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Iraq Tech Sector Boosted by Ambitious Investment from German IT Giant
Published Feb 29, 2012
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SAP, the world’s largest business software provider, has demonstrated its commitment to the emerging Iraqi technology sector by recruiting a senior executive to drive business development across the country.
Boasting a 40-year-old legacy of continuous growth across 25 industries, and in excess of 183,000 customers worldwide, SAP empowers people and organizations to work more efficiently and use business insight more effectively.
“Iraq is of considerable strategic importance to SAP, and we are honored to be at the forefront helping the country embrace IT innovation as a means to power a better and more sustainable future,” said Sam Alkharrat, Managing Director, SAP MENA.
The German company is aiming to wield a considerable positive influence on the Iraqi public sector– from back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – with particular focus on innovations pertaining to human resources management.
Over the past 30 years, SAP has enabled more than 1,250 Public Sector organizations in 70 countries transform operations at all levels to deliver better services.
SAP will also stand out for its oil and gas expertise. For the past 25 years, the company has provided integrated and specifically tailored software solutions covering the full industry value chain, including upstream, supply and trading, refining and manufacturing, downstream marketing and retailing, optimal management of assets, as well as safe and sustainable operations.
Delivery of SAP solutions worldwide is subject to strict compliance with all export and re-export regulations and controls and global policies and governance processes.
The majority ofFortune 500 companies in the oil and gas industry currently run SAP software to provide complete transparency and control for processes such as operational risk management, integrated sourcing and procurement, enterprise performance management, optimized asset operations management and efficient HR operations.
SAP’s work in Iraq will not just be about the bottom line, however, with initiatives like the SAP University Alliance expected to boost local knowledge and stoke vocational skill sets.
The alliance provides University faculties with the tools and resources needed to teach students how technology can help enable integrated business processes and strategic thinking, giving them the opportunity to gain valuable skills with the potential to add immediate value to the Iraqi IT sector.
SAP’s plan to ramp up its business in Iraq comes hot on the heels of its best ever full-year and fourth quarter financial performance, which included a 25% software revenue increase at constant currencies to €4 billion and IFRS total revenue of €14.23 billion, an increase of 14% on 2010.
The company’s robust performance is reflected in the Middle East and North Africa Region where a recent study by IDC, the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm for the information technology and telecommunications markets, named SAP as the leading Enterprise Application Software (EAS) vendor with a 37.1% market share.
Veteran IT consultant and entrepreneur Mohammed Al Najjar will spearhead the bold new venture, assuming the role of Senior Executive for Iraq.
An Iraqi national, Al Najjar has over three decades experience of managing and implementing cutting-edge business solutions and introducing industry and global best practices, most recently as the founder of a Bagdad-based consultancy service, which served as a system integrator on behalf of companies like SAP, Microsoft and Cisco, and completed projects of note for entities such as the Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Telecommunication, as well as a host of private sector enterprises..
“SAP’s investment in Iraq shows it believes in the country and its ability to move forward,” said Al Najjar.
“SAP does not just offer a bolt-on software solution, but an entire transformation philosophy that can enhance government processes, pave the way for new businesses and improve people’s lives, making citizens safer and growing the local knowledge-based economy.”
Posted by
VMD - [Virtual Marketing Department]
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