Panasonic launches the world's first smallest
MPEG2 SD video camera in credit card size Wataniya
'Red Balloon Bonanza' Attracts H uge Crowds at Marina Mall IBM Takes "Vision to Reality"
on the Road Satellite Based Connectivity Underpins
Internet Access in Iraq IBM Integrates Instant Messaging Tools Into New Lotus
Notes and Domino, Blending Two of the Industry's Most Popular
Collaboration Solutions PWC Logistics' MicroClear
to be showcased at World Customs Organisation (WCO) IFPI delegation meets Ministry of Information officials
to discuss music piracy issues
"Lack of Venture Capitalists
in MENA region may impede growth plans for IT sector" say
industry experts
Injazat Technology Fund chalks out aggressive growth plans
for businesses in the region
October 8, 2003
The MENA economy may be growing by leaps and
bounds, but the lack of Venture Capitalists (VCs) dedicated to
boosting the region's local business community, especially in
the emerging IT sector, is alarming, claim industry experts.
Venture Capitalists, the backbone of trade and commerce in most
developed economies are conspicuous by their absence in the MENA
region, leading experts to believe that this will impede growth
in the IT sector. Injazat Technology Fund intends to fill this
gap through an aggressive campaign to partner local business
houses, in their growth and expansion plans.
"The venture capital market is still
in its infancy in the MENA region. In contrast with western economies,
where established companies have a wide choice of VCs to fund
their growth plans, the MENA region is severely lacking in VC
infrastructure. Local IT companies find themselves relying on
banking institutions to back their ventures, which are regulated
by severe conditions and guarantees, and complex decision-making
processes, which may not suit the dynamic nature of the digital
industry," stated Hussein Rifai, leading financial expert
and Chief Executive Officer, Injazat Technology Fund.
"This problem is compounded by local
business themselves, who are reluctant to adapt from the family-owned
system to an external professionally managed system. For companies
looking at entry or expansion in the international markets, this
could spell doom. According to the 2002 Global Investor Opinion
Survey recently released by McKinsey and Company, nearly 63%
of investors have cited corporate governance as a key factor
while making investment decisions. Thus, the negligible presence
of VCs in the region will work against the government's drive
to attract international investors", added Rifai.
Injazat Technology Fund is currently working
with leading local entrepreneurs to create examples of how VCs
can enhance a company's operations and profitability. By building
a convergence between venture capital and Islamic finance, that
is, getting a return on the money invested by taking a stake
in the business, Injazat intends to leverage the MENA region's
growth plans. Injazat is one of the few VCs to provide a financing
model based on Islamic (Shari'a) principles, which blend profit
motive with social responsibility and commitment to regional
development.
Venture capital brings several benefits to
enterprises. It gives top priority to best practices in corporate
governance and makes it mandatory for companies to abide by them,
thus engendering strong corporate discipline. VCs also add value
through strategic planning, an area that is often neglected by
business heads who are preoccupied with the day-to-day running
of the company's operations as they have a knack for focusing
on strategic long-term planning, once the normal operations are
on a smooth track as they are experts at spotting and exploring
new growth opportunities.
"Most entrepreneurs are unsure of how
to capitalize on their hard work. Venture capitalists, on the
other hand, are always on the lookout for ways to merge, acquire
or be acquired, to ensure return on investment," Rifai said.
"We provide exceptional value for new entrepreneurs by working
with them on timely exit strategies, guided by the need to provide
optimum returns to the investors. This forms a crucial component
of the long-term corporate planning of a company. Paying scant
attention to exit planning can often lead to missed opportunities
like mergers or acquisitions".
"The MENA region needs a thriving VC
market, managed by experienced professionals with insight into
the local market," added Rifai. "Such expertise can
provide the much needed vital support to the emerging IT industry
in the region".
Injazat Technology Fund has recently announced
an open invitation to entrepreneurs in the region to present
their business plans for consultation and funding of selected
candidates. Technology Companies interested in participating
can submit their business plans on www.injazatfund.com for screening
by Injazat's in-house experts. Selected applicants will be asked
to deliver a twenty-minute presentation, on October 18, 2003,
during Gitex Dubai 2003, at the Fairmont Hotel. Injazat's expert
panel comprising financial advisors and successful businesspersons
will deliver feedback and select promising candidates for funding
their growth and expansion plans.
Wataniya Telecom Consortium
AwardedIraq Northern Region GSM License
Kuwait City, October 7, 2003 - Asia-Cell,
a consortium of Kuwait's Wataniya
Telecom (40%), Asia-Cell Telecom (51%) and United Gulf Bank of
Bahrain (9%) has been awarded the tender for the GSM license
in northern Iraq. The announcement was made at a press conference
in Baghdad by Iraqi Minister of Communications Haider Al-Abadi.
