Members News

Zain, the foremost telecom company in Jordan, has announced the launch of ‘The Bunker’ – a TIER III UPTIME, with 99.982% availability, state-of-the-art, military grade design and development, highly modernized, fully redundant power, cooling and communications network data center, situated at the King Hussein Business Park in Amman Jordan. The Bunker, which is the first of its kind in the region and one of very few worldwide, gives local, regional and international organizations the opportunity to host their IT infrastructure, disaster recovery (DR) offices and enhance their ICT business processes.

The Bunker is another initiative that exemplifies Zain Jordan’s efforts to spearhead digital transformation in the country. The company revolutionized telecommunications in Jordan by introducing GSM mobile services in the country and introduced Fourth Generation services “LTE” for the first time in the kingdom.

Companies that have very crucial computational functions and important data to store can really value such a facility that provides the highest levels of security and sustainability. When a company uses The Bunker as their main data center or their disaster recovery (backup) location, it is safer than any other conventional building. Its area measures approximately 4300 sq. mts., located 12 mts. below ground level. Built with the same specifications as a military-grade underground facility, The Bunker is constructed to the highest standards of security and redundancy requirements. It has dedicated rooms protected by high security 2-ton iron doors and 2 metres thick reinforced concrete walls, giving it the capability to withstand natural disasters, missiles and fires. Furthermore, when a disaster strikes, the cooling, power and connectivity systems are redundant and can be sustained for long periods without any outage. The facility has 24/7 onsite security personnel and advanced surveillance cameras security systems (CCTVs).

Mr. Fahad AlJasim, Chief Executive Officer at Zain Jordan says, “We see this as a turning point and a milestone in Zain’s journey to be the most advanced telecom operator, to meet the long-term aspirations of our partners, and to help them with a range of services that are at the core of their business, contributing to their aspirations for further success in their organization.”

The technological advancements of IoT, Big Data Analytics and Cloud Services, require substantial computing power, resilient networks and, most importantly, security. Nevertheless, conventional data centers are not disaster proof and provide a mediocre security level. The value proposition of The Bunker is that it provides a colocation space as well as a designed cloud, heavily protected underground and powered by Zain’s resilient network. Companies can avoid large TCOs of building data centers and alternatively adopt an OPEX model through yearly payments. The facility’s location in the heart of Amman is very convenient to IT staff of any company to reach The Bunker where their servers are hosted.

The Bunker is not just a data center. Other than its variety of colocation options, it consists of various DR offices. Customers can rent dedicated or shared offices as well as ‘hot seats’ which can serve as business continuity units in cases of disasters or day to day activities related to their data center. These spaces span from 20 sq. mts. to 100 sq. mts. and can cater to various customer needs.

The Bunker hosts a NOC (Network Operation Center) to monitor and protect data center related infrastructure (UPS, generators, firewalls, switches, chillers, etc). It also hosts a SOC (Security Operations Center) to monitor and protect colocation customers and our existing cloud infrastructure, cyber security threats and other preventive operations.

The facility is Uptime Tier III certified. This certification is only given to data centers that are secure and provide cooling, power and connection redundancy to the users of the facility to ensure continuity of service.

Zaid Jordan’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Yousef Abu Mutawe concludes, “Zain has transformed from providing services to individuals to becoming a leader in providing services to the business sector. We are extremely proud to introduce the Zain Regional Center for Data Storage, Information and Disaster Recovery (The Bunker) which is the first of its kind in the Arab world. We will continue to expand and enhance our ICT portfolio and introduce innovation to the market.”

For the 2^nd Consecutive Year

STS, the leading company in providing complete all-round Information Technology (IT) solutions in Jordan and the region, announced today it was named Fortinet’s Jordan best growing partner of the year.

STS was honored during Fortinet’s Partner SYNC conference, an annual gathering of more than 6 partners in Jordan. The Fortinet Partner of the year awards recognize outstanding cybersecurity sales, customer experience, collaboration and marketing achievements from the company’s distributors, resellers and service providers.

This achievement, for the second year consecutive, was a proven result of STS’ dedication to providing the latest innovations and advanced technologies along with its commitment to be the reliable technology partner of choice in MENA region. In addition to successfully gaining all advanced technical certificates to guarantee a sustainable long-term partnership with its clients.

Ibrahim Elmourdea, General Manager of products and solutions, STS: “Receiving this award is a clear recognition for the market as STS is a major IT company in the region. Our objective is to continue making this collaboration a success for many years, to provide to our customer the best security solutions thanks to Fortinet”.

This outstanding triumph for STS is yet another milestone on the route of success that the company has paved in its strategy and framework of implementing the latest technology solutions for businesses in Jordan and the region.

