Towers Rotana have signed a sponsorship agreement with the Emirates National Rugby League for the UAE Falcons upcoming fixtures in March and April with a view to a long term relationship in promoting and supporting the sport of Rugby League in the UAE.

Mr. Mrad El Khoury, General Manager of Towers Rotana commented, “It’s our pleasure to be placing our support behind the development of the Rugby League in the United Arab Emirates and we look forward to an ongoing relationship with the Emirates National Rugby League. We wish to congratulate the UAE Falcons on their tremendous 30-26 victory over Pakistan last weekend”.

The UAE Falcons took on Pakistan in their first International fixture of the year on Friday 30 March 2012 at Dubai Sport City where they showed great spirit to fight back from 10-0 down to win in the bruising and physical encounter.

There was a healthy turn out to the fixture which saw UAE Falcons coming out deserved winners as Sol Mokdad, Emirates National Rugby League Chairman highlighted “I am stoked with how many people have come to watch. We have genuine interest in the league in this country.”

Looking to the future, Towers Rotana and more specifically Long’s Restaurant will look to support the Emirates National Rugby League and the UAE Falcons in their endeavors to becoming eligible for qualification for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

Long’s will now house a special wall to celebrate and promote all that is Rugby League and inform patrons and guests of the UAE Falcons’ progress in their upcoming travails; most notably International Tests versus the likes of Lebanon and Palestine. Signed Jerseys, pictures and other memorabilia will complete what is to be a celebration of the re-birth of the UAE Falcons and also what is hoped to be the start of something special for rugby league here in the United Arab Emirates.

Informatica Qatar (iQ), exclusive distributor & service provider for Huawei devices, has announced that demand for the Media Pad, Honor, U8500 and G2800 has been steadily increasing since the Huawei devices were launched recently in Qatar. iQ further revealed that it has recently signed an agreement with a new channel partner, Royal Mobile, further expanding its distribution network for products of global ICT solutions provider Huawei.

Royal Mobile has seven outlets in Qatar, including Souq Najad, Muaither, Industrial Area and Parco Mall- Mamoura.

The Huawei Media Pad tablet has been an instant hit in Qatar with its powerful features that include a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, dual-core processor, Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS, and HD-capable front and rear cameras. The Honor has been one of Huawei’s most popular smartphone devices with its stylish design, excellent display with a 4.0-inch TFT-LCD capacitive touchscreen, and Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) OS.

The U8500 is another feature-packed Android phone that comes with a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, high-speed internet connectivity with HSDPA support, WLAN/WiFi 802.11 b/g support, Bluetooth 2.1 capability, and Android 2.2. The G2800s features FM Radio, Micro SD card support (up to 4GB), stereo headset interface and torch light.

Ramy Numair, Commercial Director - Devices, iQ, said, “Huawei has been expanding its share in Qatar’s IT market, winning the hearts of consumers with is feature-packed and competitively priced devices. Informatica Qatar’s extensive distribution network across the country has been a key factor that has allowed Huawei to penetrate various market segments. The new agreement we have signed with Royal Mobile is another important step that will further consolidate our stronghold in the market and bring Huawei products closer to IT consumers.”

Interactive Intelligence Group Inc., a global provider of unified IP business communications solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with RKe Technology, a leading provider of IT and Telecom solutions in Saudi Arabia, to promote and distribute its entire range of Contact Centre Automation, Unified Communications and Business Process Automation solutions in the Kingdom.

As a key technology provider and systems integrator for Telecom Operators and Service Providers in the region, RKe Technology now intends to broaden its scope to all market segments and verticals by the addition of the Contact Centre and Unified Communications solution to its product portfolio. Along with promoting Interactive Intelligence’s solution range, RKe Technology will also provide value-addition services such as consultancy, custom development, solution integration and support.

“We have significant interest in the Middle East and in particular Saudi Arabia as it is the largest IT and Communications market in the region. There is a huge potential for growing our business here and RKe Technology with 7 years of experience in providing solutions to Telecom Operators is an ideal partner in this endeavour”, said Abdul Nasser Bangcola, country manager for Saudi Arabia at Interactive Intelligence. “They have a dynamic and technically proficient team capable of customized implementation of our solutions for their wide network of customers. We have no doubt that this will prove to be a long and fruitful partnership.”

