TP-LINK Outlines 2016 Strategy And Celebrates Top Performing Partners

SOHO and SMB Networking Vendor Pays Tribute To Partner Excellence at the First Partner ConneXion 2016 

(Dubai, UAE) – 29 May, 2016 – TP-LINK Technologies Co Ltd, a leading manufacturer of SOHO and SMB networking products and wireless solutions, has honoured Dubai-based partners at the first Partner ConneXion Awards ceremony held in Dubai.

The awards, held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers Dubai, saw more than 60 partners from the reseller and distributor awards attend with a total of 13 awards handed out.

The vendor also used the partner meet to launch the first router in the world with AD technology Talon AD7200 Multi-Band Wi-Fi Router, which supports the 802.11ad standard, the latest breakthrough in wireless technology from TP-LINK.

Both Denny Liang, Vice President, TP-LINK Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Lucas Jiang, Assistant General Manager, TP-LINK Middle East and Africa (MEA) delivered keynote addresses.

Outlining the company’s strategy for 2016, Liang said the company is pleased to have launched an awards event for partners in Dubai and is looking forward to growing the event by taking it to other parts in MEA.

He said despite the regional channel facing a challenging business climate, partners have consistently been performing to grow TP-LINK’s share of business in the networking, mobile and accessories segments. “We have this year decided to honour all our Dubai-based resellers and distributors by recognising their effort and business investments in the TP-LINK brand,” he said. “We want to pay tribute to them for the fact that some of the partners have been with us from 2011 when we established our Middle East headquarters.”

The partners recognised at the first TP-LINK ConneXion Awards include:

Best Partnership Alliance – New Trend Computer Networks LLC

Regional Partner of 2016 – Shiva Computer LLC

Top Performing Partner – Scantrans Computer LLC

Growth Partner of 2016 – MYZ Computer LLC

Best Marketing Collaboration of 2016 – Grand PCD Trading LLC

Best Customer Reach Partner of 2016 – Al Jedyal Computers LLC

Business Partner of 2016 – Al Razi Technology LLC

Top Retailer of 2016 – Sharaf DG

Best Business Growth Retailer of 2016 – Emax Electronics

Broadline Distributor of 2016 – ASBIS Middle East

Regional Distributor of 2016 – MES

ISP Distributor of 2016 – Euro Star

Retail Distributor of 2016 – Tech Micro

In his keynote address, Jiang outlined that TP-LINK will be launching its C, Y and X series smartphone range this year with the high-end N series expected to be launched in the first half of 2017. “As we continue to raise the business in the SOHO and SMB segments, it’s critical that we continue of the innovation part and bring to market products that will give our retail and reseller channels the opportunity to earn decent margins.

TP-LINK has over the last 12 months upped its business development initiatives in the traditional IT channel, retail and telecoms segment.

الإصلاحات الجديدة في صندوق الاستثمار السعودي تدعم تحقيق التنمية المستدامة

خبير لدى كلية لندن لإدارة الأعمال يحلل أهداف رؤية 2030

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة – 29 مايو، 2016: أشار الدكتور يوانيس ايوانو، البروفيسور في الاستراتيجية وريادة الأعمال لدى كلية لندن لإدارة الأعمال في أحدث أبحاثه، إلى أن إعادة الهيكلة الناجحة في صندوق الاستثمارات العامة السعودي تمثل فرصة كبيرة، ليس فقط على مستوى المملكة فحسب، بل أيضاً على المستوى العالمي. وتعتبر إعادة الهيكلة من إحدى العوامل الأساسية لتحقيق رؤية السعودية.

ووجد ايوانو أنه إذا ما تم تطبيق رؤية 2030 بشكل فعّال وواقعي، فإنها تمثل فرصة فريدة من نوعها للمملكة العربية السعودية، للاستفادة من الدور التي تلعبه أسواق الأسهم عالمياً في تحديد الموارد المالية الشحيحة لبناء اقتصاد مستدام وتوليد وظائف وتقديم أعمال صديقة للبيئة وإنشاء مؤسسات اجتماعية شاملة.

