Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Qatar Navigator To Create Automated Map Of Qatar
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | September 2, 2008 – 12:56 pm |
1 Comment
Qatar Navigator, a local startup company, has been awarded QR 1.6 million ($440,000) by Qatar’s Science and Technology Park (QSTP) to develop an automated map of the country.
Roads and landmarks will be surveyed and digitized with a video camera that can simultaneously capture images and GPS coordinates. Students from Qatar University will assist with the project, which is expected to be completed in the next five months.
The maps will be usable by common in-car navigation systems, as well as almost any other mobile device equipped with GPS. Qatar Navigator already makes its own software for such devices, called Gulf Way. The company aims to licence its maps to satellite navigation companies and also directly to Qatar motorists.
Financing was made possible under QSTP’s Proof of Concept Fund, which provides grants for universities and small-to-medium companies in Qatar to demonstrate the technical and commercial viability of their innovations. Grants range from $100,000 to $500,000, and can be used to develop prototypes, undertake market research and manage intellectual property.
Middle East Businesses Missing Out On Online Marketing Power
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 30, 2008 – 6:07 pm | 3 Comments
Middle East businesses could be taking far greater advantage of the marketing power of the Internet.
That was the message presented by Flip Media CEO, Yousef Tuqan, as he discussed the best ways for Qatar companies to build their web presence at this week’s QSTP TECHtalk.
Tuqan said: ‘Online advertising has been growing at more than 50% a year since 2004. Despite this frenetic increase the total last year came to just $35m, or less than 1% of what Middle East companies spend offline.’
On the plus side, he said, this low demand translates to low prices for online ads, an opportunity that Qatar companies can take advantage of. For example a life-insurance company in the US might pay $30 or more if someone clicks on their advertisement. In the Middle East, a company in the same industry may only have to pay a dollar or two.
Tuqan was presenting at a TECHtalk seminar hosted by Qatar Science & Technology Park. The bi-monthly seminars focus on the intersection between technology and business, and are open to the public.
Joining Tuqan in a panel discussion were ictQatar QCERT Center Director & Manager, Khalid Sadiq Al-Hashmi and Fuego General Manager, Karl Gretton. They agreed that although Qatar has one of the highest rates of Internet usage in the region, with 26% of the population now online, local businesses are not yet making the most of the web.
Tuqan said: ‘The most effective regional online advertising strategies take advantage of the latest technologies in relation to making users active participants instead of passive viewers, but within the social and cultural contexts of the region.’
He gave a case study of a Dubai property developer who set up a website where people could make good wishes for Ramadan. It attracted almost 40,000 participants in less than one month.
Yousef’s PowerPoint presentation is available here (PDF).
Ayna Organizes “Ya Hala Ramadan” Competition
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 30, 2008 – 12:53 pm | 1 Comment
One of the main challenges Arab search engines face is driving users to try out their service and then convert them into regular users. With Ramadan just a couple of days away, Ayna is trying to lure Arab internet users to its search engine through a Ramadanesque competition.
During the holy month of Ramadan, “Ayna” is organizing a religious and cultural competition called “Ya Hala Ramadan”, and offering valuable prizes for winners.
Participants can search Ayna to find the answer for a multiple-choice question asked daily throughout the period of Ramadan. The competition is only available in Arabic language.
Participants in the competition should meet the following conditions:
- Have a registered user account at “Ayna”.
- Be a resident of one of the Arab countries.
- Participate in the competition once daily and choose only one answer.
The winner of the competition is the one answering correctly the highest number of answers. In a multi-winner scenario, a draw will take place to choose the winner.
Valuable prizes will be awarded to winners; from round-trip plane tickets, to digital cameras and frames, to MP3 players and USB devices.
The competition begins on the first day of the month of Ramadan and lasts for the whole month; the names of the winners will be announced on the 8th of October 2008 and notified later by email.
Those wishing to participate have to visit “Ayna’s” competition page.
Google Launches Knol In Arabic As One Of The First Languages Worldwide
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 26, 2008 – 5:00 pm | No Comments
Google has just launched their service Knol in Arabic, as one of the first languages supported by the language worldwide. Knol is a new service from Google that in some way competes with Wikipedia, it is a free tool encouraging people to write articles about the things they know about most, and that they’re considered experts on.
So whatever their area of expertise, the service lets users write, share and participate in a community of information and knowledge.
Arabic is one of the first languages that Knol is launching globally, showcasing the importance of the Arabic market to Google.
Mohammad Gawdat, Managing Director for Emerging Markets explained: “The Arab region is a high priority for us at Google and we are excited to provide more tools in local language such as Blogger and now Knol.”
For more information and to start writing on your subject of expertise in Arabic or English, or explore existing knols (articles and posts), all you have to do is visit the website at: knol.google.com
‘The internet is huge, but still a lot of expert knowledge remains untapped,’ said Ahmed Gaballah, spokesman for Google. ‘Knol provides a way for people to share their expertise with others–and get credit for their contribution. In the same way that books have authors’ names right on the cover, knols have authors’ names–and links to their other articles–right there on the page.’
