KFUPM Signs Up With Bayt.com

King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) signed up with Bayt.com to create a special career section on the KFUPM website to provide both students and fresh graduates with advanced tools to help their job search. Additionally, as part of the new alliance, KFUPM is now able to advertise its short courses in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf on Bayt.com.

“Through this agreement, KFUPM students will benefit from unique and effective resources to identify the best companies and job openings in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East in the fastest and most efficient way,” said KFUPM’s Rector Dr. Khaled S. Al-Sultan. “Bayt.com’s track record as the largest job site in the region will give our students a great deal of confidence as they embark on their job and career search.”

Through the co-branded careers portal, students are able to access the largest network of jobs in the region and use online services to write a winning CV and cover letter and to prepare for interviews. Automatic search agents can be activated to look for jobs while they are offline and “hot jobs” mailers will alert them to new opportunities. The KFUPM Career Channel is already live and can be accessed by logging on to www.kfupm.edu.sa.

Automated Testing for ICDL Advanced

ICDL GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) program in the Gulf states, has approved the first phase launch of Automated Testing for the ICDL Advanced program which has been designed to upgrade and certify the ICT qualifications of common computer users. The new program, which targets the corporate and professional communities, is predicted to improve the human resource capital of organizations by enabling candidates to handle complex ICT tasks across four desktop applications.

ICDL Advanced is a high-level ICT proficiency program designed for candidates that have successfully completed the ICDL certification and wish to further enhance their ICT qualification to meet the requirements of the competitive job market. Through an online in-application testing system, an ICDL Advanced candidate must demonstrate the ability to master the use of each of the four modules which include word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation.

Unlike the ICDL Core where a candidate receives a certification upon successfully completing seven modules, ICDL Advanced requires a candidate to pass a test for each module, awarding a certificate upon the successful completion of each module. A candidate that holds an ICDL Core certificate who also successfully completes all four ICDL Advanced modules will be then eligible for the ICDL Expert Certificate which demonstrates comprehensive knowledge and skill level in computer applications.

The ICDL Advanced program will be available for public participation in September this year when select universities and organizations will be approved to provide instructor-led training and online testing.

Axiom to Distribute for Inmarsat

Axiom Telecom and Inmarsat have signed an exclusive agreement for Axiom to manage the global distribution of Inmarsat’s forthcoming mobile and fixed satellite phones. Axiom Telecom will support the Inmarsat channel as the exclusive logistics and repair partner for Inmarsat’s new voice services — stocking products, fulfilling orders and providing maintenance services for the suite of handheld, fixed and maritime terminals and related peripherals.

Inmarsat will launch the new voice services from early Q3 2007. Initially available for service coverage across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, the satellite phones will undergo an extensive development program before a global roll-out of the service at the end of 2008.

ProCurve Works to Enhance KSA Ties

Senior EMEA executives from ProCurve Networking by HP were in Riyadh to emphasize their commitment to the Kingdom’s economic development. Led by Jack Gauthreaux, GM, Emerging Markets, ProCurve Networking by HP, and joined by Ivan Kraemer, regional sales and marketing director for HP ProCurve Middle East, the group met with senior executives from both the private and public sectors to discuss how they could assist in developing the Kingdom’s technology adoption rates through knowledge transfer and adoption of HP ProCurve networking solutions.

Joined by enterprises and public organizations from across the capital, including Kingdom Hospital, the World Trade Center, Samir Photographic Supplies, Dallah Holding and the Ministry of the Interior, HP ProCurve executives discussed the company’s offerings for organizations requiring performance, reliability and security from their network.

“The infrastructure is the first step any organization takes toward deploying technology effectively. HP ProCurve offers companies the wired and wireless solutions that they need to adapt and mature their businesses in the face of increasing business challenges. With unsurpassed service, lifetime warranties, and attractive pricing points, HP ProCurve will become a leader in the Kingdom’s networking space,” Gauthreaux said.

HP ProCurve’s latest success in the Kingdom was an installation at the Public Security division of the Ministry of the Interior for the newly launched network under the leadership of Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Shenaifi, senior adviser on technology and security at the Ministry of the Interior. HP ProCurve’s Adaptive Edge networking technology, which adapts to users, applications and an organization’s needs, will enable Public Security to utilize HP ProCurve’s ProActive Defense, including automated threat detection and response, to combat criminals.

“HP ProCurve was the only choice for us. Its state-of-the-art networking solutions have given us an edge in fighting these crimes, and their support has been outstanding; they have put the human touch back into technology,” said Dr. Al-Shenaifi.

HP ProCurve has extended its customer base to include hospitals, medical institutions, and governmental bodies. The IT system running Riyadh’s Kingdom Hospital is based on HP ProCurve architecture.

“We are a hospital, and as such our systems need to be always running. Our people need access to applications and data; without this, their decisions could be the wrong one. As such, we need five nines reliability, and HP ProCurve has given us this. We have more performance over the network, our systems are more secure, and we have the reliability that we’ve been seeking for a long time,” said Abdul Raheem Syed, IT manager, Kingdom Hospital.

During their visit, HP ProCurve officials announced that they will open dedicated training facilities for HP ProCurve network solutions focusing on networking skills and system security. Forming part of Sama Almagd Company for Communications and Information Technologies, these facilities will be equipped with the latest network technologies to train Saudi youth.

“Last year HP ProCurve grew its business by over 100 percent, and we have done that through delivering on what businesses and public organizations require most — a performing, reliable and secure network,” said Ahmed Bawazir, Saudi Arabia country manager, HP ProCurve. “We are looking to educate more Saudi nationals, facilitate IT skills transfer and give back to the Kingdom. Our success is the country’s success, and we will continue to play a part in the growth of enterprises around Saudi Arabia.”