Dubai eGovernment to develop portal of Entrepreneurs Forum through its eHost service
Service to facilitate members’ email, SMS messaging and news, to encourage entrepreneurial spirit among youngsters
May 30, 2005 Dubai eGovernment is hosting the website of Entrepreneurs Forum (www.efdubai.ae) to facilitate members’ emails, SMS messages and news as part of an effort to promote eHost. eHost is one of the centralised eServices of Dubai eGovernment that is being used by several government departments as well as private sector companies.“By supporting Entrepreneurs Forum, Dubai eGovernment aims to demonstrate the services of eHost as well as develop close links with entrepreneurs for mutual benefit. Members of the Entrepreneurs Forum will be able to showcase their products and services through the portal,” said Salem Al Shair, eServices Director, Dubai eGovernment. eHost solution (eHost and eHost plus) is a fully managed, feature-rich web presence solution that is offered by Dubai eGovernment. >From static web sites up to full-fledged web portals, this service provides a world-class platform loaded with the best-of-breed management solutions, including content management, portal management, and several web management tools.
“We already have 16 government departments and private companies using eHost which now hosts more than 120,000 pages,” added Al Shair. “A forum such as this can provide the required assistance to these individuals and help them realise their entrepreneurial goals. As a result, young UAE Nationals will have the potential to set up and run their own enterprises.” “Entrepreneurs Forum would like to thank Dubai eGovernment for their support in hosting our website through eHost,” said Abdulmouneim Essa Al Serkal, President, Entrepreneurs Forum. “We are confident this will enable us to build stronger partnerships with government departments, and thus enhance the position of the forum. Another interesting fact about the Entrepreneurs Forum, which was formed over a year ago is that it has 65 members at present, with women making up 85 per cent of the strength, highlighting the remarkable leadership abilities of women in the region.”
The Entrepreneurs Forum will bring together young UAE Nationals, businessmen and government departments to raise awareness about the business opportunities in the SME sector and to project the importance of the sector in the overall development of the society. The Forum focuses on marketing, promotion and research, to strengthen SMEs and to develop the economic environment to suit small businesses. The forum will act as a networking centre designed to provide solutions to problems faced by SMEs through shared experience. The Entrepreneurs Forum is supported by the Department of Economic Development, Government of Dubai and several companies from the private sector. The forum was also involved in the recently held UAE Career 2005, in Dubai.
Nokia to partner with Wataniya Kuwait
Kuwait, 29th May 2005 Wataniya Telecom, Kuwait’s Red Carpet Mobile Company, today announced that it has signed with Nokia for the provision of advanced technologies that will enhance the company’s network. The deal opens the way to ‘beyond 3G’. Nokia delivers to Wataniya Telecom the state-of-the-art radio and core networks technology. The agreement between the two companies was signed in the presence of Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen during his state visit to Kuwait.
“This relationship gives us a platform to provide the most advanced, capable and reliable network services in the region, if not world wide, to our customers. Nokia’s advanced technologies will support a new category of services that we believe our customers will find compelling,” said Harri Koponen-GM & CEO/Wataniya Telecom.
“Nokia Networks is committed to working with leading operators in the provision of highly advanced infrastructure that builds new value for customers based on wireless Internet technologies. This leading edge implementation will be a solid demonstration of those technologies and will provide a sound platform for Wataniya’s visionary approach to building new value for its customers,” said Dr. Walid Moneimne, senior vice president, Networks, Nokia.
The Nokia network will support the ‘beyond 3G’ HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) technology, which opens the way to broadband Internet access at speeds up to 2 Megabits per second in the first phase. This compares to typical dial-up access speeds of 56 Kilobits per second and ‘broadband’ ADSL fixed Internet access speeds of 1 Megabit per second.
“Through our relationship with Nokia, we are providing our customers with better connectivity and flexibility for the future. Moving forwards, we will listen to our customers’ needs and act accordingly with Nokia”, said Niklas Sonkin, chief strategy officer and business to business director at Wataniya Telecom. Sonkin also pointed out that the new Nokia network will generate great benefits for Wataniya business customers.
