60 Mins - Day 2 - 12PM

Strategic ICT Partner

Technology Partners

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60 Mins Show dates: 14-18 October 2012, Dubai World Trade Centre

| AT GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK | Exhibition hours: 11am -7pm

“Middle East IT is world leading”

Dave Brooke, GM, Dell Middle East.

Some may perceive the Middle East as lagging behind other parts of the world in many arenas, but Dell believes the region’s enterprises are at the cutting edge when it comes to technology adoption With cloud technologies dominating much of the discussions in IT circles around the world, the Middle East is a leader rather than a follower, according to Dave Brooke, GM, Dell Middle East.

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“Pretty much every customer that we are in discussion with is having a cloud discussion. Everyone of them is either asking what it is or saying we need to move there,” Brooke said.

“For us, the one thing about the Middle East that makes it such an exciting market is that it doesn’t wait for something to happen in other parts of the world and simply follows. We’ve had some

infrastructure technologies going in that frankly are world leading and there’s no reason to believe that the adoption of these technologies in the Middle East will be any slower than the rest of the world,” he added.

In particular, Dell looks at private cloud as the prevailing infrastructure that enterprises are turning to.

It predicts that 75% of cloud deployments will be on-premise private clouds.

“There will be public cloud and there will be a hybridisation between that, but a lot of companies are looking at private clouds simply to make themselves a lot more efficient, effective and faster to respond,” Brooke said.

He also dismissed the idea that organisations should hold back from the cloud because of security reservations.

“As long as your processes and documentations are in place, you can secure private clouds. If you look at the public cloud, you will initially see non-core applications stored in the public cloud.

Organisations will be very reluctant to push everything into the public cloud, but for the private cloud it should not be a barrier. There is no question that security will be an 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

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4 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 element, but it is something that will always be a problem. It’s part-andparcel of the discussion, whatever environment you are in,” he said.

Whilst actual cloud adoption remains relatively low, Brooke believes it is only an inevitability moving forward.

“Cloud is a discussion about the infrastructure continuum. We’ve moved from main frame, we’ve moved into the client PC and local area network type environments we’ve moved through all of that,” he said.

“We now believe fully in the virtual environment where you are 100% required to drive an agile and efficient data centre.

Businesses require IT organisations to move incredibly quickly. The IT environment that CIOs are looking after have to be built in such a way that enables and facilitates those requirements and that’s where cloud really starts to come into it’s own.”

Another trend that Dell is keen to highlight at GITEX this week is the phenomenon of bring your

Our tools are just like having an extra technician by your side

own device (BYOD). Like cloud, Brooke said he sees this as another inevitable transition in work environments.

“Right now a lot of customers are hesitant in terms of the embrace of BYOD. However, there are a lot of people saying we know we need to do it - it’s just a question of how. This is going to evolve. As the form factors evolve and Windows 8 becomes a much more prevalent operating system, people are going to expect to connect endpoint devices into their work network.

There’s no question that over time - and it will be an accelerated time fine - BYOD is going to play a significant part of the planning processes of all organisations,” Brooke said.

“In a nutshell, this week we are presenting our end-to-end solution offerings, so everything from a client device all the way through to the data centre and network to an all-encompassing cloud discussion.”

Dell is exhibiting in Hall 6.

Is Middle East a laggard in security?

Businesses and consumers are more ignorant of security threats in the Middle East than in any other region, according to Aji Joseph, General Manager, ESET. Joseph, who is using GITEX to showcase ESET’s security product portfolio, believes that consumers and enterprises need to be approached and educated about the ever-more sophisticated attacks happening around the world.

“Users here in the Middle East are ignorant of security threats,” he said.

“Attacks used to be malicious and random, but now they’re more sophisticated and aimed at companies and groups as a way of making money.

We aim to be pro-active so that we can make sure people are safe and protected before an attack can happen.”

However, Joseph claims that in many cases it takes a severe attack for people in the region to pay attention to protection and safety.

“We feel there is a gap here, especially in Dubai. Comparing it to

developing markets, people are more aware of what needs to be done, but not so much here.”

