BUSINESS MONITOR DUBAI --august 7, 2002.

Awua Signs MoU With Dubai Internet Cioty for network infrastructure.
Indian Debt Fund Returns Stabilise -says Investment Research Report.
Global healthcare company sets up Middle East base in Dubai
Population trends pose new challenges for Asia
Declining populations predicted for Asian countries due to AIDS.
150 people Mysterious flu-like virus which eludes doctors
Up to 120 killed in renewed Puntland fighting in Somalia.
 

EC Project to Tackle Future Wireless Environment in the Air


Dubai -August 7, 2002. A project to design the first comprehensive wireless environment designed to work on aircraft was announced here yesterday. The WirelessCabin project aims to provide a communications architecture that will give passengers and airline staff access to communications networks and business applications as they would in the office, and to benefit from better inflight information and entertainment. In addition, crews will be able to communicate in the aircraft using wireless devices and monitor the cabin as part of increased security measurements.

The technology will be delivered using the following infrastructure: UMTS for personal telephony and packet data Bluetooth and W-LAN for IP access The Bluetooth interface will also be used to transport the UMTS services.

The project, co-ordinated by the German aerospace centre DLR, consists of a diverse and market leading cross section of companies including Airbus Deutschland GmbH; Ericsson Telecomunicazioni S.p.a; ESYS plc; Inmarsat Ltd.; Information Society Technologies; KID-Systeme GmbH; Siemens AG Austria; TriaGnoSys GmbH and the University of Bradford.

Tony Busby, general manager of aeronautical business at Inmarsat, said: “This project aims to further push the boundaries of innovation in the airline sector. Increasingly, passengers are demanding to be able to access communications networks wherever they are and how ever they choose, and we
need to work to facilitate this. The WirelessCabin will allow passengers to access mobile telephony and wireless IP services, just as they can expect to do in their office or home, making any journey more productive and enjoyable.”

Such technology innovation could lead to passengers being given wireless LAN cards when they check in at airports, allowing them to utilise communications networks within the airport terminal and then reconnect to those networks once on the aircraft. The group needs to address issues such as market requirements, interference with aircraft avionics and ground infrastructure, bandwidth, service integration over satellite, cabin topology planning and designs for the mobility of the solution.


Busby continued: “WirelessCabin will create new opportunities for satellite providers and service providers to demonstrate just how robust our infrastructures are, and lead the way in new fields of communications. By working alongside airline companies we can develop a solution that addresses customer needs and complies with safety regulations and requirements laid down by the carriers themselves. Projects such as this are the way forward in developing such leading edge services, and Inmarsat is looking forward to working alongside other innovators to make this happen.”

Inmarsat already offers the Swift64 service, which delivers email, image transfer, ISDN and video communications at 64kbit/s allowing users to access a mobile office in the air. The service utilises existing aircraft antennae that are in place on around 75 per cent of modern long-haul aircraft.

Awua Signs MoU With Dubai Internet Cioty for network infrastructure.

DUBAI-- Avaya (NYSE: AV), a leading global provider of voice and data networks to businesses, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Internet City (DIC) for the design and deployment of the free zone's communications network infrastructure over the course of the next ten years.

The new move will see the standardisation of DIC's cabling installations, with all facilities using Avaya's SYSTIMAXR Structured Connectivity Solutions. This substanial ommittment to Avaya is hoped to lead to significant new business opportunities and follows the recent completion of Phases 2 and 3 of a project relating to the cabling solutions for Dubai Media City (DMC)/DIC using Avaya technologies.

DIC is a free zone established primarily to attract regional and global technology companies and IT workers. Leading international free zone companies include Canon, HP, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle. "This is an extension of our relationship with Avaya which has been
involved with the development of the free zone's communication infrastructure since the outset. DIC has always been positioned as providing the region's largest and most advanced I.T. infrastructure and services, providing companies with the necessary tools to tackle the growing Middle East market," said Ahmad Bin Byat, director general of the Dubai Technology, E-Commerce and Media Free Zone (TECOM), the holding company of both DIC and DMC.

"The cornerstone for meeting this challenge is the deployment of a comprehensive, reliable, and high performing communications infrastructure that can not only meet the demanding business communication needs of today but tomorrow as well. Avaya's SYSTIMAXR
Connectivity Solutions meet these requirements as well as delivering enormous scope for scalability for further network expansions as new and more advanced applications are deployed," concluded Bin Byat

The new MoU heralds the intended deployment of Avaya's world-renowned family of SYSTIMAXR Structured Connectivity Solutions throughout DIC, in a plan to provide the information backbone of the Middle East's largest I.T. build."Cabling infrastructure is critically important - it's the lifeblood of information systems. It is most often hidden from view and therefore not treated as other I.T. products or services yet without a comprehensive cabling infrastructure many business entities today would cease to
operate," said Martin Hennessey, Sales Director, Connectivity Solutions Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Greece, Avaya.

