Dell focuses on helping Middle East businesses embrace ICT and overcome barriers to ICT adoption

The research, commissioned by Dell and completed by the EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) in September, focused on four topics: the impact of ICT (information and communications technology), barriers to ICT use, skills and training, and policy factors.

In the Middle East, the study polled senior-level executives and managers in the United Arab Emirates and five other Gulf nations: Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The research highlights that ICT is an important factor in business growth, despite three major concerns shared by businesses in all high-growth and emerging countries surveyed globally, namely IT skills shortages, the high cost of technology and lack of telecommunications infrastructure. Dell is tackling these issues head-on.

Cost of technology - The Vostro A family range of products, developed specifically for small and medium businesses in high-growth and emerging countries is now available across the Middle East. Each product combines reliability with affordable business and mobile computing technology. Vostro A is available through channel and retail partners (specific availability dates differ per country).

Local Infrastructure - Dell virtualisation solutions optimise infrastructure and maximise the availability of IT resources. Dell's virtualisation solutions avoid complexity and proprietary hardware in favour of simplicity and open standards.

Lack of skills - Dell's new ProSupport service is being rolled-out across the Middle East, allowing IT professionals and consumers to complement their technological expertise with a customised service package from Dell. Dell has rolled out ProSupport in the GCC (Gulf Corporation Council) countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) in the past few months and will cover the whole region by adding this offering in Egypt, Jordon and Lebanon by the end of November 2008.

Dell is also looking to the longer-term to support Middle East skills development and recently announced the launch of the Dell YouthConnect Initiative, an enhanced global philanthropic strategy providing additional support for education and digital inclusion initiatives the company considers essential to ensuring the next generation's success in the Connected Era. Dell is expanding its presence in the Middle East.

"Dell's extensive investment in the Gulf region is consistent with our growth and expansion strategy and reflects our commitment to this region,"

comments Michael Collins, General Manager, Dell Middle East.

"We continue to listen to our customers and develop products and services to specifically address their needs. And in addition, we are investing in our own infrastructure, recently opening a logistics hub in Jebel Ali, Dubai, for example."

Through the Dubai logistics hub, Dell aims to consolidate its market presence, ensure timely product delivery and bolster distribution efforts of the company's channel partners. The 50,000 square feet facility complements the existing services and support hub in the Middle East, and follows the opening of a new distribution office that opened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier this year.