Intel today announced the launch of the “Intel Digital Transformation Initiative for the Middle East,” a comprehensive, multi-year program that will expand Intel’s economic, educational and technology-related support throughout the region. Under this program, Intel will increase its investment in four key areas – local entrepreneurship, education, digital accessibility and specialized technical competencies – to help promote technology skills, knowledge transfer and jobs creation in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa.
Said Brian Harrison, Intel vice president and general manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa , “The ‘Intel Digital Transformation Initiative for the Middle East’ reflects our long-term commitment to the development of new technology centers in key Middle East markets. Intel has made pioneering technology investments in emerging markets around the world, and we see great promise for technology advances in this fast-growing region. The initiatives we will undertake through our ‘Digital Transformation’ program are critical building blocks for further capital investments.
Harrison added, “Our business is complex, and it is necessary for us to have a long-term planning horizon. Over time, by strategically and methodically stepping up our investments, Intel is committed to helping bring the full benefits of digital technology to the region, spurring economic development and meaningful improvement in the quality of people’s lives.”
Helping Accelerate Economic Development in the Middle East
Harrison noted that market liberalization and reform are becoming increasingly common across the region, adding to its attractiveness as an investment destination. Technological innovation, a developed infrastructure, business-friendly government policies and a flexible and capable work force are the keys to further strengthening the Middle East’s investment appeal. At the same time that governments in the region are increasing their focus on developing science, engineering and technology skill-sets to help them attract investments, Intel is providing support and resources to help enable this important technological and economic transformation.
Intel currently works with several local governments, educational institutions, businesses, NGOs and non-profit organizations, program developers, local businesses, and other groups and organizations to expand the use and understanding of technology. Over the past decade, Intel has expanded its operations in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa to include six offices in the region – Istanbul, Cairo, Riyadh, Beirut, Dubai and Casablanca.
Harrison said, “Intel already has significant on-going IT activities underway in several countries throughout the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa. Moving forward, we anticipate enhanced support for regional software developers and other local technology entrepreneurs; more investments in education at all levels; greater efforts to make the latest information and communication technology – including the wireless Internet – more widely accessible; and an increased commitment to building specialized competencies in key industries serving the region. These are the logical steps we take in building our business in emerging markets around the world.”
Support for Local Entrepreneurs
Currently, Intel’s work with local software developers, system integrators, channel partners and other entrepreneurs in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa includes:
• Software Development Center in Egypt – This Center was established in 2005 in Cairo to support Intel’s Software Network activities in the region. Intel has been active for many years in the regional software development community, helping independent software entrepreneurs optimize their applications on the latest technology platforms and tap into new market trends.
• Intel® Software College in the Middle East – In April 2005, Intel established the first Software College in the Middle East to provide training to software developers using leading-edge Intel platforms, tools and technologies. It supplies established methods and troubleshooting techniques to optimize software performance and make customers’ applications run better on Intel platforms.
• Regional Software Enabling Program – This program was established in 2000 to support entrepreneurs’ and companies’ efforts to bring their solutions to market and promote them to their audiences. Intel’s technical, marketing and business development assistance provides regional software developers with access to the most advanced thinking in global technology, enabling them to develop new products and create new markets.
• Intel Developer Forum in Egypt – The 2005 Forum, Intel’s first in the region, underscores its commitment to the region's IT sector. Key themes included Research and Development, Mobility and Communication Technologies, security advances and mobile and modular platforms.
• Channel Programs in 60 Regional Cities – Intel has one of the most active channel programs in the region, designed to support local industry and to develop relationships with local systems integrators. Since 2004, Intel has become active in 60 new cities in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa, and is currently working with 4,400 channel partners in the region.
