Channel Insights Issue 08

INSIDE SPOTLIGHT DATA MASTERY UNVEILED 2024 INSIGHTS: PREDICTIONS DRIVING CHANNEL PARTNERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS www.cxoinsightme.com

ISSUE 08

CHARTING FUTURE PATHS emt Distribution forges strategic partnerships and embraces innovation to fuel growth

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CONTENTS 06 NEWS

ENOC LEVERAGES NUTANIX TO SIMPLIFY IT AND FUEL RETAIL EXPANSION

12

VEEAM BROADENS DATA PROTECTION AND RANSOMWARE RECOVERY CAPABILITIES FOR MICROSOFT 365

AWS AND NVIDIA ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC COLLABORATION

15

22

LEAD STORY

38

PUBLISHED BY INSIGHT MEDIA & PUBLISHING LLC

CHARTING FUTURE PATHS 12 DATA MASTERY UNVEILED

25 REVOLUTIONIZING DATA WITH AI

18 SPOTLIGHT

28 CELEBRATING CHANNEL EXCELLENCE

22 SAFEGUARDING THE DIGITAL REALM

PHISHING 38 COMBATING WITH ZERO TRUST

ISSUE 8 / 2023 | CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST

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EDITORIAL

PURSUIT OF SUCCESS Ruchika Sharma contributing editor, Channel Insights Middle East

In the pursuit of success, leaders in the technology and distribution landscape navigate challenges, drive innovation, and exemplify excellence, shaping the future of the channel industry. As we traverse the dynamic landscapes of technology and partnerships, the resilience and foresight of these leaders become evident. In this edition, we turn the spotlight on the exceptional leaders steering the course of the channel industry.

Our featured articles highlight the insights and experiences of channel pioneers who have left an indelible mark on the industry. Discover the invaluable lessons shared by luminaries such as Kamran Khayal from Trigon, Philippe Jarre from Mindware, Steve Lockie from TechBridge Distribution and Sanjeev Walia from Spire Solutions. Their stories serve as beacons of inspiration for those charting a course in the ever-evolving realms of IT and cybersecurity.

Additionally, in this edition’s cover story, we have featured Mo Mobasseri, who delves into the dynamic landscape of strategic partnerships that have been pivotal in shaping emt Distribution’s trajectory. We have unveiled the strategic vision and innovative spirit that propels emt Distribution into new frontiers of success. This is a story of leadership, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence – an essential read for industry enthusiasts charting their paths in the ever-evolving world of technology and distribution.

At the recent Champions of the Channel Awards 2023, hosted by us, we honoured the intersection of technology and channel partnerships. The ceremony underscored the pivotal contribution of channel partners in fostering innovation, excellence, and sustainable growth, commending significant industry players for their dedication to navigating the ever-evolving landscape of digital transformation.

This edition also features exclusive interviews with senior executives from Netscout, Western Digital, and VAST Data sharing their perspectives on cutting-edge solutions and industry trends. Gain insights into their adaptive strategies in the dynamic channel industry showcasing a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and navigating evolving landscapes. These perspectives illuminate the evolving landscape and reveal numerous opportunities within the technology industry.

Moreover, we have gleaned insights from industry leaders as they discuss crucial trends capturing the focus of IT channel players in 2024. Also, delve into the strategic measures outlined by experts for building a robust defense against phishing attacks, emphasizing the implementation of a zero-trust approach.

As you flip the pages, you’ll get to explore the dynamic narratives of our featured channel leaders, gain insights from industry luminaries, and stay informed about the transformative power of collaboration and innovation in shaping the channel industry.

Happy reading!

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Managing Editor Jeevan Thankappan jeevant@insightmediame.com +97156 - 4156425

Sales Director Merle Carrasco merlec@insightmediame.com +97155 - 1181730

Operations Director Rajeesh Nair rajeeshm@insightmediame.com +97155 - 9383094

Publication licensed by Sharjah Media City @Copyright 2023 Insight Media and Publishing

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Designer Anup Sathyan

While the publisher has made all efforts to ensure the accuracy of information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors

ISSUE 8 / 2023 | CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST

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NEWS

ENOC Leverages Nutanix To Simplify IT And Fuel Retail Expansion

Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, ENOC

Nutanix announced that ENOC Group has centralised its IT infrastructure on Nutanix to support retail expansion and deliver slick digitally driven customer experiences.

Serving thousands of customers across 60 markets, ENOC employs a workforce of over 12,000 employees and deploys its world-class customer service, innovations and technologies and best practices towards the UAE’s social and economic development.

At the core of ENOC’s business are its service stations which offer not only refuelling, but also top-quality retail services. Initially, siloed IT infrastructure was deployed at each of these service stations to deliver the digital services needed. While in the early days this met the company’s needs, the lack of redundancy and centralised management contributed to significant

IT overheads and risk as the company rapidly scaled its retail operations.

In 2021, ENOC undertook an AED250million (US$68million) digital transformation initiative, aimed at prioritising customer satisfaction and elevating the service experience.

To keep supporting the Group’s impressive growth momentum, ENOC recognised the best way forward would be to implement a fully integrated, scalable, and secure edge infrastructure solution that could be centrally managed for all their remote sites.

Backed by the expertise of Nutanix’s local team, ENOC proceeded to deploy Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI) – a complete software stack that unifies hybrid cloud infrastructure including compute, storage and network, hypervisors, and containers, in public, managed, and on-prem private clouds – as well as Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) and the vendor’s disaster recovery solution.

Furthermore, the new partnership will include implementation of Nutanix Cloud Manager System (NCM), that will minimise any IT related issues, given the high demand of requests.

Following the upgrade, Nutanix’s unified infrastructure eliminated the siloed IT infrastructure at each of ENOC’s retail outlets. The vendor has also enabled ENOC’s IT team to attain the holy grail of ‘getting more for less’, as the centralised management, made possible by NCM, has delivered an impressive 80% reduction in IT operation costs across the 400+ sites

that are now served by Nutanix’s solution.

The high availability, and impressive levels of redundancy and resilience made possible by Nutanix mean that ENOC’s services stations can now operate around the clock without disruption to the vital services they deliver to customers.

His Excellency Saif Humaid Al Falasi, Group CEO, ENOC, said: “ENOC fully understands that IT is a key pillar of our operations. We are constantly embracing emerging technologies that enable us to advance innovation in our sector, adapt to new business models, and introduce new products and services to the residents of the UAE faster. Nutanix plays a pivotal role in enabling us to achieve these ambitions and thus helps us to stay competitive.”

Samer Labaky, Manager, Enterprise and Public Sector Accounts – UAE and Oman at Nutanix said, “We are living in the era of digitisation. With digital transformation comes several challenges – how can IT bring relevance to the business, including employees and customers? How can IT teams respond to digital business initiatives at the speed the business requires it. The issue is that instead of being a business enabler, IT is a major bottleneck.

Current legacy systems that customers have been adopting for the last 10 to 15 years are irrelevant because of inherent complexities, inflexibility and high cost of operation. ENOC fully understands this. With digital transformation being a top priority, the company is now embracing emerging technologies that help drive innovation, new business models, and bring products and services to UAE citizens faster. This agility and innovation help ENOC stay competitive and differentiate themselves from their peers.”

Veeam Broadens Data Protection And Ransomware Recovery Capabilities For Microsoft 365 Veeam Software announced it has expanded its relationship with Microsoft.

Veeam is making it easier for customers to protect Microsoft 365 with Cirrus

by Veeam which brings the ease and flexibility of Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) for Microsoft 365. Utilising the power 6

CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST | ISSUE 8 / 2023

and reliability of the industry leading Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 and our track record and experience with close to 18 million Microsoft 365 users under protection, these new BaaS capabilities, will include support for Microsoft 365 Backup Storage to give Microsoft customers the

industry’s most popular data protection and ransomware recovery capabilities.

“Businesses today need the confidence that their critical business data is protected,” said Danny Allan, CTO at Veeam. “We’re delighted to extend the advanced capabilities we use to protect

NEWS

close to 18 million Microsoft 365 users by integrating with Microsoft 365 Backup Storage. The recent addition of our BaaS offering for Microsoft 365 underlines our commitment to continuing to deliver new features and capabilities that take advantage of the power and reliability of the Veeam Data Platform which keeps businesses running.”

Veeam recently previewed this new integration with Microsoft 365 Backup Storage at Microsoft Ignite. The live demo highlighted the potential to quickly and efficiently restore large amounts of Microsoft 365 data, enabling organisations to minimise downtime following a ransomware attack or other data loss threat.

“Microsoft 365 Backup Storage provides high-speed point-in-time recovery for data stored in Microsoft 365 environments so customers can react and respond to the latest cybersecurity threats confidently,” said Richard Riley, General Manager, Low Code and Content Services, Microsoft.

“Integration with Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 delivers our joint customers radical resilience with fast backup and restore of critical business data to keep Microsoft 365 users productive.”

Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 is the leader in Microsoft 365 backup and is being used to protect close to 18 million users.

This adoption reflects customers’ shared responsibility to own and protect their critical Microsoft 365 data across services including Microsoft Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business and Microsoft Teams.

Customers can now choose from several options in how they wish to utilise Veeam and manage Microsoft 365: • New Cirrus by Veeam:Delivers a simple, seamless SaaS experience, without having to manage the infrastructure or storage within Microsoft 365 Backup Storage.

• Veeam Backupfor Microsoft 365: Deploy Veeam’s existing software solutions for Microsoft 365 data protection and manage the infrastructure.

• A backup service from a Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) partner:Built on top of the Veeam platform, with value-added services unique to the provider’s area of expertise.

For more information about Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365, visit https://www.veeam. com/backup-microsoft-office-365.html.

AWS And NVIDIA Announce Strategic Collaboration

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, and NVIDIA announced an expansion of their strategic collaboration to deliver the most advanced infrastructure, software, and services to power customers’ generative artificial intelligence (AI) innovations.

“AWS and NVIDIA have collaborated for more than 13 years, beginning with the world’s first GPU cloud instance.

Today, we offer the widest range of NVIDIA GPU solutions for workloads including graphics, gaming, high performance computing, machine learning, and now, generative AI,” said Adam Selipsky, CEO at AWS. “We continue to innovate with NVIDIA to make AWS the best place to run GPUs, combining next-gen NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchips with AWS’s EFA powerful networking, EC2 UltraClusters’ hyper-scale clustering, and Nitro’s advanced virtualisation capabilities.”

“Generative AI is transforming cloud workloads and putting accelerated computing at the foundation of diverse content generation,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Driven by a common mission to deliver cost-effective, state-of-theart generative AI to every customer, NVIDIA and AWS are collaborating across the entire computing stack, spanning AI infrastructure, acceleration libraries, foundation models, to generative AI services.”

As part of the expanded collaboration to supercharge generative AI across all industries: • AWS will be the first cloud provider to bring NVIDIA GH200 Grace Hopper Superchips with new multi-node NVLink technology to the cloud. The NVIDIA GH200 NVL32 multi-node platform connects 32 Grace Hopper

Superchips with NVIDIA NVLink and NVSwitch technologies into one The platform will be available on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instances connected with Amazon’s powerful networking (EFA), supported by advanced virtualisation (AWS Nitro System) and hyper-scale clustering (Amazon EC2 UltraClusters), enabling joint customers to scale to thousands of GH200 Superchips.

• NVIDIA and AWS will collaborate to host NVIDIA DGX Cloud, NVIDIA’s AI-training-as-a-service, on It will be the first DGX Cloud featuring GH200 NVL32, providing developers the largest shared memory in a single instance. DGX Cloud on AWS will accelerate training of cutting-edge generative AI and large language models that can reach beyond 1 trillion parameters.

• NVIDIA and AWS are collaborating on Project Ceiba to build the world’s fastest GPU-powered AI supercomputer – an at-scale system with GH200 NVL32 and Amazon EFA interconnect, hosted by AWS for NVIDIA’s own research and development This first-of-its-kind supercomputer – featuring 16,384 NVIDIA GH200 Superchips and capable of processing 65 exaflops of AI – will be used by NVIDIA to propel its next wave of generative AI innovation.

• AWS will introduce three additional Amazon EC2 instances: P5e instances, powered by NVIDIA H200 Tensor Core GPUs, for largescale and cutting-edge generative AI and HPC workloads; and G6 and G6e instances, powered by NVIDIA L4 GPUs and NVIDIA L40S GPUs, respectively, for a wide set of applications such as AI fine tuning, inference, graphics, and video workloads. G6e instances are particularly suitable for developing 3D workflows, digital twins, and other applications using NVIDIA Omniverse, a platform for connecting and building generative AI- enabled 3D ISSUE 8 / 2023 | CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST

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NEWS

Entrust And StarLink Announce Strategic Partnership Entrust has partnered with StarLink , an Infinigate Group company, with the aim of providing cutting-edge digital security solutions to organisations in the Middle East and Africa region.

