ABU DHABI -- du - the integrated telecom service provider in the UAE, has extended and expanded its long standing business relationship with Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) into the IT space. As part of a new five year managed services agreement, Ericsson will augment du's IT applications and deliver application development and maintenance for du's IT application landscape.

This agreement supplements du's aggressive growth strategy and its continuous focus on improving the company capabilities in service delivery, enhancing customer experiences, offering more value-for-money products.

Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Human Resources and Shared Services Officer, du, says: "We have grown rapidly as a company ever since we launched operations. To maintain the momentum and build on it we have chosen Ericsson to partner us in the field of IT Application Development. Ericsson's expertise will significantly help enhance our IT applications, which we believe will reflect on our customers' experience in top priority areas such as billing"

Under the terms of the contract, Ericsson will develop and maintain applications for about 35 platforms and technologies, including upgrading and consolidation of du's software applications domains, transformation of operations and enterprise support systems and managed services.

Ray Hassan, President and Head of Gulf Council Countries, Ericsson, says: "This confirms a growing trend in the market. Operators are looking for ways to simplify the management of their IT landscapes which are growing more complex. By having Ericsson providing both telecom and IT services, operators like du can gain significant business benefits. This deal reflects du's continuous trust in partnering with Ericsson by setting a new and unique business model in the region."

Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC)