du, Alcatel-Lucent and RIM launch the BlackBerry solution in the United Arab Emirates

Dubai UAE, Paris, France and Waterloo, ON — du, Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) announced that the launch of the BlackBerry® solution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). du customers will be able to enjoy the benefits of enhanced communications and increased productivity by using a Blackberry® smartphone to access email, browse the web, make phone calls, send and receive text and picture messages, as well as access a wide variety of business and leisure applications on the move.
“As an integrated telecom services provider, our goal is to offer our customers the most advanced telecom solutions and the best possible user experience. Integrating email services and data on the mobile phone is a natural step for du. We selected BlackBerry smartphones because they provide the leading wireless email solution used by millions of customers around the world,” said Osman Sultan, CEO of du. “Access to email and calendar information on the go has become essential for business people. Launching the BlackBerry solution is an integral step to enrich our portfolio of integrated communication solutions to meet the market needs in the UAE”, he added.
Based on its distribution agreement with RIM, Alcatel-Lucent is leveraging its strong local presence in the region to provide du with the end-to-end implementation, integration, launch and support services for delivering the BlackBerry solution to the UAE market. With Alcatel-Lucent managing integration and deployment, du can focus on delivering customer facing services, enabling the operator to quickly meet market demand.
“Our agreement with RIM further reinforces Alcatel-Lucent’s ability to leverage our global strengths and local presence to deliver enterprise managed communications and value-added services, enabling the operator to quickly meet market demand. As a result, du customers will enjoy the freedom and flexibility of the BlackBerry solution for staying connected to communications and information whenever they wish,” said Frederic Rose, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities Europe, Africa and Asia.
“Together with Alcatel-Lucent, we are pleased to extend the availability of the BlackBerry solution to du customers,” said Charmaine Eggberry, Vice President and Managing Director of RIM, EMEA. “The BlackBerry solution is a great choice for organizations and individuals that strive to be more productive, flexible, and ultimately more successful in work and life.”
At launch du will offer the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8300, BlackBerry® 8800, BlackBerry® 8700g and BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8100 smartphones, as well as BlackBerry® Enterprise Server and BlackBerry® Internet Service.
BlackBerry smartphones available from du
The BlackBerry Curve 8300 is the smallest and lightest full-QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone. Its stylish design incorporates a large display and a range of advanced multimedia features, including a 2 megapixel camera that comes complete with 5x digital zoom, built-in flash, self-portrait mirror and full screen viewfinder. The BlackBerry Curve 8300 makes it incredibly easy to stay connected to the information and people that matter most.
One of the smallest and lightest smartphones on the market, the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 packs the power and functionality that users have come to expect from a BlackBerry smartphone. Beneath its sleek and stylish exterior, this award winning smartphone supports powerful communications and rich multimedia capabilities, which has made it popular among business users and consumers alike.
The slim and stylish BlackBerry 8800 smartphone is designed to satisfy the needs of demanding mobile professionals. It includes a full, highly tactile QWERTY keyboard with a range of features including built-in GPS, a multimedia player and an expandable memory card slot. The large, high resolution screen, with its automatic light sensing technology, makes viewing email, the Internet and other applications a pleasure.
The sleek and elegant UMTS-enabled BlackBerry 8700g includes a wide range of communications and connectivity features together with a full QWERTY keyboard. It can also be used as a wireless modem for laptops, offering mobile professionals more flexibility in how they stay connected.
du will enable customers to connect through BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, which tightly integrates with IBM Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® and works with existing enterprise systems, to enable highly secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate applications.
For individuals and smaller businesses, du will offer BlackBerry® Internet Service, which allows users to manage up to ten supported corporate and personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts) from a single device.
About dudu, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, launched mobile telecommunication services on 11 February 2007 across the UAE in addition to internet and pay TV services in some of the free zones of Dubai. Call Select, the first of du’s nationwide Fixed line services for voice telephony, was launched in July 2007.
Among du’s many firsts is its historic Number Booking Campaign for both individuals and business, Pay by the Second billing system, Mobile TV, Mobile Payments, first of its kind ‘WoW’ recharge card (which offers customers the choice between more credit and more time) and Self Care. du business offers include Closed Business User Group and preferred International Destinations.
du’s retail network, currently numbering 16 du shops located in strategic locations across all emirates, was launched on 25 February 2007, supporting the delivery of du services to customers. du is 40 percent owned by the UAE Federal Government, 20 percent by Mubadala Development Company, 20 percent by TECOM Investments and 20 percent by public shareholders. It is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name du.
du was recognised as the ‘Best Brand’ for its innovative branding and outstanding success at the Telecom World Awards Middle East 2007. www.du.ae
About Alcatel-LucentAlcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprise and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 17.8 billion in 2007 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com
About Research In Motion (RIM)Research in Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
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