du launches BlackBerry service

du, the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, announced Monday the launch of the BlackBerry wireless solution to its mobile customers across the UAE. A distribution agreement has been signed with Alcatel-Lucent, the global end-to-end communications provider, to offer integration and service deployment of the BlackBerry solution on du’s mobile network, which fully supports data communication.

BlackBerry smartphones will bring du subscribers easy-to-use wireless access to email, internet, organiser and other mobile applications. The BlackBerry solution enables enhanced business communications and increased productivity, delivering a significant competitive advantage to both business and individual mobile users.

Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “As an integrated telecommunications provider, we continuously work towards offering our customers end-to-end intelligent communication solutions that offer convenience, competiveness and reliability to their professional and personal life. Acclaimed as the leading wireless email device used by millions of customers world-wide, BlackBerry smartphones have it all, so it was a natural step for us to integrate the BlackBerry solution on du mobile services.

“We understand that email access and office applications, while on the move, is becoming essential for business people and individuals, and with the launch of the BlackBerry solution we are bringing practical communication solutions to our customers and enriching our portfolio of integrated communication.

BlackBerry solution offered by du will be available on enterprise and consumer postpaid lines and enterprise prepaid lines, with consumer prepaid lines to follow in the near future. “By providing our customers with two plans - unlimited national and unlimited international, we have chosen to offer the most flexible package with unlimited email and internet access within and outside UAE,” Sultan concluded.

du will initially offer customers the BlackBerry Curve 8300 smartphone, the BlackBerry 8800 smartphone, the BlackBerry 8700g smartphone and the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 smartphone. Customers will also be able to use their own BlackBerry smartphones provided they are not SIM locked with other operators.

du will provide the BlackBerry Enterprise solutions for companies. The enterprise suite provides a comprehensive platform that enables wireless enterprise applications and connectivity to back-end systems. It works as a wireless extension to corporate email systems, providing advanced security features and wireless IT policy enforcement on devices.

In addition to BlackBerry Enterprise solution, du will offer BlackBerry Internet Service, more suitable for individual buyers, mobile professionals and small businesses that want wireless access to communications and information with no required installation of server software or hardware.

With more than 160 data roaming agreements with different carriers worldwide, du customers can use the BlackBerry solution in more than 70 countries worldwide. du is also continuously working on further increasing its international roaming footprint to cover more and more countries.