HP aims to double revenue in technology services

Samer Zein has become the Director of Technology Services for HP in_the Middle East effective immediately. He will have the responsibility_of maximizing HP technology services’ profit and revenue growth in the_Middle East, as well as extending its market leadership, driving_effective go-to-market activities and delivering superior customer_service. Zein, who will report to John Hoonhout, HP Middle East_Managing Director, will oversee the Technology services business_unit’s different lines with an objective of doubling the technology_services solutions revenues by 2010. Prior to this new assignment,_Zein was managing the Technology Services unit in the UAE and Gulf_cluster which for the past three years has been the best performing in_Middle East and EMEA.

New player enters Saudi PC market

Samsung Electronics has entered the mobile computing market in Saudi_Arabia and the UAE. Its product line-up will include notebooks in four_different categories — Premium Thin & Light, Mobile Optimum, Business,_and Desktop Replacement, and also the Netbook segment.__ “With Samsung’s entry into the notebook market, we are now able to_provide a complete PC computing solution to our customers,” said_Madhav Narayan, GM, IT division, Samsung Gulf Electronics. “Over 60_percent of the core components that go into Samsung notebooks are_Samsung-branded — from memory to hard drives to the LCD and the_batteries — setting Samsung apart from its competitors. Because of_this Samsung is in control of every aspect of each notebook from its_chassis design to its hardware and software integration.”__ Starting the range is the X360, a 13.3-inch ultra thin-and-light_notebook. The X360 weighs 2.8 pounds and can run for 10 hours of_continuous usage, supporting Samsung’s latest 300nits SuperBright LED_backlit LCD display. There’s also the NC10, a netbook with a 10.2-inch_wide SuperBright LCD, enhanced capacity battery and a 160GB hard_drive. The Samsung netbook features a 1.6 GHz N270 Atom processor, 1GB_of DDR2 800 MHz RAM, 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR and a built-in_1.3 mega-pixel webcam. The netbook also includes a 93 percent_full-size keyboard and a 5200mAH high capacity 6-cell Lithium Ion_battery. Completing Samsung’s entry to the notebook market is the_Samsung R and Q Series notebooks, namely R510, R410 and Q310,_featuring the latest Intel Centrino 2 mobile processors, advanced_graphics and large hard drives._ _All of Samsung’s notebooks will be available throughout the_traditional IT reseller channel and major electronic outlets across_the country.

Huawei earns praise for Haj services

Huawei Technologies Co. has received an appreciation letter from Saudi_Telecom Company (STC) in regards to its Managed Service Operation_covering the pilgrimage rituals in Makkah and Madinah. Mobile services_demand surges during the peak pilgrimage times, tripling the demand on_network resources.__Huawei’s Network Services Solution for Hajj (NSSH) is a tailor-made_Network Service for Key Event (NSKE) solution for STC, which includes_mirror network testing and evaluation, preventive maintenance,_real-time remote monitoring and guaranteed STC subscribers’ access to_a multitude of services during Haj, including voice, data and SMS_services. NSSH helps STC to accurately forecast network requirements_and fully optimize its network in real time.__Zaid Al-Shabant, STC General Manager O&M commented, “Huawei products_and services are provided with excellent performance responding to_huge traffic demand on the network. Some services traffic exceeded_five-fold that of normal traffic times.”_Preparation for the event started in July with careful revision for_the network structure and capacity, charting mass demand scenarios and_response plans. During the event, Huawei Services managed operation_stations in the Haj region, NOC and Back Office. Its R&D taskforce_members were in Saudi Arabia as well as in China to ensure network_functionality. Network infrastructure provided by Huawei did not_exceed 55 percent of its overall capacity during the Haj. Operations_ran smoothly with no incidents worth mentioning enabling continuous_voice and data service coverage throughout the event.