From upstart to main rival

The Life: John Lincoln joined Etisalat in March, jumping ship from its upstart rival du where, for nearly five years, he headed up the enterprise marketing division.

John Lincoln says, "We want SMEs to know that Etisalat is the business partner of choice that they can count on." Duncan Chard for the National

John Lincoln knows the international telecommunications market. He has been in the sector for 23 years working in seven countries and a variety of cultures, but he still sees the UAE as a special market.

"The UAE is one of the most unique markets both in terms of its mobile penetration of around 200 per cent and the large influx of tourist and visitors coming in," says Mr Lincoln, senior vice president of business marketing with Etisalat.

He joined Etisalat in March this year, jumping ship from its rival du where, for nearly five years, he headed up the enterprise marketing division.

So, what was it like walking out on a business he had helped grow, to go to its competitor?

"The scale is much bigger, there is no comparison. People move companies, there are certain times in your life when you feel it is time to move on to the next level and Etisalat is a much larger company, with a much larger customer base and I have a larger revenue responsibility," says the 54-year-old American, who is also a published author. He released Connect the Dots, a playbook to help people connect to their customers and profits, in November.

"So I moved on. It's a progression and I'm at the stage where I have worked in the telecommunications industry for the past 23 years in the US, in Japan, in the UK, in India, with short stints in Brazil and Thailand, and now in the UAE for the past four and a half years with du, and now with Etisalat. I love the UAE, I love Abu Dhabi and Dubai."

Mr Lincoln'stelecoms experience has spurred him to offer a plan to the burgeoning SME community, offering the likes of an iPhone 5 without upfront costs.

"We want to accelerate our focus on SMEs, we want SMEs to know that Etisalat is the business partner of choice that they can count on. SMEs don't have to compromise on quality to get value for money, that is the key message that I have for the UAE's SMEs.

"This is the first of many things that you will see in the market for SMEs from Etisalat," he says.

This focus on smaller and medium-sized business sounds similar to du's digital and web services offering "The Entrepreneur Plan", launched earlier in the year .

Mr Lincoln claims the two are poles apart. "Etisalat's 'Business Ultimate' betters it on every level, it is a superior proposition," he asserts.

The fact that one can get the latest smartphone for less than Dh100 per month could attract customers, but how is Etisalat doing it?

"We are going to subsidise a certain amount but we are going to recoup the money back over 12 months or 24 months. We will expect you to stay with us. Plus, you will need data, what's the point of having a smart phone if you are not going to have a data package with it and you can buy a 1Gb, 5Gb and a 12Gb package?" Mr Lincoln asks.

To ensure only SMEs get access to the new package, Etisalat has a stringent application process in place.

"You will need a trade licence as it is targeted at businesses, it is not a consumer plan," Mr Lincoln says. "If a husband buys into the plan and gives it to his wife that is his concern, but we will need to see his trade licence first."