In line with regional efforts to combat looming cybersecurity threats, the two companies are on a mission to provide local customers with the highest standards of cyber security. The new partnership will see StarLink becoming Entrust’s newest distribution partner for the Middle East and Africa region, providing customers access to the full range of Entrust’s certificate solutions, PKI, identity and access management, encryption key management and hardware security modules.

The partnership was inked during an MoU signing which took place on the sidelines of GITEX Global 2023 in the presence of Simon Taylor, Entrust MEA Channel Director, Alaa Abdo, Vice President of StarLink, and Julien Caifero, Director of Global Business Development at Infinigate.

Simon Taylor, Channel Director, MEA at Entrust, said: “The ongoing

Simon Taylor, Channel Director, MEA at Entrust

digital transformation across all sectors is bound to be coupled with a simultaneous increase in cyberattacks which will continue to increase in sophistication. In light of this, we are delighted to announce our new strategic partnership with StarLink.

Together, we aim to strengthen the digital security posture of companies in the region and help them defend against an ever-evolving threat landscape. This partnership is a

testament to our solid commitment to better serve our existing and potential customers in the region.”

Julien Caifero, Director – Global Business Development, Infinigate (representing StarLink) said: “StarLink’s mission is to reshape the distribution landscape by embracing disruptive and innovative approaches.

Through this new partnership with Entrust, we are excited to provide them with regional on-ground support, extensive channel networks, and an unparalleled Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy, all of which will further develop and scale their business in the region. We’re excited about the cross-selling opportunities with complementary technology vendors that this partnership brings, and we look forward to expanding our cybersecurity offerings in the MEA region.”

The collaboration will facilitate Entrust’s growth in the government and enterprise markets and extend its reach to regions where it currently lacks a local presence. This strategic alignment also leverages the existing strong relationship between Entrust and Infinigate, the parent company of StarLink, in Europe, offering a seamless bridge into the Middle East market.

Mindware Strengthens Strategic Distribution Partnership Agreement With GitLab Mindware has recently announced the signing of a strategic distribution partnership agreement with GitLab. As an authorised distributor for the Middle East and Africa market, Mindware will facilitate the seamless integration of DevSecOps practices for businesses in the region using the GitLab AI-powered DevSecOps platform.

Elaborating on the partnership, Mostafa Kabel, Solutions Director, Mindware Group comments: “Better, faster, and more collaborative software development and application delivery accelerates digital transformation.

GitLab offers the most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform that simplifies the software delivery toolchain. Mindware’s strong presence 8

CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST | ISSUE 8 / 2023

across the MEA market as a leader in establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with vendors and channel organisations aims to enhance customer experience and value from the adoption of GitLab’s innovative DevSecOps platform.”

GitLab is the most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps platform in the market. From idea to value, GitLab enables teams to collaborate in a single application to shorten cycle times, reduce development costs, and increase developer productivity. This enables organisations to allocate more time and resources toward differentiating features that set their businesses apart.

Mindware’s channel partners aiming to expand their market leadership

Mostafa Kabel, Solutions Director, Mindware Group

in application modernisation can now access and join GitLab’s partner programme. This collaboration helps enable channel partners to leverage the combined expertise and resources of Mindware and GitLab.

NEWS

VAST Data Closes Series E Funding Round, Nearly Triples Valuation To $9.1 Billion VAST Data, the AI data platform company, announced that it has secured $118 million in Series E funding, led by Fidelity Management & Research Company and accompanied

by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), BOND Capital and Drive Capital.

The funding will advance VAST Data’s mission to deliver a new category of infrastructure that puts data at the centre of how systems think, react, and discover.

This breakthrough will empower organisations to effectively address their most pressing data challenges, enabling unprecedented advancements in technology, economics, social dynamics, and scientific research.

The VAST Data Platform unifies storage, database, and containerised compute engine services into a single, scalable software platform architected from the ground up to power AI and GPU-accelerated tools in modern data centres and clouds. The platform uniquely enables organisations to understand all data, both structured and unstructured as it exists in the natural world, to generate superior insights and unlock new value.

“A new AI data stack is required,” said Renen Hallak, CEO and CoFounder of VAST Data. “To be truly impactful in this era of AI and deep learning, you not only want to have a lot of data, but also high quality data that is correctly organised and available at the right place, at the right time. The VAST Data Platform delivers AI infrastructure that opens the door to automated discovery that can solve some of humanity’s most complex challenges.”

“We believe that VAST Data is a pioneer in the AI GPU space,” said Scott Sandell, Chairman, CEO and CIO at NEA. “With deep learning at the centre of the massive AI movement we are experiencing, interest and investment in VAST Data has escalated, and we are thrilled to partner with the VAST Data team as they drive

influence and innovation in the global AI technology sector.”

The funding follows a pivotal 2023 calendar year, marked by: • Impressive Business Momentum: At the end of FY’Q3, VAST Data surpassed $1 billion in cumulative software bookings. The company achieved 3.3x year-over-year (YoY) growth and maintained positive cash flow for the last 12 quarters with a gross margin of nearly 90%.

• Organisations Across All Industries Trust VAST Data: VAST Data has amassed a growing customer roster of global enterprises including Booking Holdings, Inc., U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Energy, Verizon, Boston Children’s Hospital, Pixar, and Zoom, among others, signaling strong market validation.

• Reimagining AI Cloud Infrastructure: Through innovative customer partnerships with companies like CoreWeave, Lambda and Core42 (formerly G42 Cloud), VAST Data is delivering the infrastructure that is purpose built for next-generation AI clouds.

• Deepened Commitment to Partners: Since its founding, VAST Data has worked closely with partners to break down technology tradeoffs and barriers while improving the overall customer experience. In May 2023, VAST Data furthered this mission with the VAST Data Platform achieving NVIDIA

DGX SuperPOD certification, making large scale AI deployments simpler, faster, more reliable and easier to manage. In April 2023, VAST Data entered into a strategic partnership with HPE, helping enterprise customers manage unstructured data with high performance at scale to deliver superior time to data insight.

