Information and Technology in Jordan

[lealfonse]

ICT sector a 'model of enterprise'

By Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday called the information and communications technology (ICT) sector "a model of enterprise" in the Kingdom, urging leaders in the industry to unlock its potential.

Addressing over 500 key players and decision makers in the ICT industry from across the globe at the opening of the 2010 MENA ICT Forum, the King renewed his support for the sector, which he said employs 1 per cent of the workforce but contributes 14 per cent to the gross domestic product.

“Your sector stands as a model of enterprise, showing what people can achieve when they work with conviction, passion, focus and ambition. In less than a generation, your sector has helped to alter the cultural perception of entrepreneurship throughout our country and our region,” the King said in his speech.

According to a documentary screened during the opening, Internet penetration in Jordan jumped from 4 per cent in 2000 to 35 per cent by mid-2010, while the sector’s revenues rose from JD560 million in 2000 to JD2.2 billion by end of 2009.

In 2000, the number of companies working in the sector stood at 50, compared with 450 currently, while the number of jobs created directly by ICT was 1,250 in 2000 but has since risen to 15,000.

The total number of direct and indirect jobs created by the sector currently stands at about 80,000, according to the documentary.

King Abdullah, who said the industry has achieved what it has against a backdrop of sharp economic and political challenges, noted that “regional conflicts have been a major disrupter of development”, adding that “we need to break this cycle”.

The Monarch stressed that as friends of peace work together for a lasting regional settlement, “we must also, together, keep pushing for the region’s economic future”, which he said requires a new level of engagement, pooling the resources and expertise of government, business, education, the media and other sectors.

Noting that 10 years ago, pioneering companies were still putting down roots and many others did not even exist, he pointed out that Jordan’s JD2.2 billion ICT industry is expanding its domestic, regional and global positions. He cited the acquisition of Jordanian web portal Maktoob by industry giant Yahoo! last August in an $85 million deal.

“Across the industry, success is supported by a flow of new talent from our universities and new partnerships at home and abroad,” said the King.

“To our entrepreneurs and ICT labour force, to developers and product managers, to private and public sector partners and to the thousands of Jordanian youth who are studying to be tomorrow’s ICT leaders, I say: Unlock the potential. Imagine the future. Lead the way. You have Jordan’s full support and I am proud to count myself among your greatest champions.”

At the opening of the forum, Ayman Mazahreh, chairman of the Information Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), said the opening of the forum coincides with the 10th anniversary of the association’s founding.

Mazahreh, who underlined the importance of the sector to the country’s economy, added that the forum will help join forces and facilitate the building of partnerships, noting that vital global trends will be discussed during the two-day forum.

“The MENA ICT Forum 2010 is the key event for industry leaders to convene, collaborate and identify areas for development and advancement. Over the next few days, we will witness defining moments for the industry in our region which will crystallise regional opportunities that will shape the future for ICT and ICTES [ICT-enabled services],” said Mazahreh.

Minister of Information and Communications Technology Marwan Juma said if growth in the sector continues at its current pace, it will double in size in 10 years.

The minister underlined the importance of regional cooperation in the sector to create jobs and build partnerships.

Participants at the two-day forum will discuss current and future issues related to the sector in the Middle East and North Africa region, including regional investment climate, legislative support systems, infrastructure and communications, emerging technologies, as well as education and human capital development.

Among the topics to be discussed will be the availability of Arabic content on the web, social networking, online media and other related issues.

Over 65 speakers from leading private and public ICT and ICTES entities from around the world are scheduled to address the forum, where participants will also look into the MENA region’s current and pressing ICT and ICTES concerns and latest developments and technologies.

