KUWAIT CITY, June 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today that Zain, the pioneer of mobile telecommunications in Kuwait, has chosen IBM's social software to deliver deeper, more personalized experiences for its 2.5 million customers in the country. The IBM solution brings together Zain's digital, mobile and social platforms to offer customers a single, compelling point of engagement.

Founded in 1983 as Kuwait's first mobile operator, Zain is a pioneer in the telecommunications industry, employing a workforce of over 6,600 professionals servicing over 46.2 million active customers in eight Middle Eastern and African countries. In the highly competitive Kuwaiti market which has grown rapidly in recent years, telecommunication providers are racing to differentiate themselves through higher-value services, more personalized offerings and deeper customer engagements. Kuwait's mobile penetration rate has reached 215 percent according to Business Monitor International*.

With IBM's social software, Zain customers will be able to connect, communicate and collaborate directly with the company's services team - from participating in Zain's online communities, to locating the right subject matter expert and sharing feedback about products and services.

"With the number of mobile devices and social media tools on the rise, it is crucial that Zain has the right channels in place to reach our customers with the best personalized content and services wherever they may be," said Omar Al Omar, Chief Executive Officer, Zain Kuwait. "Leveraging IBM's solution capabilities, we will be able to gain deeper insights about our customers' behavior which will help us in our customer engagement and services personalization."

According to IBM's recent survey of 1,600 CIOs worldwide, more than 80 percent of respondents said they are shifting their focus to the front office where marketing, sales and service managers work directly with customers. To do so, they are investing in new technologies to gain deeper insights into customer data. Examples of these items include sentiment mining and social network analysis to identify unique behavioral patterns and reliably predict critical trends. This deeper engagement is a now universal ambition with 90 percent of all C-suite leaders expecting to increase direct collaboration with their customers.

"There is no longer any real distinction between the customer experience and contemporary business strategy as customer satisfaction is key to the success of every organization," said Amr Refaat, IBM General Manager for Middle East and Pakistan. "Zain has long been at the forefront of technology adoption in Kuwait. With IBM's solution, Zain will be able to revisit its existing digital platforms to create enhanced exceptional digital experiences that reach and engage with their customers."

The IBM Customer Experience Suite builds upon IBM's 10 years of expertise in providing portal and Web content management software to more than 8,000 clients globally. The software portfolio helps organizations develop a dynamic Web experience for consumers that can attract and retain customers, personalize advertising and marketing campaigns, and enhance overall customer loyalty.

The solution is being implemented in partnership with IBM business partner, Khorafi Business Machines.

The agreement was signed at the end of 2013 and the solution is currently being implemented.

* Source: Business Monitor International, Kuwait telecommunications Report Q4 2013.

For more, please email info@zain.com or visit:
www.zain.com
www.facebook.com/zain
www.twitter.com/zain
www.youtube.com/zain

About IBM:
For more information about IBM Customer Experience Suite: http://www-01.ibm.com/software/collaboration/digitalexperience/solutions/

IBM Media Contact:
Jumana Akkawi
External Relations Leader, IBM Middle East
Direct: +971 4 4498353
Email: jumanaak@ae.ibm.com