EPSON distributors honored at 'EPSON Gala 2003 Awards' night
October 22, 2003
EPSON distributors honored at 'EPSON Gala 2003 Awards' night
October 22, 2003
DUBAI -EPSON, the global manufacturer of award-winning, high quality digital imaging products, presented appreciation awards to its Middle East distributors at the 'EPSON Gala 2003 Awards' held on the sidelines of GITEX Dubai 2003.
The awards were presented by Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, EPSON Middle East, in the presence of Michael Hunt, Director of EPSON International, and Jean Marie Lacroix, Director EMEA, EPSON, at a gala function held at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.
"EPSON has registered a significant rise in sales as a result of its intensified marketing strategies in the Middle East. The introduction of industry-leading digital imaging solutions at cost-effective prices has enabled EPSON to make significant gains in the region ," said Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, EPSON Middle East. "We would like to strengthen our distributor network by motivating our partners to perform better, ahead of a further dramatic growth expected in this region."
"We are delighted to recognise the important role played by our partners who have provided us excellent support and introduced EPSON products to customers. The objective of EPSON Gala Awards is to highlight the role played by our distributors. We are proud to spotlight some of them at tonight's awards ceremony, and hope this would motivate them further to recommend EPSON products," El-Dalu added.
The awards were presented to the regional distributors in various categories. The EPSON Outstanding Achievement Awards 2003 were given to: Computer Arabia Qatar for Excellence in Computer Mix; SMB Computers UAE for Excellence in Product Management; Iran Office Machines Co. Iran for Excellence in Product Marketing; Almoe Trading UAE for Best Introduction of New Products; Saudisoft Co. KSA for Corporate Sales - Color Lasers; Business International Bahrain for Team EPSON Partner of the Year 2003; Al Yousuf Distribution UAE for Corporate Sales - Business Inkjets; Hamsho International Tech. Co. Syria for Corporate Sales - Mono Lasers; Enicas Est. KSA for Corporate Sales - Projectors; Despec Mera UAE for Excellence in supplies Sales; Jumbo Electronics UAE for Excellence Presence in Retail. -KERALAMONITOR.COM
e-Learning
Element K partners with Microsoft to deliver official Microsoft Learning Products
The global e-learning innovator has become Microsoft's first Content and Service Provider
October 22, 2003
DUBAI - Element K, the leading global e-learning provider, has formed a strategic alliance with Microsoft Corporation. The partnership designates Element K as Microsoft's first Content and Service Provider, responsible for customizing and selling Official Microsoft Learning Products to Microsoft Certified Technical Education Centers (CTECs), Microsoft IT Academies and Microsoft Certified Partners. The agreement has major significance for the Middle East, as Element K is already involved in various projects to provide its acclaimed online learning IT courses in the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia, and is working with other government bodies to expand operations to the whole region.
The new partnership also allows Element K to provide training centers, corporations, governments and educational institutions with courseware and e-learning, based on authorized Microsoft content. This will enable Element K to add its instructional design and interactive media, to the pre-eminent technology provider's content.
"Improving the learning experience for our partners and customers is our first priority," said Lutz Ziob, General Manager of Microsoft Learning. "We selected Element K to help us provide our Microsoft CTECs and channel partners with the expertise and additional value-add services needed to deliver the different kinds of products and services their customers demand. Working with Element K will allow our training channel partners to focus on what matters most - customer relationship."
"Microsoft understands the value of learning and how it can optimize the adoption and use of their products as well as extend satisfaction among their customers. We are very excited to have formed this new partnership and look forward to broadening and deepening our relationship with Microsoft, its customers and partners," said Bruce Barnes, CEO of Element K. "Our company is honored to have been chosen by Microsoft. It is an affirmation of both our track record and our vision in the field of learning."
Element K Middle East has been established with the objective of bringing Element K's world-class courses to the entire region. Element K offers online courses in desktop computing, IT and business & professional development and has over four million users worldwide. A dramatic increase in demand is expected for e-learning in the Arab world, driven by a robust growth in IT penetration and the booming economies.
"We hope to extend this partnership to the Middle East to add value to our services for our partners and customers," said Ali Faramawi, Regional Director of Microsoft Middle East and Africa. "We are confident that the combined strengths of Microsoft's learning products and Element K's expertise in the delivery of specialized courses will considerably enhance the learner's experience through more innovative solutions and technology upgrades.""We are looking forward to bringing direct benefits to our Middle East learners from this new partnership between Element K and Microsoft," remarked Jamil Ezzo, General Manager, Element K Middle East. "This international alliance that makes us Microsoft's first Content and Service Provider for Microsoft partners enhances our position as the pioneers in this field. The integration of Microsoft's expertise into our models will significantly enrich our delivery, consolidating our position as the leading providers of high quality online learning."
