all the industrial estates in the country, not necessarily be present there for 24 hours.

Are you collaborating with similar knowledge parks of other countries?There are actually a lot of Government initiatives in this direction. Oman has a number of such kinds of joint committees with countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, etc. and we are an integral part of these programmes.

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Guest column

Few years ago, IT in the Sultanate was a gibberish word (to some extent)! Today, IT has become not only a useful medium for

business and our personal lives, but also for the digital economy as well! Information technology (IT) is the heart of many businesses and nations today as it affects everyone from students, public, knowledge workers, managers, officers, and whole organizations at every level, be it operational, strategic or tactical, thereby altering the nature of work and lives. Successful investments in the medium is vital as it is a strategic asset that is used to change the work process and business functions in an organization. Clearly without proper strategy and tactics it may be difficult to operate an information technology in an organization and a country as whole!

Technology is changing fast, and new features are introduced on a periodical basis to foster the government and

businesses reach their goals. In fact, it has the made the world seem smaller. Organizations strive to offer their goods and services globally and not just locally through this gifted means.

The government of Oman realized the potential of the Information and Communication Technologies and has been heavily investing on this rapid growing industry. The inspiration by the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has lead the Sultanate to embark on vital mission of building a knowledge economy for the community and facilitating a nationwide initiatives via the utilization of e-technologies that transforms Oman digitally!

Today, information technology in Oman is efficiently utilized in providing various business and government services across all sectors as such but not limited to banking, education, health, insurance, electricity, telecom, security and the like.

Impressive IT Developmenttariq Hilal al-barwani talks about the impressive way by which the it sector in Oman has revolutionized in a short period of time

Tariq Hilal Al-BarwaniFounder and President of KnowledgeOman.com

Information technology in Oman is efficiently utilized in providing various business and government services across all sectors


Guest column

The Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), the public private sector led (initiative) information technology park of Oman, continues since its inception till date to build an arena where all small, medium and large organizations, academic and industrial researches, entrepreneurs, and the like could work together jointly and collaboratively to introduce and improve technologies that can position the Sultanate as the central ICT hub in the region. As a consequence, KOM has attracted both local and international talents, expertise and investors to innovate and nourish the ICT business. KOM upholds expansion by attracting Information and communication technologies companies to mark and base their operations at the park. It is expected that the KOM would become the hub of all IT activities in the country, where every local and international entrepreneurs, business players and

educational institution would have their presence marked in the park. Today KOM hosts international companies such as HP, Oracle, Microsoft - more are expected to join board!

The Information Technology Authority, the autonomous legal body affiliated to the Minister of National Economy, continues to build an image and trust to oversee the IT activities and services pertaining to the Sultanate. It is specifically enforcing best practices for the formation of the e-government in Oman and implementing national IT infrastructure while supervising all projects related to Digital Oman Strategy. (refer to a detailed feature on ITA’s various activities on page no. 56 ).

The launch of national ePayment Gateway is among the prominent milestones crossed in Oman. The ePayment gateway

accepts all international credit cards and debit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Amex and Diner cards. S o far a number of institutions such as Ministry of Sports Affairs, Oman Mobile, Nawras and OmanBay have signed up and utilize the service.

The banking sector in Oman is gradually moving away from the traditional to technological ways of banking (in specific the mobile and electronic methods). This is a major change that would effect every stakeholder involved, from all the employees, branches, customers and everybody involved with the banks in question. Many banks have moved quickly to the chip and PIN standards for credit and debit cards, because they see major advantages for controlling card fraud. Furthermore, it has been noticed that there has been a huge growth in consumers’ use of self-service banking

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Guest column

channels like ATMs and online banking in the country. Most of the banks are looking for ways to increase the online functionality they offer. They’re guiding their customers to do more online.The MPLST (Multi Protocol Label Switching Technology) launched by Omantel, a broadband network, allows the transfer of data, voice and picture in one stream within a highly efficient and compatible system. It improves customer service at delivery points. Some of the local banks have already adopted the technology and is now actually planning to move all its

branches to MPLS. The banks in Oman understand the value of identifying how strategic use of technology is critical to their long-term success. Using technology as an enabler to attain business objectives in an innovative way, focused on both revenue generation and operational efficiencies, is the key area of focus for banks in Oman today.

