Four Lucky Participants Of ’du World Cup Fever Challenge 2010’ Will Meet David Beckham

Truly turning dreams into reality, du added a dash of excitement to life by giving four lucky winners of the ‘du World Cup Fever Challenge 2010’ the once-in-a-lifetime all expenses paid trip to Los Angeles to meet football legend David Beckham.

During a ceremony held at du’s offices, Ahmad Aburahima, VP, Government Relations, du, handed over the award voucher to the lucky four.

“We are delighted to give away these fantastic prizes to the four deserving winners of our World Cup Fever Challenge. We are a company that not only strives to provide the very best in entertainment, but also add a sprinkling of fun and enjoyment to the lives of people in the UAE. With the World Cup Fever Challenge, we provided an exceptional, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not just to our customers, but to anyone who wished to participate,” said Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communications, du.

David Cook won du’s radio competition and qualified for the World Cup Fever Challenge at Mall of the Emirates. He then selected three of his friends, Ben Goodman, James Cloete & Robert Russell to compete with him at du’s World Cup stand at the mall for the opportunity to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have won this opportunity and can hardly believe we will all be heading off to LA to meet David Beckham, all courtesy du! We are very grateful for this opportunity – this is certainly the sort of thing that happens to a select few!”, said David Cook

The World Cup Fever Challenge, which took place at the du stand during the World Cup, was a hugely exciting interactive game – driven through the radio – based on a competition of penalty shoot-outs and a series of knock-out remote-control football matches.

The winning prize includes four return tickets to Los Angeles that includes a six-night stay, and a lifetime opportunity to meet football legend David Beckham, VIP private lounge access to meet more players, VIP Field Side Seats to an LA Galaxy game , an LA Galaxy gift pack and memorabilia and an allowance to spend during the trip.

In order to ensure the UAE’s football fans really got the most out of the football season, du provided an interactive zone at Mall of the Emirates that offered football enthusiasts the chance to participate in a range of fun and competitive games, including the unique World Cup Challenge radio competition.

du is committed to bringing fun and excitement to the people of the UAE throughout the year, and is continuing to provide great entertainment and surprises at du’s stand in the Galleria area of Mall of the Emirates during Dubai Summer Surprises season.
 

Presented by du and supported by Coca – Cola: The ’One’ Marquee attracts soccer fans as World Cup finale nears

As the 2010 FIFA World Cup enters the final week, soccer fans are crowding the ’One’, a luxurious marquee built especially for the World Cup. Presented by du, and supported by Coca-Cola as the Official Partner, the high-end venue is one of the main attractions of the ongoing Dubai Summer Surprises 2010.

Fully-equipped with state-of-the-art 35 LCD screens in addition to two 2×3 metre giant screens, the marquee offers its visitors a great menu of food and beverages in addition to shiesha to set the mood of excitement and cheering across the two-floored venue. Cooled by air conditioning units, the marquee can accommodate around 600 spectators. 

du Wins Prestigious 2009 Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award

Besting a field of top-notch international competitors, du and its suppliers VOSS and Cisco have been awarded the highly-coveted 2009 Innovation Award by Global Telecoms Business (GTB) magazine. The award recognises du’s implementation of an industry-leading Unified Communication service delivery platform (UC SDP) and is proof that du’s innovative approach to integrated telecommunications is being acknowledged and recognised.A must-read for telecommunications industry leaders around the globe, GTB magazine began its Innovation Award programme in 2007. A panel of judges selects winners from among hundreds of ground-breaking projects involving telecommunications operators and service providers world-wide, in association with their vendors and suppliers.du has quickly consolidated its position as the forward-thinking telecommunications provider of the UAE, providing smart, user-friendly telecom solutions to individuals, homes and businesses, as well as carrier services and broadcast services. du’s success is borne out in rapidly-growing demand for its products and services. Determined to meet that demand without sacrificing its commitment to personalised customer care, du migrated to a Cisco Hosted Unified Communications solution which included the VOSS pre-integrated service delivery platform.“By partnering with cutting-edge companies like Cisco and VOSS, we have secured a meaningful competitive advantage that translates to real-world convenience and state-of-the-art, bespoke service packages for our discerning customers,” said Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du. “We’re honoured by the international recognition that the GTB award represents, and above all, honoured by the trust and loyalty of our clientele, who inspire us to keep raising the bar on our world-class telecom product and service offerings.”The award-winning du system is an integrated, next generation solution that grows along with the company, enabling it to customise new and enhanced packages for customers according to evolving requirements. The system helps du stay agile in a fast-moving market, streamlines its operations and provides a consistent user interface.Highlights of the du system include:
· A fully-automated, centralised management platform that enables non-technical staff to add new customers and complete maintenance and adaptations in real-time, leading to dramatic cost and time savings
· A fully outsourced, centrally managed Internet Protocol (IP) communications environment that provides customers with a rich voice, video and web experience, with business-ready UC features
· The flexibility to create advanced UC services in a matter of days and deliver them to customers on-demand, with little systems integration
· The capacity to actively promote the managed service offering, with full confidence that there are no longer any issues with capacity or a limited service offeringThe GTB Innovation Award is a prestigious addition to du’s impressive collection of accolades in multiple categories. A relative newcomer to the telecommunications scene, du continues to demonstrate that it is the telecom service provider to watch in the MENA region and beyond.
 

du Bolsters Indoor Network Coverage In Hundreds Of UAE Hotspots

du is expanding and improving its indoor network coverage in hundreds of high-traffic areas across the UAE with the continued roll-out of sophisticated in-building upgrades. Since 2007, du has invested more than AED 500 million in indoor connectivity improvements. This enables it to provide 3.5G, 3G, EDGE, GPRS and GSM capability in any location it covers. Built with the latest protocols and telecommunications technology, the du network also supports the most modern technology available for voice clarity – AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate). With another AED 200 million earmarked this year for indoor network improvements in additional locations across the UAE, du has sourced cutting-edge technologies from companies which include Nokia Siemens, Huawei and Motorola to complete its in-building improvements.

du’s IBS (In-Building Solutions) team is working tirelessly to enhance coverage in key locations such as shopping malls, airport buildings, hospitals, universities, hotels, resorts, high-rises and other high-traffic areas across the country. Once a location receives its ‘extreme du makeover’, subscribers can expect exceptional voice clarity, robust connectivity and instantaneous connections on every level, in every elevator, and even in the areas surrounding the hotspot.