“It would perhaps take an attack, such as the Android attacks, to really make people stand up and take notice here, we need to bridge this gap and educate people by being pro-active with our products and delivering safety solutions,” he said.

Joseph believes that GITEX is the most important event in the region for ESET, claiming there is no better way to address current clients and potential clients as well as showcasing what they have to offer all on one stage.

“GITEX is the most important event for us here because we can speak with our customers face to face and show what we have to offer and learn more about their current understanding, then we can use that knowledge to be pro-active and develop new solutions, which we’ve always done,” he concluded.

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Aruba partners with FVC and Metra Computer Aruba Networks announced that it has signed two value added distributors to aid the company in the expansion of its PartnerEdge channel programme for the Middle East Region. Aruba Networks has formalised distribution agreements with prominent value added distributors FVC and Metra Computer.

Aruba Networks expects these partnerships to further bolster the company’s commitment to the region, a market it ventured into approximately eight years ago.

Since then Aruba Networks has witnessed an average growth rate of approximately 50% year-on-year in the region, according to Chris Kozup, Senior Director of Marketing, EMEA at Aruba Networks.

“We have witnessed significant uptake of our product and solution portfolio in the region particularly in the UAE, KSA and Egypt. We are now working on further enhancing

our channel strategy to focus on dedicated segments of the market particularly the burgeoning SME and the enterprise security space,” he said.

According to Kozup, while the company has signed FVC for its extensive experience in the network security distribution arena, it has signed Metra Computers for its strength in the SME market.

These partnerships fall into Aruba Networks’ PartnerEdge channel programme, that the company is currently expanding in the Middle East to broaden vertical market engagement with the region’s enterprise customers.

Through PartnerEdge, Aruba aims to ensure its customers receive the right consultancy and after-sales services to support its range of leading networking solutions. Metra Computer and FVC join mobility solutions provider, Oxygen, as authorised value added distribution

partners within the programme. “ Metra’s broad reseller network will help us reach out to the growing SME market in the region while the partnership with FVC boosts our existing security offering with their focus and expertise in the field of security. A key area within security is the ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) trend that we are witnessing across the region and we have recently launched a new product line to help enterprises cope with the risks associated with having multiple devices access their network,” he said.

Aruba Networks’ EMEA PartnerEdge Programme offers four levels of participation to value added distributors and resellers – Authorised, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Aruba Networks’ technologies available through the distributor partnerships include the flagship Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture,

Huawei Enterprise signs Mindware for MENA region

Dong Wu, VP, Huawei Enterprise Middle East Huawei Enterprise, the Chinese ICT giant has announced a partnership agreement with Mindware, a prominent distributor of IT products to for the MENA region.

Mindware’s appointment as an authorised distributor of Huawei Enterprise products and solutions

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enables Huawei to benefit from Mindware’s 20 years’ experience in the MENA region and its network of over 2,500 resellers. Mindware will act as a value added distributor providing logistics and financial support in addition to post-sales technical, it was reported.

Dong Wu, VP, Huawei Enterprise Middle East, said, “As Huawei grows, we rely on our family of channel partners to provide extensive support to customers. Our partners have to truly understand what it is that we are trying to achieve with our products and solutions, which have a transformative effect on organisations and help them deploy ICT to overcome whatever business challenges they face. The technical support Mindware provides is vital in the early stages for customers,

especially when they are opting for a combination of products or support across multiple levels of their organisation. The partnership adds a significant string to our bow in the MENA region, and I expect great success from this collaboration.”

The announcement was made yesterday at Huawei’s gathering of channel partners in Dubai, following its participation at GITEX. As per the agreement, Mindware will focus on providing support in three main product and solution areas. The first area is IT products, including Huawei server and storage solutions. The second area is IP products, including Huawei’s family of routers and switches with the third area offering end-to-end security solutions. The fourth area is the unified communications

Chris Kozup, Senior Director of Marketing, EMEA, Aruba Networks along with ClearPass for device discovery, onboarding, management and policy enforcement, Remote Networking, AirWave for wired and wireless networks, and Air-Mesh for secure outdoor wireless networks at a fraction of the cost of wired infrastructure.

and collaboration part of Huawei’s portfolio, including video conferencing products and intelligent surveillance solutions.

