Top Saudi companies at world’s largest exhibition for transport and logistics in Munich

Posted on May 10, 2015 by مشرف

6

For the third time after 2011 and 2013 a high-ranking representatives of various Saudi-Arabian companies and institutions like Saudi Ports Authority, Jeddah Islamic Port and King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam, Saudi Airlines Cargo Company and Four Winds Saudi Arabia Ltd. participated in the delegation trip to the Transport Logistics 2015 trade fair in Munich to exhibit their products and services. The delegation, which was headed by Mr. Musaad Al-Drees, Director General of Saudi Ports Authority, held business talks with German logistic giants DHL, DB Schenker and Fraport Cargo Services. They also discussed future bilateral cooperation with high-ranking German politicians such as H.E. Mr. Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, H.E. Mrs. Dorothee Bär, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and H.E. Mr. Franz Josef Pschierer, Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology. The German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO) organized the trip. “Due to the high-ranking participation of the Kingdom, Transport Logistic 2015 is set to be a vital cornerstone of Saudi-German business relations and a further step to strengthen ties between our two countries and to facilitate the transfer of Technology and Know-How in the field of logistics” said Mr. Andreas Hergenröther, GESALO’s Delegate. Transport Logistic is the world´s biggest trade fair for the multi-facetted industry of moving goods by road, rail, water and air. The fair´s portfolio covers logistics and freight transport, telematics and in-company transport and material flow. Integrated into transport logistic 2015 is Air Cargo Europe, an exhibition and conference for the global air cargo business taking place for the fifth time. The extensive conference program and the 7th Air Cargo Europe provided an expert overview of new markets, trends and innovations in the international transport and logistics industry. In 2015 the show expanded again – and not only in terms of exhibition space, with the inclusion of an additional exhibition hall. It also had more exhibitors: More than 2,000 exhibitors and more than 52,000 visitors came to transport logistic 2015 which is becoming increasingly international. This year more than 45 per cent of exhibitors and more than 40 per cent of visitors came from abroad. Many international market leaders were among those exhibiting at this premium platform, doing business and networking with an expected audience numbering in excess of 50,000 trade visitors. Transport logistic 2015 featured product and system innovations for the professional, economical and sustainable solution of these complex demands in the area of intralogistics, warehouse management systems, automatic identification systems and packaging. The products and services presented by manufacturers and suppliers ranged from systems, technologies and components for storing, transporting, handling, picking, packing, transferring and distributing goods, as well as system control units, logistics IT systems and warehouse management systems. The delegation was accompanied by GESALO’s Head of trade Fair, Mr. Al-Ameen Al-Dalali.

Posted in Economic News | Leave a comment

SWBH hotel collection exhibits for fourth year at Arabian Travel Market

Posted on May 10, 2015 by مشرف

5

Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels (SWBH), the luxury, five-star hotel collection owned and managed by Al Rayyan Hospitality, participated for the fourth consecutive year in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) exhibition, from 4 – 7 May in Dubai. A senior level delegation representing SWBH accompanied Al Rayyan Hospitality to promote Qatar tourism with the hotel collection’s authentic offering that reflects Qatari hospitality and originality.
“ATM is a major global hospitality event with a significant presence in the travel industry. Today, SWBH is participating for the fourth year in a row to showcase our exquisite collection of hotels that showcase Qatari hospitality with modern design and unique style,” said Taleb Al Henzab, General Manager at Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels.its
“Each SWBH hotel is an elegant mix of Arabic hospitality and superb, modern design. The collection has quickly succeeded in attracting a wide segment of Qatar visitors by providing them with the opportunity to discover the country’s cultural heritage through each hotel’s unique design,” added Al Henzab.
“We have developed strong relationships with many prestigious global tourism companies. ATM is therefore a great opportunity to offer the latest updates from SWBH, given the imminent opening of Najd Boutique Hotel, SWBH’s most recent addition, before the end of this month. Najd will feature Arabian design beautifully complemented with contemporary amenities to create a unique example of authenticity and modernism,” concluded Al Henzab.
Due to its strategic location in the heart of historic Souq Waqif, SWBH has energised tourism in Qatar with its five-star accommodation as guests enjoy the highest levels of convenience and state-of-the-art facilities. In addition, SWBH’s traditional Dhow sailing boats add a magical dimension to guests’ experience, allowing them to experience Doha’s magnificent skyline at sea while listening to music and tasting delicious Arabic and international dishes prepared for them by specialised chefs on board.