وتهدف خطة إعادة الهيكلة إلى خفض الإسراف الحكومي، وإنشاء الاقتصاد غير النفطي من خلال زيادة استثمارات القطاع الخاص والتمهيد لاستفادة السكان من التنوع الاقتصادي، والذي يرى فيه ايوانو مساهمة حقيقية في خلق العديد من الفوائد على المجتمعات، والوصول إلى اقتصاد مستدام.

وتركز الأبحاث التي قام بها الدكتور ايوانو على عناصر الاستدامة والمسؤولية الاجتماعية للشركات، مشيراً إلى عوامل النجاح لصندوق النفط النرويجي في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية بقيمة 870 مليار دولار، وقال: "يعتبر الصندوق النرويجي من أكبر الصناديق السيادية في العالم، وهو الذي دمج بشكل واضح القضايا البيئية والاجتماعية والحكومية باعتبارها جزءاً لا يتجزأ من استثماراته، حيث قام بالتخلي عن 23 شركة منتجة لنفط النخيل واستبعد أربعة من التكتلات الصناعية الأكبر في أسيا بسبب المخاوف من الأضرار البيئية."

وأضاف ايوانو: "لقد باتت قضايا الاستدامة والمسؤولية الاجتماعية من التحديات الأساسية التي تواجه البشرية في السنوات الأخيرة حول العالم، بدءاً من التغير المناخي إلى الفساد والفقر المنتشر على سبيل المثال لا للحصر. مما يؤكد على أن الاستدامة هي الحل الأمثل للحد من هذه المشاكل."

وفي السياق ذاته، يرى الدكتور ايوانو بأن النتائج ستكون الإيجابية على الصعيد العالمي إذا ما تم تنفيذ رؤية السعودية 2030 بنجاح، كمساعدة الدول التي تهدف إلى تحقيق التنمية المستدامة وتسهم في تحفيز الجهود العالمية لتخفض معدلات انبعاثات الكربونية التي نصت عليها اتفاقية باريس."

وتابع قائلاً: "ليس هناك أدنى شك أن تنفيذ مثل هذه الخطط بالطريقة الأفضل يمثل تحدياً كبيراً، وهو ليس بالأمر السهل، لكن باعتقادي أن دعم المتغيرات المحلية والعالمية والتي غالباً ما تهدف إلى اقتصاد مستدام وشامل وشفاف هي المحور الرئيسي لهذه الرؤية."

