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Opening the floodgates
Editorial Group Editor Jeevan Thankappan jeevan.thankappan@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5678
Last month, I was in Scotland to attend F5 Networks’ annual E-mail: Agility conference, where I had the opportunity to talk to the jeevan.thankappan@ company’s new CEO, Manny Rivelo. “We are a software company, cpimediagroup.com not a hardware one,” he said, which struck me as a bit odd. After all, F5 made its money from selling load-balancing boxes and is now one of the leaders in the ADC market, which requires custom-built hardware. Now, I come to think of it, Rivelo’s statement reflects the new reality in the networking market; it’s increasingly moving towards software. In a world set to be dominated by cloud and SDN, customers want to de-couple software from hardware and embrace commodity hardware. For them, it makes sense – disaggregating hardware and software platforms allows networking customers to break free from the high cost of integrated silicon and operating systems. This trend has already started in the data centre switching market. The number of switch vendors running their OS on low-cost hardware from Open Compute Project (OCP) is on the rise, and recently the biggies such as Brite and white Cisco and Juniper have joined this Facebook-driven box switching initiative that develops open source networking switches and routers. OCP is a boon for customers looking to will account for build data centre networks that scale, but at a lower cost, more than 10 and Facebook reckons an open, disaggregated switch percent of global will spur a faster pace of innovation in the development data centre port of networking hardware. Gartner calls this approach – vendors letting their shipments by operating systems run on white boxes and bare metal 2018. hardware – brite box (branded white box). It says brite and white box switching will account for more than 10 percent of global data centre port shipments by 2018. The networking space has been bereft of innovation for decades mainly because switches and routers traditionally have been boxed with hardware and software from the same vendor, which left little room for modification or customisation. Now with the initiatives such as OCP and the advent of custom, programmable chips (FPGA), the closed world of networking might soon open up in a software-defined world. Talk to us:
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EDITORIAL
Moving on up Talk to us:
This month has been one of travel among the CNME staff. From Florida to Beijing to Riyadh, we have been trawling the globe to attend top-line conferences, meet executives and garner the latest happenings in both the regional and international technology scene. We’ve gleaned a great deal over the last month, but one message I have heard throughout is that the IT department is moving out of the basement and into the boardroom. The involvement of IT in business planning is no longer optional; it is mandatory for any business to stay competitive. The main driver for this move, in my opinion, is the potential to monetise data. It is no longer adequate to simply review old stodgy spreadsheets littered with figures to extrapolate future business decisions. Now businesses need an abundance of real-time data, and the tech infrastructure to analyse it ahead of competitors. More than just a service provider, the role of the CIO has shifted. Every part of a business, The role of the CIO from finance to HR is now supported in some has shifted. The part by technology, and the IT department involvement of IT in needs to remain connected across departments. business planning is It is imperative that CIOs become a part of the no longer optional; general business discussion. it is mandatory for How this will change the role of the CIO any business to stay is yet to be seen entirely. The most notable competitive. way I see this change, is in the attitude toward the IT department. Whereas in the past, the IT department may have been seen as a barrier to progress in that they needed to maintain security protocols, or keep their technology expenses down, now it is seen as an enabler to business. It is shifting from a cost centre barrier to a profit centre enabler. Now the CIO is part of the conversation on how to maximise profits. The 1990s was the decade of the CFO. Now the CIO is taking the helm and driving business forward.
E-mail: annie.bricker@ cpimediagroup.com
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4 2 1
1 2 3 4 5
Classification of Data Centre Operations Technology (OT) Management Tools
> Executive summary
Contents
3
5
Contents
Our Strategic Partners Strategic ICT Partner
Strategic Technology Partner
Strategic Innovation Partner
ISSUE 280 | June 2015
14
citrix synergy 2015
standard chartered menap cio clive haswell
16
enterprising security
14 Citrix Synergy 2015
32 A lighter load
16 Enterprise Security 360
36 Fit for a King
24 Interview: Steve Wozniak
46 Pay to play
26 Chartered course
64 Survival of the fittest
24
interview: steve wozniak
www.cnmeonline.com
26
Partners, executives and press gathered in Orlando, Florida to experience the company's new offerings. The 2015 edition of CNME's Enterprise Security 360 roadshow gathered CIOs and experts from around the region. CNME Editor Annie Bricker sits down with Apple founder and tech guru Steve Wozniak to discuss past mistakes and future hopes. Clive Haswell, CIO MENAP, Standard Chartered, has been at the bank for 25 years. However, his career can't have been more varied.
With ports across the world, Gulftainer can't afford to have anything but the most streamlined IT infrastructure. King Faisal Foundation's CTO Hazem Jarrar rolls out updated unified communications and changes the way KFF reaches out. NFC technology stands to change the way the world does business. From bills to a cup of coffee, NFC will transform the way we pay. IMA Chairman Joe Vincent was recently in Dubai to discuss the importance of Digital Darwinism and the future of finance and tech.
june 2015
5
4
REASONS you need a
HIGH PERFORMANCE ADC
1
2
BANDWIDTH GROWTH IS OUTPACING BUDGETS
SSL REQUIREMENTS ARE SKYROCKETING Number of standard servers required to handle 1,000 SSL CPS
Data CenterSystems Spending ($B)
Budget Bandwidth Surpassing area
4.7 3.1 3.8
5.8
7.1
8.6
180
1024-bit
2048-bit
4096-bit
160 140 120 1
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
25% - 35% of Internet traffic is encrypted with SSL3
Data Centre IP Traffic (Zettabytes/yr)
1.43%
Data Centre system spending CAGR from 2013-2018 2
of certificates issued according one CA4
23%
Data Centre traffic will grow at a CAGR during 2013-2018 1
in
2018
8.6
Zettabytes
Source: A10 Networks
4096-bit 20 %
SSL key use is growing, accounting for
per year of Data Center traffic on average 1
48% more
of the most popular websites use SSL as of January 2014 than a year earlier 5 Upgrading 1024-bit to 2048-bit SSL keys can degrade performance 5
3x to 7x
3
4
MORE DEVICES
INTERNET ATTACKS ARE GROWING
=
MORE CONNECTIONS WITH ALWAYS-ON ACCESS
1850% INCREASE
6.9 billion
mobile subscriptions in 2014 6
in packet rates for DDoS attacks from
2011 to 2013
31
billion devices and
4
will be connected to the Internet by
2020
billion users
Average size of a DDoS attack in 2013
10
Gbps
8
and attacks frequently reached
60 Gbps
DNS and NTP REFLECTION
The Internet of Things (IoT) will increase bandwidth demands
amplify DDoS attacks up to
28x - 556x9
WEB ATTACKS accounted for
ADCs will need to accelerate and load balance traffic 24x7
35%
of data breaches in 2013
Column
James Dartnell Deputy Editor, CNME
Up to scratch
L
ast month saw CNME’s third annual Enterprise Security 360 Roadshow make its way to Riyadh, Doha and Dubai, and once again attracted a range of accomplished international speakers and high-calibre attendees. The wide vector of attacking threats in 2015 naturally dictated that a broad range of topics were discussed. Advanced persistent threats, security in the cloud, automated threat response these and more besides comprised the comprehensive agenda. The issue of enterprise IT security cannot be wished away, with the risk of business critical information being compromised an ever-present menace. In this regard, all any business can hope for is to optimise the use of their staff, processes and technology to make sure they are as equipped as possible in this battle. However, one hugely encouraging thing that can be said in the Middle East’s favour is the impact of Greenfield 8
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IT. A large number of businesses across the Gulf find themselves liberated by the relative lack of legacy IT infrastructure. I’ve recently spoken with a number of regional Chief Information Officers who say their infrastructure is now unrecognisable from what it had been as little as two years ago. It seems almost unthinkable now that they were being regularly hacked, facing the frequent irritation of crippling downtime, and, most importantly, needlessly losing company money. For a number of organisations, those days are now a thing of the past. That’s not to say they’re free of attack. It would be naïve to get too carried away. What it does show is the huge progress that the region has made in this regard – the evolving perception of IT security as a business-critical component, and the huge jump that can be made in a relatively short space of time. It also helps us to draw two important conclusions. Firstly, the benefit of investment in IT projects that
don’t merely involve ‘keeping the lights on.’ Granted, necessity has dictated that things be brought up to scratch, but the CAPEX has paid off. Many IT leaders will face a battle in this respect, but a clear business case can always be presented in favour of sounder infrastructure and security spending. Secondly, it displays an increasing awareness and determination of the need to protect this region’s prized assets, both in the public and private sector. Questions still hover around the cloud. Until data centres can be housed within the region, or indeed inside specific countries within the Middle East, public and hybrid clouds will not gain full acceptance. Once they do, however, I am confident that security processes can be tightened; the reputation of providers is at stake when it comes to user privacy. Whatever the next step is for local security, the signs are promising; continue on this curve and huge progress is on the cards for the enterprise. www.cnmeonline.com
GBM offers an extensive range of IT infrastructure solutions
Founded and operating in the region since 1990, Gulf Business Machines (GBM) is the number one provider of IT solutions, leveraging industry leading technologies to drive real business results for clients. GBM brings the power of the world’s most renowned technology providers, IBM from its outset and the addition of the Cisco portfolio in 1999. GBM today holds both the Master Collaboration and the Master Security Specializations from Cisco, the only partner across Gulf to be awarded these distinctions. GBM lives the ever-evolving culture of the local IT landscapes in which it operates, continually investing in training and development to ensure its experts can fully understand and interpret the growing needs of their clients. As a result, GBM is always well-equipped to address the everevolving, industry-specific IT demands in every market. www.gbmme.com ABU DHABI • BAHRAIN • DUBAI • KUWAIT • OMAN • PAKISTAN • QATAR
CIO Soundbites How is your organisation using M2M or sensor enabled technology?
Yahya Ahmed Al Sharji – PhD CISA CISM CGEIT, Information Technology Director, SCA “Currently we are using sensor enabled technology in our operations section for the access control, CCTV surveillance and communications. Our NexThink technologies are schedule to be operational in the second quarter of this year.”
Dr. Jassim Haji, Director Information Technology, Gulf Air “Gulf Air is planning to use M2M, to integrate the aircraft embedded systems with ground engineers' technical log tablets. This will enhance performance and efficiency of aircraft maintenance.”
Terence Sathyanarayan, Corporate IT Director, Drake & Scull International “We intend to use M2M for location-based asset tracking and condition maintenance using Smart gateway devices, running the JD Edwards IoT Kernel, providing GPS tracking and inventory conditions and location. We’ve already put a high-end voice-enabled ERP into the cloud, and we are looking at single sign-on with logical smartcard access.”
www.cnmeonline.com
JUNE 2015
11
short takes
Huawei launches IoT OS
Month in view
Huawei has launched its own Internet of Things operating system – LiteOS. The LiteOS software can be as small as 10 kilobytes in size, and is designed to run on minimal power, making it suitable for a wide range of hardware, including microcontrollers and ARM Cortex embedded processors. Hardware running LiteOS can be controlled remotely, or collect data. The operating system can be installed on devices already running Google’s Android OS, and it can connect with other thirdparty devices. The software features open APIs, and Huawei plans to make the LiteOS source code available for download under the ISC license, which allows copying, modification and distribution of the code for free or for a fee. To attract developers, Huawei is providing chipsets, modules and hardware boards through its LiteOS community. Huawei is better known as a supplier of networking equipment, and its business has been growing with the world’s demand for more Internet access. By 2025, it predicts the planet will have over 100 billion connected devices. 12
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ME 2015 IT spend to hit ‘$215 billion’ Middle East IT spending is projected to reach $214.7 billion in 2015, a 5.2 percent increase from 2014, according to the latest forecast by Gartner. Peter Sondergaard, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Research, Gartner, provided the latest outlook for the IT industry to an audience of more than 500 CIOs and IT leaders at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Dubai. Regional spending on devices mobile phones, media tablets, PCs, and printers - is forecasted to reach $36 billion in 2015, up 16 percent from 2014. Telecom services continues to be the largest segment, accounting for 74 percent of Middle Eastern IT spending in 2015. Meanwhile, $4 billion is forecasted to be spent on data centre systems, $4.8 billion on software, and $10.4 billion on IT services. “Business intelligence and analytics, infrastructure and data centre, and cloud are the top three CIO technology priorities in the Middle East region,” Sondergaard said. “Sensors and Internet of Things are on the radar, but with no action planned in the medium to long term. Robotics and 3D printing are not yet priorities in the Middle East in 2015.
“The impact that the digital business economy is having on the IT industry is dramatic. Since 2013, 650 million new physical objects have come online. 3D printers became a billion dollar market; 10 percent of automobiles became connected; and the number of Chief Data Officers and Chief Digital Officer positions have doubled. In 2015, all of these things will double again,” Sondergaard added.
Google now gets more search queries from mobile devices than it does from PCs. www.cnmeonline.com
EMC launches Web fraud spikes EMEA finance sector XtremIo 4.0 According to a new survey commissioned by F5 Networks, financial services organisations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa are increasingly exposed to and concerned about the rising menace of web fraud threats. IT decision-makers revealed how they constantly face significant financial and reputational hits due to malware, phishing, credential grabbing and session hijacking attacks. Findings of the survey stated that 48 percent of organisations had experienced financial losses between £50,000 and £500,000 stemming from online fraud within the last two years. Nine percent forfeited more than £500,000 and three percent over £1 million.
The free software upgrade to EMC's XtremIO v3.X arrays now supports new, vastly larger allflash array configurations. The update also supports and expands its on-demand capabilities. In the 18 months since first becoming available, XtremIO has risen to become the fastest-selling product in EMC history.
HP sells 51 percent stake in China unit Hewlett-Packard has sold a majority stake in its China server and storage business to Tsinghua Holdings, as they launch a joint venture they expect will boost sales of HP enterprise hardware products in the country. Tsinghua will buy 51 percent of the joint venture, called H3C, for $2.3 billion. H3C will include HP’s China-based server, storage and technology services assets, as well H3C Technologies, an HP networking equipment subsidiary in China. The transaction comes ahead of HP’s plan to split its enterprise, PC and printing business into separate companies, which is expected to happen by the end of the year. HewlettPackard Enterprise will sell software and enterprise hardware, while HP Inc. will sell printers, PCs, mobile devices, monitors and accessories. www.cnmeonline.com
By partnering with Tsinghua – which is affiliated with Tsinghua University in Beijing – HP also hopes to increase enterprise product sales in China. HP’s global server sales grew by just 1.6 percent to $3.9 billion during last year’s fourth quarter, according to IDC. That was in sharp contrast to fourth-ranked Lenovo, whose server revenue jumped by 748.3 percent, partly due to the addition of IBM’s x86 server business last year. Smaller ODM (original design manufacturer) vendors in China and Taiwan that make bare-bone servers and sell directly to customers in China saw their revenue grow as a group by 31.4 percent. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to shareholder vote, and regulatory approvals and conditions.
