hot banana, the web content management system from j.l. halsey continues to expand in the middle east, partners with kuwait-based neshami
Web CMS to help standardise internal and external communication of companies, to add value to brand equity
The leading SEO-friendly Web Content Management system, Hot Banana, today announced its continued efforts to expand in the Middle East region via its strategic partnership with Kuwait-based company, Neshami.
As part of a partner-led strategy, Hot Banana joined hands in 2004 with one of Kuwait’s leading IT firms, Neshami. Neshami’s extensive online offerings include website consultancy, custom application development, e-business solutions, web content management, web analytics and email marketing, amongst other IT initiatives.
At the ongoing GITEX Technology Week at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Ms. Krista LaRiviere, Cofounder and General Manager, Hot Banana, said: “There is increasing awareness among enterprises in the region on the cutting-edge benefits a Web CMS solution can bring and we are upbeat about our presence through Neshami in this market. We foresee a significant growth opportunity for Hot Banana in the Web CMS market in the Middle East region, which is now a significant geographical area in our marketing plans.”
Hot Banana is a wholly owned, subsidiary of J.L. Halsey (OTCBB: JLHY), a publicly traded, Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A. company, and a leading eMarketing software solution provider to small and mid-sized businesses.
“We believe the adoption of Web CMS solutions is at its infancy in the Middle East with a large number of companies not yet realizing the benefits the solution can bring to an organization including the standardization in style, external and internal communication and brand management,” LaRiviere said.
Ms. LaRiviere said the expertise of Hot Banana and the local market knowledge of Neshami is a win-win relationship. Neshami has served some of the leading institutions in Kuwait, and across several sectors including media & publishing, construction, insurance, investment and financial services, internet classifieds, sports clubs, non-profit and airline. Neshami has also been recognized by KNET, Kuwait’s shared Electronic Banking Services Company, for its continued excellence in integrating online payment gateway to its clients. Some of the company’s clients include Aayan Leasing and Investment, Jazeera Airways Online Reservation, Al Safat Investment Company, Aayan Online Payment etc. in Kuwait
Commenting on the partnership with Hot Banana, Mr. AbdulAziz Khajah from Neshami, said: “We have been delighted with our partnership with Hot Banana, it has helped us to add value to our offerings in the regional market, including the UAE, which is now the largest market for Web CMS solutions in the GCC. Many companies are interested in learning about the advantages of a Web CMS tool in this growing E-Marketing environment. Our offerings allow clients to take control of their online initiatives through Web CMS, Web analytics, and email marketing tools. A key importance in choosing a Web CMS partner was the flexibility to quickly deploy multiple websites, and critically in different languages. The Web CMS solution, Hot Banana, allows our clients to create, manage, distribute and deliver content at a reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).”
Amman- Dr. Khaldoun Sharif, an OB-GYN and fertility consultant presented a new topic on the ‘My Life is Better’ segment on the as part of the morning show ‘A New Day’. The program has been recently updated by Jordan Television, in coordination with John Hopkins University, Dr. Khaldoun Sharif, the Ministry of Health and the Higher Council for Population, in an effort to improve the health of the Jordanian population and increase people’s lifespans.
The program was broadcast on Sunday morning on the 2nd of September. The discussion centred around the medical tests that should be performed prior to marriage and also targeted increasing the awareness of the public about the importance of undergoing these tests to decrease the possibility of giving birth to children with a variety of hereditary diseases.
During the show Dr. Sharif highlighted specific illnesses that can be prevented by these tests, the most dangerous of which is thalassaemia. In 2004, a Jordanian law was passed making it compulsory for couples to undertake tests to rule out thalassaemia before validating their marriage contract. Dr. Sharif explained that, “Thalassaemia is a dangerous hereditary diseases which requires lifelong treatment for patients. It is extremely costly to treat and the amount spent on treating thalassaemia patients in Jordan is estimated at JD6 million per annum.” He explained that, “Thalassaemia is a type of anaemia resulting form a flaw in the genetic material responsible for creating haemoglobin in the body, which results in the production of abnormal haemoglobin which in turn causes red blood cells to break down at a faster rate. It is passed down hereditarily to sons and daughters and it requires both parents to be carriers in order for a child to be born with the disease.”
Dr. Sharif highlighted the symptoms of the disease during the show, and the method of discovering whether couples carry the disease and the process of informing them of the facts so that they can make an informed decision about whether to go ahead with the wedding or decide against it. He also emphasised the importance of conducting these tests before marriage as there is no other way of discovering whether a person carries the disease.
Around 1200 people fall ill with thalassaemia annually in Jordan and this figure increases by 80 people every year. Statistics show that approximately 4.6% of the Jordanian population are likely to carry the gene for this disease.
It is worth noting that the idea of broadcasting the ‘My Life is Better’ segment came from a recently agreed joint cooperation agreement between John Hopkins University and its media partners, the family health program ‘Our Health is our Responsibility’
Along with Dr. Khaldoun Sharif to increase public awareness about all aspects of reproductive health in order to effectively utilise the media to improve the health habits of the Jordanian public.
Précis about Dr. Khaldoun al Sharif:
Dr. Khaldoun al Sharif is a consultant Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Fertility and Reproductive Health specialist and the Head of the Istishari Centre for Fertility in Amman; a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (UK) and the Royal College for Reproductive Health. He holds a PhD in infertility and IVF from England. He has authored 8 books which are used to teach doctors specializing in obstetrics and gynecology and has had more than 100 research papers published in international medical journals. He has won many prizes from international medical conferences in England, the US, and France and is the first Jordanian and Arab doctor to hold the position of Head of University Hospital in England and Consultant for the British National Organization for Fertility and IVF.
