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Etisalat Group Strengthens Smiles Online Marketplace Presence with Acquisition of elGrocer

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Closing of the deal opens new chapter for enhancing daily experience of UAE consumers

Abu Dhabi, 28th January 2022: Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC “Etisalat Group” today announced that, further to the announcement on 18 November 2021, it has completed the acquisition of elGrocer DMCC. 

Founded in 2015, elGrocer is a leading online marketplace for groceries operating in all seven Emirates of the UAE. It brings together major retailers and specialty stores on a single platform with more than 500 outlets and 120K products listed. In addition, elGrocer has strategic partnerships with major global and local FMCG companies for collaborations and innovative strategies to drive exposure of their brands. 

The UAE is ranked as one of the highest countries globally for smart device penetration and rated as one of the most advanced countries for online shopping and eCommerce market in MENA and this acquisition will contribute to the growing digital economy in the country. The acquisition of elGrocer will complement Etisalat UAE’s existing marketplace services under the ‘Smiles’ brand, which includes online food delivery, lifestyle offers and the ability to earn and redeem points at more than 7,000 outlets across the UAE.

To celebrate this milestone, Smiles users can now enjoy a limited-time deal of 50 percent off (up to AED 50)  on online groceries with elGrocer. All UAE consumers can download Smiles app to get this special discount voucher and redeem it on transactions from any outlet on elGrocer. 

Khaled ElKhouly, Chief Consumer Officer of Etisalat UAE, said: “Following the successful launch of the Smiles food delivery platform at the beginning of 2021, the ability to offer our customers online grocery services presents an exciting opportunity to enhance our Smiles offering for UAE consumers and 2.7 million existing Smiles members. We strongly believe in bringing elGrocer on board, we will be able to empower our customers by providing more tailored and unique propositions, extending the possibility to earn and redeem Smiles points on online grocery transactions and offering exclusive discounts.”

Etisalat is currently leveraging its wide range of digital technologies and services and powering a great digital-first experience to encourage digital adoption by its customers. Its own digital transformation is enabling it to execute this strategy and is facilitating a paradigm shift to a new operating model that nurtures innovation and agility.

Raed Hafez, CEO of elGrocer, said: “We are proud of what we have achieved so far with elGrocer in pioneering grocery consumer experiences and innovations. Now, we look forward to Smiles and elGrocer coming together to bring more access, value, and innovation to enhance UAE consumers’ daily lives. The power of the Smiles technology, customer base and currency, combined with elGrocer’s retail network, shopper expertise, and consumer services will bring delightful new benefits and experiences to the market.” 

“One of the first steps we are taking is a major elGrocer app update that make the shopping experience easier & faster with many engaging services & features such as quicker deliveries, digitised shopping list search, shoppable recipe from chefs & brands, click & collect service, and more. This will soon be complemented by a major value for customers, allowing them to earn & redeem Smiles points on elGrocer orders.” Raed added.

Nader Amiri, Founder and COO of elGrocer, said: “I’m very excited to start this new journey of leveraging Smiles and elGrocer strengths to offer new opportunities to UAE consumers and retail market. Consumer habits are changing very fast, and together we will empower consumer lives with delightful experiences and offer the market new unique services. We have already started providing rich offers exclusively to Etisalat & Smiles customers. We are also quickly expanding our current retail network of Supermarkets & Specialty stores across the Emirates.” 

The acquisition value of elGrocer DMCC will not exceed AED 38 million (including up to AED30m for 100 percent of the shares and the AED equivalent of USD 2 million for the repayment of a SAFE note, representing the recently contributed capital by a 3rd party) The transaction is not associated to related parties and is paid by cash.

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Press Releases

Monty Mobile: The First Company in the Middle East & Africa to Provide 5G End-to-End Solutions for Telcos

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5G End-to-End Solutions for Telcos

Monty Mobile provides an in-house, cost-effective, well-optimized 4G+ and 5G end-to-end wireless solution serving both small and large-scale mobile and fixed operators targeting both urban and rural areas.

Moreover, operators are offered flexible payment plans for up to 5 years, first payment after 3 years, helping them stay ahead of their competitors.

This on- cloud solution guarantees improved scalability, mobility and security in addition to great savings on both CapEx and OpEx.

With this solution, Monty Mobile is introducing an alternative to Tier1 Telecom Suppliers such as Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, and ZTE.

“The best is yet to come; stay connected!”, says Mountasser Hachem, Founder & Chairman of Monty Mobile.

