Sunday, February 10 - 2002 

U.S.Robotics, the world's leading provider of Internet access solutions and Almasa distribution, one of the region's main IT distributors, today announced that they have established a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Middle East, where Almasa will supply U.S.Robotics' complete line of OEM modems to computer assemblers in several GCC countries.

The agreement enables the two companies to offer U.S.Robotics' full range of internal plug-and-play OEM modems, as well as OEM networking products upon release, marking U.S.Robotics' entry into the regional assembly market. This addition to Almasa Distribution's fast-growing portfolio will significantly strengthen the company's offering to assemblers and OEM partners by providing them with U.S.Robotics' industry standard line of internet access solutions. Almasa will also handle most regional OEM deals in the future, including those with brand name PC vendors.

" This agreement is a landmark for us," commented Yusuf Syed, U.S.Robotics' regional sales manager for the Middle East and India "Our partnership with Almasa is strategic, because of their strength in the regional PC components market. It is a priority for U.S.Robotics to establish presence in the OEM market, and we believe that our collaboration with Almasa will make us number one in this arena, to complement our top position in retail"

"U.S.Robotics is the de-facto standard for modems, and their name adds credibility to Almasa Distribution's product offering. They give us an advantage in both the SMB and home markets, because their products are truly user-friendly, offering consumers the ultimate in plug and play capability" said Parvez Ahmad, marketing and sales director at Almasa Distribution "U.S.Robotics is an attractive and profitable vendor, and our partnership with them cements further our position in the market as a leading distributor in the PC component business."

U.S.Robotics' best selling modems are known globally for their value and reliability. Their quick and easy installation is a benefit to time conscious assemblers, while their dependability makes them the best choice for customers. U.S.Robotics modems allow casual users worldwide to experience the full functionality of the web, including rich graphics, live audio broadcasts, and streaming video.

"Regional assemblers have long been waiting for the opportunity to add world class internet access products to their offering," commented Ahmad" By providing them with U.S.Robotics' line of OEM products, we enable them to bring more value and better quality to their customers, while remaining competitively priced.

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