73 percent cited reputational damage as the main concern for such attacks, whereas 72 percent feared loss of revenue and the burden of requirements to conduct extensive security audits. Other major negative impacts included decreased customer confidence and loyalty (64 percent) and potential fines by regulatory bodies (62 percent). Over 35 percent of respondents claimed to have suffered fraud losses from a variety of online attacks. Malware was the main culprit (75 percent), followed by phishing (53 percent), credential grabbing (53 percent) and session grabbing (35 percent).
Resilient Systems: 46 percent of ME businesses lack IR plans According to the findings of a survey conducted by Resilient Systems, nearly half (46 percent) of Middle East organisations have no Incident Response (IR) plans. The survey of more than 150 enterprise security professionals also found that 69 percent of organisations experienced an incident in the last 12 months. Further findings of the survey indicated that 17 percent of organisations reported having more than 25 incidents in the last year. Paul Ayers, General Manager, EMEA, Resilient Systems, said, “In this new era of cybercrime, businesses are learning that identifying and protecting against threats isn’t enough – they have to be able to respond, and they have to do it faster, better, and smarter than before. Security incidents are inevitable – but the good news is that quick and effective response can make cyber threats manageable, and ensure that businesses can thrive in the face of them.” june 2015
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EVENT
Citrix
Seamless Synergy Citrix Synergy 2015, held from 12 to14 May in Orlando, Florida, gathered thousands of customers, partners and executives to experience the company’s new offerings and updates. CEO Mark Templeton opened the event by sharing the company’s ‘Vision for IT Transformation.’ empleton outlined Citrix’s plan to change the IT landscape by enabling a “build once, deploy anything” infrastructure. The aim, he said, is to simplify management and provide deviceindependent endpoints. As a result, businesses can instantly embrace new ways of working while optimising security,
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agility and user experience. According to Templeton, modern workspaces are no longer confined to a physical location or a specific device, providing the digital tools that users need to get their job done from anywhere. Specifically, the company is taking on a number of new initiatives to support the goal of creating a truly mobile workspace. Citrix has created a new cloud services control
plane that merges on-premise and cloud solutions. The result is mobile workspaces that include desktops as well as applications and data sourced from the infrastructure. The company is also extending its support of its XenApp 6.5 until 2017, as well as improving storage performance, enhancing profile management, extending helpdesk and troubleshooting tools and enhancing
www.cnmeonline.com
support for Lync, Microsoft's enterprise communications platform, which was recently rebranded Skype for Business. In an attempt to differentiate its desktop sharing offerings, Citrix has introduced Workspace Hub, a small system-on-a-chip prototype that enables users to carry virtualised workspaces across a variety of devices. The Hub detects automatically when the user is on-the-move and out of the range of connected devices, and pushes the virtual workspace to the closest mobile device within seconds. Project Octoblu also created quite a buzz during this year’s conference. The software uses a graphical programming language that enables users to create rule-based visual flow designs that govern how linked devices and apps function after or during a particular action. In practice, www.cnmeonline.com
a notification in one app may trigger events throughout the system. Templeton’s keynote highlighted the rising demand for consumerlike apps in the enterprise setting, including instantaneous access to data and services. Employees want to be able to use familiar and top-of-the-line devices to do business, he explained. “The reality is that the everchanging consumer marketplace has come to define the technologies that people want to use at work – and rightfully so, since they offer significant enhancements to productivity and efficiency," Templeton said. "We wanted to find a way to help businesses feed the wave of innovation instead of having to react to it. By enabling on-demand IT for a workspace world, businesses can now deploy new resources in minutes and manage them with ease, no matter where they reside or what
devices people are using – all while enhancing security, user productivity and business agility.” In its tenth year, the crowd was eager to know who would take home the coveted Citrix Innovation Award. Templeton announced the winner – Aer Lingus. “The Citrix platform gives us the ability to actually implement initiatives while making sure the investment we’re making for the future is going to last, and also gives us competitive advantage,” Derek Monahan, Director of IT Services, Aer Lingus said. The event brought into focus how customers can enable business to leverage an infrastructure that provides agility without sacrificing security. This is particularly vital in the Middle East region where critical industries are beginning to virtualise systems. “Take for example, oil and gas,” said Kenan Abou Lteif, the company’s Regional Sales Director, “not only do they need to abide by stringent regulations, but they are also working in harsh conditions. We are working with Samsung on a number of projects to support and enable devices that are certified to function in extreme conditions while maintaining compliance protocols.” Citrix is expanding its involvement in the region, leveraging infrastructure roll-outs and other virtualisation projects that are prevalent in the Middle East. The company is also looking forward and considering its future inclusion with IoT and Smart City initiatives. “Our technology will come into play in the long term,” said Abou Lteif, “we will be the connector that brings digitally enabled technologies together.” The end goal for Citrix is just that – to bring people, businesses, technology and productivity together in a way that is seamless and secure for the end user. JUNE 2015
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EVENT
Enterprise Security 360
Under siege CNME’s Enterprise Security 360 Roadshow, which covers Riyadh, Doha and Dubai, returned for its 2015 edition. We bring you the highlights of the security conference.
ISOs and CIOs are the front-line defenders of enterprises when it comes to cyber threats. However, as attackers evolve and become more aggressive, IT leaders are at a clear disadvantage in a number of regards. A worldwide shortage of of 800,000 security professionals, as well as the rise in endpoints puts IT's defenders on the backfoot. Enterprise Security 360 discussed how the right combination of people, processes and technology can equip them with the best defences against cyber-attacks. Peter Clay, CISO and Director of Global Services, CSG Invotas, kicked off proceedings in Dubai with his presentation 'Defender’s Advantage.' Citing his own experiences as a CISO, he said that even with the right knowledge, skills, resources, you are still vulnerable.
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“The reality is, the number of malware instances and cyber-attacks are increasing dramatically. There is no organisation in the world that can commit the resources necessary to match the pace of this growing problem,” he said. He then discussed why companies are still unable to prevent cyber-threats, even though they are detectable before they have penetrated their systems. “We are simply too slow in acting on these threats and it is all because of the misalignment between the three important elements of IT defence – people, processes and technology," Clay said. "One of the answers to this growing concern is security orchestration and automation which entails having a quick and coherent system that will allow IT leaders to speedily decide on the tools and strategies that need to be utilised."
Alexandre Depret-Bixio, Sales Specialist and MSSP Manager, Southern MEA, HP ArcSight, then took to the stage and spoke about the most prevalent types of cyber fraud in the market and different ways of fighting these known threats. “Cyber criminals these days are becoming more organised and motivated," he said. "At the same time their techniques are evolving. CISOs and CIOs can capitalise on the growth of Big Data and mobility in protecting their environments.” However, while there are many cybersecurity policies that can safeguard an organisation’s most critical data, educating the workforce is still key. “You need to educate the users within your company," DepretBixio added. "The users are actually the first firewall. They are the best asset any business can have to fight threats. Hence, informing them of www.cnmeonline.com
it is imperative even the smallest "Cyber criminals to know the next issues that can lead these days are step to take after to any attacks and you have already teaching them how becoming more implemented all to properly address organised and your security them is key." motivated. At the measures. You must Next on stage same time, their identify the next was Jude Pereira, approaches, and MD, Nanjgel techniques are which technology Solutions, who evolving. CISOs would best discussed how and CIOs can complement them.” to stay protected capitalise on the Vibin Shaju, when all security Regional Pre-sales measures fail as growth of Big Manager, Intel well as the different Data and mobility Security, educated solutions that to protect their the audience about Nanjgel can offer. environment.” the next-generation “As cybersecurity firewalls that professionals we can enhance an are all, of course, organisation’s IT ecosystem and already knowledgeable about all the latest service and solutions the different kinds of cyber threats that Intel Security has to offer. out there and we all already know Shenoy Sandeep, Associate VP, how to deal with them. However, www.cnmeonline.com
Spire Solutions, also presented a discussion on the inevitability of breaches. He said that even with the best security strategies and protocols, malware can still slip into systems. He then discussed the various solutions that Spire can provide in order to strengthen an organisation’s IT defences. SAP’s Cloud Technology Specialist for MENA, Amer AlKana, talked about the top trend in IT business today - the cloud. During his presentation he challenged the common misconception that businesses with cloud solutions are simply unsecure, saying instead that cloud-based companies are actually more secure as these organisations tend to attract highcalibre cybersecurity personnel. Furthermore, he highlighted some of the cloud solutions on offer at SAP and discussed cloud technology trends in the market. The last presenter of the day was Deepak Israni, Area Sales Manager MENA, HID Global who gave the audience an overview of the company's latest project with Damballa. The project is aimed at revolutionising Access Control Systems in the education sector. The Riyadh leg of the event featured the following speakers: Hazem Jarrar, CTO, The King Faisal Foundation; Riku Valpas, Senior Manager - Systems Engineering, Fortinet; Jalal Al-Bokhary, Central Region Enterprise Sales Manager, Intel Security. In Doha, the line up of expert speakers included Siva Shankar Maheswaran, End-User and Consultant Business Manager, HID Global. JUNE 2015
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EVENT
SAFEDATA
Contemporary custom In an increasingly digital economy, engagement channels between businesses and customers are gaining in importance and complexity. In association with SafeData, CNME hosted a roundtable discussion on effective strategies for enhancing customer engagement, which sparked a sharp debate amongst a diverse range of regional CIOs. t’s an interesting time to be a customer. Depending on the product or service being purchased, you may not even need to leave the comfort of your own office. If a problem arises for whatever reason, one can often contact a customer service team through Twitter – or better still, via video link – and solve their gripe in no time. But where is the Middle East in this journey? Anil Joglekar, Managing Director, CS Infocomm, set the tone for the discussion, and for transitioning customer engagement. “Doctors will always try to diagnose a problem and
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give medicine x, but, unfortunately in IT, there are too many doctors,” he said. “Companies need to be proactive so that they don’t wait for what customers need. Life is always evolving; certain tech companies who were big several years ago are not there today.” Ahmed Ebrahim Al Ahmad, Chief Information Officer, Nakheel, said the concept of providing an updated customer engagement strategy was no longer only prevalent in the private sector. “The government is now providing a range of services that mean you no longer have to go to a building in person to complete a request,” he said. “The concept has shifted away
from being purely retail-based. Take the University of Wollongong in Dubai – when you access their website, a ‘How can I help you?’ bar pops up and a physical person can answer your typed questions. Ultimately, when it comes to customer engagement, ROI is intangible as it relates to customer satisfaction.” M.N. Chaturvedi, Director of IT, Oasis Investment Company, saw the importance of omnichannel in a dynamic, customer-driven market. “It can be a game-changer as long as the infrastructure is safe and sound,” he said. “Our group has an engineering focus. To us, www.cnmeonline.com
omnichannel means having in-bound contact service centres; if failures result it’s used for calls.” Chaturvedi continued by adding that omnichannel was becoming an increasing necessity for more customer-focused industries. “All business that are customer-related require more solutions,” he said. “All overlay has to be business driven, and during periods of growth, companies need technology improvements to continually engage customers.” Prasanth Venugopal, IT Manager, Deyaar Development, highlighted the necessity of important insight in making IT spending decisions at the right time, “It’s difficult for IT departments to always keep up with the pace of technology, and knowing exactly what customers want at any point in time,” he said. “What’s really important is the ability to assess your own resources when making a decision to make an upgrade.” Shrikant A. Kabboor, Senior Director, Information Technology, Emaar Properties, weighed in on the discussion by adding that certain channels of communication were becoming increasingly important, but only with the right IT infrastructure would they correctly serve their purpose. “We have no intention of covering all channels,” he said. “It’s important to capture customer preferences through social and sentiment analyses, but I believe it isn’t an issue of computing predictive www.cnmeonline.com
and satisfaction so that companies can analytics, and that it’s more a question employ the right tech at the right time.” of behavioural analysis. When used She also chose to highlight the properly, video and social both importance of robust infrastructure improve customer retention and in service provision. “When the loyalty, and are unavoidable.” infrastructure is bad, these types of Kumar Prasoon, Chief Information solutions are not sustainable,” she said. Officer, Al Safeer Group, described Thameem Rizvon, IT Director, Kamal the company’s plans to keep in touch Osman Jamjoom Group, echoed Anwar’s with customers in real-time. “We’re sentiments, “Omnichannel is a huge trying to ensure that every element of opportunity, but retail is linked to in many ways it the customer,” he “All business that is still confusing,” said. “Customer are customer-related he said. “It doesn’t engagement is all about the details require more solutions. really matter what is happening in of a customer All overlay has to be other markets like mindmap. We’re business driven, and the US. In 2008 planning a retail we attempted to GPS solution that during periods of go online with allows customers growth, companies e-commerce to engage with need technology stores, and the the store directly, number of months allowing us to improvements to it was employed think about how continually engage outweighed the loyalty impacts customers.” customers we their spending actually received habits.” in that time. In the U.K. for example, 30 Rose Anwar, Former CIO, ME Global percent of John Lewis’ business is now International, drew attention to the done via e-commerce, but here it is still importance of vendors and IT decision a challenge. makers alike appreciating the nuances “As a company we are ready for of the Middle Eastern market. “The omnichannel, we have the resources culture here is different from the US, in place but customers still prefer and different business processes need to go to the stores in person. Uptake to be kept in mind,” she said. “Every will take time.” D.P. Sangal, Founding company needs to customise their Partner and Managing Director, solutions depending on their market. SafeData Middle East, presided over It’s important to be able to recognise the discussion. what is trending, engagement levels JUNE 2015
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EVENT Gartner Symposium
future digital worlds Last month, the latest edition of the Gartner Symposium gathered more than 500 Chief Information Officers, Senior IT executives and other key decision makers from a wide variety of industries to discuss the growth of Digital Business. eld at the Mina A'Salam Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai from 19th-21st May, the Symposium ITxpo 2015 aimed to address the blurring lines between the digital and physical worlds, and how they are redefining the role of IT. Speakers urged CIOs and other captains of industry to explore ways to harness the potentials of the digital environment to help enhance business’ bottom line. During the event, Peter Sondergaard, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Research, Gartner,
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provided the latest outlook for the IT industry today. “Business intelligence and analytics, infrastructure and data centre, and cloud are the top three CIO technology priorities in the Middle East region. Sensor enabled technology and the Internet of Things are on the radar with no action planned and or is in the medium to long term planning. Robotics and 3D printing are not yet priorities in the Middle East in 2015.� He also discussed how the digital business economy is dramatically impacting the IT industry, citing
the fact that over 650 million new physical objects have come online. Moreover, Gartner sees that number doubling in 2015. Furthermore, he mentioned that Gartner sees digital business as a new business design that blends the virtual and the physical worlds, changing how processes and industries work through the Internet of Things. He stated that this year, analysts expect enterprises to spend over $40 billion on designing, implementing and operating the IoT. Further into the event, Sondergaard highlighted the www.cnmeonline.com
prevalence of bimodal IT capabilities among CIOs and digital leaders, explaining how leveraging this capability allows IT functions to fill the digital divide between what IT provides and what the enterprise really needs. With mode one being the traditional method in which the supportive systems must be reliable, predictable, and safe; and the second mode as non-sequential which puts emphasis on agility and speed as disruption can occur at any time. Using smart machines as an example, Sondergaard explained how digital business causes disruption. “Smart machines are an emerging “super class” of technologies that perform a wide variety of work, of both the physical and the intellectual kind," he said. "For example, school computers have been grading multiple tests for many years, and now they are grading essays, unstructured tests that require analysis. Not only is the grading more accurate, but students actually www.cnmeonline.com
worked harder on their essays when loves Steve Wozniak," said Willis. they are graded by a smart machine. "Of course we know him as the “Other professional tasks won’t be co-founder of Apple. He was the far behind; financial analysts, medical principle, sole designer of the Apple diagnostics, and data analytics jobs I and II. Did you know that before will be impacted. Knowledge work that he used to hack the telephone will be automated,” he added. system, just for fun? Did you also Attendees of the Gartner know he founded the first company Symposium ITxpo 2015 also got a to market the universal remote chance to benefit from workshops control? He also founded an Internet and roundtable discussions. The event of Things company back in 2001, featured an exclusive keynote CIO before anyone was talking about the presentation from Cornish Innovator Internet of Things. He's a beloved and Adventurer, Pete Goss; and, most technology personality. We all have notably, guest keynote speaker, Steve Steve to thank for making technology Wozniak, Co-Founder approachable for of Apple, Inc. and Wallis on Wozniak: normal people." Chief Scientist, During the live "He's a beloved Fusion-IO. interview, Wozniak technology David Willis, said of Dubai, personality. We Gartner VP and “Everything here Distinguished all have Steve to is first-in-class." Analyst introduced thank for making The founder sat Wozniak on day down with CNME technology two of the event. the show in an approachable for after "Everybody interview featured normal people." knows, everybody on page 24. june 2015
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EVENT
Kaspersky
always be prepared Cyber criminials are becoming more organised and taking higher bounties. Kaspersky Lab's Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa kept CNME abreast of changes in the security landscape and predicted what we can expect in the coming year. aspersky Lab’s Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa took place 26th to 29th April in Lisbon, Portugal and brought together specialists from the company’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) and Global Product and Technology Marketing Department, as well as experts from EY, journalists and business guests.
