ABANA currently have service team build up of almost 100 engineers' through out Saudi Arabia. ABANA top all Wincor-Nixdorf partner in service showcasing its capability to install ATM in 3 days through its unique implementation. ABANA's technique in implementation has paved the way for the installtion of at least 48 ATMs in just a month. ABANA's Product Marketing Director Talha Iqbal received the award in behalf of ABANA.

To know more about ABANA, visit their website at www.abana.com.sa

About Wincor Nixdorf

Wincor Nixdorf is one of the world’s leading providers of IT solutions to retailers and retail banking. Wincor Nixdorf uses the expertise in its core business with banks and retailers to diversify into other sectors. These include lottery companies, service station operators, hospitality and corporate restaurant businesses, and large industrial companies. The Company has more than 8,000 employees and made net revenues of € 1.95 thousand million during last fiscal year. Wincor Nixdorf has a presence in over 90 countries, with its own subsidiary companies in 32 of these. In the market for ATMs and POS systems, Wincor Nixdorf is the market leader in Germany and the Number 3 worldwide. It has main production facilities at its headquarters in Paderborn, Germany, and also in Sao Paolo, Shanghai, and Singapore.

http://www.wincor-nixdorf.com

A football game followed the volley ball game and was led by none other than the VP for Operations, Mr. Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim and Admin. & HR Manager, Mr. Abdullah Qahtani. The employees enjoyed watching the game especially when the players showcased their fancy moves.
An hour before noon, and while some of the employees are playing, a clown show was held for the kids and their parents. Children were laughing when the clown started to perform. 

Tricks, balloons, and other funny acts made everyone especially the children laugh out loud.  The clown performance was soon followed by the Magician.  It was a fascinating display of tricks where everyone was mesmerized. 

After the fun-full and tiring activities, everyone sat and enjoy the foods that also give chance to employees to exchange stories and mingle with everyone.

Everyone continued playing after taking time to rest until the end of the day.

The activity was held to strengthen camaraderie and team work among employees, which is vital to an organization's operations.

International product manager Gavin Doyle explains why Nvision fulfils an urgent need for professional cash handlers right now: "The ECB Recycling Framework demands a higher responsibility for the quality of cash from credit institutions and all professional cash handling organisations. Nvision provides the necessary technology to simultaneously check the fitness of banknotes and authenticate them to remove counterfeits.  At the same time the solution is highly cost efficient, practical and very easy to use."

Nvision has two full-stacking pockets with a remarkably smooth Glide Feed system. It is capable of multiple detection technologies thus providing outstanding productivity with a processing speed up to 1000 notes per minute.

Cash processing organisations are in search for affordable fitness solutions that ensure notes meet the pending requirement of the ECB banknote recycling mandate. With the product launch in May 2007 De La Rue addresses this demand exactly at the right time.

Notes to Editors - De La Rue

De La Rue is the world's largest commercial security printer and papermaker, involved in the production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents such as passports, authentication labels and fiscal stamps. The company is also a leading provider of cash handling equipment and software solutions to banks and retailers worldwide, helping them to reduce the cost of handling cash. Employing over 6,000 people across 31 countries, De La Rue is also pioneering new technologies in government identity solutions for national identification, driver's licence and passport issuing schemes.

Contact:
Mr. Saji Pappachen
ABANA Enterprises Group Co.
Tel. No. : +966 (1) 465-1052 Ext. 1403
Mobile No.: +966 (50) 345-9815
spappachen@abana.com.sa

Dr. Abdulla Al Hashimi, Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates Group Security said:

The partnership between Transguard and De La Rue is based on both infrastructure and service. The aim of the relationship is to develop the Transguard Cash Management Centre into a global cash management hub that fits the vision of Dubai.
The cash management centre houses the world's largest cash processing machine. The De La Rue CPS 1800 has a total of 20 processing pockets, which allows it to process 130,000 banknotes per hour and a phenomenal 2 million banknotes a day.

Over the past 12 months the Transguard had been working to develop a unique cash management centre to satisfy the needs of customers both locally and internationally. Through its relationship with Emirates Airline the Transguard Cash Management centre is equipped to meet the demand of the global cash processing market.

Situated in Dubai, the cash management centre already enjoys the hub benefits of transport and commerce created by Emirates Airline and Dubai within the Middle East region. With the technologically-advanced Cash Management Centre and the partnership with De La Rue, Transguard is now positioned to fully exploit Emirates Airline's international network and truly become a cash processing hub.

