Ufone gaining or losing from BB Bold Exclusivity

So I finally have found some "insiders" in Ufone as well (man I'm good!!). So my mortal friends, the news is not that of a earth shattering one but interesting.

Apparently, Ufone was the only one who launched Blackberry Bold exclusively in Pakistan a month ago and it creates air waves in the telecom sector. Launching a product in Pakistan before some of the developed nations is really something unheard of but it was done. Anyway, the entire Ufone management was happy that they achieved the impossible and might have created a market for them as well, since Mobilink is already going pretty strong in BB segment. But little do the rest of the Pakistani tech enthusiasts know. Ufone has made some corporate entities very angry.

Emitac Mobile Solutions (EMS) is the exclusive distributor of RIM products and services in this region, which includes MENA and Sub Continent region. Ufone and Warid got their BB deals from EMS, unlike Mobilink, which got it directly from RIM Canada. Now EMS is headed by none other than Ex-Ufone CEO, Babar Khan. 

Being associated with Ufone for so long and having lead them to where they are now (or where they were headed before he left, i.e. south), his natural inclination was to get Ufone this deal. Ufone asked for exclusivity, which Mr. Khan provided as he wanted to become the champ of the region for selling BB Bold. Thus all the dreams of Warid and Mobilink went dreaming as BB Bold was given exclusively to Ufone and others were clearly ignored. 

Mobilink has lodged a complaint with RIM Canada, makers of Blackberry. Warid I think is still wondering what to do. Maybe their excitement of getting BB hasn't been over yet :p

So readers, this is why foreign investors worry about their investments in Pakistan, i.e. some local dude would give benefit to people he knows and might benefit from the deal as well. We don't know. Only time will tell.

On a side note, EMS and RIM are actually happy with Mr. Khan's overall performance since his appointment as EMS CEO, but I think this is also not a small dent on his credibility as well.

By the way, BB Bold kicks ass in style!!