"Companies need to have forethought and long-term planning to take into account the demands placed upon the infrastructure being installed now for future information systems. "DIC tenants have access to an infrastructure capable of supporting a wide range of bandwidth intensive applications such as high resolution graphics; video and other rich media formats, voluminous traffic patterns; data warehousing handling gigabytes or even terabytes of data, desktop video conferencing; scientific modelling and medical imaging,"
concluded Hennessey.

Avaya's MoU with DIC marks the networking company's involvement in the installation of one of the world's most reliable high performance copper cabling infrastructure, the SYSTIMAXR GigaSPEEDT XL solution. It is one of the latest innovations from SYSTIMAX Labs, the connectivity arm of Avaya's world-renowned research & development (R&D) division, Avaya Labs.

The new XL cabling solution is one of the industry's leading Category 6 copper infrastructure solution, exceeding industry standards for network performance in Local Area Networks (LANs), as outlined by the ISO/IEC (Class E) and Telecommunications Industry Association, by a staggering 400%. It supports high bandwidth applications including Gigabit Ethernet and 1.2 Gigabit Asynchronous Transfer Mode. It allows 50% more network connection per channel than any other product in the market, enabling customers to operate more cost effectively and efficiently.

Another key component of Avaya's SYSTIMAXR product portfolio is its advanced multi-modal fibre solution, Avaya's SYSTIMAXR LazrSPEEDT Solution, which supports 10-gigabit per second performance up to a distance of 300 metres.

Global healthcare company sets up Middle East base in Dubai

Dubai- August 6, 2002 :Tyco Healthcare, one of the world's top five medical companies and a global market leader in disposable treatment products, is to establish a warehouse and regional distribution base in the UAE, as part of its drive to increase Middle East and Africa market share. The facility will support the company's expansion into developing and emerging regional markets and service its existing sales network.

"No decision has yet been taken on when the warehouse will be operational. The growth of our Middle East network is, however, a top priority and we believe the UAE is the ideal location from which to launch our regional development plans," said Alan Barnett, Area Director - Regional Export, Tyco Healthcare.

"There are many potential growth areas, in particular Iran, Iraq and Egypt. This new facility will enable us to make the most of the opportunities that will arise from future growth in public and private sector investment in quality healthcare services and products."

Tyco Healthcare’s assault on Middle East markets will move into top gear at Arab Health 2003 - the region's premier international hospital, medical equipment and services exhibition and conference - to be held at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre (DIEC), in January.

The company will showcase its range of state-of-the-art sensors capable of detecting and monitoring a patient's pulse in difficult conditions, using advanced digital processing to filter out corrupted signals.

"Arab Health is the most important healthcare industry forum in the Middle East. It has a deserved reputation for bringing the latest and best technology to the region and is the right event for us to display our cutting edge products," said Barnett.

"Among products new to the region will be the MAX-FAST, an adhesive forehead sensor that can monitor a heartbeat at extremely low blood pressure levels. It is the first of a new range of applications we have developed that were previously impossible under old technology."

Arab Health 2003, organised by IIR Exhibitions, will span six DIEC halls for the first time from January 26-29. It will include the 1st International Arab Health Congress - the Middle East's largest ever series of medical conferences.

The congress will feature dedicated conferences on e-health; health management; robotic surgery and emerging economy diseases, comprising two forums ? Obesity and Diabetes, and Infectious Diseases.

The Middle East Imaging and Diagnostic Conference, organised by the UAE's Ministry of Health, will also be held in conjunction with the exhibition.

To date, 18 national pavilions have been confirmed, including first-time group participation by Saudi Arabia. Other exhibitors, contracted so far, come from 24 countries across the USA, Europe, Scandinavia, the Far and Middle East, as well as the Indian Sub-continent.

Arab Health 2003 will include three specialist arenas: Pharmacy, the region's only event dedicated to pharmacists, general practitioners and hospital medical staff; Arab Dentistry and MedLab, for laboratory and biotechnology products.

The show will also see the debut of International Health Services, an industry specific event for hospitals, clinics, insurance and specialised recruitment companies involved in the expanding global market for overseas and distance healthcare facilities.

"Arab Health 2003 will be the biggest combined healthcare exhibition and conference ever staged in the Middle East. We anticipate the show will be some 40-50% larger than previously, covering some 12,000 square metres of net space," said John Hassett, Exhibitions Director, Healthcare Division, IIR Exhibitions.

The exhibition and conference will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and is officially supported by the UAE Ministry of Health

 

Indian Debt Fund Returns Stabilise -says Investment Research Report.

The market expectations of an early economic recovery seem to be ebbing with the monsoon failure in most parts of the country. The equity markets were quick to react and the Sensex lost 7.44% during one-month period to 31st July 02. On the longer one-year horizon the emerging picture is somewhat different. The point to point one-year return for the BSE Sensex is negative 10.26% whereas the broader BSE 200 return for the same period is 5.23%. The Risk Adjusted Return Rankings (RRR) capture the trend .

