Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, Dubai, UAE and Waterloo, ON - Atlantique Telecom, Emitac Mobile Solutions and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the launch of the BlackBerry® solution for Moov customers in Cote D’Ivoire.
The BlackBerry solution brings together smartphones, software and services to allow easy wireless access to email, phone, calendar, web, multimedia and other business and lifestyle applications. Millions of customers in Cote D’Ivoire will now be able to enjoy the freedom and productivity benefits of using BlackBerry® smartphones to stay connected to people and information on the go.
“Since July 2006, Moov has revolutionized the telecommunication market in Côte d’Ivoire. Now, Moov is offering a choice of powerful BlackBerry smartphones at affordable prices and a comprehensive solution that will enhance the professional and personal lives of our customers,” says Mr. Ahmed CISSE, CEO of Moov.
“Atlantique Telecom, which is 100% owned by UAE based Etisalat Group, is enablingboth consumers and businesses toenhance communications and improve productivity. Our customers enjoy the very latest services and technologies and we are confident that the BlackBerry solution will be well received,” says Mr. Jamal Shamieh, Group Project Manager of Atlantique Telecom.
“We are delighted to partner with Moov and RIM to launch the BlackBerry solution in yet another African market. We believe there is great potential for the solution in the region,” says Mr. Babar Khan, CEO of Emitac Mobile Solutions (EMS). “EMS’s expertise with the BlackBerry solution has helped Moov rapidly launch the service in anticipation of great customer demand.”
Deon Liebenberg, Regional Director for Sub Sahara Africa at RIM added, “RIM is pleased to work with EMS and Moov to offer the BlackBerry solution to customers in Cote D’Ivoire. BlackBerry smartphones deliver a powerful and unique mobile experience, allowing users to stay easily connected to people and information while on the move.”
At launch, Moov Cote D’Ivoire will offer the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 and BlackBerry® Bold ™ 9700 smartphones. Both feature a full AZERTY keyboard.
Moov Cote D’Ivoire is also offering BlackBerry® Enterprise Server and BlackBerry® Internet Service.
BlackBerry Enterprise Server is for organizations that manage their own email servers. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® and uses advanced encryption and IT policy controls to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.
BlackBerry Internet Service is designed for smaller businesses and individuals. It allows customers to access up to 10 supported corporate and personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts such as Yahoo! Mail and Google Mail) from a BlackBerry smartphone.
About Atlantique Telecom
Subsidiary of the Group Etisalat, an UAE Telecommunication Group, Atlantique Telecom launched its activities in Côte d’Ivoire under the business name Moov in July 2006.
3rd operator to join the Ivorian telecommunication market, Moov started with the means needed to achieve its great ambitions: revolutionize the daily life of mobile phone users in all the countries where the brand is present with original and unprecedented offers and highly innovative services.
Moov CI is worth more than 2.5 million subscribers and its GSM network coverage of the whole territory is about 60%. Since the launch of its activities 4 years ago, Moov CI has also created thousands of direct and indirect jobs and taken a very active part to the country’ socio- cultural life. Moov has 13 agencies and hundreds of point of Sale all over the country.
Finally, Moov is the only telecom operator certified ISO 9001- 2008, the only mobile operator to offer at the same time the GSM and satellite network.
About Emitac Mobile Solutions (EMS)
Emitac Mobile Solutions (EMS) is a Dubai based solutions and service provider and RIM strategic channel partner focused on the delivery, implementation and support of BlackBerry® Solutions. Delivered by an experienced team of mobile professionals, EMS provides the mobile operator with sales, marketing, distribution, solution implementation and technical support services for the BlackBerry wireless platform from Research In Motion (RIM). For organizations using the BlackBerry wireless platform, EMS provides the ability to rapidly create, deploy and manage robust client-server wireless applications that reduce an organization's total cost of ownership and significantly increases the value of their mobile technology investment. EMS is the region’s first Mobile Virtual Solutions Provider (MVSP) whose services are delivered through partnerships the company has with mobile operators in the Gulf, North Africa and Eastern Europe. For more information about EMS please visit www.emsmobile.ae.
About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
