Special Features
Middle East And Africa Smartphone Market To Post 39 Per Cent Annual Compound Growth Until 2014
Smartphones are expected to account for a 37 per cent share of the global mobile phone market by 2014, with the Middle East and Africa set to be among the top two global Smartphone markets via an estimated compound annual growth rate of 39 per cent over the next four years.In line with this, CIT MOBiDIV is targeting increased market share for its ArabWare platform, which is a conceptual variation in the Smartphone software standards that promises to revolutionize the understanding of the Smartphone localization and regionalization.
Recent research conducted within the MENA region reports that 48 per cent of purchasing decisions by Arab mobile consumers are influenced by preloaded regional applications and interactive features dedicated to regional consumers; a point highly considered while launching ArabWare.
Introduced in late 2009, ArabWare is not only a localization solution but a complete-set of localization and integrated applications, which aims to address the needs, preferences and lifestyles of Arab mobile consumers.
Its applications provide region-friendly functionality for activities such as lifestyle integration and social networking such as Facebook and Twitter. ArabWare is already being applied to smartphone handsets powered by various platforms such as Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Blackberry, Bada, OPhone and J2ME.
“ArabWare’s new localization capabilities are vital for Arab consumers who want smartphone applications that complement their lifestyle, personal needs and preferences. For vendors, our Agent technology enables them to achieve rapid market entry and immediately meet demand. These two major benefits of ArabWare will accelerate the MEA’s emergence as one of the world’s top smartphone markets,” said Ashraf Zaki, CEO, CIT MOBiDIV.
The Middle East has received more than 25 new Smartphone models equipped with ArabWare’s Arabic Online Mobility solution supporting crossing platforms. CIT MOBiDIV offers global mobile vendors and operators with in-house developed regional applications that enhance the end-user experience and provide added value. Over 20 prominent smartphone vendors have bundled MOBiDIV technologies with more than 250 models with more than 4+ million handsets carrying MOBiDIV software.
