Kuwait Ports Authority builds efficiency on Microsoft.NET platform

The portal built using Microsoft .NET technologies streamlines and automates KPA's internal and external business operations with shipping lanes, shipping agents, and its customers. Arabesque Group, a leading Microsoft Gold partner in Kuwait, along with Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) jointly designed and implemented the project.

Sheikh Dr. Sabah Jaber Al-Sabah, General Manager of Kuwait Ports Authority said: "KPA played a vital role in the growth of Kuwait's economy by attracting foreign investments into Kuwait and establishing modern ports to facilitate higher volume trades between Kuwait and the rest of the world. Efficient operations, customer satisfaction and attraction of investments to Kuwait's ports are objectives that underpin our investments in technology. The KPA portal delivers faster, easier and efficient operations and customer interface to KPA staff, management and customers. Furthermore, KPA realized the importance of technology deployment in their business to further improve the customer-supplier quality service and thus resulting in a better economy."

The new portal solution enables more advanced communication benefits within the KPA ports, customs, shipping agents, operator lines, and government institutions. The portal solution built on .Net technologies includes Microsoft's Exchange 2003 as the standard corporate messaging platform across KPA for daily communication between its agents & contractors to ensure fast and efficient business processes. A Windows 2003 Active Directory solution facilitates user authentication, application server, network management and network security while Microsoft SQL Server is the primary database solution.

Ahmed Al Atheri, General Manager of Arabesque Group explained: "The project includes streamlining the business processes and delivering a technology solution using Microsoft products that eliminate redundancy, reduces manual intervention and delivers a faster, more transparent operational process. Using Microsoft development tools, primarily Microsoft's flagship Visual Studio .NET, the portal is based on native XML which made it ready to integrate seamlessly with customs' solutions that are in place today, as well as with future projects."

The portal delivers a single centralized system that improves communications and workflow, document management, archiving and tracking as well as provides comprehensive online information for KPA staff, suppliers, existing and potential customers and enables online payment transactions.

Mohamed Helmy, Enterprise and Partner Group Manager for Microsoft North Gulf said: "Microsoft is extremely proud of this project. With the ambitious vision and commitment from KPA, the superior service and solution delivery of Arabesque, and with the right Microsoft technologies, this project presents a case study on how businesses can use technology as an enabler to achieve their objectives, and prepare themselves to meet future demands in a rapidly changing environment."

Mohammed Al Tura, Government Sector Sales Manager for Microsoft North Gulf added, "Microsoft is honored to partner with KPA's strategic project. This project represents great commitment and dedication from KPA to facilitate larger economical growth to Kuwait in order to ensure that Kuwait has one of the most advanced commercial ports in the world and ready to accommodate larger economy and trades demand for the rapid economical changes occurring in the region. We congratulate KPA for their great vision in being a vital player for better economical growth in the region."