“We’re going beyond 3G to provide a network for our customers that gives them the information access and content they want, fast and at the same time supporting advanced users who need mobile broadband access. This move is revolutionary and will definitely fulfil our customer needs”, ended Koponen.
K E R A L A M O N I T O R
Oommen Chandy's Errors and Omissions in Smart City Project?
ILFS was not involved as a consultant..Then who decided the Pricing of Land and Kochi Infotech Park ?
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has written a detailed column, which appeared simultaneously in various Malayalam newspapers justifying the state governments arguments for the Smart City Project. In that report, he tried vaguely to justify the hand over of Kochi Info Park as part of the smart deal to Dubai Internet City, giving some lame excuses. While denying the strong allegation made by V S Achuthananthan about the alleged Rs.2 crores "Consultation" fee proposed to be given to the IL & FS, he says the role of IL and FS was only in the initial stages of the project and the final project report was made by senior bureaucrats themselves. While the CM can claim that he has encountered the allegation in a smart way, what he has revealed indicates another flaw in the valuation of property. It indicates that no independent valuation of property was done by the state government before reaching the land price or the property price mentioned by him.
It is an internationally accepted norm for project implementation, especially involving two major partners like DIC and the Kerala Government, there should be an independent consultant to evaluate the project and do necessary feasibility. It is a common practice used by any government agencies or companies in Dubai also. In the case of Smart City, was there any independent consultant? Even if IL and FS was not removed from their role their evaluation would have been definitely biased because the former Chief Secretary himself was on the panel of the consultant. From the DIC side too the valuation of the project was done by internal team of experts. DIC officials who visited the state for negotiations consulted their own panel of engineers and financial experts to reach the valuation of property. So in this background, what is the credibility of Oommen Chandy's argument about the entire project pricing? He is talking about the IT policy, which was again made by the same bureaucrats and ministers who are interested parties?
Take the Kovalam Palace controversy and the handover of Kovalam hotel to the Muscat based M-Far group for just Rs.45 crores. As reported earlier by KM, Casino group of Kochi was keen to bid for Kovalam at Rs.100 crores – Rs.55 crores more than the Galfar offer. How the situation was manipulated by the former Industry Minister P.Kunjalikutty is well known. The Chief Minister's attention is now drawn towards another interesting news item. If news reports are to be believed, the Galfar group plans to sell Kovalam Palace Hotel to the Leela Group of Captain Krishnan Nair for a whopping Rs.150 crores! What has changed in Kovalam within a couple of years to increase the property price from just Rs.45 crores to Rs.150 crores? Mind you the new transaction between Galfar and Leela group may be excluding the controversial Halcyan Palace Hotel, which is now in a legal tussle. The opposition parties raised a hue and cry in the Indian Parliament about a similar transaction of Centaur Group of Hotels by the original buyer to another group with a margin of Rs.68 crores.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has pointed out that all the potential bidders to the Bombay Centaur hotel were systematically eliminated to favour the beneficiary company, Batra Hospitality, which made a killing by immediately selling the same hotel at several fold the purchase price within six months of the deal. The buyer of the Centaur Airport Mumbai, Batra Hospitality sold the property to the Sahara India Group for Rs 115 crore (Rs 1.15 billion). The property was sold to the original buyer along with flats and petrol pumps for Rs 83 crore. Within six months the value of the property has gone up by 30 crores. If the opposition parties raised a hue and cry about this dubious transaction, why should they remain silent about the Galfar-Leela transaction too? The transaction is conducted almost in the same style and manner, causing immense loss to the Government of India.
The CM has raised a question mark about the reasons for Deshabhimani, the newspaper edited by V S Achuthananthan himself, not publishing the editors own article about Smart City which appeared in many other newspapers. Is there a secret understanding with an influential section within the party to support the Smart City project too? Everyone knows the dubious manner in which Tata group obtained political support for the Kannan Devan Tea planation colonization in Moonnar?
(Achuthananthan: Weak Doctor? Click to Check Achuthananthan's Health
Now coming back to Smart City, the IT policy of the Kerala Government, which is used to defend, the transaction itself was made by none other than the former Industry Minister Kunjalikutty and his team of bureaucrats. Same is the case with the state tourism policy which was used to handover the Halcyan castle palace and the Kovalam Hotel to the Galfar group for peanuts. (Achuthananthan: Weak Doctor?)
