Info2cell.com, the leading Mobile Application Service Provider in the Middle East and North Africa, and Fastlink, Jordan’s leading mobile operator and one of MTC Group companies, have launched for the first time in the region ‘Samaani’ – a unique ring-back tone service, that replaces the standard call connecting tone with a song, commercials or jokes.
With the launch, Fastlink joins other leading international mobile service operator offering the service. The ‘Samaani’ tone can be a popular song, a commercial or jokes and is the latest such innovation launched in the Middle East region by Info2cell.com that enables high level of customisation and personalisation of mobile devices by its users.
Commenting on the service, Bashar Dahabra, Founder and CEO of Info2cell.com said: “Mobile phones have become the everyday practical gadget and the users are constantly demanding value addition to their handsets. Judging by the successes of services like ring tones, java games and other applications, providing ring-back tone service becomes the logical extension of another mobile value added service, that mobile service providers must adopt to boost their average revenue per unit as well as a key customer retention and service provision strategy. The launch of the ‘Samaani’ service is the potent example of the maturity of the mobile phone users in the Middle East region and brings about a strategic change in the mobile content provision and service personalisation industry in the region.”
Ring-back tone service is leading mobile phone penetration across several markets worldwide. The world wide market for ring-back tones will be an estimated US$ 2.4 billion in 2008. The Middle East region’s mobile market has the innate potential to service this key segment as reforms in telecom sector is opening up opportunities for competition and service breakouts as revenues from voice services plummets.
Fastlink mobile subscribers in Jordan who wish to use the service can dial 0900 22222 and follow the tutorial. The user will be prompted to subscribe for free and once that is done the user can begin to enjoy the service. The users may choose set a tone, such as a song, a commercial or jokes, for all the callers or a specific group of callers. The users can have upto 10 different ring-back tones assigned in the personal library at any given time. Presently Fastlink and Info2cell provide over 1500 songs or voice snippets for the customers.
Speaking about ‘Samaani’ service, Bashar Arafah FastlinkMarketing Chief Executive, said, “The launching of ‘Samaani’ comes at a time when Fastlink has achieved several milestones in the tenth year of its operation. Now more than 2 million subscribers can enjoy the benefits of this service, which was carefully chosen and implemented, reflecting the needs of our subscribers.”
Info2cell.com is a preferred partner to 27 mobile operators in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Sudan, extending its reach across the region. It is also a preferred partner for many prestigious content providers including BBC, AMEInfo, Rotana, Mazzika and Al Arabia. Besides, the company has a primary Development Centre in Amman, Jordan and editorial offices in Dubai, Amman, Beirut, Cairo and Ramallah in Palestine.
Info2cell.com the region's first wireless information provider was established in 1998 to fulfill the need for wireless value added services. In the year 2000, Info2cell.com reengineered and redesigned its core business, to become effectively the first Wireless Application Service Provider (W-ASP) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The content provision model was also revamped with the addition of many content providers and channels. The Acotel Group, a leading independent European Wireless Application Service Provider (WASP) and a multimedia service integrator, based in Rome, Italy, recently acquired Info2cell.com. Info2cell.com draws on the experience of Acotel in its service offering. Info2cell.com, which first launched its SMS breaking news service in Jordan in 2000, quickly moved to expand to other markets in the region, and offers its services in Egypt, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Qatar and Oman. The company headquarters are located in the heart of the Middle-East technology hub, at Dubai Internet City (DIC), with a primary Development Center in Amman, Jordan, and editorial offices located in Amman, Beirut, Cairo and Ramallah in Palestine.
Jordan Mobile Telephone Services Company Ltd. “Fastlink”, founded in 1995, was the first operator to introduce mobile phone services into Jordan. In just a few years, the company earned its reputation as the most progressive telecom operator in the region in terms of competitiveness and readiness to adopt new technologies and deploy cutting-edge services. Since its inception, Fastlink has tallied subscriber growth at an exponential rate, with the number of users currently exceeding 1.6 million subscribers. Through more than 1,700 cell sites, Fastlink covers the entire populated area of the Kingdom. In January 2003, Mobile Telecommunications Company K.S.C. (MTC) acquired Fastlink in what was considered the largest single acquisition in the Middle East area, and the largest private sector investment in Jordan.
For more information, please visit our site, www.fastlink.jo
