RIYADH — Saudi telecom operator Mobily and Ericsson have agreed on a new program to localize Mobily’s IT Service Support Office and enable the telco to operate it from Saudi Arabia.

To support the government’s Saudization agenda, Ericsson will support Mobily’s aim to recruit Saudi talent for Front Office and Technical Services Desk to facilitate high-quality customer experiences. In addition, Ericsson will also provide operator-specific courses taught by industry experts, ranging from installation to integration, deployment and site support.

Commenting on the Saudization program, the Chief Technology Officer at Mobily, Alaa Malki said: “In alignment with the Kingdom’s Saudization, Mobily has taken significant steps to reinvent its processes, infrastructures and business models. Our partnership with Ericsson allows us to develop a highly-capable localized team to help us create unique experiences for end-users, manage costs and remain competitive.”

IT Service Support is moving to the forefront in managed services as service providers seek to enhance customer experience with more tightly integrated networks and business processes. Mobily’s Saudi team will oversee all activities typically performed when running an IT environment with the support of Ericsson’s cross-domain IT expertise and an in-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing service providers today.

Ekow Nelson, vice president at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, said: “Today’s agreement will support Mobily’s drive to empower Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation through local talent, as well as accelerate the deployment of digital services. With this partnership, Ericsson will transform Mobily’s IT landscape and support their ambition of providing superior customer experience with strong capabilities in the IT space."

The new team will manage Operational and Business Support Systems. Its responsibilities will also include ensuring IT security compliance for Mobily’s IT environment, as well as supporting the telco in all future IT infrastructure projects in order to deliver best-in-class services and overall experience to Mobily customers. — SG