The venture will enrich Zain’s offering of telecommunication services and addresses a growing demand for smartphones and applications
During the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Zain Group entered into an agreement with Microsoft Middle East and Africa to bring Windows Phone devices to the region.
The planned launch of Windows Phone software later this year, jointly with smartphone devices from selected manufacturers, will target business and consumers across Zain’s mobile operations in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and South Sudan.
Zain’s partnership with Microsoft complements and follows other technology ventures that Zain has recently entered into in order to enrich the company’s offering of mobile services in line with our customer’s growing appetite for smartphones and applications.
This partnership with Zain across its mobile operations will allow consumers across the region to purchase a variety of the latest devices from various manufacturers of Windows Phone devices that enable and compliment their digital lifestyles.
It is envisaged that the partnership will foster the development of an applications ecosystem within Zain’s mobile network, facilitating developers to create and publish applications for the marketplace.
Nabeel bin Salamah, CEO of Zain Group, said: “The smartphone has become a necessary item in today’s society, and this agreement with Microsoft is just the beginning of yet another example of Zain delivering on its brand promise to achieve our vision of ‘A Wonderful World’. We have the utmost confidence in the capabilities of Windows smartphone technology and believe such an appealing offering will further attract, empower and enhance the lifestyles of our customers.”
Gustavo Fuchs, Microsoft Mobility director, Middle East and Africa, said: “Smartphone growth is fueling the worldwide mobile phone market and Windows Phone is poised to lead this trend. In fact, the International Data Corporation (IDC) recently projected that Windows Phone will have the second largest share of the smartphone market by 2015.”