Posted in Fair | Leave a comment

Philippine Department of Tourism Launches Arabic Website

Posted on May 10, 2015 by مشرف

1

The Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT) has announced the official launch of its new Arabic experiential website, designed to encourage visitors to spend more time interacting with the destination online as part of PDOT Middle East office’s initiative to promote ‘Visit Philippines Year’ to the Middle East market.
The Arabic website was launched on May 4, 2015 by Philippine Department of Tourism Undersecretary Mr. Benito Bengzon Jr. at the Philippine Pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market being held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The initiative is expected to generate greater outreach, engagement and awareness for the Philippines as an ideal luxury destination for exciting urban lifestyle and shopping experiences, family attractions, idyllic beach and mountain luxury resorts and outdoor adventures for visitors from the Middle East.
With right-to-left reading navigation, attractive photography and descriptive and informative content, the colourful site showcases Philippines’ top-notch destinations and list of things to do, upcoming events and festivals, on-going campaigns and promotions and general information about travelling to Philippines. Arab travellers can plan their holiday by exploring the website and reading informative articles and contents for a seamless experience with every visit.
Says Mr. Benito Bengzon, Undersecretary, Philippine Department of Tourism: “The Philippines is renowned for its fun, vibrant and world class destinations, which we can now extend to our Arabic visitors online.”
Added Bengzon, “The new site is designed to encourage our Arabic visitors to spend more time learning about the country’s top travel destinations. By providing a simple and informative tool within reach through their smartphones, tablets and PC, we aim to offer the same delightful experience and genuine hospitality online as we do in the Philippines.”
The new Arabic website was launched with the Philippine Department of Tourism Undersecretary Mr. Benito Bengzon, Her Excellency Grace Relusio Princesa – Philippine Ambassador to UAE, His Excellency Frank R. Cimafranca – Philippine Consul General to Dubai, Director Verna Esmeralda Covar-Buensuceso, Officer-In-Charge of the Department of Tourism – Market Development Group, Mr. Stalingrad Samson, Middle East Desk Officer, and Philippine co-exhibitors at the Arabian Travel Market Philippine Pavilion.

The new Philippine Department of Tourism Arabic website can be viewed at www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.ae. The website is linked to PDOT’s general website and available in eight languages such as: Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesia, Mandarin, Cantonese, German, Korean and Japanese.
This year, the Philippines celebrates ‘Visit Philippines Year’. There are special festivals and events being held throughout the year that are based on the following themes: history and culture; lifestyle and entertainment; music and the arts; and sports, adventure and eco-tourism. During the year, a number of popular international musical events including MTV Music Evolution and Justin Timberlake’s ‘Take the Spotlight’ World Tour will be staged in the Philippines, in addition to special culinary events such as the recently-concluded Madrid Fusión Manila – one of the world’s most celebrated gastronomic events held for the first time in Asia this year.
A total of 76,163 visitors from the G.C.C. visited the Philippines in 2014, resulting in a 10% increase compared to 2013 figures. Amongst those, the number from Saudi Arabia was the highest at 43,483 travellers, which was an increase of 11.5% compared to the year before. Visitors from the United Arab Emirates were the next highest, followed by visitors from Kuwait. The Philippine Department of Tourism is hoping that through such promotional efforts as the Arabic website, demand for travel from the region will continue to grow in 2015.
The Philippine Department of Tourism also recently launched the “Kids Go Free Campaign 2015” which has been designed exclusively for families (both nationals and expatriates), living in the G.C.C. with offers of exceptional value. The campaign packages were launched last month in Riyadh and provide two children per family under the age of 11 with an exciting array of activities, food, accommodation and other experiences all on a complimentary basis. Additionally, the packages allow families to twin both the Philippines capital Manila with a choice of one other exotic Philippine destinations such as Cebu, Palawan, Boracay, Bohol, Davao or Bicol, allowing for both an urban and idyllic island getaway experience.
The Philippines’ no visa requirement for G.C.C. and many other nationals, plus it’s many popular shopping experiences, tranquil beaches and numerous family-friendly attractions has resulted in an increasing number of G.C.C. residents choosing to make the Philippines their holiday destination of choice.
Added Bengzon: “We hope to see as many people as possible at the Arabian Travel Market 2015 to fully help visitors plan their next Philippines adventure. Information regarding Visit the Philippines Year and the special Kids Go Free campaign will also be available. We are excited that these campaigns and special promotions will be valid throughout the year, including the upcoming summer holiday season. We hope many families will take advantage of these great value offers full of Philippine fun for all!”

