Cisco Systems Gulf ranked 3rd fastest growing region in the world

The company also fared well in the Middle East and Africa, with the MEA region delivering 56 per cent growth in FY 2006 over the same period last year.

The announcement, which follows Cisco's recent international reporting of Q4 and fiscal-year results for the period ended July 29, 2006, is a shot in the arm for the region's nascent IT industry.

Samer Alkharrat, General Manager, Cisco Systems Gulf, said the company's human capital is a primary factor in its record growth.

"Our technology and industry-specific channels are among our top selling points but our people remain the key drivers of our success,"

Alkharrat said. "The region is in rapid growth mode, and Cisco has responded to this growth with continuous strategic investments in the right people and the right training. This commitment, and the rewards we reap from it, is in sync with Cisco's operating philosophy around the world."

The investment in human resources has enabled Cisco to expand rapidly across the region, Alkharrat explained. The company recently opened a new office in Qatar, and additional offices are slated to open in Oman and Bahrain in coming months.

"Having a talented corps of people suited to the needs of the region has allowed us to get closer to our partners and customers," he added. "We have now subdivided the Gulf region into three key territories, and appointed country managers for each."

Cisco Systems Gulf's investment in its human resources begins at the recruitment level. An entrenched system of continual training ensures that staff is provided with the right focus and direction, and the right tools to operate in this rapidly developing market.

FY06 also witnessed the introduction of Cisco Gulf's TREC vertical team, an industry first specialty group dedicated to the fast-growing tourism, real estate and construction sectors.

Cisco's globally recognised Networking Academy Program is also moving at full throttle in the region. Established to address the market's growing need for training in networking technologies, the program offers structured courses at educational and training facilities around the region. Since its launch in 1997, the NetAcad has enlisted more than 11,000 academies and nearly two million students around the world.

The Fortune Global 500-listed company also concluded several major business deals in the region this year, including a new all-IP network vision for Kuwait-based Wataniya Telecom; an advanced IP call centre (IPCC) solutions for Petroleum Development Oman (PDO); a strategic consultancy agreement with the National Bank of Kuwait and PWC Logistics, and an infrastructure transformation contract with the Saudi Post Corporation.