Batelco Chief Executive Bahrain Meets Customers and International Media at Cisco Networkers 2010

**Gert Rieder Outlines Batelco’s Commitment to the ICT Sector**

Batelco Chief Executive Bahrain Gert Rieder reiterated Batelco’s commitment to the ICT industry in Bahrain when he met members of the international press at the Cisco Networkers 2010 event which is taking place at the BIC (Bahrain International Circuit) until March 31st.

Mr. Rieder also stated that Batelco is committed to its partnership with Cisco and praised the ICT provider’s invaluable contribution in supporting Batelco’s delivery of leading technology- based solutions for its customers.

“Through its partnership with Cisco, Batelco aims to deliver highly specialised products and services and differentiate itself from other providers by offering customers a true converged ICT solution.”

“We also consider our customers’ financial needs and have designed flexible and innovative financing models to assist them with their capital expenditure during the ongoing difficult market conditions,” said Mr. Rieder.

Mr. Rider also spoke about Batelco’s ongoing commitment to investment in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its support of the nationwide E-Government ICT strategy.

“We are focused on the delivery of innovate solutions for the Bahrain government as it makes tremendous progress in providing an extensive range of e-services available for the benefit of all residents.”

Mr. Rieder added that Batelco is also involved in training young Bahrainis in the use of Cisco technologies.

“We are proud to have an authorised CCNA academy located at the company’s Knowledge Hub at Hamala Headquarters. Since the in-house Academy opened in 2007 two group of 14 students have graduated, a third group will complete their training in April and a 4th group is planned for later this year,” he said.

Furthermore, each of these groups includes some unemployed young Bahrainis selected by the Ministry of Labour and we provide the training for them as part of our CSR responsibility to help them integrate into the labour force in the Kingdom.”

Batelco is the Diamond Sponsor and Telecom Provider of the industry-accredited networking forum, which is taking place in the Middle East for the first time. Bringing like-minded IT, Networking and Communications professionals together, Cisco Networkers 2010 comprises of five conferences in one, running parallel, under the theme ‘Knowledge is Power’.

Batelco has invited a number of its business customers to join them at the BIC’s Paddock 4 in Cisco’s interactive learning World of Solutions Exhibition where they are demonstrating a range of their products & services, including Unified Communication, Video Telephony, Video Conferencing and Unified Messaging.

Visitors at the event also have an exclusive opportunity to ‘ask the expert’ on any networking challenges they may have, and experience Cisco’s solution technology for themselves during ‘hands on’ sessions and real-time demonstrations.

“Our strategic partnership with a leading technology solutions provider such as Cisco is vital for Batelco in building platforms that give us a demonstrable competitive advantage in the market. Batelco and Cisco recently combined their expertise and worked in partnership to deliver seamless end-to-end communications solutions at the Bahrain International Air Show 2010,” Mr. Rieder concluded.