MUSCAT: Omantel, the Sultanate’s leading telecommunications operator, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cisco for managed network and data centre solutions and the provision of cloud services, according to the company’s new transformation strategy.
“The underlying goal of our transformative Omantel 3.0 strategy is to deliver the best customer propositions available and deploy innovative business and eGovernment services that will deliver solutions that go way beyond business as usual,” Talal Al Mamari, chief executive officer of Omantel said.
“The signing of this MoU, and our ongoing strategic partnership with Cisco, will be a key driver of growth and value generation for our customers and signals our accelerated approach towards the effective implementation of our 3.0 strategy in 2016 and beyond,” he added.
Under the terms of the MoU, Omantel and Cisco will form joint teams to collaborate on key areas of network improvement, focusing on enhancing managed network, data centre and virtualisation solutions, growing the deployment of cloud services in the Sultanate, as well as mutually evaluating potential areas for future collaboration.
Highlighting the importance of the agreement, Todd Dick, VP Corporate Business Unit for Omantel said, “Partnering with a world renowned company like Cisco allows us to provide our government, corporate and consumer clients across Oman innovative and integrated solutions that help deliver simplified operations, improved IT productivity and data centre utilisation.
“This collaboration will also help Omantel drive operational simplicity, business agility and cost reduction; aspects that are essential for cloud computing and realising the full potential of the nation’s IT capabilities to become a truly networked society.”
The MoU paves the way for greater collaboration with Cisco to drive Omantel’s strategy in playing a leading role in the Sultanate’s digitisation.
Thomas Pittschieler, transformation executive officer for Omantel said, “This MoU underlines our strategy to implement the latest IT industry standards in the Sultanate, supported by a partner ecosystem of innovative and trusted industry leaders such as Cisco. Their expertise and technology will provide ideal support for cloud computing environments and data centres, offering real-world benefits for enterprises and consumers alike. It is through partnerships like these, that we can see our vision of being the nation’s digital partner of choice achieved.”
As part of the MoU, Omantel and Cisco will work on developing value creating opportunities in the domains of next-generation cloud and managed services solutions, cloud and hosting services, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The agreement also paves the way for both parties to work together in the areas of knowledge sharing and staff training.
“Cisco is committed to the way service providers can transform their business with innovation to help optimise and accelerate their business model and revenue streams. Oman is transforming itself into a knowledge based economy as specified in its economic vision 2020, in which information and communication will play a leading role,” said Mike Weston, Vice President Middle East of Cisco.
“Omantel is taking this vision forward with the services they provide to their customers and we are excited to be a part of this journey by collaborating with them in strategic areas of their IT infrastructure,” he added.
Investing in the future of the nation, Omantel connects even the most remote communities of the Sultanate to each other and the rest of the world. Omantel is the Sultanate’s first and leading integrated telecommunications services provider, enabling the digital society to flourish, allowing new ways of doing business and delivering a world of information, news and entertainment.
Today, Omantel boldly innovates to deliver the highest levels of customer satisfaction, the broadest and most reliable nationwide network, while investing for Oman’s future development.
