FSC Offers MS Vista Upgrade Program

Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) is offering customers an attractive opportunity to upgrade to the Microsoft Windows Vista Operating System. The Upgrade Program will give FSC customers the chance to upgrade their PC or notebook to Windows Vista, if they have bought or will buy a system from FSC between Oct. 26, 2006 and March 15, 2007.

The upgrade is then possible until March 31, 2007. This Update Program is targeted toward end-users and small and medium enterprises. More information on the program and how to upgrade can be found on: www.fujitsu-siemens.com/vista.

Sage Opens in Riyadh

Sage Software has opened its Saudi Arabian operations, based in Riyadh, to drive the growth of the business in the region’s largest potential market. Sage’s Saudi office will work closely with the channel to develop the right solutions for Saudi businesses.

“We have been running our regional business out of the head office in Dubai, but business growth creates the demand for physical presence and greater commitment,” said Marc Van der Ven, managing director, Sage Software Middle East. “Sage has invested in setting up a local Saudi operation to be closer to our business partners and provide them with marketing and technical support and training to assist customers.”

He added: “The Saudi business environment is becoming increasingly competitive, and moving fast toward WTO compliance. This means that organizations will need to build greater efficiency into their business operations, and need to have reliable systems in place to ensure immediate data availability and also data integrity. There is a good level of awareness in the Kingdom today of these requirements, and businesses are realizing the need to invest in their infrastructure, whether it is to manage their accounts, their people or their sales and marketing processes.”

The Kingdom makes up 55 percent of the market in the region for most industries including the IT business. According to Van der Ven, businesses operating in the Kingdom need to have greater control of their budgets, streamline their business processes, improve customer satisfaction and track their marketing spend to ensure their products and product messages are reaching the right audiences. Sage is offering Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions to help local businesses become more competitive and identify and leverage potentially lucrative opportunities.

Another important area where Sage has shown its commitment to the region is the delivery of a localized HRMS solution. With competition on the rise, recruiting and retaining the right talent is vital to an organization’s success. Sage has invested significant time and resources to customize its flagship HRMS solution, Sage Abra HRMS, for the region. It has been Arabized, supports the Hijri calendar and local government regulations, which makes it user-friendly for the local market.

Epson Seeks Business Alliances in Mideast

Epson has announced plans to expand the commercial and industrial applications for its Micro Piezo inkjet technology in the Middle East by entering into business partnerships in the region. The company has invited proposals for joint product development of the Micro Piezo technology which is best known for the benefits it provides in its Epson Stylus Photo and Stylus Pro range of inkjet printers.

“Epson’s Micro Piezo technology has been used to develop a range of products for specific market needs by its network of commercial and industrial partners in areas that include photo lab printing, digital printing and textile printing. As a result of this success, Epson is now broadening the opportunities to other partners in the Middle East, who may want to benefit from further joint development of Micro Piezo technology,” said Khalil El-Dalu, GM, Epson Middle East.

An original Epson technology, Micro Piezo technology is an ink firing system for inkjet printers, whereby an electric signal is sent to the piezo elements placed above each nozzle on the print head and ink droplets are fired according to the force generated by the change in shape of these elements. It allows precise control of the piezo elements, which in turn means precise control of ink droplet size and good print quality.

This technology makes it possible to control not only water-based pigment ink with superior water and light resistance, but also a wide variety of substances in miniscule quantities, and fire them with high precision.

“As inkjet systems are introduced more widely in commercial and industrial applications, much value is being placed on the potential of Epson’s Micro Piezo technology which consists of the core inkjet system components — the inkjet print head and the ink itself. By widening its network of partnerships, Epson will be able to reach a broader market thus benefitting the region’s photo lab printing, digital printing and textile printing industries,” El-Dalu added.

Al-Falak Joins CodeBaby Business Partner Program

Al-Falak Electronic Equipment and Supplies Co., has joined the Business Partner Program of CodeBaby, a company with activities in the field of Virtual Agent-based customer care solutions. Al-Falak plans to sell and deploy CodeBaby’s interactive self-help solutions to telecommunications companies throughout the Gulf region.

“Operators around the world are actively deploying interactive services to consumers, and they are delivering them on devices that are more complicated than ever,” said Armin Gebauer, VP Mobile and Converging Services at CodeBaby. “CodeBaby provides an on-device self-care and customer lifecycle management solution that enhances the overall customer experience, encourages greater customer adoption of such services and helps drive increased average revenue per user (ARPU) for the operator. As operators continue to focus on building new revenue streams from triple play offerings and advanced data services, the CodeBaby platform allows them to grow and manage their subscriber relationships on mobile networks, IPTV systems and operator websites.”

PRO TECHnology Makes Foray Into Saudi Arabia

PRO TECHnology, an integrator of storage and high-availability solutions in the Middle East, marked its entry into Saudi Arabia with the launch of new models of some of its leading storage solution products. The company also laid the ground for rapid market penetration by entering into a strategic alliance with Jeddah-based Almariah Supplies and Services Company (MSSCO), to represent PRO TECHnology’s solution and products. They also signed an agreement with I-technosoft appointing them as sole distributor in the region for a key product, “Securewave.”