Samatel has offered mobile services in Oman since August 2010, when it was awarded a Class II licence enabling it as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). The new Class I licence will additionally allow the provision of international voice services and requires the deployment of a physical retail traffic origination and wholesale traffic aggregation infrastructure.
“Samatel has become the third fully fledged licensed operator within a short span of six months after its launch as an MVNO in the Sultanate in August 2010 and we promise to provide Omanis with the highest quality services and industry leading customer service,” said Sheikh Khalid Al-Mataani, Chairman of Samatel.
“We will be introducing a number of industry-first products and will provide our customers with many convenient options of communication. We are committed to our brand promise of giving a life of happiness to our customers. We want to make it easy for customers to get what they want, when they want it,” he said.
The company is fully funded by private Omani investors and has signed a major contract with Verscom – a leading developer of next-generation network and service infrastructure solutions – to supply next-generation IP and voice network gears and to provide managed services and strategic consultancy services.
“We are currently installing our fully fledged network in and around the Sultanate and expect to launch other services by the third quarter of this year,” said Dr Wael Taher, Samatel’s CEO.
Infrastructure upgrade for Oman
In addition to offering international voice services to consumer and enterprise segments in Oman, Samatel will operate as an international gateway operator to aggregate inbound and outbound wholesale voice traffic for Oman. As the company’s exclusive strategic partner, Verscom Solutions will be responsible for the supply and deployment of next-generation Class 4 core in Oman TDM / packet-voice interconnect POPs in Europe, equipping Samatel with national and international TDM / IP voice peering facilities and enabling it to interconnect with Omani network operators as well as international wholesale operators. International voice service offerings for the retail market will be enabled on Verscom’s SIP-based service delivery platform. The supply of OSS / BSS platforms such as convergent billing, CRM, interconnect billing/routing are also among the responsibilities of Verscom.
“The hard work, dedication and attention to detail we have invested in Samatel means we can invite our customers to experience ‘a life of happiness’ – a mobile service unequalled anywhere in the region,” said Taher. “Samatel is delivering the mobile services customers demand, coupled with high-quality customer experience and at prices virtually unheard of in the Sultanate until now. Our competitive rates are designed to deliver savings on both national and international calls.”
“To us, simplicity and transparency are fundamental,” said Dr Wael. “Mobile service plans are often complicated or subject to ‘fine print’ which make unpleasant surprises unavoidable. We want to make it easy for our customers to understand the specific prices in the plans they have selected, and to be comfortable that they get what they pay for.”
“At Samatel, we strongly believe that real business success is not just about profits measured in numbers but also, as importantly, about how those numbers are achieved,” said Sheikh Al-Mataani. “Our corporate strategy reflects our commitment to sustainable business practices and balancing responsibility alongside growth and productivity. We are working not only for the success of our company but for the success of our nation.”
Samatel believes it will contribute to the progress of the telecom environment in Oman by capitalising on the latest technology infrastructure and introducing a new approach to international termination services, which will eventually grow the total size of the market and transform the telecom landscape in Oman.
The company will also contribute to Oman’s telecoms economy and productivity by decreasing the costs incurred by the country’s existing legacy-based international voice interconnect infrastructure – helping reduce the costs of international calling for all of Oman.
Sama subsidiaries
The Samatel group includes the companies Sama Contact Centre, Samatech and Sama Training Centre.
The Sama Contact Centre is a global provider of quality, multi-lingual business process outsourcing services.
The core objective of the company is to deliver superior quality and value to its clients throughout the client relationship lifecycle, with the goal of becoming the leading provider of offshore call centre services in the GCC. The Sama Contact Centre offers a wide range of 24/7 services – such as offshore handling of customer enquiries, technical helpdesk data management, cross/up selling – that suit diverse customer needs at a cost-effective price.
The company is committed to attracting, hiring and retaining Omani talent, giving young talented Omanis the opportunity to grow and advance in their careers in a people-oriented environment and performance-driven culture. The company provides technology-based training and supports creativity and innovation in order to create a learning organisation and deliver services and products of the highest standards.
Additionally, the company offers a diverse and multicultural work environment where all are treated equally and advancement is based strictly on performance.
Samatech is a global technology consulting service and outsourcing company, working with manufacturers of infrastructure products and middleware products. By combining unparalleled experience and comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions with extensive training programmes and world-class service, it can deploy to integrate technologies into fully operational systems. The company is locally owned and staffed by experts in leveraging today’s technology, tools and proven practices, to streamline their clients’ processes and help maximise profit.
The company collaborates with its clients to enable cost-effective business solutions by helping them design, implement and manage the complete technology requirements. Their solutions and services are complete at each and every layer and are enhanced by professional services, managed services, consultancy and multi-vendor support. Samatech’s approach is to be flexible in understanding the client’s requirements and services by providing best-in-class technology solutions.
The Sama Training Centre is a key part of Samatel Group’s CSR activities: it works with local people with disabilities and special needs, and trains them in sales, marketing and call centre skills. The purpose behind these activities is to ensure that those with special needs have unhindered access to education, training, and suitable communication services that will help them integrate into society.
After training 200 Omanis with special needs and in association with the Omani Ministry of Manpower, Samatel will be erecting 100 kiosks across the country, through which the graduated trainees can sell Samatel products. The centre hopes to open a further 200 kiosks in the years after the initial roll-out. With the opening of the Sama Training Centre, Samatel is the only telecoms operator in the country to provide such training and jobs to disabled people.
“As a group we remain committed to corporate and social responsibility,” said Sheikh Al-Mataani. “In all of our actions we strive to ensure that all economic, environmental and social factors are considered. We believe that this approach, driven by our principles of integrity, respect, professionalism, innovation and commitment, makes us more responsible and informed as a company.”
“We are totally committed to our CSR programmes and we look forward to having the opportunity to spread more happiness to those who truly need and deserve it,” Dr Taher said. “We take time to make a real difference in people’s lives so what benefits they gain from Samatel are long lasting and not just for a day or two.”
For more information: www.samatel.om
