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eHosting DataFort (EHDF), a member of TECOM Investments, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai eGovernment (DEG) to promote e-services and ultimately create a paperless, electronic environment in the UAE. The agreement was signed by Mohamed Fouz, CEO, EHDF and His Excellency Salem Al Shair, Director eServices, DEG, at the GITEX Technology Week 2008 that opened on 19 October and will run until the 23 October at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre. Under the terms of the MoU, EHDF and DEG will work together to provide services to corporate customers from several sectors in the Middle East. EHDF has already worked to manage and operate the Dubai eGovernment portal infrastructure, deploying second generation platforms such as services infrastructure, services technology and backup, creating the foundation to expand its services to non-government sectors throughout the UAE. Addressing a press conference at the region’s leading technology event in Dubai, Fouz said: “The initiative is based on the collective knowledge of DEG on e-transformation and EHDF’s expertise, as the Middle East’s leading IT managed service provider, on managed services and operational outsourcing. Our partnership will provide government and non-government entities, businesses and individuals with a secure and user-friendly platform for operating their business and conducting daily transactions more efficiently and conveniently.” Apart from electronic payment solutions through credit and debit cards, mobile phone, and other avenues, the services offered through the agreement will also address business continuity and disaster recovery; strategy and design consultancy for government portals, while offering platform as a service for virtualization, storage, and networking, and software as a service for creating web portals and identity management. DEG has been successful in bringing Dubai’s government services online with 91 per cent of the more than 2,300 services now available online. Combining this with the UAE’s ranking in internet penetration – the most wired country in the Middle East, according to the Arab Advisors Group’s annual Total Country Connectivity Measure – makes the UAE a prime country for achieving the ambition of a paperless environment. His Excellency Al Shair said: “We will leverage our expertise, including our service provider platform capability, for contributing towards the creation of a paperless environment. This will allow us to generate phenomenal benefits ranging from environmental gains to increased efficiency, cost reduction and an improved work environment. The agreement also aims to capitalize on the ambition of the Dubai eGovernment to proactively offer e-services to non-government entities. From large commercial entities to regular consumers, companies can enhance their business service delivery and market reach through seamlessly delivered e-services.” DEG was named Best eGoverment Programme in the Middle East at the inaugural Middle East Business Achievement Awards in January this, following which it launched a number of initiatives to continue promoting and revamping the level of e-services through providing enhanced infrastructure and storage back up to create a second generation proof platform. EHDF has earlier facilitated DEG to enhance and expand its core network, storage and back-up platforms to service provider class, while reducing both the capital expenditure and operational expenses of installing and managing such a scalable service delivery platform. eHosting DataFort has established a wide network of technology and channel partners based in the GCC, MENA, Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific regions. With world-class data centers, state-of-the-art infrastructure and round the clock 24/7 operations, the region’s leading managed services provider delivers its operations through highly reliable infrastructures based on best practices including ITIL, ISO 27001, ISO 20000 and BS25999. An impressive portfolio of customers, EHDF currently provides a number of IT services and consultancy to various sectors including government, finance and banking, IT, Telecom and Media, including Emirates airlines, Dubai Financial Market, Dubai Ruler’s Court, Dubai Aluminium Company (DUBAL), du, Dubai e-Government, Dubai TV, Emirates NBD, and Arcelor Mittal, the world’s largest steel company. |
For further information contact: Sachin Bhardwaj |