On the one year RRR of the General Equity Funds Pioneer ITI Prima Fund has retained its RRR-1 position at the top of the table. Reliance Vision Fund enters the ranking at the RRR-2 on meeting the corpus cut off criteria pushing down the Zurich India Equity Fund to RRR-3. The select funds have been outperforming the popular indices consistently. Despite the poor sentiment built over the equities and the Sensex fall in the recent days, the growth funds have given the highest one year average returns among all the investment types. The average one-year return for the sample of 35 open-end general equity funds was 17.51% for the year to July 02, marginally below. 17.82% return for the same period ended June 02. Not surprisingly, the Growth funds are the only category to witness positive inflows. As per AMFI data, the assets under management for the income funds increased by Rs 1270 mn during the month of June 02

The debt market volatility has effected the ranking of the Debt Schemes. Sundaram Bond Saver moved up by six ranks to RRR-1. The SBI Magnum Liquibond Income moved up 12 notches RRR-2. The Chola Triple Ace cumulative moved down by one notch to RRR-3 rank. The funds, which were lowering the average portfolio maturity in the past, have also reversed the process. The average portfolio maturity, which was 3.09 years as at June 02, increased to 3.16 years for July 02. The fund with longer average maturity carries higher volatility.

The Gilt schemes, which were the top performers for most part of the year, have been losing the glitter. However, the one-year average return for the 13 gilt schemes in our ranking universe improved marginally to 15.58% compared to 14.44% for the same period a month ago. The funds have been expecting the softer interest rate regime to continue. The average residual maturity of about 6.19 years as at May 02 has increased to 6.32 years as at June 02. Alliance Govt. Securities Long term Plan is at RRR-1 for July 02. SBI Magnum Gilt Fund - Long Term follows it at RRR-2 and DSP Merrill Lynch Govt. Sec Fund (Plan A) at RRR-3. The Gilt short-term funds have been excluded from the ranking universe.

The Sector - Technology Funds have witnessed an exchange in ranks at the top. The Kotak Mahindra's K- Tech Fund has moved up by a notch to the 1st rank while Alliance New Millennium is one notch down to RRR-2 for July 02. The UTI Growth Sectors Fund-Software has retained its third rank.. The software funds were the worst performers. The one-year average return for the 11 schemes in our universe was 13.38% for the period to June 02. This has declined by 8.46% to 4.92% for the year to July 02.

In the Balance Scheme category, the Zurich India Prudence Fund has moved up by one notch to RRR-1 rank for July 02. Pioneer ITI Balanced Fund has moved up by three notches to RRR-2 and HDFC Balanced Fund by three notches to RRR-3. The average one-year return for the eighteen schemes declined from 15.39% as at the June 02 to 13.04% as at July 02.

In the Liquid Fund category, the Sundaram Money Fund tops with RRR-1. The IDBI CMF-Liquid moved down one notch to RRR-2. DSP Merrill Lynch Liquidity Fund has retained its RRR-3 rank for this month also. For the six months to July 02, Alliance Cash Manager and Sundaram Money Fund have both moved up one rank to RRR-1 & RRR-2 respectively. Zurich India Liquidity Fund Saving Plan is at RRR-3. For the shorter three months, the Alliance Cash manager has retained its RRR-1 for July 02. Zurich India Liquidity Fund Investment Plan has moved up two notches to RRR-2 while Prudential ICICI liquid Plan has moved up to RRR-3. For the year to July 02 the average return for the 18 Money Market/Liquid schemes has declined by 0.13% to 7.19%. On the six month too there has been a decline but on the shorter three months, there has not been any change

Among the Index Funds ranked on tracking error, the top three fund are IDBI Principal Index Fund, UTI Master Index Fund and Franklin India Index Fund in the same order of ranking.

Risk Adjusted Rank Table for the month of July 02 with comparative ranks for June 02
ONE YEAR


General Equity-open end Jul-02 Jun-02
Pioneer ITI Prima Fund - Growth 1 1
Reliance Vision Fund - Growth 2
Zurich India Equity Fund - Growth 3 2
General Equity-close end
Morgan Stanley Growth Fund 1 2
Pioneer ITI Taxshield 95 2 6
UTI Unit Scheme 92(US 92) 3 3
Balanced
Zurich India Prudence Fund - Growth 1 2
Pioneer ITI Balanced Fund - Growth 2 5
HDFC Balanced Fund - Growth 3 6
Sector-technology
Kotak Mahindra K Tech Fund 1 2
Alliance New Millennium Fund - Growth 2 1
UTI Growth Sectors Fund-Software Fund 3 3
General Debt
Sundaram Bond Saver - Growth 1 7
SBI Magnum Liquibond Income - Growth 2 14
Chola Triple Ace - Cumulative 3 2
Gilt
Alliance Govt. Securities Long term Plan - Growth 1 4
SBI Magnum Gilt Fund - Long Term - Growth 2 5
DSP Merrill Lynch Govt Sec Fund (Plan A) - Growth 3 6
Index
IDBI Principal - Index Fund 1 1
UTI Master Index Fund 2 2 SIX MONTHS
Franklin India Index Fund 3 3 Jul-02
Money Market
Alliance Cash Manager - Growth 4 2 1
Zurich India Liquidity Fund Investment Plan - Growth 6 8 8
Prudential ICICI liquid Plan - Growth 7 6 6