AL SALEM-YORK SAUDI ARABIA SELECTS SCALA 5.1 GLOBAL SERIES FOR ERP SOLUTIONS

MID EAST GETS THIRD EDITION OF BARCLAYS' HILDA

First Healthcare Grades in India : assigned to three premier hospitals

CRISIL, the country's premier rating agency today released its first set of Grades on healthcare institutions. CRISIL is the first agency in the country to announce grades in the emerging healthcare sector. The rating agency announced healthcare institution grades on Apollo Hospital, Chennai, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Delhi and Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, three of the leading hospitals in the country. All three hospitals have been awarded the highest grade, "Grade A" which indicates Very Good Quality of delivered patient care. Healthcare institutions graded in this category have facilities, equipment, manpower and service quality levels which are consistent with the highest standards in the Indian healthcare industry.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Ravimohan, Managing Director , CRISIL said "We are proud to be the first agency to announce healthcare grades on hospitals in India. We are enthused by the response to this product from established leaders in the industry like Apollo and Escorts."

CRISIL's grading for healthcare institutions encompasses the entire spectrum of healthcare facilities from nursing homes to multi specialty tertiary care hospitals. Two of the hospitals graded, Apollo, Chennai and Indraprastha, Delhi are multi specialty tertiary care hospitals while Escorts, Delhi is a single specialty tertiary care hospital.

MID EAST GETS THIRD EDITION OF BARCLAYS' HILDA

Dubai: Leading international financial services group, Barclays Private Clients, has launched into the Middle East the third edition of its highly successful High Interest Index Linked Deposit Account (HIILDA 3), offering a combination of high interest and capital growth without initial capital risk.

"With the current stockmarket uncertainty and no capital downside, the HILDA 3 provides a combination of good interest and potential capital returns, that should prove to be popular with our Middle East clients," said Robert Clark, Head of International Premier & Personal Middle East & Eastern Mediterranean, Barclays Private Clients.

The third edition of the award-winning HILDA follows hard on the heels of earlier editions, which received over L150m in deposits.

The account is available in two sections - 40 per cent can be invested in a high interest deposit account for 12 months, which guarantees a fixed return of eight per cent GROSS/AER over the term.

The interest is paid at the end of the investment term. The remaining 60 per cent can be invested in an index-linked account, which tracks the Standard and Poor 500 for US dollar investors or the FTSE 100 for sterling investors. "There is no risk to the investment capital on which the investor will receive 60 per cent of any growth in the chosen index," said Clark.

The cash element will be invested from May 13, 2002 to May 13, 2003. The stock market element will be invested from May 13, 2002 to May 14, 2007. Although customers can access the cash element of the investment at any time, the stock market investment has to remain invested for the full five-year term.

International clients, whether new or existing Barclays customers, can invest a minimum of L10,000, or US$15,000, up to a maximum of L1 million, or US$1.5 million. Customers who invest between March 4 and April 26, 2002 will receive interest at a rate one tier above the level they would normally receive on an equivalent amount placed in a Barclays one month Fixed Deposit Account.

AL SALEM-YORK SAUDI ARABIA SELECTS SCALA 5.1 GLOBAL SERIES FOR ERP SOLUTIONS

Al Salem York Saudi Arabia has reached agreement with global ERP solutions provider Scala to purchase the Scala 5.1 Global Series licence for implementation across its three companies - Al Salem York Services, Al Salem Air Conditioning Company and Al Salem York Manufacturing Company.

Implementation of the Scala 5.1 Global Series will enable the three companies to consolidate financial statements, heighten online management of its financial, process, supply, project, service and manufacturing processes as well as consolidating its payroll and personnel requirements.

"We were in dire need of a total solution for the Al Salem-York companies, which comprises sales, service and manufacturing of air conditioning equipment and parts," said Bilal Karima, York Project Leader. "The company is growing fast and has extended its reach to the central and eastern regions of the Kingdom, while maintaining its head office in Jeddah.

"We selected Scala after a thorough, year-long investigation into the best possible complete and integrated solution which was ready and easy-to-use and backed up by credible and professional support.

"Scala's edge was that the people behind it quickly diagnosed our needs and were extremely fast in proposing the best solution. Its multi-language capability was crucial as our financial reporting needs to be in English and Arabic. We were particularly impressed with its reporting capabilities which consolidates the reporting of all three companies."

York says the move to total ERP represents a paradigm shift in the way the company does business. "It will contribute to a more streamlined business process at all three of our companies which, in turn, will translate into a more satisfied customer," said Karima.

Saudi Arabia is a key station on Scala's regional network, which also includes partners in Pakistan, Jordan and Morocco as well as a subsidiary in Egypt. The company's regional operations target SMEs and subsidiaries of multinational companies with a Middle East presence.

"This is a substantial win for Scala within the Kingdom and one which clearly demonstrates the competitive differentiation of our products," said Abdul Aziz Shaheen, Director, Sales & Marketing, Scala Arabia.