Etisalat sponsor ICTA’s Conference

Etisalat have supported the Information and Communication Technology Agency’s (ICTA) premier conference focusing on mobile technology for the third consecutive year.

The South Asian Mobile Conference (SAMC) which will be held today Cinnamon Grand Oak room from 8 30 a.m. onward s is dedicated to the sharing of ideas and exploring new ways of thinking.

This has helped to maximize the potential of mobile technology, which is the largest of its kind in the region and brings together several internationally renowned speakers.

The conference was established in 2010 as the South Asian region passed the milestone of 1 billion mobile subscribers.

An initiative driven by Sri Lanka's ICTA, the conference has seen interest grow year on year with developers of next generation mobile content and applications, ICT visionaries, researchers, academics, investors, policy makers and civil society activists alike vying for the opportunity to attend.

According to ICTA the goal of the conference is to create awareness on current trends, business opportunities and models in mobile content and application development, share experiences in development and deployment of technologies. This creates an awareness and understanding of the policies and regulations that govern mobile telecommunication in the region. This will help develop and stimulate new thinking and a vision for the future.

Etisalat have been supporters and sponsors of the conference since its inception, Dumindra Ratnayaka, Etisalat's CEO commented on the conference saying, “Through the sharing of ideas, perspectives and insights we gain a better understanding of consumer needs and the needs of society at large.

When we bring together varied perspectives we truly understand the current context of ICT, and it is vital in order to tailor the best solutions for the future. This is why we have been proud to support the South Asian Mobile Conference since its inception, because caucus it creates is vital.”

Etisalat themselves, have been the architects of many innovations in mobile technology. Locally, Etisalat was the first telecommunications company to launch 3.75G mobile broadband in Sri Lanka and maintains the fastest mobile broadband network in the country.

They were also the first to introduce an ebook store and an ebook reader into the local market, as well as Sri Lanka's first third party application development platform.

The recently launched Web Patashala was a combined effort of Etisalat, the State Trading Corporation and the Ministry of Education that saw e-learning solutions introduced into the country for the first time.

Etisalat has also championed the growth of smart mobile devices offering the largest range of devices in Sri Lanka and hosting Android forums to help educate the local market on the potential of the fastest growing mobile operating system.

Etisalat's international network spans 17 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, with their base in the UAE. With their rapid expansion program they have reached over 167 million subscribers globally making them one of the world’s fastest growing mobile operators. Etisalat has been named the ‘Best Overall Operator’ in the Middle East 10 times since 2006, and was named the ‘Best International Carrier’ at the World Communication Awards in 2008. As one of the most powerful players in Sri Lanka's telecommunications industry, Etisalat continues to discover new horizons and explore new possibilities in the domain. Etisalat further offers Sri Lanka's most cutting edge Internet solutions with the launch if it’s 3.75G technology.

Standing at the top of the ladder in innovation, quality and customer service, they have surpassed 4 million subscribers in a record time since their launch and Etisalat remains dedicated to increasing its subscriber base and taking the company to greater heights. Etisalat is also the key stakeholder of Sri Lankas first eBook store – www.thebookhub.lk, and Sri Lanka's first e-learning platform Web Patashala.