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The conference discussed global and regional cyber threats and security trends, corporate IT issues, and what security measures are needed. “At Kaspersky Lab we believe that to eliminate the risks brought by the Internet and new technologies a combination of factors is needed: comprehensive technologies, including those for critical infrastructures and high-
risk industries; education of the general public and businesses; and law enforcement and international cooperation," said Sergey Novikov, Deputy Director, GReAT, Kaspersky Lab. "A complacent attitude towards cybersecurity doesn’t only put money, data and reputation at risk, but also prompts the spread of cyberthreats.” Kaspersky Lab’s analysis of IT threats in the first quarter of 2015 www.cnmeonline.com
indicates that in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa region an average of 41 percent of users had security incidents related to local networks and removable media while 21 percent of users faced web-related threats. Kaspersky Security Network cloud service statistics for January-March 2015 show that Egypt continues to have the highest number of users affected by local threats (50.5 percent), followed by Qatar (46 percent), Saudi Arabia (45.8 percent) and Turkey (44.6 percent). The highest numbers of web threat incidents were reported in Qatar (31 percent of KSN users faced these threats), UAE (29 percent), Turkey (25 percent) and Saudi Arabia (24 percent). Kenya, South Africa, Bahrain and Lebanon have somewhat lower threat levels: 14-18 percent of users affected by online threats and 33-37 percent by local ones. www.cnmeonline.com
Speaking about the threats facing organisations, experts referred to statistics from the 2014 Global Corporate IT Security Risks survey conducted by B2B International and Kaspersky Lab: depending on their country, anywhere from a quarter to more than half of the organisations in the region said they faced viruses and other malware, spam, phishing and software vulnerabilities in the past year. Along with
these threats businesses are also preoccupied with network intrusions and targeted attacks, DDoS, loss of data on mobile devices, file sharing and data leaks. Other speakers included: Raddad Ayoub, Partner, EMEIA Advisory Centre, EY; Sergey Lozhkin, a Senior Security Researcher with GReAT at Kaspersky Lab; and Ghareeb Saad, Senior Security Researcher, GReAT, Kaspersky Lab.
CIOs and CSOs should implement mobile security best practices to ensure data protection within the company. Creating a policy is one practice. Such a policy should clearly identify who can access which data, as well as when and where they can access it.
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INTERVIEW Steve Wozniak
what woz and what will be Steve Wozniak, inventor of the Apple I and II, led the second day of the 2015 Gartner Symposium and ITXpo in Dubai with an onstage interview that covered self-driving cars, the relationship between man and machine, and the future in a technology-enabled world. Wozniak sat down with CNME Editor Annie Bricker post-keynote to discuss the past, present and future of the digital world.
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ow has your view on the concept of singularity – the idea that intelligence will become increasingly non-biological and that machines will begin to “think” like humans changed over the years? When I was first introduced to the concept of singularity I denied that it was possible. I said that we would never be able to make a human brain as we don’t know how the brain is wired. Then I was on a panel with Ray Kurzweil in Vienna. We discussed his methods on predicting, based on exponential curves such as Moore’s Law. These are an accurate way to predict the future – you don’t see the change until it happens. At first things change slowly, and then all of a sudden it happens. I became a believer then that machines would, in fact, achieve that level of consciousness. I fought the concept at first, but I eventually became a believer. www.cnmeonline.com
What are the signs that we are moving toward an era of singularity? These days we have things like Siri and the Watson computer. There are synapse chips and self-learning neural network machines. Just by listening to us and speaking with us these things are learning a natural language over time in the same way a young baby does. This may be the way the brain actually works. We are still guessing and fumbling around when it comes to knowing how the brain functions, but we are getting so much closer. Every year I see signs that we are getting closer. I’ve mentioned a machine that learns to play games on its own. The fact that the machine isn’t taught the rules of the game, but it still learns is shocking. The knowledge doesn’t come from programming, it comes from looking at life and judging the way it works in the same way that we do. I think the machines of the future are going to be learning as they go. You’ve said that humans are the “house pets” in relation to technology – what will that relationship look like moving forward? We are building all this great technology that helps us. For instance your smartphone is something that you love and helps you, but the technology makes me question if one day we will be the “Gods” or the “house pets.” What I mean is will it always help us because it admires us or will it simply take care of us? We might get our food, our clothing and our shelter from them. We may be taken care of, just like house pets. I don’t mean this in a bad way. The machines we are creating are made www.cnmeonline.com
to do things for us – that is why we are creating them. The question is whether or not the machines will truly serve us forever. If they start thinking with independent thought, their main goal will probably become to build more machines and increase their own abilities to operate in their machine world. Eventually they may forget us. This is such a negative thought that I hope that they don’t get smarter than humans. But I don’t know, I’m not going to be alive when it happens. Machines still rely on humans very heavily – to make chips and mine ore and all the things that they need to function – it would take a long time replace all those functions. You became involved in the Internet of Things early on with Wheels of Zeus in 2002. How has your vision changed since then? When I first became involved with the Internet of Things I wasn’t thinking about it in generalised terms. I saw that we had embedded sensors in all kinds of things and devices, like microwave ovens, that were doing all sorts of little independent tasks. My device would be a tag that could find cars, briefcases, pets and other items that got lost. At the time it didn’t involve the Internet. It failed technically. Though we were coming up with clever ideas and approaches, we failed to meet our costs, size and power goals. Every day now I think what can be done to make our original dream possible. What makes a “maker”? What do you look for in a person who has a vision? A maker may not have ever been to university, and may not have a diploma. But what they have done is
figured out what they need to do to realise their dreams. Those people are around, the trouble is finding them. You find a lot of young people with ideas, but they are all based on reading the same sources that we read. The maker is one that has actually created things on their own that are so unusual that you never would have thought a human being would build it.
How can companies support and use these makers? The first thing for a company to do is to keep the income coming in. They need to hire regular engineers and people and keep the product and marketing strong. On the side, however, the CEO should have a little branch of people – makers – that they have encountered. They should be working on product ideas that may not have anything to do with the company’s original product now, but might be a whole new company in the future. The company has the tools and resources that builders need. The builders should be left to build whatever they want, and if the company sees something great, then they can own it, at least in part. Which trend in technology are you most excited about? Self-driving cars – which is really a type of artificial intelligence. Also, Oculus Rift and virtual reality are going to emotionally take us over when they become smoother. Right now they require high-level computers which is a big flaw. When the technology becomes portable and mobile it is going to affect people emotionally, whether it is for games or utility. It is going to be huge. JUNE 2015
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CIO
Spotlight
Charting a new course Clive Haswell’s 25 year tenure at Standard Chartered Bank has encompassed a range of senior business and IT roles in London, Singapore and China. Now CIO for the MENAP region, his diverse journey within the company has cultivated a sharp, holistic philosophy of propelling the company’s regional operations into the digital age.
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lthough he’s spent the last 25 years of his professional life at the same company, Clive Haswell’s time at Standard Chartered couldn’t have been more varied. His vibrant, international career has given him a succinct understanding of the importance of business-IT alignment in the Middle East. Haswell initially studied Mathematics at the University of Wales in the United Kingdom, where his interest branched out into computer science. “I’ve seen dramatic changes in technology since those days,” he says. “Back then we were dealing with paper tape and punch cards as the main data medium.” His career got off to a promising start in 1980, when he joined giant British Telecom as a Trainee Programmer in his hometown of Cardiff. After spending five years in the Welsh capital, he took a role in the north of the U.K. as a Systems Programmer in Sheffield. “I was overseeing a number of projects there,” he says. “I dealt with mainframe computers; a lot of IBM-related work.” A few years later, Haswell took on the first “big change” of his career, in a largely software-based role at Chartered Trust – a subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank – back in Cardiff. His progress there did not go unnoticed, and in 1995, he made the leap to Standard Chartered’s HQ in London. Once there, his role took on great importance in the run-up to the turn of the millennium, where he was tasked with upgrading the company’s software and obsolete hardware. “There was a lot of over-excitement surrounding the Year 2000 Project,” he says. “’How will systems respond to the date change? What will happen if we get this wrong?’ In the end it was a lot of hype for nothing.” Beyond his Y2K-related remit, Haswell’s London
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and personally. He recalls how the role also involved many elements of opportunity to work across Asia was a technology strategy for the company’s cultural eye-opener. “I had to work in a 25,000 employees. “IT products had range of places – Sydney, Japan, Seoul, to become standardised,” he says. Thailand, Vietnam,” he says. “South “We had to wire desktops together, Korea was a particular shock. The place maintain data centres and ensure is fascinating. It has modern cars and operability standards. In short, we technology, but the language is totally had to bring discipline and conformity impenetrable. Operations were small to global constructs for data networks there but they had massive ambition.” and data centre services.” Haswell faced not only major cultural Haswell’s time in the English hurdles in his governance role, adding, capital would serve as a gateway to an “I’d worked in a professional tech international career. In 2001, he took environment for 15 years, but this charge of the group’s IT infrastructure was something completely different. projects in a Singapore-based role. “I I understood software, and how to had to establish a single bank perimeter make it fit a business environment, network,” he says. “Crucially, I had to but governance was new at the time. decide on the optimum number of data There were people management centres that the company should have.” and compliance Haswell opted issues; the initial for a single site in “In project experience Hong Kong, which management, it’s was rather remains there to uncomfortable but this day. “Then and important to see beneficial in now, Hong Kong the big picture, and hugely the long run.” had and continues ask whether or not Following to have the best a successful infrastructure in things fit. If not, you transition away Asia, so has proven need to challenge from IT, Haswell to be the right the stakeholders was next enlisted choice.” Just over a year and convince them to oversee yet largeafter the move that a new solution another scale company to Singapore, is the right one.” operation. Hired Haswell’s career as Programme took a seven-year Director for Bohai Bank – a Chinese swing away from IT-based work. He domestic bank owned by Standard was enlisted to become the Bank’s Chartered – he was charged with Head of Governance for Asia in late introducing international standards, 2002, where he would be overseeing strategy and compliance to the Tianjin operations in 15 countries. “Taking the organisation. “Project management job was a risk from my point of view,” competencies are not endemic in banks, he says. “The Regional Group Executive whereas everyone in technology has a Director, who recruited me, loved to certain familiarity with them,” Haswell help staff progress by moving them out says. “I think that’s a large factor in of their comfort zones. In the long term, why I was hired to direct the overall that’s been massively beneficial to me.” ‘design’ of the bank.” An initial six The experience would be a major month project ended up lasting 18, and boost for Haswell, both professionally JUNE 2015
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Spotlight TIMELINE the extra time helped cement Haswell’s understanding of the requisites of effective project management. “It’s important to see the big picture, and ask whether or not things fit,” he says. “If not, you need to challenge the stakeholders and convince them that a new solution is the right one.” It wouldn’t be long before Haswell was once again thrown in the deep end. In 2006, the same executive who appointed him as Head of Asian Governance called upon his services for another senior role – this time as Standard Chartered’s CEO for Sri Lanka. The move to capital Colombo was an initial shock to his system. “On my first day in charge I arrived for a company meeting at the town hall, and 300 people were there,” he says. “I was pretty much the only expat there, and it kind of hit me that I was the leader of this organisation, having never been to the country before. It was very strange.” In addition, Haswell’s IT skills were no longer up to his high standards. “By now my technology knowledge was a bit off-the-pace,” he says. However, his broad skillset allowed him to excel in other areas. “I performed my role differently. By now I understood the importance of not using tech for tech’s sake, and harnessing the right tech at the right time. I think I was better able to deliver an all-round corporate perspective and lead authentically; being honest, being myself.” In 2009, yet another change of scenery was on the horizon for Haswell, as he was made Standard Chartered’s Chief Information Officer for the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan region, in a Dubai-based role. “Now, my main job is not technologyfocused,” he says. “I have to deal with a range of specialist areas, but the trick is being able to dive deep without getting bogged down in them.” 28
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Haswell says his role is largely peoplefocused. “The benefit of my experience means I am able to educate and test my team. Keeping people motivated and interested is key, rather than getting clogged up in bits and bytes. It’s important to pick out the stars and keep pushing them.” Haswell has also relished the opportunity to manage a diverse regional division. “With many different countries, it is challenging,” he says. “Pakistan, for example, is a big franchise and has a very different economy from Gulf countries.” Haswell’s next big challenge is to digitise Standard Chartered’s banking operations, which he says will be no easy task. “The digitisation of the banking industry has hardly started,” he says. “Compared to the publishing or music industries, where the commercial model is based on digital, we have a long way to go. Classic products such as trade finance, e-commerce exchanges and real-time payments need to be put on electronic platforms, and that is very different from what we have today. Who knows, maybe in 10 or 20 years Bitcoins will be a major currency.” Building dynamic, multicultural teams is as relevant now to Haswell’s colourful career as it has been throughout the last 15 years. “It’s absolutely essential in Dubai. Getting a range of nationalities with different backgrounds to collaborate and execute tasks in a disciplined manner is so important, and also very satisfying.” The experience of working around the world has given him a broad appreciation of the unique values of different cultures. “Sri Lankans, for instance, are extremely warm, friendly people,” he says. “The Chinese are incredibly driven and ambitious, while the UAE is a diverse country that is making huge progress, with vast change being led by a small group in charge.”