It is good for the state, if the Smart City project is implemented in a transparent manner. As the Chief Minister rightly said DIC will not take away the land and buildings from Koch to Dubai.. But it is a fact that these properties will fall within the proposed Kochi Free Zone and the state government's right to interfere in the area will be limited. Again there is no guarantee that the land will be used only for IT projects. When you visited the DIC, you must have noticed a number of tall towers and projects around the DIC buildings. For your information, those buildings are not to promote IT ventures, but real real estate projects being developed to be sold to international and local investors. Do you have any assurance that the whole area will be used only for IT projects? If not, why give away such prime land at throw away price? People who live in Dubai knows the rent level and real estate price in that desert city. Our state endowed with natural beauty and original canals, unlike the artificial canals in Dubai, should fetch good price, isn’t it?
Even though Chandy talks about the "9" per cent share in the entire project, what way the state government with this stake can influence the way Smart City will be functioning? According to the Company's Law, a shareholder with nine per cent stake in a company cannot be represented in the board of directors. It is an elementary fact that the board of directors will decide various crucial factors of Smart City and the state government will not have any say in its functioning.
If he was so keen to ensure the state interest and concerned about the lakhs of educated unemployed youth in Kerala, the CM or his advisors should have ensured a seat on the board of directors to make sure that the project will generate enough employment. There is a proverb that one bird in hand is better than ten birds on the tree Kochi Infopark is already generating Rs.5 crores per year income and by donating it to a foreign partner, the CM is killing the goose that delivers golden egg.
Saudi King is Clinically Dead? Report About Saudi Succession Story
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah's visit to the United States to discuss oil matters with President George W. Bush, took place amid growing speculation back home that the bed-ridden King Fahd's condition has worsened with the monarch slipping out of conciousness, says reports quoting undisclosed sources from Saudi Arabia..The report says speculation has been rife among Riyadh's ruling elite of Fahd's clinical death but in the absence of any official announcement, such news will not have credence in the region..Sucession is a serious issue and the report by Adnkronos International goes on to speculate about the suspicious" disappearance of King Fahd from public scene Read the Full Speculative Report
K E R A L A M O N I T O R . C O M EXCLUSIVE May 10 2005 More about CentaurWhat CAG report did not say.....
Casino Group Planned Rs.100 Crores bid for Kovalam
Galfar bid was Rs.55 crores less than the Casino group's Kovalam bidding plan with KSIDC.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The dubious role of Arun Shourie and the Previous Government in the Centaur Hotel privatization deal has received national attention because the minister has allegedly acted in a hurry to help one private party closely linked to the saffron brigade. According to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India report, all the potential bidders to the Centaur hotel were systematically eliminated to favour the beneficiary company, which made a killing by immediately selling the same hotel at several fold the purchase price within six months of the deal. The buyer of the Centaur Airport Mumbai, Batra Hospitality sold the property to the Sahara India Group for Rs 115 crore (Rs 1.15 billion). Batra Hospitality had bought over the hotel, along with flats and petrol pumps for Rs 83 crore in February 2002. Within six months the value of the property has gone up by 30 crores: full report and More news
Saturday, 28th May 2005
BATELCO SCOOPS E-CONTENT AWARD - 2005
Batelco has won the E-Content Award - 2005, which was organized by The Bahrain Internet Society in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and forms part of a first-ever worldwide E-Content competition.
Batelco’s win means that the company qualifies for entry in the World Summit Award event being organized under the supervision of the UN and to be celebrated at the World Information Community Summit which will be held in Tunisia in November of this year.
The Bahrain E-Content Award competition covered eight classifications including: e-Learning, e-Business, e-Government, e-Entertainment, e-Culture, e-Health, e-Science, and e-Content. In total, there were some 150 Bahraini entries among all classifications and just 27 winners. The Judging Committee - comprising Bahraini and international experts from Holland, Hong Kong, UAE, and Lebanon - held closed meetings during late February and early March to determine the winners.