 

Posted in Economic News | Leave a comment

RESENSE SPA THE ESCAPE TO TRANQUILITY

Posted on May 4, 2015 by مشرف

سبا رافال

Global spa management expert, Resense Spa is enhancing guests’ luxury experiences at Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski in Riyadh, with the opening of the first “Resense Spa” in the Middle East.

The new spa offers an oasis of tranquility, taking up residence on the hotel’s sixth floor, amongst the modern and impressive heights of Riyadh’s tallest residential tower. Channeling inspiration from the renaissance of the classical European spa, Resense Spa incorporates a fusion of modern and traditional design, art, therapies and bathing.

With exceptional guest experiences at the forefront of the Resense philosophy, the Spa’s design and treatment menu is tailored to promote a sense of balance and wholeness for each individual guest.

“Our array of services not only simply include treatments but instead focuses on delivering memorable results-driven experiences. Guests can expect the unexpected – a spa experience that is special, going above and beyond the norm,” says Walid Elkhatib, Spa Manager of Resense Spa.

Separated into male and female areas, the Spa will house eight treatment rooms; two scrub rooms and a female couple spa suite. Designed to promote relaxation and tranquility, the Spa also offers a private lounge and an array of wet experiences including: plunge pool, sauna, steam room and laconium room.

Treatments include distinct and soothing “Massage Experiences”, cleansing and luxurious “Body Experiences” and lavish “Facial Experiences”. Those seeking beauty maintenance can enjoy the “Resense Beauty Experiences”, which strive to deliver an enjoyable – and unexpected – aspect to the beauty routine. The Express Menu caters for those with little time on their hands, offering tailor-made shorter treatments.

Additional spa facilities such as the fully equipped fitness centers and swimming pools are duplicated for both men and women. The outdoor female area also offers a children’s playzone and a “Skylight” restaurant promoting casual chic dining.

Resense Spa offers exclusive membership programs for those looking to indulge in a frequent spa routine.  Memberships include special rates on treatments and spa products, discount throughout the hotel’s restaurants & lounges, access to the fitness center, pool as well as the tennis and squash courts.

Posted in Sport | Leave a comment

In celebration of its 100th anniversary HEMPEL opens its largest flagship showroom in the Middle East from Riyadh

Posted on April 23, 2015 by مشرف

4

HEMPEL Paints has opened its newest showroom in Riyadh, its largest in the Middle East. The inauguration falls in parallel of the Group’s 100th anniversary. HEMPEL’s Group President & CEO, Pierre-Yves Jullien flew in to the Kingdom for the special occasion.

The showroom was opened in line with the company’s latest approach toward displaying and offering paint to consumers in an innovative and modern display. This step also marks another stone in HEMPEL’s strategic expansion strategy, which comprises the opening of 24 new showrooms across the Kingdom.

Karsten Pedersen, HEMPEL Paints CEO, Middle East West, said in a welcome note to Mr.Jullien and all esteemed guests: ‘HEMPEL’s showroom in Riyadh spans across 1000 square meters. Its opening tonight comes as part of our strategic expansive plan to open showrooms all over Saudi Arabia, one that stands on the notion of proximity with our consumers, whose needs we aim to cater to, by supporting them geographically, esthetically and by providing them with the highest quality of products.’

He adds on: ‘I’m proud to say that what distinguishes this showroom specifically is not only its design and size, but namely the staff that will join it, as our sales’ team has been trained on the purpose and the importance of colors, each color’s effect on the various designs and how to deal with colors. They have also been trained to help consumers select the best color scheme that suits their interiors.’

