HP and select partners are running a series of events, called the HP Linux and Open Source Roadshow, which will tour 20 countries throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Aimed at informing customers and business partners about the latest Linux and Open Source strategy and product offerings, each event will provide deeper insights into how customers can benefit from migration to Linux on HP platforms, through improved business agility, increased return on IT and complete solutions based on industry standards. The roadshow proved to be a major success during its stop in Riyadh.

HP Saudi Arabia used the occasion to announce its No. 1 position in the IDC Linux Server results based on the (IA32, IA64, RISC, CISC) market share, which shows growth of 362 percent and market share at 53 percent.

“Companies in the Middle East are starting to ask more about Linux, about its cost savings, low total cost of ownership, innate security, and high performance,” said Abdullah Al-Mohaisen, MD, Saudi Arabia-HP Middle East. “The HP Linux Roadshow in Riyadh demonstrated how Linux is used in the real world, which solutions make sense to run on Linux, and what experiences companies in the regional markets are benefiting from. HP’s commitment to the Kingdom is demonstrated by its No. 1 position in the latest IDC Linux Server results and impressive growth and market share figures.”

AMD Appoints New VP of Sales

Alberto Macchi has been appointed by AMD to the position of VP of Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In this new position Macchi reports to Giuliano Meroni, AMD’s corporate vice president, sales and marketing, EMEA.

“I am very pleased that Alberto Macchi has joined the AMD team,” said Meroni. “His wealth of experience in the processor industry and strong strategic relationships in the semiconductor space represent great assets for AMD and its customers.”

Macchi joins AMD from Freescale Semiconductor, where he was VP and director of sales, EMEA. Prior to his position with Freescale, Macchi served as VP, director of Global Distribution/EMSI Sales for Motorola in Phoenix, Arizona.

Aljomaih Embarks on New Project

Aljomaih Automotive Company, the largest General Motors (GM) dealer in the Middle East, has embarked on a significant business process automation project. To enhance its level of service to customers and stakeholders in all aspects of the automotive business, Aljomaih is deploying the Oracle E-Business Suite, which will be used in over 70 branch offices across the Kingdom.

Chief among the benefits that Aljomaih anticipates from its Oracle-based project is a uniformly high standard of customer service that delivers increased satisfaction to GM automobile owners in Saudi Arabia. The Oracle system is set to streamline all business processes while giving Aljomaih’s management a unified view of the company’s customer base in order to help deliver better and more personalized customer services.

In evaluating its needs, Aljomaih identified more than 45 business processes that needed to be automated and integrated in both customer facing and back office functions. “What Aljomaih is creating by deploying the Oracle E-Business Suite is a 360-degree view of our customers, so that we have their full history from the time of the first interaction through the sales process, all after-sales contacts and at any point we have contact with them. I doubt that any other organization in the Kingdom, certainly no one in the automotive sector, is building this level of customer focus,” said Ibrahim Aljomaih, Vice Chairman and CEO of Aljomaih Automotive.

He added, “From an internal perspective, this project will also enable Aljomaih to forecast our procurement needs and service cycles much more accurately, saving us money, while standardizing the incentive programs for our workshop and sales staff.”

Key elements of Aljomaih’s decision to implement the Oracle E-Business Suite included the Arabic-enabled capability of the software as well as its localization to meet the relevant Saudi regulatory requirements. Following the initial company business process evaluation by KPMG and Aljomaih, Oracle partner Raya Saudi has been selected to manage the Oracle E-Business Suite implementation for Aljomaih, which is expected to go live by the end of 2005. More than 2,000 employees across the Kingdom will benefit from the new system.