Intel CEO: Home-grown ICT innovation plays instrumental role in Egypt's economic development

Otellini pledged Intel's continued support to help grow Egypt's information and communications technology (ICT) industry. As part of this, he announced that Intel and the Social Fund for Development (SFD) have signed an agreement to deliver cost-effective Arabized technology to the country's small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with the aim of 'increasing productivity of this booming business sector.'

'Egypt has a thriving IT landscape,' Otellini commented. 'More than ever, developing advanced skills in technologies like WiMAX and offering tailored, local solutions will help Egyptian companies better compete in the global marketplace. These three MoUs are great examples of public-private partnerships to cultivate home-grown innovation and economic growth.'

As part of the memorandum of understanding signed today between Intel and the SFD, a new cost-effective, end-to-end solution for the SMB sector has been launched. Intel's local channel partners are set to provide these solutions based on Intel's latest technology, dual-Core Intel® Xeon™ processor-based servers and the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor. The SMB offering includes Internet service, efficient after-sales support structure, and customer relationship management and a mini-enterprise resource planning software that help manage all aspects of customer interaction and business operations. This new initiative with the SFD is part of Intel Egypt's efforts to drive more IT usage in the country by delivering complete solutions that include hardware, software, connectivity and training, maximizing the value-add of the local ICT Industry and boosting SMBs productivity and competitiveness.

Otellini also unveiled Intel's plans to work with the Information Technology Institute (ITI) and four other leading Egyptian universities (Cairo, Alexandria, Assiut and Mansoura) to establish research labs, training and certification programs for developing software using the state of the art computing multi-core technology. Intel and the National Telecommunications Institute (NTI) also agreed to establish a WiMax research lab, training and certification program as well as installing a WiMAX base station at the university's Smart Village campus to provide wireless connectivity to labs in the area. The new labs reflect Intel's focus on boosting the local expertise in computing and communication technologies to serve the needs of the regional markets.

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