By: Abdilahi Saeed
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – For the first time in its history the giant Somaliland Telecommunication Company has participated in a public function under the banner Telesom Group of Companies.
The Telesom Group was unveiled during the 6th annual National Trade Fair an annual event held at Guleid Hotel in Hargeisa where on display were various services the group provides the nation under the trade names of Telesom, Salaam financial services and Somgas respectively.
According to the group’s public relations manager Mohamed Abdi Ahmed ‘Darbo’ citizens were availed the customary discounts offered by the company during the annual event organized by the Somaliland chamber of commerce and agriculture.
“Apart from our regular services Telesom has also introduced face book and related internet applications in our portfolio for the benefit of the nations increasingly IT Savvy youths” said Mohamed Darbo during an interview at the close of the trade fair.
Other services availed clients of Telesom communication which is also one of the largest Internet Service Provider-ISP in Somaliland include landline and wireless telephone connections with mobile phone subscribers accessing Mobile Broadband (3G) and GSM services.
Telesom which in 2009 became the 5th Telecommunication Company in the world providing MMT (mobile money transfer) Technology to its customers has as part of its Value Added Service-VAS motley of services designed to improve life style and business operations of Somaliland citizens which were all on display at the Telesom Group stand during the National Trade Fair.
The Telesom VAS services include
• ZAAD Service a modern mobile payment service that facilitates all kinds of money payment transactions, including transfer, purchases, fee payment, salary/wages payment and cash storage. Zaad also enables Telesom subscribers to send money to their friends and relatives.
• AQOON-MAAL the popular, non-core and SMS-based services intended for Telesom mobile subscribers to have easy access to a large variety of services encompassing valuable information sources ranging from entertainment to knowledge (religious and non-religious)
• Ila –Maqal (Ring back Tunes) a personalization service which replaces the standard ring tune
• The mother friendly SHAAFI service an educational health program made particularly for mothers with information ranging from Pregnancy, Child birth, breast feeding and child care and
• Dambaal the special MySMS service that is offers to business, organizations and other social and educational institutions, to send important notifications to their customers.
Somgas The First Environmentally Friendly Company has been supplying gas and different gas cylinders to all regions of Somaliland since the Telesom subsidiary was launched in January 2009 not to mention the great impact it has had on protection of the environment which has slowly been under threat by illegal charcoal burners.
The other Telesom subsidiary of Salaam financial services which envisages becoming the leading provider of Islamic Sharia complaint financial products and services in East Africa region provides a variety of Sharia compliant services like Remittance, Banking, Financing and Investment Services with a special bias to productive projects that help fuel Somaliland’s economic development.
Among the 
broad financial services provided by Salaam include Personal, Corporate, SMS and E-Banking as well as Kaafi and TT an electronic means of transferring funds overseas to mention a few.
According to the groups public relations manager Mohamed Abdi Ahmed ‘Darbo’ of the new youth friendly face book and accompanying internet services introduced by the giant telecoms clients will enjoy communicating through social media and browsing the web at the meager cost of $1 every 24 hours.
“To acquire the new Telesom services sms SUB FBN to #400 and SUB TWN 222 for twitter” informed Mr. Darbo as he concluding his briefing