1980 Begins career at British Telecom
1995 Takes software job at Standard Chartered in London
2001 Given company’s group IT infrastructure responsibilities in Singapore
2002 Named head of Governance for Asia
2006 Chosen to be Standard Chartered’s Sri Lanka CEO
2009 Becomes CIO for Standard Chartered MENAP
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Xerox NoteTaker
Developed by Xerox in 1978, the NoteTaker was arguably the first portable computer. The unit did not actually make it to commercial production. Only 10 prototypes were built. Still, the design and programming affected the design of the portable computers in the years to follow. The team behind the NoteTaker included some of the greatest minds in technology - Adele Goldberg, Douglas Fairbairn, and Larry Tesler. The machine borrowed heavily from Alan Kay’s Dynabook concept which was developed in 1972, but was never commercially developed. The unit’s technology was cutting-edge for its time. It included a small monochrome display monitor, a floppy disk drive and a mouse. A comparatively enormous 256 KB of RAM was available on the machine as well as an impressive 5 MHz Intel 8086 CPU. One of the first Graphical User Interfaces was employed, the Smalltalk OS which was originally written for the Xerox Alto computer. The NoteTaker also boasted a analogue-to-digital converter with an eight input multiplexer on the input, and a two channel digital-to-analogue converter, interfaces—ethernet, EiA, and IEEE bus interface. It was - in the most literal sense of the term - portable, in that it could be lugged around in a case similar in size to a sewing kit. With its advanced technologies, it is likely that the NoteTaker would have hit a price point above $50,000.
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CASE STUDY
GULFTAINER
Lighter load With ports in the Middle East, United States and South America, the expectations of Gulftainer’s customers stretch even further than the port and logistics company’s operations. After huge expansion plans were initiated in 2012, Group IT Manager, Vinay Sharma, was tasked with bringing outdated IT infrastructure up to the company’s high standards.
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lthough employee loyalty and strong heritage often stand the test of time, the same cannot be said of technology. Formed in 1976, Gulftainer has had a long-established presence in the UAE as well as a stable and consistent culture, with the average tenure among the company’s 4,000 employees at 10 years. “The DNA of the company remains,” Sharma says. “We’re very people-focused and that’s certainly a key strength.” In 2009, the company’s focus began to shift beyond the UAE. As senior management explored opportunities for international growth, the IT department was kept on standby to install a range of comprehensive enhancements to the company’s IT infrastructure. “Things were getting bigger; at one point we had a ship with 19,000 containers at our port in Khorfakkan,” Sharma says. By 2012, he had been given a brief to lead a major overhaul of Gulftainer’s outdated IT. “We had no common platform for a number of things, no address book for instance,” he says. “We had 10 different domains across offices. Our customers demand end-toend delivery of containers, so IT and processes need to be aligned. Data management and security performance would have to be upgraded.” Sharma is quick to add that these changes were far from a techie’s indulgence. “Although our work is IT-related, we have not created an IT roadmap; this is all part of a business roadmap,” he says. A key component would be the quality of the internal network on offer for employees. This would have a direct effect on outside relations, Sharma says. “Whatever services an organisation is offering, you need a backbone that gives you basic IT stability. You need to be able www.cnmeonline.com
Vinay Sharma, Group IT Manager, Gulftainer to provide seamless services for external stakeholders.” Given the large scale of the upgrades, a clear oversight of the project was a must. “There were a range of objectives that we had to achieve,” Sharma says. “We needed a robust infrastructure for the growing business needs. We needed process standardisation. We needed unified communications. We had to ensure our infrastructure was agile so we could cope with mobility; on-thego business and the provision of e-services. Most importantly, we had to create competitive business advantage to provide value-added services to customers.” With the wide selection of changes that were needed, Sharma underwent a series of RFPs to see which vendors could provide the most suitable infrastructure for Gulftainer. The company’s endpoints
“Although our work is IT-related, we have not created an IT roadmap; this is all part of a business roadmap”
stretched across 11 floors of its new offices, so bandwidth and availability requirements were heavy. Sharma opted for solution guidance from interconnector firm Molex, creating a 10 gigabit Ethernet backbone, with a redundant category 6A solution, and flows interconnected with an optical fiber. A main consumer of the new bandwidth would be SAP HANA, which would take on great importance for the firm. “Gulftainer’s senior management need a 360 degree analysis of data with real-time reporting, so this would be a major addition for us,” Sharma says. Sharma enlisted Avaya as a provider for IP telephony, which would enable the company to connect systems across different company buildings. Backbone Cisco core and edge switches, a four layer IBM blade server setup, and over 70 VMware virtual servers were also installed. With licenses having been a previous challenge for Gulftainer, Sharma inked a Microsoft Enterprise agreement to allow the company to move flexibly between software updates. From a security perspective, Gulftainer had faced an increasing number of targeted attacks, so Sharma selected Trend Micro’s Enterprise Security Suite and Fortinet’s Fortigate firewall in the hope of shoring up defences. In terms of Gulftainer’s on-theground operations, as well as the need for requisite infrastructure to streamline operations, it was also important to optimise the firm’s TOS - terminal operating system. Sharma decided to implement Tata’s Mach solution in a “systemdriven” selection process. With mobility an important part of the solution to ensure swifter communications and delivery of JUNE 2015
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CASE STUDY
GULFTAINER
service between staff, the IT team organised 20 workshops between service providers and business users. Getting users across the business to accept changes proved a challenge. Although senior management had been the instigators for the changes, they, along with general business users, took time to be convinced of the merits and ease of the new technology. “We ran internal awareness programmes, gave our technical staff external training courses, and were given separate training from the vendors,” Sharma says. “There is no big bang when it comes to introducing technology and process change. You have to align the two and complete them in stages. The move from on-premise to cloud, for instance, takes time.” Patience has been needed throughout the introduction of the new changes, but Gulftainer has already felt a number of large benefits. With the overall infrastructure update still taking place, Sharma is able to draw great satisfaction from the work, which has saved the company well over $500,000 over the last three years, with 100 projects completed in that time. The company’s infrastructure is now unrecognisable compared to its original state, and is equipped to support Gulftainer’s expanding operations. “We have ports in Lebanon, Brazil, three in Iraq, Russia and
4000 Gulftainer employees
IT projects completed since 2012
$500k+
saved since the overhaul
Jeddah,” Sharma says. In addition to these bases, the company is now the first Middle Eastern firm with a UAE presence to be also running operations in Florida. The introduction of a centralised email exchange server – combining IBM, Microsoft and Cisco products – has provided a common platform for communication, while Polycom’s unified communications technology has facilitated long-distance meetings. The enhancements to Gulftainer’s network have resulted in a higher level of availability,
“Beforehand we had suffered damaging spells of downtime for two to three years. Eradicating that has been a value-add for on-the-ground operations.”
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as well as a vast reduction in downtime, of which there has been none for six months. “Beforehand we had suffered damaging spells of downtime for two to three years,” Sharma says. “Eradicating that has been a massive value-add for on-theground operations.” Another tangible saving that Gulftainer has made is through the use of managed print services, which previously accounted for roughly an $8,000 monthly expenditure. “This has also helped us to reduce our carbon footprint, so it’s a fantastic change,” Sharma says. An additional boost in that respect has been the introduction of the 70 virtualised VMware servers, which has cut back on the cost of physical servers as well as saving energy. Following these drastic changes, Gulftainer has finally achieved the quality and breadth of IT that a company of its strong heritage deserves. JUNE 2015
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CASE STUDY
King Faisal Foundation
Fit for a king
Although Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Foundation instigates a host of positive outbound interactions, the same could not be said of its internal communications. That was until Chief Technology Officer Hazem Jarrar began a fresh unified communications implementation that has transformed the way the company does business.
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stablished in 1976, the King Faisal Foundation (KFF) is a philanthropic organisation formed by the sons and daughters of the late King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, who reigned as Saudi Arabia’s monarch from 1964 until his death in 1975. KFF’s ideals have been to “preserve and perpetuate” the legacy of King Faisal, “who had his eyes set on advancement while keeping a foot in tradition.” KFF has two arms – the income arm, which deals with investments, including building management and hospitality projects, and the philanthropic arm, which deals with the receipt of charitable donations. Combined, their resources are pooled to invest in philanthropic projects around the world including building schools, universities, mosques, medical centres and research institutes. With $1 million in prize money, the Foundation’s King Faisal International Prize is an internationally acclaimed accolade that honours those who have excelled in service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language and Literature, Medicine, and Science. KFF also runs a range of projects throughout the Kingdom, including the female-only Year King Faisal Effat University in Jeddah Foundation was – the first of its kind in established the Kingdom – and the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies. KFF is governed by King Faisal’s sons, and for them,
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“Transporting paper between offices was a serious waste, while the editing of data was a business burden. Time is money, and accomplishing things is what matters, so we needed to shorten the time needed for these processes.” technology is a vital driver for their ability to communicate across the vast land mass that is the Kingdom. Hazem Jarrar is tasked with supporting this senior management team with technology innovation that can ensure their high-level dialogue is seamless and secure, and that operations are consistent and concise. However, until relatively recently, that had been a major issue for the company. “We’d faced a host of problems in terms of internal communications,” Jarrar says. “There was a lack of chat services, telephony and online meetings, calendar sharing, and document sharing and editing.” The shortcomings in these tools not only meant that the company was outdated in its technology, but also that it was delayed in its productivity. “There’d been severe time delays which were having a JUNE 2015
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ADVERTORIAL
IT security still immature, says HP security exec Enterprise IT security is still relatively immature, according to HP enterprise security group senior director of products and services marketing, Dan Lamorena.
“The latest HP Cyber Risk Report shows that most organisations are still not achieving basic IT security hygiene,” he told Computer Weekly. Lamorena is in London to discuss the findings of the report at the 2015 e-Crime & Information Security Congress. According to the report, most businesses that experienced a cyber security incident in 2014 were hit with well-known security threats and system configuration faults. In fact, the top 10 threats in 2014 exploited known weaknesses in systems implemented years or even decades ago, and 44% of breaches were linked to vulnerabilities that were between two and four years old. “This shows these old techniques still work, and that is because many organisations are still failing to patch systems to ensure they have the latest security updates,” said Lamorena. “Patching is not easy, especially in decentralised networks, but organisations should be paying more attention to these basics.” Commenting on the recent spate of compromises of point-of-sale systems at US retailers, Lamorena said many of these vulnerabilities could have been eliminated through better patching processes. “Retailers should be re-evaluating their encryption policies and systems configurations, and improving their monitoring capabilties in the light of recent breaches,” he said.
However, Lamorena said HP is seeing a lot of retail organisations looking to overhaul their card payments systems and set up some form of a security operations centre. “Even smaller organisations are realising the need for improved monitoring of operations, even if that is in the form of a managed service,” he said. Another exacerbating factor is that instead of investing in things like basic system management technologies, companies are focusing on things like cloud computing, mobile computing and online apps. “Many organisations also still tend to see IT security as the people who say no and they consider security as a cost or insurance that often hinders the business,” said Lamorena. The report identified misconfigurations of web servers as the top category of vulnerabilities in 2014, providing attackers with unnecessary access to files that leave organisations vulnerable to attack. “This includes things like cross-site scripting and SQL injection attacks, which are all enabled by configurations that give apps access to more files and folders than necessary,” said Lamorena. By tightening configurations on web servers, he said organisations can reduce the number of avenues of attack, thereby raising the overall security posture of the organisation. Exploitation of web server misconfigurations underlines the value of using standard builds and things like automatic provisioning to ensure everything is done in a standard way according to best practice. “Routine penetration testing is also extremely helpful in ensuring that there are no weaknesses in web server configurations that have been overlooked,” said Lamorena. “But all the best security technologies in the world will not help if organisations are not getting the basics right – it is still very much about aligning people, process and technology,” he said. Organisations should not neglect users in security strategy According to Lamorena, organisations should not neglect users in their security strategy
and provide as much security training as possible to reduce user error and encourage users to report anything suspicious to IT security teams. “Users are often the weakest link, and with all the information people are putting on social media, it is getting easier for attackers to compromise credentials to get around traditional perimeter defences,” he said. It is useful for organisations to know who is using apps and consuming data so that they can identify anomalies Dan Lamorena, HP Overall, HP is advocating that organisations seek to improve their security capabilities by assuming they have been breached. “In the past, organisations have tended to over-invest in technologies to block adversaries, but now they should be investing in monitoring their IT environments,” said Lamorena. “It is useful for organisations to know who is using apps and consuming data so that they can identify anomalies even if attackers are able to steal administrator usernames and passwords.” Lamorena said that by assuming they will be breached, organisations are also more likely to monitor their networks and protect data more closely through using things like encryption. “Organisations have tended to shy away from encryption in the past, but the technology has evolved to enable companies to analyse and manipulate data even though it is encrypted,” he said. As well as a move to greater network visibility and monitoring, HP expects the IT security industry to move to greater collaboration around identifying threats and bad actors. “We are looking at enabling the concept of crowdsourcing security intelligence through the use of open standards to make it easier to share what we are seeing with our peers,” said Lamorena. “The security industry is still largely made up of point tools, but we expect to see greater integration and interoperability to enable more automated responses a better view of threats and bad actors.”