The division has plans to expand its cash management operations in the future by adding a number of other cash processing machines on par with the CPS 1800 and to complement the facility's current capabilities.

As scheduled, the new issue will be put in circulation gradually, starting with both the One Hundred and Fifty Saudi Riyal denominations. Both denominations will be available at SAMA branches as of Monday 4/5/1428 H (21/5/2007 G), followed by both the Ten and Five Saudi Riyal denominations as of the beginning of Rajab 1428H (July 2007), followed by the Five Hundred denomination as of the beginning of Ramadan Al Mubarak 1428H (September 2007), followed by the One Riyal after Eid Al Adha Al Mubarak 1428 H (December 2007 G), and will be equally legally binding side by side with the other Saudi banknote denominations currently in circulation. The new issue is characterized by various technical specifications and security features implemented by the most modern techniques used in banknote printing industry.

To see specimen of New Denomination, please click the below link;
http://www.sama.gov.sa/nc/en_fv.gif

In terms of accuracy, the De La Rue’s exclusive Mechanical Double Detection™ is already the market leading counting technology. In tests, Mechanical Double Detection™ outperformed the rival Opacity Doubles Detect technology used by competitors by more than 100 times.

When it comes to speed, the EV86-Series is capable of counting over 2000 notes per minute (npm), outperforming the leading competitors by up to 34%. It also significantly outperforms all equivalent competitor products in head-to-head throughput testing.

The EV86-Series performance figures were generated during extensive trials, both in banks around the world and at De La Rue’s in-house laboratories. A huge range of currencies and environmental conditions were tested. “Our research shows that the EV86-Series delivers exactly what we intended – the best feeding and the most accurate and reliable machine out there.” said Gavin Doyle.

“It’s easy to see why this is a premium product that offers customers value for money, with a contemporary styling that complements the professional environment that our customers look to portray.” concluded Gavin Doyle.

About De La Rue

De La Rue is the world’s largest commercial security printer and papermaker, involved in the production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents such as passports, authentication labels and fiscal stamps. The Company is also a leading provider of cash handling equipment and software solutions to banks and retailers worldwide, helping them to reduce the cost of handling cash. Employing over 6,000 people across 31 countries, De La Rue is also pioneering new technologies in government identity solutions for national identification, driver's licence and passport issuing schemes.

Transoft’s currency management products will be used to automate and optimize the management of cash in the supply chain for financial institutions in the Middle East. Through the use of the Transoft solutions, ATM, branch and central vault cash levels are cost optimized to improve process efficiency and meet consumer demand at the lowest possible cost. Transoft’s management of complex dynamics such as seasonal fluctuations, events and trends ensure maximum network availability, according to the release.

“ABANA is dominant in the provision of innovative solutions for financial institutions. We are delighted to partner with ABANA to add to its already impressive product and solution set by providing best-in-class currency management solutions to its clients,” said Bo H. Holmgreen, president of Transoft.

Auerbach opened the day’s events with a presentation outlining Wincor Nixdorf’s growth. In 1994, Wincor Nixdorf was No. 12 in global ATM shipments. By 2000, the company had moved to the No. 3 slot.

Auerbach attributes Wincor Nixdorf’s growth to specific strategies in key markets, including the United States and Asia — two markets where Wincor Nixdorf has focused much attention over the last three years.

And the proof is in numbers.

Wincor Nixdorf’s first-half results for the 2007/2008 fiscal year are coming in higher than forecasted. From the first half of FY 2006/2007, the company’s business in the Americas is up 29 percent; in Asia-Pacific and Africa, it’s up 32 percent; and in Europe, it’s up 9 percent.

Only the company’s business in Germany saw a decrease, falling 7 percent from the same period last year.

“Despite the sub prime crisis, which is being felt in Germany and throughout the world, we continue to see growth in banking,” Auerbach said. “The good news is that the banking business worldwide is expected to grow by a multiple of four over the next 15 years, and we are positioning ourselves for the growth.”

Acting global, thinking local has contributed to the company’s growth, Auerbach says, and likely led to the 11 additional international participants Wincor Nixdorf welcomed to its event this year.

“Branch and ATM channels in every big, established market remain the strongest banking touchpoints,” he said. “And we developed a global strategy to meet those needs, because we understood that we had to be more global. So we have developed strong partnerships and service relationships in all of our markets.”

Organic growth is expected to remain the company’s strategy, said one Wincor Nixdorf spokesman, despite some rumors that Wincor Nixdorf could be in the running for an acquisition of the cash-systems business operated by England-based De La Rue.