The Ministry of Higher Education’s Portal and the Higher Education Admission System are other noteworthy examples of IT developments in the country as far as education is concerned. Two Royal decrees were issued this year for the electronic transaction (e-transaction), the first of

which promulgates the Establishment Law in civil and commercial transactions and the Electronic Transactions Law. The long awaited e-transaction law is great for both private and public sector, but is likely to be more productively used by the private sector where many firms today have international partners whom they don’t necessarily meet physically. With e-mail signatures or e-contracts, individuals or organizations, for example, can sign agreements electronically.

KnowledgeOman.com, an ICT

community knowledge sharing portal, formed by a group of students, experts and professionals from academia, as well as the IT industry, business and government institutions was launched in the Sultanate early this year. The objective of the new portal is to build up a public knowledge society in Oman by creating an area for people to learn, share and exchange ideas about Information and Communication Technology. Most successful organisations today are the ones that have one thing in common: transforming ideas from its employees into meaningful knowledge. The mission of the Internet portal KnowledgeOman.

com is to bridge the IT knowledge gap between students, professionals and the industry sector and to contribute to Oman’s knowledge-based economy. The portal provides latest local and international news, guides and tutorials, events and answers all kind of questions, from simple queries, such as how to configure one’s computer at home, or as complex as building an IT infrastructure at work. All information is available free for everybody to learn, share and exchange across the Internet medium in the Sultanate. Furthermore, the portal is also supported by the largest software company Microsoft.

KnowledgeOman.com helps prepare professionals and students for today’s IT requirements and to educate the public on the use and benefits of ICT. The portal www.knowledgeoman.com, is managed by a group of young Omanis and expatriates, who are dedicated to share and promote knowledge across the Sultanate. KnowledgeOman.com has two user two interfaces English and Arabic. The portal was launched on April 1, 2008, and has so far attracted more than hundreds of thousands of visitors locally and globaly, and more than 5,100 registered members. Recently, the portal launched a mobile version (named as KO Mobile) as an additional means for the community to access, share and exchange knowledge using their mobile phones allowing access to more than 3 million mobile subscribers in Oman, anywhere and anytime through a direct link, www.knowledgeoman.com/mobile.

The use of information technology innovatively will definitely facilitate the public (as customers) reach of business and government services whether from home, work or even outside the country, all via the use of the information superhighway(the Internet), easily! IT development in Oman has indeed made and is making an impact to our lives!

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it enabled serVices

Call center industry in Oman is at a nascent stage but growing up gradually, employing latest technology and infrastructure. Susmita De reports

U have got the call

With the spread of business enterprises, communication is becoming crucial for

entrepreneurs as well as for customers. Whether in-house or outsourced, most major businesses today use call center or contact center platform to interact with their customers.

The call centre industry across the Middle East is to a large extent at a nascent stage but industry captains envision a matured growth in the long run. The trend has

been towards emergence of more captive call centres as against a miniscule of non-captive call centres. These captive call centres are mostly limited to high-profile industries like aviation, telecom, and banking and finance. In Oman, companies in these sectors have their own call centers to cater to customers’ queries. Those who don’t have such facilities are looking for outsourcing. Whether ministries, real estate sector, the new MVNOs or the telecom companies -- all of them feel the need to contribute to the bottom

line -- increased customer satisfaction and increased productivity. A call center is a centralized office, receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. Operated by a company to manage incoming product support, it also answers to information inquiries from consumers. Contact centers are useful for the processing of communications across multiple technologies such as fax, phone, and email, at one location collectively. Often operated through an extensive open workspace for call center agents, call

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centre work stations include a computer for each agent, a telephone set or headset, and one or more supervisor stations. Independent or networked with additional centers, it is often linked to a corporate computer network, including mainframes, microcomputers and LANs. Increasingly, the voice and data pathways into the center are linked through a set of new technologies called computer telephony integration (CTI).