• Global Expansion: Now with more than 700 employees worldwide VAST Data is actively broadening its business footprint, penetrating new regions in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe.

Supporting Quotes The VAST Data Platform’s capacity to process large quantities of data at unparalleled scale and speed signifies a transformative shift in industry operations, underscoring the pivotal role of deep learning AI in shaping future advancements. This sentiment was shared by customers and partners across the industry, including: “Data is every company’s most valuable asset,” said Manuvir Das, vice president of Enterprise Computing at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA and Vast Data are collaborating to enable enterprises to harness their data using accelerated computing and cloud-based AI solutions to tackle their biggest challenges.”

“Some of the most data-intensive and computationally advanced customers on the planet trust CoreWeave, NVIDIA and VAST to deliver the most secure and scalable solutions on top of the industry’s fastest and most flexible AI infrastructure,” said Michael Intrator, CEO and co-founder of CoreWeave. “We’re honoured to partner with VAST to provide purposebuilt accelerated computing solutions that solve the complex AI and data challenges that enterprises face now and into the future.”

“Data is the only competitive advantage in AI and therefore infrastructure that can simplify and scale data access is crucial for any organisation training AI models,” said Sanjeev Mohan, Principal, SanjMo. “With a modern data platform finetuned for the performance and scale AI requires, VAST Data is well-positioned to capture a massive opportunity.”

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NEWS

Help AG And Imperva Join Forces To Bolster Data And Application Security Help AG, the cybersecurity arm of e& enterprise and the Middle East’s trusted security advisor, has joined forces with Imperva, the cybersecurity organisation which protects critical applications, APIs and data, anywhere at scale. Help AG customers can now benefit from the Imperva Data Security Platform, to gain complete visibility into all data repositories, whether they are on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments.

Help AG will also provide access to the market-leading Imperva Application Security products and solutions. The cloud-based services will be delivered through a local point of presence (PoP) in the United Arab Emirates. For organisations that seek robust security offerings that can accommodate the needs of developers and the ever-demanding DevOps landscape, Imperva products and solutions will be a good fit.

Today’s customers require marketleading services, end-to-end solutions, and world-class technology expertise and guidance. Imperva and Help AG are joining forces to meet those customer needs, leveraging the Imperva Accelerate Partner Program to support this mutual success through a clear and well-structured framework, helping the partners maximise their value and extend it to clients.

The partnership is in line with Help AG’s focus on integrated cybersecurity architecture, using Imperva’s offering to strengthen zero trust and reinforce Help AG’s leadership in the fields of data and application security.

Commenting on the partnership, Stephan Berner, Chief Executive Officer of Help AG, said: “At Help AG, we are dedicated to building strategic partnerships to constantly expand and enhance our 360-degree portfolio covering the entire lifecycle. Our partnership with Imperva supports this objective, enabling our customers to secure their data at scale while ensuring compliance and unifying protection for applications, anywhere 10

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Stephan Berner, Chief Executive Officer of Help AG

they run with the help of Imperva’s advanced solutions.”

Florian Malecki, VP – EMEA Channel Sales at Imperva, said: “Imperva Accelerate provides distinctive offerings that allow Help AG to build recurring revenue while assisting customers with establishing security programs that can scale and adapt to changing attack vectors. We are extremely pleased and excited by this partnership, and expect to accelerate our footprint with Help AG.” Exponential data growth, increasingly stringent regulations, and fragmented technology ecosystems have made it more challenging than ever to protect data, maintain compliance, and ensure privacy. Digital transformation is moving data into transformative locations, such as the cloud, driving the need for effective governance to ensure the security, integrity, and usefulness of the organisation’s data repositories.

Built for business value, the Imperva Data Security Platform offers the broadest data security coverage at any scale, protecting critical workloads and ensuring compliance in highlyregulated industries across hybrid and multi cloud environments. This

is achieved through the Imperva Data Security Fabric, which maximizes return on investment through business capabilities that meet a broad range of customer needs, both current and future, seamlessly integrating with features and products from the Imperva Technology Alliance Program.

Additionally, the Imperva Data Security Platform elevates IT security expertise to bolster security confidence with the most comprehensive sensitive data protection across the entire estate.

Imperva data security solutions includes sensitive and personal data security, data governance, data discovery and classification, secure cloud data migration, user behavior analytics, and data risk management.

The latter enables customers to manage risk across all global databases, access speedier incident resolution, and painlessly demonstrate compliance.

On the application side, modern coding practices emphasize speed but introduce new attack surfaces, challenging DevOps to balance application security and rapid deployment. Embedding security into DevOps, through Imperva’s Application Security solutions, customers are enabled to stop software supply chain attacks; mitigate account takeover; secure modern web applications; and protect applications from business logic abuse. Imperva offers complete protection for applications regardless of whether they are on-premises, hybrid, or cloudnative, and enables swift response across the enterprise.

By leveraging advanced solutions from Imperva and Help AG’s local presence, customers can expect a higher level of data protection, compliance, and application security.

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to delivering top-tier cybersecurity services and technology expertise to meet the evolving needs of today’s customers.

INTERVIEW

DATA MASTERY UNVEILED

Mohammed Owais, Sales Director, Western Digital-Middle East shares insights on how the company has adapted to the dynamic needs of the channel industry in the region, fostering robust relationships, offering innovative data storage solutions, and championing sustainability.

W

estern Digital has been a prominent player in the data storage industry for decades.

How has the company adapted to the evolving needs and challenges of the channel industry, especially in the ME & Africa region?

To meet the evolving needs and challenges of the channel industry in 12

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the Middle East, we at Western Digital conducted extensive market research to better understand our audiences and our channel partners. This has helped us get a better insight into understanding local business practices and enable us to deliver localised products and solutions that are more targeted towards the region. We have also built strong relations with our

local partners, such as to further drive our presence in the MEA region.

We offer our channel and retail partners our latest products and innovations. At Western Digital, we strive for innovation, which strengthens our position as a storage leader. Some of our latest innovations include the new Ultrastar DC HC670 26TB UltraSMR HDD, an enterprise solution that uses Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) in place of conventional data recording methods and a suite of advanced technologies, resulting in an 18% increase in capacity. We also introduced the new dual-port Ultrastar DC SN655 NVMe™ solid-state drive (SSD). This enterpriseclass SSD is designed for cloud and scale-out workloads providing high QoS consistency for the emerging workloads for big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning that are increasing in size and complexity making them the ideal solution for scaling capacity and maximising GB/watt.

