Islamic Mobile Service from SalamFone

Salamfone Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Kuwait’s Reach Telecom has launched the first ever Shariah Compliant mobile service in the world, and it is now offered in Malaysia. The Mobile Virtual Network Operator(MVNO) will operate using the Maxis 2G network.

The prepaid starter pack will be priced at RM8.50 with RM5 airtime. For the time being, voice calls are charged RM0.20/min(normal rate is 25sen/min) to all network nationwide & each SMS cost 10sen. Data is pay-per-use and it is charged 10sen/10kb.

Some of the services on SalamFone:

• Infaq-One sen will be donated by Salamfone every time a customer calls another Salamfone customer
• Talian Hidayah – dedicated Islamic helpline
• Islamic Auspicious Days reminder and Bonus
• Free Inspiring Religious SMS
• Islamic Tunes – Nasyid and Islamic RBT
• Subscription Islamic Value Added Services
• Reload Transfer

SalamFone will be aggressively marketed at Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan as these locations have the highest concentration of Muslim residents in Malaysia.

The service will be primarily targeted to those in the age group of 30 to 55 and those between the age of 17 to 29.

Details at http://www.salamfone.my/.

Press Release from SlaamFone below.

6th April, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia - Salamfone Sdn Bhd [Salamfone] created history when the Company launched the first ever Shariah Compliant mobile service in the world, modelled after the principles of Shariah and the 5 pillars of Islam.

Carrying the brand name Salamfone, the pre-paid mobile service was launched by YB Mejar Jeneral Datuk Seri Jamil Khir bin Haji Baharom [B] at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today in conjunction with the World Halal Research 2011 Summit held from 6-7 April.

Speaking at the launch, CEO of Salamfone Kamshul Kasim said,” Salamfone will fundamentally appeal to the large Muslim market in Malaysia who is increasingly desirous of practising a more Shariah Compliant way of life.”

“Salamfone is more than just a product. Our value proposition is to share the values of Islam, instil and inspire them towards a wholesome Muslim lifestyle in every way. I believe that the establishment of a Shariah Compliant mobile service is so timely and relevant to the Muslim community in Malaysia.”

In elaborating the bigger picture of its Shariah-compliancy, Kamshul added, “Salamfone is serious about being Shariah Compliant. We don’t just ‘think’ it – we act it. That is why we make it point to ensure our business models, value-added investments and business partnerships are all halal. In this way, we not only safeguard the integrity of our brand but show our shareholders, distributors, dealers and subscribers that we are indeed determined to build our business and not just our product, according to the true principles of Islam.”

As a company, Salamfone will donate a portion of its profits from the Salamfone mobile service to various charities on a regular basis. In this way, every subscriber of Salamfone comes together as one to live a more Shariah Compliant way of life as they are indirectly giving sedekah or alms as required by Islam through INFAQ programme.

Among one of Salamfone’s value-added services that make it unique in the market is its “Talian Hidayah”, a dedicated Islamics helpline that offers clarification on a wide variety of Islamic questions. There are also services such as Free Inspiring Religious SMS, Subscription Islamic Value Added Services, Islamic Tunes and Reload Transfers. Customers also enjoy Shariah Compliant savings through special discounts offered on days considered auspicious under Islam. Umrah and Haji packages are also part of its attractive and exclusive features.

As a special way of saying Shukran or “Thank You”, early subscribers of Salamfone enjoy a special introductory bonus during its launch period.

The Salamfone mobile service operates using the Maxis network system and top-ups are available at 7-11 outlets, Petronas stations, Shell stations and at ATMs like RHB Bank, Bank Simpanan Nasional, CIMB, and Kuwait Finance House. Salamfone has also established working relationships with non-traditional channels such corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations, cooperatives and multilevel companies.

Salamfone’s target market is Malaysian Muslims from all walks of life who hold strong beliefs in their obligations to Islam. This group is passionate about their God-given duty to help the community they live in and are looking for avenues to strengthen their faith. A secondary group is Muslim visitors from the Middle East to Malaysia who are looking to use a Shariah Compliant mobile service during their stay in the country.

With the local demographic in mind, the four initial key markets that Salamfone will be aggressively marketed in are Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan as these locations have the highest concentration of Muslim residents in Malaysia. However there is still a strong appeal for Salamfone across the nation.

Based on the soft launches held on 29 March in Terengganu, 2 April in Kelantan and 4 April in Kedah, the interest in Salamfone is positively encouraging with distributors eagerly snapping up stocks of SIM cards with re-orders already being processed.

Should the demand for Salamfone in Malaysia prove encouraging, the company is looking to expand its business regionally. Malaysia was chosen as the company’s premier testing ground for its business model as the Malaysian government is fully supportive of the product and the country has a good reputation for Shariah-compliancy and business transparency.

Sumber : http://www.malaysianwireless.com/2011/04/islamic-mobile-service-from-salamfone/