Government consults Oracle THE MINISTER of communications and information technology in conjunction with the minister of education and the minister of state for administrative development last week signed four cooperation agreements with Oracle Corporation in order to maximise job opportunities and implement e-government in Egypt. The first agreement provides more than 5,000 graduates with Oracle E-Learning Tracks and 500 different online courses so as to promote e-learning and enhance IT specialists' skills and competitiveness. The second agreement, known as the "Oracle Academy" focusses on educating students between the ages of 14 and 19 on the fundamentals of database, application development technologies, and necessary business skills. It includes free access to Oracle software and free professional training for the academy instructors. Within two years, 120 schools will operate as Oracle Academies, training about 3,000 students with investments worth $19 million. Furthermore, it provides primary and secondary students and teachers with a free web-based environment, enabling them to create and share their work online with other students and teachers from across the world. The third agreement intends to implement e- government and provide services and technical support to the various government bodies. It also stipulates that Oracle offers special discounts to all purchases made by government departments. Finally, the fourth agreement includes familiarising employees with the latest developments in IT to prepare them for the application of e-government. On behalf of Oracle Corporation, Executive Vice- President Sergio Giacoletto also announced the imminent establishment of its first Global Customer Support Centre in the Middle East and Africa. Such a project will recruit and train IT experts in Egypt to provide round-the-clock technical and professional services to customers worldwide. The centre will be located in the Smart Village and will include in its first phase 40 qualified professionals specialising in troubleshooting and supporting complex software technology. Tissot watching Egypt TISSOT, the world's leading Swiss watches company, has recently chosen Egypt to host its 2005 sales meeting for its sales partners around the world. For the first time in the Middle East, the international sales partners have met in an intensive sales conference, presenting the latest in watch-making design and innovation to market their watches in over 150 countries around the world in which the brand is present. "Egypt is regarded as the crossroads of the world, where for centuries people of diverse nationalities and cultures have come together to exchange ideas," François Thiebaud, president of Tissot told Al-Ahram Weekly. In a press conference for the Egyptian and pan-Arab media of the region, the latest high-tech watch in the Tissot collection was presented. Thiebaud set out his vision of the prestigious Swiss watch brand, and stressed the importance he places on the close relationship Tissot builds with its partners around the world. He also explained that Tissot now offers watches with moderate prices that the Egyptian market can afford. "They are convinced that Egypt is the main gateway to the Middle East," said Ayman Nassif, director of Baghdad Trading Company, which is responsible for marketing and promoting Tissot brand in Egypt. In 2003, Tissot celebrated its 150th anniversary. "We wish customers in Egypt to share it also with us, by making them part of our history," said Thiebaud, presenting the first book written exclusively about Tissot, available in 14 languages including Arabic.
