Cisco WebEx to Provide Efficient, Secure and Cost Effective E-learning Technology Solution

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, 30thApril 2011:  Cisco announced today that the Al JoufUniversity, in upper north Saudi Arabia, has deployed Cisco WebEx™ enterprise collaboration solutions forefficient, yet cost-effective and secure e-learning. Cisco WebEx will provideAl Jouf University students, lecturers and staff members with an easy way toexchange ideas and information with anyone, anywhere. Cisco WebEx combinesreal-time collaboration with Voice over IP technology, so everyone sees thesame thing as they converse.  Al Jouf University is following the precedenceset by Harvard University which also uses Cisco WebEx for distance and e-Learning.

Cisco WebEx is available to businesses in Saudi Arabia through the SaudiTelecom Company (STC), which has an agreement with Cisco to supply Cisco WebExcommunications technology to businesses throughout the kingdom.

Al Jouf University is a recently established university with 19,000students . It boasts over 100 full-time professors and comprises 12 collegesoffering a wide range of majors including Science, Applied Medical Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Highlights / KeyFacts:

  • Al Jouf University will deploy a number of WebEx® products including Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, WebEx Event Center, WebEx Training Center and WebEx Support Center.
  • Classes became more engaging and interactive with Cisco WebEx delivering dynamic e-learning, anywhere in the world. The solution enables teaching professionals to reach more people in less time as well as save money by adopting a simple, powerful e-learning strategy.
  • Cisco WebEx delivers clear, crisp audio and seamless video and data sharing. It also allows students to interact in real time through application sharing, chat, and threaded Q&A. Material retention can be increased with Cisco WebEx with tools like breakout sessions, hands-on labs, and integrated tests. Furthermore, class attention and performance can be monitored through a visual attention indicator, as well as instant polls, tests, and reports. Digital libraries can be created from on-demand recorded lectures that can be accessed for years to come.
  • Cisco WebEx is often referred to as either Web conferencing because of the sharing via the Web and telephone connection, or an online meeting because users can take care of business online as they do in in-person meetings. The solution also offers phone conferencing options that can maximize flexibility and minimize costs. Participants can either join meetings dialing a toll-free access number or set up a call-back feature by entering their phone number, allowing the WebEx solution to call them when the meeting starts. Calls are free for participants--whether they call in or choose the call-back option - making it particularly cost effective for students.
  • Cisco WebEx is software delivered as a service. The user simply subscribes to the service and can then use it from any computer with an Internet connection, and even from most smart phones such as the  iPhone or BlackBerry. Participants can be invited to attend a WebEx meeting via email, IM, or text and do not have to subscribe to WebEx. They simply click a link in the invitation to join online, where they'll get visual prompts to join the phone conference. Once a session is started the meeting organizer and participants can share documents, presentations, and applications or even open a blank document and start creating together.

Executive Quotes:

Eid M. Al-Mohammed General Director, IT Department, Al Jouf University

"Ourgoal is to become one of the Kingdoms's leading Universities delivering worldclass education. Cisco WebEx will keep us ahead of the game by enabling us tooffer us a cost-effective e-learning solution that will allow our students and teachingprofessionals to meet online and enjoy the richest, most interactive onlineclassroom experience wherever they are, as easily as if they were face-to-face."

Yahya S. Almansour, general manager of marketing at the STC

"Withmore than 6 million people throughout the world now using Cisco WebEx everymonth, it is the right solution for e-learning as well as established as thefastest e-learning solution in deployment. Education is at the forefront ofSaudi's national agenda so it is important that educational establishments in theKingdom are able to utilize the latest collaborative technologies to enhance thedelivery of education. Cisco WebEx is helping them to achieve that. As theleading provider of telecommunications services in Saudi Arabia, it isimportant that we are at the forefront of technology so that we can alwaysoffer our customers the latest enhancements in the market. Cisco's WebExsolution is enabling us to do this."  

Mohammad AlRehaili, WebEx channel manager Cisco, WebEx Technology Group, Saudi Arabia.

"With Education being at the top of the national agenda of  the Kingdom, this is a very strategic andimportant deployment for Cisco in Saudi Arabia. The University of Jouf now has access to a richercollaboration environment within WebEx, which will provide more of an 'in-person'type of experience, which can lead to greater productivity in virtual classroomsessions. Cisco WebEx takes advantage of real-time collaboration andthe ability to monitor and measure class effectiveness thereby slashingtraining costs and streamlining administrative processes."

Links / URLs:

  • Emerging Markets RSS Feed:

http://newsroom.cisco.com/data/syndication/rss2/EmergingMarkets.xml

  • Middle East News: 

http://www.cisco.com/web/ME/about/news/index.html

  • For more details about Cisco WebEx visit: http://www.webex.com/how-it-works/index.html    

About Al Jouf University:
Founded in 2005, Al JoufUniversity is a modern institution dedicated to scientific research, andteaching. Its 12 colleges cover disciplines including medicine, engineering,and IT. Through high-quality academic programs, it aims to be recognized as oneof the leading universities in Saudi Arabia.

For more detailsabout Al Jouf University visit: http://www.ju.edu.sa/

About Cisco:
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO, is the worldwide leader in networking thattransforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information aboutCisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com.  For ongoing news,please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.  Cisco equipment in emerging markets is supplied byCisco Systems International BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems,Inc.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarksor registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and othercountries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks.Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship betweenCisco and any other company.

© Press Release 2011