From his end, HEMPEL Paints Middle East West Chairman, Eng. Essam Mohammed     AlSuhaimi, expressed his belief in the vision that this showroom opening will materialize for the Group, knowing that the Group is one of the largest manufacturers of paints in the Saudi market: ‘Our strategy aims at an expansive outreach whereby we spread to the four corners of the Kingdom to ensure we are close to our consumers’ needs. And as a matter of fact, HEMPEL Paints has opened its new showrooms in Jeddah and Khamis Mushayt in October of last year, notwithstanding that Riyadh’s showroom here, is our largest in the Middle East.’

The company had inaugurated, in February 2014, the largest decorative paints factory in the Middle East and their second largest globally in the second industrial city of Jeddah, which sits on 7500 square meters and produces 32 million liters annually. Moreover, it is the first-ever 100% water-based paints’ factory – worth SR 100 million.

It is worth noting that the architectural paint market in the region enjoys an incredible growth stamina and it is valued at SR 3 billion annually. In addition, HEMPEL’s market share is expected to grow over the next 5 years in light of HEMPEL’s commitment to provide its consumers with the highest standards of product and service quality.

HEMPEL has been in the Kingdom for over 40 years, it is widely considered as one of the best decorative paints providers in Saudi Arabia, whose products are currently being used in villas, residential and commercial units and stadiums. This comes in addition to its use in public buildings such as schools, hospitals and airports.

The Group services the paint market through its showrooms but also provides to large-size companies and contractors around the country thanks to its network of independent distributors and large project sales teams.

HEMPEL was first launched in 1915 by J.C. Hempel who introduced the idea of marine paints. The company then witnessed tremendous growth and development, leading it to become one of the biggest suppliers of marine, protective and decorative paints in the world.

HEMPEL owns today 27 factories, it is present in 80 countries with two headquarters and 6 research and development centers in the region and more than 150 stock points at strategic points the world around. It has witnessed a strong financial development in the past 10 years. Amongst other companies HEMPEL owns Crown Paints, Blome International Inc., Jones Blair and Schaepman. Finally, HEMPEL is a world-leading coatings supplier working in the decorative, protective, marine, container and yacht markets.

Posted in Fair | Leave a comment

George Ganchev Appointed General Manager at Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski

Posted on April 6, 2015 by مشرف

3

Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski has the honour of welcoming George Ganchev to its team as general manager, effective as of early March 2015. With previous highly noted leadership positions at Kempinski hotels, Mr Ganchev holds over 23 years of experience in the hospitality industry, particularly in five-star luxury groups. Mr Ganchev graduated from NEOMA Business School in France with an EMBA in Hospitality & Tourism.

Prior to joining Riyadh’s landmark of luxury hoteliers, Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski, Mr Ganchev took dynamically essential roles in executing successful revenue-generating programmes and gained numerous achievement awards with high guest satisfaction rates at previous Kempinski properties in the Middle East and Africa. These accolades earned him the firm position as general manager and we believe he has the full to empower and lead Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski positively towards increased higher standards of luxury and notable service quality.

Posted in General | Leave a comment

BRING YOUR WORLD TO LIFE WITH THE NEW HTC ONE M9

Posted on March 19, 2015 by مشرف

HTC

HTC Corporation, a pioneer in innovation and design, today unveiled its most personal, beautiful and powerful smartphone yet, the HTC One M9, at a press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh. The newest addition to the HTC One family will be available from major retailers and mobile operators from the end of March, priced at SAR 2,799.

Philip Blair, President HTC, EMEA said: “HTC is consistently pushing the boundaries, we broke records with the HTC One M8. Today HTC is one of the top three preferred smartphone brands in the region. Our objective is to consolidate our presence in the region and we plan to achieve this by continuously listening to our customers’ needs and delivering great products.”

HTC has unveiled its most personal, beautiful and powerful smartphone; the HTC One M9 is a classic yet timeless celebration of beauty and elegance that combines high style and performance, enabling you to get the most from your mobile phone

“Our newest smartphone is, once again, pioneering innovation and design by offering our customer a more intuitive phone and a more refined experience than ever,” said Nikitas Glykas, Vice President, HTC MEA. “At HTC we have directed our efforts into building a brand around innovation, customer insight and value. We want our product to be an extension and an indispensable part of our customer’s lives. The M9 is the quintessential smartphone of choice for ardent technology and lifestyle enthusiasts.”

