HP has been appointed to install and implement a total, end-to-end education solution at the American University of Kuwait (AUK). The two months long project resulted in greatly reduced costs and highly increased efficiency for the private educational institute.
Amr Hassan, General Manager for HP Imaging and Printing Group Middle East commented on winning the contract as well as its impact on the educational community of the region. "Through this appointment, HP intends to provide AUK with the performance and flexibility needed to advance their educational needs. The university ranks among the most popular and successful in Kuwait and neighbouring GCC states, and they envisage a growth of up to 3,000 students over the next three years.
"As the region enters into an era of e-learning, AUK is at the forefront of understanding the future and preparing for it. This is an institution that is changing its very approach to education, through thoughtful use of technology. Education is slowly but surely changing its face and AUK is a beacon for other players in the region," he said. "Although HP has worked with several universities in the region on similar projects, it is a milestone to be appointed by AUK, in the face of stiff competition," he added.
"Our primary objective was to lower operational costs and to increase efficiency," states Ahed M. Okasha, the university's Director of Information Technology at the American University of Kuwait.
"HP understands our educational needs and appreciates what we are trying to achieve. Their tailor-made solution for us is marked by its simplicity, manageability, stability and reliability. We believe that while most of our users will be able to complete their work faster and better their computing skills, a great percentage of them will also be able to improve the actual quality of their work," Okasha said.
Ahed M. Okasha, the university's Director of Information Technology explained that AUK presently operates in an environment of one main campus of 50,000 sq. metres connected with Optical Fibre Backbone with 1656 Network Point and full wireless coverage. "Under the agreement, HP will provide 600 Desktop Workstations, 40 LaserJet 4200 printers with stands, 41 HP DeskJet 5652 printers and 3 CLJ 3700 models to the university - to cater to a mixed user base of 100 staff and faculty and up to 3000 students," he added.
Also part of the IT upgrade, the university has insisted that HP hardware is a key component to the end-to-end integration. Of critical importance was the ability by HP to be able to provide a quick implementation of hardware, at an affordable rate. Therefore, HP deployed 900 HP Compaq dx2000 PC that are manufactured in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia resulting in a marked decrease in costs and delivery times. These PCs are installed throughout the IT labs of the college, as well as in the specialist classrooms, so that students have access to information anytime and anywhere on the campus.
About HP
HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2005, HP revenue totalled $83.3 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com
About HP Middle East
HP is the largest technology and solutions provider in the Middle East with 670 employees and subsidiaries in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar, Cairo and Ramallah servicing the GCC, Egypt and the Levant. HP has been present in the Middle East since 1968, and opened its first regional office in 1994.HP Middle East is the market leader for Enterprise, Small and Medium Business and Consumer technology products, and offers a large portfolio of solutions and services in various business domains.
For more information about HP in the Middle East, please visit www.hp.com/me.
About The American University of Kuwait
The American University of Kuwait (AUK) is an independent, private, equal-opportunity, and coeducational liberal arts institution of higher education. The educational, cultural, and administrative methods and standards of AUK are based on the American model of higher learning.
Our distinguished faculty all have experience from prestigious universities, bringing years of research and teaching excellence to AUK. All instruction is conducted in English. AUK.
The American University of Kuwait is dedicated to helping students learn and develop their skills and potential. While the research focus of faculty in many institutions of higher education makes the faculty and not the student the focus of the university, at AUK our emphasis is on the student. Our faculty is dedicated to quality teaching and enhanced learning for students, preparing them for subsequent careers in business, the professions, and public service.
© 2005 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein
