Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) Services and BlackBerry Application

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority have launched its first application that is compatible with BlackBerry phones in order to offer its services electronically through the BlackBerry devices. DEWA announced the plan of launching a BlackBerry Application during WETEX 2010 in March and this application will add a new channel to DEWA’s electronic services package. In this context, HE Saeed Al Tayer, MD and CEO stated that: “BlackBerry application will target large section of DEWA customers, and will also provide a quick and easy mean to benefit from the services provided by DEWA. The applications include many services, such as finding the geographic locations of DEWA customer service offices, the information related to offices, such as phone numbers, working hours for each center and the ability to save and send the communication data through Business Card format. The new application will also allow different options for communication with DEWA, i.e. by telephone, sending e-mails or by visiting DEWA website”. HE Saeed M Al Tayer, mentioned that by using the BlackBerry applications, DEWA customers will be able to send their comments, suggestions and proposals, enclosing a photograph with the geographic directions of the location. They can also enquire about the bills of the services provided by DEWA, such as Electricity and Water bills, drainage (in favor of Dubai Municipality) and housing fees (DM also) and pay thru mPay, provided in cooperation with Dubai E-government. HE Saeed M Al Tayer added that the main objective of providing our services through BlackBerry devices, which more than 270 thousand users own, is to facilitate and save DEWA clients’ time and efforts. This service considers as a part of the latest DEWA’s electronic services package. DEWA has set a strategy to attract the latest best technologies and solutions to benefit its customers, and that is shown when DEWA offered its services electronically using iPhone devices that launched in April 2010 to cover iPhone users segment which is more than 46 thousand users. It is noteworthy that DEWA implemented a new technology using QR Barcodes, which enables the customer to reach the required electronic services by downloading free software that is available in most mobile phones to scan the codes in order to reach the needed service without entering data manually. The new BlackBerry Application Service will be provided in conjunction with continued use of regular payment channels, through DEWA offices from: 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., except for Fridays, through EPPCO and ENOC petrol stations, Emirates Post offices, Etisalat and banks payment machines, mPay, and thru DEWA website www.dewa.gov.ae.