Techne Summit Hits the Tech Business by Storm Once Again

100 Startups, 80 Speakers, 6 Competitions and 1,600 Attendees from 20 different countries

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, May 27, 2016/ -- Techne Summit (www.TechneSummit.com), the international entrepreneurship technology event took Egypt by storm on May 7th to 8th, 2016 and brought together 80 renowned global players in the technology industry from 20 different countries, including Cisco, Intel, Google and World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders, along with100 startups and 1,600 attendees on the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Carrying the same slogan of TECHNOLOGY – INNOVATION - TALENT on which the event concept is built, the two-day summit acted as a platform for these international global players to share experiences, wisdoms, observations, predictions and opportunities. Techne Summit 2016 was held under the auspicious of The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology where Minister H.E. Eng. Yasser El Kady led the event’s opening ceremony along with current Alexandria Governor Mr. Mohamed Abdel-Zaher. Impressive media coverage included APO (http://bit.ly/1TMO4yx), Cairo Scene (http://bit.ly/1RwdZEN), Egypt Innovate(http://bit.ly/1TEm1xv), Wamda (http://bit.ly/25pFmgT), The Next Silicon Valley (http://bit.ly/24aUE3h), Tech in Asia(https://www.TechInAsia.com), Entrepreneur Middle East (https://www.Entrepreneur.com), Tech bel 3arabi (http://www.Techbel3arabi.com), Mega FM, Arab Net (https://ArabNet.me), Wattan TV (http://bit.ly/1WZKELz), Youm7 (http://bit.ly/1TwPUyY), Al Hayat TV, and Misr News. Techne Summit 2016 was built on the success of the first Techne Summit held back in October 2015 where it was the first of its kind event in the region. This year the event continued with the same philosophy of capitalizing on the crucial role of technology and communication in the development of individuals, businesses and nations by fostering innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship to serve the development process. "Techne Summit vision started by the former governor of Alexandria, Mr. Hany El Messery and his marketing department led by May El Nahrawy. We are continuing on this vision and mission to put Alexandria back on the touristic map. We've built on that to support and ensure youth empowerment and building bridges between entrepreneurial ecosystems" said Tarek El Kady, Managing Director, Markade &Techne Summit Founder. Techne Summit presented a wide range of international speakers with the opportunity to share their experience with professionals, enthusiasts in the industry, as well as network with others in the technology field from around the world. Sarah Walid – board member of Techne Summit says, “This year we had an astounding speaker line-up from around the world to share their experiences and expertise.” – “The social media feedback was amazing with record breaking tweets and posts.” continues Sarah. “The U.S. Consulate General Alexandria was pleased to co-sponsor the Techne Summit 2016 activities at the #‎BibAlex and I was impressed by the number of speakers, start-ups and exhibitors who participated. I am already looking forward to seeing what the next summit brings”,said U.S. Consul General Stephen Fakan. The Summit also presented a rare opportunity for startups in the Middle East & North Africa region to connect with investors, showcase their products, acquire funding for their businesses, exchange ideas and experiences and gain the recognition they deserve across various media channels. Similarly participants had access to the latest innovations and business trends through not only the speakers but workshops andcompetitions which were the highlight of the event and allowed much of the innovative ideas to be put to use, gaining exposure and increased knowledge in the field. Similarly investors were able to explore new areas of potential business collaboration and potentially successful investments, paving the way to mutual business growth for all participating parties.  The event was successful in ultimately developing the technology industry by fostering the mindset of decentralization within the field and building bridges of informational and cultural exchange between regions. An important goal of Techne Summit was to also expand the contribution of conference tourism to the city of Alexandria and in turn Egypt. Mohamed EL Dallal, Co -founder of Techne Summit & CEO of Innovideas LLC adds; “Techne Summit this year has featured startups in different stages, from the idea stage startups to ones who have raised hundreds of thousands in funding.”  field of Medical Technology,” said Reem Jabak – board member of Techne Summit. “Acclaimed speakers discussed how technological innovations can contribute to the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of diseases and medical conditions, ultimately having a positive impact on individuals’ quality of life.” “Every room was electrified with possibility, fueled with innovations that each carried great social impact.  What an honor to be there!  