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Ducont wins international Microsoft Retail Application Developer award

Dubai, UAE – April 24, 2003 - Microsoft South Gulf announced today that Dubai-based partner Ducont has won the prestigious “Most Innovative” award at the European Retail Application Developer (RAD) Awards 2003, which took place earlier this month in Paris, France. Prizes were awarded in a number of categories to developers that made the best use of Microsoft technology to extend business benefits to retailers and other customers. Ducont’s mobile computing solution, which was designed for Dubai Police, was awarded first prize in their category by RAD’s international panel of independent judges.
“We are very proud of Ducont’s achievement. This is a perfect example of how commercial software offers developers the ideal platform on which to deliver inventive and creative solutions to real business challenges,” said Dr Omar bin Suleiman, CEO of Dubai Internet City.

“Providing an innovative, Microsoft-based solution that answered the needs of Dubai Police has given Ducont the opportunity to be internationally recognised and compete successfully against multinational systems and software developers. We congratulate Ducont and wish them all the best,” added Abdullatif al Mulla, General Manager, Microsoft South Gulf.

Ducont, a leading Dubai-based applications developer and systems integrator specialising in internet and wireless internet applications, was originally nominated for the “Best Mobile Solution” award category for its wireless technology project with Dubai Police last year. The company also finished runner-up at the GSM Association Awards through winning the “Best Wireless Service or Application” at Cannes in February this year. Ducont was also named as “Best Collaborative Solution” for its e-Police solution at the Microsoft Fusion Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles in 2002.

Chosen from the retail community, industry press and industry analysts, RAD’s independent panels of judges decided to upgrade Ducont’s solution to the exclusive and prestigious “Most Innovative Award” category.

“We are very honored to receive this award. What makes me most proud is that we are nominated for a project designed and deployed exclusively in the Middle East,” said Ivan Fernandes, Managing Director of Ducont. “This victory represents the result of our dedication, which was inspired by Dubai Police’s vision and powered by Microsoft’s innovative technology.”

The RAD awards are open to all retailers, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), Solution Providers (SPs) and Systems Integrators (SIs) in the retail industry in Europe, the Middle East or Africa (EMEA) that have built innovative and successful solutions using Microsoft technology.
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About Ducont
Ducont is a leading applications developer and system integrator with a niche in Internet and wireless Internet applications. Ducont’s pioneering solutions are built on cutting edge technologies, leading industry application platforms and bring the latest innovative possibilities to reality. Ducont products enable banks, stock exchanges, mobile operators, e-Government, airlines, and fleet management companies etc., to service its customers over the Internet and wireless channels. Ducont is headquartered at Dubai Internet City with its offices across the AGCC countries and a highly professional development centre at Bangalore, India. Ducont’s address on the World Wide Web is: www.ducont.com.

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, headquartered at Dubai Internet City and is responsible for all aspects of the company’s business in the region, covering UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus, Malta, Egypt and Pakistan. Microsoft Corporation's address on the World Wide Web is: www.microsoft.com Microsoft Middle East's Web site is: www.microsoft.com/middleeast. Microsoft, Internet Information Server (IIS), SQL Server, Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.