From: nasser@nasser.net.com (Nasser Modiri)
Subject: ***** COMPUTER NEWS FROM IRAN *****
Organization: Network Equipment Technologies, Redwood City
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 22:43:42 GMT


To:	SCI
From:	Nasser Modiri
Date:	December 23, 1992

The following is extracts from four articles that Mr. Amin Mohadjer,
the Editor-in-Chief of the BRAIN newletter has sent to me from Iran.

It is in good faith that I share these information with you. 
The last article in not yet published, and it is with trust I share
a summary of it with you.

With thanks and regards I wish you a happy holiday.
Nasser


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From: COMPUTER NEWS MIDDLE EAST, APRIL 1992

by Mr. Amin Mohadjer

		IRAN - SPOTLIGHT: New growth comes to Iran

	After a decade of stoppage in Iran's computer Industry, new
competitors are joining the game. Although, the two main factors of an 
anti-West revolution and the Iran-Iraq war adversely affect the progress 
of information industry, Iran's computer business now seems intent on 
compensating for the time lost.
	Amin Mohadjer, reporting from Tehran, gives a glimpse at the
current situation in Iran's computer market. Since no accurate statistics
are available on government users or private importers of software and 
hardware equipment, any study of Iran's market has to be tentative.

Before the revolution of 1979 almost all big computer companies, mostly
those from the USA, has an active and direct presence in Iran's market.
Companies such as IBM, NCR, and Honeywell introduced a considerable
number of mainframe and minicomputers. Many of these machines are still
in operation in military organizations, ministries, banks, and
universities.
 .........
 	Up to 1986, the number of imported PCs and home computers was less
than 50 000 units. And most of these were brought in by homecoming travellers.
The bulk were made in southeast Asian countries, with lower prices compared
with better known trademarks such as IBM or Compaq.
	In the past few years more than 300 companies have been established
to import PCs from various countries. One third of them claim to be official
representatives. Their number is still increasing by an average of 5 per month.
Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, and other Pacific countries have the biggest
share of the Iran imports. In addition, 500 other distributors are acting
as dealers countrywide. 

	....... At present IBM compatible machines have a 95% share of total
imported machines.
	....... Persina wordprocessors as well as desk-top publishing packages
are in great demand and only a few of them, which are not powerfull enough to
meet market requirements, have been developed. 
Commercial database packages such as dBase and FoxPro modified to work in
Farsi mode are widely used in designing and implementing management database
systems.
	........ In operating systems, more than 95% of machines is use are 
Dos based. MS-DOS has remained the most popular operating system .....
	.........Networking has received attention in Iran in the last two
years. Since modems for connecting computer are only permitted for 
govenment and organizations, Iran's computer market has not done well in this
market.
	.......Almost all these networks are using Novell NetWare.

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From: COMPUTER NEWS MIDDLE EAST, June 1992

by Mr. Amin Mohadjer

			Show focuses on PCs


Some 300 exhibitors from 22 countries showed their wares at the Second Electricity,
Electornics, Computer & Communications International Fair in Tehran.
	Iran itself was represented by more than  120 companies largely from the private
sector. These included government departments and state owned companies such as
Ministry of Post, Telegraph & Telephone, Ministry of Road & Transportation,
Ministry of Engery, Minstry of Defense and IRI Broadcasting.
	The fair covered 15000 sq m, an increase of 40% compared with the first
show in 1990.
	.......... France had the largest oversea presence. The USA had no direct
presence, but Micro Experss, Procom Technology, Kanz, Everex and so on were 
represented by Iranian firms.
	........Dell Iran (official representative of Dell) and Shipping Computer
Services (ALR) had a wide range of 486 machines. Dell, in fact promised immediate
volume delivries of its 486P/25 and 486P/33 computers.
	The most unexpected participant was Microsoft represented by newly formed
Gener.X who was also representing NOvell and Intel.
	Iran Systems, the country's leading PC maker, showed 286 and 386 PCs and
terminals, 486 file servers running Unix and Xenix, and two 286 based cash registers. 
The firm has also built Farsi capabilities into Unix and Xenix by providing a Farsi
shell. Other packages developedd for Unix include several Farsi word processors 
and editors.
	Negareh, the official representative of Sun Microsysytems and a dozen other 
companies such as Calcomp and Everex, could not demonstrate its Sun workstations
but its Genicom printers  were on display.
	...... Iran Argham was officially reperesenting NCR information processing
products .......
	....Siemens has a stand in its own right.......
	.....Apple was the only company offering hands-on session to visitors via
Sibestan. ..........

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From: ???

by Mr. Amin Mohadjer

		Iranian Ministries look for more power

The history of computers in Iran dates back to late 1950s. Since government
organizations have always been the major customers, particularly for mainframes
and minicomputers which were and still are too expensive to be widely used by the 
country's private sector. Amin Mohadjer looks at the type of systems being used
today by government departments.

	The first computers installed in Iran in the early 1960s were IBM 1620s
and 1400s used soley for statistical applications. ...........
	...........In 1990 Iran Air bought an  IBM 4341 with 3350 magnetic discs.
	It has also used PDP-11/35 and 11/45 minicopputers as well as NVS image
	processing compputers in flight simulators.
	.......Two years ago Iran Air made it possible for its offices and many of 
	its private agents to book seats via a network connected to its computer
	center. Installed terminals were from Siements-Nixdorf.
	......Iran state railways are only using PCs for selling tickets.........
	....Cat manufacturers, the metal and steel industries, and machine tool
	factories are using computers for CAD and CAM applications.
	...........
	...........

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From:	Computer Guide Middle East 1993
				[In good faith a summary of this unpublished
				article is shared with you.
					nasser modiri]

by Mr. Amin Mohadjer

		Iran aims for future growth

The process of developing the Iranian IT industry is well underway. After a hesitant
start, the private sector has taken over from the state as the prime mover in the
marketplace. Amin Mohadjer charts the progress of the industry from its earliest
days and discovers that there are many ground for optimism for the future.

For Iran's computer market and industry the last few years have been a period of steady
growth. Only half  a dozen years  ago Iran was amon the less developed countries in the
Middle East in computing terms, it is now heading towards becoming one of the largest 
markets in the region.
The proof of this is reflected in the increasing number of newly formed companies. In the
past six months alone, more than 100 firms have emerged, mainly engaged in importing
computers and peripherals. In addition, hundereds of already established companies have
been successful in getting well-known foreign firms.
	.......IBM, Novell, Microsoft, Borland and Olivetti are just some of the
companies who have come to Iran in the last year or so.
	........Recently, the Iran Telecommunications Company posted a US$1 billion 
worth of bids for supply of siz million digital telephone lines, a mobile cellular
network and packet switching. 
	.......Two of the fastest growing sectors of Iran's computer market are 
desktop publishing and computer aided design........Apple is the dominant player.....
	......The sales of notebook and laptop computers are also increasing as these
machines become more affordable for Iranian managers.

	.......The Supreme Council of Informatics is working on the first draft of
a [software] copyright law to be put before parliament.........
				

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