DE-CIX Launches Service in Istanbul and Acquires IST-IX

Frankfurt/Germany, October 1, 2015 – DE-CIX today launches its new Internet exchange in Istanbul, Turkey. DE-CIX Istanbul will be operated by DE-CIX Istanbul Network Connections LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of DE-CIX International AG. The new Istanbul exchange will deliver carrier and data center-neutral Internet exchange services in Turkey, the Caucasus region, Persia and the Middle East.

DE-CIX Istanbul will locate the first presence of its new platform in the MedNautilus building, a multi-tenant and carrier-neutral facility. The building houses colocation operators across several floors, including MedNautilus (part of the Telecom Italia Sparkle group), Turkcell/Superonline and Verizon. All of the other data center floors will be DE-CIX-enabled.

The building is also served with capacity from all of the major national Turkish and a large number of international carriers. This includes being a landing station for the MedNautilus subsea cable backbone, which serves the Mediterranean basin. Because of this strong connectivity into the MedNautilus facility, customers will have an abundant and diverse community of carriers to choose from starting Day One of operations.

Furthermore, the DE-CIX service will be available in more than fifteen additional facilities across the city of Istanbul. Network operators can also take advantage of the  DE-CIX Istanbul service in three other cities across Turkey, including Ankara, Bursa and Izmir.

In addition, DE-CIX International acquired the Istanbul Internet Exchange (IST-IX), founded by Terremark. IST-IX will be transferred to DE-CIX and upgraded to the DE-CIX Apollon platform, DE-CIX’s 100GE-enabled exchange backed by best-in-class Service Level Agreements.

“DE-CIX Istanbul will become a network ‘center of gravity’ in a part of the world that is so important to the Internet,” states Harald A. Summa, DE-CIX CEO. “We are combining a strong multi-carrier data center environment with DE-CIX Apollon and our experience in building out successful Internet exchanges. We intend to create a peering ecosystem that consists initially of both national and regional players that will evolve into an attractive world-class interconnection environment for the entire region.”

For more information on DE-CIX, please visit www.de-cix.net.

IHG RECEIVES MORE THAN 2,500 PLEDGES OF SUPPORT FROM COLLEAGUES IN THE MIDDLE EAST FOR IHG® SHELTER IN A STORM

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, XX September, 2015: Colleagues across InterContinental Hotels Group's (IHG®) hotels and office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia joined colleagues from all over the world to take part in IHG Race Around the World, an event that aims to raise awareness and funds for the global hotel company’s disaster relief programme, IHG® Shelter in a Storm.  

This year, IHG has encouraged people to participate in as many activities as possible during the week-long event. IHG colleagues in the UAE and Saudi Arabia including Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi, Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi, Crowne Plaza Dubai, InterContinental Riyadh and InterContinental Dar Al Tawhid Makkah responded with more than 2,500 pledges of support. The company’s employees carried out activities such as a ‘Run, Walk, Cycle’ event around the Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit, a ‘Group Selfie Competition’ on their Facebook page, and a garage sale, which alone raised nearly USD$4,000 towards the fund.

With IHG making a donation for each act of participation, activities from employees in the Middle East raised money for IHG Shelter in a Storm in the process.

Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG commented: “We are really excited to be joining IHG colleagues from across the world to raise awareness and funds for IHG Shelter in a Storm. Our pledge and activities across the Middle East were not only great fun; it also motivated and engaged our people, and raised money for a fantastic cause.”

IHG has 76 hotels (20,500 rooms) open in 9 countries in the Middle East across five brands: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites®. The company has 28 hotels (13,000 rooms) in its development pipeline.

