DUBAI MEDIA CITY, UAE — As part of its global expansion plans, Markham, Ont.-based Nextologies Limited is launching a new operation in United Arab Emirates and has hired a Dubai-based television industry veteran to oversee the company’s move into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Located in Dubai Media City, Nextologies FZ-LLC will bring trailblazing video transport technology and OTT enablement services to a region starting to embrace next-level technologies and business models, Nextologies said in a news release Tuesday. Dubai Media City is a significant hub for technology and media in a territory covering 24 countries.
Television industry pioneer Elie Kawkabani (pictured below) will oversee the establishment of Nextologies’ Dubai operation as senior vice-president of business development. During his career, Kawkabani has successfully launched several pay TV businesses and supplied major TV operators in North America with multiple channels and products, as well as operated his own B2C platform. Most recently, Kawkabani held the post of senior vice-president of business development at OSN (Orbit Showtime Network), a Dubai-based premiere pay TV operator covering the MENA region. At OSN, Kawkabani launched multiple products and redefined the business model in several of his territories.
“I am very excited to join the Nextologies team,” Kawkabani said in the news release. “Nextologies is uniquely poised to introduce to the region enterprise-grade broadcast and OTT solutions at significantly lower cost structures than all its competitors. Our industry is evolving rapidly, and forward-thinking market-shapers like Nextologies are leading the way.”
Sasha Zivanovic, CEO of Nextologies in Toronto, explained the company’s decision to launch an operation in Dubai Media City.
“We’ve been conducting business in the MENA region for years and felt it was time that we commit to the territory in a more significant manner. By establishing a presence and having someone as experienced as Elie to lead our team there, we are confident that we will achieve our goals moving forward,” Zivanovic said in the news release.
“We believe the media technology landscape in MENA will undergo a major restructuring and experience serious growth over the next decade, therefore, we wanted to be part of the community that leads that growth,” Zivanovic added.
Nextologies operates multiple teleport and data centres around the world. Providing fibre, IP and satellite transmission services for broadcasters, Nextologies is a leader in signal acquisition and delivery. The company specializes in high-quality broadcast-grade video connectivity and has the world’s largest broadcast video delivery network. Nextologies says it’s the only solution provider that can give instant access to more than 55,000 linear TV channels, downlinked from 75-plus satellites strategically placed around the globe. The company also provides custom end-to-end services to meet other broadcasting needs, including custom IPTV and OTT platforms, in addition to video-centric applications across all platforms.
