LG puts on Saudi roadshow
LG Electronics has launched a roadshow in Saudi Arabia under the banner “Touch the World.” The roadshow is moving to various shopping malls around the Kingdom and will be in Dammam by the end of this month. The company stated that the purpose of the roadshow is for consumers in Saudi Arabia to interact with LG’s salespeople directly — without any barriers.
Consumers will be able to try an assortment of LG’s wide range of products, familiarizing themselves to the latest technology LG has to offer in its IT and GSM products. Consumers will also have the opportunity to mix and match different LG products to try out custom applications, creating their own personal suites with the exact functions they desire. There are many different technologies to explore at the roadshow such as interactive gaming, digital photography and high-definition movies.
The roadshow began in Riyadh and Simon Lee, GM of LG Electronics in Saudi Arabia stated that “The result was far better than we had anticipated. We were curious about perceptions and feedback from consumers in the Kingdom, but we have had astonishingly successful results so far, and we look forward to meeting the same success in the Kingdom’s other regions.”
Prometric expands relationship
The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCHS) has signed an exclusive, long term, multimillion-dollar renewal with Prometric for global exam delivery. It has also signed an additional new contract for test development and delivery services for new exams. Prometric is a provider of technology-enabled testing and assessment services.
Collaborating with Prometric as its test services partner, SCHS will completely eliminate its paper and pencil exams, including those in Arabic, from its testing operations and will convert all of its exams to a computer-based format. Computerizing its examinations will make English medical examinations widely accessible across the Kingdom and will ensure availability to thousands of potential test takers. In addition, SCHS will work with Prometric to introduce its pre-assessment communications tests over Prometric’s Internet-based testing (iBT) platform. Using iBT, the network of locations throughout the Kingdom where these exams will be available will grow substantially.
SCHS has helped to establish modern, state-of-the-art health care institutions and has created a path for physicians to pursue additional training in different medical specialties. SCHS is also tasked with formulating proper standards and criteria for practicing and developing the health professions.
“Our goal is to attract the best and brightest to our program, positioning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the forefront of the medical profession in the Middle East,” said Professor Hussein Alfreihi, secretary-general of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. “Prometric Dubai has been a strong, dependable and trusted partner throughout our relationship, and we knew we would be in the best hands by maintaining our partnership with them.”
Toshiba fights gray market
Toshiba has embarked on a proactive campaign to address gray market activity in the region. Gray market activity is where a product, such as a laptop, is traded through distribution channels which, while legal, are unofficial, unauthorized or unintended by the original manufacturer. Toshiba Gulf said only Toshiba laptops with the “Approved for Sale in EMEA” sticker will receive the advantages of the Terms and Conditions of EMEA Warranty Service Level Agreements.
“This action is one of the steps we are taking up to reduce gray market products in the region. Toshiba advocates to our customers the benefits they can get from dealing with authorized Toshiba partners,” said Santosh Varghese, Regional GM, Toshiba Gulf Computer Systems Division.
Toshiba’s “Total Support, Total Peace of Mind” campaign highlights the full sales services of Toshiba. Any Toshiba laptop with a sticker approving it for sale in the Middle East comes complete with an array of services that customers can take advantage of including a one-year international warranty, complete coverage against manufacturing defects, a guaranteed response time of four business days for all warranty services and coverage of replacement parts, shipment and labor.
“Toshiba is committed to providing the best sales services to our customers. The anti-gray market campaign protects the interests of our customers and partner channels,” remarked Varghese. He stressed that consumers should be aware of the consequences of dealing with unauthorized channels. “Consumers may be lured by cheap notebooks but these don’t come with the total support they need to guarantee a good deal. Gray market goods don’t ensure the product’s warranty and the appropriate service support.”
Mobily showcases latest technologies
Mobile services provider Mobily is using the Gitex ICT trade show in Riyadh to demonstrate new communications technologies. The company claims that this is the first time some of the technologies are being demonstrated in Saudi Arabia.
Attendees to the trade show can preview 4G LTE, which Mobily is set to launch in the Kingdom in early 2010. Another highlight unique to Mobily’s Gitex stand is the aptly named Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), which provides interactive, on-demand TV content through broadband Internet. The public can also try Mobily’s latest Connect device — Connect Plus, a modem-cum-mobile phone that combines the functions of a modem, mobile phone and MP3 player in one tiny device that’s capable of performing all three functions at the same time.
Mobily has set up special sections in its 1600-square meter booth to give demos of Apple’s 3G iPhone and the company is also showcasing an innovative vending machine, with which subscribers can use their Neqaty credit points to buy snacks and refreshments. There is a dedicated area at the Mobily stand for the deaf and those with special needs.
There is also a bit of fun to be had at the Mobily stand. A self-service “jukebox” allows subscribers to download ringtones and software directly to their mobile phones. Last but not least, fans of Mobily’s football partner Alhilal, have the opportunity to mingle with the team’s best players, have their photos snapped with the footballers and take home autographed t-shirts.
Al-Hasoob to distribute Zotac
Al-Hasoob has signed to become a distributor for Zotac International in Saudi Arabia. Zotac is one of the largest producers of NVIDIA VGA and motherboard solutions worldwide. Al-Hasoob will promote and distribute Zotac’s products through its extensive network of resellers and IT dealers across the Kingdom. ZOTAC International, a part of PC Partner Ltd., is an NVIDIA AIC partner. The company is headquartered in Hong Kong with factories in China and regional sales offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America.
“We were approached by other graphics cards manufacturers for distributorship in Saudi Arabia. We, however, decided to go with Zotac as they have the best VGA cards and motherboard solutions. Zotac not only offers high performance and absolute reliability but great value too. This combined with its five-year warranty, which no other graphics card manufacturer offers, makes it a winning deal for all our customers,” said Sherif Abdul Fattah, executive manager, Al-Hasoob.
KSU requires ICDL
King Saud University (KSU) has adopted the ICDL standard as the benchmark of digital literacy for first-year students of the university and the educational entities it supervises. The preparatory year will serve as a training and testing period for students to acquire the ICDL certificate. Other higher education institutions, including the Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University and the University of Tabuk have already implemented the ICDL program.
The Center of Computer and Hobbies in KSU, in cooperation with ICDL Saudi Arabia, has subsidized up to 50 percent of the total cost of examinations for ICDL’s seven modules, which it has been offering within the university. In addition, KSU has also established an Approved ICDL Training and Testing Center for visually impaired students and has provided qualified staff and administrators to manage this specialized facility.
