du successfully supports SME World Summit 2014 as a Lead Sponsor

Dubai, UAE, 10 April 2014: Underscoring its continued commitment to nurture the growth and development of the UAE’s vast small and medium enterprises (SME) and entrepreneurs, du supported the recently-held SME World Summit 2014 as a Lead Sponsor. Over a period of two days, the event proved to be a draw for SMEs and entrepreneurs alike in and around the MENA region.

Speaking as part of a high-powered panel discussion titled ‘Enabling global ambitions for SMEs’, Vikram Chadha,  Vice President of SME Marketing in du stressed upon the need for SMEs and entrepreneurs to go digital. He said: “The world has moved from product-based economy in the 80’s to the service economy in the 90’s and now we are presently in the experience-led economy. For growing SMEs and entrepreneurs, having a strong presence in the digital world, whether it’s online or on social media is a must and no longer an option. These platforms offer two key benefits – as a cost effective way of reaching out to customers and collecting customer feedback. From experience we have seen that customers are invariably willing to pay a little more if the customer experience is guaranteed to be better.”

du has provided support to the UAE’s entrepreneurial scene in various ways since the company was established in 2006. The company creates tailored telecommunications solutions for SMEs such as the Entrepreneur Plan, as well as having launched several initiatives – such as ‘The Entrepreneur’, a reality TV show aired in 2012. Additionally, du supported events such as the Young Entrepreneur Competition for three consecutive years, and provides advice and opportunities to SMEs on procurement and contracting procedures. du takes a lot of care and innovation in the design of the packages of SME’s, offering among the best packages for the SME’s across the world by providing best value for money to its customer, price predictability, price transparency with no bill shock to the customers, and reliable service to the SME customers at their doorsteps.

Recently, du announced the launch of its third annual Sustainability Report. The Report meets the new Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Comprehensive guidelines, which were launched in May 2013 in The Netherlands. In doing so, du has become the first in the region and the world’s first telecommunications company to adopt this standard. It focuses on the areas that the company can and should have the greatest impact on, including cultivating a culture of learning, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in the UAE. The revised corporate sustainability commitment is guided by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) principles and the GRI reporting framework, amongst others.