Winning the Iraq license is a major step for
Wataniya Telecom, part of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), in
its strategy to expand and develop its regional presence. Wataniya
Telecom has a proven track record of quickly of deploying GSM
networks and providing affordable mobile services. In addition
to its operation in Kuwait, Wataniya Telecom owns 50% and jointly
manages Tunisiana, the second mobile operator in Tunisia.
United Gulf Bank (UGB), KIPCO's investment
banking arm and subsidiary, is acting as sole financial advisor
to the Asia-Cell consortium, which now plans to rapidly develop
its GSM network in northern Iraq, where it already caters to
around 50,000 subscribers.
Faisal Al-Ayyar, KIPCO managing director and
CEO, and chairman of Wataniya Telecom said: "We are honored
to have been chosen by the Iraqi Ministry of Communications and
the Coalition Provisional Authority, which allows us the opportunity
to participate in the reconstruction and development of Iraq."
Asia-Cell is based in Iraq's Sulaymaniya city,
where it currently operates a GSM network. Asia-Cell provides
voice, SMS and voice-mail services, and also has an international
gateway.
"Winning the license in the northern
region reflects the Iraqi authorities' trust in our capabilities
as an operator," said Faruk Mustafa Rasool, Asia-Cell chairman.
"We intend to work relentlessly to provide affordable mobile
services as quickly as possible to allow our people to talk freely
in Iraq and to the rest of the world."
The Asia-Cell network deployment programme
will commence immediately after signing of the license. Within
two months, the existing Asia-Cell network is planned to expand
to provide coverage to other areas in the northern region.
UGB has total assets of some US$950 million
supported shareholders' funds of more than US$230 million. Its
main subsidiaries are Tunis International Bank, Tunisiana, KIPCO
Asset Management Company of Kuwait, and Algeria Gulf Bank (under
formation). UGB also has equity interests of 44% in Jordan Kuwait
Bank, 34% in the United Real Estate Company of Kuwait, and 49%
in United Industries Company of Kuwait. Its activities include
private equity and fund investments, quoted equities, asset management,
corporate finance, real estate, treasury and selective commercial
banking services.
KIPCO, with assets of more than US$10 billion
under management or control, is one of the leading diversified
holding companies in the Middle East and North Africa, and a
major regional force in financial services and media & technology,
with further interests in real estate and finance. The largest
private sector company in Kuwait, KIPCO employs more than 10,000
people internationally. Its shares are publicly traded on the
Kuwait Stock Exchange.
Panasonic to showcase world's lightest rugged
laptop with integrated DVD-ROM/CD-RW Drive at GITEX Dubai 2003
Toughbook CF-W2 features ultra-thin design,
amazing processing power, wireless connectivity and energy efficiency
October 7, 2003 Toughbook CF-W2, the world's
lightest industrial-grade rugged computer with internal DVD-ROM/CD-RW
combo drive and up to seven hours of battery runtime, is one
of Panasonic's showcase products at GITEX Dubai 2003.
With its ultra-slim design hiding some amazing
features, Toughbook CF-W2 comes with full magnesium alloy case
and offers unparalleled processing power, wireless connectivity
and drive and energy efficiency of Intel's advanced Centrino
mobility platform. The Toughbook CF-W2 is the only laptop in
the ultra-lightweight category to have an internal multi-media
drive.
"The Toughbook CF-W2 packs advanced features
usually associated with full-size notebooks," said Shigeru
Uno, General Manager, System Products, Panasonic Marketing Middle
East FZE. "It is a real one-stop portable computer solution
that convey Panasonic's commitment to offer the highest attainable
levels of performance, technological innovation and durability
in portable computers. The Toughbook series is our answer to
the need for rugged laptops that are not easily damaged. These
machine are ideals for application by professionals like engineers
involved in construction and airline pilots".
Toughbook CF-W2 is highly portable because
it weighs just 1,300 gms. With a thickness of just 1.6 inches,
the CF-W2 is the world's thinnest industrial-grade rugged computer.
It has a shock-mounted HDD. It is powered by ultra low voltage
Pentium M processor 900MHz, and has a 256MB SDRAM expandable
to 512MB.
"One of the elements that makes the Toughbook
CF-W2 lightweight is the revolutionary thin-glass display technology
which makes the display panel 25 per cent lighter than the conventional
ones," added Uno. "The 12.1-inch low-power, high output
active-matrix LCD panel offers amazing clarity and less drain
on battery. The seven-hour runtime is outstanding among portable
notebooks in this class. Finally, the integrated multimedia drives
make the CF-W2 an amazing portable machine designed for the rough
use in most demanding conditions".
