UAE’s e& builds on existing partnership with Microsoft

UAE-based e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group) announced that it has expanded its partnership with Microsoft. Under the agreement, the companies will further develop a long-term strategic collaboration, embarking on e&’s journey to boost the digitalisation journey of enterprises.

“Our partnership with Microsoft is an example of synergy in action,” said Hatem Dowidar, CEO, e&. “e& is combining one of the world’s fastest 5G networks with Microsoft’s cloud, AI, edge and data services, addressing a regional market hungry for digital transformation. We are confident that this collaboration will continue to support the ever-growing demands of this market and our digital journey of transformation and innovation. This also supports our ambition to become a world-class technology provider that supports regional innovators as they disrupt, make a difference and build the future.”

Pillars powering the collaboration

The agreement, which is e&’s first strategic partnership alliance after its repositioning, will focus on e& harnessing the versatility of the Microsoft Cloud and partner ecosystem to create new solutions, accelerate value creation for businesses of all sizes, as well as engage customers and empower e&’s employees. The collaboration between the organisations will be structured around three strategic pillars:

– Focus on business-to-business engagement across large enterprises, governments, small and medium-sized businesses, by helping them in their digital transformation journey.

– Re-invention of the consumer experience, with a focus on empowering consumers, broadening, and enriching the e& services portfolio.

– Setting the foundations to power e&’s transformation journey by modernising networks and platforms, building ecosystems and transforming the e& culture to attract top talent.

“The UAE has fully embraced digitisation with an impressive speed and vision,” said Judson Althoff, EVP and CCO, Microsoft. “Our strategic partnership with e& emphasises the role that Microsoft’s comprehensive and trusted cloud plays in our customers’ digital transformation, bringing together the unique capability of networks, hyperscale infrastructure and partner solutions to drive economic growth, sustainability, and societal well-being.”

A strategic relationship

e& and Microsoft have been strategic partners for many years. In 2019, Microsoft launched its UAE data centres in collaboration with e&. During the pandemic in 2020, Etisalat UAE, the telecoms division of e& in the UAE collaborated with Microsoft to enable Microsoft Teams availability across the UAE.

Soon after, e& launched its first customer service powered by Microsoft Azure, enabling SMBs to grow and scale their operations. Last year, it partnered with Microsoft for 5G and Edge to lay the foundations for next-generation use cases.

In 2021, e& enterprise was named Microsoft Country Partner of the Year for the UAE in recognition for providing outstanding solutions and services to customers in strategic industries such as government, healthcare, and financial services. e& enterprise has also been instrumental in accelerating customer journeys on remote working during the pandemic by offering Teams Direct Routing as a service, to help save costs and enable business continuity for multinationals.

In other news, e& recently proposed to boost its shareholding in Saudi Arabia’s Mobily in a deal that could be valued at $2.12bn. The UAE telecom major already holds 28 per cent of Mobily and is seeking to raise it to 50 per cent plus one share.

Read: UAE’s e& offers to boost stake in Mobily in $2.12bn deal