Cisco IP Telephony Specialization in the Gulf

Dubai July 9, 2002 keralamonitor.com
Emirates Computers has become the first Cisco Systems Channel Partner in the Gulf to achieve Cisco's revised IP Telephony specialization accreditation after fulfilling all the resource requirements for the program. The revised IP (Internet Protocol) Telephony specialization, achieved after stringent procedures including exams, allows Channel Partners to deploy and support a scalable and reliable multi-service solution based on a converged architecture.

"We are proud to have become the first Cisco Channel Partner in the Gulf to achieve the revised specialization accreditation. This is evidence of our extensive capability in providing multi-service, IP telephony solutions to our clients," said Hani Harik, President of Emirates Computers. "As a leader in IT solutions, Emirates Computers is both qualified and equipped to provide a new set of IP applications, services and technologies to empower businesses to achieve higher productivity and cost-effectiveness. Being recognized by a prestigious firm like Cisco Systems imposes a great responsibility to offer high standards of service to our customers across the Gulf."

"We are pleased to announce that Emirates Computers has met the resource requirements for the revised IP Telephony specialization and have demonstrated that the company is qualified to support this program in the Gulf," said Jonathon Saunders, Channel Manager at Cisco Systems. "Emirates Computers will now be recognized for this specialization in Cisco's Partner Locator. We value the commitment and expertise that Emirates Computers has demonstrated and look forward to working with them in the future."

In addition to offering Channel Partners a detailed technology training roadmap, the Cisco IP Telephony Specialization Program provides business-enhancing resources that help its Channel Partners make the most of their investment. These resources include recognition in the Cisco Partner Locator, access to the discounted lab product program and the valuable marketing tools available for IP Telephony.

As the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, Cisco Systems is a business partner that provides industry knowledge and technology to allow enterprises to reap the benefits of converged networking. A unified IP-based network that integrates data, voice and video opens the door to an incredible wealth of applications that make the entire enterprise more productive and increases competitive advantage for businesses.

The rapid adoption of next-generation converged networks has been driven by the astounding success of the Internet and the Internet protocol (IP) on which it is based. With its flexible and cost-effective packet-based system of transmitting information, IP is one key to leveraging a single network for carrying data, voice and video.

The Cisco converged network solutions are enabled by Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) and the enterprise architecture enables this new breed of applications, services and technologies to empower businesses to reach their Internet

African leaders hail new beginning of OAU

Africa would not be dictated to by the west.Africa was not willing to accept international assistance based on conditions. "We are not children for someone to teach,"

DURBAN, 8 July (IRIN) -keralamonitor.com The experience of the last 40 years calls for a radical change to political and economic life on the continent, South African President Thabo Mbeki said on Monday.

Africans would have to overcome the debilitating effect of inertia if the continent was to take its rightful place as an equal in the world, he said at the opening of the 38th and final summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Durban, South Africa.

Heads of state from across the continent gathered in the Indian Ocean port city for the birth of the African Union (AU), touted as a leaner and more effective successor to the OAU.Mbeki, who will become the first chairman of the AU at its formal launch on Tuesday, said ordinary Africans expected leaders to emerge from the summit with concrete decisions that addressed issues in a meaningful way."We have to aim for measurable advances and not be satisfied merely to report that we met and adopted good resolutions," he said.

Mbeki also lauded the work of the OAU saying that despite attempts to destroy the pan-African organisation, visionaries and activists "kept the vision of unity and solidarity of African states alive".

Formed in 1963, the OAU was the first attempt to make real the vision of a united Africa. However, critics have charged that with an out-of-date charter that narrowly defined sovereignty, the organisation had apparently protected dictators through its so-called principle of non-interference.Mbeki countered this in his address, saying that the recent successes achieved in moving to democracy and ending conflict in the Comoros, Sierra Leone and Lesotho, demonstrated that those who characterised Africa as a hopeless continent were wrong.

