Du Demonstrates Carrier Capabilities With Launch Of Voice Hubbing Service

Demonstrating the company’s unique capability in the region to aggregate large volumes of traffic to key destinations, du today announced the launch of its voice hubbing service which is aimed at Middle East and Asian Voice Carriers wishing to transit the United Arab Emirates. The service leverages voice bilateral agreements established by du with over 100 major global carriers.

“At present du is handling approximately four billion minutes of international traffic annually. Such volumes provide us with a very strong base on which to negotiate better termination rates on behalf of our Middle East and Asian Carrier Partners wishing to outsource their voice interconnection,” commented Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer, du.

du’ s voice hubbing service is supported by a newly commissioned IT platform delivering state-of-the-art wholesale billing and a minimal cost, fully automated routing system. Carrier Partners choosing to join the du voice hub will be assured guaranteed traffic continuity over premium direct routes. Combined with du’s flexible service support, 24/7 monitoring capabilities and a dedicated International Carrier Relations Account Team, the du voice hubbing service will quickly become a major gateway for traffic in and out of the region.

Other benefits of the service include cost savings, limited capital expenditure and increased freedom enabling Carrier Partners to concentrate on their core business. du is offering high end customer support for worldwide traffic conveyance to the Partner’s designated country based on Least Cost Routing. du also has an excellent track record in the hubbing business with key operators in the Middle East and has established strong partnerships with the major global voice carriers, as well as reliable transmission providers offering superior call completion rates and exceptional quality.
 

Dubai eGovernment Calls Upon Customers To Voice Their Opinions On ICT Usage Government Online Services

Dubai eGovernment has launched an online customer survey on Dubai.ae to measure customers’ ICT usage for completing their transactions with local government departments and gauge their satisfaction with government online services.

The survey, which is exclusively targeted at Dubai based citizens and residents, calls upon university students, working professionals, home-makers and retirees to ensure their opinion counts most for future planning and delivery of newer online services for the Emirate of Dubai.

Commenting on the survey, H.E. Ahmed Bin Humaidan, Director General of Dubai eGovernment Department, said: “This survey is in line with the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister & Ruler of Dubai, for an integrated and transparent government that meets the needs of citizens, residents and businesses in Dubai. It also aligns with our ‘Customer Comes First’ strategy which ensures that we listen carefully to what our customer wants, before we engage and act upon their responses to deliver new customer-focused government services. We assure our customers that their opinions are extremely valuable to us and their responses will be used for statistical and analysis purposes in an anonymous manner.”

The customer surveys which can be accessed from either the top or bottom banner of Dubai.ae – the official portal of Dubai government; or from www.deg.gov.ae – the corporate website of Dubai eGovernment Department; can be undertaken completely online in either English or Arabic with separate surveys targeted at Dubai based university students, working professionals and home-makers/retirees in Dubai.

The first part of the survey measures the customer’s ICT skills, access to the Internet, opinion on cost and quality of internet access. The second part measures personal and business usage of the internet to gauge popularity and usage of social networking, online banking, online tickets & travel, online educational courses, online job search, and company usage of the internet for government services, while the final part of the survey measures most used government services online, reasons for usage/non-usage of government services and concludes with an open text area for customers to give their suggestions and feedback on how Dubai eGovernment can improve its online services.

Dubai eGovernment will continue to align its policies in line with its ‘Customer Comes First’ strategy and other than regular customer surveys intends to use social networking tools to ensure it always listens and responds effectively to the voices of its citizens, residents, business community and visitors.
 

RTA Launches Voice Mail Service For The Public

The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has recently inaugurated the Voice Mail feature with the aim of improving the level of services delivered to the public who call to inquire about the services offered by various RTA agencies or to submit complaints and/or suggestions.

“To offer a better experience for all segments of customers, and in conformity with the objectives of the Mystery Shopper initiative, the Voice Mail feature will play an important role in improving the level of response to callers; which in turn will boost the quality of service and enhance the corporate profile of the RTA across the community,” said Nabeel Yousef Al Ali, Director of Administrative Services, Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector.

Al Ali maintained that the Voice Mail service would ensure responding to all incoming calls and there would not be missed calls as callers would be able to leave voice messages, in case there was no one from the RTA to pick up their calls for any reason, and as such their calls would be attended to later on.

To ensure implementation of the best practices and picking up all incoming calls from the public, voice messages are recorded indicating that the concerned official might not be reachable for the moment along with an option to divert all incoming calls to the Voice Mail in case the employee in question was in a meeting such that he or she can reconnect with the caller once the period of engagement is over. As such RTA will ensure that all incoming calls will be attended to in full, and the Voice Mail will be available for use in Arabic & English languages.

