Despite sweeping IT budget cuts, business intelligence software tools have survived the downturn unscathed as customers look for ways to get more information that will help them make more money. Oracle Senior VP for the Middle East Husam Dajani talks to Rob Jones during Gitex about the growth in business intelligence and what Oracle is seeing happening with virtualisation in the region.
With the car market having suffered a huge downturn in sales, Ford is including technology often only seen in high-end cars as part of its efforts to attract customers. Speaking during Gitex, Theodore Benson, Marketing and Communications Manager at Ford Middle East, talks to Rob Jones about how Ford is using technology to help gain market share and gives an insight into how the car giant is now doing financially and outlines its biggest market in the region.
Dell has launched a range of modular services in the Middle East at Gitex. Under the umbrella of Software as a Service - which is yet to go mainstream in the region - it aims at operational areas, giving customers a chance to take small steps. Alastair McFadzean, Business Manager, Dell EMEA talks to Rob Jones.
Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7, goes on general sale this week. Microsoft believes that the software will be better received than its predecessor, which the company admits had a 'perception challenge'. Rich Reynolds, General Manager Windows Commercial at Microsoft, speaks to Rob Jones during Gitex in Dubai about the OS, early reaction and why the developer believes more enterprises will now upgrade from the aging Windows XP to Windows 7.
IT companies have been reporting improving fortunes as they emerge from the global economic downturn. On day 1 of Gitex Technology Week in Dubai Phil Blizzard takes a look at the companies at the event and assesses the mood of delegates and visitors.
The idea of holding a business meeting via video conferencing is beginning to take hold, especially in these troubled economic times. Telepresence takes that to a new level, with high definition quality and full size images, giving the impression that the other person is sitting opposite. Rob Jones talks to KS Parag, MD of FVC, about telepresence, the interest it is gaining and whether these high-end systems offer value for money.
Currently Egypt is the Middle East hotspot for software security threats. Johnny Karam, Regional Director Mena, Symantec, tells Rob Jones about the rise in malware in the Middle East as broadband usage increases.
Software security companies say that this year they have seen a huge rise in malicious attacks. Johnny Karam, Regional Director Mena, Symantec, outlines to Rob Jones the types of threats that are on the rise, how cybercriminals are taking advantage of the economic downturn and the importance of multiple layers of security to protect a business.
In part 2 of our interview with Ihab Ghattas, Assistant President for the Middle East at Huawei Technologies, we look at the growth of the Middle East telco market and the key trends the company is seeing. Plus Rob Jones discusses Huawei's fibre to the home project with Etisalat in Abu Dhabi, which once launched, will enable the telco to offer many new services to its customers.
Chinese company Huawei Technologies has grown considerably over the past few years and is now challenging the likes of Nokia, Siemens and Ericsson. Ihab Ghattas, Assistant President for the Middle East at Huawei Technologies, discusses the company's market, its R&D efforts and how it is coping in the current downturn. Plus he tells Rob Jones how the company is trying to overcome perceptions that products from a Chinese company equates to cheap quality.
As the Gulf and Middle East economies emerge from the global downturn - and IT budgets begin to increase - Naser Sha'sha'a, Program Manager, IHD Group - MEA Region at analyst group IDC looks at what technologies businesses will implement to improve their business efficiency and bottom line, and the challenges IT heads will face. Rob Jones reports
IT budgets globally have been slashed this year, making it tougher for IT heads to meet their commitments. While some Gulf countries have not seen IT budgets cut as heavily, the UAE has seen a big reduction. Naser Sha'sha'a, Program Manager, IHD Group - MEA Region, at analyst group IDC tells Rob Jones what is happening with regional technology budgets, the opportunities and how the cuts are shaping the future look of IT departments.
Scott Herren, Managing Director and Vice President, EMEA, at Citrix, looks at Citrix's financial performance to date this year, which has seen revenues slip and looks at when he thinks sentiment and growth will return. Speaking to Rob Jones, he explains the business outlook the technology sector is seeing in the GCC and wider Middle East, and where Citrix believes it will see growth in the future.
Virtualisation was slower to take off in the Middle East than many other regions, but is now attracting IT and business heads, particularly as they look to improve efficiencies without increasing IT budgets. Scott Herren, Managing Director and Vice President, EMEA, at Citrix, looks at the various levels of virtualisation and the business benefits it provides, discusses its new OEM partnership with Fujitsu and outlines the business strategy behind the company's decision to give XenServer and XenCenter away free. Rob Jones reports.
Nokia has a huge presence in the Middle East, so how does the region differ from the other areas in which it operates? Chris Braam, VP for Middle East and North Africa, Nokia, talks about the importance of the region, the manufacturers views on handset subsidiaries, what Middle East consumers and business users are looking for and the latest developments with Symbian. Rob Jones reports.
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TAV Construction, one of the top three airport construction companies in the world, won the design and construction tender for the King Khaled Airport...
The Emirate of Kuwait is situated a the head of the Persian Gulf, and is bordered to the South by the Al Hasa desert region of Saudi Arabia, and Iraq which has a narrow exit to the port of Umm Qasr before the territory of Iran.