Best International Islamic Bank : HSBC Amanah (Euromoney)

HSBC Amanah is the global Islamic banking division of the HSBC Group, and was established in 1998 with the aim of making HSBC the leading provider of Islamic banking worldwide. With more than a hundred professionals serving the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas, HSBC Amanah represents the largest Islamic banking team of any international bank.
HSBC has a rich tradition of community banking, and HSBC Amanah was established to serve the particular financial needs of Muslim communities. Our mission statement and corporate values reflect this vision.
The HSBC Amanah mission statement:
HSBC Amanah is committed to improving the lives of our customers worldwide by providing them with the highest quality Islamic banking solutions.


HSBC Amanah´s corporate values:
In developing our products and services, we are committed to the highest Shariah standards in the Islamic banking industry. We constantly strive to address the needs and concerns of our customers. Our teamwork with HSBC colleagues around the world harnesses the knowledge and resources of HSBC Group for the benefit of our customers. We are an organisation that demands and rewards excellence. We maintain high ethical standards in our business relationships and invest in the future of our communities.
HSBC Amanah considers Shariah compliance of its business operations as its most important & strategic priority. This is reflected in its Corporate Values, "In developing our products and services, we are committed to the highest Shariah standards in the Islamic banking industry." In addition to Global Shariah Advisory Board and Regional Shariah Committees, HSBC Amanah employs a team of qualified professionals to ensure that the guidance and advice received from the Shariah Committees is implemented in letter and spirit.
HSBC Amanah Global Shariah Advisory Board
The Global Shariah Advisory Board (GSAB) advises HSBC Amanah on research activities intended for further development of the Islamic finance industry. GSAB comprises of representative scholars from all Regional Shariah Committees (RSC) of HSBC Amanah in addition to other Shariah scholars of international standing. The presence of renowned scholars from various geographies at GSAB will provide an opportunity to achieve further harmonization of Shariah standards and practices of Islamic Finance Industry. The following independent Shariah scholars are currently members of GSAB.
Sheikh Justice (Retd.) Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Pakistan, Sheikh Hussain Hamid Hassan (Egypt), Dr. Muhammad Achmad Sahal Mahfudh (Indonesia), Dr. Mohammed Daud Bakar (Malaysia), Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Ali Elgari (Saudi Arabia), Sheikh Nizam Yaquby (Bahrain),and Dr. Mohammad Akram Laldin (Malaysia)
HSBC Amanah operations are closely supervised by four Regional Shariah Committees (RSCs) in addition to a Central Shariah Committee (CSC). The CSC supervises HSBC Amanah businesses as well as operations in UAE, Qatar, UK, USA and Bangladesh. The CSC comprises of following well-known scholars: Sheikh Nizam Yaquby, Sheikh Dr. Mohamed Ali Elgari and Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani.

HSBC Amanah operations in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are supervised by following independent RSCs.
HSBC Amanah has won the Euromoney 2005 awards for Best Islamic Wholesale Bank and Best for Private Banking Services.
HSBC Amanah has won the following awards:
Euromoney awards : Best International Provider of Islamic Financial Services (2004), Best International Sukuk House (2004), Best Islamic Wholesale Bank (2005), Best for Private Banking Services (2005).
Award-winning transactions : Emirates ECA-backed financing 2001, (Euromoney, Jane´s Transport Finance, Institutional Investor, Airfinance Journal), Government of Malaysia Global Sukuk - 2002,(Euromoney, Institutional Investor, Asiamoney, FinanceAsia), Emirates IV, with Islamic Development Bank - 2003 and (Jane´s Transport Finance)

New Sharia Product in Asia Sought

The booming Islamic finance industry has yet to rub off on wealthy Asians who say there are far too few Sharia products to invest in, the private banking arm of Malaysia's second largest lender said yesterday.
Sharia investing is a key pillar in the Middle East and has caught the interest of non-traditional centres such as London and Singapore, but rich Asians are still cool on it.
Asia is a big potential market for the $1 trillion Islamic finance sector, with the Asia-Pacific home to 28 per cent of the world's high-net-worth-individuals, who are defined as those with investible assets of more than $1 million.
Even in Malaysia, which has the world's largest Sharia bond market, wealthy individuals have limited interest in Islamic assets.
"The appetite is still quite small because they continue to nibble," said CIMB Private Banking co-head Carolyn Leng.
The bank says it is Malaysia's top private banking firm with assets of 4.4 billion ringgit ($1.23bn). The bank expects to increase this to about 7bn ringgit by 2010, Leng said.
"Offering of Islamic products are not that great here, what you have is probably what the market (outside) has as well. Product innovation is key, we need to be a lot more creative."
Structured products and Islamic bonds are the main sharia products that wealthy Malaysians put their money into, Leng said.
In contrast to Asia, Middle East investors have a wider choice of Islamic offerings as banks tap their global resources to structure innovative products, Leng said.
"There are a lot of derivatives-based kind of products. The way they structure some options into their products is interesting because it's done in such a way that it's a profit-sharing method," she said.
Islamic banking products can be bought and sold by all investors, regardless of individual religious belief, and is premised on the notion of ethical investing.
Islamic banks have been barely bruised by the global financial crisis, although falling property and commodity prices and slowing economies are starting to affect the sector.