Captive Centres in MuscatFrom early morning to late night, BankMuscat’s call center automated service is available for its customers. In this sophisticated in-house or captive center, the phone bankers are well equipped to guide the customers on various inquiries, complaints, requests, suggestions and transactions pertaining to their accounts. The bank has two branches in Ruwi and Azaiba accommodating more than 50 seats. These two contact centres, set up a decade back with 15 seats, cater for the 125 branches of BankMuscat. It is, however, telecom biggies like Omantel and Nawras with huge subscriber base that call for 200-seat captive centers. Expansion flexibility is crucial for a call center because the companies want to ensure that as their business grows, the call center also expands in alignment.

However, the call is not toll free for the customers. But that enables a customer with genuine problems reach faster than before, says Hilal Zadjali, team leader, Operations, BankMuscat call centre. It is noteworthy that the bank’s 24x7 service has proved more convenient for customers. Earlier the service was restricted to a few hours only. Oman Air set up its new contact centre at Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) – the emerging IT Park of Oman. The contact centre exceeds 2500 telephone calls per day in addition to hundreds of email enquiries. The company has invested in cutting edge technology providing a

platform for flight reservations, ticketing, holiday enquiries. The airline’s Sinbad Frequent Flyer Program can be accessed 24 hours x 365 days every year. The Contact Centre allows passengers to access information through multiple means of communication including phone, email, fax and the recently launched SMS mobile phone service.

Very much based on the skill sets of their staff, BankMuscat and Oman Air and others help their staff to hone their skills and expand knowledge base through periodic training programmes. It should be mentioned in this context that, in 2007, Oman Mobile was awarded with Best Call Center as well as Most Strategy Efficient Call center in the region by the Arab States Gulf Co-operation Council. In 2009, Nawras was named 'Middle East Call Centre of the Year' by Insights. Recently National Bank of Oman, which serves its customers in Oman through 62 Branches, has launched its call centre.

Outsourcing service providerInfoline is a non-captive third party

outsourcing and BPO service provider in Oman, which is based at KOM and is one of the largest contact centers in the Middle East with strategic presence in the US, India and UAE. With its contemporary infrastructure, it is the technology partner for many contact centres, Oman Air, for example. At Infoline, a well-defined operational procedure is followed for captive contact centres to ensure process integrity and minimize inherent outsourcing risks for inbound and outbound calls. Infoline essentially supports contact centres’ functions. The net result is: repeat orders and long term contracts from clients, says Sameer Gupta, Executive Vice –President, Infoline. The professional teams at Infoline also help clients from telecom and aviation sector and other sectors, who do not house captive call centres, to establish the right outsourcing strategy, enable them to devise a suitable customized plan for strategy implementation and de-risk the plan to ensure value added success and revenue generation.

In the recent past, the Middle East market has grown considerably responsive to technological developments and its extensive usage in business processes. Across the GCC, call centers employ the latest technology and infrastructure. Fully integrated and automated, contact centers are supported with web-enabled technology, automated call distribution, and Inter–active Voice Response (IVR). The staff are often organised into a multi-tier support system for a more efficient handling of calls.

Inbound calls are made by the consumer to obtain information, report a malfunction, or ask for help and are substantially different from outbound calls, where agents place calls to potential customers for selling or offering service to the individual. Cisco, Al Catel and Huwaei are the big names providing standard but customized call center technology.

The Middle East market has grown considerably responsive to technological developments and its extensive usage in business processes usage

it enabled serVices


it enabled serVices

Infoline has responded to this latest market development by introducing new service offerings like HR BPO, BFSI BPO, accounting BPO, state-of-the-art software solutions like document management solutions, ERP, voice recording solutions, information security solutions, IT Helpdesk solutions and Microsoft solutions. Recognised as one of the Best Outsourcing Service Provider (Medium Category) across the entire Middle East, Infoline has achieved the target of Omanisation at a rate of 70 per cent with more than 150 Omanis being recruited and employed for various major projects. Infoline also provides trainings to young call centre aspirants.

Some of the call center technologies worldwide include speech recognition and speech synthesis software to help agents match the accent of customers from foreign lands, allowing for better customer handling. Here in Oman, not too many accents are required. Call centers in Oman generally handle calls either within the country or the Gulf region and the language used is English with neutral accent. Agents here at Infoline, who are mostly young, are groomed on telephone etiquettes, imparted brand training and

product training so that they talk on behalf of the brand, and not on behalf of the company who employs them.