Panasonic will be participating in Dubai Gitex
2003, along with its UAE sole distributor Panatech Engineering
and Oman National Electronics, part of the Al Futtaim Group.
Dubai-Aptec Gulf introduces
a new Components Division to cater to the fast-growing PC assembly
market in the Middle East and Africa.
New business unit offering IT components from reputed manufacturers
will be launched at GITEX Dubai 2003
October 6, 2003 Aptec Gulf, the Middle East's
biggest and fastest-growing IT distributor, is launching a dedicated
IT components business unit under the name of Aptec Components
to cater the growing market for PC assembly in the region. The
new unit will be launched at GITEX Dubai 2003 as a separate "Components
Zone" within the Aptec stand. A separate brand identity
with a new logo is being created for the new business unit.
The new division of Aptec Gulf, Aptec Components
will be a one-stop-shop for sourcing IT components from reliable
manufacturers, backed by strong logistical support and efficient
after-sales service, hosted by Aptec's region-wide network that
covers the entire Middle East, Africa and Turkey. The complete
product range includes motherboards, hard disc drives, processors,
monitors, video cards, memory cases and other components. The
unit will also offer unbranded products such as displays and
monitors, which could be produced with the customer's desired
logo.
"We observed a strong demand for IT components
through our extensive customer base and received requests from
various component manufactures to work with us. This has driven
us to launch a dedicated new Components Division to capture opportunities
in the regional PC assembly markets. Our new components initiative
will be managed by Mario M. Veljovic," said Bahaa Salah,
General Manager of Aptec Gulf.
Mario Veljovic joined Aptec in September 2003,
as Business Unit Manager - Components, and will manage the new
components Division. Veljovic worked for Actebis in Germany in
different European positions for more than 5 years and was responsible
in his last position for Actebis' European Central Buying Organization.
He has extensive experience in components distribution. "The
Middle East offers a huge market potential for the IT components
business, and Aptec Components has designed a clear-cut strategy
to make a significant impact on the regional market," said
Veljovic.
The demand for PC assembly can be gauged from
the sales of hard drives, considered the barometer of components
growth. According to IDC almost 4 million hard drives are sold
per year in the region, 50 per cent of them in the UAE. Aptec
Components has been set up to address the needs in three specialist
categories: Storage, Components and Graphics & Display. A
Regional Product Group Manager will run each division.
"Aptec Components will bring to the PC
assembly market a sense of credibility, reliability and, in keeping
with our promise to our customers, value added benefits with
our Return Material Authorization (RMA) facility. We will build
alliances with the industry's most respected components manufacturers,
thereby guaranteeing high standards and a wide choice of components
from reliable producers," said Veljovic.
"PC assemblers and system integrators
will benefit from our individual approach that will enable them
to pick and choose components to suit their specific requirements.
We have realized that customers are becoming increasingly IT-savvy
and demanding. With our large inventory, we will be in a strong
position to provide high levels of service and comfort to the
customers," Veljovic added. "Our vision is to provide
PC assemblers and system builders, in the whole Middle East,
Turkey and Africa region with a one-stop-shop for a complete
range of IT components," stated Veljovic.
"Aptec Components will also help eliminate
the customers' fears regarding faulty PC Components. We have
addressed this issue through the RMA facility which gives customers
assurance that faulty components will be replaced rapidly, our
distribution partners are aware of this special need and are
supporting us" said Veljovic.
In addition to a small buffer stock available
in each country, Aptec Components will benefit from its significant
logistics center in the region covering 25,000 square feet at
Jebel Ali Free Zone, to ensure easy availability of components
and quick delivery across the region through a wide network unrivalled
by any other IT distributor. Among the key target markets of
Aptec Components are the burgeoning Iraqi market as well as the
growing markets of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Turkey, which have
recorded a high demand for PC assembly. -keralamonitor.com 
Wataniya 'Red
Balloon Bonanza' Attracts Huge Crowds at Marina Mall
Demand for natural gas expected
to rise faster than for other fossil fuels in the Middle East
Canon first with PictBridge - Connect any
brand of digital camera directly for instant prints
Dubai, UAE - 5 October 2003 - Canon, leader in photographic and
imaging technology, is the first company to release a range of
products supporting the new vendor-independent PictBridge standard.
PictBridge allows digital cameras, camcorders and other image
capture devices to connect and print directly to photo printers
and other output devices - the simplest method of obtaining a
print from a digital camera. No PC is required and where both
devices bear the PictBridge logo, inter-brand connectivity is
now a reality.