A complete celebration of design

Building on a three-year pursuit of excellence, the HTC One M9 melds the best of the award-winning HTC One M7 and HTC One M8 into a stunning, iconic design. Distinct metal edges combine perfectly with graceful curves for a jewellery-grade look. Small and easy to hold, the crafted, all-metal unibody design is highlighted by an exquisite dual-tone silver and rose gold¹ finish that is as distinctive, as it is durable. Mirror-polished gold sides cascade effortlessly into a hairline brushed silver back panel, encasing a bright and vivid display.

“At HTC, we want to surprise and delight our customer, and the HTC One M9 does just that by being one of the most intuitive premium all metal smartphones on the market today. With the launch of the M9 today, we are taking our award-winning HTC One concept a step further,” said Neeraj Seth, Head of Marketing, HTC MEA. “Our latest offering exemplifies innovation, lifestyle integration and sets new standards for smartphones in the region.”

HTC Sense 7: An extension of you

Your phone should make a statement about who you are and the new HTC Sense™ 7 experience puts you in control of everything. Highly customisable and intuitively you, Themes puts you at the centre of the smartphone experience, intelligently analysing your favourite photos to modify the look and feel of your apps, colour scheme and backgrounds.

As your always-on travel companion, your smartphone is perfectly placed to enrich your mobile life. Sense 7 reinvents the home screen to deliver the most useful apps to the homepage based on your location. Whether at home, work, or play, you’re never more than a click away from the features you need with this contextual, customisable widget. A more intelligent HTC BlinkFeed™ also makes it easier to uncover the hidden gems that surround you by using location data to recommend points of interest, news and information.

 

Incredible imaging: Helping you create your best memories

With the best camera being the one you carry in your pocket, your smartphone should make it a breeze to take brilliant, creative and fun images. The HTC One M9’s cameras are designed to capture every moment in amazing quality, allowing you to relive those moments again and again. The main camera features an incredible 20 megapixels that accentuate every crisp, intricate detail and a sapphire cover lens that protects from scratches. For vivid video that looks like the latest blockbuster, the camera also shoots movies in 4K resolution.

The best moments take you by surprise and spontaneity often doesn’t come fully lit. The ultimate companion of the impulsive snapper, the HTC One M9 addresses low-light shots with a powerful UltraPixel™ front-facing camera. Dynamic auto exposure and UltraPixels that capture 300% more light than standard cameras deliver sharper, more natural and balanced self-portraits in any lighting conditions.

HTC Sense 7 with HTC’s EYE™ Experience software makes taking creative pictures easy. A host of new editing effects including Shapes, Prismatic, Elements and Bokeh allow you to add a little bit of individual artistry into every shot, with the Zoe™ app automatically editing them, putting them to your choice of music² and letting friends remix the collection with their own shots to create a shared celebration from every moment.

With so many incredible images, quickly showing your friends those brilliant shots could become an issue. Wherever they’re stored, the new One Gallery makes it easy to search through your entire photo library, viewing images saved on the phone, on social media, and on select cloud platforms. The gallery puts your whole image library at your fingertips, searching by date, location, event, album or even the images themselves with Image Match.

 

Exhilarating audio: Hear the difference

A truly great viewing experience deserves sound that puts you on the front row. The HTC One M9 guarantees a larger-than-life soundtrack courtesy of HTC BoomSound™. The HTC One family’s iconic dual front-facing speakers, now combined with 5.1 channel Dolby® Surround sound3 simulation, get you even closer to the action, delivering extraordinary, cinema-style surround sound. Uniting HTC BoomSound and Dolby Audio™ creates immersion vibrant audio experience, so you can enjoy movies with rich, clear and powerful sound even without connecting headphones or external speakers. Whether listening via the stereo speakers or headphones, even the most discerning music fans will be blown away by the phone’s support for perfect, 24-bit high-definition sound that surpasses even CD quality. HTC’s unique combination of HTC BoomSound, Dolby Audio™, a finely tuned sound profile, and Qualcomm® Immersive Audio gives all of your music and movies an unmistakable HTC One M9 flavour.