There was so much to learn, share, and connect”, said Aleida Lanza, Co-Founder of Zoelogix. The highlight of this year’s event featured a wide array of elite and diverse competitions for startups that extended throughout the two-day event and presented shining start-ups with opportunities to pitch and in turn fund their businesses. Among the highlighted competitions was the SeedStars Alexandria 2016 Competition, which aimed to support tech or tech-enabled startups with prizes of over $1,000,000 in value. The winning start-up was Tutorama (http://www.Tutorama.me) who will join the global Seedstars Family and take part in the regional and global Seedstars Summits that include boot camps and investor forums, while earning one flight ticket to Switzerland to compete for further investment prizes. Aramex also sponsored a competition supporting e-commerce startups, designed to encourage promising businesses by offering Platinum, Gold and Silver Winner packages to the top three startups selected. Winners of these competitions were Coterique(http://www.coterique.com), Farawlaya (http://Farawlaya.com), Jewel Hub (http://www.Jewelhub.com). Swedish Institute Alexandria shortlisted eight startups and innovations from a long list comprising over 40 ideas. The competition was run by a panel of investors, innovators and entrepreneurs as well as the deputy director of the Swedish Institute Alexandria Mrs. Javeria Rizvi Kabani. The criteria of selection was how the presented startups or innovations had a positive impact on climate change and environmental protection or if it had a social impact that helps improve the livelihood of disadvantaged people. The winners of this competition were Jereed(https://www.facebook.com/JereedEgypt), Rayeh (http://www.Raye7.com), Hope (https://www.facebook.com/givemehope.co) from Egypt andEducation Media Company (http://www.EducationMedia.ma) from Morocco.  The winners will be visiting Sweden after the summer for a study exchange to learn about the Swedish landscape of innovation and entrepreneurship. Upscale Development also held a competition for tech or tech-enabled startups that were in line with education, IoT, smart cities or environment. The winners were: “Tutorama” (http://www.Tutorama.me) 1st place 50,000 L.E, “Qoudra” (http://www.Qoudra.com) 2nd place 30,000 L.E, Hommect (http://www.Hommect.com) 3rd place 20,000 L.E & Tyro 4th place 15,000 L.E. As every year, TIEC, led by Rasha Tantawy held the Alexandria Future Technopreneurs Competition, a competition for early stage startups where more than 6 startups won a TIEC Accelerator Voucher. Techne Pitch - powered by Abraaj Group, offered $3,000 for the first place winner, awarded to Tatweer (http://www.Tatweer-egy.com). Uber Egypt (http://ubr.to/1Z5JknM) teamed up with Techne Summit to provide an #Uber7antoor where young entrepreneurs pitched their big ideas to some of the country’s most established investors while sharing a pimped out 7antoor trotting along Alexandria’s iconic coastal road! #Uber7antoor took 12 promising startups to pitch their ideas by the seaside. #TechneSummit2016 hashtag was one of most trending on twitter (http://bit.ly/1TEmq35) on the summit’s second day. “Techne was a concentrated dose of geeky startup fun at an epic Alexandrian setting that gave the whole summit a very unique flavor,” said Basil Fateen Founder & CEO HireHunt. “Techne Summit was a great event. I had the pleasure to meet so many great people and look forward to coming back again,” saidDan McGaw Founder | Head of Analytics Effin Amazing “Techne Summit 2016 wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors, those who believed in the importance of a summit like this and in its positive repercussions in Alexandria and the region,” said Mohamed El Dallal – Techne Summit Co-Founder “I would like to also thank our community and organizing partners for their help and support.” Techne Summit was sponsored by The U.S Consulate in Alexandria (http://alexandria.usconsulate.gov), The Swedish Institute in Alexandria(http://swedalex.org), Aramex Egypt (https://www.aramex.com), Upscale Development (http://www.upscale-dev.com), Microsoft(http://www.microsoft.com), Digital Dreams (http://bit.ly/1WpaMyL), Uber Egypt (http://www.Uber.com) & El Kal3a Club(http://bit.ly/1NRHzd6). Community Partners included Global Shapers Alexandria (http://bit.ly/27V6jI4), Nahdet El Mahrousa (http://www.NahdetElMahrousa.org),IEE Egypt Section (http://www.ieee.org.eg), Rise Up Egypt (http://riseupsummit.com), Ice Alex (http://bit.ly/1VlnOwb), Ma3mal co-working space (http://www.m3mal.com), Ahead of the Curve (http://www.ahead-ofthecurve.com), INNO 10 (http://inno101.com), Telecom Egypt(http://te.eg) and Whova (http://www.whova.com). “Over the two days of Techne Summit I have been discovering aspects of the event that developed exponentially,” says Tarek El Kady “all due to the magic that happens when great minds, passionate about a certain topic, come together. One of the most things that brought great joy to my heart is the energetic entrepreneurial spirit that was characteristic to this event. I am so proud of the startups that showed up with eagerness to partake in this summit and grow their businesses,” El Kady concludes.  Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Techne Summit.

