Microsoft Appoints RED as Distributor
Microsoft Gulf has appointed Red Entertainment Distribution (RED) as “Games for Windows” distributor for the Middle East region. RED will be responsible for promoting and distributing all Microsoft’s “Games for Windows” titles across the region. The appointment of RED comes as Microsoft seeks to cement its presence in the Middle East’s growing entertainment and gaming industry markets and ensure that gaming enthusiasts have easy and up to the minute access to its gaming projects. RED will work with major retailers in the Middle East to promote Microsoft “Games for Windows” products and will also provide special staff to counsel retailers on in-store display management.
“Microsoft’s ‘Games for Windows’ products, such as the well-known Flight Simulator series, have enjoyed a high rate of success in the region,” said Armagan Demir, head of the Entertainment & Devices Division, Microsoft Middle East. “The potential in gaming markets in the Middle East has prompted us to invest in a long-term partnership with Red Entertainment distribution, whose specialist knowledge of regional retail patterns will help Microsoft deliver its gaming products to a wider customer base.”
The Microsoft “Games for Windows” range includes the high-definition Flight Simulator X that hit retail shelves in Middle East markets recently. The immersive game is the 10th edition in a successful franchise over 20 years old.
Communications at Dubai Airport’s Terminal 3
Alcatel-Lucent will be implementing an IP communications solution for the Department of Civil Aviation in Dubai for the new Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. The contract was awarded to Alcatel before the merger with Lucent was completed.
Dubai International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the world, recording 21.33 million passengers between January and September 2006 with a growth of more than 15 percent annually. Alcatel-Lucent will initially supply a VoIP solution for 16,000 users, and will be completed in line with the new terminal inauguration, which is expected in late 2007. The Dubai International Airport is targeting a traffic handling capacity of 70 million passengers a year, which could translate into a communications network supporting nearly 50,000 users.
The IP communications network will be integrated with airport systems that include flight information, management information, baggage handling, building management, computer networks and their TETRA radio network. The solution is based on the OmniPCX Enterprise IP communication server and includes OmniTouch Unified Communication My Teamwork and My Messaging applications for conferencing and collaboration and unified messaging. It integrates the Alcatel-Lucent OmniTouch Contact Center Standard Edition and provides real-time encryption technology.
Iraq Study Group Report Available in Audio
Audible, Inc. is making available free through Dec. 20 the audio edition of The Iraq Study Group Report from www.audible.com/iraqreport. On March 15, 2006, members from both parties in the US Congress supported the creation of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group to review the situation on the ground and propose strategies for the way forward. This audio edition contains the group’s findings and proposals for improving security, strengthening the new government, rebuilding the economy and infrastructure, and maintaining stability in the region.
Audible has set up telephone lines allowing people to call in and voice their opinion about The Iraq Study Group Report. These “listener voices” will be compiled into an audio report which will eventually be offered for download alongside the report itself. The call-in number is +1-212-784-6817 for international callers.
The audio download of The Iraq Study Group Report is ideal for busy people who can listen while in the car or at any time when reading is not possible but listening is. Once the report has been downloaded from audible.com, it can be transferred to any portable audio player including MP3 players, personal digital assistants and Smartphones. The audio version of the report on Iraq can also be burned to an audio CD, or listened to at the computer desktop.
Intel Completes WiMAX Design
Intel Corporation has completed the design of its first mobile WiMAX baseband chip. Combined with the company’s previously announced single-chip, multiband WiMAX/Wi-Fi radio, the pair creates a complete chipset called the Intel WiMAX Connection 2300. This development marks another major step in Intel’s efforts to deliver an “always best connected” mobile Internet experience for future laptops and mobile devices.
The completed design of the Intel WiMAX Connection 2300 brings Intel a step closer to an integrated wireless system-on-chip that will help drive WiMAX adoption by maximizing usable space in mobile devices. As laptops become smaller, for example, they will have limited space for new technologies. Integration also helps enable ubiquitous connectivity on ultra mobile PCs, consumer electronics and handheld devices that have significant size constraints for the number of cards or components.