Educational Initiatives
Intel already has a number of educational initiatives underway in the Middle East and Turkey, including:
• Intel Teach to the Future in Jordan, Egypt and Turkey – This program trains teachers to integrate IT into their classroom teaching. It made its regional debut in 2003 (in Jordan and Turkey) and was launched in Egypt in 2004. Intel is currently in negotiations with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates to develop programs there. To date, the Intel Teach to the Future program has trained more than 55,000 teachers – and improved the classroom experiences of approximately 2 million students – in the region. To support these efforts, Intel has donated computer labs.
Intel Learn in Egypt – Intel launched its Intel Learn program in Egypt in 2005. Intel® Learn is an after-school, community-based program designed to teach technological literacy, problem solving and collaboration skills—essential skills for success in today’s knowledge economy. Created in collaboration with governments and non-governmental agencies, the program uses trained staff to guide learners 8-16 years old through its engaging, structured curriculum. It is designed to meet the unique needs of emerging markets through delivering high-quality, technology based education opportunities
• Intel Computer Clubhouses in Ramallah and Amman – Intel Computer Clubhouses provide an opportunity for youth in under-privileged neighborhoods to interact with each other, be mentored by young adults from the community, and develop information and communications technology (ICT) skills. Clubhouses were established in Ramallah in 2003 and Amman in 2004.
Making Information and Communication Technology More Accessible
Intel has three significant programs in place to increase accessibility to information and communication technology, including the Internet, throughout the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa:
• Government-Assisted Purchase Programs in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Turkey – Under this program, Intel is working closely with governments in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Turkey to put computers within the reach of families, small businesses, institutions, and other users. These programs include financing and training. Intel helps raise awareness of these initiatives and the benefits of information and communication technology in helping countries to more effectively compete in the global economy.
• Wireless Enabling in the Middle East – Following the launch of Intel’s Centrino mobile technology in 2003, Intel worked closely on wireless enabling with local telephone companies, service providers and others, setting up the region’s first wireless hotspots. Under this program, Intel launched the first wireless cafés, the first wireless hotel, the first wireless campuses, the first wireless airport and the first wireless mall in the region. Intel continues to work with a variety of parties in expanding wireless accessibility throughout the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa.
• Platform Definition Center in Egypt – In 2005, Intel set up this Center in Cairo, allowing Intel to study computer usage models in the region and develop platforms that correspond specifically to the regional customers’ needs. In India, for example, Intel developed a wireless platform powered by a car or truck battery, which provides technology access in regions without power or hard-wired connectivity. In China, to reflect community needs and standards, Intel helped develop a web access platform, which enables either full Internet access or, alternatively, limits student users to educational sites and uses. The Egyptian Platform Definition Center has already quadrupled in size, and expects to deliver a country-specific platform in 2006.
Competency Building in Key Industries
At several Intel centers in the region, Intel is undertaking significant high-tech research, often in conjunction with educational institutions, to build technology competency within key industries serving the region. Two Competency Centers in the region provide state-of-the-art facilities where faculty, students, and companies can conduct sophisticated testing and research activities:
• Energy Competency Center in United Arab Emirates – Powerful computing technology predicts, models and tracks the location and behavior of oil and other hydrocarbon deposits. The Energy Competency Center, hosted by the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi (UAE), helps petroleum geophysicists, geologists, and reservoir engineers locate and extract these hydrocarbons. The Abu Dhabi Center is the first of several facilities dedicated exclusively to energy industry issues and applications.
• Finance Competency Center in Lebanon – A collaboration between Intel, HP, Microsoft, and the American University of Beirut, the Finance Competency Center, located at AUB, enables students, software developers, and engineers to research, develop, and train as well as fine-tune applications specifically tailored to the needs of financial services institutions.
Concluded Intel’s Harrison, “There is a tremendous demand in the Middle East, Turkey and North Africa for information and communication technology, and we plan to further build Intel’s operations here to ensure that businesses, governments, institutions and individuals have full access to Intel’s industry-leading technology. We expect that these investments will accelerate the development and adoption of technology and contribute to the improvement of the regional economy.”
