Center of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) signs MOU with Wipro

The MoU was signed by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of HCT and Mr.Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Limited.
The larger objective of this alliance would be effective technology transfer through participation of UAE nationals in various stages of the project implementation and maintenance and through training.

The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) is the commercial arm of the Higher Colleges and provides a vital link to industry for the HCT. CERT has a mandate to develop the human resources of the UAE, to help develop a strong national workforce and introduce innovative technologies to meet the needs of the industry and community of the UAE and the region. CERT is currently providing corporate training and customized vocational programs for major organizations in the UAE. CERT's Technology Park in Abu Dhabi hosts a number of internationally renowned technology companies and WIPRO would be the latest addition to this increasing number of multi-national corporations. CERT also provides services to organizations in Dubai, Sharjah and other emirares through its office at Dubai Internet City. CERT is actively promoting applied research and consulting activities to cater to the needs of the local industry and community.

Wipro and CERT will collaborate to design, develop & implement IT consulting, solutions and services for educational institutions, corporations, industry and Government entities in the region. CERT-Wipro will provide consultancy, applied research services and training in Information and Communications Technology for these segments in the region.

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan , Chancellor of HCT and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research said, "CERT continues to play an important role in the areas of knowledge and technology transfer. This partnership with WIPRO is another milestone in our ongoing quest to bring excellence to the training, consulting and research services CERT provides to the UAE industry and community. As both CERT and WIPRO share the commitment to pursue excellence and continuous quality improvement with integrity in leadership, I expect this partnership to be strategic in effective technology transfer as well as in providing world class IT solutions, services and training to the region."

Mr. Azim Premji, Chairman, Wipro Limited, said, "We are very happy to partner with CERT. There is a larger national agenda to this alliance over and above business. On one hand, we look forward to leveraging their vast academic and research experience to offer business focused IT solutions to customers. More importantly, we feel happy in contributing to technical resource development and building a rich IT talent pool in the UAE."

Wipro launched its Middle East operations in early 2001 in Dubai Internet City and since then, has expanded its business across the Middle East to include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait. Wipro has continued to provide high value-added IT Services and Solutions including Infrastructure Management Services, IT Outsourcing, Consulting, Software and e-procurement services to organisations throughout the Middle East.

Dr. Tayeb A Kamali, Managing Director, CERT said "We partner with a number of organizations to integrate academic learning with real world technology applications. We are extremely happy to partner with a global IT Services giant such as Wipro and we seek to leverage their breadth and depth of IT Services expertise for development of technical talent in UAE as well as to provide world-class IT consulting services to the industry in the region".

Mr. Syed Mansoor Ahmad, General Manager, Middle East Business Operations, Wipro, added, " Wipro is proud to be associated with HCT-CERT. I am confident that both CERT and Wipro will learn from each other's rich experiences in their own areas, while contributing to technical talent development in the region."

Wipro has built a strong customer base in the UAE since the start of its operations. They include Dubai eGovernment, Dubai Dry Docks and Dubai Municipality.

Today, Wipro has over 300 Consultants working on various projects across the Middle East. Furthermore, Wipro is amongst the largest IT companies in India with operations across the USA, Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific, Australia and the Middle East. Many of the Fortune 500 companies are its customers.