Dewa touches base with iPad users

Dubai : You still can't officially buy a licensed Apple iPad anywhere in the UAE, but that isn't stopping the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) from planning ahead to meet the official launch of the touch-screen computer tablet expected later this year.

After a recent announcement that it would launch its own Apple iPad application for users in Dubai, Dewa has made the application available for free download at itunes.apple.com

The new application — dubbed Dewa iPad 1.0 — was created by the utility's in-house IT Department to help iPad owners pay bills, get Dewa alerts and quickly find Dewa service offices across Dubai.

In a statement, Dewa said that the new application "was completely developed by Dewa's IT department in order to enlarge the list of e-services provided by the authority".

The IT department came up with the new application, said the authority, to "deliver the best e-services to its customers in order to save their time and efforts".

Dewa Vice-President and IT Chief Chief Marwan Salem Bin Haider said in a statement that his "IT team exerted enormous efforts to enable customers to acquire our latest news and information."

"Dewa's customers will be able to download these applications from Apple Store and we will start notifying them through emails and SMS within the coming weeks," he said.

Dewa CEO Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer said at the launch of the new application that the latest service continues to meet the demands of electronics users. "Dewa has put on top of its priorities the acquisition of state-of-the-art technologies in order to use them in its various electronic services in line with Dubai strategic plan's objectives to maintain a continuous development trend."

Al Tayer said customers will enjoy the new iPad application services "such as GPS to locate customer centres, information pertaining to these offices including telephone numbers and working hours and the ability to save and send data in Business Card format".

Complaints facility

New iPad users will also be able to send electronic complaints and suggestions on the new application.

One of the more functional features will allow iPad users to inquire about "consumption bills for the services provided by Dewa including electricity and water, drainage and house fees and settle them through the ePay system provided in collaboration with Dubai e-Government", Al Tayer said.

As for actually purchasing an iPad in Dubai, Apple still hasn't set a date for the official launch of the touch-screen tablet in the UAE after selling a reported two million iPads in two months since its launch in April.

Customers can purchase grey-market iPads in Dubai from unauthorised electronics stores but without warranty.

The iPad was originally sold in the United States followed by sales in late May in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and UK.

A second round of international iPad releases are expected to happen in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.

The iSTYLE chain of stores in the UAE, an official reseller of Apple products, said in a earlier statement that people who want the new device should wait "for the official launch of the iPad in the Middle East".

Hani Nehme, Business Development Manager of iSTYLE Middle East, said: "Since the launch of the iPad in the USA, a significant number of units have become available for purchase in the region, ahead of the product's official launch in the Middle East. While we understand consumers desire to purchase an iPad ahead of the official launch, we want to make sure that they understand that the help, support and assistance that they are used to receiving from iSTYLE will not be available to them if they have not purchased their iPad from our store."

Taste of the tablet revolution