Adel Hijazi, Regional Enterprise Director (North Gulf, Levant & Iraq), Fortinet, commented: “We are pleased to see STS winning this award for the second consecutive year. This recognition demonstrates their strong growth as well as their commitment towards Fortinet”.

Orange Jordan stressed on the importance of the knowledge and innovation forum “Ebtikarthon”, as it adds a social dimension to the start-ups and is a catalyst for innovators and talents, especially as it serves as a platform to meet with companies and experts to review the ideas of their projects and objectives.

During her participation in one of the discussion panels on the last day of the forum that was attended by the Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Muthanna Gharaibeh, on behalf of HRH Basma bint Talal, PR, CSR, and Corporate Communication Director at Orange Jordan, Rana Dababneh, said that Orange Jordan sponsored the activities of “Ebtikarthon” forum that is carried out by the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), for the 3^rd consecutive year under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal. The three-day forum that is part of the Princess Basma Award for Human Development and Community Service witnessed the participation of more than 100 young men and women from different governorates of the Kingdom.

Dababneh added that the forum comes in line with Orange Jordan’s strategy in supporting young entrepreneurs and developing their skills, and sponsoring their ideas to develop projects that have a positive impact on their local communities, ultimately leading to Orange Jordan’s goal in driving the economy and achieving sustainable development in the Kingdom.

Dababneh praised the distinguished partnership that combines Orange Jordan with JOHUD, which resulted in organizing and sponsoring many initiatives and events related to the youth category, which Orange Jordan considers as the main essence in building society and the base of its development and prosperity.

During her speech, Dababneh showcased Orange Jordan’s contributions in developing local communities in different governorates around the Kingdom that are carried out through various initiatives, such as adopting the ideas of creative young entrepreneurs and providing support for their projects through its start-up accelerator program, BIG, in which one of the companies within the program “Masmoo3” participated in the forumin addition to the Women Data Centre program that Orange Jordan launched in cooperation with JOHUD, where five women from the program participated in a special session on the role of women entrepreneurs in community development.

Dababneh also showcased some results of the joint study conducted by Orange Jordan in cooperation with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), which showed that start-ups based on technology, currently contribute to $168 million, directly and indirectly, or 0.5% of the total GDP. This proportion corresponds to the global percentage, except for the United States, Australia and Canada.

“Ebtikarthon” forum aims to add a social aspect to the start-ups, motivate youth talents and entrepreneurs and provide them with personal skills to develop their business, enrich their knowledge and experience in community leadership, and maximize the benefit of their entrepreneurial projects on different categories and segments of society.

Three start-ups won in the third local edition and the ninth global edition of the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP).The jury of the prize evaluated the projects of seven companies that were qualified to the final stages, choosing winners of the first three places.  This came after the participants presented their innovative projects in front of a special committee that evaluated these projects with high accuracy. The names of these companies will be announced next month.

According to Orange Jordan, the three winning companies will receive a cash prize of JD 4,000 for the first winner, JD 3,000 for the winner coming in second place, and 2,000 JD for the winner of the third place. Winners will also have the opportunity to participate in the international version of the prize, which will be held in November, in South Africa, where this competition represents an opportunity for them to compete for one of its prizes which amount to 25,000, 15,000, and 10,000 Euros for the three prizes.

Orange Jordan opened the registration to participate in OSVP from March to September, targeting projects that offer innovative solutions that respond to the needs of community in different areas such as health, agriculture, education, energy, commerce and industry.

Due to the importance of the prize a  jury with expertise in entrepreneurship has been formed and consisted of: Chief Executive Officer of Abd Al Hamid Shoman Foundation, Valentina Kassisieh, Deputy Executive Director at The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), Mohammad Al-Amoush, CEO at Information and Communications Technology Association – Jordan (Int@j), Eng. Nidal Bitar, Director of Strategy & Partnerships at Crown Prince Foundation, Mais AlDaoud, pioneer Fida Taher and PR, CSR, and Corporate Communication Director at Orange Jordan, Rana Al Dababneh..

This prize falls in line with is in line with Orange Jordan’s CSR plan, through which the company aims to capitalize on and invest in the talents of the local community, especially young entrepreneurs, whom the company keen to support through providing training programs, financial support and professional expertise, in order to help them turn their ideas into real projects on ground, contributing to the development of the local community and advancing the overall development of the Kingdom.

Oromia International Bank, a decade-old private commercial bank, has gone live with an advanced core banking solution.

ICS Financial System (ICSFS), a company from the United Kingdom, developed the system that works for interest-free, corporate internet, retail and mobile banking services. The system was fully implemented last month after the duo signed the agreement two years ago.

ICSFS secured the project after vying with seven other companies. FLEXCUBE and ICSFS both passed the technical evaluation and demonstration stages.

