New mobile can put 100 calls on hold

A mobile phone that can receive up to 101 calls simultaneously will be the latest offering from Etisalat.

"We hope to shortly launch this product; it is in the testing stage at present," said Saeed Al Bairaq, business development manager, while addressing participants at the corporation's first annual Talking Business seminar.

The phone will accept multiple incoming calls, and if the user wishes he can put up to 101 calls on hold, he said.

Another product in the pipeline is a multi-purpose 'u-SIM' card which, apart from offering mobile telephony facilities, can also work as a credit or debit card, an ID, driving licence, etc, he added, while noting this is a long-term project.

"Our Ebtikar card systems are also offering personalised paper cards, apart from plastic. With 150 million cards per year in 2002 - from 25 million at inception in 1996 - we are today the leading smartcard manufacturers in the region, offering both telephony related as well as other smartcard products," he asserted.

He explained Etisalat's role is at the high-tech end, or "putting the high-tech into the physical card".

Earlier Ali Al Sharid, general manager West Coast region, explained yesterday's seminar is aimed at strengthening existing business relationships. "The Talking Business seminars are planned for all the emirates," he noted.

"It started last October in Abu Dhabi, with plans to organise this new customer service initiative on a yearly basis."

After Al Ain and Fujairah, the seminar comes to Ajman later this week, before another in Dubai a week hence.