KOM initiativesSome of the contact centres like Infoline, BankMuscat, Oman Air etc. are housed in Knowledge Oasis Oman (KOM). In pursuit of developing the ICT sector of Oman, KOM, is working towards creating a hi-tech cluster on the Rusayl based Technology Park and ensure to look into the specific logistic needs, office space, required technological support and the optic backbone. It is actively pursuing towards one of the latest developments in the Middle East, driven towards opening of VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) which will lay the foundation for Middle East contact centres to meet global standards.

Challenges galoreMarket dynamics and globalization are altering corporate structure, creating complex operating environments across multiple locations and presenting new challenges across the globe. Whether it is a high volume transaction, performance pressure, agents attrition, handling virtual environments --- contact centres all across

the globe are faced with a lot of challenges For Oman, it is a different set of problems. Here educating the business community on the outsourcing practices and establishing its importance and benefits are issues to ponder on. Another challenge lies in the delay in opening the VOIP in the region.

However, though call centres in Oman are just not confined to providing simple back office and call centre services, despite these challenges, they are also diversifying service offerings in par with the global standards of IT and ITES industry.

Corporate LifelineOutsourcing is in demand in this part of the world. There are two reasons for this. Customer service has become the key service area for every organization as the business environment is increasingly becoming more dynamic and challenging. It has been observed that customer satisfaction is the most important criteria to reap revenue and profits. Secondly, it helps companies to reduce cost as well as management loads as investment in technology, infrastructure, rent and huge HR Department -- all are taken care of by call centers.

Lately most of the organizations see the call centre as a necessary cost as they are primarily focused on efficiencies. Also there are incidental benefits. Very often, a call centre is capturing information that can literally transform the organization. It can help other departments improve quality, provide with inputs for further research and development, focus marketing campaigns, detect potential legal or publicity problems and also provide input on how to improve self-service systems. Hence call centres are evolving as a strategic step resulting in scaling up efficiencies resulting into greater visibility and profitability and retention of customers for the corporates.

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innovative solutionsbahwan Cybertek is the first Omani it company to obtain Carnegie mellon University

Sei Cmmi level 5, the highest level of quality recognition for its products and services

Bahwan CyberTek (BCT) Group, an associate company of the Suhail Bahwan group, established in 1999, today

spearheads Oman’s IT sector, making a strong presence in the global map. It operates in twenty countries across four continents.

Product portfolioCommitted to the values of thought leadership and innovation while building an IP-led enterprise, BCT believes that the benefits of technology and outsourcing will bring about a change in the way companies respond to market conditions.

When most of the IT software companies were focusing on services, BCT invested in business process management-based development which has resulted in the release of a gamut of products, which were completely Customer Enterprise Centric. Hence the brand name CUECENT. The CUECENT brand of products enables customers to re-invent their businesses for coping successfully in an evolving market.

BCT’s business revolves round industry verticals such as Banking and financial services, Government and Education, Energy & Utilities and Supply Chain management by implementing solutions built on CUECENT, Oracle, IBM, Microsoft and SAP.

Some of the CUECENT brand of products or solutions offered to Banking & Financial services are: CUECENT e-Remit, CUECENT e-Pay, CUECENT ICM, CUECENT iFx, CUECENT Finflex and CUECENT ILFS.

Sanad Citizen Service Centre (SSC) is another feather in BCT’s cap. A unique entrepreneur-driven project, Sanad creates business opportunities for Omanis and connects Oman digitally by delivering e-services to government and corporate sector electronically through internet cafes.

Beyond OmanBCT’s online remittance engine enables real-time fund transfers worldwide, the solution for which is used in UAE, Africa, India and other global locations. Also, UAE’s largest online payment gateway integration project, Dubai e-government, is powered by BCT’s payment engine.

BCT has offered its electronic payment solution and related services to Egypt’s National electronic payment hub, resulting in improved public and business services.

Over a decade, BCT has worked in tandem with Oracle to provide high performance cost-effective solutions, thereby gaining

wide experience of working on over 100 Oracle and BEA implementations across multiple verticals worldwide including USA, UAE, Africa and India.

