By Christophe Firth, Media & Telecoms Consultant at A.T. Kearney Middle East

Globally, over-the-top video (OTTv) is becoming mainstream[1]. In the Middle East, however, OTTv is still nascent by global standards. Fewer than 100,000 homes subscribe to dedicated commercial OTTv services—less than one per cent of television-viewing households[2]. Yet interest is strong and the market is evolving. Istikana and icflix launched the region’s first major standalone OTTv services in 2011 and 2013 respectively. OSN recently followed by announcing the launch of Go by OSN for non-pay TV subscribers. In 2014, beIN SPORTS relaunched its OTT service and began selling multiscreen subscriptions, and MBC partnered with Samsung to launch Shahid on smart TVs.

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A Dubai start-up, Makook Smart Living is set to introduce a service that delivers on the ‘Internet of Things’ vision, bringing together entertainment, automation, security, data storage, and cloud services on one easy-to-interface platform. The company’s CEO, Nasri Tehini, tells Comm. why this is a great time to launch such an innovation in the MENA region

Nasri Tehini is CEO of Makook Smart Living, which was founded in February 2014, and is based in Dubai Internet City

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The evolving mobile ecosystem, explosion in mobile data availability and consumption, and the increased complexity in network architecture have given rise to the requirement for network operators to pay even closer attention to the quality of service they offer to their customers. Nokia Networks’ Head of Services for Middle East and Africa, Samir Kumar highlights the strategies and tools available to improve key quality indicators (KQIs) and help network providers differentiate their offerings

Samir Kumar is Nokia Networks’ Head of Services for Middle East and Africa

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Dandemutande, a licensed Internet Access Provider in Zimbabwe, recently held a customer seminar entitled “Demystifying the Cloud” in Harare, in recognition of its partnership with Pamoja, the wholly-owned SEACOM cloud services distributor focusing on cloud services in Eastern and Southern Africa. Pamoja has deployed two data centres directly linked to the SEACOM network (Mtuzini in South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya). Dandemutande is positioning Pamoja’s cloud services to its corporate customer base under its Utande brand alongside its existing suite of cloud services

Michèle Scanlon, Dandemutande CEO

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Given the widespread commercialisation of LTE networks, technology providers are now looking to draw attention to the significance of TD-LTE in the development of optimal networks and services. Bernard Najm, Nokia Networks Head of the Global Business Programme for TD-LTE, describes the importance of the technology, and why network operators should be incorporating TD-LTE into their current network investment plans

Bernard Najm is Nokia Networks’ Head of the Global Business Programme for TD-LTE

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