As per the agreement, RKe Technology will distribute the highly scalable Customer Interaction Center (CIC) IP platform from Interactive Intelligence. The solution provides a complete phone system for business users, combining Microsoft application integrations, and messaging along with remote and mobile access.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Mofeed Qaffaf, general manager at RKe Technology said, “We are very pleased to add Interactive Intelligence’s world-class range of IP communications solutions to our product portfolio. Businesses in Saudi Arabia are always keen to adopt solutions which bring about reduction in infrastructure and operational expenses and the all-in-one platform from Interactive Intelligence is sure to generate substantial interest. We are committed to working closely with Interactive Intelligence to provide our customers with all aspects of solution implementation right from identification to after-sales support.”

RKe Technology provides a number of technology solutions for the telecom industry such as Bulk Messaging Gateways, IN solutions, IMPS solutions, Content Adaption Systems and Data Warehousing solutions as well as consultancy services to mobile operators. Their customers include key players in the Saudi Arabian telecom market such as Saudi Telecommunication Company (STC), Ericsson and Awalnet. The company has also expanded its scope to include network and security solutions for finance, government, education and petroleum sectors.

In a step that reinforces its commitment to serve the community and facilitates the implementation of its charitable initiatives, Masraf Al Rayan [MAR] - one of the leading Islamic banks in Qatar - signed a partnership agreement with Qatar Red Crescent Society [QRCS] to launch its charity card to help people benefit from the services of QRCS.

The launch of the new co-branded charity card, to be used exclusively for Qatar Red Crescent activities, is part of Masraf Al Rayan’s Corporate Social Responsibility. The agreement was signed on Thursday at the MAR Headquarters by Mr Adel Mustafawi, Group CEO of MAR, and Saleh Ali Al Mohannadi, Qatar Red Crescent Executive Director.

As part of the agreement with Qatar Red Crescent, MAR will launch the charity cards, which are convenient and easy to use within and beyond the State of Qatar, wherein beneficiaries can take advantage of Qatar Red Crescent services.

In his comments on the agreement, Mr Adel Mustafawi, Group CEO of MAR, said, “Corporate Social Responsibility at Masraf Al Rayan is an ongoing involvement - we have constantly endeavoured to work with organisations which work with the lesser privileged. In this context, we are privileged to be working closely with Qatar Red Crescent. We are confident that the launch of this charity card will go a long way in significantly contributing towards the humanitarian role provided by Qatar Red Crescent for the benefit of the needy families in particular and support their programs across the country and beyond, under the auspices and able guidance of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Heir Apparent.”

In his comments, Mr. Saleh Ali Al Mohannadi, Executive Director of Qatar Red Crescent, reaffirmed that the agreement between Qatar Red Crescent and Masraf Al Rayan represented the partnership for charitable causes that goes a long way in promoting the role of humanitarian establishments and civil societies which have a huge social impact on the individual and community. “We are confident that the partnership with Masraf Al Rayan in this direction will strengthen and activate cooperation that will bear fruits in the near future, God willing.”

For her part, Ms. Manal AlSulaiti, Head of Social Development Department, emphasized the social role by Qatar Red Crescent for the benefit of needy families and children. She reiterated the QRCS’s comprehensive contribution that runs throughout the year, in line with a set strategy aimed at improving its involvement in various social causes. The partnership with Masraf Al Rayan stands testimony to improve and develop the interaction with needy families and groups.

The launch of the charity card reaffirms Masraf Al Rayan’s contribution that goes beyond its role as a leading financial institution as it believes in lending a helping hand to the needy around the globe and actively contributing to various charity projects and campaigns. Masraf Al Rayan is always looking at opportunities to participate in various humanitarian initiatives designed to serve the society.

It is worth noting that Masraf Al Rayan has significantly contributed to various charitable causes and prominent humanitarian initiatives. These include the ‘Dirham Recycling’ project of Qatar Foundation wherein MAR customers across its branches donated surplus Dirhams and Rials for projects of Qatar Charity within the State and beyond, thus reinforcing the commitment of the establishments to social responsibility and solidarity across various segments of the society.