* Business Strategy Online

Arabian Desert

Arabia Desert inhabited by nomadic tribes in Akkadian called Aribi, often invade neighboring countries, such as Arabia Felix and Mesopotamia, which they sometimes gain victory. To understand the isolation that is known as a person without a history of hard work is required, however they are known as a camel rider in the century to the ninth or ten before Christ (BC). In 250 BC the various tribes of Arabia began to move toward Levant. Tribe noted that the tribe is Qedar and Nabatu the road to the area Edomit, Moabite and Jews. In the Parthian and the Roman period, several dynastic grip on the city in Arabia Syam (France) and Iraq. The city is among other Palmyra, Emesa, Edessa, Hatra, Chacene and Gerrha. Meanwhile, modern people generally think that the population of Arabia as the Arab Peninsula, experts in ancient history often refer people with the name of their tribe directly. This merupakjan which is very important to find people who are indeed Arab.
Petra Arabs living between Egypt and Mesopotamia, which finally set the odyssey of them as a way of life, build some of the city. The main people in this region and the Nabasia people are Petra as their capital. The oldest reference to the Arab people can be found in the Book of Genesis Gospel, where Arab traders buy and sell children with Josep Jacob. References in the report found other war King Assyirian Salmanasser in 853 BC and a report about a kingdom called Aribi, mentioned from Tiglath-Pileser III (745 - 727 BC) to the front and the followers of Asssyrian to mid-second century ketujuah. Then, by Arab kings Babilonia be caused to bow Nabonidus, which create a relaxing oasis theme, and reached the capital Yatribu (Medina). According to Greek researchers, Herodotus, the Persian king Cambyses is not occupying the Arab attack on Egypt 525 BC. Its successor, Darius I did not mention in the Arabic inscription Behistun from the first year of reign, but note them in the end. This shows that Darius is only part of the area subjected Arabia. There are no instructions that indicate loyal or not loyal to the king of Persia. After the Macedonian king Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire between 335 to 323 BC, part of Arabia which left more or less autonomy for centuries. In 106 CE (M), the Jordan Arabia related to the province as the Roman empire under the power of Trajan. There are few cities in this province from north to the medical, Adraa (dara '), Dion, Gerasa (Jerash), Philadelphia (Amman) and Aila (Aqaba). During the Roman period, and the historian Josephus Strabo with the free use of the word jumble Nabasia with the Arab kings and vice versa Nabasia known as the king of the Arab kingdom and they are known as Arabia. But this is only the suitability to become the Province of the Kingdom of Nabasia Arabia, which include the Empire Rowawi. Although, the control of sea routes by Himyar very convincing. At the end of the third century, the king Samir Yuhar unify Yemen. He was considered important enough to negotiate with the king kestaraan in the Persian Empire.
Created by Prof.M.Suyanto

Model & Infrastructure Business Internet Phone (VoIP) PART2

From the service it will actually 2 types of services at the level of end user / resaler, namely:

• Dial-out only (one direction to the outside only) - can only call out only. Although the technology is not too hard to make this service a dial-out and dial-in.
• Dial-out and dial-in (can be two-way) - will control the infrastructure here will be felt mainly allocation phone number. Especially with the ability H.323 protocol that allows computers to act as a central phone.

The dial-out service is the only service that most easily because they do not operate in the need to coordinate phone number (E.164 standard) with various central phone using the H.323 protocol. Quality voice service is more difficult to control. This service is more suitable for resale services such as VoIP telecom shops and that what is generally used for dial-out only.

The dial-out service and dial-in (two) is only possible if the operator to obtain a phone number. The main issues of their concern that a regulator for two-way VoIP is a problem that control kualias businessman VoIP can maintain its quality and not poke VoIP users. Although actually control mechanism directly by penggunapun can actually be used. There are several main parameters for quality control, usually only the parameters of this may be good and consistent use of the Internet infrastructure, really good and is designed specifically for the needs of mentransmisikan data in realtime. Internet infrastructure in that needed special for realtime data, including Internet Phone by some colleagues in a managed IP infrastructure. Quality will be felt directly by pengunakan in two (2) the main things, namely:

• Penomoran so that the standard ISDN E.164 number can map to the IP address.
• Quality of sound in the form of Mean Opinion Score (MOS) can be approached Plain Old Telephone System (POTS), namely 4. In the picture shown kualias the difference between POTS, VoIP with compression software, VoIP over Frame Relay and VoIP with hardware compression using equipment from quicknet.net.

Parameters that can PROBE in the computer network to ensure quality is:

• In layer 3 (Internet Protocol)
o IP Precedence to use VoIP 5.
o Using Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP)
• In the protocol layer 4 (Transport Protocol)
Usually used o Real Time Protocol (RTP).
o Using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP).
o Using the port of 16,383 to 32,767 applications for voice above.
• In the Managed Router IP infrastructure used different techniques to queue traffic compared with the normal Internet router. Here vouce traffic will use Priority Queuing (PQ) is the data traffik will use the weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) or Class-Based weighted Fair Queuing (CBWFQ)

From the end user, improving the quality of the business can also be used in several ways such as:

• Conducting voice & video compression in the transmisikan (such as G.723 for voice).
• Using compressed RTP - to 40-byte header of the IP protocol UDP RTP can be compressed into only a 2-4 bytes.
• using Voice Activity Detection (VAD) - if that is not being sent not to speak through the voice infrastructure.

