CAIRO: International Turnkey Systems (ITS) announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Egypt's Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) to set up a center for remote managed services (RMS) in the Middle East, according to a press statement. The center, to be located in Cairo's Pyramids Heights Technology Campus, will combine a comprehensive IT management platform with a secure remote access technology to securely manage customer s IT infrastructures. "We believe that Egypt has a great potential to be a regional hub for the IT industry in the MEA region based on the considerable pool of IT talent in the country and the material and regulatory support the Egyptian government is providing to improve this sector, said Khaled Faraj Al-Saeid, managing director and general manager of ITS. According to Al-Saeid, the center will offer its services to ITS s current and future customers which include managing, operating and maintaining the client s information systems through the RMS center in Egypt. Thus, customers can outsource the burden of managing their IT infrastructure, allowing them to focus on their core business. Minster of Communication and Information Technology Tarek Kamel said, "This agreement is in line with the ministry policy that aims at attracting investments - especially Arab investments - which contribute in providing excellent job opportunities to the Egyptian youth. This is achieved through the continuous support that the ministry, in cooperation with the private sector in Egypt, provides for all companies working in this sector . ITS, which was established in 1981, is one of the leading ICT companies in the region providing IT solutions for the banking, higher education and telecommunications sectors. "This agreement represents a major turning point for Egypt's IT industry which will have the first state-of-the-art center of its kind in the Middle East for managing information systems remotely, said Hazem Youssef Abdelazim, CEO of ITIDA. "ITS' proven track record of delivering world-class and state-of-the-art information technology solutions represents a basic foundation in establishing this center. And we expect that this center will have a vital role to play in improving and developing the IT industry in Egypt and the region as a whole. Recent financial reports from ITS showed revenues of $153 million for the fiscal year 2007, an increase of 16 percent compared to the results in 2006. The company aims to achieve a 25 percent growth rate over the next full business cycle. ITS employs over 2,000 professionals in offices across the Middle East, North Africa, East Asia and the Caribbean.