True to the causeThe Group today employs around 200 Omani nationals and enjoys the distinction of being the single largest employer of national workforce in Oman’s IT landscape in private sector. They are trained through technical and professional development courses in a fully-equipped training center established by BCT in collaboration with Government of Oman.

BCT’s professional team has worked extensively with banks and financial institutes, government sector, energy and utilities, and manufacturing and supply chain. BankMuscat, Al Omaniya Financial Services, Ministry of National Economy, Ministry of Oil & Gas, Muscat Municipality, Oman Air, Omantel, Petroleum Development Oman, Government of Oman – Sanad Citizen Services (e-government services) are among the prestigious clientele of the company.

“Our adoption of innovative and cutting edge technologies and our ability to ensure that our products and solutions set our customers apart from their competition, will be the key differentiator from the commodity mindset in IT services space,” says S. Durgaprasad, Director and CEO of Bahwan CyberTek.

Contact details: Tel: 24567586 Website: www.bahwancybertek.com www.cuecent.com

S. durgaprasad Director & CEO

Bahwan CyberTek

special feature – bahwan cybertek


leading excellenceWith a wide repertoire of clients and a remarkable track record of implementations

across the gCC and africa, macro Software Systems llC has much to pride itself on.

David Rushforth, CeO, talks about what makes them the best in the business

Kindly give us a brief overview of Macro Software Systems LLC.MSS was established in 1998 and is the largest Oracle and Network Security resource centre in Oman. We traditionally started in the ERP arena and covered projects from Lebanon to Tanzania. In Oman, which is our main branch, we are a 100% Omani owned company. Over the years, we have expanded our portfolio to cover Network Infrastructure and Security, ITSM/ ITIL services, Software Solutions and IT Outsourcing. We have recently started a new vertical focusing solely on Business Intelligence. We deliver end to end solutions such as Hyperion from Oracle, Cognos from IBM and Business Objects suite. We also offer manpower outsourcing services across all verticals and technologies to organizations / institutions that need to streamline or optimize their IT staff.

Who are your clients and technology partners?MSS has a prestigious client list of more than a 100 in GCC and Africa. Our clients belong to sectors such as banking, oil and gas, the Government and include Omantel, Bank Muscat, Gulf Air and Qatar Airways. A new arena that’s going to be very interesting to work with is the SME sector. We’ll be exclusively working on bundles and offerings for them. Our technology partners include Oracle, IBM, Commvault, Axios Systems, Juniper, f5 and Sage amongst others.

How (if at all) would you say the

david rushforth CEO, Macro Software Systems LLC

economic downturn has affected MSS?In some sense it has slowed the business as a whole. IT is still being pushed, both, from the Government as well as from the Enterprise perspective. But it may have brought the buying power down. Software Solutions are always going to be necessary. From an economic crises point of view, one would say that people are going to be more stringent on CAPEX and OPEX and how that is spent.

What is your assessment of Oman’s IT sector?If we look at Oman as a whole, the base network is good; we have two telecommunications companies, we have two or three MVNOs coming into the market. This shows a certain level of maturity. I believe, that this will change

Oman’s market from being product based to a solutions and services based market.

What does the future hold for MSS?We are aggressively going after new verticals. We’ve got one of the largest in-house teams for ERP, especially on the Oracle side. I see the changes going on from Oracle’s point of view, from their r12 release, I think it’s going to be an extremely interesting place for us to work in. I see us focussing on Software Services, Business Intelligence, Asset Management, and the ITSM/ITIL arena as well as further evolving our expertise within our traditional arena of ERP.

Contact Details: Tel: 24565626 / 24560113; Fax: 24565627 E-mail: [email protected]

interView

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Proactive approachtogether with its strategic partners, Omania e-Commerce offers turnkey

iCt solutions to clients in Oman

An active and major contributor to Oman’s drive towards a digital society, Omania E-Commerce L.L.C (OEC)

was established in 2005 with a vision to become the leading e-solutions provider in Oman. It is OEC’s objective to provide clients with value-added innovative, scalable and secure solutions that optimize the client’s efficiencies, benefits and competitive edge. The bottom line is, however, customer satisfaction.

