Tag: telecommunications industry

Etisalat Group embraces augmented reality

 

Etisalat Group shows of augmented reality telecommunications services

The Etisalat Group, one of the largest telecommunications companies operating in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, has begun embracing augmented reality technology. The company attended the recent Gitex Technology Week 2012 event, where it showed off a new augmented reality platform as part of its digital services. The Etisalat Group has monitored the rampant growth of augmented reality and has begun to consider it valuable for consumers in the various markets in which it holds presence.

Technology may help revolutionize telecommunications

The company is currently developing a range of service that will bring augmented reality into the telecommunications industry. These service range from video conferencing, sharing of digital content, and dynamic engagement with consumers and colleagues. The Etisalat Group notes that augmented reality is growing in popularity amongst consumers because of its ability to provide them with engaging digital content. Thus, many of the services developed by the company will leverage this aspect of the technology in some way.

Applications have made consumers comfortable with augmented reality

Numerous augmented reality applications are quickly flooding the mobile market. These applications have exposed consumers to the technology, creating more familiarity and removing some of the concerns consumers have had regarding augmented reality. The Etisalat Group believes that the time is right to bring the technology into the telecommunications industry and will also be promoting its use in other iAugmented Realityndustries, such as engineering, medicine, advertising, and future sciences.

Etisalat Group pushes for government support

The company is also encouraging governments to take augmented reality more seriously. Government investments could spark significant technological advances in augmented reality and help bring the technology away from the field of novelty and into more practical use. The Etisalat Group notes that augmented reality, if used properly, could also have a major future in the burgeoning industry of mobile commerce, but only time will tell whether the technology can be effective for this purpose or not.

du looks to bring NFC technology to Dubai

 

du plans to have consumers pay for their Metro tickets using NFC technology

Commuters in Dubai will soon beDubai Metro Station with NFC Technology using their smart phones to purchase Metro tickers thanks to United Arab Emirates telecommunications giant du. du has seen a great need for more efficiency in Dubai’s public transportation system. As such, the company has announced its partnership with the UAE’s Roads and Transport Authority. Through this partnership, du will work to incorporate NFC technology into the country’s public transportation system, with the foundation of this endeavor being laid in Dubai.

NFC technology could open the way for mobile commerce in Dubai

NFC technology allows for the wireless transmission of data from a mobile device to a stationary system. This technology is most often used in mobile commerce, where it can transform smart phones into mobile payment platforms. This is one of the purposes the technology will serve in du’s initiative. The company plans to work NFC technology into the public Metro system, allowing those with smart phones to purchase tickets.

Lack of NFC-enabled devices could slow progress

The most significant challenge that du will face with its use of NFC technology in Dubai’s public transportation system is the low availability of NFC-enabled devices. Only mobile devices equipped with an NFC chip of some kind can interact with NFC services. Thus, a typical smart phone, such as the iPhone 5, that does not have an NFC chip cannot facilitate mobile transactions. du, as well as other companies in the telecommunications business, is working to solve this problem by introducing new NFC-enabled smart phones to the market. Whether consumers are willing to pay a slightly higher price for these phones just because they have an NFC chip has yet to be seen.

The UAE may be a cashless society in the future

If du’s endeavor with Dubai’s Metro is successful, NFC services are likely to expand throughout the United Arab Emirates. There is talk regarding the country eventually becoming a cashless society, with commerce relying heavily on mobile technology and NFC. In order for this to happen, the UAE must first overcome the significant problems that exist in mobile commerce and NFC technology, such as security, efficiency, and an appropriate infrastructure.