Mario Gay, MD of Mindware, said, “Huawei has been a long-term partner of Mindware through our work with Huawei-Symantec, and we have watched the company closely over the past 10 years as it gained global success in the carrier market.

Its recent entrance to the enterprise market has seen rapid success, and we believe that Huawei’s focus on only delivering the best in terms of technology innovation and customer service is a good match for our own business ethos. We look forward to a successful partnership together.”

Mindware will now distribute Huawei products and solutions to enterprises in vertical markets in the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, Oman and Bahrain. Huawei Enterprise customers span various vertical markets, including government, oil and gas, transportation, banking and finance and power sector.

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Cambium Networks unveils in-door wireless solution Wireless network solution provider, Cambium Networks, today announced the PTP 810i All-Indoor solution, a point-to-point (PTP), indoor wireless backhaul solution designed to support native Ethernet and TDM applications simultaneously for seamless migrations to all Internet Protocol (IP)-based systems.

Ideal for use in high-power, indoor environments where long distance support and spatial diversity are required, the addition of the PTP 810i solution will grow Cambium’s existing PTP 810 family of licensed microwave products offering service providers and network operators a highly flexible, scalable and cost-effective hybrid solution as the market evolves to support packet-based, VoIP systems.

Many industries have been slow to move to all-IP platforms due to the potential difficulties and costs of transitioning their TDM hardware to all IP-based systems. With the PTP 810i, companies can now use a single, software-based platform to support their legacy systems during upgrades and avoid the pitfalls of having to rip and replace systems already in service.

The platform’s modular nature allows for flexibility and scalability, as well as easy integration with legacy systems so users can choose the interface that best suits their needs.

Ideal for applications in industries such as public safety, utilities, railroads and telecommunications, the PTP 810i helps users future-proof their

communications infrastructure to grow and change with a company’s evolving needs for Internet connectivity.

“Customers today are demanding increasing access to bandwidth, and networks must have the flexibility and scale to provide reliable broadband access without interference, outages or connectivity challenges,” said Graham Owen, Regional Sales Director MEA and Turkey, Cambium Networks.

“As the market is in a state of change, in which both TDM and Ethernet solutions are the norm, we’ve made it a priority to be a resource to those who are looking to make a cost-effective transition. The PTP 810i allows Cambium’s customers to choose an agile, high-powered

Kingston Technology announces new additions to HyperX family

Antoine Harb, Business Development Manager – MEA, Kingston

Kingston Technology is educating professionals in the Middle East on ways to upgrade their current devices with Kingston’s industry leading products at GITEX Technology Week 2012 to help them battle the challenges associated with big data and virtualisation.

Focused on product categories: System Specific Memory; and Flash products, Kingston is showcasing its wide portfolio of quality memory products and services including products from its HyperX family, including the latest HyperX Predator and the Hyper X Red for consumers and the SSDNow E100 for enterprise .

“With businesses growing at an alarming rate, enterprises in the Middle East are becoming aware of the need to have a strategic plan in place to eliminate

Graham Owen, RegionalSales, Cambium Networks solution that supports the multimedia communications applications businesses demand.”

With high system gain and support for spatial diversity, the PTP 810i also offers XPIC functionality by utilising both horizontal and vertical polarisations in the same channel, doubling throughput capacity without increasing channel bandwidth.

the risk of critical or confidential company data being compromised through outdate servers,” explained Antoine Harb, Business Development Manager – MEA, Kingston. “We have strong partnerships with local distributors which leverage our strength in the memory market and we will be demonstrating this support to our Middle East customers during GITEX.” A strong focus for Kingston Technology at GITEX 2012 is its new HyperX Predator, a new high performance DRAM module that complements the HyperX product range with the faster speeds, lower latencies and higher capacities.

“At this years’ GITEX our aim is to build on the awareness that we generated last year on the many benefits of our HyperX campaign, including our devotion to offering regional customers the best upgrade solution for every market segment,” said Harb.