We have new innovations on the consumer side of things as well, such as the new WD Blue SN580 NVMe sSSD. This new NVMe PCIe® Gen 4.0 SSD is aimed primarily at the creative enthusiast community and professionals for creativity, productivity, PC upgrades and elevating custom builds. It also marks the first in the WD Blue lineup to feature nCache™ 4.0 technology and NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0, that will enhance productivity and boost performance for an optimised workflow.

Partnerships are our main strength in this region, both distribution and channel, which is why Western Digital as a brand, takes every effort to help them increase profitability by empowering them with knowledge, skills and support. We also host various training programmes, such as the myWD Partner Programme, which is created for VARs, system integrators, solution providers and managed service providers who sell

storage drives, NAS and Surveillance solutions. The programme offers a comprehensive line up of benefits including direct incentives, exciting member-only promotions and exclusive access to a rich set of marketing tools.

We also provide an Enterprise Partner Programme, where partners can find local experts, tools and resources on storage platforms and server solutions.

Partners can also log into our Western Digital University, where they can learn about our entire product portfolio.

Partners are also given rewards, promotions and quarterly incentives.

Could you share some insights into Western Digital’s strategies for fostering strong and mutually beneficial relationships with channel partners in the region?

Our partners, both channel and digital, are of key importance, hence we set into motion dedicated strategies that foster a mutually beneficial relationship with them. We run one a strong and successful partner programme, and the key behind this success is a focus on two-way partnership that is aimed at mutual success.

Western Digital aims at building strong engagement with its partners, which is driven by multiple strategies.

This includes constant communication, consistent training and finally rewarding the partners. At Western Digital, we build multiple channels to interact with partners on a regular basis, identifying what the partners are comfortable with and introduce appropriate training programmes. We also run strong rewards programmes for sub-distributors which are uniquely designed for each set of channel partners to help them grow, maximise profitability, and, most importantly, delight their customers, according to the company.

What innovative storage solutions and technologies does Western Digital offer to help channel partners address these concerns and stay competitive in the market?

At Western Digital we offer our channel partners with the latest in storage solution innovations, that give them the advantage of being early adopters and partners in the region. We recently

announced the new new Ultrastar DC HC670 26TB UltraSMR HDD the latest in enterprise solutions, now available in the region. A true pinnacle of storage leadership, the Ultrastar DC HC670, comes with advanced features such as Shingled Magnetic Recording and a suite of technologies on a 10-disk platform that results in an 18% increase in capacity, providing enterprise customers who invest in the technology with exceptional storage capabilities beyond traditional solutions.

On the consumer side, we also launched the new WD Blue SN580 NVMe sSSD, aimed primarily at the creative enthusiast community and professionals for creativity, productivity, PC upgrades and elevating custom builds. It also marks the first in the WD Blue lineup to feature nCache™ 4.0 technology and NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0, that will enhance productivity and boost performance for an optimised workflow. We also recently introduced the SanDisk UHS-I microSD card, which is a 1.5TB high capacity microSD card, which is ideal for Android smartphones and tablets. It features transfer speeds of up to 150 MB/s, one of the fastest in this form factor.

How does Western Digital envision the future of data storage and distribution through its channel partners?

By leveraging its channel partners, the company foresees providing comprehensive storage solutions tailored to meet the varied needs of different industries. With a dedication to embracing emerging technologies such as edge computing and 5G, Western Digital is actively working towards shaping a future where data storage transcends being a mere necessity, evolving into a strategic asset for businesses on a global scale.

Could you tell us about Western Digital’s efforts in producing ecofriendly storage solutions and how these align with the sustainability goals of channel partners and customers?

Sustainability and environment-friendly solutions are a key point for Western Digital. We recently committed to

powering the company’s operations with 100% renewable energy, achieving net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions across the company’s operations, as well as water and waste reduction targets by 2032. We also aim on reducing water withdrawals by 20% by 2030 and diverting more than 95% of our operational waste from landfills by 2030.

We have also made significant progress in these goals, undertaking measures to reduce emissions, water and waste to leverage renewable energy and lowcarbon product design and packaging.

What advice or strategies would you offer to channel partners to help them navigate the evolving landscape and leverage Western Digital’s products and services effectively to meet customer demands?

Guide channel partners in comprehending and effectively addressing customer needs by gaining profound insights into their challenges, objectives, and IT infrastructure requirements. This knowledge equips partners to recommend tailored Western Digital storage solutions that precisely align with the unique storage demands of their clients. Simultaneously, educate customers on the inherent value of Western Digital products and services in resolving their data storage and management challenges.

Facilitate continuous learning for channel partners through the provision of up-to-date training sessions, webinars, and seminars.

Staying informed about our latest products, services, and technological advancements enables partners to adeptly navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the storage industry.

Implement incentive programmes designed to motivate and reward channel partners, fostering a collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship. Encourage partners to proactively embrace new and innovative technologies within the data storage industry, ensuring their ability to adapt to the dynamic market and technology landscape. This proactive approach positions channel partners to meet and exceed the evolving demands of their customers.

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LEAD STORY

CHARTING FUTURE PATHS Mo Mobasseri, CEO of emt Distribution, provides perspectives on the company’s strategic partnerships and its commitment to embracing innovation.

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n what ways has emt Distribution maintained its leading position in IT distribution, particularly through adapting to new technologies and industry trends?

We are known for our laser-sharp focus on cybersecurity and IT solutions; we have consistently adapted to new technologies and industry trends.

To sustain our leading position in IT distribution, we have implemented a range of strategic initiatives: Portfolio Diversification: A key pillar of our strategy involves continuously expanding our product and service

portfolios. By incorporating diverse solutions that address emerging technologies and market demands, we strive to stay ahead of the curve. Our commitment to upcoming technologies enables us to align our offerings with evolving market needs proactively.

Partnerships and Alliances: Building robust partnerships with key technology vendors and reseller partners is integral to our success. These alliances enable us to deliver cutting-edge solutions to our clientele. By maintaining close relationships with industry leaders and staying abreast of their latest offerings, we ensure that our product

offerings remain at the forefront of technological innovation.

Market Research and Analysis: A commitment to continuous market monitoring and analysis is fundamental to our strategy. This proactive approach allows us to identify market trends and evolving customer needs, ensuring that our offerings remain relevant and effective.