Two-prong servicesThe major areas of OEC’s services comprise two sectors of various e-solutions and e-procurement solutions (Tejari.com). OEC has tied up with Tejari Online Marketplace to provide their services in Oman in order to change the regular traditional procurement and purchasing process to a more efficient and advanced automated online process. Moreover, various e-solutions are developed by OEC for government and private companies in need of specific solutions such as portal solutions, customized web applications, RFID applications and other numerous domain specific projects.

The services offered by Tejari.com benefit both suppliers and buyers and include enhanced efficiency, lower costs and wider customer reach. Through Tejari, buyers can find, compare and procure products and services from the familiarity and convenience of their desktop internet browser. They can float their requisitions and tenders on-line and the suppliers can participate by bidding for those

requisitions. Suppliers can also upload their company profile and contact details, and list their products and services through online showrooms. Suppliers can obtain information on auction and tenders floated on the Tejari Transact, and buyers can easily evaluate and award the projects online. The e-procurement today really saves energy, cost and time, and provides transparency. OEC has many success stories in its repertoire.

The solutions are already making a difference in companies improving their business. The offering puts every stakeholder in a win-win situation as it enables them to gather all the information they require about the market from one single portal.

Growing bigIn the e-solutions, OEC started off by

bagging small and medium jobs. Now it is forging ahead with big projects. It has established strategic partnerships with various leading e-solution providers from the region and outside. Together with partners, OEC offers turnkey ICT solutions to clients in Oman. In its portfolio, OEC has a number of big whigs like Oman Air and Omantel as its client. In the telecom sector, for biggies like Huwawei and in the IT segment, for companies like Oracle, OEC will build and manage a data centre where companies can come and rent slots and place their servers.

OEC has a strong team which is dedicated in providing customised services. In an endeavour to double the company growth with 2011, the company has entered into alliance with global majors like World Call or local companies like Omantel for diversification.

Aimen Ahmed Al Hosni, Director-Board Member and Acting CEO, Omania e-Commerce, thinks that there is a very big potential for all IT companies trying to upgrade their services and provide solutions for the government sector and private firms. “We should not wait for our tenders to come. We should take the initiative to approach the private sector and grab their attention and provide them a solution that enables them to deliver better. We want to walk that extra mile.”

Contact details: Tel: 24571999; Fax: 24571990 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.oec.com.om

Aimen Ahmed Al Hosni Director-Board Member and Acting CEO Omania e-Commerce

special feature – omania e-commerce


Relationships matter the success factor for iitC and OHi telecommunications is basically

their positive outlook towards customer handling

Established under the auspices of OHI Group more than two decades ago, International Information Technology Co.LLC

(IITC), is a leading technology solution provider in the Sultanate of Oman.

Enjoying its position in the IT infrastructure space, IITC has been providing the Sultanate of Oman with leading edge technology solutions over the last two decades. IITC’s activities include infrastructure solutions (servers, storage, cabling, and networking) to business solutions (ERP, HRMS, CRM, portals, content management, business intelligence, and bespoke applications), IT Services (on-site support, facilities management, people outsourcing, and consultancy) and technical training.

The company enjoys representation of industry leaders like Microsoft, Cisco System, HP, Oracle, Systemax, Hubbell, Wipro, and others in the Sultanate. Customers are benefitted by IITC’s professional expertise, a high level of consultancy services in collaboration with its partners, comprehensive technical training, after-sales support and most importantly, competitive pricing.

Some of the key partners for IITC are systems integrators like Wipro and Tech Mahindra. The company also has specific niche segment solutions, like for security solutions, IITC works with IBM ISS, IBM FileNet for content management and with CISCO for converged network solutions.

The company today has an impressive group of satisfied clients across the

Sultanate such as Omantel, Ministry Of Civil Services, Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, MOD, Muscat Municipality, PDO, Oman Gas Company, Ministry of Education, Royal Court Affairs and many more.

OHI TelecommOHI Telecommunications Company, another subsidiary of OHI Group, is the leading Telecommunications system integrator and provider of high quality product implementation and support services in the Sultanate of Oman.

It has been involved in the design, engineering, installation, commissioning and project management of turnkey solutions for switching, transmission and access networks, value added services for mobile and fixed networks, specialized communication network for aviation industry, contact center solutions, IP telephony solutions, voice logging systems, test and measuring equipment,

encryption, hospital communication equipment and weather monitoring equipment.