Besides this, MAR also supported the Munazzamat Al-Da’wa Al-Islamiyya by collecting donations for poor and needy during the Holy Month of Ramadan last year by providing locations for charity boxes across its different branches for its customers. The main objective of this initiative was to help the poor and needy in the African Continent and Islamic world.

The latest initiative is another step forward in the humanitarian support rendered by MAR following its support to The Qatari Center of Social Culture for the Deaf. As part of this, MAR Customer Service Team underwent training on sign languages in order to better serve customers with hearing difficulties. The bank also introduced special services for the hearing impaired, including Audio-Visual Messages to help the hearing impaired with their banking activities.

Avnet to support its value-added reseller (VAR) partners in the Middle East and North Africa with technical, marketing and integration capabilities to drive market opportunities around virtualization

Dubai, UAE – 14th March 2012 - Avnet Technology Solutions, the global IT solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), today announced that it has expanded its distribution agreement with VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization and cloud computing products, solutions and services. Avnet Technology Solutions can now offer VMware’s complete portfolio of virtualization solutions to its value-added reseller (VAR) partners across the Middle East and North Africa region.

Avnet began its distribution partnership with VMware in the U.S. in 2007 and over recent years has been successful in expanding the partnership across Europe with distribution agreements in place in France, Romania, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Ireland and the Czech Republic.

“Avnet Technology Solutions has a strong presence in the Middle East and Africa, which we believe will add considerable value to VMware in this region,” said Jean-Philippe Barleaza, SEMEA channel, alliances and general business director, VMware. “The services and support Avnet provides will enable partners to take their customers to the next level of virtualization, including management solutions and end-user computing.”

By working with Avnet and VMware,  channel partners can develop and deliver complete virtualization solutions that significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their end customers’ IT operations. Benefits for Avnet’s resellers in the Middle East and North Africa region include:

 The flexibility to provide comprehensive solutions;
 Support to help accelerate sales in the virtualization market for VMware solutions, including tools, training, resources and guidance;
 Access to complementary products and services to create complete data centre solutions for their customers;
 Timely and cost-effective solutions configuration and integration support from certified Avnet engineers.

“By expanding our relationship with VMware in the Middle East, Avnet is connecting partners to new markets, new customers and new solutions to help them grow their businesses,” said Henry Godwin, regional managing director, Avnet Technology Solutions, Middle East and Africa. “VMware is the perfect complement to Avnet’s portfolio. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to providing our partners with products and services that enable them to deliver an enhanced range of enterprise solutions to their end customers. These solutions, combined with resources, tools and high quality, local customer service from Avnet, will help our partners to optimize new opportunities in this growth technology area.”

To learn more about Avnet and VMware, please visit http://www.ts.avnet.com/ae 
or contact us at vmware-mea@avnet.com

Optimus to promote and distribute Attachmate’s globally renowned brands Novell, SUSE Linux and NetIQ through its solid channel network in Middle East & North Africa

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 12, 2012: Optimus Technology and Telecommunications, a leading regional Value Added Distributor (VAD) of IT and telecommunications products, today announced that it has signed a value added distribution agreement with Novell Middle East to promote and distribute the company’s globally renowned brands Novell, SUSE Linux and NetIQ through its solid channel network in Middle East and North Africa. As per the terms of the agreement, Optimus will enhance the vendor’s regional channel network and conduct regular marketing and channel development activities to position Novell, NetIQ and SUSE Linux as leaders in their respective market segments and help increase their market share in the region.

Speaking on the new partnership, Ms. Meera Kaul, Managing Director of Optimus Technology and Telecommunications, said, “We are happy to sign this distribution agreement with Novell Middle East to represent their well-established brands such as Novell, NetIQ and SUSE in the MENA region. These award winning brands complement our product portfolio and add value to our Security, Cloud and Data Center Management offerings within the MENA market. We are looking forward to working closely with the company’s local team to increase their sales and market share in the region and are confident these brands will be well received by our channel.”

