Abu Dhabi General Services (‘Musanada’) have signed a Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Etisalat yesterday (Monday, April 30th, 2012) under the patronage of Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC). The agreement will enable Musanada to provide the Abu Dhabi Government with a reliable and high-performing network backed by a range of Etisalat services.
The MSA covers key services provided by ADSIC’s Abu Dhabi Government Network (ADNet), including 24/7 network and security operations centers, secure Government to Government (G2G) network connectivity, shared secure internet services for Abu Dhabi Government entities, connectivity to the Shared Government Data Centre (SGDC) where shared services are hosted, and connectivity to the enterprise service bus and Abu Dhabi Government portal. The MSA, which includes a Service Level Agreement (SLA) and comes into effect 1st of June this year, will enable Musanada to provide reliable IT-enabled services to government entities.
Remarking on the new accomplishment, H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Fahed Al Mehairi, CEO of Musanada, said: “With the support of ADSIC, Musanada and Etisalat have cemented a strategic partnership and service commitment to the Abu Dhabi Government by establishing a Master Services Agreement for Etisalat Services. We commend the team for their exceptional efforts in establishing this system for ADNet. This reflects our desire to provide best-in-class services to the Abu Dhabi Government and our support for its goal of being one of the top five governments in the world.”
Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Jamal Al Nuaimi, Etisalat’s GM for the Abu Dhabi region, said: “As the UAE’s premier network solutions provider, we are delighted to collaborate with Musanada and ADSIC on this key project which will enable the government to benefit from a reliable, secure and cost-effective network. Etisalat has a proven track record in managing large and complex network infrastructure gained over many years. We believe we can use this accumulated knowledge and insights to support both organizations in achieving greater alignment between government departments in Abu Dhabi. We look forward to working closely with the teams at Musanada and various other government departments in creating a state-of-the-art and highly developed network for Abu Dhabi”.
As part of the ADNet strategic articulation, ADSIC conducted a baseline of existing networks within the Abu Dhabi Government and benchmarked against best practices and leading government networks worldwide.
H.E. Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General, Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC), said: “The concept of a private Abu Dhabi Government network was identified in ADSIC’s e-Government Strategy as a key readiness initiative affirming the need for government entities to support one another to enable their services and to enrich the experience for Abu Dhabi citizens and residents. ADNet provides the foundation for Government to Government (G2G) services by enabling entities to connect to the capabilities of other entities in a secured environment.”
“The Master Service Agreement formalizes the services that Musanada successfully provides in partnership with Etisalat to the Abu Dhabi Government. This is the first MSA of its kind in the UAE and is a major accomplishment for ADSIC, Musanada and Etisalat and ultimately the Abu Dhabi Government,” he concluded.
The MSA is a framework agreement containing service-level commitment for ADNet- subscribed services such as a 24/7 Network Operations Center operating 365 days a year, IPConnect (MPLS) providing seamless connectivity from the data center to the entities, in addition to providing internet over ethernet as well as fiber connectivity between data centers.
Mohamed Humaid Al Qubaisi, Technology Services ADNet Programme Manager at Musanada, commented: “ADNet provides critical services to the Abu Dhabi Government. We have connected 43 entities to ADNet since our launch on May 15, 2010. We are still expanding the service with more additions planned in 2012. The agreement will ensure that Abu Dhabi Government entities receive a service that meets their expectations.”
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