Enters into strategic partnership with King Abdulaziz University

Dubai– July 4th, 2010: International Turnkey Systems (ITS) Group, a leading provider of integrated information technology solutions and services today announced a strategic partnership with King Abdulaziz University (KAU) to implement SunGard Higher Education software solutions. This partnership will help create a next generation digital environment that will transform the institution into a major centre of excellence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). ITS will implement this project in close consultation with SunGard Higher Education.

KAU is the tenth institution in the Kingdom to deploy solutions from SunGard Higher Education for improved constituent services and digitally connected campus community – an indication of the Kingdom’s extraordinary focus on education.

KAU’s Rector, Professor Osama S. Tayyeb, said: “Information technology is fundamental to our strategy at KAU and we are engaging SunGard Higher Education to help us achieve our vision. This project will help us create a global centre for excellence in KSA thus preparing graduates, to cope with changing needs of the knowledge economy in the region.”

KAU will deploy the Luminis Portal, Banner Student, Banner Financial Aid, Banner Advancement, Banner Workflow, and Banner Operational Data Store from SunGard Higher Education. These solutions will help KAU create a next generation digital campus with collaborative communities and virtual research portals for students, researchers and faculty. The digital campus will enable administrators to work efficiently through connections with other campus’ systems and resources. It will also support business processes needed for knowledge sharing, awarding financial aid, and communication with alumni.

Elaborating on benefits to the KSA educational system, Mathew Boice, Vice President, EMEA and India, SunGard Higher Education, said: “As one of the largest universities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), KAU has a critical role in championing the region’s mission for improved quality of and access to higher education. This project occurs at a turning point in the pursuit of world class education standards for next generation Saudis, as it establishes specific capabilities within the Banner software solutions to address local needs of higher education in KSA.”

KAU further plans to play a pivotal role in defining a Saudi Banner User Group, bringing the user community together and leading an initiative to create a Saudi version of Banner Student. This would allow all universities using SunGard Higher Education’s Banner Student solution to use the same localized version of the software and share best practices in the use of solutions in the Kingdom. The User Group will also proactively work with Saudi authorities to improve reporting transparency and improve opportunities for students.

“ITS’ ‘OneCampus’ philosophy offers a unique and innovative approach, by offering universities a ‘socially integrated solution’, driven by unmatched services. This transformational project at KAU strengthens our resolve to continue deploying our technical expertise thereby building state-of-the-art learning environments in KSA and across the region. As a company, we are committed to the support of the development of education and a major employer of talented graduates from the Universities that we serve,” said Khaled Faraj Al-Saeid, Managing Director and General Manager, ITS.

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About ITS
International Turnkey Systems Group (ITS) is a leading integrated information technology solutions and software services provider, offers superior products and services that enable organizations to keep pace with the evolving changes in today's competitive business environment, and to meet future challenges and opportunities.

At ITS, we take pride in a long, proven and successful track record. We implement cutting-edge solutions for numerous valued clients throughout the Middle East and the GCC region, as well as Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Malaysia. Our creative solutions help corporations and organizations to quickly adopt appropriate new technologies that enhance business productivity and enable them to stay ahead of the competition.

ITS was established in 1981 and currently employs more than 3,000 skilled ITS Professionals in 24 offices worldwide. www.its.ws

About SunGard Higher Education
SunGard Higher Education serves colleges, universities and foundations in 40 countries worldwide. Through its Open Digital Campus strategy, SunGard collaborates with the higher education community and provides software and services to help institutions find better ways to teach, learn, manage and connect. www.sungardhe.com

About SunGard
SunGard is one of the world’s leading software and technology services companies. SunGard has more than 20,000 employees and serves 25,000 customers in 70 countries. SunGard provides software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education and the public sector. SunGard also provides disaster recovery services, managed IT services, information availability consulting services and business continuity management software. With annual revenue exceeding $5 billion, SunGard is ranked 380 on the Fortune 500 and is the largest privately held business software and IT services company.

Trademark information: SunGard. Open Digital Campus and the SunGard logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.