"With no need for a PC and support for
inter-brand connectivity, PictBridge ultimately means more choice
for the consumer," explains Gordon Jones, President of Canon
Middle East. "The Middle East market has been remarkably
fast to adopt digital technologies - our sales of digital cameras
have been growing by 100% or more per year in many countries
in the region, and shows no sign of stopping. By embracing this
new open standard and bringing PictBridge compliant products
to market quickly, we can ensure that customers here have more
choice, and can print images more easily and have more fun with
their cameras. PictBridge will play an important role in broadening
and growing the digital photography market."
The PictBridge standard was officially announced
by CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association) in February
2003. With its breadth of product range, Canon is well positioned
to show strong leadership in support for the CIPA initiative.
Canon now has PictBridge compliant digital SLR, digital compact
camera, digital camcorder and photo-printer products.
Direct photo printing without a PC -The PictBridge
standard is independent of the physical connection and communication
protocol. This has allowed vendors such as Canon to employ existing
industry standard connections such as USB, which are widely used
on cameras and printers. Once connected, photo selections and
print instructions can be made from the camera's LCD and control
buttons. Products newly released by Canon that support PictBridge
include the EOS 300D digital SLR camera, the PowerShot A80 digital
still compact camera, the Card Photo Printers CP200 and CP300,
the MVX3i, MVX10i and MV6iMC camcorders, and the Bubble Jet i560
photo printer.
Functionality -To attain PictBridge certification, products must
be capable of basic mandatory functions such as image selection,
although the standard supports more sophisticated functions such
as cropping, multiple prints, print paper size selection and
printing with date stamp. Once connected, the PictBridge communication
establishes which features are supported by both devices and
the user is presented with these options only.
PictBridge supports vendor-to-vendor specific
extensions of the standard. Where a camera of one brand is connected
to a printer of the same brand, both devices are able to communicate
in order to take advantage of vendor specific features. With
Canon this may include features such as Vivid Photo and Photo
Noise Reduction.
Firmware upgrades for existing Canon devices-Plans are in place
to provide firmware upgrades for recently released Canon products,
in order to give them PictBridge compatibility. These will be
provided via an internet download and will be released for the
PowerShot A300, PowerShot A60, PowerShot A70, PowerShot S50 and
the PowerShot G5 as well as for the Digital IXUS II, Digital
IXUS 400 and the EOS 10D.
Backward compatibility for Canon products
-Directly connecting a camera and a printer is not a new concept
for Canon, which had already developed its own 'Bubble Jet Direct'
and 'Direct Print' standards long before PictBridge was ratified.
To reward the loyalty of existing Canon customers, the new range
of PictBridge compatible products also supports these Canon proprietary
standards. -keralamonitor.com
Middle East IT
IBM Takes "Vision
to Reality" on the Road
Satellite Based Connectivity
Underpins Internet Access in Iraq
Regional BGAN evolves as the fellow
traveller on in-bound regional and international business community
in Iraq
Dubai, UAE - 6th October 2003
Regional BGAN, an Inmarsat service that delivers fast access
to the Internet via satellite through a mobile satellite modem,
is underpinning the data connectivity needs of businesses coming
in and out of Iraq, said GloCall, an Inmarsat distribution partner,
and a division of France Telecom.
The company's commercial director, Danny Wassenar,
said that Regional BGAN is becoming the fellow traveler of Arab
and foreign businesses traveling in and out of the country. "In
the last few months, our sales of Regional BGAN satellite modems
has more then doubled on the construction, oil and gas and NGO
sectors among other sectors. While it is a challenge to pin down
individual users once the sale is done, we can confirm the continuous
and heavy use of the Regional BGAN terminals through our sales
and data traffic and billing processes."
Wassenar explains that individual travellers,
whether part of large organizations or representing their own
enterprises, coming in and out of Iraq in search of business
opportunities, or establishing a long term base for their operations,
find in Regional BGAN a safe investment. "Internet connectivity
in Iraq is in its nascent stages, with
obstacles such as low landline penetration and poor international
bandwidth availability hindering increased connectivity. Inmarsat's
Regional BGAN is currently offering the only satellite broadband
service in the country. The service has been very popular due
to its flexibility in mobility, and high speed, on-demand connectivity."
Wassenar explains that the Regional BGAN satellite modem is small
enough to fit in a laptop bag, easy to set up and use, and using
a shared channel delivers up to 144 kb/s anywhere in 99 countries
across the Middle East, Europe, Northern and Central Africa,
the Indian Subcontinent, and most of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS).