Reputed for very large infrastructure cable layout, OHI has done a sizeable portion of cabling for Omantel, Nawras, and PDO.

The key partners for OHI Telecommunications are companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Nera Networks, Static Systems, Northrop Grumman Park-Air Systems, Rohde & Schwarz, 6 Dee Technologies, Vaisala, Casella, JDSU, Thomson Grass Valley, Alan Dick ME, Barrett, and AT&T.

Major clients of OHI Telecommunications where the company has successfully implemented large-scale technology projects are MOD, PDO, Ministry of Transport and Communication, ORPC, Ministry of Health, Omantel and Nawras.

Mantra for Success S. Jayakumar, General Manager (IITC & OHI Telecomms) feels that the success factor for both the companies is their strong belief in the “power of partnerships” with both- suppliers and customers on a long term basis. This belief has led to a large number of satisfied customers as well as suppliers over the years and has helped IITC and OHI Telecommunications to stand in good stead and maintain a healthy growth.

Contact Details: Tel: 24609400/24609493Websites: www.iitcoman.comwww.ohitelecom.com

S. JayakumarGeneral Manager, IITC & OHI Telecommunications Co

special feature - iitc and ohi telecommunications

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special feature - towell-take solutions

Power of knowledgetowell-take Solutions, work towards addressing the market needs, well in advance and

provides solutions anticipating change in technology, which are unique and help the

customers attain business efficiencies at a minimal cost

What are the core strengths of Towelltake Solutions?Towell-take Solutions (TTS) strongly believes in ‘IP-RC-CA’ (Increase Productivity, Retained Costs and Competitive Advantage). We believe our solutions will help companies across industry verticals to achieve business efficiencies in order to Capture, Move and Manage. Capture information in real time at the point of business activity, Move information instantly to and from the point of greatest impact, and Manage the unhindered flow of information with efficiency and security.

Companies have come to know that col-lection, collation and assimilation of data can slash costs, increase productivity, and dramatically boost profits. Hence, vital in-formation should be available to all. That’s where Towell-take Solutions is relevant.

Towell-take Solutions has been a trendsetter in niche areas; how have you been so specific?We have been specific to this market considering the strength of our company and addressing the market needs, well in advance. We work towards providing solutions anticipating change in technology. We were the early adopters of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology and now we have brought in a first of its kind Technology – Speech Recognition (Simply Speak!) to Oman.

Can you elaborate on this Speech Recognition Technology?Speech Recognition Technology (Simply

dr. Anchan c.KCEO, Towell-take Solutions

Speak!™) is the most user-friendly interface for communicating with speech enabled business applications. With this unique interface, callers speak naturally to IVR systems in their own accents and dialects, eliminating the frustration of touch tone push buttons and elevating the satisfaction experience.

Your company is known to be an Enterprise Mobility Leader; how did you attain this stature?As mentioned earlier, Towell-take Solutions realized a need to carry information from the point of activity right up to people’s fingertips; hence the company was an early entrant in the Enterprise Mobility Solutions Industry. TTS invested its time and resources to develop in-house applications for Automated Data Capture like Asset Tracking & Maintenance Systems, Warehouse & Inventory Control, System,

Route Automation System, Utility Meter Reading System and more using Barcode & RFID Technology.

TIMICSnXg, your in-house developed ERP Product has attracted a lot of clients, how?We own this credit to W J Towell and to our customers who have added value to our product. Timicsnxg is probably the only locally developed product which is in the market, now over 20 years and has grown from strength to strength in terms of its features and capabilities. The strength is to adapt to customer’s specific requirements both in terms of business as well as Finance. TIMICSnXg is a one-stop complete solution.

How would you maintain your leadership position in future?Being a technology driven company and being a part of the Level 5 SEI-CMMI, we are investing in technologies and are always on the lookout for solutions which are unique and help the customers attain business efficiencies at a minimal cost.

Whom do you owe this Success to?Of course it is our employees who take the credit. At Towell-take Solutions we have ‘Employees First’. Our employees are our strength and we firmly believe in our employee growth which, in turn makes the company grow.

Contact details:Contact: 968 24794550Email: [email protected]: www.towelltake.com

ict - english - april 2010

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