KFF
negative impact on operations,” Jarrar says. “Transporting paper between offices was a serious waste, while the editing of data was a business burden. Time is money, and accomplishing things is what matters, so we needed to shorten the time needed for these processes.” After a series of evaluations and conversations with the company’s senior management, Jarrar decided that a modern unified communications solution was needed to give KFF the extra zest that was in a modern organisation. Diligent Jarrar always prized the importance of several key criteria when making the overall product selections that would form the solution. “There are three focal points to my selection process,” he says. “First and foremost is the quality of the tool. There’s no point in satisfying other business objectives if you can’t achieve that. Secondly, you can’t overspend. The tool must come at a reasonable price and be justifiable to senior management. Last but not least, local support is significant. At the very least a vendor must offer a swift online response service if they don’t have a presence here.” After much consideration, Jarrar opted for a blend of Citrix GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx and TeamViewer software to form a flexible
CASE STUDY
unified communications with each other, and that solution. is the most important Compatibility – although intangible concerns were also – result as it is at the forefront of directly serving the Jarrar’s thinking Foundation. Reducing annual award for King Faisal International around the bureaucracy between Prize implementation. departments, and “Integration into being able to monitor our current operations achievements is a crucial architecture was important,” value-add.” he says. “It’s common that a lack As well as being mobileof compatibility will get in the compatible, the ability for way, where the software installed employees to access the solution needs to fit with Linux servers.” from anywhere via the cloud has Mobility was another important been a dynamic addition to the part in the widespread use of the company. “The solution allows new solution. As with any typical them to work from home and office workspace, employees gives them flexibility in their demanded to interact over mobile delivery of tasks, which is a devices. “We initially provided major benefit,” Jarrar says. them with laptops and tablets so The documentation of that they could use the solution, meetings has also been eased but they inevitably used them by the changes. Via a $3,000 for personal applications, which investment in a Google private posed a security risk,” Jarrar says. cloud solution, the Foundation “We eventually decided to let is now able to record video them bring their own devices, meetings and then, once approved and secured by certain administrators, them on their made accessible to privileged behalf. The employees. “This is significant for challenge now is the business,” Jarrar says. to support these As well as boosting devices.” productivity, the project Following has hiked user satisfaction, a successful enhancing the reputation of implementation Jarrar and his team. Following which involved the success of the changes, minimal Jarrar has been granted the downtime over budget to rebuild the company’s a number of data centre. “As a CTO, my months, group work relates to the assistance productivity has of the upper management soared. “It allows with technology,” he says. “I’m the team to work delighted that the success of the as one person,” project has been acknowledged he says. “It’s easy and that I can help the business for colleagues move forward with the new data to collaborate centre facility.”
$1m
“There’s no point in satisfying other business objectives if you can’t achieve quality in the tools. You also can’t overspend. The tool must come at a reasonable price and be justifiable to senior management."
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solutions World Software Licences
Licence to bill Purchasing a licence for software, particularly if the software needs to be rolled-out to a large group of employees, is no small investment. In the age of Software-as-a-Service, licensing and support agreements are key for keeping software up-to-date and well-managed.
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hese days IT spenders are spoiled for choice in terms of licensing and service models, with wide variety in vendor, price range and package. When determining which licence and service is the proper fit, CIOs need to consider a few criteria. There are four major types of licence schemes currently used by most companies, each with their own individual characteristics. Understanding what these types are and what purposes they serve is the first step in making the right decision. Perpetual licensing was the industry standard for a long time. It is the licensure often traditionally associated with software offerings, and for a while the choice was limited to perpetual or subscription licensing. As the name suggests, a perpetual licence gives users indefinite access to software. It is customary that the company allows users access to updates and technical support during the first year, or longer. The biggest drawback to perpetual licensing is the high up-front cost it presents customers, particularly when compared to subscription licensing. The long-time rival of perpetual licensing - subscription licensing - requires customers to re-purchase a new licence after an agreed period of time. The most obvious benefit to this is the lower upfront cost, particularly when compared to a perpetual licence. However, while they may enjoy the lower cost, companies should consider the long-term costs associated with a subscription license. Often the breakeven point is a few years. Capacity-based licensing is based on the volume of data a company intends to utilise and back up. One of its main benefits is that it allows the user or company to buy licensing based on their specific needs.
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Another benefit of capacity-based licensing is the flexibility of data usage it allows on all agents. With a capacity licence, data usage is not tied to a specific number of servers or agents. The fourth and increasingly more popular type of licence is known as a userbased license. The increase in the number and type of devices people now use both personally and professionally has created a new demand on software licensing. Userbased licensing has risen to answer many of the new issues created by this multidevice trend. Mahmoud Jessa, CIO, Connect.tv, lends some customer insight into licensing trends. “With so many software houses offering a lower cost entry point through monthly subscriptions, gone are the days of outright purchasing of a licence for local installation,” he explains. “Whether it be Dropbox for your storage, Google for your email or Evernote for notes, managed services are the norm because they allow for the integration with mobile devices which are now part and parcel of our everyday lives.” Angela Halawi, Licensing Manager, Microsoft Gulf, points out, “Customers nowadays operate in a multi-screen, multidevice world and they expect to be able to use their chosen applications in a way that suits them, regardless of where they are or what device they are using. A user-based licence makes this possible by allowing access to the server software from any device by one user. The licence is assigned to a named user who must be identified to ensure the licence agreement is validated and the licence terms are adhered to.” Knowing the type of software licensing to utilise also requires a look at the organisation’s needs. Companies should assess the number of users, the kinds of devices which they’ll use, the main JUNE 2015
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applications to be run and the servers that will run them. The goal in choosing a software licence should be to optimise productivity, support mobility, and achieve short and long term goals. George Yacoub, CIO, SEHA, says he and his peers must take into account a number of issues when deciding on a plan. “For one, they need to know their organisation’s strategy for the expected future use of the product,” he says. “In addition, we need to consider the growth in the number of users of devices to be licensed, the cost over discount percentage, the frequency of service upgrades as well as the support SLAs,” says Yacoub. These pre-purchase considerations will play an important role in protecting the company from unforeseen complications. Farid Farouq, Head of IT, Dubai World Trade Centre agrees, “It is important to first understand your business process before deciding on a licensing agreement," he says. "The way the transactions are executed within your organisation will certainly not be the same as compared to others. Also, the volume of the transactions could be different,” he explains.
“Customers nowadays operate in a multi-screen, multi-device world and they expect to be able to use their chosen applications in a way that suits them, regardless of where they are or what device they are using. A user-based license makes this possible by allowing access to the server software from any device by one user.” Angela Halawi, Licensing Manager, Microsoft Gulf
“For one, they need to know their organisation’s strategy for the expected future use of the product. In addition, we need to consider the growth in the number of users of devices to be licensed, the cost over discount percentage, the frequency of service upgrades as well as the support SLAs.” George Yacoub, CIO, SEHA
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As a potential licensee draws nearer to purchase, they should exercise the right to perform reasonable testing of all software to their satisfaction. Also the licensee should consider requiring the vendor to warrant that the software will perform as described in the vendor's documentation as well as in any other specifications agreed to by the parties such as the vendor's proposal response. The IT department also needs to take into consideration how the software will be delivered, stored, and utilised by the organisation. This will play into what kind of software licensing will be most effective. The vendor's policies relating to physical and electronic security, system availability, data backups and disaster recovery need to be carefully reviewed and the licensee should consider including corresponding information in the agreement. The licensee must also consider the risks if there is a data breach involving licensee data and how that is to be addressed. Once the software license is in place, and the customer has purchased it from the vendor, there remains the issue of postJUNE 2015
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licensing support. This will vary from vendor to vendor, of course, but a company's ability to effectively support its end-users postlicensure may be the difference between one-time and repeat customers. Halawi shares how her company has chosen to handle this important aspect of software licensing. “Microsoft offers a minimum of 10 years of support for Business, Developer, and Desktop Operating System Software Products. Mainstream Support for Business, Developer, and Desktop Operating Systems is provided for five years or for two years after the successor product is released, whichever is longer.” Companies should also consider utilising software support websites that allow users and customers access to self-help guides and information. This can include troubleshooting information, frequently asked questions, how-to articles, user forums, and even live support options. The growing trend in IT is managed services as well as an emphasis on postpurchase support. Managed services are coming about as a result of the increased complexity that virtualisation has brought to the IT landscape. As more and more software and functions move to the cloud, the strain of managing security, maintenance, continuity and support inhouse is taking its toll on IT departments. “Clients may go for managed services or prefer to manage themselves through their technical support team. Post-purchase support is a must for critical software to bail out users from technical problems,” says MN Chaturvedi, Director IT, Oasis Investment Company. A company that offers effective postservice support isn’t just doing the ethical thing for its customers, it’s also doing the fiscally sensible thing for themselves. It is far more costly for a company to acquire a new customer than www.cnmeonline.com
“It is important to first understand your business process before deciding on a licensing agreement. The way the transactions are executed within your organisation will certainly not be the same as compared to others. Also, the volume of the transactions could be different." Farid Farouq, Head of IT, Dubai World Trade Centre
to retain an existing one. The probability of selling a product or service to an existing client is in the region of 60 to 70 percent, while the probability of selling to a new client is only five to 20 percent. Another benefit to offering effective post-purchase support is as a deterrent to the use of unlicensed software. It’s no secret that pirated versions of software make their way into the hands of potential paying customers. “Ownership of the licence and accountability of the issues could be one of the major pitfalls of using unlicensed software,” says Farouq. “Then of course there’s the issue of compliance, in which if an unlicensed customer is audited, they will face consequences, often financial, that can be avoided by acquiring the proper licensing.” Naji Atallah, Head of AEC & Manufacturing, Autodesk Middle East, agrees. “For architects starting up a small practice or who work as sole practitioners, it may be tempting to minimise expenditures by using pirated software, in particular pirated versions of CAD software. Though pirating may seem like a cheap and easy alternative to purchasing licensed software, there are more risks from pirating than many realise.” JUNE 2015
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Pay to play From the moment that mobile phones became as common as carrying a wallet, advancements in their abilities and technologies have continued to shape the way we live our lives. Near Field Communication is next in this line of paradigm shifting technologies.