Emirates Catering Services inaugurates bigger central kitchen in Fujairah

October 1, 2015

Emirates Catering Services, one of the UAE’s leading and premiere catering providers and a member of Union Investments, one of Ras Al Khaimah’s largest investment companies, has recently opened its new central kitchen facilities in Fujairah. The move is in line with the company’s strategy to address the growing demand for its services in the Northern Emirates. Mr. Mahesh Ram, Vice-Chairman of Union Investments, formally inaugurated the facility during a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Built on a 600-square-meter area, the new central kitchen will prepare over 30,000 meals per day. Emirates Catering Services boasts of a world-class team of highly trained professionals, comprising expert chefs and cooks that can prepare sumptuous and delicious Continental, Oriental and Asian cuisines. Its client list includes some of the UAE’s leading companies such as Bredero Shaw, Eversendai Offshore, Air Liquid, RAK Ceramics, UTICO-RAK Al Hamra, Fibre Plus-Al Ghail, Future Plus-Al Ghail, Arabian International Company RAK, Zamil Steel, JBF, Emirates Transformers and Switchgears and Al Rayan Wood Works.  

Mr. Sumanth Gopal, General Manager., Emirates Catering Services, said: “The new kitchen by Emirates Catering Services is bigger and better with the latest equipment for addressing catering needs in the Northern Emirates. The recent inauguration of our state-of-the-art facility complements our vision of expanding the company’s presence and pursuing greater market share. It is also a the testimony to our commitment to offer the best quality and delectable foods prepared in highly hygienic and sanitized kitchens in compliance with local regulations.”

"الإمارات لخدمات التموين" تفتتح أكبر مطبخ مركزي في الفجيرة

01 أكتوبر 2015

افتتحت "الإمارات لخدمات التموين"، إحدى الشركات الرائدة في مجال توفير خدمات التموين في دولة الإمارات والعضو في "الإتحاد للإستثمار"، إحدى كبرى الشركات الإستثمارية في رأس الخيمة، مطبخها المركزي الجديد في الفجيرة، وذلك في إطار استراتيجيتها لتلبية الطلب المتنامي على خدماتها في الإمارات الشمالية. وقام ماهيش رام، نائب رئيس مجلس إدارة "الإتحاد للإستثمار" بقص الشريط معلناً افتتاح المرفق رسمياً.

وتبلغ مساحة المطبخ المركزي الجديد 600 متر مربع، بقدرة إنتاجية تصل إلى 30,000 وجبة يومياً، تحت إشراف فريق عمل "الإمارات لخدمات التموين" الذي يضم نخبة من الطهاة ورؤساء الطهاة ذوي الخبرة والمدربين وفق أعلى المعايير العالمية لتحضير أشهى الأطباق الشرقية والآسيوية. وتضم قائمة عملاء الشركة مجموعة من أبرز الشركات في دولة الإمارات مثل "بريديرو شو" و"إيفرسانديا أوفشور" و"آير ليكويد" و"سيراميك رأس الخيمة" وشركة المنطقة الحرة "يوتيكو" رأس الخيمة الحمرا و"فايبر بلس الغيل" و"فيوتشر بلس الغيل" و"الشركة العربية الدولية" في رأس الخيمة و"الزامل للحديد" و"جيه. بي. أف" و"الإمارات للمحولات والمفاتيح الكهربائية" و"الريان للأعمال الخشبية".   

وقال سومانث غوبال، مدير عام شركة "الإمارات لخدمات التموين": "يُعدّ المطبخ الجديد من أكبر وأفضل مرافقنا التي أعددناها لتلبية احتياجات التموين في الإمارات الشمالية، حيث يحتوي على أفضل وأحدث التجهيزات. ويأتي افتتاح هذا المرفق إستكمالاً لرؤيتنا الرامية إلى توسيع حضورنا والسعي للاستحواذ على حصة أوسع في السوق. كما يعكس المرفق الجديد إلتزامنا بتوفير أفضل أنواع الطعام المحضر وفق أرقى المعايير الصحية المحلية".