 

Connecting your world

Smartphones are fast becoming the central hub for home entertainment and HTC Connect™ makes it easy to enjoy your multimedia experience beyond your phone. A three-finger swipe on the screen connects the phone to compatible TVs or external speakers from leading manufacturers including Harman Kardon. HTC Connect’s integration with Qualcomm® AllPlay™ smart media platform and Blackfire Research™ wireless media technology, allows you and your friends to stream high quality content from your smartphones to multiple home entertainment devices around the house. The playlist feature also allows multiple smartphones to share a speaker with Qualcomm AllPlay. For the ultimate connected smartphone-powered TV experience, the HTC One M9 comes exclusively preloaded with the Peel® Smart Remote app. Instantly connecting you to the shows you love, the app even learns from your viewing habits, transforming your phone into a personal TV guide and remote control.

Accessories and availability

For a standout look, the HTC One M9 will be available with a range of unique and customisable accessories including the second generation HTC Dot View case, which adds more retro personalisation thanks to a host of new features and colour options. A transparent back keeps your smartphone pristine without hiding it from the world with the case injecting fun into even the most tedious commute by transforming into a mini games arcade. The new HTC Dot View case won’t even get in the way of apps such as Instagram, Snapchat and Badoo with through-the-case notifications alerting you to the latest photos, messages and check-ins.

Life has no limits, and when your adventurous side takes you into the unknown, an IP68 water resistant Active Case and Active Headset means that your phone can boldly follow wherever the action takes you, keeping up with the pace of the most epic adventures.

The HTC One M9 will be available in dual-tone silver and rose gold, single-tone gunmetal grey, single-tone gold and dual-tone gold and pink, from SAR 2,799 in all operators and electronic stores, across the region from the end of March.

Posted in Technology News | Leave a comment

VMware Unveils Industry’s First Unified Platform for the Hybrid Cloud

Posted on March 19, 2015 by مشرف

في ام وير

VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW) today announced the industry’s first unified platform of virtualized compute, networking and storage for the hybrid cloud. Defined in software, VMware’s platform will enable customers to create one consistent environment across the private and public cloud to run, protect and manage any cloud-native or traditional application. The platform will also offers customers openness and choice in how to build and manage their applications and cloud environments based on their specific needs.

The manner in which businesses create value is changing significantly, shifting value from hard assets to the more liquid assets of software and data. In this time of transition, IT is adopting the cloud to increase agility. In doing so, IT must sort out the mire of “somewhat” compatible on- and off-premises cloud platforms. And, they must do all of this while managing the requisite levels of security and compliance. VMware is helping customers through this time of transition by putting software and data at the core of the business to enable a new model of IT.

“Every traditional industry across the Saudi Arabia being transformed by software,” said Sam Tayan, Regional Director, Middle East North Africa, VMware, Inc. “To navigate and thrive in the face of this change, businesses in the Kingdom must be decisive in the face of uncertainty. Today, we are taking another leap forward in helping our customers in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East meet these demands through a unified platform, defined in software, which will offer unmatched choice and extends our innovations across compute, networking and storage to deliver the hybrid cloud.”

The Industry’s First Unified Platform for the Hybrid Cloud

Unveiled today during a live event in San Francisco (view on VMware Now), VMware detailed the following new solutions and services for the hybrid cloud:

VMware vSphere® 6 – The Foundation for the Hybrid Cloud

Featuring more than 650 new features and innovations, VMware vSphere 6 delivers breakthrough new capabilities to address the unique needs of business-critical and cloud-native applications with higher performance, scale and consolidation ratios. VMware vSphere 6 also re-defines infrastructure and application service-levels and availability. Read more about VMware vSphere 6.

VMware Integrated OpenStack – A Simpler Path to OpenStack

VMware Integrated OpenStack is an OpenStack distribution that will enable organizations to quickly and cost-effectively provide developers with open APIs to access VMware’s enterprise-class infrastructure. VMware packages, tests and supports all components of the distribution, including the open source OpenStack code, and will provide the distribution free of charge to VMware vSphere customers. Read more about VMware Integrated OpenStack.

