ETIHAD Etisalat (Mobily) in cooperation with the Saudi National Fiber Network (SNFN) And integrated telecommunications company (ITC) have signed a contract with Cisco Middle East company in Saudi Arabia to provide the managed network services through smart management solutions specially designed to manage fiber optic network. The contract is valid for a period of three years and is extendable for two more years. This includes an agreement with Cisco to provide the most advanced managed services solution, OBX on the network that reduces operational expenditure by at least 25% from the current levels; this is in line with the company's strategic objectives to invest intelligently in investing in assets and increase its operational efficiency. Maziad Nasser Al-Harbi, Chief Technology Officer in Mobily, said “Managed Services is a paradigm shift in the way organizations consume operations expenditure, driving operational efficiencies and network performance to the international industry standards. As a leading service provider in Saudi Arabia, by entering into this agreement with Cisco we will be able to ensure that our customers ultimately will receive the best quality of service that goes beyond expectations enabling us to address the needs of all enterprises.” Engineer Ashraf Ismail Mohamed Ibrahim, Senior Executive Officer, Operations & Maintenance, Mobily “MNS excellence is an elusive goal for all operators and service provider, but Mobily and Bayanat Al Oula will continue our commitment towards our customers to reach that goal because excellence is in our blood as leading service providers in Saudi Arabia. By having Cisco as our MNS contractor we will assure continued business excellence to our customers.” The national fiber network Arabia "SNFN", is one of the largest fiber-optic networks in the world and it offers a comprehensive communication infrastructure covering mobile and broadband services solutions, satellite based services and solutions. This network was established as a joint collaboration between Mobily, Bayanat Al Oula for Network Services Ltd (a Mobily subsidiary company) and the Integrated Telecom Company Ltd (ITC). It offers the newest fiber optic network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with access to all major cities, more than 22,000 km of roads and highways, and covering 99% of the population. The network, with its fully meshed connectivity and ample capacity, covers more than 13,800 km across more than 35 major cities and provides up to 100Gbps in addition to the service integration. The network has been expanded to connect neighboring countries such as Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and more countries will be added in near future. — SG
