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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=4 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Ericsson
setting up new Global Service Delivery Center in Lebanon<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
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src="cid:image001.jpg@01C71348.1CA95160" align=left hspace=5
style='margin-left:-5px;margin-right:5px' alt=Ericsson border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><![endif]><font
size=1 color=black face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:
Verdana;color:black'>Ericsson on Tuesday announced a new <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Global</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Service</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Delivery</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType>
to be opened next year in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Beirut</st1:City>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:country-region></st1:place>. The
new center will initially employ about 100 people and will serve regional and
global customers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Its
location in the Middle East means <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Lebanon</st1:place></st1:country-region> offers a central position
and cultural capabilities to Ericsson’s global organization. Its 17
universities delivering technical diplomas provide highly skilled,
multi-lingual professionals who work across the whole region. The country
also offers a very good climate for new company investments and
establishments.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>”I
am impressed of the business growth of the region Middle East and <st1:place
w:st="on">Africa</st1:place>”, says Fredrik T. Strand, vice president
and head of Service Delivery within Ericsson. “We are a global company
and our service delivery organization provides a global structure that
includes local capabilities in order to meet our customer’s
demands.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Initially
about 100 persons will be employed during 2007, mainly engineers to deliver
services in the areas of systems integration and network & technology
consulting.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>The
new Global Service Delivery Center (GSDC) in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Beirut</st1:place></st1:City> is a consequence of the expansion of
Ericsson’s services business, and is in line with Ericsson's plans to
continue to develop global and local services and delivery capabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>The
current Ericsson services organization employs about 23 000 professionals
worldwide. About 6500 of these employees work in Global Service Delivery
Centers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Ericsson
has 18 GSDCs which are designed to ensure business readiness for the global
market. They support global and regional demand by providing global expertise
cost-efficiently, supporting the expansion of Ericsson's services business.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>Ericsson
has activities and operations in all 14 countries in Middle East and offices
in 11 of them (<st1:country-region w:st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Yemen</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Afghanistan</st1:place></st1:country-region> are exceptions)
employing around 1800 persons. Today, Ericsson does business with more
then 20 operators in the region.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:15.0pt'><font size=1 color=black
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black'>©
2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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