‘Sas’ is an Arabic concept that refers to any solid foundation. Hence the ‘Sas Programme’ is designed to provide the foundation for creating a new and vibrant ICT industry, thereby fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in the ICT sector in Oman.
Targeting small and medium ICT businesses, students, and jobseekers of any age interested in starting a business, the Sas Programme seeks to develop an internationally competitive ICT industry; attract more foreign and local investment in the ICT sector; encourage and support innovation by contributing to the introduction of new technologies to create innovative products, solutions and services; and, encourage Omanis to create their own businesses, through the development and implementation of entrepreneurship culture-building activities.
Sas Programme for Entrepreneurship: The Sas Programme is a national ICT business development initiative and a state-of-the-art business designed to help promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs) build a robust ICT sector in Oman. Implemented by the Information Technology Authority (ITA), it is a key element of ITA’s strategy, developed jointly with United Kingdom Business Incubation (UKBI) and Coventry University, to develop ICT business incubation in Oman.
To facilitate the growth of ICT-enabled businesses in Oman, the Sas Programme offers training workshops and seminars to the entrepreneurs in all aspects of starting up and running a business. Participation also extends to joining ITA’s ‘networks’, thereby allowing new businesses to extend its range of contacts and business opportunities and connect to an international network of dynamic young businesses.
Companies incubated: Up to date the programme incubates 13 companies specialised in various areas in ICT, including two companies given a virtual support and 11 companies provided with physical material and virtual. These companies have managed to enter the labour market and compete with the big companies. Their contracts’ reached about Riyal Omani half million since the launch of the program in March 2013.
The incubated companies offer a variety of services, most notably: designs of publications and buildings, TV and radio advertisements, e-marketing, development of sites, specialised software and electronic archiving, smart phone applications, virtual reality applications, photography, directing, and production management.
Al Etigahat 4 Design: Al Etigahat 4 Design is committed to providing solutions for printing designs related to branding and corporate identity such as logo designs and rebranding, business cards, letter heads, envelopes, booklets, newspapers, magazines and slides. Other services available include interior and exterior design and draft conceptualisations of model houses, buildings, offices and landscapes. There is also a team who specialise in creating unique and different advertisements for TV and radio.
Arac: Arac is a mobile app developer company which aims to revolutionise mobile apps across the market. Trusted, competent and customer-centered are the three key words of Arac. Specialised in Android, iOS, Oracle Database and Java, Arac develops mobile apps for cell phones and tablets. The company also develops websites and corporate marketing through the social media channels.
Global Computers: Global Computers envisions being the leading ICT services provider for corporates and individuals, not only in Oman, but also internationally. The company’s main focus is to deliver cost effective, reliable and robust ICT solutions employing the best practices and quality standards.
IbexTech: IbexTech is a software company striving to prove that software is not just about writing codes or about hooking up wires in a network grid. Developing software and writing code is an artistic process, which ultimately results in a new software solution.
IbexTech offers new technology and solutions covering all services of web development, mobile apps, software solutions and multimedia. Having been established for the past two years, IbexTech has proven itself to be a truly reliable software solutions provider.
KI-BROS Productions: Primarily a video production company producing high-quality video materials on an international scale, KI-BROS Productions has built a solid reputation for its commitment to endeavour to exceed client expectation.
Quattro Technology (Qtech): Qtech is a company that provides creative shortcuts to meet customer needs in mobile development, web development, social media management, graphic design, cloud computing and desktop development. Particularly expert in technologies like Asp, NET, PHP, C#, Java, Android and iOS development, Qtech has already developed a number of important Omani projects, as well as launching an international website. All of which have received excellent reviews and praise.
Tafaseel-Tech: The newly formed Tafaseel-Tech company has set about to establish itself as the trusted and preferred software solutions, web developer, design and virtual reality applications provider in the local market. Tafaseel-Tech aims to turn every idea into a creative experience and deliver the best possible solutions for programming, web and mobile development, design, virtual reality application and eServices.
AKKASA Productions: AKKASA Productions is keen to be the leading company in the media production market, with its highly-developed studio and using the latest technologies to achieve the best possible quality for its clients. AKKASA provides all kinds of solutions comprising of media production, pre-production services such as script writing, story boarding, production budgeting, production services, video shooting, directing, production managing, as well as post-production services like editing, colour correction, VFX and sound mixing.
United Muscat IT Solutions: United Muscat IT Solutions has been around for quite some time and has successfully delivered creative outputs in software solutions, advertisement and game development services. Operating with technologies like Microsoft, Adobe and Apple, the company strives to empower clients and maintain high quality, unique ideas and work solutions that adjust to their business needs.
Vertex Reality: Vertex Reality is the first Omani company established as a result of the ITA initiative to support Omani project graphics designers in 2013. This company has a specific mission, which is to drive the e-government and private sector to new and advanced levels of e-content using virtual reality, 3D animation and mobile applications techniques. Vertex Reality provides all kinds of technologies including virtual reality systems, mobile applications programming, 3D modelling and animation, 2D designing tools and video productions, advanced video cameras and after effects.
North Systems Company: North Systems company has been established since 2011, with a specific mission to enhance and extend the utilisation of geographic information systems (GIS) in the Sultanate with exemplary and professional customer services, support and training. Services provided include enterprise GIS systems planning and development, web mapping applications development, mobile mapping applications development and GIS training services. In a short period of time, North Systems has successfully won the trust of many important clients and has produced quality output in notable community projects.
