Dubai, November 11, 2008 – Etisalat presented its latest innovations supporting mobile commerce at the Mobile Money Transfer Conference in Dubai (MMT08) yesterday.

Rashed Alabbar, Senior Manager, Product Marketing, eBusiness at Etisalat addressed the conference and said: “Mobile commerce has many applications for consumers and businesses alike. The ability to use your mobile device to buy products and services is convenient, secure and simple. Given the number of people who now own a SIM-enabled device, it is clear that the future of many industries will require a mobile commerce channel strategy.”

The latest World Bank figures quantify the current remittances market at $318bn, with informal transactions taking the total to close to $600bn. By 2030, the World Bank estimates the value will grow to a massive $72trillion.

Etisalat is pioneering mobile commerce services in the Middle East and has already announced trials to launch remittance services between the UAE and India and the UAE and the Philippines. Earlier this year, Etisalat introduced a pilot project with Emirates NBD to introduce Near Field Communications (NFC), which enables mobile phones to be used to buy products and services directly, without the need for cash.

Etisalat Mobile Commerce Applications

Etisalat Mobile Payment Services *123#
• This is an extremely simple to use, menu driven service which works from any mobile phone by simply dialing *123#.

• This does not require any java application to be downloaded or any GPRS connection and shall work while you are in the country or travelling abroad (which would mean that people that perform their tasks like bill payments, money transfer, access their bank accounts etc even when they are travelling overseas)

• This supports applications like enquiries for Dubai Police fines, mobile banking for Abu Dhabi Islamic bank, calculation and payment for Zakat as well as bill payments and recharge for Etisalat mobile phones. The list of these applications is rapidly increasing and soon people will be able to pay for other government and utility services

Etisalat Mobile Money Transfer Service
• Etisalat mobile phone users will l have the ability to send money to their friends or relatives in their home countries or within the UAE directly through their mobile phones.

• The UAE has a vast expatriate population, which sends money to their home countries regularly. A number of them are low wage workers who support their families back home through their small savings

• Etisalat Mobile Money transfer service will l provide this expat community a simple, fast and convenient way to transfer their hard earned earnings to their dear ones. This will take away the problems these people face while queuing up at agents and the high fees that they are charged. Etisalat is partnering with global as well leading local banks and telecom companies to enable a smooth and streamline money transfer transaction.

• The service will offer our customers the best exchange rate and their relatives / beneficiaries can receive the money at a bank account, via their mobile phone operator in their home country or even through post offices or agents,

mParking Service
• Paying for car parking in many of the Emirates is a tedious task and requires consumers to use coins at payment machines. This becomes extremely difficult in the summer months as well as in cases when they do not have coins.

• While using payment via mParking, the customer would simply send an SMS with information of their car plate, the number of hours they wish to park and the parking zone. The money will be deducted from their pre-paid balance or charged to the phone bill. Customers will also be reminded few minutes before the expiry of their parking and will have a simple way to extend their parking.

• This would mean that people would face much lesser parking fines in cases where they are unable to renew their parking ticket.

Etisalat Mobile Commerce Service
• Etisalat customers will be able to purchase products and make payments for these simply by using the mobile phones.

• This is a very simple to use and convenient service and customers can make different types of payments like home delivery orders, purchasing a cinema ticket through the mobile etc. It is not uncommon to not have the correct change while you have ordered for Pizza or other items for home delivery.

• Using the product purchase service the customer shall directly make the payment to the Pizza company through the mobile phone and the delivery person can also receive a confirmation immediately.

Etisalat Credit Transfer
• The Etisalat Credit Transfer Service allows customers to transfer credit from your GSM postpaid, Wasel prepaid account and Ahlan prepaid to other prepaid accounts. This service uses a technology called USSD, which allows you to send FREE of charge a message/command with a specific amount to the recipient mobile number

• This offer the convenience of having credit in your account in case you need to use it urgently, transferred within a few seconds To allow a secure & safe credit transfer transaction, customers can also set a 4 digit numeric PIN code. The facility to use PIN code is optional and it can be activated deactivated & reactivated as per your requirement

Etisalat Credit Transfer
• Near Field Communication technology shall enable Etisalat mobile phones to be used as credit cards while making purchases at shops, entering public transport vehicles or as entrance cards to building and other premises. This will truly make the Etisalat mobile phone the customer’s wallet.

• Etisalat and Emirates NBD are working on bringing this advanced technology to the UAE.

Press release issued by – Etisalat
For further media information, please contact:
Mohammad Okour
Mobile: 050 8815000
m.okour@asdaa.com
www.etisalat.ae

Related posts:

1. View Dubai TV and Dubai Sports 2 on Etisalat’s Mobile TV Service
2. Etisalat and Cisco Strengthen Strategic Relationship
3. Forbes Arabia recognizes Etisalat as the ‘Best Telecom Brand’ in the Middle East
4. Etisalat Academy Announces Dates of MEITSEC 2008
5. Strengthen your Internet connectivity at the click of a mouse, with Etisalat’s ‘eSupport’