“Batelco’s website was declared the winning entry because it meets all business requirements including company information, a wide range of services and interactive facilities together with sales and auto payment facilities,” says Waheed Al Blooshi, President of the Bahrain e-Content Organising Committee and an international e-content expert. “Batelco’s website is both deserving of high praise and well-qualified to participate in the global award competition in Tunisia later this year.
“Winning this award should encourage Batelco to participate in other similar global competitions, safe in the knowledge that we can and do compete with the best in the world,” says Tony Hart, Chief Executive at Batelco.
“However - although we obviously enjoy winning awards - first and foremost, our website is there to provide information and services to our customers. It is very satisfying to know that our site is so well-received by this group of industry experts but – more critically – I am delighted that the excellence demonstrated in producing this site will have a positive impact on the diversified and advanced electronic services that we offer our customers,” continues Tony.
“What distinguishes Batelco is that the company’s victory is not confined to e-business, but extends to e-entertainment available on www.inet.com.bh, which offers games to visitors of the site,” Al Blooshi.
“We are confident in Batelco’s ability to maintain its excellence in e-content and that the company will continue to work hard to further improve so that Batelco enjoys success in Tunisia. We also hope that other Bahraini companies follow in the steps of Batelco by focusing on their Internet presence through upgrading their e-contents and presenting them in a user-friendly and convenient way”, concluded Al Blooshi.
Cisco Systems to hold real estate road show in Saudi Arabia to promote intelligent building advantage
Connected Real Estate solutions increase manageability and performance while driving down capital expenditure and operational costs
Riyadh, May 28, 2005 - Cisco Systems has announced that it will hold the Cisco Connected Real Estate (CCRE) Roadshow on May 30 and 31, 2005 in Saudi Arabia as part of its intelligent building initiative. The show will be held on May 30 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh and on May 31 at Le Meridien Hotel, Jeddah. The innovative CCRE framework converges all building management systems onto a single multi-service Internet Protocol (IP) platform, that offer not only voice, video and data connectivity, but also connects management solutions in one network. The network is considered as a utility, like gas, water or electricity.
CCRE allows building owners and operators to develop new revenue streams or business models in building management. Key tenant service offerings include high-speed Internet access, IP telephony and unified communications, wireless solutions, network and physical security, and control over tenants' office environments. Further, the building creates more productive and flexible workplaces, leveraging scaleable collaboration, mobility and remote connectivity tools, and enhances health as well as safety and security for the building's occupants. The solutions increase the value of the buildings and improve revenues for developers and leasers.
Commenting on the road show, Dr Badr Al Badr, Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Cisco Systems Middle East, said, “The idea of the roadshow is to showcase the pioneering intelligent building concept. Most buildings today are installed with multiple proprietary networks for including building management systems, and telephony and data networks. The result is complex and expensive network management issues, high installation costs and limited automation functionality. CCRE streamlines the process by using a single IP intelligent network which copes with the service needs of the building.”
CCRE is driven by two rapidly coalescing market forces – the Ethernet-based multi-function building automation systems that bring together separate applications like HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), security and access, energy, lighting, and fire and safety; and the convergence of multimedia voice, video and date services onto unitary IP-based infrastructures, bringing together various technology-specific and proprietary networks.
"Using a single IP network reduces a building's total cost of ownership owing to enhanced value per square metre. An analysis of building lifecycle tells us that the first three parts of the value chain only account for 25 per cent of the costs, and that it costs 75 per cent more to run the building for the remainder of the lifecycle,” said Dr Badr. “Moreover, the benefits of utilising building IP networks do not end with a single property, and network buildings can be linked together into a connected portfolio. As a result, building control systems across all properties can be controlled from a single place, which streamlines performance and controls an emergency and decreases costs,” he concluded.
Emirates Post gives stamp of approval for Directing Marketing 2005Postal giant committed to inaugural Middle East Conference and draws impressive support from key industry players
May 28, 2005 Emirates Post, the official postal authority of the UAE, is set to sponsor Direct Marketing 2005, the region's first dedicated conference for the direct marketing industry that will be held from June 11-15, 2005 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Dubai.
