Al-Alamiah Group sets-up the first videoconferencing network of its kind in the region

The system which was successfully implemented by Al-Alamiah Group guarantees high-speed communication between its branches, and enables the Group to hold highly dynamic and interactive meetings and conferences. The success of this system sets it as the precedent for other regional companies and organizations to follow.

The videoconferencing network will ensure higher performance, increased teamwork and connectivity between Al-Alamiah Group Management and its companies which are distributed over six different locations within five Arab cities in four Arab countries; Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This system is based on Tandberg technologies, a global leader in videoconferencing.

"This network of ours which connects two continents is a live example of the strength of Al-Alamiah Group, and a clear indication of its great confidence in implementing its own advanced solutions for the development of its own business," stated Abdulaziz Al Gharabally, Marketing & Sales Director, Al-Alamiah Group. He added, "this was a very successful, beneficial and interesting experience."

This videoconferencing network will reduce expenses incurred by Al-Alamiah management, executives and staff for traveling between these countries, while the decrease in effort will result in higher performance levels, greater dynamism and vigor, all of which are necessary in today's business management world. There will also be an obvious reduction in telephone charges for international calls because the system is based on VoIP technology.

"What we have achieved is clearly a first in this region, and we hope that this will become a precedent for the ideal approach to conjuring the highest technologies serve the business world. Videoconferencing can be implemented by the government, banking and financial sectors, educational institutes and universities; business sectors in their various specializations and fields of expertise; oil companies wishing to maintain contact with oil rigs and their affiliated organizations; medical organizations wishing to obtain medical advice and supervision by international experts while executing highly delicate surgery; foreign ministries wishing to make lengthy secure contact with its diplomats in its embassies," Al Gharabally added.

Presently there are two communication points in Kuwait; the first is located at the Head Office of the Group and the second within the offices of Al-Alamiah Computer Systems Co. The UAE also has two communication points; the first is located at Sakhr's branch in Dubai Internet City (DIC), while the second is located at Sakhr Software Co., Abu Dhabi. There is one communication point at the Head Office of Sakhr Software Co., part of Al-Alamiah Group, Cairo, Egypt, and another at Al-Alamiah Group branch office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

"The videoconferencing network which we have installed in six Arab cities is the first of its kind in the region. We have allocated 5MB of space on one Virtual Private Network VPN," explained Ibrahim Mohammed, General Manager, Al-Alamiah Computer Systems Co., Kuwait, part of the Al-Alamiah Group, and one of the companies within the group which supervised the execution of this project.

The solution adopted by Al-Alamiah Group includes equipment from the American company Tandberg (www.tandberg.net), awarded best videoconferencing company 2003 for the fifth year running. Tandberg has also formed a strategic alliance with Al-Alamiah Group in the region. Al-Alamiah Group in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt started offering videoconferencing solutions to their clients as of last year; many projects are currently being executed for several companies, organizations, regional institutes and universities within these Arab countries.

"The next step is to tie in all of Al-Alamiah's branches in the US, Europe and East Asia within this network," Mohammed added.

Tandberg & Al-Alamiah Group together provide top-notch videoconferencing solutions which meet the specific practical requirements of governmental establishment, the banking & financial sectors, educational & training institutes, medical institutes, and other organizations which have branches located in several countries, and whose businesses are distributed over many regions.