Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) calls on Egyptian IT companies to apply for the "Go to GCC Market" program.
The program is organized in cooperation with IDC. It aims at supporting Egyptian IT firms in penetrating the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market through providing them a platform for partnerships with leading system integrators and channel partners in the region.
ITIDA CEO Dr. Hazem Abdelazim noted that the program is part of the strategy of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) for raising the Egyptian exports of services and products to $1.1 bn by 2010.
Dr. Abdelazim added that the program goals represent positive steps taken by the Egyptian Government to generate partnership and investment opportunities in the GCC market.
The program encompasses a preliminary workshop to introduce the program as well as analyzing the companies' data to define their points of strength for arranging possible partnerships with their Gulf counterparts. IDC supports the Egyptian companies throughout the different program phases.
ITIDA also offers Egyptian companies a variety of services through "Go to GCC Market", including: data on target markets, partnership opportunities and workshops in the target markets to facilitate for possible cooperation.
Furthermore, ITIDA prepares Egyptian companies to present the best marketing offers compared to their counterparts in the Gulf in addition to technical consultations for business development and finalization of deals.
The selection criteria of companies are based on the activities of each company. To join the program, a company has to be at least 50% owned by Egyptians, located in Egypt and has a minimum of 80% Egyptian employees on the payroll. Also at least 10 employees have to be full-timers.
Moreover, the selection criteria are also based on the company performance, internationally acknowledged certificates, partnerships with multinational companies and export capabilities and revenues.
Deadline for registration on the ITIDA website is 15 October, 2009. All companies wishing to join the program have to fill in all the required data on the website.
The committee formed to evaluate the offers of international consulting firms exerted intensive efforts recently to select the right company for carrying out the program.
About ITIDA
Located in the heart of modern business environment at the Smart Village, The Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) is a governmental entity spearheading the development of the Egyptian IT sector and increasing its global competitiveness. ITIDA, an affiliate of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), is tasked with the focal role in the developing the IT industry through identifying the needs of the local industry and addressing them with tailored programs. The agency is considered to be a one-stop-shop for foreign investors and a strategic advisor to Multi-National Companies (MNCs) investing in the Egyptian IT sector. It further plays a leading role in enhancing the Egyptian cyber security and data protection framework towards a more secure e-Business and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services positioning.
