Mawhiba Launches E-Portal Project
A milestone agreement that will develop and create a National Electronic Portal to unleash the potential of gifted young Saudis has been signed between the King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for the Gifted (Mawhiba) and Arabian Advanced Systems (Naseej). This agreement firmly establishes one of Mawhiba’s core projects in its strategic plan to develop a culture of innovation and creativity in the rapidly expanding youth segment of the Kingdom’s population. Through the portal, visitors will have access to unique services, information resources and libraries rich in scientific information.
“We ensured the application of the best solutions and specifications that will both optimize the functions of the portal and deliver the highest performance levels by using top notch technologies,” said the secretary-general of the foundation, Dr. Khaled ibn Abdullah Al-Sabti. He added that the creation of the portal was entirely in line with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in building and developing the culture of innovation throughout the Kingdom so that the gifted are able to use their talents to serve their nation.
The portal will use Microsoft Share Point 2007 technology and consequently strategy concerning the portal’s technical features have been outlined in close cooperation with Microsoft Saudi Arabia. Microsoft assisted in the selection of the portal’s local development team and will continue to provide support to the foundation on all technical issues related to the project.
Naseej has been selected to implement the project. Abdul Jabbar Al-Abdul Jabbar, CEO of Arabian Advanced Systems (Naseej), said that he considered the project entirely consistent with the development and modernization plans for Saudi Arabia. “We are proud to be part of this program, which offers vital services to develop our society and serve our children and brothers. He added that Naseej would make every effort to deliver a portal that made everyone proud and “to make this project a reference for creativity and talent all over the Arab world.”
Speaking for Microsoft, Dr. Khaled Al-Dhaher, GM of Microsoft Saudi Arabia, explained that “one of the main aspects of Microsoft’s policy and the basic rules of our work is providing full support to young talent and creativity.” He said it was a privilege to offer Microsoft’s expertise to help reach the highest possible levels of efficiency, to meet the social expectations of Microsoft’s clients and to build a society that cares for its individuals.
The portal, www.mawhiba.org.sa, joins other pioneering projects that the foundation hopes will reinforce the Kingdom’s moves toward becoming a knowledge-based society. The foundation recognizes that the development of talent, innovation and creativity are the pillars that will support the future growth of Saudi Arabia.
Athena Thin Clients Expands in ME
Athena Thin Clients, a developer of embedded hardware and software in server based computer networks, has signed a regional distribution agreement with Business Communications Services WLL (BCS) based in Bahrain.
According to the agreement, BCS has exclusive distribution rights to the sales and service of Athena Thin Clients products in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Athena will train and provide technical assistance to BCS’ technicians as well as assist in setting up strong marketing and demonstration facilities to allow clients to receive hands-on information and local support.
“We were on lookout for such a solution that is economical, has lower cost of ownership and is environment friendly at the same time. Athena Thin Client fit into that profile with ease,” said Fred Donnelly, CEO of BCS, explaining the new partnership agreement.
Sales Director for HDS ME
Hitachi Data Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi has appointed Tony Ward as Sales Director for the Middle East region. Ward will be responsible for developing and expanding the company’s regional business, working closely with the local channel partners on offering Hitachi’s strategic initiatives to Middle East organizations. These initiatives include Business Continuity, Virtualization, Compliance and Network Attached Storage (NAS).