“We are committed to bringing our state-of-the-art EDGE network to customers across the UAE,” said Hatem Bamatraf, Senior VP Network Development, du. “The EDGE network is compatible with the latest 3.5 and 3G mobile technologies, as well as the 4G technologies of the future. In addition to expanding our coverage, we are also dedicating substantial resources to vastly improve network reliability in indoor areas and ensure ultra-clear and dependable service where our subscribers live, play and do business.”

The current initiative to strengthen du’s indoor network coverage is a critical component of ongoing efforts to address customer concerns, and to strengthen and consolidate the company’s position as the UAE’s most innovative and responsive telecommunications provider.

Du Celebrates Al Isra Wal Miraj With Special Rates On 19th July

To mark the occasion of Al Isra Wal Miraj, du is offering its mobile and fixed customers off-peak rates for international calls, as well as special rates for text messages, on Sunday, 19th July 2009.

Customers will enjoy off-peak calling rates to international destinations for the entire day. In addition, du is offering subscribers a special rate of 15 fils for national SMS and 45 fils for international SMS anytime on 19th July 2009.

“At du, we are always striving to ‘add life to life.’ Offering preferred rates on Al Isra Wal Miraj is the perfect way to help our customers celebrate with family and friends,” said Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du. “Connecting with loved ones is so important on special holidays and we are delighted that we can contribute, in a modest way, to the joy of this occasion.”

For more information on du’s products and services, customers can visit any of the 32 du shops or kiosks, 3000+ authorized du dealers, or the du e-shop at www.du.ae.

du TV+ package set to revolutionise TV experience in the UAE

du today announced the successful introduction of du TV+ services on 1 July, 2009 in its current fixed-line areas.du TV+ will provide du home customers with an unmatched TV viewing experience including an array of advanced features such as intuitive and simplified search and display, superior channel browsing, instant channel change capability, an ergonomically-designed Enhanced Electronic Program Guide and the option of pausing, rewinding and recording live programming.The star attraction of the du TV+ package is undoubtedly High Definition television (HDTV). Currently HD channels like National Geographic HD, myZen TV, Luxe TV and Showtime HD are available as part of the suite of Free-to-Air channels. du is currently working with other content providers to bring more HD channels into the UAE.du TV+ is now available to new home customers in the areas covered by du’s fixed-line network. Existing du home customers will be migrated to du TV+ services in a phased manner by swapping the du TV decoders starting 15 August, 2009. The upgrade will be done free of charge.Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “du has collaborated with Microsoft to bring a new dimension to TV viewing in the UAE. Our state-of-art offering includes features like intuitive channel search and display, advanced browsing and High Definition TV. HD channels from du are available to all new du customers at no extra charge until 31 July, 2009.”Added Faraidooni, “du will introduce its commercial HD packages in August 2009. Over the past several months, du has been working with leading channel providers to bring High Definition content into the UAE. As more channels become available, du will progressively add more HD content to its TV offering. All du customers will have access to unparalleled picture and sound quality.”Details of features:New du TV is powered by Microsoft Mediaroom, the award-winning Internet Protocol television (IPTV) software platform. Mediaroom features advanced multimedia capabilities including digital video recording, video on demand, high-definition television, instant channel zapping and multiview capabilities.With the new du TV+ service, viewers will not only enjoy superior browsing but will also be able to pause, rewind and record live TV, meaning they will never miss that amazing football goal or dramatic movie scene. Now there will be no need to rush back home to watch a favourite movie or TV series as viewers can schedule a recording of their favourite programmes using du’s simple, user-friendly menu.Both du TV and du TV+ customers can arrange a bouquet of favourite channels quite easily, and they will have a parental control feature to protect their children from watching any unwanted channels.A new Electronic Program Guide allows viewers to see what is coming up on their favourite channels and what is going to play up to seven days in advance. In addition, customers will not need to keep multiple remote controls for the TV and the du decoder as the du remote is compatible with both.Details of du TV packages:With every du TV subscription, viewers will receive the basic TV package that includes more than 130 channels from around the world in different genres and in different languages. Every du TV subscriber will also have access to Pay-TV bouquets from Showtime, Orbit Pehla, Firstnet, ART and JSTV, and High Definition TV, all on one TV decoder for an affordable price.Subscriptions for du TV come with a standard decoder and a Basic TV Package for a monthly fee of AED 30; subscriptions for du TV+ include a personal recordable decoder and a Basic TV Package for a monthly fee of AED 55.New customers in residential areas served by du can subscribe to new du TV services by visiting du shops at the following locations:• Dubai Media, City Building #14, Ground Floor
• Ibn Battuta Mall, Persian Court
• Mall of the Emirates, Ground Floor
• Jumeirah Centre, Jumeirah Beach Road
• Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Precinct Building No. 5
• Jumeirah Beach Residence, Sadaf Tower, Plaza Floor
• International City, China Cluster, Building C11, Shop 0