More details regarding this full end-to-end solution will be disclosed in the Inside Telecom magazine next month in an exclusive interview.

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Africa’s Leading Independent Telecommunications Services Provider, Phase3 Telecom moves onto Digital Connectivity Enterprise in Nigeria and West African Sub-region

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The upgrades will cover security features, performance enhancements. agile update capacity and quality delivery mechanisms.

ABUJA, Nigeria, March 10, 2022: Africa’s leading independent aerial fiber optic network infrastructure and telecommunications services provider, Phase3 Telecom, is enabling advanced digital connectivity, improved performance and enhanced network security for enterprise. This drive is targeted at cost efficient and unified network endpoint management for businesses in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.

This development is also designed to amplify Phase3 enterprise value active network deployments for MSMEs, large scale corporates and institutions.

According to the company’s executive chairman – Stanley Jegede, “this expansive service optimization is targeted at improved coverage on Phase3 network routes through Africa as well as to assure solutions that help businesses  transform and scale seamlessly.

He says, “Phase3 current network upgrades is an ongoing exercise and will cover security features, performance enhancements, agile update capacity, and quality delivery mechanisms for enterprise segments. Especially in the areas of productive work-from-anywhere or do-business-from-anywhere and digitized remote connectivity solutions”.

In addition to the company’s focus to increase enterprise based networks data handling capacity and their capability to access data within dissimilar sources faster vis-a-vis smarter, as today’s global clime demands.

Jegede, in his concluding statement says, “Phase3 layered digital capabilities will both enhance Phase3 network architecture and compliment legacy connectivity service experience in remote locations with significant Phase3 presence and network access points.

About Phase3 telecom

Phase3 Telecom is a leading independent fiber optic infrastructure with Points-of-Presence (POPs), colocation, and NOCs in Nigeria. Issued a National Long Distance Operator (NLDO) license in 2003 by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and with a vibrant as well as a dedicated team of experienced professionals, we are the network of choice for high-performance, data-intensive and low latency connectivity that span dedicated internet access, MPLS VPN, metro ethernet, wide area network solutions etc. We currently operate across the ECOWAS region and international markets through strategic partnerships that allow us to connect our clients across 400 cities worldwide. And ours is an extensive and secure network with end-to-end capabilities that service providers and businesses can rely on to scale, manage costs and assure efficiency. As our network continues to evolve into other layered service streams, including cloud-based and network security solutions – our invaluable clients will continue to remain the core of every investment that we make; innovation that we create; and technology that we adopt during the 4th industrial revolution to position us as the network of the future.

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Digital Therapeutics Revenue from Health Insurers to Reach $8 Billion Globally by 2026

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Hampshire, UK – 14th March 2022: A new study from Juniper Research has found that digital therapeutics revenue from health insurers will increase to $8 billion by 2026, up from $1.1 billion in 2022; representing a growth of 610 percent over the next four years. Digital therapeutics are clinically validated software programs for the treatment of chronic medical conditions, either independently or in conjunction with other therapies.

The report found that digital therapeutics facilitate the proactive mitigation of chronic medical conditions before they require costly interventions; enabling health insurers to reduce long-term costs per patient. However, it highlighted that these savings will be limited to health insurers in developed regions, where consumer devices and digitalized health infrastructure are ubiquitous. As such, it noted that health insurers in Africa and Latin America will contribute less than 2 percent towards health insurer-led digital therapeutics revenue in 2026.

A new research, Digital Therapeutics & Wellness: Key Trends, Business Models & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, identified that insurers will also benefit from an ongoing shift among digital therapeutics vendors towards engagement- and results-based payments. It recommends that therapeutics providers looking to leverage this trend prioritize the development of performance benchmarks, as demonstrating improvement and preventing patient abandonment will become a direct monetary issue.

Machine Learning to Move into Advisory Role as Liability Issues Emerge

The report forecasts that the number of people using digital therapeutics will increase by 381% over the next four years, and recognizes that machine learning will be key to this growth by facilitating advanced data analytics, remote patient monitoring, and real-time conversational coaching. However, it cautioned that an ongoing lack of standards surrounding the use of machine learning within digital therapeutics will result in vendors limiting its role in their offerings.

Research author Adam Wears explained: “As developers and healthcare providers increasingly grapple with issues of liability and malpractice, machine learning will transition from a patient-facing role to a diagnostic tool offered through provider-facing dashboards; to be used by clinicians and specialists in a manner akin to traditional computer-aided diagnostics.”

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