Ericsson, a world leader in communications technology and services, said it has been awarded an extension of its managed services contract by major telecom services operator Zain Iraq until 2021.

The extension comes following Ericsson's successful implementation of managed services for networks, IT and value-added services to the Iraqi operator since 2012.

As per the terms of the new contract, Ericsson will strengthen its role as a trusted business partner by supplying a service operation center and energy network operations center to Zain Iraq.

The expanded scope means the operator will be able to provide a better user experience by managing the quality of service from an end-to-end perspective.

Zain Iraq CEO Ali Al Zahid said: "Based on our first five years together, we know that Ericsson reflects our own core values in maintaining standards and service delivery. During the next five years, as we continually upgrade and expand our network, we expect even greater success by ensuring that exceptional network and service performance is available for our customers."

Rafiah Ibrahim, the president and head of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: "Making these improvements to our existing deal with Zain Iraq will greatly assist the operator to transition from network performance to service performance, and we look forward to facilitating this evolution as a trusted partner and supplier."

Ericsson’s Managed Services are designed to meet the unique needs of each operator in terms of cost efficiency, service performance and technology evolution, ultimately to improve operators’ abilities to meet consumers’ expectations, she added.-TradeArabia News Service