To promote Novell, NetIQ and SUSE aggressively in the region, Optimus will conduct focused channel development activities, which include training and consultancy to partners to enable them to sell these solutions. Through Optimus 360°, the distributor will also offer value added services such as marketing and pre and post sales support. In addition, through Optimus Academy, the company will train partners to enhance their service capabilities and address customer requirements appropriately.

“The MENA region is very important for Novell. After our recent acquisition by Attachmate, our focus is to aggressively increase our market share and reach in the MENA region. We chose Optimus as our distributor as they have the market knowledge, expertise and strong channel network that we require to promote our products effectively in the region. We are confident our partnership with Optimus will provide a boost to Novell’s growth in the region and their experienced team of professionals will help increase our sales tremendously,” said Mr. Diyaa Zebian, Managing Director - Middle East & Africa, Novell.

Novell is a global enterprise software provider delivering solutions that make work environments more productive, secure and manageable. Novell supports thousands of organizations around the world with collaboration, endpoint management, and file and networking technologies, all of which drive end-user productivity directly or on the backend.

NetIQ is an enterprise software company with relentless focus on customer success. The company’s for managing Security & Compliance, Identity & Access, and Performance & Availability helps organizations cost-effectively tackle information protection challenges such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOX and NERC CIP and manage the complexity of dynamic, highly-distributed application environments.

SUSE is a leading provider of enterprise Linux solutions that help companies increase agility, reduce cost and manage complexity. With a portfolio centered on SUSE Linux Enterprise, the most interoperable platform for mission-critical computing, SUSE enables organizations to confidently deliver computing services across physical, virtual and cloud environments. With our award-winning products and ecosystem of partnerships, SUSE solutions

Zurich, one of the world’s insurance groups, announced that it will sponsor Christie’s sales in Dubai to support collectors of art in the Middle East. Under the three-year agreement, Zurich will sponsor Christie’s bi-annual auctions in Dubai, with Zurich clients also receiving a range of additional benefits to help them protect their valuable assets.

Christie’s sales in Dubai are held twice a year, with auctions of Modern & Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art in April and October. As part of the agreement, selected Zurich clients will be able to attend an exclusive presentation from Christie’s explaining how to buy and sell at auction, as well as attending a private preview of the pre-sale exhibition.

The alliance follows Zurich’s recent launch of bespoke insurance products created specifically for high net worth individuals, including a policy designed to cover art and valuables collections of this niche customer segment.

During its work with clients in the region, Zurich has observed that many underestimate the value of their collections. Accordingly, as part of the partnership with the auction house, Zurich clients will receive a 50% discount on Christie’s valuation service.

“Zurich shares Christie’s enthusiasm for fine art and collectables, and we are proud to help collectors across the region to protect their most valuable assets,” said Maroun Mourad, CEO of Zurich’s General Insurance business in the Middle East.

“Our three-year alliance with Christie’s is part of Zurich’s wider commitment to play an active role in the development of the art market in the Middle East.”

Michael Jeha, Managing Director of Christie’s Middle East, said: “Our Dubai auctions continue to act as a major catalyst in the development of the art market in the Middle East. Zurich has demonstrated a real understanding of the needs of collectors, and this partnership will further our efforts to grow the market here in the region.”

Zurich’s art and valuables insurance includes a number of impressive features, such as complimentary cataloguing by the company’s in-house experts and, taking market appreciation into account, coverage for up to 150% of the value of an artwork. Zurich clients also benefit from a range of additional services such as advice on storage and security arrangements, and provision of access to leading art valuation and restoration experts.

Jeremy Baggott, Head of Zurich Private Clients in the Middle East, said: “Zurich’s specialist team recognises that no two collectors in this region are the same. A common trait among many collectors, however, is a lack of awareness of the risks posed to their possessions by accidental damage. By working with organisations such as Christie’s, Zurich hopes to raise awareness among individuals to ensure their valuable assets are fully protected.”

Christie’s sale of Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art will take place at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 17 and 18, 2012.

Al Ansari Exchange, the UAE’s largest exchange house network that provides worldwide remittance and foreign exchange services, has signed an agreement with National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) to accept bill payments from credit cardholders of the bank. Under this new service offering, customers can now make their credit card bill payments through any of the Al Ansari Exchange branches across the UAE with no extra charges.