Knols are a great way to tackle the lack of Arabic content on the internet. ‘We are delighted that beyond providing a forum for Arabic speakers to share their knowledge, readers can now access information they are searching for that they otherwise could not get in Arabic,’ Gaballah stated.
Knols allow authors to include references, link to additional information, and interact with readers. And readers can easily submit comments, rate, or write a review of a knol.
ShoofTV Sponsors New Mobile Phone IBDA’A Awards Category
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 24, 2008 – 12:30 pm | No Comments
ShoofTV.com, the User Generated Content (UGC) online platform, that is an Arab Media Group company, just announced that it will be sponsoring a brand new category at the Ibda’a Media Student Awards 2008, the region’s most recognized distinction for emerging industry talent, which is organized by the Dubai Media City.
For the first time, Mobile Films videos made with a mobile phone will take pride of place next to digital photography, animation, and filmmaking amongst 11 categories at the annual competition.
The brand-new Mobile Phone category will showcase the innovative narrative techniques and production methods made possible by mobile phones, according to Shooftv.com General Manager Khadeeja Al Marzooqi.
She said: “Our initiative comes out of our keenness to help Ibda’a recognize this new generation of pioneering artists. The restrictions placed on mobile phone video makers, from the size of the image to the possible length of takes, represent exciting new possibilities. Because every limitation spawns creative solutions, mobile phones are a cutting-edge way for people around the world to express themselves without resorting to the expense of hiring equipment and crew. So much can be done in post-production that there are truly limitless amounts of creative tampering that can take place, resulting in something that pushes the envelope in terms of story and format.”
“Since Shooftv.com is all about the unrestricted sharing of art and expression, we saw this category as a perfect fit. We have showcased mobile films since our inception and will continue to look for new and innovative visual storytelling formats to keep Shoof fresh and fun.”
Established in 2001 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Ibda’a awards invite undergraduate media students from around the world to enter their work in a range of formats.
Organized annually by Dubai Media City, a member of TECOM Investments, in partnership with the International Advertising Association (IAA), the competition will culminate in a celebration in Dubai in November 2008 that will showcase outstanding submissions to the awards and see winners walk away with attractive cash prizes, internships, and coveted equipment.
Experts Discuss Regions Growth Potential For Internet Marketing Strategies
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 21, 2008 – 8:31 pm | No Comments
The latest advances in measuring and optimizing online marketing and the advantages of implementing such strategies in a competitive marketplace were discussed at a seminar on Search Engine Marketing hosted by Dubai Media City, a member of TECOM Investments.
The two-hour interactive workshop was organised in association with WSI Internet Consulting, a leading provider of internet solutions to businesses worldwide. The event witnessed the participation of 95 regional marketing professionals, representing advertising and PR agencies, media buyers and other professional organizations, keen to optimize the online presence of their companies and clients.
Mohamed Almulla, Executive Director, Dubai Media City, said: “The seminar is in line with our objective to offer a suitable platform for corporate leaders based in the UAE and the wider GCC market to benefit from latest technological trends. We are confident this event will further reinforce Dubai Media City’s mission of launching initiatives that are geared towards nurturing the region’s knowledge economy.”
Husam Jandal, Internet Business Consultant, WSI Internet Consulting, said: “With the highest growth rate of Internet users in the world, the Middle East represents a vast opportunity for the business community to promote their products and services online.
“With more than 90 per cent of all traffic generated on the Internet coming from search engines, it is important for the local business community to identify various ways of utilizing these Internet tools to achieve the desired visibility for their businesses.”
He added a majority of the regional companies are yet to realize the immense benefits that could accrue through the use of the Internet, which can be tapped for generating fruitful business leads and for building brand recognition.
He added: “There is a huge gap between demand for information and the supply of relevant content in the business arena. There are people who are desperately looking for certain products and services but unable to find relevant links because business offerings are not available online, or at least not visible on search engines. As an essential marketing tool for businesses, search engine marketing has become one of the world’s most preferred marketing strategies due to its flexibility, accessibility, accuracy, and cost effectiveness.”
Focusing on the details of regional internet usage, experts who led the seminar found Yahoo, Google and MSN as the most preferred search engines, a trend akin to the Western world. However, recently launched language specific search engines such as ‘Araby’ have become increasingly popular among Internet users in the Arab world, the seminar highlighted.
The workshop also underlined the findings of market studies that the Internet is the best vehicle for addressing the youth segment as a key target audience with more than 65 per cent preferring the Internet as their main source of information, according to a recent study by Maktoob Research, another regional internet market research company.
Middle East & North Africa Internet Users To Account For Greater Percentage Of World Total
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 17, 2008 – 6:46 pm | No Comments
According to an article on Zawya, Dr Walid Moneimne, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai-based Nuratel, told Emirates Business that the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) is expected to make up a significant chunk of the worldwide internet population by 2015.
According to InternetWorldStats.com, internet usage in the Middle East currently stands at nearly 42 million users or three per cent of the worldwide total of 1.4 billion. The website mentioned, however, that over a period of eight years (from 2000 to 2008), the Middle East’s internet penetration jumped by 1,176.8 per cent, as against a combined global performance of 281.8 per cent.
