Fawzan was impressed with ECC's nomination documentation. He said it included a clear demonstration of the center's strategies, the innovative use of important technologies as well as top-notch technical and administrative manuals developed by the Operations Department. He expressed his desire for Saudi Aramco to maintain a relationship with Omaintec, which he said would benefit from contact with ECC's competence and expertise. The award is the latest in a string of recognitions ECC has received since its debut in 1982. The U.S. North Island Consulting Co. awarded ECC its first international certificate for response and resolution time of users' problems. In 2003, ECC was certified by the International Help Desk Institute (HDI), the largest specialized international institute for the development of specifications and quality standards for computer centers. In 2004, ECC won the HDI Team Excellence Award, which is awarded annually to the best computer center in the world. ECC was the first center from outside the United States to receive this certificate, beating competition from more than 200 companies representing more than 22 countries. In 2005, ECC became the second computer center in the world to receive the HDI recertification with the latest best-practices standards. Dr. Zuhair M. Al-Sarraj, president of the Operation and Maintenance Engineering Board at the Saudi Arabia Council of Engineers, said that Saudi Aramco's success was due to employee competence, advanced administrative applications, dedication to ongoing education and an eagerness to keep up with new developments.