Emirates Post is one of the most dynamic and successful federal organisations in the UAE. Double-digit increases annually over the last three years saw profits surpass AED 125 million in 2004 and the 2005 projections are for another record year. The company has grown due to its aggressive business strategy to expand their portfolio of services and to enhance and upgrade its corporate services, through alliances with local regional and international organisations. Abdullah Al Daboos, Director General of Emirates Post, said, "We are committed to raising the standards of direct marketing throughout the region and events such as this are integral to our business strategy. It is through conferences of this nature that key industry figures can gather to discuss the burning issues facing the profession today. This conference marks the coming-of-age of the direct marketing industry in Middle East."
Egypt headquartered ProAct World one of the most progressive direct marketing companies in the region is another key sponsor of the event. They have an enviable portfolio of international blue chip clients such as Procter & Gamble, Johnson Wax, ExxonMobil, Gillette and Master Foods. Shehab Helmy, General Manager of ProAct World said, "We continuously update our client portfolio with cutting edge technology and the latest international industry trends. Our endorsement of Direct Marketing 2005 reflects our commitment to help develop the regional industry and strengthen our presence throughout the Middle East." “We have been overwhelmed with sponsorship requests”, stated Steven Jones Conference Director for event organisers IIR, “This level of support reaffirms industry views that the Middle East is poised for a dramatic surge in direct marketing activity and the international industry associations will be perfectly positioned to provide expert advice and opinion ” he added. Other key sponsors signed up include, international direct marketing specialists Arc Worldwide, Ogilvy One Worldwide and Air Miles as well as corporate super brands Xerox and Audi AG.
Direct Marketing 2005, which will be opened by HE Sultan Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Communications, is a comprehensive examination of international best practices, covering B2B marketing, B2C marketing, CRM, database marketing, direct mail, e-marketing, tele-services and multi-channel marketing, and will focus on the Internet and mobile phones as media with huge potential for the industry. The conference is also complemented by an exhibition that will bring together major industry players at both the regional and international levels.
International keynote addresses will be made by industry heavyweights, Paul Gostick, International Chairman of the world's largest professional body for marketing –the Chartered Institute for Marketing (CIM), Charles Prescott, Vice President International Business and Government Affairs, of the New York based Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and Alastair Tempest, Director General of the Brussels based Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA).
Panasonic appoints Seiji Koyanagi as Managing Director for Middle East region
May 28, 2005
Panasonic, the leading global manufacturer of consumer electronics and home appliances has appointed Mr. Seiji Koyanagi, as Managing Director of Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE & Panasonic Gulf FZE (Dubai, UAE). An industry veteran with extensive experience in the Middle East region, Koyanagi’s career with Panasonic spans 23 years. Koyanagi joined Matsushita Electric Japan in 1982, following which he was posted to Dubai as Representative of Matsushita Electric for four years in 1986. In 1992, he was transferred to Kuwait as Chief Representative of Matsushita Electric for a five year term. He was then appointed Manager of the Middle East Section in the Corporate Management Division for CIS, Middle East & Africa in Osaka, Japan in 1997.
Koyanagi then led Alesayi Electronics (Panasonic’s sole distributor in KSA) as COO in 2000, and was later promoted to CEO in 2003. In his new role, Koyanagi will oversee Panasonic’s operations in the GCC region, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon and Syria.
Commenting on his appointment, Koyanagi said, “I am delighted to head Panasonic’s Middle East operations as this is an exciting and competitive market. My years of experience in this multi-cultural and fast-growing region have shown me consumers here are keen to adopt the latest international trends and products and are extremely brand- and quality-conscious.”
“Panasonic, with it focus on easy-to-use ‘ideas for life’ enjoys wide popularity among the region’s customers. I look forward to strengthening the Panasonic brand by focusing on our core 3D product line, namely Digital video cameras, Lumix Digital still cameras and PDP (plasma display) televisions. These products represent the future of digital technology, and our primary goal is to ensure that Panasonic continues to maintain its leadership role in this segment,” he added. Panasonic recently announced a new regional marketing strategy for digital products with the introduction of P-MAXX, a futuristic brand mascot.
