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Dubai IT forum explores ways to serve ME consumers better

DUBAI, May 28, 2015

Leading telecom operators, content and service providers, internet hosting business and ICT companies came together at a forum in Dubai, UAE to explore new collaboration and partnership models to serve Middle East consumers better with online content and services offerings.

The Huawei ‘Digital inCloud inTouch Cooperartion Forum,’ hosted more than 30 telecom operators from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as well as over 100 content and services providers from around the world.

The participants came together in support of the Huawei inTouch Partnership Program, a co-operative alliance empowering local telecom operators to pioneer original content, communication and entertainment services for the public.

The first-of-its-kind initiative brought together gaming, video, music and communication content providers from around the world to the Middle East.

The programme further aims to establish partnerships between content, application and handset providers, constructing a win-win value chain through end-to-end value added service.

Justin Chen, director of Middle Eat Hosting Department at Huawei, said: “Within the Middle East there is great enthusiasm behind digital services, although some organisations may not be fully equipped with the in-house resources necessary to transform their ideas to reality.

“By providing support tools and facilitating new service partnerships, we can help bring to life the creativity and passion of the Middle East.”

Mac Taylor, chief consultant of Digital Services Product Line, Huawei, said: “Welcoming content and service providers from around the world, the Digital inCloud inTouch Cooperation Forum has showcased many of the exciting innovations planned for consumers in the Middle East.

“To power this future vision, the Middle East ICT community is now embracing a more open industry value chain; one that fosters the integration of capabilities across borders and across platforms.”

The market for digital media and entertainment services in the Middle East has been marked by rapid growth in recent years.

According to a recent report by PwC, the total entertainment and media spending on digital within the Middle East and Africa is forecast to grow at a 12.2 per cent compound annual growth rate between 2013 and 2018, accounting for 65 per cent of global entertainment and media spending growth during this time period.

Experts at Strategy& have separately noted gaming as the fastest growing media segment in the Middle East, expected to nearly triple in size in the coming years — from $1.6 billion in 2014 to $4.4 billion in 2022.

During the forum, Huawei unveiled two new platforms expanding the opportunities offered to users through the inTouch Partnership Program.  

MuchTV is a new on-demand video streaming service that offers TV shows and movies to viewers across the Middle East directly to mobiles, tablets, TVs, and computers.

It offers unlimited viewing of a rich library of content from any internet-connected device, including Arabic, Hollywood, Bollywood and a variety of kids content.

Additionally, the ePay System was unveiled as a new payment system that provides smartphone users with easier purchasing tools for apps, games, videos, music, and products from e-commerce websites.

The system will bridge the requirements of digital content providers and e-commerce merchants through telecom operators’ own billing channels, providing more efficient and safe transactions supported by Huawei professional staff in the Middle East.

A new memorandum of understanding was further signed between Huawei and service providers Mobvilla, Jiaxing Changhe, iFree, Movius and iReader to be part of the Digital inCloud Services portfolio. - TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Dubai | Telecom | Huawei | ICT | forum |

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