After discussing the proposed systems by the two companies with foreign banks that have already implemented their systems, OIB decided to procure the solution developed by ICSFS, according to Wolde Bulto, Vice President of Oromia International Bank, which has 32.1 billion Br in assets and 2.4 billion Br in paid-up capital. To get training on how to use the system, 40 staff members of the bank traveled to Asia and Europe. The bank officials also traveled to Nigeria and Lebanon, where the same system is being used, checking on how those banks are managing the system.

CBS Solution, that was developed by Indian technology firm Infrasoft Technologies Ltd. The old system was developed five Years age.

“It was implemented when the Bank had a relatively low level of transactions compared to recent times,” according to Wolde.

Currently, the Bank has around 1.5 million active customers and 267 branches across the country.

The old system took two to three hours to process end-of-day transactions, and the new system reduced this to less than 30 minutes. The monthly closing process, which required spending a night, is now done in 45 minutes using the new system.

The software suite future-proof banking activities by providing a broad range of features and capabilities with more agility and flexibility, to enrich customer experience, according to a statement from ICSFS, a company that was established in 2004 and provides business and technology solutions for financial institutions.

The new system also upgrades the Bank’s interest-free banking software. The solution is designed and developed in line with the principles of Shari’ah law in compliance with the accounting and auditing procedures of Islamic financial institutions.

Oromia International Bank, which operates with 5,000 employees, is one of the first private banks that launched interest-free banking window service in Ethiopia.

The Bank also launched several electronic banking initiatives, such as a bank card called Oro-Card (ATM and PoS), a mobile banking solution dubbed Oro-Cash, an agent banking project called Oro Agent, and an internet banking programme called Oro-Click.

Commencing operations in 2008 with subscribed and paid-up capital of 279.2 million Br and 91.2 million Br, respectively, the Bank has mobilised 26.5 billion Br in deposits in the recently ended fiscal year. It also disbursed 17.4 billion Br worth of loans and advances.

Tsega Tibebu, a PhD candidate and a lecturer at Bahir Dar University’s College of Business and Economics, commented that the system upgrade at the Bank will play an immense role in letting it control fraud and illegal money movements.

“It will also ease the transaction process and save time,” he said.

ICS Financial Systems Limited (ICSFS), the global software and services provider for banks and financial institutions, and Oromia International Bank S.C (OIB), one of the most profitable banks in Ethiopia , announce the successful implementation and go-live of ICS BANKS Universal Banking and ICS BANKS Interest Free Banking (IFB)software suites, to provide OIB customers with conventional and interest free banking services at 264 physical branches having IFB and Conventional banking services in each branch  across the country.

OIB is one of the most influential and popular private banks in Ethiopia and also known for pioneering Interest free banking window services. OIB replaced its legacy system with full-fledged IFB & Conventional services from ICS BANKS Universal Banking and ICS BANKS IFB software suites, including part of ICS BANKS Digital Banking products to indulge their customers with a true omnichannel experience. The implementation project took the Big Bang approach for 264 branches; where each physical branch consists of IFB and Conventional window services. OIB went live during July 2019, showcasing record breaking of less than 30 minutes end-of-day processing (EOD) duration in Ethiopia.

Abie Sano, OIB President, stated: “The Ethiopian banking industry is flourishing, especially in the interest-free banking sector. OIB is one of the most influential banks in Ethiopia, as we have around 2 million customers from corporate to individual, and from baby boomers to millennials. ICSFS’ products and services work hand-in-hand with our philosophy and approach; to work on full-speed to offer our variety of customers a successful journey, especially as we are diving into a frictionless future. Thanks to ICSFS’ true comprehensive offering, we are now capable on servicing each customer with their specific needs and demands. We are very excited to start our own journey with ICSFS.”

Robert Hazboun, Managing Director at ICSFS, said: “We are happy with the outcome of this project, as with no room of doubt, the successful go-live of ICS BANKS at OIB is considered one of the most seamless implementations in the Ethiopian banking industry. This milestone proved again ICS BANKS efficiency, resiliency and high tolerance to infrastructure challenges of all kinds, while still providing the highest levels of performance with minimal infrastructure requirements. The implementation revealed vital performance gain that substantially enhanced the bank’s customer experience compared to the former legacy system. The success demonstrates ICS BANKS solid and agile architecture and ICSFS’s futuristic approach in utilising the latest innovative technologies to surpass the demands of any bank, of any size.”

ICSFS invests in its software suites by utilising modern technology in launching new products, constructing a secured and agile integration, and keeping pace with new standards and regulations worldwide. ICS BANKS ISLAMIC is a modular fully integrated solution designed and developed following the principles of Shari’a in compliance with the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI).ICS BANKS software suite future-proof banking activities by providing a broad range of features and capabilities with more agility and flexibility, to enrich customers journey experience, hence improving the trust and confidentiality between the customer and the bank. ICS BANKS has always been a pioneer in utilising the latest technology to serve financial institutions. In addition to its embedded Service-Oriented-Architecture (SOA), the system can be deployed on premises or on cloud.