Iraq currently lacks much of the telecom infrastructure
that would permit many of these businesses to conduct their vital
telecommunication needs in the country. Wassenar explains: "The
current telecommunication bid would probably solve the voice
communication needs in some parts of the country. However, fast
Internet access will not be available for the foreseeable future
and Regional BGAN is filling that gap."
Inmarsat Regional Broadband Global Area Network
(Regional BGAN), launched in December 2002, is fully compatible
with GPRS networks and features a 144kbit/s secure shared channel
based on IP protocol. Its lightweight and compact terminal enables
enterprises to connect to the Internet, their corporate LANs
and WANs or simply to send emails from anywhere within the coverage
area of up to 99 countries in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Eastern
Europe and the Subcontinent.
GloCall is completely dedicated to the provisioning
of mobile communication solutions via satellite. With our skilled
and enthusiastic team, we enable our customers to communicate
(for example phone, fax, e-mail, crewcalling) from virtually
any place on earth. Via GloCall you can stay in touch with your
family and business partners, no matter where you are on our
planet, against minimum costs. -keralamonitor.com
IBM Integrates
Instant Messaging Tools Into New Lotus Notes and Domino, Blending
Two of the Industry's Most Popular Collaboration Solutions
New Features in Lotus Notes and Domino 6.5 Help Increase User
Productivity and Manage Costs; Collaboration Tools to Be Provided
at No Additional Charge
Dubai, UAE - October 6, 2003 -- IBM Corporation
today announced the Middle East availability of IBM Lotus Notes
and Domino 6.5, one of the industry's leading messaging and collaboration
platforms. The latest version of Lotus Notes and Domino integrates
IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing functionality,
giving users on- line "awareness" capabilities and
the ability to initiate instant messaging (IM) sessions directly
from their in-box or from within a collaborative application.
While both Lotus Notes and Domino and Lotus Instant Messaging
and Web Conferencing can be purchased separately, IBM also announced
a limited-time promotion for Notes and Domino 6.5 customers.
"In today's corporate environment, businesses want their
messaging solution to go beyond just e-mail - they want their
messaging solution to be part of a larger collaborative platform.
Many Middle East organisations are just getting used to email
- with this new functionality, they can now build true real-time
collaboration into their organisation's culture," said Bashar
Kilani, IBM Software Group Manager Middle East, Egypt and Pakistan.
"Lotus Notes and Domino 6.5 will continue to give customers
the security features and performance they have come to expect
from IBM, while also providing an exciting entrée to the
Lotus Workplace platform and its business benefits."
IBM has designed the new version of Lotus
Notes and Domino with integrated IM capabilities to help end-users
manage the increasing volume of electronic information and the
increased speed of business. By blending one of the industry's
leading messaging and collaboration platforms with one of the
industry's leading corporate IM solutions, IBM has created a
collaborative solution designed to help maintain employee productivity
and help companies more quickly respond to the needs of their
customers and market opportunities.
In addition to new collaborative features
and functions, IBM is continuing to expand support for open standards
as a way to manage the costs associated with messaging and collaboration
technology. Expanded support for Linux, including Domino Web
Access and Domino for Linux on IBM zSeries eServer, gives Lotus
Notes and Domino customers additional flexibility and helps drive
down the total cost of ownership. IBM's support for Linux demonstrates
a complete end-to-end vision for collaboration on Linux, and
extends to both client-side and server-side software. The end-to-end
portfolio gives our customers a broad choice of rich-featured
Linux-based solutions for their business needs.
Lotus Notes 6.5 is the first release of Lotus Notes to embrace
IBM's new Lotus Workplace strategy for integrating people with
business processes. The Lotus Notes 6.5 interface provides a
unified entry point into various collaborative applications and
capabilities. Users can access collaborative tools such as messaging,
instant messaging, search and calendaring & scheduling, along
with other applications and capabilities right from the Lotus
Notes 6.5 client, rather than as separate applications. The Lotus
Workplace vision is to help combine employee productivity seamlessly
with business processes, and to serve as the "front end"
of IBM's On Demand strategy by arming customers with the collaborative
tools they need to help react to market opportunities, customer
demands and competitive threats. Lotus Notes and Domino will
be an integral part of the Lotus Workplace strategy going forward.
For more information on the Lotus Notes and Domino 6.5 product
family, please visit www.ibm.com/lotus/messaging.
