Established in 1994, Emirates Data Clearing House (EDCH) has come a long way as the only data-clearing house in the Middle East with customers from across the globe. They have enabled mobile operators and enterprises to enhance their revenues while reducing operating cost offering comprehensive solutions including data and financial clearing, revenue assurance, messaging, value added services, SIM and eSIM among others. EDCH participated in Mobile World Congress this year to engage in discussions on potential opportunities and at the same time explore new areas for future growth of the company.
Nasser Salim, General Manager, EDCH shares his insights in an interview with Telecom Review on the current trends, new initiatives and services planned this year.
What was the focus for EDCH at MWC this year in terms of new services and solutions for all your customers and visitors?
SIM cards are a critical element in the value chain of mobile network operators (MNOs), and their security is non-negotiable. The eSIM is an important evolution in network access technology, allowing for increased mobility and simplified access to mobile networks
eSIM profile provisioning services and SIM card solutions were a major focus for EDCH at MWC this year. We were able to highlight this year how we are reshaping the SIM business by showcasing the latest trends in terms of eSIM provisioning as well as our customised SIM card solutions. It cannot be stressed enough that reliable, high quality SIM cards help to minimise both the revenue loss and subscriber dissatisfaction caused by difficulties in connecting to the mobile network. And for machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, the eSIM is already bringing substantial benefits to operators and business customers.
Designed as per GSMA standards, EDCH’s innovative suite of products enables mobile operators and enterprises to offer seamless customer experience to their end users. By investing in SIM cards with appropriate memory capacities, operators can benefit from installing applications on SIM cards using Over-the-Air (OTA) technology. Some of the most popular apps include the SIM application toolkit and interactive messaging, while OTA steering of roaming, or preferred roaming, is also possible.
From its SAS-certified factory in the UAE, we offer SIM cards to suit any operators’ requirements, with short delivery times within the Middle East and Africa region. EDCH is offering memory capacities from 32KB to 1MB; support for both Java and native applications; SIM, USIM, and ISIM cards for access to networks from 2G to 5G, standard, micro, and nano SIM card plug sizes and M2M SIMs.
EDCH is also active in messaging solutions, what is new for mobile network operators on this front?
Application-to-Person (A2P) offerings is a key focus area for EDCH, two messaging products – Smart-Protect and E-Message - offer network security and revenue assurance to mobile network operators and diverse business messaging solutions to the enterprises spanning across various scales and verticals.
Our continuous efforts and commitment to innovation have enabled us to provide our Mobile Network Operator (MNO) partners with a complete and fully managed A2P messaging end-to-end solution to serve their needs. By incorporating our Smart Protect solution, MNOs are assured of full visibility and control over the A2P SMS traffic being terminated into their networks due to near real-time updates and security rules.
EDCH’s business messaging solution E-Message will help MNOs capitalize on the enormous market potential by reaching out to targeted market segments with focused marketing campaigns. With our bespoke messaging solutions, corporates can monetise latent market opportunities and convert them into enduring sources of revenue.
Smart-Protect filters and monitors A2P traffic for network security and checks revenue leakage and enhances revenue. EDCH’s state-of-the-art end-to-end managed messaging service supported by the constant monitoring and vigilance of a team of experts give it a competitive edge over others. Other benefits include bespoke solutions, zero risk, zero CAPEX and zero OPEX, flexible commercial models to suit clients’ needs, and an easy end-to-end integration with zero network disruption.
Our Business Messaging Solution E-Message helps enterprises capitalize on the enormous market potential by reaching out to a targeted market segment with focused marketing campaigns. It also empowers all types of enterprises to automate their workflow with our unique messaging capabilities. With EDCH’s bespoke messaging solutions, corporates can monetize latent market opportunities and convert them into enduring sources of revenue without spending on CAPEX, OPEX or management/maintenance of the solution.
What are the future plans for EDCH?
As most operators are focused on achieving efficiency and adopting advanced technologies in their network, EDCH will continue to evolve and enrich its portfolio of products and services. In 2019, we will look at including advanced analytics and tools that will enable them to be upcoming requirements as well as manage their roaming needs in a hassle free environment.
Can you give us an insight into your global operations, and how do you plan to expand EDCH business this year?
EDCH focuses on serving more than 62 operators in over 30 countries across four continents. We are looking at expanding our portfolio and footprint where we see the need for our services and solutions. At MWC, we have met a lot of new potential customers and foresee immense opportunities for 2019.
What is EDCH’s vision and strategy for this year?
EDCH has served as a mobility solutions partner for MNOs for two decades due to our long-term vision to lead in driving innovation and technological advancement. This has helped our customers access the best in technology enabling them to focus on their core business objectives to provide superior customer service and enhance shareholder value. We will continue to invest in launching reliable and robust solutions for MNOs across our markets. This will enable our clients to provide their customers quality services and solutions.