VMware Virtual SAN™ 6 and vSphere Virtual Volumes™ – A New Generation of Enterprise Storage

Designed to enable mass adoption of software-defined storage, VMware Virtual SAN 6 will introduce significant scalability and performance enhancements to the company’s award-winning hypervisor-converged storage solution. Additionally, VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes will offer a new level of storage integration to make external arrays natively aware of virtual machines. Read more about VMware’s software-defined storage strategy and solutions.

VMware vCloud® Air™ Hybrid Networking Services powered by VMware NSX™

Expanding on integration work announced earlier this year, VMware revealed vCloud Air hybrid networking services that will help customers bridge VMware’s vCloud Air public cloud service and VMware vSphere-based private clouds to enable a single, secure network domain through a gateway appliance. VMware NSX is a network virtualization platform that delivers the entire networking and security model from L2-L7 in software. VMware NSX is being deployed as the networking foundation for VMware vCloud Air™. Available via a phased release starting in the first half of 2015, VMware vCloud Air hybrid networking services will enable customers to maintain hundreds of virtual networks spanning the private cloud and vCloud Air over a single WAN connection, and share the same fine-grained “zero trust” security policies and network isolation for applications, unchanged.

VMware’s unified platform includes advanced virtualization support for developers and system administrators who are leveraging continuous delivery and container-based distributed application technologies. Businesses rely on VMware’s industry leading compute, networking and storage innovations, integration with the OpenStack framework, and integrations with containers and Kubernetes, the open-source container orchestration project initiated and managed by Google. This support helps customers achieve fast, flexible and reliable development, deployment and consumption of business-critical and cloud-native applications across the hybrid cloud.

VMware vSphere 6, VMware Integrated OpenStack, VMware Virtual SAN 6 and VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes are expected to become available in Saudi Arabia in Q1 2015.

Industry Commentary

“Virtualization has completely changed how IT interfaces with the business. We have virtualized and automated our infrastructure with VMware vSphere Enterprise plus helping us increase the speed and delivery of IT services to our lines of business. We anticipate VMware vSphere 6.0 will enhance the performance and availability of our business-critical applications.” – Saeed Al Ghailani, Head – Infrastructure & Telecom, The Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi

“According to IDC research, more than 65 percent of IT organizations will commit to hybrid cloud architectures encompassing multiple public cloud services, as well as private cloud and/or non-cloud infrastructure resources, by the end of 2015. Through its unified platform for the hybrid cloud, VMware is positioning itself to help businesses through this transformative period.” – Matthew Eastwood, Group Vice President and General Manager of IDC’s Enterprise Platform Group

Additional Resources

 

Posted in Technology News | Leave a comment

Public Sector is One of Middle East’s Largest Producers of Big Data, Announces SAP

Posted on March 15, 2015 by مشرف

sap2

Asthe Middle East’s public sector is one of the largest producers of Big Data, government agencies need to train staff in Big Data analytics to deliver enhanced citizen services, industry experts announced today.

In the Internet of Things era, global cellular machine-to-machine (M2M) connections will grow from 195 million in 2013 to nearly one billion by 2020, according to GSMA Intelligence. booz&co predicts the Middle East and North Africa’s M2M market will grow from USD 7.9 billion in 2014 to USD 9.0 billion in 2015.

As a result, 81 percent of top managers in global government agencies agree that Big Data is crucial to meeting their mission, according to a survey by SAP and Bloomberg Businessweek Research Services. In response, agencies need to overcome challenges in training staff, processing data, and agency culture.

“Given the high levels of production and consumption of Big Data in the Middle East’s public sector, government agencies are well positioned to leverage this data to make more informed decisions to drive enhanced services, reduction in costs, and improvements in the wellbeing of citizens,” Irfan Khan, Chief Technology Officer, SAP GCO, told delegates at the second “Innovation Days” event hosted by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government and SAP.

“By using cloud-based solutions, governments can more quickly overcome the three V’s of Big Data – volume, variety, and velocity – to achieve greater agility, efficiency, and productivity,” added Irfan Khan.

