Technology
- The news you choose »
- Login to Add to Watchlist
IBM, Intel form JV in Dubai Internet City
IBM and Intel are opening a high performance computing centre at IBM's Dubai Internet City building to address the needs of local companies who want to test out their applications, reported Gulf News. High performance computing is the use of a number of computers to run 'extremely performance intensive applications'. The machines can reduce the amount of time it takes to get results from months and weeks to days and even hours.
Promethean choose Bahrain for ME hub
Majeed Sharaf, regional VP of Interactive classroom technology manufacturer Promethean, has told AME Info that the group will have its regional hub in Bahrain. The company is experiencing year-on-year growth of 100%, with Saudi Arabia as its biggest market, and its systems are currently used in over 10,000 classrooms in the UAE alone. The group is currently looking to expand into Iran, Sudan and Yemen.
HP notebook breaks 24-hour battery life barrier
HP Middle East is rolling out a new notebook computer that offers up to 24 hours of continuous operation on a single battery charge. As measured by an industry standard benchmark, the new HP EliteBook 6930p configured with an optional ultra capacity battery delivered up to 24 hours of battery runtime, the company said. The notebook features a 14.1-inch diagonal widescreen display and is available with an optional, mercury-free Illumi-Lite LED display.
Dubai an IT outsourcing 'loser'
Dubai is the technology 'loser' in its efforts to be a high-end outsourcing hub, according to a new report on the outsourcing sector in the Middle East. The Yankee Group report, 'Can Middle Eastern Countries Fulfill the Eastern Promise?', said that high property costs, poor public transport and a lack of incumbent IT skills put it in a weak position, despite developments such as Silicon Oasis. The report's author, Tony Marson, told AME Info that anyone who thinks that 'this is going to become the IT outsourcing hub of the Gulf has got the wrong head on'. He praised Egypt as having the right combination of skills, training and infrastructure, claiming it was leading other Middle East nations for outsourcing. Abu Dhabi was also praised, as were Oman and Bahrain.
PC shipments grow 27% in EMEA
Personal computer (including notebooks) shipments in Europe, Middle East and Africa rose 27% to over 27.8 million units in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year, according to data released by analyst firm International Data Corporation. IDC statistics show Acer reached the first position in the EMEA PC market (Desk-based PC, Mobile-PCs and X-86 servers) with 21.3%, attaining first position for the first time. The EMEA PC market performance was driven by strong demand on notebook solutions; in addition, the introduction of the new Mobile Internet Devices line up (netbook), produced significant movements in the top five vendor positions, the report said.
GE launches new digital cameras
General Electric launched a range of digital cameras into the Middle East today at Gitex. The A, G and E ranges comprise seven cameras in total, from seven to 12 mega pixels. All the cameras include blink and smile recognition technology built into the face detection system and can create panoramic images by stitching together up to three photos. The cameras will be distributed by retail outlet Sharaf Electronics.
Dewa bill payment by phone
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has announced that customers will be able to pay their bills via mobile phone. Dewa signed an MoU with Dubai egovernment on Sunday, which will enable users to pay bills through their phones using a service originally set up for Salik payments.
New government portal launched to boost accountability
UAE Ministry of Cabinet Affairs launched an online Arabic management web-site under the name of Adaa, meaning preformance in English. The new web-site, which was custom made by Microsoft, entitles Federal entities of submitting performance reports electronically to enable the government of monitoring its progress.
Security threats on the rise
Symantec says it now finds as many as 8,000 pieces of malware a day, and that security threats have increased over the past 18 months. Speaking at Gitex, the company, which recently launched Internet Security Suite 2009, said not all will pose a danger to users, because of the range of languages such threats come in. Symantec said it has changed the way it tackles security threats, issuing customers with new anti-virus definitions every few minutes.
Riverbed showcases Wide-Area Data Services
Wide-area data services company Riverbed Technology is to showcase the latest version of its Riverbed Optimization System 5.0 at Gitex, as it pushes it to the Middle East markets. The software can facilitate application-level protocol optimization for Microsoft Exchange 2007. The software is being pushed to the oil and gas, financial services and construction sectors.
DIC to give funding tips to small businesses
Dubai Internet City is using Gitex Technology Week in Dubai to offer insights into the benefits of raising private equity in the technology sector. It will explain to delegates what venture capitals look for in small and medium sized companies and the benefits they offer beyond the money they pump into a business. The sessions will be lead by UAE-based venture capitalists. Gitex open s its doors today at the International Convention Centre.
Gitex Shopper kicks off today
Gitex Shopper, the consumer electronics and IT products sale and promotional event is opening today, Saturday at the Dubai Airport Expo. The exhibition will showcase consumer brands of IT products, peripherals and components.
Notebook shipments from UAE to hit 1.1m in 2008
Total notebook shipments for the UAE will hit 1.1 million units in 2008, a growth of nearly 93%, a senior Samsung official said. Madhav Narayan, General Manager of the IT Division at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said this figure reflects the massive lead that laptops have over desktops in the region, with four out of every five shipments being laptops. He added that Saudi Arabia accounted for at least 40% of IT spending in the Middle East region last year.
F5 launches new data management products
F5 Networks has expanded its Data Solutions portfolio with the F5 ARX4000 and Data Manager solutions. The ARX4000 is part of F5's family of intelligent file virtualisation platforms and supports 10 gigabit Ethernet. F5 Data Manager lets customers look in detail at their file storage, including usage patterns and trends, which can be used to identify potential optimisations and cost savings.
Abu Dhabi to invest $8.4bn in AMD
US-based Advanced Micro Devices plans to spin off its manufacturing plants as part of an $8.4bn investment from the Abu Dhabi government, reported Bloomberg. Abu Dhabi will pay AMD $700m for a stake in a new company that will own two plants in Germany and build another in New York. The new company, which will assume $1.2bn of AMD's debt, will receive as much as $6bn from Abu Dhabi to expand the factories and get $1.4bn in operating capital. Abu Dhabi will also pay $314m to double its stake in AMD to 19%.
It looks like you are using a Mac - check out our 
Web Feeds