Training and Certification Programmes: Our dedication to knowledge transfer is evident through our comprehensive training and certification programmes for resellers and partners. By equipping them with the skills to sell and support our latest technologies, we enhance the overall competence of the emt distribution channel.

Digital Transformation: Embracing digital channels and platforms has been a transformative aspect of our strategy. By leveraging digital solutions, we enhance operational efficiency and expand our reach to a broader audience, ensuring that we remain agile in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Customer Support and Services: Setting ourselves apart through exceptional customer support and value-added services is a cornerstone of our approach. We have prioritised the enhancement of customer support, technical assistance, and other services to meet the evolving expectations of our customers, fostering lasting relationships.

Global Expansion: Strategic global expansion is a key driver for our growth. Whether entering new geographic markets or fortifying our presence in existing ones, this approach allows us to tap into diverse markets and gain exposure to different technological landscapes. This global footprint positions us to adapt and cater to a wide array of customer needs on a global scale.

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LEAD STORY

Could you elaborate on the significant partnerships or collaborations that have played a key role in the success and growth of emt Distribution?

Our technology partnerships boast significant diversity, yet certain vendor relationships stand out as exceptionally strategic. Over the past decade, pivotal collaborations with companies such as Flexera Software, Progress, Device42, SecureG, CososSys, Xcitium, Fortra, Airlock Digital, Matrix42, Arcon, and numerous others have played a key role in shaping our robust network.

With the increasing importance of a consultative approach in business, how has emt Distribution integrated this strategy into its operations, especially in the tech sector? What are the main components for its effective implementation?

Our strategy revolves around a consultative approach to understanding our customers’ needs. This starts with a meticulous customer needs assessment, where we actively engage with our clients to gain insights into their unique requirements, challenges, and objectives. This allows us to establish the groundwork for tailored solutions that cater to the specific demands of our diverse clientele.

Our commitment to product knowledge and expertise is another pivotal element. We enhance our understanding of our technologies and solutions, empowering our team with the necessary expertise to guide clients through well-informed decision-making processes. This dedication to continuous learning enables us to provide valuable insights and recommendations, nurturing a relationship built on trust and competence.

Relationship building is not a mere by-product but a deliberate focus within our consultative strategy. We believe in cultivating robust, longterm relationships with our clients.

This entails not only grasping their immediate needs but also foreseeing future requirements. By establishing a rapport grounded in trust and mutual understanding, we position ourselves as a trusted partner for our clients.

Educational resources also play a pivotal role in our consultative approach.

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We firmly believe in empowering our clients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.

Through educational resources such as workshops, documentation, and training sessions, we ensure that our clients are well-equipped to navigate the intricacies of the technology landscape, fostering a collaborative and informed decisionmaking process.

Another key pillar of our approach is collaborative problem-solving. We perceive challenges as opportunities for collaboration and innovation. By engaging in open and constructive dialogue with our clients, we collectively identify and address issues, thus fortifying our partnership and contributing to mutual growth.

Customisation and flexibility are fundamental elements underscoring our commitment to meeting each client’s unique needs. We recognize that one size does not fit all, and therefore, we offer customized solutions capable of adapting to the evolving requirements of our clients. This flexibility ensures that our clients receive solutions aligned with their business objectives.

Furthermore, continuous communication serves as a linchpin in our consultative approach. We prioritize open and transparent communication channels with our clients, providing regular updates, insights, and feedback.

This ongoing dialogue enables us to stay attuned to evolving needs and ensures that our solutions remain aligned with our clients’ ever-changing business landscapes.

Finally, our commitment extends to providing robust technology adoption support. We guide our clients through the implementation and integration of new technologies, offering support at every stage to ensure a smooth transition and the maximisation of the benefits derived from the adopted solutions. This holistic approach reinforces our dedication to being more than just vendors but true partners in our clients’ technological journey.

Reflecting on your experiences at GITEX and Black Hat 2023, what were the key takeaways for your team, and how do these insights influence the future strategies of emt Distribution?

We view exhibitions as invaluable

platforms for engaging with both our partners and customers, fostering collaborative discussions to enhance our cooperation and strategize for the future. These events stand out not only for their exceptional quality but also for the substantial number of expert visitors hailing from diverse sectors such as government, oil and gas, enterprises, and various other verticals.

In our role as a technology distributor and service provider, we have the responsibility of introducing innovative technologies to the region.

Our focus extends beyond mere product promotion; we are dedicated to assisting Chief Information Officers (CIOs), Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and other technology leaders in addressing their challenges and streamlining their management processes. This commitment underscores our proactive approach to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and delivering tangible solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clientele.

Looking forward, what are the primary strategic goals and vision that drive emt Distribution’s plans for expanding its services, offerings, and market presence?

Continuing our commitment to innovation, our dedicated team for market and technology expansion plays a vital role in keeping us at the forefront of industry trends. With a proactive approach, we anticipate future landscapes, positioning ourselves ahead to deliver cutting-edge technologies to clients and partners. Emphasizing national contributions, we align with local priorities, fostering technological advancements. Strategic vendor partnerships drive our growth, enhancing our product offerings collaboratively.

Geographical diversification extends our global and regional presence, addressing unique regional needs. Investing in education and training empowers clients to navigate evolving technologies confidently. Pioneering innovation, aligning with compliances, and enhancing customer support highlight our comprehensive strategy. Focusing on both operational technology and cloud technologies ensures holistic solutions for the evolving IT landscape.

EXPERT ADVICE

SPOTLIGHT

KAMRAN KHAYAL

Reflecting on a distinguished career within the dynamic channel industry, Kamran Khayal, General Manager at Trigon, shares pivotal moments, innovative strategies, and insights into overcoming challenges. With over 90% of his career devoted to Trigon, his journey offers valuable lessons for emerging leaders.

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ounding employee and lifelong learning advocate His career trajectory commenced as one of the founding employees at Trigon, contributing from its inception. A key moment that shaped his success was the embrace of continuous learning.

Recognising the IT industry’s swift evolution, he prioritised staying updated with emerging technologies and market trends. This commitment to upskilling, obtaining certifications, and active participation in industry conferences propelled his career, enabling innovative solutions for clients.

Leadership triumph In 2013, he seized an opportunity to lead a diverse team through a complex project for a high-profile client.