PWC Logistics'
MicroClear to be showcased at World Customs Organisation (WCO)
Significant presence at IT Symposium
second year in succession, Global governments express avid interest
Dubai, UAE - PWC Logistics' innovative solution for government
customs modernisation, MicroClear, will be one of the chief attractions
at the forthcoming IT in Africa Symposium 2003, to be held in
the Republic of South Africa from 8 to 10 October, 2003. Chairman
and Managing Director, Tarek Sultan, has been invited to deliver
the principal speech at the event, and the company will also
host several governmental workshops at the event.
"It is a commendable honour for PWC to
have been invited by the WCO to feature MicroClear at their prestigious
annual symposium, for the second year in succession," stated
Mohammed Ghassan Farra, Chief Information Officer, PWC Group.
"When the PWC Group developed MicroClear
in partnership with Microsoft Consulting Services, it was in
answer to the inherent need for an end-to-end, robust and globally
applicable trade modernisation plan," Farra explained. "Since
then, MicroClear has assisted various countries in modernising,
re-engineering, and energising their respective legacy customs
clearances and associated trade processes, and our efforts are
now accredited and supported by the highest governing body in
the world."
He also elaborated on why MicroClear will
be the chief attraction at the WCO symposium: "Customs revenue
collection represents a substantial component of any government's
entire revenue base and is often, the major contributor to national
budgets and economic development. It is deemed necessary therefore,
to modernise customs operations to the maximum in order to benefit
from the latest technology solutions available. MicroClear is
the first and only IT solution of its kind, and offers a web-based
'out of the box' customs solution with intelligent risk management
for advanced decision making, tracking non-compliance and enhancing
revenue collection.
"The flexible architecture of the system
allows ease of customisation, integration, and process integrity,
and MicroClear can also be tailored to accommodate different
organisational patterns and differing national customs administrations
requirements, while maintaining uniformity and compliance to
common international standards. This facilitates communication
and data interchange among various customs organisations around
the world," Farra added.
As a mark of honour, PWC Chairman and Managing Director, Tarek
Sultan has been invited to address the symposium on implementing
and applying IT based solutions at governmental level, with primary
focus on African countries. He will speak immediately after Michel
Danet, Director General of the WCO, and his address will be followed
by workshops for various government delegations and trace bodies
representing the African States, and the rest of the world.
PWC's MicroClear is the world's leading customs modernisation
platform, offering tremendous benefits to all concerned stakeholders,
including but not limited to short implementation periods, flexible
configurable workflows, risk management and business intelligence
capabilities, unlimited scalability, as well as tremendous value
and total cost of ownership benefits. MicroClear benefits from
numerous patented and patent-pending technologies and business
methods, and was previously featured at the WCO's 2002 IT Symposium
in Brussels, Belgium. According to Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft:
"...PWC is offering a unique Ports and Customs solution
based on Microsoft technologies, employing state of the art Decision
Support Systems functionality that will have a clear and immediate
impact on any government's revenue stream upon deployment…."-keralamonitor.com
IFPI delegation
meets Ministry of Information officials to discuss music piracy
issues
Delegation lauds UAE's efforts to combat
music piracy, calls for more intensified campaign against violators
DUBAI -October 06, 2003 His Excellency Mr.
Sakhr Gobash, Undersecretary, Ministry of Information & Culture,
received a delegation from the International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents 1,500 record producers
in 76 countries, today, (Monday, October 6, 2003), in Abu Dhabi.
The delegation discussed the importance of implementing strong
measures to protect Intellectual property rights (IPR) in the
music industry in the Middle East.
The delegation consisted of representatives
from leading international and regional music companies, including
BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal, Warner, Founoon, Rotana and MegaStar.
The delegation was led by Trevor Pearcy, Director of Planning
and Administration at the IFPI Secretariat headquarters, and
accompanied by Mr. Joe Papovich, Senior Vice-President International
of the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA). Members
of the delegation briefed the officials on new developments in
music piracy in the region and the benefits that are derived
from supporting national recording initiatives. There was a consensus
of appreciation for the UAE's efforts in fighting piracy.
Reiterating the UAE's stand on piracy, His
Excellency, Mr. Sakhr Gobash, said: "Protecting intellectual
property rights is a high priority area for us in the UAE, because
we believe it is the foundation of all civilized societies and
the right incentive to the advancement of talent and creativity.
We have been using the Copyright Law to penalise violators and
have succeeded in bringing down piracy levels considerably over
the past few years. Music piracy is an area of concern to us,
and we would be happy to work together with bodies like the IFPI
to introduce measures that will lead to an improved music industry
in the region".
"The drive to promote protection of intellectual
property rights in the region was further emphasized by H.H.
