Nawras Announces Strategic Mobile Office Alliance

Nawras, Oman’s leading customer-oriented communications provider, known for its many firsts in the mobile market, announced on 12 October a strategic alliance with international industry leader Microsoft and i-mate™.

The set up of the ‘Mobile Office Alliance’ by Nawras with partners Microsoft and i-mate™ will bring the latest in wireless business solutions to the Omani market. The alliance will enable Nawras to offer its customers in the Sultanate advanced mobile solutions which will enable users to have access to Microsoft applications such as Outlook e-mail, calendar and address book regardless of whether they use a PC or a mobile device.

Recently Nawras launched PC cards enabling customers to get internet access from laptops while on the move. This service was launched on the Nawras EDGE network – the only wireless high-speed data network in the Sultanate. Following from that success the new partnership with Microsoft and i-mate™ allows Nawras to bring the latest in wireless business solutions to customers who want to get greater mobility and efficiencies from their mobile solutions.

Microsoft is the world leader in software, services and internet technologies for personal and business computing, as well as being a leading mobility and collaboration software provider for smartphones and PDA devices. The alliance is backed by local system integrators, Bahwan IT, Imtac and OHI who will work closely with Microsoft in introducing these new services in Oman. Mr. Sami Al-Lawati, Manager of Microsoft in Oman said on the occasion, “We are excited to enter into this strategic alliance with Nawras and i mate™, and to work with experienced local system integrators in this area. We strongly believe that the timing is right to introduce mobile solutions enabling customers to access their Microsoft Outlook e-mail and calendar wherever they are.”

i-mate™ are specialists in Windows Mobile™ device solutions which include next-generation smartphones and PDA devices. Mr Steffan De Rosairo, i-mate™ Sales Director added: “i-mate™ has experienced an impressive demand in Oman for our range of cutting-edge devices, such as the i-mate™ JAM and i-mate™ SP3. We are currently in the process of introducing an exciting series of new EDGE-enabled devices which include the i-mate™ K-JAM, i-mate™ SP5 and i-mate™ SP5m.. These high-speed mobile devices will bring faster data speeds to customers allowing users to enjoy powerful internet browsing and dynamic multi-media features on the go. Being part of this Alliance will further enable us to meet the growing demand for mobile solutions from Oman’s expanding corporate entities.”

Anders Blauenfeldt, Business Development Director at Nawras, concluded: “We believe this Alliance can be an important factor in positioning Oman as a leading regional player in terms of sophisticated wireless services used by corporate users as well as advanced residential customers. This will support electronic communication in general as well as e-government initiatives. We look forward to work closely with leading international companies, Microsoft and i-mate™, to introduce the latest in wireless services in Oman”

After months of preparation, the 3 alliance partners are now launching a Mobile Office Trial in the Sultanate with free next generation handsets and free data services for a limited time period to selected corporate customers. User feedback from the trial will be used by the 3 alliance partners to further refine the offering.

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