Comtrust, the e-business infrastructure unit of Etisalat, has formed a strategic alliance with Vertscape, a provider of enterprise net web services and eBusiness solutions.

The alliance enables Dubai-based Vertscape to market and sell Comtrust's entire range of eBusiness infrastructure solutions in the country and allows both companies to significantly expand their services. These will include data security, inbuilt payment gateways and online security.

This is the second major collaboration between the two companies. In late 2001, Vertscape and Comtrust jointly completed the creation of Thuraya Satellite's online commerce site. Vertscape provided its eBusiness eShop solution for the sale of Thuraya's mobile phones and services online through Comtrust's secure payment gateway.

Chirayu Patel, director of operations, Vertscape, said the new partnership with Comtrust would add considerable value to Vertscape's XeRM Business Suite of solutions.

Some of the services that will be incorporated into Vertscape's eBusiness suite include secure transactions, security capability, store payment interface and WAP payment.