Nawras launches exciting internet and voice services for residential customers
 

An Nawras unveiled an exciting portfolio of fixed residential services, including Home Broadband & Voice, all available across the Sultanate from July 20, 2010. Nawras is now delivering new opportunities for customers to get closer to friends and family with broadband internet and voice access at home. Overall, 54 per cent of households have coverage through the first WiMAX technology network in Oman, and this is expected to grow quickly to reach over 80 per cent of households during 2011.

“As an Omani company, Nawras and its customers have benefitted tremendously from the encouragement and guidance of His Majesty’s leadership,” says Ross Cormack, CEO, Nawras, “By entering into the fixed market, we look forward to changing the telecom landscape in Oman once again, in turn supporting His Majesty’s Vision 2020,” he added.

The plug & play simplicity of the Nawras Home Broadband & Voice packages allows customers to set up internet access within minutes, and Nawras has made it easy for customers to buy, use, pay and get help. Customers can simply walk into any Nawras Store or selected Nawras Premium Dealer, register for the service, buy a modem, take it home, connect it to a laptop or desktop computer, enter their username and password, and start surfing. Nawras has even posted coverage maps on its website so that customers can see exactly what kinds of services are covered within their town or village.

Postpaid packages start from RO15 per month including a 6GB data allowance with up to 1 Mb/s downlink speed, spend capping to control broadband internet budgets, and a free-of-charge telephone connection with no extra line charges – the latter being an innovation and a Nawras first. Customers also benefit from a number of other flexible options and price plans including a prepaid service package, another Nawras first in Oman.

Starting at just RO5 per week, prepaid customers can enjoy a 2GB data allowance with up to 1 Mb/s downlink speed, or can choose a monthly plan with the same prices and benefits as the postpaid options. Customers who sign up now for either a postpaid or prepaid package will receive double data allowances absolutely free plus 50 per cent off Nawras broadband modems until October 13 as part of the launch promotion.

The Nawras Voice packages also offer customers a wide range of different services. Customers can benefit from the transparent and affordable Home Voice prices or select NawrasTalk, which offers bundled minutes at a very attractive price to any other Nawras fixed or mobile customer. Even better, with NawrasTalk calls between Nawras fixed customers will be completely free until October 13 as part of Nawras’ special launch offer. Other features like the My Favourite Countries reduce rates for international calls by an additional 10 per cent to two selected countries.

With the Nawras fixed telephone connection – provided free with every broadband internet connection – customers enjoy even better international call rates with the option of a unique Nawras voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service, giving further discounts to six selected destinations: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The first residential service of its kind in Oman and another Nawras first, Nawras VoIP is automatically included with the Nawras Home Broadband & Voice packages and simply involves dialling ‘0902’ before a number to switch the phone call to VoIP for that call, for example, by dialling 0902 91 plus the number for calls to India. Nawras VoIP offers the most attractive call rates to these six Asian destinations when compared to any other player in the Omani telecom market.

The numero uno

BankDhofar presented with the OER-GBCM Best Banks in Oman’s No. 1 trophy

BankDhofar has emerged as the No. 1 bank in Oman Economic Review-Gulf Baader Capital Markets Best Banks in Oman Survey 2010. BankDhofar’s resilience, determination and drive has enabled it to emerge as the No.1 bank in the Sultanate. Kris Babicci, CEO, BankDhofar, was presented a No.1 trophy by Sandeep Sehgal, chief executive, UMS recently.

Despite the global financial unrest during the last year BankDhofar continued to achieve good results throughout 2009. The total assets of the bank reached RO1,486.9mn as compared to RO1,323.8mn at the end of 2008, signifying a sustained growth of 12.32 per cent. The net loans and advances to customers stood at RO1,194.2mn compared to RO1,018.4mn in 2008 reflecting a growth of 17.26 per cent. Says Babicci, “Although the region is yet to fully come out of the global economic crisis, BankDhofar managed reasonably well in all key areas, posting good growth rates. We continued to enhance our positioning due to a focused business strategy.” Anticipating an adverse economic environment the bank held onto the basics coupled with strict risk management practices. The bank’s approach to the challenges thrown up by the financial crisis was to take stock and consolidate its position in order to reduce the adverse effects of any potential fallout.

Passion for Education

Al Namoo School, Sohar is working on providing well-rounded education to bring a ‘different’ kind of quality education to the Sultanate

At Al Namoo Private School in Sohar, students are encouraged to get involved in all school activities, be they academic or extracurricular. Principal and managing director Usha Ramesh Mani insists that activities at the school are designed to interest and engross students. She should know well, as Mani has more than 24 years of teaching experience behind her and continues to play a major role in shaping the lives of little ones, far away from her home country, in Sohar, Oman. Usha completed her Master’s in Education from the prestigious Bombay University in India and started her teaching career in 1986 and over the years has worked in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Dubai and now Oman.

The school’s beautiful location complements its well-rounded syllabus. Usha explains that the school provides the best in education from the West and the East. “Academically we have the Cambridge affiliation. And it is the only school from Shinas to Tareef to be a Cambridge International Centre. We have the most advanced, most extensive Maths Genius Programme which no other School in the Sultanate of Oman has. Under this Programme we are going to teach our students the Japanese Abacus and Mental Mathematics which is affiliated to Miyojama Institute of Soroban (Abacus) Education – Osaka, Japan,” she elaborates.

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