What’s the best way to market a new calling card? Give it a name closely associated with voice communications and leverage VoIP for optimal efficiency. That’s the assumed focus for Etisalat (News - Alert). The company recently launched an international VoIP calling card in the UAE to serve as competition to Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), a Du holding company. When Etisalat first launched its card in 2010, it named it, “Hello!”
According to this Gulf News report, the VoIP calling card is targeted at laborers and is only available at select outlets. As a result, discounted rates will be available for users in Bangladesh, China, India, Kuwait, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. Calls to other countries can be made at normal rates.
When contacting the company’s VoIP call center, Gulf News was intrigued enough to ask why the launch took place without any high-profile efforts. In fact, the card is not very well known in the market, given that it’s been available for more than two years. Is it possible the company simply wanted to steal market share from Du without making it a public spectacle?
One industry expert believes this may be the case. It also doesn’t help that offering VoIP services outside of the rules of the TRA is considered illegal.
According to the TRA website, there are just two licensees able to engage in or conduct regulated communications activities within the state. The organization has no intention of providing any other licenses that would allow for the provision of VoIP services. In fact, the TRA can legally block any third party from providing VoIP.
Despite the strict rules, users have been completing illegal VoIP calls for a number of years. But are the rules really that strict? According to International Data Corporation (IDC (News - Alert)) Senior Research Analyst Bhanu Chaddha, UAE operators can offer VoIP services and have the license to do so. He even suggests the practice is completely approved by the TRA.
It appears Skype (News
- Alert) is officially banned in the UAE, although end-users have been accessing the service to make calls to India. The introduction of the cards may offer a safer alternative. Local grocery owners report the cards sell like hotcakes, indicating a significant demand and profitability opportunity.
The calling cards are not possible without VoIP, providing UAE citizens with a choice when it comes to communicating outside the country’s borders. Companies that leverage the VoIP call center have recognized the benefits of the VoIP call for years, as highlighted in this TMCnet article. It enables mobility, unified communications and a more controlled approach to communications costs, allowing the organization to better manage the budget.
Whether or not the calling cards are completely approved in the UAE, the reality is that the demand for lower cost communications exists. By providing users with a choice, Etisalat can draw a large and loyal customer base.
Edited by Jamie Epstein