Publisher Dominic De Sousa, COO Nadeem Hood, Managing Director Richard Judd, Commercial Director Rajashree R Kumar, Group Editor Jeevan Thankappan Editors Pallavi Sharma, Ben Rossi Sub-editor Joe Lipscombe Circulation Manager Rajeesh M, Production Manager James Tharian, Design Director Ruth Sheehy, Senior Designers Analou Balbero, Froilan Cosgafa IV, Glenn Roxas, Digital Services Manager Tristan Troy Magma Web Developers Erik Briones, Jefferson De Joya Photographer and Social Media Co-ordinator Jay Colina

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Riyadh Dry Port chooses SAP to streamline operations Saudi Arabia’s logistics capabilities are getting a major efficiency boost with the implementation of cuttingedge technology from German IT giant SAP, it was reported today.

Turnkey logistics experts BAAS International Group (BIG) has bought the licences for SAP software to be used at Saudi Railways Organisation’s (SRO) bustling Riyadh Dry Port, the company said. BIG is responsible for developing the influential transport hub over the next decade.

Riyadh Dry Port will benefit from markedly improved operational processes through SAP implementations spanning billing, sales and distribution, human resources, and materials management.

SAP, which currently runs at around 45 port companies in

Bader Abdullah Al-Suweidan, President and CEO, BAAS International Group (BIG) 25 countries, will provide input that seamlessly complements a broader technological overhaul led

by BIG, including the introduction of Psilog’s Teklogix handheld computing devices to improve real-time management, and the latest modules of NAVIS, an

advanced terminal operating system, sources said.

The project will be the first time a port in Saudi Arabia employs the considerable heft of both SAP and NAVIS. Further underlining SRO’s technological ambition, Saudi Dry Port is set to become only the fifth port in the world to run a combination of the SPARCS N4 V2.2, XPS and ECN4 NAVIS modules within the next five weeks.

“SAP is a vital component in our on-going project to provide Saudi Arabia with essential goods in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible,” said Bader Abdullah Al-Suweidan, President and CEO, BIG. “Through greater transparency and streamlined processes, we will be able to provide a better service not only to SRO, but also to the people

and businesses of Saudi Arabia.

SRO has been hugely encouraging and extremely receptive to the integration of best-in-class technology, and a solid foundation set for a better run port well into the future,” he added, Riyadh Dry Port spans 918,639 square metres and accommodates six 6,480 square metre warehouses. The port currently has a capacity for 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers per year for onward transport via rail, and there are plans for future expansion. It also features facilities such as cold stores, stand-by generators, administrative offices, customs brokers’ offices, loading and handling equipment, manpower for operation and maintenance purposes, security staff. There is also a mosque, restaurant and clinic.

FVC partners with Microsoft for cloud and UC FVC has selected Microsoft as its exclusive Cloud and Unified Communications partner in the region.

After a steady growth in businesses migrating to the Cloud, the two announced their partnership to continue providing businesses in the region with enhanced access to Office 365 to enable greater productivity, collaboration and reduced costs.

Office 365 will help customers across the region take advantage of the cloud with the most complete set of solutions to meet any business need. Since 2011, Microsoft has been working across the region to deliver Office 365 to the SME sector. SMEs typically have little or

no IT support and very little time and financial resources to dedicate to technology. They have since been able to easily improve the way they work with access to the collaboration tools and unified communications capabilities that Office 365 gives them. Office 365 helps reduce IT costs and enhance productivity through its integrated experience.

The exclusive partnership will equip businesses in the Gulf with free email, instant messaging and collaboration tools at their fingertips. Businesses will also benefit from additional Unified Communications solutions with the new Polycom-Lync integrated solutions.

This partnership adds to a history of

Waleed Heloo, General Manager for Gulf and Pakistan at FVC collaboration between Microsoft and FVC that has provided businesses across the region with the latest Unified Communications Portfolio, including Lync and Sharepoint.

“FVC is very excited about this partnership and the potential growth it will bring to the business,” said Waleed Heloo, General Manager for Gulf and Pakistan at FVC. “With

Polycom positioned as leader in Unified Communications, FVC sees this partnership with Microsoft as strategic especially with Microsoft Office365 and (soon to be released) Wave-15. FVC will now be able to unite, customize and offer the best experience to its customers with on-premise and in the cloud unified communication and collaboration.”

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