He thinks that with the advanced telecom infrastructure in place in most parts of the region, internet subscribers are likely to reach 1.3 billion in the next seven years, or 26 per cent of the targeted global penetration of five billion users.
Behind this forecasted growth he cites:
- The region going directly to developing wireless technology with high bandwidth capability, instead of fixed network as developed countries did, immediately placing itself at an advantage.
- The interdependency of four industries - Telecom, IT, Media and Electronics, which has been going on for two decades, unified by the internet
- Mobile phone improvements and expectations for mobile phone subscriptions to double to 600 million by 2010 from the current figure of 300 million.
- The proliferation of Web 2.0 and social media.
Read the full article here: Zawya
Javna Launches MobiAd Mobile Advertising Platform
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 10, 2008 – 2:46 pm | No Comments
Javna, a leading Arab company in the field of mobile software solutions and wireless applications has launched MobiAd, the first mobile ad application that allows users to earn money.
The Amman-based company said the program needs only to be downloaded on users’ cell phones free of charge, to start immediately accumulating points and collecting money. In addition, subscribers will also be eligible for periodic drawings on prizes offered by advertisors .
Underlining the feasibility of MobiAd as an ad platform, Javna said companies can now resort to this state-of-the-art application to get their messages across to the targeted segments of consumers who, for the first time ever, will have the chance to earn money rather than just spend it.
Javna hopes MobiAd will meet the growing needs of companies for innovative and out-of-the-box marketing techniques that ensure the achievement of the ad campaign goals while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
MobiAd allows advertising companies and ad agencies to reach out to the targeted segment of consumers in a modern and more interactive fashion, by defining the targeted age range, gender, and geographical location, among other data necessary to render the ad campaign a success and ensure its objectives are met in an optimal manner. In addition, the program provides technical reports to evaluate the campaign throughout its various phases.
All telecom companies’ subscribers, regardless of the type of their subscription, can download the software by visiting its official website: www.mobiadhome.com. Subscribers will have the choice to voluntarily join the marketing programs according to their interest and be rewarded for their choice; they will be also be able to invite their friends to Join the program and share the benefits with others.
Javna expect the mobile advertising platform to have a significant share of the Arab ad market, estimated at $7bn annually, especially since the new technology is based on interactive solutions through multiple delivery channels starting from SMS and MMS messaging, to flash interfaces that appear when a call is received or made by the user. These marketing tools can be programmed to appear regularly on set dates and times.
Info2cell Partners With Future TV To Provide Content To Mobile Phone Users In Saudi Arabia
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 8, 2008 – 11:16 am | 1 Comment
Info2cell.com, the leading mobile application service provider in the Middle East, has recently announced the signing of a content license and distribution agreement with Lebanon-based Future TV to provide video and MMS clips of hugely popular TV programmes, ‘Rossoom Mutaharirah’, ‘La Yomal’ and ‘Abou Riad’, to mobile phone users in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Through the subscription-based service, which will be launched today, users will receive the content three times per week. Each video clip - video IVR, WAP portal, video push and video streaming - will be up to two minutes long, while the MMS content will be 30 seconds in duration.
Bashar Dahabra, Founder and CEO of Info2cell.com, said,: ‘ We are pleased to sign this important agreement with Future TV which will enable us to provide select clippings from three highly popular TV programmes on the mobile phones of subscribers. Info2cell.com is committed to offering the most innovative and exciting content to its subscribers, in line with current market trends and consumer interests, and this partnership with Future TV perfectly complements our strategy.’
Samir S. Hammoud, Chairman and General Manager of Future TV, said, ‘The viewership for our programmes has been growing steadily in recent years and we are glad that this alliance with Info2cell.com has created another vital channel for subscribers in KSA to view clippings of some of our most watched programmes.’
Last year, Info2cell.com teamed up with MBC channel in Saudi Arabia to offer subscribers, video clips, ring tones, wallpapers and Java games of hugely popular television programmes including ‘Tash Ma Tash’, ‘Beiny o Bainak’, ‘Meznah’ and ‘Stories of the Prophet’.
Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment For Young Business Leaders To Create Business Networking Portal With Tejari
Mohamed Marwen Meddah | August 6, 2008 – 1:20 pm | No Comments
The Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders has signed an agreement to create a new online portal for small and medium enterprise (SME) members, made possible through the partnership of Tejari, a Middle Eastern e-commerce network, considered to be the hub of online trade for the region and emerging markets across the world.
The partnership will enable SME to develop a new online business community for members, enabling them to network within their industry, creating business opportunities while giving their businesses international exposure.
The portal will create an extensive online business community where members can find trade opportunities with other SME members and the 190,000 members of Tejari’s network. Members will be able to create online profiles to showcase their products and services on a global scale.
Tejari will create this portal based on SME’s requirements using the most innovative e-business technologies to help trading communities carry out business matchmaking via the internet.
Tejari will additionally offer support services to members to ensure proficient use of the portal and to introduce other e-commerce opportunities.
# More: Zawya