Managing this endeavor honed his leadership skills and provided hands-on insights into the intricacies of channel partnerships. Effective collaboration, clear communication, and leveraging individual strengths emerged as critical factors, fostering both personal and professional growth.

Innovative approaches to industry challenges The IT industry poses challenges, and he navigated these obstacles through innovative approaches. Keeping pace with rapid technological advancements was addressed by instilling a robust culture of continuous learning. Regular training sessions, certifications, and a mindset embracing lifelong learning equipped the team to navigate emerging technologies and deliver cutting-edge solutions.

Market fluctuations and unpredictability were met with diversification and agility. Diversifying the client base and service offerings mitigated the impact of market shifts. Fostering agility within the organisation allowed

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quick adaptation to changing market conditions, emphasizing streamlined processes and flexibility in strategies.

Adaptable leadership His leadership style adapts to the evolving landscape by fostering a culture that embraces change and encourages experimentation. He creates an environment where calculated risks are encouraged, and failure is viewed as a stepping stone to success. This mindset cultivates a culture of innovation and creativity.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of his leadership. Forming strategic partnerships with other organisations, vendors, and industry experts broadens perspectives and accesses diverse skill sets and resources. Empowering the team with autonomy and necessary resources encourages innovation.

Open communication and idea-sharing platforms create an environment where team members contribute to the company’s innovation strategy.

Future strategies Looking ahead, he identifies trends and challenges for channel leaders, emphasizing the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Leaders need to harness the potential of AI/ML to offer intelligent and personalised solutions. Talent acquisition and retention remain focal points, addressed through investments in

employee development programmes and creating an inclusive work environment.

Sustaining impact on the industry As a prominent figure in the channel community, his plans to sustain and expand his positive impact by actively engaging within the community.

Participation in industry events, forums, and conferences facilitates knowledge exchange and collaboration. He aims to contribute to the collective growth and advancement of the industry by sharing insights, discussing emerging trends, and collaborating with fellow leaders. His focus on fostering an environment of knowledge exchange and collaboration aims to contribute to a more diverse and skilled workforce within the channel sector.

Advocating for innovation and forward-thinking strategies is another avenue through which he seeks to impact the industry. By promoting and adopting innovative practices within his organisation, such as embracing emerging technologies and fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation, he aims to inspire positive change. Sustainability and ethical business practices are integral to his vision, and he advocates for responsible and sustainable practices within the channel community, encouraging businesses to prioritise environmental and social responsibilities.

Advice for emerging leaders Drawing from extensive experience, he advises emerging leaders in the dynamic channel sector. Stressing continuous learning, openness to innovation, and flexibility to navigate change are crucial.

Relationships form the backbone of success, emphasizing the value of strong partnerships, collaboration, and trust.

Customer-centricity is paramount, urging leaders to prioritize customer needs and exceptional service. Developing strong leadership skills, clear vision communication, and team empowerment are pivotal. A strong leader inspires others to achieve collective goals, ensuring success in the ever-evolving channel landscape.

Khayal’s journey in the dynamic channel industry serves as a testament to the importance of continuous learning, innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to ethical business practices.

His insights and advice provide a valuable guide for emerging leaders navigating the evolving landscape of the channel sector.

SPOTLIGHT

PHILIPPE JARRE

Philippe Jarre, the Group President of Mindware, shares insights from his career journey, highlighting key moments that have significantly contributed to his success and growth within the dynamic channel industry.

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efining moment of growth and innovation He has been fortunate throughout his career, and grateful for the experiences that have defined his journey and contributed to his growth and success. One particular moment stands out—the establishment of a remarkable new company in 2019 through the incorporation of Arrow Middle-East into Mindware. This strategic move showcased the power of leveraging strengths, creating a fresh company and culture that instilled confidence in its potential.

Since then, he has witnessed remarkable growth and success, solidifying the significance of this defining moment in his career.

Navigating challenges with strategic agility In this highly dynamic industry, the persistent rise in the cost of capital remains a significant challenge that he anticipates will continue to shape the year ahead. The past 12 months have seen a sharp increase in interest rates, rising from a few percentage points to nearly 10% in this market.

This is putting huge pressure on the distributor to support their partners to be able to manage their cash flow in a very cash-intensive business. To combat this, Mindware streamlined operations, offering partners flexible payment terms to alleviate financial burdens. This strategic maneuver has augmented their resilience, ensuring sustained support for their partners amidst market fluctuations.

Leadership in a transformative landscape As a leader, Jarre emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and adaptation, particularly within

organisations to embark on strategic projects. Mindware, well-versed and equipped with a diverse skill set, is strategically positioned to navigate and support these industry trends.

The company’s readiness to embrace the evolving dynamics underscores its commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation and catering to the evolving needs of the channel industry.

Positive impact on the channel community As a prominent figure in the channel community, he prioritizes fostering a strong corporate culture centered on open communication, engagement, and recognition. Mindware’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and work-life balance contributes positively to the industry’s growth and development.

the team. Strategic investments in cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud computing, IoT, security, and data analytics, are key to staying relevant. Encouraging a culture of constant upskilling and innovative thinking empowers the workforce to embrace change and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving landscape.

He underscores the significance of a growth mindset, vital for not only adapting to change but also thriving and excelling in the dynamic environment.

Addressing future trends and challenges As he looks ahead, the channel leader identifies key trends shaping the landscape. The acceleration of digital transformation emerges as a pivotal trend, accompanied by the noteworthy challenge of the increasing cost of capital. In response, there’s a discernible shift towards the paradigm of “Solutions as a Service.”

This approach involves integrating various infrastructure components and services while offering flexible payment terms. Notably, the influence of transformative solutions such as “Chat GPT” is gaining prominence, prompting

Valuable Advice for Emerging Leaders His advice for emerging leaders revolves around embracing continuous learning, skill enhancement, and adopting a customer-centric approach.

Staying informed about emerging technologies, fostering innovation, and being adaptable to change are crucial. Seeking diverse perspectives and cultivating a corporate culture that values collaboration, inclusivity, and open communication are essential for success in the channel sector. Through these principles, he envisions a positive impact on the industry as a whole.