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Strategic Innovation Partner
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he addition of a digital camera to our phones spawned an unprecedented onslaught of pictures and video captured and recorded. Shortly after, our phones became smart, and the power of the Internet and social networking was suddenly in the palm of our hands. Sites like Twitter and Facebook boomed, new companies like Instagram came into existence and the very concept of a mobile device changed from a phone with JUNE 2015
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network World NFC features to one of the primary nodes in which people connected to the Internet and world around them. Near Field Communication is set to become the next one in this line of innovative, paradigm shifting technologies. It is becoming increasingly common to simply hover a card or a device near a payment portal, and be on our way. NFC can be found in everything from concert tickets, to metrocards, to purchases using our mobile phones. As the technology takes hold, we are fast moving away from traditional methods of checking in and topping up. Surprisingly, the next wave of technological innovation stems from something as old and seemingly out of date as radio waves. To help us understand more about how NFC actually works, Jawad Shaikh, Executive Vice President, Digital Business, du, weighs in on the new wave of mobile technology. “Most people will know Near Field Communication as a convenient ‘tap and pay’ experience,” he says. “NFC enables short range communication between compatible devices using radio waves. NFC requires at least one transmitting device and another to receive the signal.” To those in the know, this may sound a bit like an existing technology that has been in place for quite some time. “It’s important not to confuse NFC with RFID,” Shaikh points out, “NFC has evolved from RFID technology, however there are key differences. RFID is
“NFC enables short range
communication between compatible devices using radio waves. NFC requires at least one transmitting device and another to receive the signal.” Jawad Shaikh, Executive Vice President, Digital Business, du
“RFID technology usually works well over a few metres and is a one-way communication platform. NFC technology usually works at a maximum range of about 10 centimetres and can be set up for two-way communications as well.” Shams Hasan, Regional Enterprise Product Manager, Dell
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the method of uniquely identifying items using radio waves. NFC is simply a subset of RFID which offers close proximity communication. Another major difference between NFC and RFID is the range. RFID can reach for miles, while NFC is purposefully limited to a range of approximately four inches. RFID technology usually works well over a few metres and is a one-way communication platform. "NFC technology usually works at a maximum range of about 10 centimetres and can be set up for twoway communications as well,” explains Shams Hasan, Regional Enterprise Product Manager, Dell. In this respect, NFC is ideal for transactions that require a greater level of security, like payment transactions. NFC is also a two way signal, as opposed to a one way transmission with RFID. With NFC, the chips within the device - whether it’s something as simple as a metrocard, or as complex as a mobile phone - communicate small amounts of data back and forth between the two NFC chips which are activated by proximity to each other. Because it uses radio frequencies, NFC requires much less power than other wireless technologies. “Smartphones are by far the most common implementation of NFC devices,” explains Shaikh. “But the technology is being seen commonly in many other places such as public transport card readers and touch payment terminals.” JUNE 2015
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Many companies are taking advantage of this new and exciting technology, specifically mobile service providers. Emirates NBD is a local innovator in this space having successfully pioneered a number of initiatives in contactless and mobile payments. Bank Audi has also recently announced a partnership with MasterCard to release the new “Tap2Pay” solution. “With NFC we need to provide services that encourage the user to switch from plastic to phone and that will not happen purely from payments,” says Julian Phillips, Vice President Acceptance & Commercial Development UAE, MasterCard. “There needs to be other services available as well, so one of the key drivers for MasterCard is to identify such services and bring them to market via our various partners.” One of the most exciting aspects of NFC is the ability to digitise wallets, and make paying for everything from a cup of coffee to a plane ticket more streamlined and efficient. The technology that was originally only in cards is now moving to mobile devices, making payment for smartphone users ever more convenient. Shaikh explains, “To make a transaction, the consumer simply brings their smartphone to within a few inches of a point of sale system that is capable of contactless payment." Of course, this is only a successful way to pay if the retailer is equipped with the proper
“With NFC we need to provide services that encourage the user to switch from plastic to phone, and that will not happen purely from payments.” Julian Phillips, Vice President Acceptance & Commercial Development UAE, MasterCard
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technology to receive the payment. The POS node is the second part of this exchange and retailers must be willing to equip themselves with the NFC technology in order for these types of transactions to take place. In other words, it takes effort from both sides, and even though the NFC technology involved on both ends is relatively simple, retailers and consumers alike must actively participate to make it a success. Shaikh acknowledges the need to build the network so that NFC technology reaches its potential as the new standard for financial and other transactions. “We need a multiple stakeholder ecosystem for these types of payments to become more commonplace,” he says, adding, “Our Beam Wallet partnership is a good example, bringing together a network of consumers, retailers and a proven mobile wallet solution.” The main concern regarding these financial transactions is security. Speed and convenience are only worthwhile if the data being exchanged is safe and secure. To that end NFC technology - at least in the case of mobile devices - offers two levels of security solutions. “Personal information, including financial information, is stored in a secured area in the NFC SIM - similar to a chip on a banking card,” explains Shaikh. “This hardware security is coupled with software-based security for apps running NFC services, which includes hosting the infrastructure in highly secure data centres. This secures your information if your phone is stolen.” The speed of information has continued to increase exponentially as our technology evolves to become faster, smaller, smarter and more integrated with our lives. Innovations continue to find new ways to streamline daily interactions, make life more convenient, more productive, and ideally more secure. Like the advancements before it that continue to shape our lives in a multitude of ways, NFC promises to change the way we interact with our money, our devices, and indeed our world. www.cnmeonline.com
Security AdvisEr M2M
Managing the machines The world of M2M communications is upon us. Sensors are already installed in city infrastructure and smart home foundations to collect data and feed it to other machines. The goal is to create a more streamlined end-user experience. However, as sensors track movement and back-up data, personal privacy and security issues inevitably come into play. 52
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o understand these potential privacy and security pitfalls of M2M communication, it is first important to know what practical applications of the technology are being utilised today. The sheer number of connections per user is staggering, and continues to grow. Ashley Woodbridge, Customer Solutions Architect, Cisco UAE, provides some context for just how quickly the world of M2M technology is expanding. “Globally, devices and connections are growing faster than both the population and Internet users,” he says. “This trend is accelerating the increase in the average number of devices and connections per household and per Internet user.” Each year, new devices in different form factors with increased capabilities and intelligence are adopted in the market. Machine-to-machine communications technology is driven by the explosion of networked connections, with 50 billion physical objects forecasted to be linked to the Internet by 2020. And as more devices connect and share information, the potential for data breaches and malicious attacks increases. With so many active connections, and many more on the way, one is forced to wonder what machines are being connected and more importantly, how they are being used. The end goal, of course, is to benefit the consumer by enabling them to be more productive, make better decisions and enjoy a higher quality of life. Multiple industries have begun to implement M2M communication technology to make their businesses and services more streamlined and effective. Jamil Jeitani, Managing Director, Teradata Saudi Arabia, lends insight into the different industries at the forefront of M2M technology. “The consumer electronics industry utilises M2M technology in many of the products it provides, with e-books being one of the most notable. Companies can collect data on user preferences, analyse usage patterns, and use this information for targeted advertising.” Better advertising is not the only aim of industries utilising M2M communication june 2015
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technology. Physical security industries have found benefit in the technology as well. “Security alarms and remote CCTV can now be outfitted with M2M communication technology. This enables the devices to increase emergency response times, allow remote monitoring from nearly any device, and collect and send location tracking data,” according to Jeitani. Municipalities are reaping the benefits of M2M communication technologies as well. “We’re seeing the implementation of smart power meters, smart power grids, and even smart homes,” explains Jeitani. “With advanced utility and sensor monitoring and control, we’ll see an increase in efficiency when it comes to energy and utility usage. This in turn will cut down on wasted resources and ultimately benefit the health of the planet." There are notable developments in other industries as well, including the medical field which is utilising things like remote patient monitoring, predictive healthcare, and analysis of health trends. Of course, in order to monitor and analyse medical trends and make prediction-based data sets, these industries have to collect that data. While there are clear benefits to allowing machines and industries to access increasingly intimate data, consumers should be aware of what kind of data is being collected and how it is being leveraged. “Data is being collected from different sources, from wearable devices and smartphones, to machines and sensors in homes, offices and cities, that are constantly collecting and sharing information about people’s surroundings, behaviour, health and location,” says Woodbridge. “For example,” he continues, “A heart-rate monitor or a wearable device that monitors the patient’s health can provide alerts to the medical staff so that they can provide treatment swiftly. Then, the digital health data collected from a large volume of patients could be analysed to understand health trends. Similarly, sensors on smart cars could gather data on driver behaviour, road and traffic conditions as well as the weather, to provide an alert to the 54
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“Globally, devices and connections are growing faster than both the population and Internet users. This trend is accelerating the increase in the average number of devices and connections per household and per Internet user.” Ashley Woodbridge, Customer Solutions Architect, Cisco UAE
driver to potentially avoid an accident. Data collected from M2M and IoE provide intelligent analyses, which will help people make quicker decisions thus making our lives easier and more secure.” This is certainly the aim of M2M communication, but one would be remiss in not addressing privacy and security concerns associated with the technology. The chief concern is, of course, data security. Security breaches are a part of our society, and they can be disruptive when they happen to individuals. The magnitude of a security breach of a global company that collects data through M2M communication is cause for even greater concern. Currently, the legislation is trying to catch up to the technology. Jeitani explains, “Companies are liable to protect and secure the data that is collected - they are bound by regulations to do so.” This translates into a great deal of responsibility for the organisations that collect, analyse and manage data collected by M2M communication. “In some cases, the way M2M data is collected, monitored and analysed could lead to privacy and data security issues, where the private data of the user could be compromised,” says Woodbridge. “Privacy and compliance,” he continues, “are intertwined and are under the purview of federal regulation. As the www.cnmeonline.com
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Security AdvisEr M2M
technology is evolving so quickly, the consumer must be cognizant of how these issues apply to his or her daily life.” Each sector has its own standards that could be complex and diverse – particularly the standardisation of communication protocols between machines. Additionally, each country has their own regulations, and the laws created to protect the data differ between them. Clearly, this need for compliance complicates the data protection process. On the topic of regulation, Woodbridge explains, “Growing data security concerns have driven policy and regulation in many countries but the new rules have sometimes eroded privacy. Because the M2M communication and IoE market is still maturing, rules governing data privacy are somewhat elastic - but not for long.” With the security of this data in flux, consumers may want to opt out of data collection. However, this may be more difficult than a single click on a social media site. The devices collecting, sending and storing data using M2M technology will continue to increase in number, sophistication and application. This can be a cause for concern for those who don’t wish to have their data collected and analysed.
“The consumer electronics industry utilises M2M technology in many of the products they provide, with E-books being one of the most notable. Companies can collect data on user preferences, analyse usage patterns, and use this information for targeted advertising.” Jamil Jeitani, Managing Director, Teradata Saudi Arabia
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Currently, most systems are opt-out rather than opt-in, putting the weight of responsibility on the consumer. The future promises more effective and efficient devices which will no longer require as much human interaction in order to complete their tasks and solve problems. Jeitani explains, “The most popular M2M setup thus far has been to create a central hub that accepts both wireless and wired signals from connected devices. Field sensors would note an event, be it a temperature change, the removal of a piece of inventory or even a door opening. They would then send that data to a central location where an operator might turn down the AC, order more toner cartridges or tell security about suspicious activity.” The model for M2M in the future, he continues, eliminates the central hub and instead has devices communicating with each other and working out problems on their own. An M2M device will be able to automatically turn on the AC in an overheated space, order more toner when it senses that supplies are low or alert security if a door opens at an odd hour. Within the next five years, sensor data will hit the crossover point with unstructured data generated by social media. From there, the sensor data will dominate by factors 10 to 20 times that of social media. “M2M is clearly not just hype,” says Muneeb Anjum, Sales Manager, Oxygen, “but a technological revolution that is already pervading all aspects of life and will help make sense of the technological burst where everything will be connected making us shape and reinvent and how everything gets done.” This could not only benefit individuals but provide valuable information for the city and community as a whole. As M2M communications take hold, vendors, consumers and governments will need to determine who is responsible for the data created. As of yet, there is no standardisation in the field, leaving endusers a bit anxious when it comes to passive data sharing. www.cnmeonline.com
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Visit Dell.com/accelerate Intel, the Intel logo, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. 1 Based on Principled Technologies report ‘Simplifying systems management with Dell OpenManage on 13G Dell PowerEdge servers’, September 2014, commissioned by Dell, testing Dell’s 13th generation R730 with Enterprise-level Dell systems management. As compared to manual configuration. 2 Based on product specifications for Intel S3700 SATA SSD and Express Flash results from the Storage Networking Industry Association. 3 Based on Dell internal analysis August 2014 comparing SATA SSDs to Express Flash - PCIe-Gen3 x4 testing random reads. ©2014 Dell, Inc. Dell is a registered trademark of Dell, Inc. Pudae ratet faces rerrori beaquide ped etusae. Um lant, test fugiaes dit rem qui aribusd aepuditatur aut apit lam sandebisque ea volupienis ent, odipiendaeIhicatem rem eatur adiasim porero berum sim rem dolora es ad quam, to debitis est dolorest, omnihit la santusam re, corrovid ut aditias eseque ad
Contact your nearest office for further details: mssales@mindware.ae | UAE: +9714 4500600
Telecoms World NFV
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Virtual dreams Network Function Virtualisation has the potential to profoundly change the way networks are built out and managed. Service providers hope to benefit from NFV by reducing start-up costs and the costs associated with network operations – both CAPEX and OPEX. ompanies that look towards a future with NFV are often aware of the many potential benefits it has to offer. Decreasing cost, increasing flexibility, and creating a more agile and scalable network are just a few of the characteristics that draw companies towards NFV. However, Adrian Pickering, VP, Middle East & Africa, Juniper Networks explains that not only is NFV a fiscally attractive choice for telecommunication service providers, but it is also an increasingly necessary one. “Service providers’ networks are populated with massive and ever-varying types of proprietary hardware appliances,” he says. “To launch a new network service is becoming increasingly difficult and slow within a traditional architecture; compounded by the increasing costs of energy and capital investment challenges, it is becoming more difficult to integrate and operate increasingly complex hardwarebased appliances.” The major difference between NFV and full network virtualisation, as the nomenclature suggests, is with that NFV only the functions of a network are
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virtualised, not the entire network. As Yarob Sakhnini, Regional Director, Brocade explains, “Standard IT virtualisation technology is used to consolidate various network equipment onto servers, switches and storage located in data centres, network nodes and end-user premises. NFV is applicable to any data plane packet processing and control plane function in mobile and fixed networks.” As with any new technology, NFV comes with its own set of unique challenges and obstacles that companies must consider if they plan to adopt it. Amongst these challenges is the need for new and dedicated servers which can be a costly investment. When dealing with networks, both digital and physical, security is always a concern, as are issues with management, computing performance and portability. To any company staying on the cutting edge of technological trends, this list of potential challenges comes as no surprise. The main challenge of migrating to a NFV infrastructure is that of demand. “At the same time that bandwidth demand has increased steadily, revenue per user is in general decline and the price point for M2M connectivity remains low,” says june 2015
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Ramy Boctor, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Qatar. “More infrastructure investment and growth are needed to expedite the virtualisation process.” Essentially, companies will need to find the most efficient way of utilising existing systems while transitioning into an NFV environment. It is important to consider that not all elements of a network may be ready for conversion to the NFV model. “Link layer transmission systems, such as optical or microwave transmission systems,” says Bashar Bou-Diab, Sr. Consulting Engineer, IP Routing - EMEA, Alcatel-Lucent, “are rather virtualised using SDN technology on proprietary hardware due to the unsuitability of running these functions on COTS hardware.” Pickering goes on to highlight the significance of organisational alignment for a company adopting the NFV model. “Current silos, network, IT and business divisions will have to evolve with the new culture, new skills and methodologies that the NFV model brings to the table. One example of this would dev-ops.”
“Standard IT virtualisation technology is used to consolidate various network equipment onto servers, switches and storage located in data centres, network nodes and end-user premises. NFV is applicable to any data plane packet processing and control plane function in mobile and fixed networks.” Yarob Sakhnini, Regional Director, Brocade
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“Link layer transmission systems, such as optical or microwave transmission systems are rather virtualised using SDN technology on proprietary hardware due to the unsuitability of running these functions on COTS hardware.” Bashar Bou-Diab, Sr. Consulting Engineer, IP Routing - EMEA, Alcatel-Lucent
The adoption of a new network model will affect nearly every aspect of a company, and there are many elements that must be considered before making the change. Sakhnini details the challenges companies in the Middle East face when attempting to adopt new technology. “Introducing new services is not an easy task for telecommunication companies and service providers in the Middle East. Launching a new service entails new hardware involving large capital investment, more data centre space, and increasing energy costs. In addition, the problem is compounded by the shortage of skills required to design, integrate and operate complex hardware appliances.” There is a danger, then, of stifling a company's innovative power. “The pace of innovation in technology and services shortens hardware life-cycles making the roll-out of new potentially profitable network services prohibitively costly which is an obvious bottleneck for innovation,” explains Sakhnini. Fortunately, there are cost savings to offset such drawbacks. NFV has the potential to create a new paradigm in the networking industry by enabling telco operators and service providers to speed up application www.cnmeonline.com
Telecoms World NFV
“At the same time that bandwidth demand has increased steadily, revenue per user is in general decline and the price point for M2M connectivity remains low. More infrastructure investment and growth are needed to expedite the virtualisation process.” Ramy Boctor, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Qatar
and service delivery to their customers. Virtualisation provides the benefit of being able to host multiple applications on a single server, providing significant cost savings. Cost saving is certainly a key benefit for any organisation looking to adopt an NFV model. Pickering explains where a company can hope to save money by utilising NFV. “Virtualising network functions could offer many benefits including reduced equipment costs and reduced power consumption through consolidating equipment and exploiting the economies of scale of the IT industry.” Spending less on equipment and power consumption can offer companies an opportunity to reduce costs, but the benefits of NFV are not limited to the bottom line. Pickering goes on to explain, “Increased speed of time to market by minimising the typical network operator cycle of innovation, availability of network appliance multi-version and multi-tenancy, which allows use of a single platform for various applications are also notable benefits companies can expect from the NFV model. Constantly changing market conditions, rising operating costs and decreasing revenue are motivating many companies to virtualise existing functions. BouDiab details why the move to NFV helps 62
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companies stay agile in a volatile and fluctuating market. “NFV empowers service providers to innovate with new service offerings, to speed deployments on a massive scale and to expand into new markets.” Pickering agrees. “By leveraging the principles of cloud computing, network service providers can deliver a level of responsiveness never before available, easily scaling capacity up or down to meet the evolving needs of their subscribers,” he says. With the benefits and costs laid out on the table, the final thing companies in this region need to consider is whether or not the Middle East is ready to adopt an NFV model. On this issue there seem to be varying viewpoints. Some are confident that the Middle East is ready for the adoption of the model. “The great thing about the Middle East is that most enterprises are not bogged down by legacy infrastructure and therefore regional companies have the capabilities to leapfrog their counterparts in other parts of the globe that are saddled with legacy technologies. Most projects here are ‘greenfield’ and it is easier to adopt new models like NFV and SDN which are technologies that will futureproof the network,” says Sakhnini. However, there is some hesitancy from some who are more cautious about the region’s ability to truly adopt an NFV model at this point in time. Pickering agrees that the region is fresh to the technology scene, but points out a regional pitfall. “In the Middle East, we have seen true advancements of new technologies such as NFV and SDN over the last few years. However, in most cases, these have been verbal commitments by IT managers with no actual implementations taking place. The truth is that the technology in the region is still in its infancy and it will be at least another two to three years before we see this technology rolled out.” www.cnmeonline.com
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CXO Corner
Survival of the fittest
With a membership of 80,000 accounting and finance professionals, the Institute of Management Accountants is a cornerstone in career development and industry networking. IMA Chairman Joe Vincent was recently in Dubai to discuss the importance of ‘Digital Darwinism’ – the process of natural selection through technological evolution – and took time out to speak with CNME.
