CAIRO: To further support Egypt's growing small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) market, IBM recently launched new industry solutions for retail, manufacturing, banking, and enterprise planning specifically tailor-made to meet SMEs needs. "The SMEs market is [now] the most important market not only in Egypt but also across the region and worldwide. SMEs have specific needs that are different than those of large enterprises; and at IBM, our trend is to approach this market with tailor-made solutions that meet their requirements, Sherif Fadel, systems and technology manager at IBM, told Daily News Egypt at a press conference last week. Express Advantage is the firm's industry-leading program for the SMEs market. It aims to create unified end-to-end approaches to enable this market to grow and innovate. IBM has expanded its Express Advantage program to provide SMEs with cost-effective IT solutions at optimum speed and high performance. "The [new solutions] will enable SMEs to improve their operations, increase their productivity and efficiency, as well as [reduce their costs], Fadel pointed out. "While SMEs are keen on reducing their operational costs, IBM is a pioneer in energy-efficient hardware. Additionally, Express Advantage helps SMEs simplify technology management needed to operate their businesses by combining servers, phone systems, and anti-virus applications into a single system. The new technology also provides protection against internet threats such as viruses, worms, and spy-ware without adversely affecting network performance and speed. "We help our customers to bundle these solutions. It's a plug-and-play package. Currently, IBM reaches thousands of SMEs through distributors, re-sellers, and local partners that enable the company to identify needs of SMEs. According to the company, SME customers have now become more discerning about their technology investments and have increased spending in IT solutions, particularly in the mid-market. Technology solutions now account for more than 60 percent of mid-market spending with potential to grow further.