Plustek Launches the Full-Page Travel Document Readers, SecureScan X150/100/50

The best scan and recognition of official travel documents,

SecureScan X150/100/50 with 3 light sources of image capture

October 1^st, 2015, Dubai, UAE – Plustek Inc., an imaging and scanning solution provider that designs and manufacturers an array of products, including document, mobile, book, photo, film and specialty scanners, announces the launch of its new product line of document readers, SecureScan X150/100/50 MRTD (Machine Readable Travel Document) Readers.

The Plustek SecureScan X-series readers are powerful and robust MRTD readers, designed to capture and verify relevant data compliant with ICAO Doc 9303 standards and reduce the chance of human error, resulting in reduction in check-in time, increased traffic flow and more accurate customer profile data. This innovative capturing device for data collection and authentication of travel documents such as passports and ID cards, utilizes a high resolution image sensor (CMOS) with Visible, UV and IR illuminations, to enable quick full page image capturing, accurate OCR text reading, and visual security features authentication of all international passports, as well as standard size plastic ID cards, drivers licenses, health insurance cards and other small size documents.

Here are Plustek’s SecureScan X-series key features:

Ÿ   Completely compliant with ICAO Doc 9303 standards

          Supporting TD1/TD2/TD3/TDV document size scanning.

Ÿ   Capable of reading Machine Readable Zone, and Visual Zone data

       To capture and verify relevant data of all international passports, as well as standard size plastic ID cards, drivers licenses, health insurance cards and other small size documents.

Ÿ   Equipped with 3 light sources: Visible, Infrared (IR) and Ultraviolet (UV)

       To meet travel document rules of each country, like UV overprint and IR drop-out.

Ÿ   Auto-Detect  of document type, document size, and 2-second Quick-Scan

       To reduce check-in time, increase traffic flow and provide accurate customer profile data. It only takes approximately 2 seconds from scan to show (including photo on screen). 

Ÿ   Scalability of extra devices like AFIS & facial recognition via USB hub

       User may easily extend recognition system with fingerprint and facial recognition via built-in USB hub, for which 2 extra USB ports are available.

 “These features make the SecureScan ideal readers for identity management systems for enhanced authentication accuracy and performance” said Ibrahim Shen, MEA territory manager. “We’ve created the best all round value, full-page MRTD readers in the market” he concluded.

Electronic E-PASS tool provides a quicker way to analyse buildings’ renovation needs

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a free electronic tool for the construction industry, housing associations and home-owners, which makes it easier to evaluate the impact of different kinds of energy improvements.

VTT’s E-PASS tool identifies ways to improve a building’s energy efficiency and calculates their cost-effectiveness. The tool is primarily designed for energy audits in older residential buildings, but there are also options for renovating office buildings.  E-PASS is especially well suited for SMEs, such as building contractors, architects and energy consultants, but it can also be useful for housing associations and private home-owners.

E-PASS incorporates Finland’s entire residential building stock.

To localize the tool in other European countries, corresponding default values must be collected. This takes place with data collection templates that are available.

The tool can be used to calculate the investment cost of different kinds of renovations and a building’s energy efficiency and carbon footprint before and after improvements. The goal is to maximise user-friendliness so as to make it as easy as possible to evaluate the current energy efficiency of buildings. All the user needs to do is enter some basic information about the building, such as the type of building, its floor area and age, and the tool will calculate the building’s current energy efficiency. The tool will then list potential improvements. These can be, for example, changes to the building’s heating system, insulation or windows. The tool also shows a breakdown of the effects of the suggested improvements (kWh/m2, kgCO2/m2, energy costs). 

VTT carried out a survey among 1 500 small and medium-sized energy consultancies, renovation businesses, architects’ firms and building contractors in September, and 60% of the respondents said that they would be interested in using the tool. 

E-PASS energy performance assessment tool: http://cic.vtt.fi/epass/vtt/step_1.php?lang=en

VTT developed the E-PASS tool in the course of a pan-European NewBEE project http://www.newbee.eu/, which is funded by the European Commission. The aim is to make it easier for SMEs to penetrate the renovation market and to provide information about renovation services to housing associations and home-owners.