Saudi Arabia's Second Mobile Service Provider Drives Growth by Providing a Better Customer Experience

Maastricht, The Netherlands (PRWEB) July 2, 2008 -- Scala (http://www.scala.com), the leading provider of end-to-end solutions for the digital signage market, today announced Mobily, the second mobile operator in Saudi Arabia, provides a better customer experience with the use of Scala® digital signage.

In 2004, the Government of Saudi Arabia awarded Etihad Etisalat a license to be the second mobile GSM, 3G and 3.5G service provider in the kingdom; Mobily is the official brand name of Etihad Etisalat.

The entrance of Mobily as a second mobile operator in the biggest Gulf market has stimulated a major injection of energy and dynamism. Mobily recognizes many opportunities for growth through offering innovative services and products specifically designed for the Saudi market, in addition to introducing technologies and solutions that would give the market more dynamism and vitality. The challenge was to develop an innovative brand image that would separate them from their primary competition in the kingdom.

In January 2005, Mobily turned to PROAV, a division of United Yousef Naghi, a Scala Certified Partner, to develop an innovative digital information solution, based on Scala's Digital Signage Platform. The network would serve as a technology solution to enhance the brand image of the company and provide customers with information on products and services available in Mobily Mobile Outlets.

Over the past three years, PROAV have worked as a business partner with Mobily helping them deploy in 35 Flagship Outlets, 45 Fully Branded Outlets, 182 Mini Fully Branded Outlets, and 3 Mobily Megastores. Currently, Mobily has deployed over 360 Scala Players throughout their mobile outlet network.

Each Mobily Megastore employs between 40 and 50 Scala Players throughout the store.

Content for the Mobily digital information network is created and managed by United Yousef Naghi from their three Network Operations Centers (NOC) in Jeddah & Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Content is distributed over an IP infrastructure to all of Mobily's Mobile Outlets.

To reduce the perception of long waiting times while a sales associate becomes available, Mobily's digital information network is integrated into the Q-Matic customer queuing system, displayed on a customized LED screen to match Mobily guidelines and sound system. As customers arrive, they interact with a kiosk or counter attendant. Customers can then wait in a central area or browse until called. When a counter becomes available, the counter attendant calls the next customer using an on-screen application, voice announcement and text LED's. The next individual waiting receives both visual and audio notifications directing the customer to that counter.

In the beginning of 2008, Mobily rebranded their stores to maximize its services. Mobily found that education is a critical factor for selling Mobily's new technology platforms. To mitigate the huge customer volume the Mobily stores often encounter, the new concept was conceived to provide an area dedicated to casual, independent exploration while waiting for a consultant. This new concept is called the Knowledge Zone (K-Zone) consisting of 3 areas in a store to enhance the customer experience: Live, Play and Work.

While waiting for a consultant, customers are encouraged to wonder freely throughout the K-Zone and interact with the cutting-edge displays designed to illuminate and educate. Included in the Live, Play ad Work areas are: a Welcome Desk integrated with the Q-Matic customer management system; a self service area powered by interactive kiosks; a gaming zone for gamers; an Internet zone that provides access to the Internet; and a technical support area to assist customers with technical issues.

Mobily's overall goals to providing a better customer experience and improving the brand image of their stores has been realized. The popularity of the brand has grown in the marketplace and Mobily's customers have grown to more than 10 million, exceeding all records in the Middle East and North Africa.

Mobily's future is based in the continued growth and expansion of their network to better provide a superior customer experience.

Rami Badran the Director of PROAV, said "By employing strong post-sales support, building the partner relationship with the client and guiding the project with ownership spirit will ensure success. PROAV have invested heavily to support Mobily as a business partner. We have currently 3 NOC's, 1 help desk, 13 service centers over the kingdom and more than 20 vehicles to operate and maintain more than 265 Mobily outlets and management offices."

About Pro-AV

PRO-AV, a subsidiary of United Yousef Naghi, became a Scala Partner during March 2006. The Yousef M. A. Naghi & Sons Group was founded back in 1911 by Mohamed Abdulwahab Naghi. He started a small distribution business in Jeddah with particular attention to innovative marketing.

Today, the group is jointly managed by Mr. Naghi's four sons. United Yousef Naghi has activities in the following major market sectors:

? Automotive

? Consumer Goods and Foodstuffs (FMCG)

? Electronic and Electrical Goods

? Operation and Maintenance

? Services

? Catering and Restaurant Operations

? Retail Outlets

? Perfumes, Cosmetics and Personal Care products

? Pharmaceuticals, Medical Technologies and Services

? Transportation

? Foodstuff Production and Packing

? Insurance & Risk Management Services

It's the policy of PRO-AV to achieve superior customer satisfaction by providing quality integration & high end solutions that exceeds customer requirements in a consistent manner in order to build a partner relationship with customer as well as with supplier.

PRO-AV's mission statement is: "Supplying world's latest technology and highest quality products and integrated solutions with reasonable cost to our customers".

About Scala

Founded in 1987, Scala pioneered the Digital Signage (http://www.scala.com) industry and today remains the world's largest provider of software for creating digital signage networks, driving more screens that all competitors combined. The company's InfoChannel product line is used for dynamic digital media networks in retail, education, entertainment, government and other industries for diverse applications such as Retail Advertising networks (Retail TV), Corporate Communications (Employee TV), Digital Billboards, Digital Menu Boards, Digital Posters, Community Access channels (Cable TV), Hotel lobby signage and information channels, Gas Pump "toppers", Convention Center Signage, Interactive touch-screens and Kiosks, etc. The Company's cutting-edge InfoChannel software platform powers thousands of digital signs around the world including the digital signage networks of Rabobank, IKEA, Bloomberg, Burger King, T-Mobile, Virgin MegaStore, EuroDisney, Kiwi, McDonalds, Warner Brothers, Santiago Airport, Ericsson, The Life Channel, Rikstoto, FuelCast, Repsol, Shell, NorgesGruppen, The Wall Street Journal Office Network and many more. Scala is today headquartered near Philadelphia, PA and has wholly-owned subsidiaries in The Netherlands, France, Norway, and Japan with a direct presence in a number of other locations and countries. Scala's products are primarily sold through an international network of Scala Certified Partners. More information is available at www.scala.com.

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