African Children’s Choir To Bring The Voice Of Africa To Dubai This DSS In Its First Show In The Middle East

The African Children’s Choir, an ambassador for Africa’s neediest, most vulnerable children, will perform in Dubai for the first time in the Middle East this DSS from July 21 to August 3. The Choir shows the world that its members, like the millions of abandoned and traumatized children in Africa, have beauty, dignity and unlimited potential. The first show will be held in Dubai Festival City, a key sponsor of DSS 2009, on July 21 and July 22 at 6pm, 7:30pm, and 9pm.

In 1984, in the midst of Uganda’s civil war, human rights activist Ray Barnett was called on to help the many thousands of orphaned and starving children, abandoned and helpless to feed and protect themselves. Realizing the enormity of the task Ray and his team came up with a unique approach. The only way to make a meaningful difference was to impact the lives of these children, one child at a time.

"Inspired by the singing of one small boy, we formed the first African Children’s Choir to show the world that Africa’s most vulnerable children have beauty, dignity and unlimited ability,” said Ray.

Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer of DSF Office said, “We are delighted to bring the African Children’s Choir to Dubai Summer Surprises as the values that the group espouses are those that Dubai Summer Surprises supports and encourages. This unique choir will not only entertain visitors this DSS but put forth a clear message to audiences.”

To date over seven hundred vulnerable children have been through the Choir program and the funds they have generated have provided the opportunity of education and hope for many thousands like them in some of the most desperate and needy areas of Africa.

Choir Training
Children selected to tour spend approximately five months at the Choir Training Academy in Kampala, Uganda. Here the children learn the songs and dances, attend school, play and attend Sunday School at a local church.

It is at the Choir Training Academy where the real life-changing work of the African Children’s Choir™ can be seen. The children’s personalities and talents emerge like never before as they settle into their new routine with the knowledge that they are loved and cared for.

As they come from some of the most needy families, the African Children’s Choir™ is committed to helping Choir children physically, spiritually, emotionally and academically, giving each child an opportunity to reach their potential. After returning to Africa, the African Children’s Choir™ provides care and education that builds on the unique international exposure the children experienced abroad. The children receive a quality education, leadership training and spiritual ministry at the Music for Life Primary School in Kampala, or at other well-equipped schools in their respective countries.

The African Children’s Choir™ will perform in Arabian Centre on July 23 and 24, at Modhesh World on July 25 and 26, Deira City Centre on July 27 and 28, The Dubai Mall on July 29 and 30, Dubai Marina Mall on July 31 and Aug 1, and Mercato on Aug 2 and Aug 3.

Show timings are 6:00pm / 07:30pm / 09:00pm from Saturdays to Wednesday, and 06:30pm / 08:00pm / 09:30pm on Thursday and Fridays.

Dubai Cabs To Get Voice Reminders

Dubai Taxi Corporation at Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has recently introduced electronic voice announcements in a number of taxicabs in the fleet of Dubai Taxi.

“Dubai Taxi Corporation is always keen to upgrade the level of service rendered to the public using Dubai Taxi service, and this new service relates to reminding cab passengers by means of automated voice recordings in both Arabic & English not to forget their belonging in the vehicles. While passengers can enjoy their taxi ride, at the end of the trip they will automatically hear a pre-recorded voice message saying: “Please don’t forget your personal belongings in the vehicle. Greetings from Dubai Taxi Corporation” said Ahmed Al Hamadi, Director of Resources & Support Dep’t at Dubai Taxi Corporation.

He added: “Dubai Taxi Corporation opted to introduce this technology of automated voice recordings in Arabic & English in response to requests from various bodies calling for a solution to the problem of having passengers leave their belongings inside Dubai taxicabs. This voice recording reminding passengers not to leave their belongings in vehicles is one of the fastest and most effective methods to relieve taxi commuters from troubles of losing their jewels, money, cell phones, laptops and other valuables; which would otherwise inflict heavy material & moral losses to them, and disrupt the progress of their businesses.

“Dubai Taxi Corporation has so far completed introduction of the new technology on board 1060 taxicabs, and work is up and running in generalizing it to all vehicles of Dubai Taxi fleet; which currently has 3503 vehicles in service.

“In the meantime, cabdrivers of Dubai Taxi Corporation are keen on returning the lost items to the Corporation as well as other concerned bodies, and these drivers have in many cases been honoured and rewarded by passengers and the Corporation in recognition of their honesty and dedication to serve all passengers; be it Emiratis, residents, visitors or tourists” said Al Hamadi in a final remark.