Info2cell.com, the leading wireless application service provider in the Middle East, was one of the key participants in two of the mobile industry’s key events, Global Messaging Congress 2005 and Mobile Entertainment Market 2005 which were held concurrently, recently in London.
“Both events provided insights into the latest trends in mobile messaging and mobile entertainment and the steps Middle East needs to take to keep pace with the revolutionary mobile technological advancements,” said Bashar Dahabra, Founder and CEO, Info2cell.com, who attended both shows. “The two events provided the right networking platform, as the region gets ready to introduce more advanced services to mobile users.”
Global Messaging Congress 2005, the world’s largest and leading messaging conference and exhibition, highlighted industry case studies on messaging applications and services. The experts-led conference featured keynote presentations, the very latest technology and mobile messaging awards.
“The European mobile market is among the most advanced in the world and the value additions they have introduced, backed by heavy investments, have revolutionized the mobile industry,” added Dahabra. “European mobile users now have vast and innovative options to choose from, because the European industry has been highly proactive. By participating in this important event, Info2cell.com had an excellent opportunity of exposure to key elements of the European mobile entertainment market and adopt these strategies effectively in the Middle East.”
Mobile Entertainment Market 2005, described as the most definitive event for all players across the mobile entertainment value chain, focused on mobile music, mobile games, moving pictures, video and mobile broadcasting, direct to consumer business models, mobile DRM and content regulation.
“In the Middle East, the mobile market is poised for a quantum leap as mobile penetration is expanding at a dramatic pace,” said Dahabra. “Such a market lends itself to new innovations and advanced applications of new-generation mobile technology, such as the type European users have been enjoying for some time. As Info2cell.com has emerged as the leading player in the regional mobile market, we were pleased to make use of the twin-event to exchange ideas with international delegates.”
Info2cell.com works with the region’s 20 mobile operators to provide value added mobile services. It has already launched advanced Interactive Mobile Services for TV stations and satellite channels that allow viewers to vote and send requests through mobile phones. Info2cell.com is also developing more advanced interactive systems such as ‘On the Air Mobile Gaming on TV’, ‘Interactive Matchmaker’ and ‘Content Download’. Info2cell’s B2C (Business to Consumer) platform delivers the latest ring-tones, MMS content, Java games, cartoons and interactive TV services to mobile phones across the Middle East.
Mr. Dahabra was the chief architect and founder for the concept of a regional wireless portal service in the Middle East. Mr. Dahabra having observed and studied the convergence of the Internet and wireless technologies in the mid 90’s developed the info2cell concept in late 1998.
As the CEO, Mr. Dahabra was in charge of the overall Business Development, Systems Development and Financial strategies, dealing with the day-to-day operations of Info2cell. Info2cell.com the region's first wireless information provider was established in 1998 to fulfil 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.
Mr. Dahabra has 21 years of Systems Engineering, Management and Entrepreneurial experience, having worked for IBM for 10 years in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan. Mr. Dahabra also worked as Director for Systems Development with FLAG for two years in NY, USA. Mr. Dahabra was the founder of a number of successful startups in Jordan, Bahrain and the region including Unitech - Jordan, Unisat - Jordan, First Telecommunication Group – Jordan, Magnet- Jordan and Gulf Soft - Bahrain.
Mr. Dahabra holds a BSc n Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Engineering School at Edinburgh University in 1981 and is a member of a number of professional associations including IEEE, Jordan Computer Society, and Canadian Engineering Society.
Mr. Dahabra maybe contacted by email at dahabra@info2cell.com or phone +971 4 3912800 or fax +971 4 3912822
EMIRATES SIGNS GLOBAL ONLINE PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL GROUP
DUBAI, UAE. 12th July 2005 – Emirates, the world’s fastest-growing intercontinental airline, has signed an online partnership agreement with the Intercontinental Hotels Group, the world’s most global hotel company, to offer online customers guaranteed best available internet hotel rates.
Emirates customers can go online at www.emirates.com and book their hotel stay at any of the Intercontinental Hotels Group properties, via a seamless link to the group’s online reservations system.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Executive Vice President Commercial Operations Worldwide, said: “This agreement with the Intercontinental Hotel Group will provide enormous value to our online customers, especially during the summer season in the northern hemisphere, when they can take advantage of the guaranteed best hotel rates, plus receive bonus Skywards Miles when booking online.”
From now until 30th September 2005, members of Skywards, the frequent flyer programme of Emirates and SriLankan Airlines, who are also members of Priority Club Rewards, the loyalty programme of Intercontinental Hotels Group, will receive 500 bonus Skywards Miles when they book a hotel stay online at www.emirates.com, in addition to receiving 500 Skywards Miles when they produce their Skywards card at any Intercontinental property.
“The most exciting aspect of this partnership is the immediate visibility of tangible rewards. Now is the time to take advantage of this special offer and this new agreement proves more beneficial to all our valued Skywards and Priority Club members,” commented Chris Moloney, Chief Operating Officer, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Middle East and Africa.
Terms and conditions apply on the above offer, which can be booked via a specially formulated co-branded micro-site:
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/pc/1/en/c/2/content/dec/teaser/pc/0/en/lp/bonus/emirates.html?_IATAno=99610490, and through Emirates’ worldwide websites.
Contact:
Frances Barton, Emirates’ Corporate Communications;
Tel: (+9714) 203 2144; M: (+97150) 650 3900; e: fran.bart@emirates.com visit: www.emirates.com
About Emirates
Since its launch in 1985, Emirates Airline has received more than 270 international awards in recognition of its efforts to provide unsurpassed levels of customer service.
The airline has experienced rapid and consistent growth, above 20 per cent a year on average and has been profitable for the last 17 years. Financially self-sustained and unprotected, Emirates carried 12.5 million passengers in the 2004-05 financial year - 2.1 million more than the year before - and declared a record US $637 million profit, an increase of 49 per cent over the previous year, on revenue of US $4.9 billion - US$1.3 billion more, or 36 per cent better than the year before.
Emirates is the world’s fastest-growing intercontinental airline, one of the world's five most profitable and among the 20 largest ones. It is based in Dubai, one of the few cities in the world that pursues an open-skies policy, with more than 110 airlines in free and fair competition. Visit www.emirates.com
About Intercontinental Hotels Group
Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC of the United Kingdom [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. Intercontinental Hotels Group owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 3,500 hotels and 535,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including Intercontinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites® and Hotel IndigoTM, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards, with over 25 million members worldwide. In addition to this, Intercontinental Hotels Group has a 47.5% interest in Britvic, one of the two leading manufacturers of soft drinks, by value and volume, in Great Britain.
InterContinental Hotels Group offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ichotelsgroup.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com.
For the latest news from InterContinental Hotels Group, visit our online Press Office at www.ihgplc.com/media.