“Al Ansari Exchange has partnered with National Bank of Abu Dhabi to create a powerful alliance that ultimately benefits thousands of NBAD cardholders, who now have easy access to a much broader range of card payment facilities all over the UAE. Customer satisfaction has always been at the core of our business philosophy and this reflects in our proactive efforts to diversify our financial services and cater to the evolving needs of our customers,” said Rashed Ali Al Ansari, General Manager, Al Ansari Exchange.

“The NBAD credit cards are meant to make our clients’ lives easier and more convenient and we continuously add to the list of the privileges and conveniences we offer,” said Navneet Dave, the Head of Cards at NBAD.

“NBAD’s partnership with Al Ansari Exchange adds another more than 110 outlets where our esteemed cardholders can conveniently pay their credit card bills and this complements the lifestyle and distinctions that come with NBAD credit card.”

Al Ansari Exchange enjoys strategic partnerships with more than 19 banks across the UAE, under which it offers credit card bill payment services through its broad network of more than 110 branches in the country.

The company keeps ongoing process and efforts to further extend its portfolio of value-added services and provide more accessible and convenient financial solutions to its customers.

This move also embodies the main goals of the company and its commitment to achieve the highest levels of convenience and customer satisfaction through the provision of effective services to over 1.5 million customers on monthly basis in the UAE.

Introduction of 6,000 units represents single largest Alaris® contract outside the United States

Dubai, UAE - 25 January 2012: CareFusion, a leading global medical technology company, announces today that it has entered into an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Health Service Company (SEHA) for the largest single implementation contract outside the United States to install 6,000 Alaris® infusion channels across seven hospital locations in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Anders Selin, Vice President and General Manager North, Central Europe, EMEA and West Asia at CareFusion stated: “We are delighted to continue enhancing our relationship with SEHA, which again demonstrates its leadership in addressing patient safety and achieve world-class standards for healthcare delivery. The GCC is a very important growth market for CareFusion and we look forward to strengthening our partnership with leading institutions and hospitals in the region.”

The Alaris® medication safety systems help protect patients receiving intravenous infusions. It is a smart pump that helps protect every infusion, including intermittents, such as antibiotics and chemotherapy, and all infusion modalities, including large volume pump, PCA and syringe.

The three-year agreement, which came into effect late 2011 with implementation commencing with Al Rahba Hospital, also provides for in-depth training of clinicians in SEHA hospitals. 

January 24, 2012 Amman/AlRiyadh - Mobile Channels Company (MCC), the leading company specialized in mobile applications development and content distribution, signed a strategic partnership agreement with Arab Telemedia Group (ATG) for the distribution of its drama series via all mobile operators in the Arab region.

Signed by Talal Awamleh, ATG’s CEO and MCC’s Business Development and Marketing Manager Mr. Anas Hijjawi, the agreement authorizes MCC to distribute and broadcast the group’s productions such as Ras Ghlais, Nimer Bin Odwan, Ors al Saqer, Al Ijtiah, Wadha and Bin Ajlan, among other drama productions.

“This agreement aims at providing the most popular drama clips which are still in high demand by a large Arab audience, even after being re-broadcasted by the most prominent satellite channels. We expect that they will receive the same demand on mobile devices,” said Talal Awamleh, noting ATG’s dedication to developing the media and broadcasting industry regionally and internationally.

“We welcome ATG to our list of clients in the content manufacturing industry, and we value their trust in us; allowing this partnership to broadcast more than 5000 hours of drama via all Arab telecommunication companies,” said Salem Al Enzi, CEO of MCC.

“Arab Telemedia’s productions and drama series will add exceptional value to our targeted and diversified mobile channels. It will also contribute to the enrichment of Arabic e-content in new ways which meet the aspirations and expectations of users,” he added.

As per the agreement, MCC will provide content via portals including: WAP, IVR, RBT, and WEB to the audience. In addition, MCC will provide the audience with the possibility of downloading and installing a mobile application which will include all categories and services that end-users can view or download on their mobile devices.

Notably, the Arab Telemedia Group has won numerous international and regional awards for its outstanding productions, namely an Emmy in 2008 for the series “Al Ijtiah”.