The new joint venture partner of the UAE's largest domestic IT outsourcing business is in talks with the company about the future of the partnership.
Injazat Data Systems was founded in 2005 as a joint venture between Mubadala Development, the Abu Dhabi Government's investment arm, and the US-based technology outsourcer EDS. Since EDS was acquired by HP, another US technology business, the future of one of the region's fastest growing IT businesses has been unclear.
But today, in Dubai, the managing director of HP's Middle East business confirmed the two companies were in talks on how to move the business forward.
"We are in dialogue in terms of the charter of this exciting joint venture," said John Hoonhout. "They have built up a very successful business in an extremely short time and we're basically assessing how do we take this forward."
Although HP's US$14 billion (Dh51.4bn) acquisition of EDS was announced in mid-May, it was only at the end of August that the transaction was finalised, freeing the company to begin talks with Injazat that were previously not possible. "These are now starting to gather some momentum," Mr Hoonhout said. "But I can't tell you what the conclusions are - it's a work in progress."
The two companies had a working relationship prior to the acquisition, with Injazat a significant customer of HP. "We look forward to much closer collaboration," Mr Hoonhout said. "We are already pursuing a number of opportunities together."
Injazat declined to comment on the story, with a company spokesman only confirming that talks were ongoing.
Since the completion of the EDS acquisition, HP has announced that it will fire 7.5 per cent of its global workforce, amounting to almost 25,000 jobs. More than half the cuts will be in the US, with more than 9,000 job losses in the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions.
Mr Hoonhout said the job cuts would not have a significant impact in the UAE, where both HP and Injazat are projecting strong growth in the coming year.
Injazat has won more than Dh1.5bn in outsourcing business since it was founded three years ago, mainly from deals with Abu Dhabi Government entities. The company has plans to expand to other GCC markets such as Oman and Qatar, and launched a defence subsidiary at the beginning of the year, targeting lucrative military contracts.
tgara@thenational.ae
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
if you go
The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
