Umniah signs a strategic partnership with Microsoft

Press release

Published March 2nd, 2011 - 01:54 GMT

Executives from both companies during the signing

As part of its efforts aimed at enhancing Internet content services in the Kingdom, Umniah has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Microsoft Jordan, under which it will provide in the coming months – for the first time in Jordan - a set of cutting-edge Internet WEB services and applications for its customers that allow them to connect and consolidate their data and efficiently manage their online activities.

Ihab Hinnawi, Umniah CEO, said, “Umniah’s youth subscribers are avid online users, and hence providing them with services that enable them to consolidate and simplify their online activities is necessary in light of the growing range of popular online platforms. By signing this agreement with Microsoft Jordan, we can provide our subscribers with the best and most advanced services available on the market in this regard.”

He added, “We are very proud to be the first operator in the Kingdom to sign such an agreement and to be among the few telecom companies in the region to offer these services. Umniah has always prided itself on pioneering the introduction of the latest services and solutions to our youth segment, which reflects our dedication and belonging to both youth and technology. Microsoft Jordan enjoy a flawless track record in delivering value-added, cutting-edge products and services, and it is a pleasure to be working with them through this agreement.”

The Windows Live suite of services will be offered to the all Umniah GSM and Broadband subscribers in the coming months. Umniah’s products and services will be bundled with the Windows Live account to offer users a more efficient method to communicate and stay connected. The Windows Live Interface will enable Umniah to enhance the way it interacts with its customers, keeping them up to date with its latest news and offers by creating a subscriber-based community.

Michel Diab, Acting Country Manager in Microsoft Jordan, stated, “This is the first strategic partnership agreement of its kind in Jordan and will provide Umniah’s younger generation of customers with a complimentary suite of Microsoft powered software client applications and web services that deliver a comprehensive messaging, collaboration and networking solution, accessible from any web browser, PC or browser-enabled mobile device.”

Hani Quteineh, Microsoft Jordan Account Manager, Commercial Sector, stated, "The latest generation of Windows Live is great for handling and storing information. It allows users to organize emails and gain access to productivity applications such as Microsoft Office Online, and provides integrated social networks. It also presents users with a simple way of creating and sharing content such as photos and videos. Windows Live helps synchronize all the ways you communicate and share things online by giving you one place to go to chat with IM, send e-mail, share photos and files you’ve created, and stay connected with the people and things that matter to you online. With Umniah co-branded Windows Live ID, end-users can receive easy access to all their emails, contacts, calendars, social networks, and media content.”

The value-added Windows Live services that Umniah is now offering to its younger customers include aggregating any POP mail service within Hotmail, providing users with one place to manage all their emails; Umniah co-branded Windows Live Calendar so they can stay on top of their schedule; a ‘What‘s New?’ feed that broadcasts the activities of contacts on the Windows Live Home Page; Windows Live SkyDrive that will enable them to store, access and share up to 25 GB of files online for free; Windows Live Office Online where they can open, edit and share Microsoft documents; and Windows Live Messenger so that they can connect with their friends and access various social networking sites.

The Windows Live platform also provides users with family safety and parental controls.

Windows Live for Service Providers is based on Microsoft’s Windows Live Platform that hosts close to 500 million consumers worldwide.

Background Information

Umniah

Since its launch in 2005, Umniah continues to gain prominence as one of the region’s fastest-growing and most reliable telecommunications providers. Offering a diverse array of high-quality mobile, internet and enterprise solutions, Umniah has cultivated a loyal customer base of around 3 million customers in one of the region’s most competitive markets.

Company Profile

Microsoft

Microsoft enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.