LINKdotNET to deliver Comtrust’s new e-business solutions to the Middle East

Dubai, UAE, 23^rd June 2003

Ahmad AbdulKarim Julfar, General Manager, Comtrust and Khaled Bichara, LINKdotNET President & CEO seal the partnership.

LINKdotNET, the Egyptian Internet solutions powerhouse, has joined Comtrust Solutions Partner (CSP) programme announced Comtrust, the e-solutions business unit of Etisalat.

The tie up will enable LINKdotNET, one of the region’s leading and one of Egypt’s four ‘Class A’ Internet Service Providers, to expand its e-business product and service portfolio, including the addition of online authentication and ePayment solutions, providing support for Comtrust to extend its reach across the Middle East.

“There is opportunity for mutually beneficial synergy between our organizations,” said Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, General Manager, Comtrust. “LINKdotNET’s capabilities in Internet solutions and services form an excellent strategic fit with Comtrust by strengthening our respective market offerings, increasing access to an even wider resource pool, expanding our knowledge base and extending market reach, which can only benefit regional customers.”

As part of the CSP programme, LINKdotNET is now able to provide its customers with the complete range of Comtrust’s products and services, including Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital certificates, and 3D-secure based online credit card authentication systems such as Verified by Visa and MasterCard’s SecureCode. The LINKdotNET service portfolio will also expand to embrace ePayment solutions including payment gateways as well as access to Comtrust’s comprehensive array of managed eHosting, eSecurity, eConsulting, eRetailing and specialized eTraining solutions.

“LINKdotNET has always been a catalyst for regional Internet development. This pioneering spirit is very much evident in Comtrust‘s vision and strive to allow room for progress as reflected in the nature of its constantly evolving market offerings. The CSP programme will allow LINKdotNET to augment its ability to quickly deploy a new breed of products,” said Khaled Bichara, LINKdotNET President & CEO. “Once again LINKdotNET will be able to offer market firsts in Egypt and other markets such as Jordan, particularly in online authentication and ePayment solutions. In turn, we facilitate greater reach into these markets and across the Middle East for Comtrust.”

Having Egyptian Telecommunications giant Orascom as its major shareholder, LINKdotNET has rapidly expanded over the last few years. The company was the first in Egypt to offer unlimited Internet service and 24-hour support, pre-paid Internet cards, pay-as-you-go Internet service and the first regional ISP to develop WAP portals. Continuing to proactively reassess its product and service portfolio to reflect dynamic market requirements, the fully integrated technology solutions LINKdotNET now offers include Internet access and communication solutions, web development and e-commerce solutions, as well as online media and content provisioning.

Headquartered in Egypt, LINKdotNET also has offices in Jordan and the UAE. “LINKdotNET’s deep regional footprint will provide momentum for Comtrust’s geographic expansion plans,” said Julfar.

The addition of LINKdotNET sees the number of companies participating in the CSP programme at 12 covering the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Pakistan and Egypt.

Comtrust says its CSP programme plays an integral role in the company’s regional expansion plans. It has been designed to bring together the region’s leading providers of e-business solutions into a collaborative effort to drive regional e-commerce. “The programme allows customers access to best-of-breed e-business solutions. It combines local expertise, industry-specific knowledge and comprehensive end-to-end technology solutions needed to build a successful e-business,” said Julfar.