Etisalat Voice SMS on Kirusa Platform Gets Excellent Response Across UAE

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ and ABU DHABI, UAE, Apr 02 (MARKET
WIRE) --
Etisalat, the leading telecommunications carrier and Internet Service Provider
in the UAE, has chosen the Kirusa Voice SMS solution for offering the Voice
SMS service to their subscribers in the UAE. With the launch of this
service, an Etisalat subscriber has the option of sending an SMS message in
their
own voice.

Etisalat's Voice SMS, launched in November 2007 before Eid festival so
thatmobile customers could send greetings, has been a success with over half a
million Voice SMS messages having been sent within 5 days of Eid holidays. This
phenomenal adoption of Voice SMS service by Etisalat UAE subscribers
demonstrates its
success in multilingual mobile markets.

The Kirusa Voice SMS service does not require any handset specifications
orsettings for using this service. To send a message, simply dial * (star)
followed by the recipient's phone number, and press the call button then
record your message after the tone and disconnect or press any key to hear
more options. The recipient gets an SMS message and can retrieve the message
by dialing *0*. Old messages can be retrieved by dialing *1*.

Etisalat has a customer penetration of 150 percent, a remarkable figure
regionally and internationally. The availability of Voice SMS will help
Etisalat to leverage the service to maintain its leadership position. The
Kirusa Voice SMS platform enables Etisalat to cost-effectively deploy additional
revenue generating services that seamlessly combine voice with text, graphics,
and video to deliver dramatically enhanced end-user mobile experiences.

To deliver the Voice SMS solution to Etisalat, Kirusa has deployed its Voice
SMS application and multimodal platform, integrated with HP OpenCall Media
Platform, in the Etisalat network in Abu Dhabi. Kirusa has partnered with
Emircom,
an ICT solutions company based in Abu Dhabi, for the delivery and support of the
solution.

Commenting on the announcement, Khalifa Al Shamsi, Vice President
Marketing/ Consumer & SMB of Etisalat, said, "Etisalat has always been a pioneer
in
identifying new ways for its customers to reach out and experience the
bestservices and technologies across the globe. Our focus has always been to
create a great customer experience. This is why we announced the launch of
the compelling Voice SMS service. We are sure our customers will find it
easy to use and enjoy the benefits of voice communication without the
senseof immediacy that tends to go with a voice call."

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Inderpal Singh Mumick, Founder and CEO of
Kirusa, said, "The Kirusa Voice SMS application has been very well
receivedby mobile users in South Asia, and we are delighted that the leading
carrier in
Middle East has chosen to work with Kirusa to bring the benefits of Voice SMS
messaging to people in UAE. Etisalat will also be able to benefit from our
large installed base in South Asia, enabling the entire expatriate population to
have cost-effective communication with their friends and families back home."

About Kirusa

Kirusa is a leading developer of value added mobile services that provide
the
freedom of multimodality. Kirusa's solutions include the hugely successful
KV.SMS(TM), the world's most advanced "Voice SMS" solution, which allows mobile
users to send and reply to SMS messages with voice, and works on all handsets
and on all networks. The Voice SMS solution offers the industry's most
intuitive user interface, with features such as Direct Listen(TM) for direct
access and reply to messages, Speed Codes(TM) for quickly sending messages
using codes, group messaging, mobile number portability, convergence,
interconnect, and international Voice SMS. KV.SMS can be deployed in a matter
of weeks, and its fast user adoption has led to explosive revenue growth for
Kirusa's customers. KV.SMS is built on Kirusa's patented and patent pending
technology and its highly reliable and scalable multimodal platform. The
platform's ability to manage and synchronize data and voice interactions,
plus its integration with IMS and 3G standards, enables customers to cost
effectively deploy additional revenue-generating services such as messaging,
search,
information, and entertainment applications. Kirusa's solutions are deployed
worldwide and used by tens of millions of mobile subscribers. Headquartered
in New Jersey and led by an experienced team of wireless telecom executives
andtechnologists, Kirusa has sales offices in Paris, France; Delhi, India;
andAbu Dhabi, UAE; with a research and development facility in Bangalore, India.
'Kirusa Voice SMS,' 'Direct Listen,' and 'Speed Codes' are trademarks of
Kirusa, Inc. For more information, please visit www.kirusa.com.

About Etisalat

Etisalat has been the telecommunications service provider in the United Arab
Emirates since 1976. Since then, it has built up state-of-the-art telecom
infrastructure
and taken a leadership position of innovation and reliability among regional
and international operators. Etisalat's mobile phone service penetration in the
UAE has crossed 150 percent of the population. With 6.3 million subscribers,
Internet and broadband penetration in the UAE has reached 60 percent, a
significant
achievement by Etisalat compared to regional average.

In addition to being the UAE's telecom provider, Etisalat has now expanded
to
manage and operate telecom companies in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan,
Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Niger, Togo, Republic of Central
Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Afghanistan. With shares in Sudan's
'Sudatel,' Qatar's Q-Tel and Thuraya, the satellite telephone service provider,
Etisalat is a key regional player that lends its expertise and resources
towards the betterment of information and communication technology.

Visit Etisalat at www.etisalat.ae.

Media Contact:
Kirusa
Anju T Makin
Alchemy Corporate Communications
Tel: +91-98101 70135
Email Contact

Etisalat
Ahmed Bin Ali
Vice President Corporate Communications
Tel: 02 6182173
Fax: 02 6334448
Email Contact

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