World-Class Squash Champion Visits Careem Headquarters in Alexandria: Tells them -- “No such thing as Impossible”

Careem and Noor El Sherbini:

Cairo, May 26, 2016 -- Egyptian squash champion Noor El Sherbini, labeled the youngest world champion in history, visited Careem’s headquarters in Alexandria this week. Invited by the company’s management to speak with and empower their team, Sherbini shared her experiences and challenges as a renowned athlete, and delivered invaluable advice to Careem’s team.

“In your life, you’ll find lots of ups and downs -- but you always have to find a way to overcome those downs,” says Sherbini, who shared her story with the Careem Alexandria Team.

There are several parallels between Sherbibi’s success and that of Careem’s -- “We’re both so young, both aiming high, and working hard day and night to reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves. And we both got where we wanted to be, despite the harsh criticism and competition,” says Ahmed Galal, general manager of Careem’s Alexandria headquarters. “We invited her to come in and speak with our team, and it was definitely a reinforcement to them all, giving our team a much-needed inspirational talk about the pursuit of dreams and the importance of determination in our work despite the obstacles.”

Sherbini spoke to the team about overcoming her toughest obstacle, where she was severely injured right before a major world championship. In what would have taken 8 months to recover, Sherbini fought hard -- “I had no choice but  to recover in 3 months. And I came 2nd, despite the odds.”

In a short few years in Egypt, Careem has managed to both establish and maintain its position as one of the nation’s leading app-based car-service providers, despite the competition that has recently flocked onto the market. Providing thousands of jobs—both at the headquarters and on the road through the recruitment of Captains—Careem has participated in enriching the Egyptian economy for years with employment opportunities and invaluable service to the community.

“There’s no such thing as impossible”:

“Careem values the morale and well-being of its employees. For us to maintain our passion and drive, we look for inspirational game-changers Noor El Sherbini to come in and visit our office, and talk to our team. We find it necessary to remind ourselves every now and then why we’re here and how we should never ever give up,” says Careem’s Alexandria Fleet Manager, Sherine Ewees; ”Her presence was an inspiration to us all.”

Sherbibi’s last words of advice to the Careem Team was as follows: “You must always run after your dreams. If you have a dream, you must never ever leave it. It will come true, eventually, no matter how far or impossible it may seem. I also think there’s no such thing as impossible -- if you really want it, you’ll have to work hard to get it.” Sherbibi explained that her career started at the young age of 6, where she always dreamed big and played big -- “far bigger than my age!” she explains.

The young athlete’s take on success and determination reflects the very core of Careem’s dynamic and determined philosophy. They began as a startup in the UAE, and in less than 5 years became a global phenomenon that currently operates in over 30 cities around the world.

Since their launch in Egypt, Careem has shown more than 40% - 60% month-on-month growth rate, and has delivered thousands of rides with an ever-increasing fleet of new Captains.

بطلة العالم في الإسكواش تزور مقرات شركة كريم بالأسكندرية: قالت للموظفين "لا يوجد ما يُسمى مستحيلاً"

القاهرة، 26 مايو 2016 – قامت بطلة الإسكواش المصرية نور الشربيني – الملقبة بأصغر بطلة عالمية في التاريخ – بزيارة مقرات شركة كريم في الأسكندرية هذا الأسبوع؛ التي جاءت بدعوة من إدارة الشركة للتحدث إلى الموظفين وتشجيعهم – وشاركت  معهم تجاربها والتحديات التي تواجهها باعتبارها لاعبة رياضية معروفة، كما قدمت لهم نصيحة ثمينة.

وتوجهت نور إلى موظفي شركة كريم بالأسكندرية الذين شاركت قصتها معهم قائلة "ستواجهون الكثير من الصعوبات والنجاحات في حياتكم، ولكن عليكم دومًا إيجاد الطريق للتغلب على هذه الصعوبات".

وما بين نجاح نور الشربيني وشركة كريم العديد من أوجه التشابه، حيث يقول "أحمد جلال" المدير العام لمقرات شركة كريم بالأسكندرية "كلانا حديث العهد ولنا طموحات عالية، ونعمل بجد طوال الوقت لبلوغ أهدافنا التي نصبناها لأنفسنا. وكلانا وصل إلى ما يريد بالرغم من الانتقادات اللاذعة والمنافسة الشرسة". وأضاف "لقد دعوناها للمجيء والتحدث إلى موظفينا، وكان الأمر بالتأكيد داعمًا للجميع، فلقد قدمت لهم حديثًا ملهمًا عن السعي لتحقيق الأحلام وأهمية الإصرار في العمل بالرغم من العقبات وكانوا في حاجة ملحة اليه ".

وتحدثت نور عن تغلبها على أصعب العقبات التي واجهتها، عندما أصيبت إصابة بالغة قبل إحدى البطولات العالمية الكبرى مباشرة. فقد قاومت نور بقوة ما كان يجب أن يستغرق 8 شهور للتعافي قائلة "لم يكن أمامي خيار سوى التعافي في 3 أشهر؛ وحللت في المركز الثاني في البطولة بالرغم من الصعوبات".

