Monday, 18 March 2013

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Dialog’s own Smartphone launched

Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s mobile market leader announced the launch of its own (Dialog) Branded Smartphone series featuring an entry price point of less than Rs. 10,000. Dialog’s i-Series Smartphones, set to herald an era of mass adoption of Smartphones across the country is the first Service-Provider branded Smartphone to be launched in Sri Lanka.

“Dialog has taken the bold step of launching its own range of fully featured Android Smartphones based on a vision of heralding an era wherein Smartphones will be rendered affordable to every Sri Lankan citizen,” said Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Group Chief Executive of Dialog Axiata PLC. “The Dialog Smartphone series starting at less than Rs 10,000, represents our first but determined step towards the achievement of this vision. Dialog Smartphones bring together the power of an advanced device quality assured by Dialog, the trust and reliability of the Dialog Brand, an unparalleled Customer Service infrastructure and an aggressive price point which we believe will trigger exponential growth in Smartphone adoption among Sri Lankan consumers” he added.

The Dialog i-Series Android 2.3 Smartphones are supported by a One Year Dialog Warranty. At launch, the Dialog branded Smartphone series features two models – the Dialog i35 (with a 3.5” TFT Screen) is less than Rs 10,000 and the Dialog i43 (with a 4.3” TFT Screen) less than Rs 17,000

Dialog Smartphones are based on the original and fully featured Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) Operating System and assures Sri Lankan mobile users of the ‘full Android experience’ inclusive of Google Play.

Commenting on the launch of Dialog’s own branded phones, Amali Nanayakkara, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Dialog said, “The Dialog branded Smartphones deliver a level of performance, functionality and quality that is traditionally the preserve of high-end Smartphones but at an exceptionally affordable price bringing it within the reach of all Sri Lankans. We believe the introduction of Dialog Smartphone series will revolutionise the market and empower the Smart Generation with an advanced and fully featured device which is affordable as well as trendy.”

Dialog Smartphones come preloaded with a range of Dialog Apps like MyTV, Dapp, Traveloid, etc.

These attractions are situated in close proximity to the Mattala Airport and introduced recently for tourists following the peaceful environment prevailing in these parts of the country, as a result of establishing peace, law and order by the Government of Sri Lanka.”

The strategic location of the new airport would also be significant in around the Eastern and Southern Provinces to serve the purpose of the frequent travellers who wish to travel at short transit times to visit tourism hot spots such as Nuwara Eliya Galle Arugam Bay, Yala National Park, Willpattu National Park, etc. Reaching these key tourism destinations from Mattala Airport is less time consuming than traveling from the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo.”

Veteran hosteller Chandra Wickramasinge of Maalu Maalu fame said that the MRIA would be a major boost to the development of tourism specially in the Eastern province. Tourists can now come to the East in less than three hours,” he said.

Chairman, Master Divers and Former Director of the Southern Development Authority, Ariyasiri Wickramanayaka told the Daily News Business that the new venture of opening the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) is a highly commendable step taken by the government.

“I am one of the pioneers who proposed to take this development into Hambantota. In fact, it was me who proposed to build the Hambantota port as Galle was not large enough. Therefore, I am happy that the new international airport is being built in Hambantota because it is where we are meant to be,” he said.

According to Wickramanayaka, Hambantota will be the next capital of Sri Lanka due to its ample space vacant for opportunity. According to him the fact that the airport and port, being bigger than the Katunayaka Airport and Colombo port, will attract many business opportunities.

“This is where we belong. Galle was the capital when the Dutch were here and Colombo was the capital when the British were here but now it is time we go back to the capital which was truly local and before the invasion, the late Magampura and the present Hambantota, we are going back home,” he said.

According to him opening the MRIA is a practical step as people would be drawn there business wise and it will be the future economic hub.

“If people want to earn a US $ 200 salary in future, Hambantota is the place to go, and that is were people will go to earn a good living as there is plenty of job opportunities,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer, Hambantota Chamber of Commerce, Krishanthi Weerasinghe said that Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport will bring in a lot of opportunities for the business community because of the development in the tourism sector.

She said that with the new airport, all the other areas in the vicinity, namely Tissamaharama, Tangalle, Belliatta and other towns will develop rapidly. Weerasinghe said that there is ample chance for the development of infrastructure facilities due to the opening of opportunities in the area.

The majority of land belongs to the government, therefore, the government could easily provide more opportunities for the development and attract foreign investments into the country.

General Manager, Peacock Beach Hotel, Nalin Fernando said that this area was neglected for sometime and with the opening of the new airport there would be a big boom in the hotel and tourism sector in the area.

He said this would be a great move by the government to create a window of opportunities not only to the area but also to the whole country. This airport would bring enormous opportunities to the country from medium to long term perspectives.

Meanwhile, taking an international visual aspect on the proceedings of MRIA, a delegation from Germany and France visited Sri Lanka to enter into deals regarding rubber with one of Sri Lanka’s well known Rubber exporting companies, said that it will ease their burden of travel and that the location, though is highly condemned is by no way an inconvenience.

According to these delegates they expect MRIA to reach the international standards and is sure that this new initiative will make way to increase the already expanding tourism industry. Taking a more general perspective, Daily News Business spoke to some constant travelers, former FedEx Sri Lanka Manager who travels as a hobby said that the MRIA will actually increase the convenience of travel as there might be less traffic in reaching the airport.

“The MRIA is bigger than the Katunayaka International Airport and thus, in my opinion, traveling from Sri Lanka is about to be a more comfortable experience,” he said.


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