MLG (Ministry of Local Government) places order for high-end Acer Altos servers
Acer recently won the prestigious MLG (Ministry of Local Government) tender in the Palestinian territory, including the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The single-largest server order received from the local government confirmed 14 units of quad Xeonä-based Acer Altos 21000 servers, plus four units of dual Xeonä-based Acer Altos 12000 servers. A comprehensive solution will be provided to the Ministry, which involves all servers sitting on the Acer RM 900 Rack, including a Microsoftâ Windowsâ NT operating system and fully loaded Oracle applications.
"The availability of these high-end servers will greatly enhance the local ministries' capability to serve the varied infrastructure requirements of its citizens. The Acer Altos servers will also allow the MLG to cope with infrastructure expansions and requirements for the near future," said Peter Lee, Country Manager of Acer Computer M.E. Ltd.
The winning of this bid can be attributed to the superior technical know-how, as well as the infrastructure and support of New Techni Comp, Acer's local channel partner and committed IT reseller, based in the bustling city-centre of Ramallah.
"Being the first ISO 9002 certified computer company in Palestine, and with the renowned award-winning range of Acer Altos servers in their corner, the Ministry's decision to adopt Acer technology was fairly easy. We are confident that these highly reliable, cost-effective servers coupled with our unmatched support will cement the fruitful relationship we share with the Ministry," added Marwan Khawaja, General Manager of New Techni Comp.
The World Bank recently donated US$1 million to this project, with the primary objective of improving the local municipalities' logistic, service and operational capabilities to facilitate better and higher standards of living for their citizens.
"The Acer Altos servers will be running mission-critical applications in the various government bodies, including the Electricity Department, Accounting Bureau, Statistics Bureau, Water Department, and others," added Peter Lee.
MIM: Some interesting info on Pal universities and UN role in doc entitled Profile of information technology in the PA - Also worth noting that one of the references for IT projects on the last page of the html is the Welfare Association which raises money for the "revitalisation aka Islamisation of the Old City of Jerusalem.
PDF]ESCWA File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML Microsystems, IBM, ACER who have agents or representatives in the Palestinian territories. T. ABLE. 9. DISTRIBUTION OF COMPANIES ACCORDING TO FIELD OF WORK ... www.escwa.org.lb/wsis/reports/docs/Palestine-E.pdf - Similar pages
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MIM: The Jordanians, who despise the 'Palestinians' and have denied them any kind of employment or basic rights by forcing them to remain as stateless refugees in their country for decades, are only too happy to raise money for "preserving their culture and identity" in the Old City of Jerusalem.
"...In the area of preserving culture and identity, WA works on the revitalisation of the Old City of Jerusalem: Established in 1995, the project seeks to restore and rehabilitate culturally and historically important sites in the Old City for contemporary use..."
Queen Rania attends Welfare Association annual fundraiser
AMMAN (JT)— Her Majesty Queen Rania acted as patron at the Welfare Association (WA) annual fundraising event in Amman on Friday during which the association honoured members of the board of trustees, recognised sponsors and awarded prizes to institutions which had excelled in their contributions.
The Welfare Association was established in 1983 by a group of prominent Palestinian business and intellectual figures seeking to respond to the human resource development needs of Palestinian society, with special emphasis on IT training for youth.
As the largest source of private funds directed towards Palestinian development, the private, nonprofit, self-sustaining organisation has, to date, contributed more than $150 million in support of more than 500 NGOs and community organisations, with 2,000 projects implemented in Palestine and Lebanon.
Seeking to preserve Palestinian history in the region, the foundation has also established several unique programmes such as the Revitalisation of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Abdul Muhsen Qattan, acting chairman of WA's board of trustees thanked Queen Rania for supporting the association.
During his opening remarks, Qattan lauded the efforts of Abdul Majid Shoman, founder and former board chairman, who recently stepped aside and was named honorary president for life.
Accepting an award on behalf of Shoman, Munib Masri, vice chairman of the WA board, said the association's approach to sustainable development and humanitarian assistance, its members' commitment, its international affiliations, and transparency had all contributed to its worldwide credibility.
Veteran Syrian actor Dureid Lahham expressed his gratitude and honour at being named goodwill ambassador for the WA, which has been working on improving the quality of life in the Palestinian territories throughout its 22-year history.
The association was recently named the recipient of the Aga Khan Prize for projects to revitalise the Old City of Jerusalem and the 2004 Dubai International Award for Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment.
In addition to utilising its own resources and managing its own programmes, WA serves as a local implementing agency for regional and international organisations and governments to manage external development assistance.
International partners include the World Bank, the European Union, the Islamic Development Bank, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, AGFUND, the OPEC Fund and UN agencies, as well as several international nongovernmental organisations such as the Norwegian People's Aid.
The 100-member WA general assembly comprises prominent Arab and Palestinian individuals and associates, which meet annually to review work progress and approve audited financial statements and strategic issues.
The 40-member board of trustees is elected by the general assembly every three years, to formulate policies and strategies and review the foundation's performance.
Operating through four branches — Jerusalem, London, Geneva and Amman —the WA's areas of work and projects include Early Childhood Education via encouraging curricula development, the use of model facilities and progressive teacher training techniques, as well as equipping community centres and schools with computers, networks, the Internet and other facilities.
The foundation is also committed to improving and expanding educational, cultural, and social activities for Palestinian youth, including those with special needs, through the establishment of facilities, training and support enrichment programmes. These include Futurekids (training children and youth in the use of different computer applications) as well information technology for youth, initiated in April 2001, with the International Youth Foundation. The project is a three-year community service programme to provide youth in rural areas in the West Bank with access to and training on computers and the Internet in schools and non-formal settings.
In addition to establishing the IT Centre of Excellence in Palestine, WA also assists the Palestinian refugee community, performing vital interventions for the community in the areas of healthcare, rehabilitation, ECE, and vocational and higher education.
In the area of preserving culture and identity, WA works on the revitalisation of the Old City of Jerusalem: Established in 1995, the project seeks to restore and rehabilitate culturally and historically important sites in the Old City for contemporary use.
Professor of Comparative Literature, Columbia University
Faisal S. Alami
Director of Finance & Development, Partner
Hasib J. Sabbagh
Vice-chair man, Consolidated Contractors Co., SAL
Hisham F. Qaddumi
Chairman of the Board - HQ Associates
Ibrahim Abu Lughod
Professor of International Studies, Birzeit University [1929-2001]
Issam Abdul Salam Abu Issa
Chairman of the Board, Palestine International Bank
Issam Azmeh
Consultant, Member of Board of Directors of Companies
Jawdat Shawwa
Managing Director, IMCO, Kuwait
Khalid C. Sifri
Attorney
Mohammad Y. Najm
Professor Emeritus of Arabic, American University of Beirut; Chairman of the Administrative Committee, Palestinian Students Fund
Munib R. Masri
Vice-chairman of Board of Directors, Engineering & Development Group (EDGO); Chairman of the Board of Directors, Palestine Development & Investments Co., (PADICO)
Munir R. Kaloti
President, Kaloti Jewellery Co., UAE; Arab Weavers, Jordan; Union Mills for YARU, Jordan, Gerasa Insurance Co.
Munther J. Nabulsi
Deputy Chairman, Board of Directors, Transgulf Readymix Concrete Co. Managing Director, Greenworks Est.