"Element K has chalked out an ambitious new strategy to increase its penetration in the Middle East region by developing customized bilingual courses," Ezzo added. "We foresee a major demand for online courses in IT competency, as a result of government-led IT initiatives and the move by businesses to adopt new technology in a bid to catch up with the rest of the developed world. Element K will continue our innovations in this field, and the alliance with Microsoft will considerably enhance our capabilities."
Element K is a leading provider of instructor-led courseware and e-learning solutions for technology and business skills serving training centers, Fortune 1000 companies, schools and universities, government organizations and individuals. Element K has a 20-year history in computer training and is a pioneer in courseware development and e-learning. The company launched its e-Learning offering in 1996, making it the first company to offer interactive IT content on the Web. Today, Element K offers more than 1000 online courses in information technology and business skills. Its engaging and interactive online training solutions feature collaborative, instructor-facilitated online courses, self-paced tutorials, vLabs® hands-on exercises on remote hardware, professional certifications, a comprehensive reference library and KnowledgeHub, a hosted e-learning platform with robust learning management capabilities. Element K's professional services include learning management consultants to assist with deployment and a participation development team to help maximize participation and return on investment. For more information on Element K's offerings, visit www.elementk.com. Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Element K, vLabs, and KnowledgeHub are trademarks of Element K LLC. -KERALAMONITOR.COM
ALJAZEERA, AL MAJAZ LAUNCH OF ALJAZEERA MOBILE SERVICE IN ASSOCIATION WITH ETISALAT
Breaking news now available for GSM subscribers in the UAE
Dubai, 22/10/2003: ALJAZEERA. NET, the e-news arm of ALJAZEERA CHANNEL that gave the Arab world its first world class all-news 24 hour satellite channel that has become on par with internationally renowned providers of news and information, has tied up with Al Majaz Telecommunications to provide the latest news alerts and developments for GSM subscribers in the UAE through the AlJazeera Mobile.
AlJazeera Mobile was successfully launched at GITEX 2003, the annual exhibition held at the Dubai World Trade Center. The UAE is the second country to benefit from this service after its initial launch in Qatar earlier this month.
Available through SMS and utilising latest speech recognition Voice Portal facility, "the service will provide subscribers with breaking news and political, business and sports updates, as well as analysis, ensuring they are kept informed at all time about recent developments regionally and globally", said Mr. Ali Kamal, Marketing Director of AlJazeera at a press conference held to announce the launch of this path-breaking service. "We are happy to enter into this strategic partnership with Al Majaz and Etisalat", Kamal added.
Number one in the Middle East in mobile and land phone penetration, the UAE is a major market for the AlJazeera Mobile, charging a nominal fee for the latest and most comprehensive news coverage. The service is available for a monthly fee of AED15 through Etisalat, telecommunications giants who provide services to the largest mobile subscriber base in the region. In addition to the monthly subscription services, GSM subscribers can also "PULL" the latest headlines as-and-when they want for a minimal fee of only AED 2 per alert. More spectacularly, subscribers can have the news read to them from the news services at AlJazeera.net via the Voice Portal service for the same monthly subscription, though the process will differ from post to pre-paid customers.
After Qatar and the UAE, the service will shortly be extended to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, with a plan to cover mobile service networks worldwide.
"With its mobile service, AlJazeera Channel has moved into the Third Generation Mobile Services", said Mr. Abd Al Aziz Al Mahmood, Chief Editor of AlJazeera.net, the online news platform of the Channel. Considering the outstanding achievements of AlJazeera and its online service, Mr. Al Mahmood said the SMS-based news service would serve the Arab world in catering to its specific interests.
AlJazeera, which launched its Arabic online news platform almost three years ago, had recently re-launched its online English language version both enjoying a combined average monthly rate of 20 million visitors and is today among the world's leading news portals.
"The news coverage of AlJazeera in the post September 11 attacks and the wars on Afghanistan and more recently Iraq, besides the continuing conflict in Palestine, has re-asserted AlJazeera position globally as a credible alternative source of news and information pertaining to Middle East issues, monitored by major news organizations, academics and observers alike", Mr Al Mahmood said.
Mr. Mohamed El Obaidly, Chief Executive Officer, of Al Majaz Telecommunications Company, which specializes in telecommunications and information technology solutions, said that the unprecedented strategic cooperation on the AlJazeera Mobile constitutes a crucial point in harnessing the cutting edge of technological developments in the Arab region. -keralamonitor.com
