Sun Microsystems has put forward a plan to boost its revenue and improve profitability by expanding into new sectors. As a part of this strategy Mehmet Iyimen has been appointed as managing director for Sun’s Middle East & North Africa (MENA) regional operations. In this role, Iyimen will draw on his extensive experience gained in the software sector to further increase Sun’s market share.
“Sun already enjoys a healthy market share in the MENA countries and the addition of Mehmet to the team will further bolster our regional standing. The demand for technology solutions remains considerable, and we expect Mehmet to fully capitalize on this requirement and expand as much as possible into new market segments,” said Denis Heraud, Sun Microsystems’ vice president, Southern and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Mehmet’s expertise in business development and specifically within the software market gives me great confidence that he will deliver substantial value to our customers and partners in the region.”
In addition to his management duties, Iyimen will also be dedicated to further developing Sun’s regional channel network and ensuring that it meets the regional need for Sun-based, industry-specific solutions. Further, he will be rolling out new technologies to meet the demands of the emerging business and mid-market, which are among the fastest growing segments in the region.
Speaking about his new role, Iyimen said: “A key focus of my attentions in terms of business development will be on the banking, retail trading, and government sectors. The increasing number of regulatory requirements governing the region’s banks, as well as the new services they’re developing for customers, have created major opportunities for us. At the same time, the retail sector shows great promise, based on the huge growth of shopping centers throughout the region and the number of trading conglomerates operating here — especially in the GCC. Additionally, Sun wants to capitalize on its existing government customer base to lead several of the e-government initiatives in progress. One of the other priorities in my new role will be to solidify relationships that Sun has already invested in and established with our customers across a range of sectors including energy and telecoms.”
Before moving to Dubai to take on his new position, Iyimen was Sun’s country manager for Turkey and Central Asia. He has also held senior management roles with Oracle, Informix and NCR
- Arab News Compu-net 2 September 2003