Data Services in Bahrain
Industry leaders choose Bahrain
Leading international ICT businesses choose to take advantage of Bahrain’s business friendly proposition and base their Middle East enterprises in the Kingdom. Both Microsoft and Hewlett Packard have regional offices in Bahrain, as well as WIPRO, Satyam, Software AG, Netgear and Atos Origin.
Bahrain’s potential as a hub for Gulf telecommunications and information technology can prove to be a lucrative market for its investors.
Bahrain government’s Central Informatics Organization (CIO) established e-government solutions centre to provide high standard electronic information services and information through a secure and accurate system. Services include geographic locators, “smart” Identification cards, connecting government entities to news outlets, personal information data base network, national accounts and statistics and census results. The government has also initiated the egovernment portal which aims to deliver government services to citizens and residents (bills, health records, educational services, travel services, mail), and businesses (permits, employment status, health check appointments, tender services) using cutting edge ICT platforms through various electronic channels.
For quality assurance, compliance and monitoring, the Telecommunications Regulation Authority (TRA) monitors the newly implemented systems and protects the “interests of subscribers and users, and promoting effective and fair competition among established and new licensed operators.” (Source: www.tra.org.bh)
ICT companies would have access to an ever expanding market to launch their technologies, products and services, benefiting from trade liberalization, an already strong financial sector with a rising demand for technology, and government IT.
The ever expanding financial sector in Bahrain encourages development of a variety of IT companies. To cater to the financial sector growth, Euronet Middle East launched a joint venture with Arab Financial Service to increase ATM and POS driving in the Middle East & North Africa. The venture facilitates electronic payments and ATMs across Bahrain and the region. The venture provides a gateway services and comprehensive maintenance, network management and monitoring, security, cash forecasting, help desk and full reconciliation and settlement services.
Quick Facts:
• The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) is implementing a new national payment network that will allow real time online inter-bank payment and settlement (RTGS).
• The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) is implementing a Securities Settlement System (SSS), A system which permits the holding and transfer of securities or other financial assets
• The government of Bahrain signed an agreement with Microsoft to further the development of an ‘intelligent kingdom’. Other electronic solutions and strategic open source initiatives are managed by IBM local partner, Gulf Business Machines (GBM).
Source: The Innovest Group