Saudi telecom operator Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) has joined hands with leading ICT solutions provider Huawei to set up the first commercial next generation service delivery platform (SDP) in the Middle East.

The SDP involves landmark advances to nearly every segment of the operator's nationwide mobile network, said a statement form Mobily.

With the next generation SDP, Mobily will be able to more rapidly implement new multimedia services collaborating with content publishers, service providers and all other players on the value chain, it stated.

The platform also allows Mobily to do things like setting up their own app store, integrating with OTT content providers, and developing cloud-oriented services-all part of opening the door to more diverse revenue streams and a healthy business ecosystem, it added.

On the launch, Mobily CEO Khalid Al Kaf said, "The company has partnered with Huawei on numerous occasions leading up to the SDP launch, including the initiation of Mobily 4G LTE services in September 2011 which will eventually cover more than 30 cities and towns representing 85 per cent of the population."

"We are very proud of this co-operation with Huawei. The region's first commercial next generation SDP is part of Mobily's initiative to enrich the telecom sector and customers' experience," he remarked.

Amidst fierce competition within Saudi telecom sector, Mobily had last year announced that it would undergo a strategic business transformation that would provide innovative services to customers while streamlining overall operations and management processes.

Yi Xiang, the president of Middle East, Huawei said, "This project was a fantastic opportunity to work with Mobily to build a strong operation, assurance, and optimization system that could be integrated into the pre-existing network."

"As legacy services, operations and networks are replaced with these software-driven frameworks, the traditionally separate IT and telecom worlds are now converging," he noted.

"This particular Huawei SDP solution will enable Mobily to tap into new revenue streams across the telecom, media, and Internet industries by extracting value from mobile broadband and cross-industries business," he added.-TradeArabia News Service