Eman Design: Eman Design is specialised in graphic design and it provides services, namely: Graphic Design, Web sites, Branding, Three-dimensional designs, Video Graphics, and Virtual reality.
It provides the best professional IT system implementation and support with Microsoft affiliation through highly trained and certified Omani professionals.
Areeb Business Solutions: Areeb provides services in different areas that are: Microsoft Technology: Consultancy, Design, Implementation, Enhancement, High Availability, Support. Outsourcing and In-site Engineers. Training Services in Microsoft Technology.
IT Consultancy. IT Project Management Services.
Licencing: Microsoft, McAfee, and VMware. Registration criteria: The criteria for joining the Sas Programme requires only that one: is Omani; is not in full time employment; has their own ‘big’ idea and is fully committed to developing it into a real business; is ready to learn and open to new ideas and techniques; and is ready to take the opportunity to be in control of one’s own future. We would like to dispel the common misconception that incubation and business development programmes have an age and/or qualification cap.
This is not the case for the Sas Programme; the Centre welcomes all prospective incubatees young and old, whether in possession of a qualification or not. Both genders are represented as well, noting that approximately one third of the projects currently part of the Sas Programme are managed by women.
The three year business development programme is divided into four phases: pre incubation, early stage, classic incubation and graduation. In the first stage, incubatees are asked to prepare their business plan and develop it to be then evaluated and selected by an assessment panel. If their plan is accepted, the incubatees will advance to the next stages.
Sas for Virtual Reality (Sas. VR): The state-of-the-art centre is established to act as regional hub providing the infrastructure required for the development of virtual reality projects and multimedia contents to the local as well as the regional markets. The centre aims at qualifying the Omani entrepreneurs in this field through training programmes to be facilitated at the Centre for a period of 5 years. Sas is based on the concept of partnership between the public and private sectors, along with building on the global expertise in this regard. The Centre plans to provide training opportunities for as much as 120 trainees a year, and would qualify the Omani youth to establish their own enterprises specialised in producing reality-simulation programmes.
Virtual reality applications are used for multiple purposes, such as training, education, experimentation and entertainment in different areas such as medicine, education, oil, gas, tourism, defence, environment, industry, architecture, engineering and heritage.
Sas Centre for Reality Simulation aims at promoting and developing the local talent pool in order to bridge the gap between the academic education and the local and international markets requirements through developing the skills in the field of digital design, animation and programming of virtual reality projects.
The centre is also aimed at developing an Arabic Digital Content in the field of multimedia and virtual reality, as well as motivating young Omanis to go in for entrepreneurship and establish Omani businesses in the field of multimedia and virtual reality, and also to support the research projects and promote the national academic institutions in the field of virtual reality.
The centre is also aimed at encouraging the virtual reality multimedia sector through setting up enterprises for the youth in this regard, and qualify them in order to inject the public and private sector with specialised and trained staff, along with opening channels with the international companies operating in the virtual reality field to transform the Sultanate from the currently consumer to an exporter of projects and expertise, and to promote the research in this regard to help the Sultanate gain the competitive edge in terms of modern technology innovation.
Grand Mosque Project: It allows the visitors of Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque to go in a virtual tour and experience its magnificent architecture in 3D.
Omani Costume Project: It is an interactive mirror that provides you with a virtual experience of the Omani traditional costumes and jewellery.
Wildlife in Oman: Through the Wildlife in Oman project you can experience the wildlife in Oman and come close to some of the rare and endangered animals in the Arabian Peninsula, including the Arabian Fox, Monitor Grey Lizard, Arabian Oryx, Ibex and Arabian Leopard.
Nizwa Fort Project: It offers a unique experience to go through the “Icube” in a virtual tour within Nizwa Fort to experience the architectural ingenuity in the Ya’rubi era.
Structure of the Earth Project: This project is a learning object developed for grade 7 students to interact and obtain more information about the structure of the earth. Human Digestive System Project: This system was developed for trainee nurses to display the digestive system, in which learners can interact and learn more about each part of the system.
The Solar System Project: This projects is developed for grade 7 students to enable them to interact with the learning object and gain more information about the solar system. History Land: It helps the audience learn history in an interactive environment.
Autism Screening Project
It is an application created in collaboration with the College of Medicine at Sultan Qaboos University to provide early detection for autism among young children between 6 months to 36 months.
KiDiet: KiDiet is a mobile game developed by the Centre to teach the children how to select the healthy food in their daily diet in an enjoyable way.
Training programme: In line with ITA’s endeavours to enrich the eContent and develop the digital society, ITA has launched, in collaboration with local and international private companies, a training programme that aims to develop the Omani youth skills in terms of 3D design and programming of reality simulation projects. Reality Simulation (Virtual Reality) means the establishment of a three dimensional virtual environment that allows the user to interact with or navigate inside it.
The training is aimed at developing the skills of the Omani youth in the field of digital design, animation and the programming of reality simulation projects, as well as to provide the labour market with qualified Omani cadres in the multimedia and virtual reality fields, and also to nurture the entrepreneurship culture among the Omani youth and help them start their Omani businesses operating in the multimedia and virtual reality fields.
The training contents includes practical training on the 3D design by using the Photoshop programmes, practical training on the 3D design using the 3Ds Max software and practical training on the animation, as well as adding interaction to the designs through learning the programming in the virtual reality projects and working in groups to implement the virtual reality projects.
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Quelle/Source: Oman Daily Observer, 23.04.2014
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