Etisalat Voice SMS on Kirusa platform gets excellent response across UAE

Kirusa’s unique next-generation messaging application blends Voice and SMS; enables Etisalat subscribers to add the power of voice to their SMS messages

Wednesday, April 02, 2008: New Providence, New Jersey and Abu Dhabi, UAE: Etisalat, the leading telecommunications carrier and Internet Service Provider in UAE, has chosen the Kirusa Voice SMS solution for offering the Voice SMS service to their subscribers in the UAE. With the launch of this service, an Etisalat subscriber has the option of sending an SMS message in their own voice.

Etisalat's Voice SMS, launched in November 2007 before Eid festival so that mobile customers could send greetings, has been a success with over half a million Voice SMS messages having been sent within 5 days of Eid holidays. This phenomenal adoption of Voice SMS service by Etisalat UAE subscribers demonstrates its success in multilingual mobile markets.

The Kirusa Voice SMS service does not require any handset specifications or settings for using this service. To send a message, simply dial * (star) followed by the recipient’s phone number, and press the call button then record your message after the tone and disconnect or press any key to hear more options. The recipient gets an SMS message and can retrieve the message by dialing *0*. Old messages can be retrieved by dialing *1*.

Etisalat has a customer penetration of 150% per cent, a remarkable figure regionally and internationally. The availability of Voice SMS will help Etisalat to leverage the service to maintain its leadership position. The Kirusa Voice SMS platform enables Etisalat to cost effectively deploy additional revenue generating services that seamlessly combine voice with text, graphics, and video to deliver dramatically enhanced end user mobile experiences.

To deliver the Voice SMS solution to Etisalat, Kirusa has deployed its Voice SMS application and multimodal platform, integrated with HP OpenCall Media Platform, in the Etisalat network in Abu Dhabi. Kirusa has partnered with Emircom, an ICT solutions company based in Abu Dhabi, for the delivery and support of the solution.

Commenting on the announcement, Khalifa Al Shamsi, Vice President Marketing / Consumer & SMB, Etisalat said, "Etisalat has always been a pioneer in identifying new ways for its customer to reach out and experience the best services and technologies across the globe. Our focus has always been to create a great customer experience. This is why we announced the launch of the compelling Voice SMS service. We are sure our customers will find it easy to use and enjoy the benefits of voice communication without the sense of immediacy that tends to go with a voice call."

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Inderpal Singh Mumick, Founder and CEO, Kirusa said, "The Kirusa Voice SMS application has been very well received by mobile users in South Asia, and we are delighted that the leading carrier in Middle East has chosen to work with Kirusa to bring the benefits of Voice SMS messaging to people in UAE. Etisalat will also be able to benefit from our large installed base in South Asia, enabling the entire expatriate population to have cost effective communication with their friends and families back home.”

About Etisalat

Etisalat has been the telecommunications service provider in the United Arab Emirates since 1976. Since then, it has built up state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure and taken a leadership position of innovation and reliability among regional and international operators. Etisalat’s mobile phone service penetration in the UAE has crossed 150 per cent of the population. With 6.3 million subscribers, Internet and broadband penetration in the UAE has reached 60 per cent, a significant achievement by Etisalat compared to regional average.

In addition to being the UAE’s telecom provider, Etisalat has now expanded to manage and operate telecom companies in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan, Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Togo, Republic of Central Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Afghanistan. With shares in Sudan’s ‘Sudatel’, Qatar’s Q-Tel and Thuraya, the satellite telephone service provider, Etisalat is a key regional player that lends its expertise and resources towards the betterment of information and communication technology.

For more information visit: www.etisalat.ae

About Kirusa

Kirusa is one of the leading global developers of Mobile Social Media and Value Added Services enabling mobile subscribers to reach out to their family and friends. Kirusa’s solutions include the hugely successful Kirusa Voice SMS service, the world’s most advanced Voice SMS solution, used by over 30 carriers around the world. Kirusa has pioneered a suite of social media applications that facilitate mobile subscribers to interact through voice, including the Call-n-Tweet application which helps users update their Twitter status using voice. Kirusa provides an open platform with APIs to enable third parties to offer mobile applications services to mobile subscribers. Used by mobile subscribers millions of times daily, Kirusa solutions are built on its patented and patent pending technology and its highly reliable and scalable open multimodal platform. Kirusa has been recognized as one of top 100 technology companies by Silicon India, and one of top 25 emerging technology companies by Smart Techie magazine. Headquartered in New Jersey and led by an experienced team of wireless telecom executives and technologists, Kirusa has offices in three continents. ‘Kirusa Voice SMS,’ is a trademark of Kirusa, Inc.

For more information visit: www.kirusa.com.

Media Contacts

Etisalat
Ahmed Bin Ali, Vice President Corporate Communications
Tel: 02 6182173
Fax: 02 6334448
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Kirusa
Navneet Anand
GreyMatters Communications
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