Apart from the model of technology and business VoIP, the VoIP providers must obtain government permission to operate and meet some of the things explained in UU36/1999, PP52/2000 & draft decree providers of telecommunications services. Things that need to glance at simaki businessmen, among others:

• UU36/99 Article 16 (1) - Every provider of telecommunications network and telecommunication service providers or required to provide universal service contribution in. In the simplest language, the VoIP should make the process of cross-subsidies in the set by the decree.
• PP52/2000 Article 26, 27 & 28 - set the Universal Service Obligation (Universal Service obligation) is in UU36/1999 Article 16. Universal Service Obligation / USO example in point is not to telecommunication network telecommunications services. Need for patterns in the revision of telecommunications services.
• UU36/1999 also set the cost of Rights Organization (BHP) of telecommunications services in the UU36/1999 Article 26. BHP is a non-budgeter funds in the Post.
• VoIP in the permitting process in the last draft of the decree telecommunication service providers can take in the http://www.postel.go.id because of the shape of the draft can be changed. Note on the draft decree services article 54, 78, 79, 80 & 81. Competition for acquiring a permit VoIP will be carried out in the open and set in the draft decree of telecommunications services, Chapter IV of Procedure of Article 96 permits's 101.
• VoIP may also be in the resale by the Cooperation Telecommunication not that set by the draft decree article 93.
• Be careful for play businessman who fire and run a commercial business VoIP without a permit because of violations in operating the VoIP without permission and without obligation Universal Service Obligation / USO will be affected by fines up to Rp. 1 billion and detention s / d in 10 years set in UU36/1999 articles 47 & 51.

All the script of Law, PP, the decree relating to the telecommunications and broadcasting can be downloaded from the http://www.internews.or.id capture the media's law. Blogosphere continue to sectors VoIP, the script regulations that are still very premature need to be assisted to be for the good of us all. Discussions about the regulation of telecommunications is done in many telematika@egroups.com & mastel-e-commerce@egroups.com.
Posted by danar clinic

Model & Infrastructure Business Internet Phone (VoIP) PART1

Model & Infrastructure Business Internet Phone (VoIP)

Onno W. Purbo

With several cases of detention businessmen seem to VoIP will be very important to understand the various forms of business / technology available, such as:

• Voice over IP (VoIP)
• FAX over IP (FoIP)
• Internet Phone

One other fact different from the facility, but the principle is that we transmisikan on the Internet is the voice - whether it is with the ability to dial, voice or FAX. Reference more information about VoIP technology can be seen in some Web sites such as:

Http://www.pulver.com
Http://www.openphone.org
Http://www.openh323.org
Http://www.quicknet.net

Unified perception is required both for the users, operators and operators, regulators and policy that take the security apparatus that is not haphazard arrest people, mengobrak destroy the equipment that they have and accuse the alleged thief only because Telkom has a dastardly soul & not dare to compete. Stories will be a little different if Telkom & Police reason that employers use to operate the business page without permission. The only reason memojokan page will Telkom itself, because the right to sue employers VoIP is DITJEN Post / Government is not Telkom.

In the picture I try to show the modules will interact each other in the business VoIP, FoIP & Internet phone. One other fact is modular and can stand on its own - one another will interact in a very wide variation, so it is difficult to categorize one another.

If we see the image on the fact in general can be divided three major categories, namely:

1. Resaler / End User.
• Telecommunication Shop / Garnet / RT-RW-Net / Sub-district-Net (resaler)
• Corporate users (be a resaler).
• Personal PC users (via a dial-up ISP).
• Telephone (dial-up via ITSP).
• FAX (dial-up via ITSP).
2. Gateway / Access Providers / Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP).
3. Backbone / infrastructure.
• Managed IP (here the Quality of Service infrastructure in the set).
• Internet usual.
• Minute Exchange (approximately the same as the Internet Exchange in the Internet-it).
Friends and businessmen regulators may be aware that the business model used in VoIP, FoIP & Internet Phone can be quite complex. Most VoIP entrepreneurs are actually in Indonesia, only to run Internet telephony services Service Provider (ITSP). ISTP usually rent a leased line to the Internet and some phone lines to access customers.

From the model in the picture, actually many types of business that can grow in the VoIP, which may not have been show before. Managed IP backbone infrastructure that is a must in order to earn a VoIP voice quality is better than what is offered at this time. With the number of VoIP service such as this is the Internet, where the exchange traffik VoIP (usually known as the minute exchange) is required to exchange traffik / interconnection between the operators can run in Indonesia do not have to be abroad for international bandwidth. Please note that all operations page can be done modular, meaning that it can stand on its own and should not ITSP businessmen have managed IP backbone, employers should not have a page minute exchange.