وبالمثل، استطاعت شركة كريم في خلال سنوات قليلة من وجودها في مصر ترسيخ مكانتها والحفاظ عليها باعتبارها إحدى الشركات الرائدة التي تقدم خدمة السيارات عن طريق التطبيق الهاتفي في البلاد بالرغم من المنافسة التي اكتظت بها السوق. وشاركت كريم في إثراء الاقتصاد المصري لسنوات من خلال توفير فرص العمل – حيث وفرت آلاف الوظائف في كل من المقرات الرئيسية للشركة ونسعي الي توظيف سائقين جدد – لتقديم الخدمة الثمينة التي تقوم بها كريم للمجتمع.

"لا يوجد ما يُسمى مستحيلاً".

صرحت "شيرين عويس" مديرة شؤون السيارات قائلة "تقدر شركة كريم أهمية الروح المعنوية لموظفيها ورفاهيتهم، فبالنسبة لنا كي نواصل شغفنا بالقيادة؛ فإننا نبحث عن بيادق التغيير الملهمين أمثال "نور الشربيني" للمجيء وزيارة مقرنا والتحدث إلى موظفينا، إن تذكير أنفسنا من حين إلى آخر بسبب وجودنا هنا وبالطريقة التي نتجنب بها اليأس أمر ضروري".

وكانت آخر كلمات "نور الشربيني" التي نصحت بها موظفي شركة كريم هي: "عليكم دومًا مطاردة أحلامكم. فإذا كان لديكم حلم، فلا تتخلوا عنه أبدًا؛ فسوف يتحقق في النهاية مهما طال الوقت وبغض النظر عما إذا بدا مستحيلاً، وأنا أؤمن أيضًا بعدم وجود ما يُسمى المستحيل- فإذا أردت شيئًا بحق، فسيتعين عليك العمل الجاد من أجل الحصول عليه". وأوضحت الشربيني أن مسيرتها بدأت في سن صغيرة بعمر 6 سنوات، ولطالما تملكتها أحلام كبيرة وأن تلعب على مستويات كبيرة – فكما قالت "كان الحلم أكبر من سني بكثير!"

إن تناول اللاعبة الشابة لمسألة النجاح والإصرار يعكس جوهر الفلسفة الديناميكية القائمة على الإصرار لشركة كريم. فقد بدأت كشركة ناشئة في الإمارات العربية المتحدة، ثم أصبحت في أقل من 5 سنوات ظاهرة عالمية تدير أعمالاً حاليًا في أكثر من 30 مدينة حول العالم.

ومنذ إطلاق الشركة في مصر، حققت كريم معدل نمو شهريًا بنسبة تزيد عن 40 – 60%، ووفرت آلاف الرحلات عن طريق طاقمها المتزايد من السائقين الجدد.

Peter Hedlund appointed new Managing Director of Ordnance Survey International

Ordnance Survey International (OSI) is a subsidiary of Ordnance Survey (OS), responsible for sharing the British mapping agency’s expertise and tradecraft with countries all over the world.

30 May 2016

OSI has appointed Peter Hedlund as its new Managing Director. Peter has previously held senior director positions, and has over 15 years’ experience in developing and delivering international business strategies to support business objectives of both start-ups and global corporations.

Peter joins from Trimble where he was Regional Director of Middle East and Africa. During his time with Trimble, Peter produced and implemented growth strategies for international markets that grew Trimble’s business across several regions.

Peter says: "Location data often reveals the simplest answers to many of our world’s most complex questions. I’m thrilled to be joining OSI at this exciting time with the emergence of technologies transforming our world, and how we integrate those into the way we live and do business. Ordnance Survey has an exceptional reputation and OSI is a true pioneer in a world that’s filled with opportunities for discovery."

OS Chief Executive, Nigel Clifford, says: “Peter brings insightful know-how and experience to OSI. His knowledge of commerce and proven track record in international business experience will be invaluable to clients and OSI as we look to build on recent success.”

OSI was launched in 2012 and is now working in countries on four continents. It’s most recently completed project was the creation of a geospatial manual for the National Survey Authority of Oman in support of its modernisation.