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Information,
who has urged concerned parties to increase awareness of this
issue and to work towards protection of intellectual property
rights in all fields, be it software, music recording or the
rest of the entertainment industry. H.H also emphasized the importance
of increased training to officials responsible for implementation
of IPR", added Gobash.
"The IFPI is impressed with the achievements
of the UAE in reducing music piracy, producing a remarkable accomplishment
which we would like to promote as a model to the rest of the
region. We would like to express our appreciation of the steps
taken by the UAE authorities to protect the intellectual property
rights of regional and international music companies," said
Frederic Giaccardo, Chairman of IFPI's MENA regional board.
"The purpose of this meeting is to initiate
a dialogue with the government so that music producers can collaborate
with top officials to introduce new measures for a persistent
battle against music piracy," added Adrian Cheesley, Managing
Director, EMI Middle East.
The IFPI meeting with the Ministry of Information
officials comes on the eve of a regional committee board meeting
of IFPI in Dubai, which will bring together all the parties involved
with the region's music industry. According to IFPI, piracy has
become a serious problem in the Middle East region, mainly due
to poor anti-piracy enforcement. Senior officers of RIAA and
IFPI will actively participate in this initiative.
"We are delighted by the response from
the UAE authorities and their proactive approach towards curbing
piracy levels, " said Shuckri Bundakji, President of BMG
MENA. "The authorities appreciated our concerns regarding
music piracy in the Middle East and North Africa region and assured
us that the UAE would extend its full cooperation in order to
restrict illegal use of copyrights. The Ministry of Information
and Culture shared our standpoint that a piracy-free recording
industry will mean higher value future employment, better quality
products for the end-user and a boost to the economy".-keralamonitor.com
IFPI meeting to assemble international
and regional music industry leaders in Dubai
Regional Board meeting
to focus on formulating anti-piracy strategies for the region
where music piracy is widespread
October 05, 2003 The International Federation
of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which represents 1,500 record
producers in 76 countries, will be holding its Regional Committee
Board meeting in Dubai on October 7, to formulate anti-piracy
strategies and awareness campaigns in the Middle East and North
Africa region. The meeting will be hosted by Dubai's Technology,
E-Commerce & Media Free Zone (TECOM).
Top representatives from leading international
and regional music companies will be attending the meeting. The
international companies represented at the meeting will include
BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner, while the regional music
firms will include Founoon, Rotana and MegaStar. Senior officers
of the Recording Association of America (RIAA) and IFPI will
actively participate in this initiative.
The meeting carries high significance due
to the presence of top executives from the five international
companies which represent over 70 per cent of the US$ 38 billion
music market, and the three regional companies which represent
more than 85 per cent of the Arabic music industry in the MENA
region.
"The rising incidence of music piracy
in some countries of the MENA region is of major concern to music
companies. The time has come for these music companies to lobby
for support at the government level and within the community
to combat music piracy," said Frederic Giaccardo, MENA committee
Chairman, IFPI. "The IFPI's regional meeting promises to
produce some concrete proposals that will create a program for
fighting piracy across the region and to regulate the impending
threat of illegal use of Internet technology."
"IFPI has been actively combating music
piracy in various countries, and has lobbied for anti-piracy
legislations in some countries, in addition to working with local
authorities to take action against music pirates," said
Trevor Pearcy, Director of Planning and Administration at the
IFPI Secretariat headquarters. Regional music companies participating
at this meeting produce and distribute over 85 per cent of all
sound recording by Arab artists. Piracy has become a significant
problem to these local companies in the Middle East region, mainly
due to poor anti-piracy enforcement.
"The trade in pirated music is a worldwide
problem that is depriving the music industry of billions of dollars
in lost revenues," added Shuckri Bundakji, President of
BMG MENA. "In the Middle East, rampant piracy impedes social
and financial development and foreign investment in local talent.
Use of pirated music deprives consumers of high quality recordings
and Arabic musicians and recording companies with the incentive
to develop and market their local productions on a local and
global scale. The result is simply a loss for national economies.
Alternatively, a well regulated music industry brings benefits
to all, generating employment and contributing to the economy."
"The regional meeting of IFPI will serve
to chalk out focused strategies for the region, keeping in mind
the ground realities in each country," said Giaccardo. "We
are confident it will represent a major development in IFPI's
efforts to spread awareness about copyright laws and build stronger
relationships with the region's government and enforcement bodies
to safeguard the rights of music companies."
