University joins Microsoft IT Academy Program and MSDN Academic Alliance alongside of licensing agreement

Sana'a, August 3rd 2004: The University of Science & Technology (UST), Yemen's first private university, recently signed three key agreements with Microsoft that will bring a greater degree of information technology to its students. The agreement licenses all of UST's desktop and server software, and signs up the university to Microsoft's IT Academy and MSDN Academic Alliance programs, to provide learning benefits for ICT students.

Professor Dawood Al Hidabi, President of UST said: "The University of Science & Technology is committed to providing the young people in the country with the highest standards of education. These agreements with Microsoft expand the scope of our ICT education programs; by joining these programs, we will be able introduce the latest Microsoft technologies into the curriculum, providing students with the skills they need to enter the world of work."

The Academic Agreement, the first to be signed in Yemen, will ensure that all of the university's software is correctly licensed, enabling the university to access Microsoft's support programs and other benefits, as well as deliver the improved experience that can be leveraged from licensed software. Academic Agreements are licensing agreements that are especially designed to reduce the costs of acquiring, upgrading, maintaining, and managing software for multiple computers in academic organizations.

As a Microsoft IT Academy, UST will be able to include Microsoft technologies in its IT curriculum, providing students with vital training and certification on technologies that provide the building blocks for IT solutions everywhere. UST is the first establishment in Yemen to sign up for the IT Academy program, following the signing of a 'Partners in Learning' agreement between Microsoft and the Ministry of Education at the end of April. Under the Partners in Learning agreement, Microsoft and the MOE are working together to establish a number IT Academies, to bring enhanced ICT training to learning communities around the country.

Through membership of the MSDN Academic Alliance Program, part of the Microsoft Developer Network, the university will gain access to a number of benefits, including discounts on Microsoft developer tools and software, advanced access to new technologies and access to special developer support sites and knowledge base. The MSDN Academic Alliance program has been specifically designed to encourage student developers to get to grips with the latest technologies, to prepare them for the world of work.

"The University of Science and Technology is now leading the way in incorporating information technology into its education curriculum. Microsoft is very pleased to be able to work with UST to bring the skills and the support to its students that will help them to realize their potential, and to take their place in Yemen's growing ICT industry," said Abdullah Lootah, Public Sector Manager for Microsoft South Gulf. 

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About Microsoft Corporation
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft opened its Dubai-based Middle East office in 1991. Microsoft today has five subsidiaries in the Middle East region: Microsoft South Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in the UAE, Oman, Yemen and Pakistan, Microsoft North Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, Microsoft Arabia covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Microsoft East Med covering Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus and Malta and Microsoft Egypt. Microsoft Corporation's address on the World Wide Web is: www.microsoft.com Microsoft Middle East's Web site is: www.microsoft.com/middleeast

For further information contact:
Microsoft contact:
Haider Saloum
Dubai, United Arab Emirates            
Tel: 00-9714-3917000
Fax: 00-9714-3917001              

Media contact:
Mark Sutton
ASDA'A Public Relations
Tel: 00-9714-3344550
Fax: 00-9714-3344556
Email: m.sutton@asdaa.com

© Press Release 2004