UAE's leading telecom services operator Etisalat said it has launched a dedicated call centre to cater to the business needs of its small and medium sized business (SMB) customers in the UAE.

Etisalat’s state-of-the-art call centre service - 800 5800 – will serve this segment by offering convenient and comprehensive ICT services and support, allowing SMBs to focus on their core competencies, said a statement from the company.

As per industry estimates, increased focus on promoting the SMB sector is likely to add over 100,000 new businesses in the UAE over the next three years.

Salvador Anglada, the chief business officer at Etisalat, said: "SMBs are important contributors to the UAE's economy helping develop national entrepreneurial spirit in younger generations. At Etisalat, we recognise that SMB’s business needs vary drastically from those of larger enterprises."

"Therefore, we have designed a state-of-the-art SMB dedicated call centre to lend our telecom expertise in helping this segment grow and backing the UAE economy at large," he added.

“We believe in making our technology work for businesses of all sizes, be it through our targeted business propositions, back-end support or customer service”, Anglada added.

According to him, the dedicated call centre is now in operation and is an extension to Etisalat’s existing customer care team that caters to nearly 11 million customers in the UAE.

Earlier this year, Etisalat embarked on an extensive drive to recruit and up-skill suitably qualified business agents and technicians to meet the unique telecom needs of SMBs.

Trained customer care professionals will offer SMBs specialised, round-the-clock technical support, ranging from general queries about business services to billing enquiries and service disruptions, it stated.

John Lincoln, senior vice president of SMBs at Etisalat, said: "Unilateral to the UAE’s vision to foster the country as the region’s leading business hub, we are committed to partner SMBs every step of the way by addressing their distinct business needs."

"We aim not only to equip them with advanced telecom and technology tools that improve their competitiveness, but also provide them with requisite professional support to help them grow," he added.-TradeArabia News Service