The UAE is among the few countries in the
region where music piracy is relatively low, at under 10 per
cent. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, however, have seriously high levels
of piracy. In Lebanon, piracy is nearly 70 per cent, followed
by Egypt at 50 per cent. -keralamonitor.com
Panasonic
launches the world's first smallest MPEG2 SD video camera in
credit card size
SD Memory card-based D-snap
SV-AV100 and SV-AS10 to be unveiled at GITEX 2003
October 5, 2003
Panasonic, the leading global manufacturer
of consumer electronics, telecommunication products and office
solutions, will be displaying its latest range in the D-snap
series including the SV-AV100, the world's smallest MPEG2 SD
video camera and the SV-AS10, the world's slimmest digital camera
with built-in LCD Monitor, at Gitex Dubai 2003. Using SD memory
cards as a storage media, the D-snap series is a line of advanced
mobile AV products that offers a new lifestyle concept under
the slogan ' Snap-View-Fun'.
"The D-snap series, based on SD memory
card has received overwhelming response in the Middle East market.
Witnessed with the launch of SV-AV20 where the products were
sold out from all the outlets in a matter of days following the
promotion of D-snap in Tomb Raider 2 movie. We expect this concept
of D-snap series of product to become a popular hit among our
younger target audience", said Atsushi Hinoki, General Manager,
Advertising & PR, Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE.
The SD Memory Card is a revolutionary storage
medium that is transforming the world of consumer electronics.
Offering ultra-portability, high-speed data transmission, and
huge storage capacity, the SD Memory Card enables consumers to
put their favourite music, motion video, digital photos and other
data onto a tiny card and take their digital files virtually
anywhere. Panasonic has recently introduced a wide range of sleek,
trendy SD-enabled products, as part of the D-snap series, that
include digital still cameras, digital camcorders, voice-recorders
and music players that are stylish and easy to use.
"We have further enhanced the functionality
of the SD memory cards by developing a 1GB card that boasts of
a transfer rate of 20 MB per second, twice as fast as the current
SD cards", added Hinoki. Panasonic intends to extend the
use of the postage stamp-sized SD card by introducing compact,
fashionable and mobile AV products that further appeal to the
younger generation"
The SV-AV100 is currently the world's smallest
and lightest video camera and the first of it's kind to enable
recording in MPEG2 format, using SD Memory Cards. This ultra-compact
'credit-card size' video camera can be switched between MPEG2,
which is the same format as DVD Video format and MPEG4 for video
email. The camera is fitted with an optical 10x zoom with high-quality
lens technology to deliver high picture quality.
The video camera's 2.5 inch free-angle LCD
monitor can be swivelled for comfortable playback viewing to
facilitate shooting from a variety of angles including taking
self-shots. It can record still JPEG pictures and has a handy
feature for casual 'memo-style' snapshots. The SV-AV100 can also
be connected to a TV for large-screen viewing enjoyment of video
recordings and offers playlist playback, thumbnail display editing
capability and accidental overwrite protection. *
"Panasonic's new product range is aimed
at the fashion-conscious youth-centred market, by providing a
new style of communication based on convenient, casual enjoyment
of images and music. We have recently introduced the world's
slimmest, Multi Camera device, the SV-AS10 that also functions
as a Motion JPEG video camera, music player and voice recorder.
Its slim 9.9mm body can easily into a pocket for everyday-anywhere-any-time
snapshot convenience. The AS10 enables also users to shoot Motion
JPEG video with sound, making its ideal for capturing live sports
matches and events" added Hinoki.
The AS10 offers user-friendly and fun to-use
features like the Jog Ball that makes finding and displaying
photos easy and effortless. At the touch of a button, the image
can be turned 180 degrees so a person facing the camera can see
it, and the lens can be turned to take photos of oneself with
friends. The jog ball can also magnify a selected portion of
playback using the Target zoom function.
Proving its high flexibility, the AS10 enables
users to convert pictures to black and white or sepia tone, without
a PC. Images can be stored on DVD or Hard disk, without the use
of a cable. The camera can also be used to capture night landscapes,
by using the night mode and built-in flash.
As a music player, it handles Windows Media
Player (WMA), MP3 and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) music data
formats and offers long continuous playback capability of up
to about 10 hours using the supplied battery. The multi-camera
also has built-in speakers and stereo earphones with remote control,
which enables users to operate the camera shutter and music playback
by remote control.
The AS10's SD-Jukebox version 4.0 software,
enables users to transfer music from a CD or from Internet downloads,
by using a PC. Also included is the SD Viewer version 2.1 software
for convenient management of images on memory cards. The multi-camera
also has a voice function for voice recordings. Panasonic will
be participating in Dubai Gitex 2003, along with its UAE sole
distributor Panatech Engineering and Oman National Electronics,
part of the Al Futtaim Group. * Except MPEG4 Video -keralamonitor.com
