HP Middle East, announced today the opening of its first Saudi Arabian SAP Competency Centre in Qabar. The facility is one of only 16 HP SAP Competency Centres worldwide and will operate three streams – training, solutions and research labs. The new centre is expected to be operational at full capacity by March 2004. The centre will provide training opportunities for Saudi graduate nationals to certify as SAP Consultants and create a local pool of SAP competent experts specifically for the Kingdom. Currently students are offered ABAP programming skills at the training centre – the initial technical training standard for all SAP consultants. By January 2004, students are expected to participate in training courses like workflow management, finance, materials management and industry specific SAP solutions. The course duration ranges between 25 days to 2 months”We have been looking at ways to help with the development of SAP skill sets for IT consultants, and this Centre provides the specifics. This joint initiative with ITM, an HP delivery partner, means that we will see the local SAP consultant market burgeon and move from strength to strength,” says Mike Smith, general manager HP Services Middle East.HP believes, the solutions lab offers customers an opportunity to see first hand the ERP vendor’s latest solutions for industry verticals. The labs are currently working on developing mobility applications and SAP ‘bolt-ons’ technology. “The SAP Competency Centre enables us to transfer key technology developments to a market place and will bring a fresh approach to the SAP market in Saudi Arabia,” says Mohammad El Shanti, business development manager, HP, Middle East.
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