Illustrating the need to train public sector workers on technology skills, demand for analytics skills are set to grow by 88 percent and cloud skills 160 percent over the next three years in the UAE, according to the Oxford Economics and SAP study “Workforce 2020”.

“By working with the private sector and start-ups, Middle East governments are at the forefront of using Big Data to transform government services delivery. But to transform Big Data into actionable insights, agencies need the IT infrastructure and analytical tools to crunch Big Data, and train the right staff and innovate agency culture,” said Ghazi Atallah, Managing Director, neXgen Advisory Group.

Supporting government transformation, SAP’s recently-launched SAP S/4 HANA combines Big Data, predictive analytics, and text search to empower users to access information, adapt to changing conditions, predict outcomes, and make better decisions.

“Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government’s strategic partnership with SAP has proven highly fruitful. Our collaborations have successfully taken public service governance to the next level on the technological front,” said His Excellency Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government.

“In line with the vision of Dubai’s leadership, we are committed to finding best in class solutions that support the development of our emirate and nation. We at MBRSG are keen to establish a knowledge platform that engages public and private sectors and provides technical support that enhances the delivery of quality government services. Towards this priority, we aim to continue strengthening the public administration domain with productive research and dialogue through initiatives such as the Innovation Days,” he added.

The Innovation Days series features global thought leaders tackling topics such as the growing importance of mobility, cloud, mobile apps, big data, social media, and business analytics.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government promotes good governance and effective public policy through research, academic programs, executive education programs, and knowledge forums.

Posted in Technology News | Leave a comment

14 million children impacted by conflict in Syria and Iraq: UNICEF As Syria crisis enters fifth year, more support urged for young adolescents

Posted on March 15, 2015 by مشرف

unn

Some 14 million children across the region are now suffering from the escalating conflict sweeping Syria and much of Iraq, said UNICEF today.

With the conflict in Syria now entering its fifth year, the situation of more than 5.6 million children inside the country remains the most desperate. That includes up to 2 million children who are living in areas of the country largely cut off from humanitarian assistance due to fighting or other factors. Some 2.6 million Syrian children are still out of school.

Almost 2 million Syrian children are living as refugees in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and other countries. This is in addition to the 3.6 million children from vulnerable communities hosting refugees, who themselves are suffering due to the strain on services like education and health.

Meanwhile, the increasingly interlinked crisis gripping Iraq has forced more than 2.8 million children from their homes, and left many trapped in areas controlled by armed groups.

“For the youngest children, this crisis is all they have ever known. For adolescents entering their formative years, violence and suffering have not only scarred their past; they are shaping their futures,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “As the crisis enters its fifth year, this generation of young people is still in danger of being lost to a cycle of violence – replicating in the next generation what they suffered in their own.”

Despite the upheaval caused by the conflict, children and young people continue to demonstrate incredible courage and determination. In a series of new portraits unveiled on a special website, childrenofsyria.info, UNICEF recounts stories such as that of 16 year-old Alaa, who fled his home in the war-torn city of Homs, and is today continuing his studies while leading training courses for other children, and 10 year old Christina, living in a shelter in the north of Iraq who helps even younger children with their lessons.

“Despite the harm they have suffered, the wrongs they have endured, and the apparent inability of adults to bring an end to this horrific conflict, the children affected by this crisis still have courage and determination to build better lives,” said Anthony Lake. “Seeing their determination, how can we be any less determined to help them? Knowing that they have not given up hope, how can we?”

UNICEF is urging longer-term investments to meet the needs of children and adolescents, to equip them with the skills and motivation to build a more stable future for themselves. Such investments, UNICEF says, should include:

  • Opportunities for remedial education, vocational training, and recreation for adolescents. With some 5 million Syrian aged between 12 and 18 years old, young people require support that can provide skills and support livelihoods.
  • Formal and informal learning opportunities for children impacted by conflict, and certification systems that help maintain pupils’ academic status.
  • Services for vulnerable children, including survivors of violence, that provide psychosocial care and assistance.
  • Strengthening education and health systems, as well as livelihood support, in host communities so all children affected in some way by the conflict are supported.
Posted in General | Leave a comment