11 October 2010

[lealfonse]

HP establishes new subsidiary in Jordan

AMMAN (JT) - Technology company HP announced Sunday that it had established a new subsidiary in Jordan, in addition to a regional competency centre. The subsidiary has sales, services and support responsibility for customers in Jordan, allowing HP to serve its existing customers and extend its reach to all economic segments including government organisations, according to a statement released by the company. HP's regional competency centre in Amman will cover the entire Middle East and provide an opportuni?y for Jordanian graduates to join an international delivery centre, and work on projects that span other neighbouring countries. Through a collaboration with the Jordan University of Science and Technology, HP, which operates in more than 170 countries, had hired university graduates to join its graduate programme in Jordan, and they are now part of the its competency centre, the statement said.

Oct 10, 2010

[lealfonse]

LG inaugurates mobile software R&D centre

AMMAN (JT) - LG Electronics MEA (Middle East and Africa) on Sunday inaugurated its Mobile Software Research and Development Centre for the Middle East at King Hussein Business Park.

Commending the move, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Marwan Juma said the centre will serve the entire Middle East area and encouraged the private sector to establish similar centres that will transform the ICT sector into a knowledge-based society, according to an LG statement released yesterday.

According to LG Electronics, the centre was established in Jordan because of its “qualified and well-trained human resources with expertise in scientific research and efficiency in programming and specialised applications”.

“In addition, Jordan has the highest percentage of graduates in the field of technology who continually provide the neighbouring Arab countries with their expertise,” the statement said.

Ki Wan Kim, CEO of LG Electronics MEA, said the R&D centre will provide Jordan and the neighbouring region with “studies, information and results that will contribute to the development of the communications sector”.

“LG has established this centre to serve human resources, software and mobiles markets and Jordan’s economy,” he said that the facility will develop mobile software and applications in the region, serve as the research voice of Arab customers and apply adaptation models in addition to training and qualifying the Jordanian workforce in the ICT sector.

LG Electronics, Inc., a technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employs more than 80,000 people working in over 115 operations around the world.

11 October 2010

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=30821

[lealfonse]

IBM to establish science innovation centre at JUST

By Rand Dalgamouni

AMMAN - Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) students will benefit from the expertise of IBM’s global research centres by the end of next year under an agreement signed on Sunday.

IBM will build a new Centre of Excellence for Service Science Innovation based on cloud computing infrastructure at the university campus in Irbid, as part of the agreement signed on the sidelines of the MENA ICT Forum 2010.

Cloud computing is a means of providing users with the required resources, software and information on demand, which makes it a less costly way of acquiring infrastructure, according to web sources.

According to Amr Refaat, general manager of IBM Middle East, the centre is the first of its kind in the region with its cloud infrastructure and the fields it will support such as service-oriented architecture, business processes management, service science and cloud computing.

In his remarks at the signing ceremony, JUST President Wajih Owais highlighted the importance of including management in the curricula of IT students noting that this agreement embodies the goal of Jordanian higher education to increase the opportunities of young graduates.

Under the agreement, IBM will help JUST develop curricula for these specialties and run workshops and certification programmes that will provide future IT graduates with an edge to compete in the field locally and regionally, and open up a wide range of opportunities that are yet to be explored.

Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Marwan Juma, who attended the signing, said the agreement will produce highly qualified graduates who will be the key to transform Jordan into an ICT hub for the region.

“This initiative is the beginning of a strong and long partnership with IBM,” he noted, adding that the government plans to cooperate with IBM on other projects including a research and development centre specialised in the vital fields of environment, energy and water.

11 October 2010

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=30823

[lealfonse]

Microsoft Jordan moves into a new office at the Business Park

As part of its efforts to expand its presence in the Kingdom, Microsoft Jordan announced during the MENA ICT Forum held in Amman, Jordan that it will be relocating to a new office at the Business Park, a premiere office development located at the heart of the capital. Microsoft Jordan's close to 40 team members, who are expected to increase in the upcoming year, plan to relocate to their new and bigger office space by December 2010.

