Asiacell and Possio Bring Back Long-Awaited Fax Services to Iraq

July 2010 - Swedish wireless innovator Possio announces a partnership with Asiacell, the largest private Iraqi company and the first and only mobile telecommunications company to provide coverage for all of Iraq. The partnership was inaugurated in a meeting in Sulaimaniyah between Dr. Diar Ahmed, CEO of Asiacell, and Mr. Per Östlund, Executive Director at Possio, in the presence of Mr. Roland Sossi, Sweden’s Trade Commissioner to Iraq.

Possio invented the mobile fax in 1989 and has ever since been focusing on moving fax and other applications from fixed telephone networks to mobile networks, often referred to as the narrow band data opportunity. Possio offers a portfolio of products and services to mobile operators based on this unique expertise.

"Nobody has as much experience as we do when it comes to using mobile networks for fax and similar narrow band data applications," said Mr. Rickardh Gärdström, VP Sales at Possio. "In our successful collaboration with Asiacell we had to use everything we have, from products to services, to analyze their network, suggest changes to the infrastructure, provide hardware and software, and finally verify the solutions," continued Mr. Gärdström.

“The demand for fax services over mobile networks in Iraq is substantial,” said Dr. Diar Ahmad. “We initiated this project with Possio, who are pioneers in the mobile fax industry, in light of the damaged fixed telephony network after the war, and we are extremely proud to be launching this new mobile fax service that uses both stationary fax machines and mobile fax terminals.”

The Possio products in this partnership are Possio GRETA GSM Fax & Printer, a portable GSM fax, printer, scanner, copier and phone; Possio SVEA II GSM Connector, a generic robust hardware platform for connecting analog devices to mobile networks; and Possio Professional Services including consulting, support and training. An initial purchase of Possio products was disclosed at the meeting together with joint expectations of substantial demand now that the fax services have been announced.

"The opportunity for us to work closely with an admirable company like Asiacell was spectacular and challenging," said Per Östlund. "Now we have proved our ability to deliver according to the standards and expectations of the leading mobile operator in Iraq and I am enthusiastic over the joint new business opportunities for our partnership," continues Mr. Östlund.

In turn, Dr. Diar went on to say, “We at Asiacell are dedicated to providing our fellow Iraqis with the best and most innovative telecom services. The challenges we are facing as a people motivate us towards attaining further success and preserving the trust that has been placed in us by every Asiacell subscriber.”

About Possio
AB For the past 28 years Possio has been developing and marketing fixed and portable wireless products globally. We have a genuine track record of turning customer problems into relevant easy-to-use communication products for international markets. Possio is based in Sweden, the home of wireless communication, with sales offices in Beijing and Chicago. For more information please visit www.possio.com

About Asiacell
Asiacell, the first mobile telecommunications company in Iraq, was established in the city of Sulaimaniya in 1999 by the well-known entrepreneur Mr. Faruk Mustafa Rasool. It is today the only national Iraqi telecom network to provide coverage for all of the country's provinces in the north and the south and is the largest private Iraqi company, serving over 7.8 million subscribers and connecting the Iraqi nation together.

This press release was issued by Asiacell. For more information, please contact us at:
Public Relations Department
Telephone: +9647701195758
Email: abdulla.hassan@asiacell.com
Web: www.asiacell.com

or contact Possio:
Mr. Per Östlund, Executive Director at Possio
Telephone: +46 73 230 30 13
Email: per.ostlund@possio.com