CAIRO: Recent moves by Hewlett-Packard, CISCO and Motorola to establish stronger bases in Egypt have the outsourcing community in an optimistic fit. Adel Danish, the head of Xceed, one of Cairo's leading call centers, believes the recent developments will help continue to push Egypt to the forefront of international investment options. “We are definitely keeping pace, even after the troubles earlier this year with the protests,” he said. “Outsourcing is a key institution for Egypt and through our concerted efforts, it is obvious that companies see it the same way.” All three companies have signed agreements with either ITIDA – a government information technology operator and regulator – or the ministry of communications to develop their companies reach into Egypt and the region. For analysts, it is a sign that the Egyptian economy appears to be rebounding nicely. “It is a positive step in the right direction. Now the key is to keep it going forward,” said Reda Omran, a Cairo-based IT executive. Yasser ElKady, ITIDA's CEO said in a press release that “this MoU is a clear testament to our commitment to support all segments of the IT industry in Egypt. While our endeavours in positioning Egypt as one of the key outsourcing destinations have yielded significant results, we are keen on extending all the necessary support to the Egyptian hardware companies and we are positive that this training, along with other initiatives will have considerable impact.” Hewlett-Packard (HP), the world's largest technology company, and Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide world-class training to Egyptian hardware companies and increase their competitive advantages. The MoU aims to assist Egyptian companies in training to help grow their businesses, impart key skills to employees and in the wider talent pool, and increase their footprint in local and regional markets. BM
