Fujitsu Siemens Computers appoints AL ITKAN as its distributor in Iraq

The appointment marks the first step of FSC, which is among the top four IT vendors in the Middle East markets, into the Iraqi IT sector. FSC is targeting all sectors of the Iraqi market, including the personal computer users, the small and medium enterprises and large corporations, as well as the government sector.

"The lifting of US sanctions on the acquisition of IT technology by Iraq has already opened the way for growth in the IT market. The recent meet at the Arab German Association for Trade and Industry between representatives of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and three hundred delegates from several Arab countries was another important step in this direction. The Arab delegates were assured that Germany is already examining the possibility of lifting similar European sanctions put in place long before the recent war. Germany as well as the other European Union countries have, recently, lifted the technological sanctions and this has contributed greatly to the growth of the IT market in Iraq," said Mounzer Sabbagh, Sales Director, FSC Middle East.

Sabbagh was one of the delegates at the meeting, held at Al Ghorfa, the Arab German Association for Trade and Industry in Germany, between the German delegation and numerous CEOs and other decision-makers from several Arab countries. The meeting is expected to have speeded up the process of lifting the European technological sanctions against Iraq.

Recent surveys conducted by independent research groups have shown that Iraq is on the threshold of the Knowledge Economy, with the interim government focusing on the reconstruction of the IT sector. As part of this process, PCs, computer accessories and peripherals will constitute a large chunk of Iraq's IT spending in the coming years.

It is estimated that 2.2 million PCs will be acquired by Iraq between 2004 and 2008. Besides the various government-controlled sectors like public health, other major market segments like the oil and gas industry are likely to invest heavily in upgrading their IT hardware. The education sector, especially the universities and research institutes, as well as private users of personal computers, are also expected to form a large segment of the IT market. The surge in the numbers of internet users in Iraq is also likely to contribute to the growing market for computer hardware. By the year 2008, it is estimated that Iraq will have 3.5 million Internet users, up from a minimal 45,000 at the end of February 2003. By the year 2008, Iraq's IT spending is likely to surge to US$ 1.42 billion.

As a first step to meeting the IT demands of the Iraqi market, FSC will be supplying its entire range of the Lifebook series of notebook computers to be distributed through AL ITKAN. The Lifebook series responds to the complete mobility needs of professionals on the move. The recent incorporation of the Intel Centrino mobile technology into the new products in the series has further enhanced the mobility aspect of the notebook by integrating a wireless LAN and an extended battery life.

"The demand for notebook computers is high in the Iraqi market, surpassing the demand for desktop PCs. This is a healthy indicator of the potential for growth in the market" said Falih Nahab, AL ITKAN. "The Iraqi IT market is a tough and competitive one. The buyer is aware of the technological innovations in the field and demands products that incorporate cutting-edge technologies. While the Iraqi infrastructure is undergoing reconstruction, the effort is to replace old and obsolete hardware with the latest technologies available in the market."

"The FSC portfolio has the high quality products and solutions to meet this demand. AL ITKAN already has a 50 strong pool of technical experts to provide consultancy and support to buyers. In addition to this, Al ITKAN is also committed to setting up a FSC service centre in Iraq to provide complete technological support to the end-users," Nahab added.

In line with its commitment to "Powering the Information Age", FSC has announced that it will structure special quotations for providing products and solutions to the Iraqi IT sector and thus contribute to the reconstruction efforts in Iraq.