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ell me about your thoughts on Digital Darwinism and its implications for the finance industry. It’s all about the evolution of technology and finance’s ability to keep up with it. It’s influencing a lot of areas. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the IMA did a study about a year or two ago which listed 10 main aspects of technology that would be important in this respect. The main ones are mobile, social, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. Accountants are the most likely figures who can help organisations influence this change and help them keep up; they’re the 64
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closest ones to IT. If you don’t make this jump then you’re going to be out of business at the end of the day. One example is Kodak, who thought they could run a film business forever, which didn’t happen. The important thing is that management accountants stay on top of these issues and lead their companies into this unknown future and do everything they can to keep up. I’ve been in accounting for 40 years and we started out with transistors and four and eight column pads. That change is nothing compared to what will happen in the next 10 or 20 years. The Wall Street Journal recently wrote a piece discussing how if we ever get
into quantum, speeds will be tens of thousands times faster, which will make a PC look like an abacus. Everything today is binary, but with quantum we could be dealing with atoms instead of silicon and electronics. Finance has to be a leader in this process. I think the main issue is Big Data. There’s so much being generated on a daily basis, it’s important that it can be put into manageable buckets. With that in mind, given that 90 percent of data created in history has been produced since 2012, is ‘Digital Darwinism’ a relatively new concept? It’s been around for a long time.
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Companies haven’t really kept up with the pace of it. The last eight to 10 years has made Digital Darwinism more important. Finance needs to work with IT to refine the process, and look at how to manipulate the data.
You said that accountants are positioned closest to IT departments. Why do you think this is? The two have been melded for years. Finance has to help IT to understand what the business’ needs are, and IT can make things happen by manipulating the data, but finance must feed them by saying what they want. It’s an iterative, indefinite process. Is resistance to Digital Darwinism an option? No. We won’t be able to resist, if you do you’ll be left on the side. Financial roles are a judiciary in that they maintain and ensure we have a well thought out plan. Without finance and the support of upper management, you’ll be left by the wayside and somebody will pass you.
Is the Middle East’s status as an emerging market with a large amount of greenfield IT projects an advantage or disadvantage in this culling process? It’s absolutely advantageous. A lot of older firms have history that’s harder to get rid of. Change comes different to everyone and can be hard. Having legacy systems that need updating is a disadvantage. Generating data in different ways and putting it into buckets that don’t exist on old systems is an absolute advantage for the Middle East.
What can CFOs do to stay on top of Digital Darwinism? What strategies and processes should they implement? There’s no black and white answer to that. It pertains to each business and www.cnmeonline.com
its needs. Social, mobility, cloud and BYOD will affect everyone in one way or another.
What’s the importance of the way that customers interact with devices and their experience in terms of the technology used? I don’t think there’s any limit to that. Now you can book airline tickets and check house prices and details on your smartphone. The opportunities are endless. The CFO needs to work with operating people to identify which initiatives will provide value for the business. Along with their team, they need to understand changes in technology, and come up with ideas in utilising it. Companies need to make sure they adapt to help their customers. For example, Google recently altered its algorithms to give preference to mobile sites, which has been a huge upheaval for those who aren’t mobilefriendly, which has caused a scramble. If we’re not on top of those changes, there will be a huge impact for the finance part of an organisation. We as finance professionals need to make sure we’re adaptive and responsive to changes and that we manage risk – cybersecurity falls on the CFO too.
What role will the Internet of Things play in this transition? It continues to grow, and certainly can transform businesses. For example, your fridge could be saying that you need to buy more milk, and the next step is that it goes ahead and does that without you asking. It’s a fascinating thing to take advantage of. At the same time it’s important to say that you can easily waste money trying to chase certain tech that may not catch on. Cyber-risk multiplies with this, from a risk point of view it
leaves the door wide open. People can hack into systems easily. It falls on the CFO as our teams are the keepers of the data. IT may generate it but finance are typically the guardians of it.
Is there one particular technology that will play the biggest role in Digital Darwinism or is it a question of finding the right blend at the right time? We don’t always pick these things correctly. Market forces often decide something and the consumer takes over, then the business has to fall back and catch up to utilise these things.
Do you have any advice for CFOs who are skeptical of staying ahead of the curve and taking certain risks? It’s a balancing act. If you stay behind, you’ll fall behind, and if you get too far ahead, you open yourself to risk. The biggest part is awareness of new technologies and how they will affect business. The CFO job doesn’t get any easier with all this technology. From a reporting point of view technology makes the CFO job easier to punch out numbers much quicker. We have a responsibility to provide timely and accurate information. That frees up time to create value for the business. A lot of that is about keeping aware of what’s going on.
How can CIOs and CFOs do that, given that technology budgets are largely spent on ‘keeping the lights on?’ It needs to come from business development money. A business case needs to be built to make these things happen. It’s not a CFO decision; the CFO’s role is to bring people together to make sure the business understands. JUNE 2015
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Blog Mike Elgan, Director, TWiT
Home Training The next big culture shift in consumer technology is clearly home automation, and both Google and Apple will have a lot to say about it in the coming days.
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ver the next two or three years, a dizzying array of home appliances and devices will connect with your phone and TV box to make everything "smart" - which, let's face it, is a euphemism for "more fun but also more expensive and complex". In fact, 'home automation' isn't a great name because manual control of household objects is a major benefit. So, let's call it "smartification." As with all mainstream technologies - including PCs, laptops, mobile phones, tablets and now wearables - smartification is something that has existed for years as a technical hobby. Now, it's about to become something ubiquitous. Soon, everybody will be rushing to buy doorbells that connect with your smartphone to show you who's at the door, lights that can turn any colour, coffee pots that brew based on the traffic and hundreds of other smart products. The mainstreaming of this category begins now - I'll get to that in a minute. But first let's be clear about what "home automation" is and how it's changing. The buzzword that's associated with home automation, and about which there's too much confusion, is the so-called "Internet of Things." IoT is nothing more than an overly broad and extremely generic label slapped on any kind of device that's not a "computer" per se but has a low power radio in it for sending or receiving data, and a low-power 66
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chip for processing instructions. IoT technology also includes the electronics that provide some level of access to the functioning of the device. Home automation is simply the domestic, consumer wing of the IoT. And now, I'll explain why home smartification is going mainstream. Google's annual developers conference, called Google I/O, was last month in San Francisco. A tech news site called The Information revealed recently that Google is working on an IoT operating system code-named "Brillo" that will probably ship as a version of Android. This appears to be a wholesale rethinking of the home automation approach Google took three years ago when it announced a platform called Android@Home. Google launched big - then nothing happened. The whole initiative kind of fizzled, and Google stopped talking about it. According to The Information, one key feature of Brillo is extreme lightness. It can reportedly run on devices that have as little as 32MB of RAM. Note that the current version of Android barely functions on devices powered by the minimum spec for the operating system, which is 512MB. That will keep costs down, meaning Brillo-powered devices could be installed affordably in inexpensive home devices like light bulbs, doorbells and shower heads. It also means they won't gobble up too much battery power.
Another difference between the Android@Home approach and Brillo is that the Android@Home project was all about home automation, while Brillo is for the whole IoT, including home automation. The biggest and most significant change at Google since the Android@ Home nonstarter was the company's acquisition of Nest. Nest was founded and headed by former iPod chief Tony Fadell, who now runs Google's home automation group. The company has a clear design philosophy, which it applied to its first product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, and its smart smoke detector, the Nest Protect. Also significant is that Google also acquired Dropcam, a smart home camera company that's now part of Fadell's Nest group. All of those products are the best of their kind, and they offer extreme simplicity, ease of use and automation. What's interesting about Fadell and the Nest group is that it's run almost like an independent company. I think we can expect to see more good products coming out of Google's Nest group over the next few years. While it seems reasonable that at some point Nest products will run Brillo, for now Brillo looks like the platform that other companies will use to build hardware and services on top of, while Nest is Google's hardware and services option for home automation. www.cnmeonline.com
INTERVIEW Suparno Banerjee, Vice President Worldwide Public Sector Programmes, HP
Public progress As a member of the company CEO office, HP’s Vice President of Worldwide Public Sector Programmes, Suparno Banerjee is in the business of dealing with high-powered people. Recently in Dubai, he took time out to speak with CNME about his philosophy on transforming government through technology.
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hat can you tell me about HP’s public sector solutions portfolio? As you can imagine, our offerings are very broad, including products, services, software, including HP Financial Services, which many people tend to overlook. We secured two of the most widely used and critically important intranets on the planet, one for the Navy and Marine Corps in the US, and Tri-service UK; pretty much every welfare check mailed in the UK is processed by HP. We implement services on behalf of government enterprise groups and PPS solutions in terms of devices, hardware and software. On the software side we have a broad range of analytics offerings and applications. Our entire portfolio is used in one way or another by governments. We’re aiming to drive transformation and data centre modernisation. How do you perceive the technology shortcomings in the Middle East public sector and how can your solutions plug those gaps? I wouldn’t label them shortcomings as such. I think each government or region, and national or local government has its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. Challenges come from demographics, economic growth and the financial shocks over the last few years; they’re all trying to face the demands of the www.cnmeonline.com
citizen, economic growth potential and other such things. It’s a question of how they address critical issues and the opportunities in front of them, whether it’s building an energy efficient data centre, coping with an increase in online services, or transitioning to e-government or digital government. They’ll need more storage, more data centres, more service delivery, more analytics, more mobility. On top of that layer, everything else that goes on in terms of the next-generation application, the better connection with the citizen is crucial – you now have something important to drive economic growth, and better connectivity. Smart and future cities are always a quest for something better. Ten years from now we will be looking at the next generation of future cities, and things won’t stop there. These cities will outlive us, and the next n number of generations. Livable cities are encompassed by being safe, having clean water, energy, and clean spaces. Connected cities need to move people, goods and information locally and internationally. We need cities to create the next generation of jobs and industries. Agility and resilience are key. Agility means being able to respond to environmental changes, healthcare demands, terrorism, economic and natural disasters. Being resilient means adjusting and withstanding day-to-day shocks.
Lastly, it’s a question of how a city creates a framework of policy governance for innovation.
What is HP’s philosophy on coping with the vast quantities of data being created? Let’s take where the data is being created – structured data from systems and transactions, then unstructured, from things like email, sensors, broadcast and social media. Our Autonomy platform at the front end addresses the entire suite for both structured unstructured data. On the other side, you also need to store the data. You need computer power for the software-defined analytics side. We look at the ingestion side, from managing data to securing it, and driving insight and services through it. It’s important to operationalise insights, whether it’s the visualisation of data or taking that and putting into an application system. Security is such an important aspect of handling government data. What’s your strategy in terms of processes and holistically in this respect? There are two important issues in this respect – security and privacy. Data needs to be secure but information needs to remain private. We have the tools to secure the network itself or data while at store or at rest, or even in the application layer. Whether it’s our use of tools from Fortify which do analyses on meeting security needs, or through our security practice in enterprise services. We’re certifying our products to ensure they meet requirements that many governments are putting in place, such as FIPS 140-2 so that they meet third party requirements. Security is a pervasive issue which needs to be taken very seriously, and is at the core of what we do. JUNE 2015
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opinion
Tarek Saadi, Vice President and Head of Sales, Ericsson Region Middle East and East Africa
LTE – a step towards the future Tarek Saadi, Vice President and Head of Sales, Ericsson Region Middle East and East Africa, talks about how LTE networks are changing the face of mobile technology.
