Saudi Telecom Company ( STC ) once again teamed up with Nokia Siemens Networks to ensure millions of Haj pilgrims enjoyed the best possible mobile service. Nokia Siemens Networks successfully ensured STC 's network performance remained high with 99.9 percent network availability, despite the huge increase in the traffic. As the sole GSM and 3G radio supplier, Nokia Siemens Networks provided STC with its Single Radio Access Network (RAN) and Special Event Support Services (SESS). The unique event, with an extremely high-number of mobile users, involves the movement of millions of people creates high-density traffic, requiring SESS to maintain optimal network performance under exceptional conditions. More»

STC announced its new and exclusive offer intended to current and new postpaid customers. The offer shall extend to (3) three months beginning Jan. 14, 2013 during which customers may enjoy unlimited voice calls and SMS within STC's network. Postpaid customers may enjoy the offer for SR 119 and may get further information about it by sending SMS code "4810" to "902", or via any of STC's customer-care centers. STC has previously introduced Saving Keys (My Club Key, Friends Key, International Key, SMS Key, Students Key and Jawal Key) which allow customers to tailor their packages to their needs by adding the relevant key for the package suitable for their monthly use and to ultimately get the best monthly subscription at the most cost-effective price. The offer reaffirms STC's commitment to fulfilling customer needs and allowing them mobile services at competitive prices by continuously offering exclusive and diversified packages that highlight the company's dedication to facilitating services to its customers based on studying their needs and coherently accomplishing its marketing and business objectives. More»

Mobile telephone companies have urged customers not to panic over the latest re-registration of SIM cards deadline which falls on Thursday. The 'My Number, My Identity' campaign was ordered by the Telecom Regulatory Authority TRA and could take months to complete. The Thursday deadline is only for a small fraction of mobile telephone users - all of whom will have received several SMS messages in the last two weeks reminding them to go to a du or Etisalat shop with their passport and ID card to complete the mandatory process. Director of du's Premium Personal Market, Yasser Al Yousuf told 7DAYS: "It's not all customers who are affected. Selected customers who we have communicated with through SMS are affected. More»

Shares of Sharp and other suppliers of iPhone parts to Apple have fallen after reports of a cut in orders for the iPhone 5. Apple has reduced orders by about 50% for its latest model, according to the Nikkei newspaper in Japan. Sharp, which makes display panels for the device, slumped as much as 7% in Tokyo trade. Speaker-maker ACC Technologies fell 4.2% in Hong Kong. Apple shares hit an 11-month low in New York on Monday after the report. Apple has seen increased competition in the smartphone market in recent months. South Korea's Samsung Electronics, which offers a wider variety of smartphones, recently overtook Apple as the world's largest smartphone maker by market share. Some analysts have said that Apple will need to come out with a cheaper smartphone to target customers in emerging markets. More»

Dell Inc is in talks with private equity firms on a potential buyout, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, confirming reports that sent shares in the world's No. 3 PC maker soaring 13 percent to nearly a eight-month high. The firms are now holding discussions on a deal with billionaire Chief Executive and founder Michael Dell, who owns about 14 percent of the company, according to one source with knowledge of the matter. The Wall Street Journal cited unidentified sources as saying TPG and Silver Lake could team up on an offer, possibly in conjunction with other investors such as pension funds. JPMorgan Chase & Co was also involved in the negotiations, it added. The first source told Reuters any potential deal could be structured as a management-led buyout with Michael Dell at the helm. More»

Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) has launched a large-scale operations to expand and upgrade its 3G and 4G networks along with its advanced and different technologies. The company said it had awarded contracts that reached up to $256 million to leading telecom vendors to execute the expansion and development projects. The expansion projects reflect Mobily's ambitious aims to maintain its leadership in the field of mobile networks by deploying modern and advanced technologies. This has empowered Mobily to own the largest 3G and 4G networks in the MENA, according to a company statement. Ericsson and Huawei, which signed contracts for SR563 million and SR400 million respectively, in addition to a number of other specialized companies will work to implement their plans to expand and upgrade Mobily's 3G and the 3.5G networks that cover about 96 percent of the populated areas across the Kingdom. More»

Experts have predicted that three-quarters of web users in the UAE will become victims of cybercrime with 75 per cent of them having their bank accounts hacked. The shocking prediction came after figures released by 999 magazine, the English-speaking magazine of Ministry of the Interior, showed that cyber attacks in the past year have mostly targeted the banking sector, including ATMs and internet banking websites. Other attacks were launched against the government's e-services, telecommunication systems and educational institutions. Lieutenant Colonel Yasser Moh­amed Al Wahabi, E-Infrastructure Director, at the UAE Ministry said most police HQs in the UAE now have cybercrime units. Experts estimate the cost of cybercrime runs into hundreds of billions. The cost of online fraud to UAE residents in the 12 months to September 2012 was more than Dhs1 billion. In the previous year it was Dhs2.3 billion. More»

Orchtech Mobile Communicator was chosen one of the top six innovative mobile applications in Egypt, while competing in the Mobile Application Award Competition organized by the TIEC (Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center). The aim behind Mobile Application Award was recognizing successful Egyptian entrepreneurs in mobile industry and promoting their applications worldwide by giving them the chance to compete in the Global Mobile Awards - part of the Global Mobile Congress that will be held in Barcelona, February 2013. Orchtech Mobile Communicator succeeded in the mobile publishing category as it was the best application providing digital media and information for mobile devices & tablets. Orchtech Mobile Communicator, recently launched by Orchtech, is a mobile service application designed for entities that want to have a communication channel that enables their customers/clients to reach their products and/or services and needed information through their Android and iPhone smartphones. It's a channel where target customers can easily access: More»

Approaching the launch of the MENA ICT Forum 2013; which will be held on the 6th and 7th of March 2013, registration officially started for public to participate in the forum held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah at the prestigious King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Center, Dead Sea, and titled “Arab ICT Spring: Realizing Potential”. On this occasion, Mr. Mohammed Tahboub; the Chairman of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), stated:”The registration is open for all companies and public, as the forum is considered a platform to share experiences and accomplishments in the Information and Communications Technology, and it is a great opportunity for startups and entrepreneurs to learn and meet with the leading companies in the ICT field in the globe”. It is worth mentioning that there is a special early bird discount on all registrations before the 10th of February. The Forum offers a platform for all ICT key figures in the Middle East and North Africa, to discuss the effect of the ICT sector influencing the future of the Arab World. The event will address vital issues in a context that is highly relevant to the MENA region, while provide the business community, decision makers and stakeholders with a holistic overview of the region’s current position, existing opportunities and the recommended approach for leveraging its potential. More»

Saudi Arabia is by-far the largest telecom market in the GCC, accounting for 66% of total mobile subscribers, 59% of total fixed-line connections and 58% of total internet users. Despite this only 38% of the country's population are connected to the internet. Couple this with favorable economic and demographic conditions and the opportunity for telecom-related companies to compete, do business and gain profitability in this high growth, sustainable market at the biggest annual telecom event in Saudi Arabia is clear. Currently in its second year, TELSA, the only dedicated B2B telecommunications and ICT Exhibition and Conference in Saudi Arabia will be held from February 10-12, 2013 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh under the sponsorship of all three Saudi telecom providers, STC, Mobily and Zain, as well as the support of the Kingdom's telecom regulator, the Communications and Information Technology Commission ( CITC ), in addition to market and technology leaders in Web security and WAN optimization, Blue Coat Systems. More»