Tech Access announces robust results for iForce Solutions Center's first anniversary

Launched in July 2002, the US $1 million facility has consistently beat its original revenue target by leveraging up to USD $500,000 in Sun-based technology solutions every quarter, and has witnessed an average of three "proof-of-concept" prototype solutions every month over the last year.

Building upon this success, the Tech Access team has also announced a new blue-print for extended growth, including strategic office openings in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco, a new series of offerings for the mid-market sector and an ambitious "showcase" initiative that will take the iForce Center's "test before you invest" concept across the Middle East.

"Tech Access is justifiably proud of what has been achieved with the Solutions Center by the milestone point of its first anniversary," said Shomail Ghalib, managing director, Tech Access. "The core concept underlining the Center - of enabling companies to test their blended hardware and software solutions in an off-site facility so they can be sure of a solid return on their investment - has provided a best practice model for the Middle East."

Since its launch, the iForce Center, which was the region's first Sun Authorised iForce Ready Center, has overseen a number of highly successful solutions tests for companies based in the Gulf and North Africa. Companies have been able to assess the value of a number of different business solutions - using technology from a range of leading organizations including Sun Microsystems, Oracle, Symantec and VERITAS - and evaluate the potential return on investment of their planned technology projects.

Customer Success Underpins the iForce Center
One such customer has been Habib Bank AG Zurich (HBZ), the leading technology driven bank in the region, which utilized the Tech Access Solutions Center to evaluate its Sun-based, end-to-end banking technology infrastructure, supporting business functions ranging from treasury, risk management, and customer relationship management to profitability management and reporting.

According to Reza S. Habib, joint president, Habib Bank AG Zurich, "The full-scale testing opportunity provided by the Tech Access Solutions Center enabled HBZ to extensively test our new solution prior to deployment, saving our organization considerable resources by revealing areas of improvement, possible hindrances, and the inherent benefits of the solution".

Sun Lends Further Credence to Tech Access Partnership
The partnership between Tech Access and Sun is now in its third year, with the two companies collaborating on market outreach initiatives and end-user engagements aimed at educating the Middle East's decision-makers on the business benefits of Sun solutions.

"The Tech Access Solution Center is a highly valuable resource for regional customers that want to ensure that their technology choices fit their business demands," said Stavros Vougas, channel manager, Sun Microsystems Middle East & North Africa. "There is increasing scrutiny on IT budgets around the Middle East, and executives must demonstrate a significant return on the investment with any new solution - and that peace of mind is being gained at the Tech Access testing facility."

"Sun's partnership with Tech Access continues to flourish, and our end-users from a diversity of sectors and countries are eager to see both enterprise and mid-market solutions put through their paces prior to deployment. They're finding that this type of rigorous solution analysis can only be realized at the Solutions Center," added Vougas.