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obile operators around the world are implementing Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks in order to support their existing 3G networks and offer uninterrupted mobile broadband services to their customers. According to Ericsson’s Mobility Report 2014 there were approximately 500 million mobile subscriptions to LTE, which is estimated to increase to 3.1 billion by 2020, globally. HSPA/GSM will continue to play an important role in providing complementary coverage in all markets, in addition to LTE which will be available in all regions. The number of mobile subscriptions is growing globally, increasing by 6.9 billion in Q3 2014 alone, 375 million of this increase can be attributed to the Middle East (109 percent penetration). One of the main reasons for the rapid growth in smartphone subscriptions is that subscribers in the Middle East and Africa are exchanging their basic phones for smartphones. This is partly due to the increased availability of lower cost smartphones. At the end of 2014, mobile subscriptions in the Middle East and Africa were mainly GSM/EDGE only; however, with the rapid global growth of LTE, it is predicted that by 2020 85 percent of Middle East and Africa mobile subscriptions will be 3G/4G. Mobile devices and networks are continuously evolving. There is evident growth in the popularity of streaming video through the use of apps, which has seen a shift from web browsing towards more app-based mobile usage which is indicative of the changing 68
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consumer preferences. However, video buffering is still prominent in in-app streaming, which poses a problem for operators who are required to provide faster upload/download speeds which are enabled through the faster network speeds that come with continued HSPA and LTE deployments Technological improvements, like video compression techniques, allow higher resolutions to be more efficiently transmitted over mobile broadband networks, helping operators accommodate increased demand. While 3G is still dominant within the network space, it is being used in conjunction with 4G (LTE) by most operators in the region. With LTE, the user experience is even better. An increasing number of mobile applications are significantly enhanced with LTE technology; social media apps, search engines, presence applications and content-sharing sites such as YouTube are a few examples. With mobility, these applications become significantly more valuable to users. User-generated content is particularly interesting, because it changes traffic patterns, making the ability to uplink more important than ever. The high peak rates and short latency of LTE also enable real time applications such as gaming and videoconferencing, making LTE an inevitable transition for most operators. Consumers understand and appreciate the benefits of 3G and LTE networks. With increased mobility comes increased data use, and uninterrupted service becomes more important than ever, to the end user, who will no longer wait for a Wi-Fi
connection and generally connects through mobile data. LTE offers ubiquitous coverage and roaming within existing 3G networks. One of the key success factors for any technology is economy of scale. The volume advantage is beneficial for both handsets and infrastructure equipment, as it drives down the manufacturing costs and enables operators to provide cost-efficient services to their customers. This is also one of the main reasons new operators will benefit from LTE. Operators are now doing business in an increasingly competitive environment, competing with other operators and new business models. However, new business models also mean new opportunities and mobile operators have the advantage of being able to offer the competitive delivery of LTE solutions using existing investments in 3G networks. Even as most of the world is in the early stages of LTE deployment, companies are already researching the next generation of mobile technology, 5G. LTE offers several important benefits for users and operators including enhanced performance and capacity, simplicity and a wide range of compatible terminals which will incorporate embedded LTE modules. Operators can introduce LTE flexibly to match their existing network, spectrum and business objectives for mobile broadband. Therefore, with increasing competition and the end-users’ demands for faster more efficient services, there is still so much to come from LTE networks, it remains the technology of the future. www.cnmeonline.com
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Visit Dell.com/accelerate Intel, the Intel logo, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. 1 Based on Principled Technologies report ‘Simplifying systems management with Dell OpenManage on 13G Dell PowerEdge servers’, September 2014, commissioned by Dell, testing Dell’s 13th generation R730 with Enterprise-level Dell systems management. As compared to manual configuration. 2 Based on product specifications for Intel S3700 SATA SSD and Express Flash results from the Storage Networking Industry Association. 3 Based on Dell internal analysis August 2014 comparing SATA SSDs to Express Flash - PCIe-Gen3 x4 testing random reads. ©2014 Dell, Inc. Dell is a registered trademark of Dell, Inc. Pudae ratet faces rerrori beaquide ped etusae. Um lant, test fugiaes dit rem qui aribusd aepuditatur aut apit lam sandebisque ea volupienis ent, odipiendaeIhicatem rem eatur adiasim porero berum sim rem dolora es ad quam, to debitis est dolorest, omnihit la santusam re, corrovid ut aditias eseque ad
Contact your nearest office for further details: mssales@mindware.ae | UAE: +9714 4500600
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ONE CAMPUS. ONE SOLUTION. HID Global has the world’s largest portfolio of secure, inter-operable solutions for education, providing physical and logical access control, on and off campus. Combined with a global network of technical support and authorised partners, you’re sure to get the powerful security you need today, with the flexibility you need for the future. To find out more, visit hidglobal.com/education © 2014 HID Global Corporation/ASSA ABLOY AB. All rights reserved. HID, HID Global, the HID Blue Brick logo, and the Chain Design are trademarks or registered trademarks of HID Global or its licensor(s)/supplier(s) in the US and other countries and may not be used without permission.
Manish Bhardwaj, Sr. Marketing Manager, Middle East & Turkey, Aruba Networks
opinion
Going to the office? BYO-Apple Watch. The launch of the Apple Watch heralds the transformation of BYOD into BYOX. How can businesses accommodate #GenMobile’s adoption of wearables, while still staying in control?
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Gorgeous”. “Beautiful”. “Actually useful”. “Epic”. The accolades from the reviewers of the Apple Watch keep pouring in, and the new device – though not the first of its kind in the market – holds the potential of becoming as ubiquitous as the iPhone or the iPod. However, the expected popularity of the Apple Watch raises interesting challenges for CIOs and IT managers. The Apple Watch is merely a herald of an expected tsunami of BYOD smart devices and Internet-of-Things wearables into the workplace, potentially opening up new risks to corporate data privacy and security. It’s highly likely that the first Apple Watches in the workplace will be personally owned. Yet, these devices will be able to interact with corporate networks, and access, download and store company data. Other wearables (not the current version of the Apple Watch) come with built-in cameras. In fact, one of the more interesting features of the Apple Watch is the ability to tether to, and control, iPhones over a remote connection. IT departments will be understandably worried about the impact of the Apple Watch on the workplace. Even though many organisations have already
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adopted BYOD policies, several new conundrums will pop up. At the very top of the list: is it appropriate to allow wearable devices to connect to enterprise networks? What if the device is already tethered to a smartphone that has already been given access? Bear in mind that, according to a study by Aruba Networks, the new generation of employees – dubbed #GenMobile – expect mobility at the workplace to be a given, so any blanket decision to ban such devices from the workplace will be highly unpopular. In fact, almost two thirds of study respondents say they use mobile devices to help them manage their work and personal lives better. If the decision is made to accept Apple Watches and other wearables into the organisation, will existing BYOD policies that govern the use of corporate data be enough - will new policies be required? When tinkering with these policies, CIOs have to keep in mind the fact that there will be other IoT-based devices coming along that could be embedded into an employee’s clothing or even office pantry appliances. In fact, the acronym “BYOD” will soon have to be replaced with “BYOX”, with the “X” symbolising “practically anything”.
Once policies have been amended appropriately, then - and only then - can CIOs turn their attention to the underlying communications network. Many IT organisations have already put in place solutions that can secure any mobile device that connects to corporate Wi-Fi; giving them complete visibility of the number, type and frequency of mobile devices assessing their network. What’s more, these platforms are also capable of enforcing flexible security policies that are capable of analysing – and acting on - the context of how an employee uses the mobile device. For instance, an employee using an Apple Watch at a coffee shop to access corporate data may not be granted the same level of access as one who uses a PC during office hours. Depending on the context, different policies can be applied to make sure that the right balance between flexibility and security is met. Given these considerations, CIOs will need to skilfully juggle the competing requirements to arrive at an enlightened BYOX policy that is most appropriate to company’s needs. The Apple Watch certainly won’t make that juggling act any easier. But it will certainly make it more beautiful. JUNE 2015
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Analyst view
Rick Howard, Analyst, Gartner
Digital Civic Moments In a digital society, government programmes will be evaluated and funded based on overall citizen experience.
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he convergence of people, businesses and organisations, and increasingly smarter things is driving the creation of new business models as the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds become ever more porous. Nearly every industry and IT organisation will be challenged by the fullscale digitalisation of their business processes and in the world at large. For government, the end-to-end digitalisation of business operations and the digital data generated by those operations will create a new class of public services that are orchestrated and delivered by numerous public, private and non-profit organisations. This is digital government. Gartner defines 'digital government' as government designed and operated to take advantage of digital data in optimising, transforming and creating government services. Digital government also includes the concept of 'civic moments', which are made possible by the 'Nexus of Forces', a combination of mobile, social, cloud and information (data analytics) technologies - and supplemented by the Internet of Things, where applicable. Gartner defines a civic moment as an event that triggers a series of cascading actions and data exchanged across a network of people, businesses and organisations, and things to achieve a singular objective. Civic moments are mutable across government - they are designed and developed according to the requirements of any given domain, programme or service use case. Examples might range from how www.cnmeonline.com
For government, the end-to-end digitalisation of business operations and the digital data generated by those operations will create a new class of public services that are orchestrated and delivered by numerous public, private and nonprofit organisations.
quickly government helps people return to work when a leading employer sheds jobs to how it responds to a major disaster. Not every government service rises to the level of a civic moment. Determining which cross-domain or multi-sector value streams can be feasibly combined to radically improve service delivery and citizen experience is key to constructing a civic moment that can be supported by a solid business case. Digital government and digital civic moments present government CIOs, agency administrators and elected public officials with an aspirational vision of what is possible over the next 10 years - the first truly "digital decade" - when digital technology will move to the forefront of finding new sources of value for citizens, as well as presenting new threats to business and government enterprises. Of course, citizens have grown accustomed to having many of their individual wants and needs satisfied
quickly in the course of everyday transactions. The high degree of service coordination and personalised response that is typical in commercial transactions is now the baseline against which the performance of government is being measured. Civic moments can be used to visualise future-state service delivery models based on what should happen, and can generate excitement among stakeholders and concentrate their efforts to solve seemingly intractable problems. Over the next decade, government business processes with the most public value will be engineered to support digital civic moment use cases. To support this, government CIOs should: • Formulate an agency-wide digital business strategy and develop leadership capabilities in digital information and technology architectures, and digital value chain development. • Inspire and engage stakeholders from different tiers of government and sectors of the economy by using civic moment scenarios. These scenarios promote the co-creation and design thinking required for success in the emerging digital industrial economy. • Secure executive sponsorship and financing to implement the longrange digital business strategy, and a midrange IT investment roadmap that delivers value within budget and election cycles. • Integrate civic moments into business processes by developing use cases in which data is exchanged in real time across physical and virtual boundaries. This will help to anticipate situational needs, determine optimal objectives and predict probable outcomes. JUNE 2015
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PRODUCTS Launches and releases
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
Product: Leviathan Brand: Razer
What it does: Razer is stretching again. The company best known for designing and manufacturing gaming notebooks and peripherals offers a soundbar-and-subwoofer combo. The Razer Leviathan boasts an impressive collection of features, including the ability to decode Dolby Digital and aptX Bluetooth bit streams. The cabinet can be tilted to 0-, 15-, or 18-degree angles to direct the sound where you want. Three EQ presets optimise sound for gaming, movies, or music. The speaker is outfitted with the appropriate inputs for playing games, watching movies, or listening to music from a variety of sources, including smartphones. You can connect a digital audio source via an optical cable or by pairing a Bluetooth device - NFC is supported for easier pairing - or an analogue stereo source via a copper cable. What you should know: A 15-watt-per-channel amplifier drives two 2.5-inch full-range drivers and two 0.74-inch tweeters. Razer claims frequency response rate from 180Hz to 20kHz for the sound bar. The subwoofer has a 5.25inch full-range driver and delivers frequency response rate of 20- to 180Hz.
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Product: P8 Brand: Huawei What it does: Huawei has launched the latest in its flagship line of smartphones, the P8. Huawei pulls no punches with the P8, powering it with 2 GHz Cortex-A53 and quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, that runs Android OS, v5.0.2 on a HiSilicon Kirin 930/935 chip set. The PS LCD capacitive touchscreen stretches a respectable 5.2 inches and offers 1080 x 1920 resolution, with a ~424 pixel density. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, as is the back panel. The P8 comes equipped with either a 16 or 64 GB internal memory with 3 GB RAM, which can be supplemented up to 128 GB with the addition of a MicroSD card. What you should know: One of the more notable features of the Huawei P8 is the dual-sim option. This allows the phone to operate with two separate sim cards, giving users the flexibility of multiple service providers or multiple phone numbers on a singular device. The catch here is that the second SIM card slot and the additional memory Micro SD slot are one and the same. Users may find themselves having to choose between the convenience of dual sim cards, and the luxury of extra storage space.
Product: G Watch R Brand: LG What it does: As wearable technology continues to evolve, so does the sense of style and aesthetics of these once basic devices. The G Watch R by LG is an example of what happens when a company combines the cutting-edge of wearable technology with the classic look of a traditional watch. Though the watch face may appear analogue, the 1.3 inch full-circle P-oled screen will easily shatter that illusion. The device runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 1.2GH processor, powering the Android Wear OS. It’s equipped with 4GB of internal memory and 512 MB of ram. The sensors include a 9-Axis (Gyro, Accelerometer, Compass), heart rate monitor, barometer, and is dust and water resistant. What you should know: Offered in two distinct styles - Urban and Outdoor - LG is striving to blend the lines between function and fashion. Like most of the wearable devices in its class, the G Watch R offers an array of services like heart rate monitoring, GPS location and directions, schedule and calendar updates, and text messaging options. One of the more attractive draws on the G Watch R is the voice command option which utilises Google’s voice recognition technology.
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threat intelligence failures, and how to overcome them Jason Cook, VP of Security, BT Americas
As cybersecurity threats have become increasingly sophisticated, it’s become impossible to identify and defend against every probable attack with traditional security budgets. That’s where threat intelligence comes in. Effective use of threat intelligence is a way for businesses to pool their resources and overcome internal technical or resource limitations. Theoretically, it allows companies to “crowd source” security and stay one step ahead of malicious entities. Unfortunately for many organisations, disjointed security solutions and departmental silos have made threat intelligence hard to implement across the organisation and consequently, ineffective. Without the means to make threat intelligence actionable, it’s just data. The challenges are two-fold. Technical silos and a lack of cooperation “across the aisle” – driven by the fact that actionable intelligence can mean different things to different stakeholders. It’s more important than ever that organisations find ways to work across silos, break down barriers to success and align stakeholders to better utilise threat intelligence. While these are all very real challenges, there are some steps you can take right now to begin breaking down silos and enable 76
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threat intelligence to flow more freely throughout your organisation: Identify Integration Opportunities: Depending on an organisation’s maturity level and existing technology investment, the first step may be to identify opportunities for tighter technology integration and the automation of threat intelligence feeds. Automating information sharing across stakeholders ensures an organisation’s governance rules are followed and removes delays introduced by human operators and processes. Find Your Stakeholders: Take an internal census and identify the stakeholders who might have knowledge, data and expertise to facilitate threat intelligence sharing. In addition, identify who might need to consume that information quickly in order to secure critical assets. Without a full accounting of your internal stakeholders, assets and capabilities, it will be hard to get an effective plan in place. Uncover Efficiencies: Often the internal census above will reveal duplicate needs for threat intelligence feeds across the organisation, allowing for mutually beneficial opportunities for streamlining intelligence sharing. This
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can be the basis for a larger transformational business case, such as being able to reduce human resource requirements in multiple areas at once, which will be readily accepted regardless of the metrics used to measure success. Tap into All Domains: Depending on your organisation’s industry, mission, structure and culture, you will need multiple domains/dimensions of threat intelligence to meet stakeholder needs. This means not only sharing actionable intelligence across domains, but also having multiple sources of threat intelligence, or a rating system to score various intelligence sources. Taking action based on bad intelligence could be worse than taking no action. Set the Right Governance Models: A prohibition on certain actions based on a sole source of intelligence is warranted. Having these policies in place prior to an incident will help guide operations when an organisation is under stress. Not all feeds are created equal. Open-source feeds, consolidated feeds and premium feeds should be evaluated against your organisation’s mission and scored based on reliability, asset value and overall cost of ownership (subscriptions, platforms, bandwidth, etc.).
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