Dubai telecom services provider du has launched two new sub-brands, in a major shake-up to its business-to-business operations aimed at addressing growing demand for digital transformation services in the UAE.
The introduction of the sub-brands, du Tech and du Infra, will allow the company to dedicate more resources to their respective business segments and is the next step in the company's transformation and expansion, chief executive Fahad Al Hassawi said on Thursday.
The realignment will enable du, also known as Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, to "move from a being simple connectivity provider to an integrated technology enabler in the market", Mr Al Hassawi told reporters in Dubai.
"We believe this is what customers require from us and we are happy to respond. This will set us up for the future as a stronger player in the market," he added.
Du Tech will focus on providing digital transformation tools, including cyber security, the cloud, blockchain, the Internet of Things and cloud services, to government, private and small and medium organisations, in line with the UAE's innovation goals, the company said.
Du Infra, meanwhile, will help deploy network infrastructure and services, which would ensure secure and seamless data flow, and optimise operations for businesses and government entities.
The sub-brands will join the two others: du Business and du Pay. Launched in 2021, du Business focuses on the enterprise segment, offering 5G and fibre services. Mr Al Hassawi said that the sub-brand allowed du to "resonate better with our enterprise segment", in the process boosting subscriber numbers and revenue.
Du Pay, meanwhile, was introduced in April, marking the company's entry into the FinTech market. Mr Al Hassawi previously told The National that du's foray into FinTech has performed better than expected.
"We have addressed more and more segments, starting with consumers and enterprises, from simple connectivity to fixed and mobile, then expanding to ICT," Mr Al Hassawi said on Thursday.
"We have seen a lot of success and good reception. The market is evolving and moving more towards digital transformation and the needs are becoming more sophisticated. As a consequence, we need to transform and become more specialised in serving customers."
Telcos are moving quickly to keep pace with the rapid pace of digital transformation, offering branched-out services to help enterprises and consumers at every phase of communications.
This has also prompted these companies to expand beyond their home bases, seeking acquisitions and partnerships to grow their portfolio and add assets that will help boost their operations and bottom line.
Abu Dhabi's e& already has a business structure in which it has separate entities that oversee segments such as consumer, commercial and investment.
Du did not elaborate on plans to add more business segments in the future.
One of the company's primary focuses at the moment is growing its ICT business, and any expansion would be considered, Jasim Al Awadi, du's chief ICT officer, told The National at the company's Envision conference last month.
"We are looking at [this] and once there is an opportunity and anything materialises – of course, we are always seeking the best for du – we will explore any good option whenever it is required," he said at the time.
Du's new sub-brands are a broader part of its expansion strategy. The company is aiming to offer “affordable and accessible” cloud and artificial intelligence services in the UAE as it prepares to launch them locally next year, Mr Al Hassawi told The National last month in Las Vegas.
The company will start by offering cloud and AI services to government agencies in Dubai, the Northern Emirates and UAE federal bodies by the first half of 2025, competing with major players like Microsoft, Amazon and Google in the UAE market, he said.
In terms of overseas expansion, Mr Al Hassawi hinted that the foremost market would be Saudi Arabia, considering the size and potential of the Arab world's largest economy.
