du Reveals Plans to become ICT Service Provider

du from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), in collaboration with Cisco, unveiled a white paper outlining its transformational journey towards becoming an ‘ICT service provider’ by 2021. Titled ‘EITC Infrastructure Outlook 2021’, the white paper sets the framework for the company’s digital transformation in terms of technology adoption, transition to digital services, as well as customer centricity and uniformity of experience. It describes how adopting a software-defined approach will help du deliver innovative services, ensuring its longer-term success, in line with supporting the UAE Vision 2021 strategy.

“As du drives its transformation agenda to spur expansion into new growth areas, we have been working diligently towards bringing next generation technologies such as 5G, IoT, AI, and blockchain into our network,” said Saleem AlBlooshi, Chief Infrastructure Officer, EITC. “We are collaborating with Cisco to map out how we will power a new breed of solutions and services for our customers over the coming five years, and are excited about the opportunities this will bring to the UAE’s ICT ecosystem.”

“The ongoing transformation of our industry merges with the pace of technology innovation to create a data-driven economy and an environment where business models thrive in collaborative ecosystems. This makes it imperative for us to transform not only our technology infrastructure, but also the way we operate so as to embrace the agility required by the new economic order.” AlBlooshi added.

“Continuously evolving digital technologies and digital user experiences are raising the bar for telecom service providers like du to transform themselves into ICT services providers,” said Ali Amer, Managing Director, Global Service Provider Sales, Cisco Middle East and Africa. “Service providers around the world are witnessing immense changes that are forcing them to adapt accordingly. As a technology leader, Cisco is collaborating with du to evolve their offerings beyond traditional connectivity services to incorporate a wider gamut of digital lifestyle and enterprise offerings.”

According to Cisco’s survey of Middle East and Africa enterprise customers in 2017, five times as many visitors as the resident population visit Dubai during the six months of tourism season.