With disruptive fintech firms becoming a more pervasive fixture in the financial landscape, many traditional institutions are struggling to remain competitive. It’s here that digital solutions providers such as ICS Financial Systems (ICSFS) come in, helping banks to bolster their technological capabilities and maintain their market share.

ICSFS’s Digital Banking software platform, ICS BANKS, is a universal application that is available on the cloud, and helps banks to automate and streamline business operations. Its rich functionality, which includes features with more agility and flexibility, such as AI, open banking, and omnichannel digital banking touchpoints, also allows clients to create a more fruitful customer experience.

Thanks to its state-of-the-art product offering, ICSFS has been named as the winner of World Finance’s Best Banking and Financial Software Solutions Award 2019.

“The global recognition conferred upon ICSFS owes to its record of accomplishment among its clients, advanced technology, innovative universal banking system and vast market presence,” said Mustafa Belkouche, Media Sales Executive at World Finance.

ICSFS currently serves all business areas of financial services sectors through its many software suites packages. These include AI, open banking and blockchain-based solutions for both Conventional and Shariah compliant banks across three continents.

Robert Hazboun, Managing Director at ICSFS, said: “We are delighted to have World Finance recognise our innovative and revolutionised software solutions.”

He added: “we have positioned ourselves as one of the leaders in innovation especially in the digital banking software solutions industry, where we have received local, international and global recognitions that have set our footprints in this digital age.”

Technology’s role in financial services is only set to expand in coming years, making ICSFS’ solutions all the more crucial. By partnering with an experienced yet innovative solutions provider, institutions can ensure they remain technologically proficient to provide their customers with the security and customer service they expect.

To find out more about ICSFS, check out an exclusive interview with Executive Director Wael Malkawi in the latest edition of World Finance, available in print, online and on tablet now.

The Royal Court Chief, His Excellency Yousef Hassan Al Issawi and in the attendance of the Minister of Youth and Culture Dr. Muhammad Abu Romman, patronized the ceremony that was held to announce the digital centers initiative, launched by the Ministry of Youth in partnership with Orange Jordan. Al Issawi inaugurated Young Arda Women Center in Al-Balqa’a governorate, which took place at the same time as the inauguration of two new digital centers in the areas of Kufranja and Aqaba.

These centers are located in the northern, central and southern regions and were created within the framework of the agreement that was signed between the Ministry of Youth and the company. Orange Jordan rehabilitated the Youth Digital Centers in Ajloun and Aqaba, in addition to Young Arda Women Centers in Al-Balqa’a governorate, which was created under a Royal Decree in 2008, with the aim of serving young women living in that area, while meeting their ambitions, and enhancing their role in serving the local community.

Orange Jordan has provided these centers with state-of-the-art digital equipment and internet services, as well as training of the trainers who are responsible for providing young people with a set of new skills on key topics that include; communication and digital skills, team building, leadership, and entrepreneurship, in order to provide young participants at these centers with integrated services, which will reflect positively on their local communities.

CEO of Orange Jordan, Thierry Marigny, said that these three new centers have joined the others, which were launched across governorates in the Kingdom, under the umbrella of the Orange Digital Centers, reaching 13 centers. He also stressed the company’s role in preparing young people for a better future, in a step that aims to bridge the digital divide across the Kingdom, in order to help community members become active and productive through providing them with knowledge tools and developing their skills in order to enable them to deal with the continuous development in the IT sector and harness them to develop ideas and projects that serve their local environment.

Marigny said that the Orange Digital Centers are a successful model that was implemented by the company, and comes as an addition to its various achievements in supporting this important community segment, which is considered as a cornerstone in the digital economy. It also reflects the role of Orange Jordan as a digital partner for many initiatives, considering that it is the strongest internet provider in the Kingdom.

Marigny affirmed the importance of the partnership with the Ministry of Youth, and said that it was the helping element that gives support to the youth centers across different areas of the Kingdom, where the company gives great attention to the youth, through providing them with support in their communities.

He added that the renovated centers are considered part of the other initiatives launched by the company, becoming a main pillar in the digital transformation process of the Kingdom, and an active contributor in enabling the youth to benefit from technology so that they can use it for developing their local communities, pointing out that the company works continuously to support such centers with all that is necessary for their success.

Orange Jordan aims through its partnerships with various national companies to provide the best technological tools that meet the citizen’s expectations in all areas, in addition to the most modern educational tools based on digital learning methods, in order to contribute to bridging the digital divide in the Jordanian society.