Growth through acquisition has not been a method Wincor Nixdorf has had success with in the past. Internal growth, on the other hand, is working.

Since FY 1999/2000, when 51 percent of Wincor Nixdorf’s business was based in Germany, the company has increased its international penetration across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

In FY ’99/’00, only 38 percent of Wincor Nixdorf’s business came from European countries beyond Germany. Today the percentage is 52.

In Asia/Pacific, the business percentage in ’99/’00 was 7 — today it is 13 percent. And in the Americas, only 4 percent of the company’s business could be attributed to the region in ’99/’00 — today the breakdown is 8 percent.

In fact, over the next few months, Wincor Nixdorf has announced plans to install some 7,000 ATMs in Asia, namely because of a strong partnership with First Data Corp. in Australia.

All three regions represent key markets, but so does Africa, where Nigeria is quickly becoming one of Wincor Nixdorf’s most-prized markets, Auerbach said.

They are growing fast and expect to accelerate the pace, expanding nationally and throughout the Middle East. Saudi Fast Growth 100 winners all have a track record of extraordinary revenue growth, while accounting for the creation of a significant number of new jobs.

For the inaugural 2009 list, 45 companies qualified for the Saudi Fast Growth 100, 27 for the Start Up list, and 23 for the companies to Watch.

ABANA is ranked 18th among the top 100 Fast Growing Companies in Saudi Arabia. This ranking underscores ABANA’s strong market presence and solid position as the preferred partner of the banking and telecommunication sectors.

“We are very happy to be part of this exciting and significant event in Saudi Arabia, and we are proud of our accomplishments in the last five years. The ranking signifies that ABANA’s vision is being realized. We will continue to work harder for our customers to ensure that their requirements will be met, hence ascertaining our continuous business growth,” said Mr. Abdullah M. Jebreen, CEO of ABANA.

The Saudi Fast Growth 100 is an annual ranking of the fastest-growing emerging companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recognizing the new generation of companies that are creating jobs and spurring innovation in the Kingdom. In addition, it recognizes start-up ventures, women-owned companies and enterprises owned by young entrepreneurs.

A company's rank on the Saudi Fast Growth 100 list is calculated based on the percentage of increase in annual revenues or turnover between 2003 and 2007. Companies established after 2003 can qualify for the Start-Up List.

The Saudi Fast Growth 100 was launched by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority's (SAGIA) National Competitiveness Center with joint founding partners Al Watan newspaper and Next Economics.

For more information, please visit www.saudifastgrowth100.com

Artema Compact is an all-in-one desktop payment terminal which offers outstanding performance, simple and easy to use, and supports TCP/IP and dial-up.


ABANA is also in the process of getting SPAN2 certification for its Artema Portable (Wireless/DECT), Artema Mobile (GSM/GPRS), and Artema Compact V1.

About ABANA

ABANA has more than 30 years of experience in providing innovative, high-performance, and sophisticated solutions and equipment to the financial and telecommunication sectors.

ABANA has expanded the scope of its successful business model in the banking industry to include the Capital Market sector by introducing innovative and industry-leading solutions to both the buy and sell sides of the investment community in the GCC region.

ABANA focuses on speed, added-value solutions, reliability, efficiency and quality in all of its areas of operation, and is in compliance with the ISO 9001:2000 standards.

ABANA is widely known for its signature top-of-the-market technical support system known as Fast Track® Service. ABANA is the only company in the GCC that offers one-hour solution time to resolve hardware and software problems reported by its customers. ABANA's Help Desk serves as the Single-Point-of-Contact and employs an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and a centralized reporting system. This system manages all customer calls and dispatches field service engineers from ABANA's 16 service centers.

For more information, please visit www.abana.com.sa.

Press Contact:
Saji Pappachen
Sales Director
Mobile No. +966 50 345 9815
spappachen@abana.com.sa

In a press conference held yesterday, an opening ceremony for a new Islamic banking branch in Ghadeer area, North of Riyadh with a TCR solution—an advanced system for cash management and automated cash deposit and withdrawal—Dr. Lender said, “It is our pleasure to be the first bank in the Kingdom to introduce the TCR solution. The solution constitutes specific initiative which will enable us to continue our development, and emphasize our commitment to provide top facilities to build a banking service based on highly technical criteria which give us preference in the market and enhance our relationship with our customers”. “By introducing such solution, we have made a leap at the level of retail banking, and this will enhance the bank’s position as one of the leaders in the local banking business”, he added.