The AU, considered the brainchild of controversial Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, is expected to remedy some of the shortcomings of its predecessor. Unlike the OAU, the AU will have the political leverage to intervene in member states where there is evidence of serious human rights violations, such as genocide and war crimes.

The AU will be multi-faceted, with an assembly made up of all the heads of state and an executive council composed of foreign ministers. Included in the plan are a pan-African parliament, a court of justice and a central bank.

Although optimistic about the future of the AU, Gaddafi warned delegates that in its search for peace and prosperity, Africa would not be dictated to by the west. He said Africa was not willing to accept international assistance based on conditions. "We are not children for someone to teach," he said.

News reports have suggested that Gaddafi was particularly concerned about the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which pledges good governance in exchange for investment and aid, saying the programme would re-colonise Africa.

Gaddafi urged the international community to respect the values and principles of "African democracy".

"We accept help, and the development of the world particularly in peace and prosperity and we will try promote good governance, but in our style," he said.

Some of the issues on the table on Monday included recommendations for putting together the four key structures of the AU, the action plan for NEPAD and political concerns such as the position of Madagascar.

The Indian Ocean island state has been barred from taking up its seat in the AU following a disputed presidential election in December last year.

A top Malagasy official in the OAU told IRIN: "Considering recent developments, popular opinion is likely to swing toward reversing the earlier decision." Last week key donor countries, including the former colonial power, France, endorsed President Marc Ravalomanana's presidency, after the OAU failed to recognise him nor his political rival, Didier Ratsiraka as president.

Donors respond to South African appeal

JOHANNESBURG, 8 July (IRIN) - Donors have begun to respond to the World Food Programme's (WFP) massive US $500 million appeal for the millions in need of food aid in six Southern African countries.

WFP said in a press release that the United Kingdom had donated US $28.1 million, Canada nearly US $1 million and the Netherlands US $500,000.

"The British, Canadian and Dutch contributions will be used to immediately purchase some 50,000 mt of food for distribution throughout the region. Cash donations are particularly valuable because they enable WFP to purchase food in the region, and begin distributing it as early as one month's time," WFP said.

The three countries were the first to formalise their donations to WFP's US $507 million appeal for close to one million mt of food aid. Major contributions from other donor countries were being finalised.

WFP's regional emergency operation is designed to help feed 10.2 million people until the next main harvest in March 2003.

Britain's contribution to the WFP's regional appeal in Johannesburg was signed by Sam Sharpe, Head of the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) in Southern Africa, and WFP Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Judith Lewis.

Sharpe said Britain was very concerned about the worsening food situation in Southern Africa and was immediately allocating US $28.1 million towards the cost of emergency operations.

This was in addition to British support for NGOs and brought DFID's total contribution to the region's short term needs to about US $68.5 million.

"These donations are timely and crucial. However, we need similar contributions immediately if we are to prevent another catastrophe in Southern Africa," said Lewis, the WFP's Regional Director. "Seven million people in the region are very hungry now and that number will only grow over the coming months."

WFP will conduct ongoing assessments in order to monitor the degree of deterioration in regional food security.

"The supply of affordable maize, volume of commercial food imports, effectiveness of government agricultural policies and the possibility of another El Nino phenomenon, among other factors, will all impact the number of hungry people in the region," WFP said.

At least 12.8 million people will require food aid in the region over the next nine months. "WFP is appealing for 67 percent of the region's cereal food aid. This amount is the maximum WFP feels it can realistically mobilise and distribute," the agency said.

Bilateral donations and NGOs would need to make up the shortfall. The WFP would target the most vulnerable households such as families affected by HIV/AIDS and those headed by women, children and the elderly.

"The humanitarian crisis affecting Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland has been caused by a 'perfect storm' of natural and man-made disasters. Drought, flooding, failed government policies and devastated economies are all to blame. All this is greatly exacerbated by the fact that the region suffers from chronic malnutrition, extreme poverty and the world's highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS," WFP said.