Widely considered one of the Region's foremost Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Information and Communications Technology Enabled Services (ICTES) industry events, the 2010 Forum presents the ideal platform for such an announcement as it attracts some 500 key executives, government decision makers and the private sector from around the world and Region, and features over 65 distinguished speakers from leading private and public ICT and ICTES entities from around the globe, who will convene in Amman to deliberate the MENA Regions most current and pressing ICT and ICTES concerns.

His Excellency Marwan Juma, the Minister of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT), stated, "The prestigious King Hussein Business Park is attracting a lot of interest from a considerable number of leading local and international corporations due to the world class facilities that it offers for organizations involved in the fields of healthcare, ICT, media and education. Microsoft's decision to relocate to the business park further demonstrates that the KHBP is quickly establishing itself as the leading business development location in the Kingdom, serving Jordan and the region."

Sayed Hashish, Microsoft Regional General Manager, North Africa East Mediterranean & Pakistan (NEPA), stated, "Microsoft Jordan is an important asset and a hub of interest to Microsoft as it is developing into a strategic IT hub in the region in line with Jordan's vision to develop a viable IT sector. Microsoft was very keen to be one of the first multinational technology corporations to establish itself in the Kingdom, and its relocation to the King Hussein Business Park will play a vital role in enhancing Microsoft's impact in the Kingdom and the region as a whole."

Rula Ammuri, Microsoft Jordan Country Manager, stated:

"Microsoft is expanding its presence in Jordan by moving to a new location and bigger offices at the King Hussein Business Park, which aims to increase our contribution to the development of the ICT sector in Jordan and the establishment of the Local Software Economy by supporting the Government of Jordan in realizing its objectives and enabling the various sectors and industries to improve their efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness to build a viable economy in Jordan."



She added, "Enhancing our presence in the Kingdom and increasing the size of the Microsoft Jordan team serves not only the Kingdom but also the North Africa, East Mediterranean and Pakistan (NEPA) Region, leveraging the local Jordanian talent to cater to the region as a whole."

The KHBP is located on King Abdallah II Street and includes thirty two buildings with multiple uses ranging from office buildings, cutting-edge communication networks, an auditorium, a sports complex, social and support areas and much more. The total built-up area of all buildings combined is 112,650 square meters with a total land area of 365,000 square meters. The site caters to developments in healthcare, ICT, media, education and security businesses.

The business park is situated in one of Amman's most enviable locations and in close proximity to a number of key landmarks and destinations including the King Hussein Medical City (Jordan's largest medical centre), King Hussein Mosque (Jordan's most outstanding architectural landmark), the King Hussein Park (Amman's newest and largest public park) and two of Amman's most popular museums.

[lealfonse]

Google seals $10 million deal with Jordan for advertising and online cooperation

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan on Tuesday sealed US$10 million agreement with Google that allows the kingdom to use the world's leading Internet search engine for advertising.

Western-educated King Abdullah II is an Internet enthusiast who has been desperately seeking to turn his resource-barren country into a regional high-tech hub.

The ICT sector contributed an average of 20 percent to the gross domestic product in the last two years, making it one of the highest revenue generators in Jordan. Last year, Internet giant Yahoo took over the Jordan-based Maktoob.com, the biggest Arabic content provider.

Under the deal, Google will reinvest US$ 2.5 million — a quarter of the agreement's amount — back into the Jordanian market, assisting the nascent information and communication technology sector.

The money will be spent on different projects, including for digital media start ups and to train students in online advertising, Google said in a statement.

Jordan's ICT Minister Marwan Jumaa said the deal will "go along away" in boosting the sector marketing through "know-how transfer from Google to local organizations — a crucial knowledge to have in this day and age."

Google's Vice President Carlo D'Asaro Biondo said Jordan will have far greater digital exposure.

The Google statement said 10 Jordanian businesses will be able to reach global customers more efficiently, using Google's services.

Among them are the flagship Royal Jordanian airlines, Jordan Tourism Board and other government entities.

http://www.latimes.com/business/nati...,6259773.story

[yazm1991]

Great news for Jordan!