Ehab Al-Dabbagh, Personal Banking General Manager said, “The system enables branch tellers to perform the banking transactions required by the customer with higher accuracy and efficiency, and contributes to the development of staff performance related to customer services. As the solution will perform functions such as cash counting, and retrieval of relative information like deposits or withdrawals, this will provide the staff sufficient time to respond to customer queries and explain the advantages of the services provided, hence giving the branch more momentum in attending to customers requirements, which enhance confidence between the customer and bank services”.

“The TCR solution, an advanced solution for cash recycling, provides management of cash operations by branch tellers, and is a complementary to the present functions of ATMs. The TCR solution provides various services that are performed by the branch staff and not the customer itself”, Al-Dabbagh added. The solution is user-friendly; hence training on the staffs on how to use and operate will not be difficult. The solution has simple and clear functions which enable fast completion of transactions. In terms of physical shape, the system looks smaller than the ordinary ATMs and is operated inside the branches.

Abdullah Bin Jebreen, President and CEO of ABANA Enterprises Group Co., the company who has introduced and supervises the operation of the system in the bank branches,

expressed his happiness and gratitude for the close cooperation between his company and SHB in launching the first TCR solution in the Kingdom and introduces the “open branch” concept. The TCR is one of the most successful solutions in the field of cash deposit and withdrawal, globally. It is accompanied with easy technical and interactive applications, which enhances the teller’s ability to account variances and speedy reconciliation during the day.

Mr. Jebreen added that the effects of this major leap in the history of banking industry is not restricted to the improvement of customer services; it also represents an effective tool for branch process automation, and consequently, minimizing of human errors whilst enhancing the speed of transactions and daily reconciliations.

He added that the TCR solution is highly capable of authenticating, counting, and sorting of cash notes, whilst updating the bank system, accurately. The TCR solution is equipped with software solution that can be upgraded to cope up with new issues of banknotes and combat new counterfeits circulating in the market. This new technology also enables the bank to set criteria and limit the amount of cash at the disposal of each branch.

Saudi Fast Growth 100, in partnership with Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), held an awards ceremony today to honor the 100 fastest growing companies in Saudi Arabia at the Global Competitive Forum at the Four Seasons Conference Center in Riyadh.

Despite the economic slowdown that hit the world last year, ABANA still managed to accomplish outstanding business growth in providing total service and technology to the banking and telecommunication sectors. ABANA maintained its stronghold in outsourcing services and introducing innovative solutions in the Kingdom while continuously developing solutions tailored to customer requirements.

“We are very pleased to be once again listed as one of the top fastest growing companies in Saudi Arabia. The award simply attests to our commitment in delivering fast and reliable services and innovative solutions to our customers, and our relentless drive for continual improvement. Our success is a result of the dedication and teamwork we have in the organization,” said Mr. Abdullah M. Bin Jebreen, President of ABANA.

The Saudi Fast Growth 100 is a national program to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in Saudi Arabia, and ranks the fastest-growing emerging companies in the Kingdom. The list was created by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority’s (SAGIA) National Competitiveness Center with joint founding partners Al-Watan newspaper and AllWorld Network. Joining the initiative as Strategic Partners are the National Commercial Bank, Sukoon International, Siraj Capital and Phenomenal PR.

“Compiling the Saudi Fast Growth 100 list led us to several encouraging conclusions,? said His Excellency Governor Amr Al-Dabbah, SAGIA’s Governor. ?The dynamism of the applicants demonstrated clearly that Saudi Arabia is creating a business climate that supports and rewards innovation and entrepreneurial initiative. This vital group of emerging growth companies provides the oxygen of the economy. The winners of the Saudi Fast Growth 100 list will be the guides to our future. These trail-blazers will be the most potent signal that Saudi Arabia is a dynamic economy full of creativity and opportunity.”

About ABANA

ABANA is an industry leader with more 30 years of experience in providing innovative, high-performance, and sophisticated products and solutions, and outsourcing management services to the financial and telecommunication sectors of Saudi Arabia.

ABANA specializes in after-sales support and is widely known for its signature technical support system known as Fast Track® Service—the one hour solution. ABANA is the only company in the GCC that offers one-hour solution time to resolve hardware and software problems reported by its customers. ABANA's Help Desk serves as the single-point-of-contact and employs an Interactive Voice Response (IVR), service management application and centralized reporting system. This system manages all customer calls and dispatches field service engineers from ABANA's 18 service centers.

Media Contact:
Allan E. Cruz
marketing@abana.com.sa