Jarre’s impactful journey in the dynamic channel industry underscores the significance of strategic moves, innovative thinking, and a commitment to fostering a positive corporate culture. His insights and advice stand as a valuable guide for emerging leaders, emphasizing continuous learning, adaptability, and a customer-centric approach in navigating the everevolving channel landscape. Jarre’s proactive leadership positions Mindware at the forefront of digital transformation, with a focus on inclusivity, diversity, and sustaining a positive impact on the wider channel community.

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SPOTLIGHT

STEVE LOCKIE

In the fast-paced realm of the dynamic channel industry, Steve Lockie, the Managing Director of TechBridge Distribution, reflects on key moments that have defined his remarkable career. From transitioning into distribution under great mentorship to navigating industry shifts, Lockie’s journey unveils insights that resonate with emerging leaders.

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areer milestones His career trajectory saw transformative moments, starting with his move from network technician to the distribution sector’s early stages. Under the guidance of mentor Brian Elliott, he gained invaluable insights that set the stage for his future endeavors. Navigating through roles in pre-sales, product marketing, and sales management marked a significant phase, contributing to the growth of value-added distribution. The pivotal move to the Middle East in 1999 aligned with industry shifts toward compliance and corporate governance, setting the stage for a commitment to ethical business practices. Leveraging advanced IT infrastructure further solidified his position, emphasizing the role of technology in gaining a competitive edge.

Understanding people and fostering a positive culture emerged as consistent themes, underlining his leadership approach.

Overcoming industry obstacles In response to industry challenges, Lockie and his team strategically embraced compliance, turning it into a competitive advantage. During the 2006-2007 market crash, decisive credit decisions and reliance on internal credit intelligence propelled the business forward. Vendor globalisation presented opportunities to demonstrate value and secure unique partnerships. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a swift shift in the go-to-market strategy, leveraging large-scale virtual events to adapt to the transformed business landscape.

Adapting leadership in a rapidly evolving landscape As a leader, his approach to the evolving landscape centres on effective communication and providing contextual

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understanding. Utilising storyboards, he emphasizes the big picture, ensuring team members comprehend the significance of their actions. The “upside-down organisation” philosophy prioritizes empowering individuals, acknowledging their expertise, and actively listening to diverse perspectives. This approach fosters innovation, collaboration, and a sense of ownership within the team, enabling adaptability in the rapidly evolving channel sector.

Anticipating future trends and challenges Looking ahead, he acknowledges the perpetual challenge of commoditisation, emphasizing the importance of constant portfolio evolution. Market trends, such as the rapid transition from on-premises PBXs to UCaaS, underscore the importance of adapting swiftly.

Recognising the condensed selling cycles in evolving technologies is crucial to strategising effectively. Ensuring their value proposition aligns with partners’ needs is an ongoing focus, acknowledging that adding value must genuinely benefit partners rather than introducing unnecessary costs.

Continual reflection on their channel

relevance and a proactive approach to market dynamics are integral strategies for addressing upcoming challenges in the channel landscape.

Sustaining positive impact on the channel community His plan to sustain and expand positive impact revolves around fostering a people-first culture. This approach aims to create an environment reminiscent of an academy, where individuals not only excel in their roles but also leave with fond memories.

By prioritising a people-centric culture, the goal is to instill pride in the workforce, whether they move on to other companies or stay within the organisation. Emphasizing strong partnerships and a robust channel is integral, acknowledging that a powerful reseller network is the cornerstone of success. Avoiding channel conflicts and ensuring the scalability of operations are vital elements to continue positively influencing the industry.

Valuable advice for emerging leaders In imparting wisdom to emerging leaders, Lockie underscores the essence of prioritising fundamental excellence, emphasizing that a strong foundation is indispensable for any value-added contributions. Acknowledging the collective strength of the team, he stresses the significance of a can-do culture, promoting proactive mindsets and ownership. The cultivation of emotional bonds within the team, coupled with the establishment of brand trust, emerges as a vital strategy. His advice encapsulates the transformative impact of genuine kindness, fostering positive relationships. These guiding principles encapsulate a holistic approach to success in the dynamic channel sector, where foundational strength, collaborative spirit, and ethical leadership converge for enduring achievement.

In summary, Lockie’s journey through the dynamic channel industry serves as a testament to resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to ethical leadership. His insights provide a roadmap for emerging leaders navigating the complexities of the everevolving channel landscape.

SPOTLIGHT

SANJEEV WALIA

Spire Solutions Founder and President, Sanjeev Walia’s journey is marked by strategic pivots amid economic challenges, an unwavering commitment to service excellence, and a forwardthinking stance on technology adoption. His reflections yield valuable insights for emerging leaders charting their course through the ever-evolving terrain of the dynamic channel industry.

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eflecting on key moments Walia identifies two pivotal moments that have significantly contributed to the triumphs and growth of Spire Solutions within the dynamic channel industry. The first transformative juncture unfolded during the market crash of 2008, prompting a strategic shift from a services-centric model to a distribution-focused approach. This adaptive move not only showcased resilience but also laid the groundwork for Spire Solutions’ enduring success.

The second milestone, in 2009, marked a turning point for the relatively unknown Spire Solutions. Securing the first distribution agreement, despite the market’s unfamiliarity, not only built credibility but also paved the way for subsequent strategic partnerships. These moments underscore the company’s trajectory, demonstrating the ability to navigate challenges and stay true to its commitment to excellence.

Overcoming obstacles One of the primary challenges faced

by Spire Solutions was its status as an unknown entity in the region. To overcome this obstacle, the company strategically prioritised delivering exceptional quality of service. Consistent delivery not only earned the trust of customers but also garnered the confidence of technology Partners, customers and channel partners. The unwavering commitment to maintaining high service standards, fostering robust channel partnerships, and nurturing vendor relationships has been instrumental in overcoming obstacles, resulting in a positive and trusted market reputation.

Adapting to the evolving landscape He sheds light on Spire Solutions’

distinctive approach in the distribution landscape, characterised by proactive engagement with emerging technologies before they reach mainstream recognition. The company identifies technologies with significant value propositions, even if they are not yet widely demanded. This forward-thinking strategy involves extensive research, value propositioning, and a focus on making customers recognise the genuine needs met by these technologies.

The commitment to innovation not only fosters a culture of forwardthinking within the organisation but also promotes collaboration within the team. This approach ensures that Spire Solutions remains at the forefront of the ever-evolving technology landscape, positioning itself as a leader in adopting cutting-edge solutions.

Trends and Challenges Ahead Looking ahead, Walia identifies a significant trend— the increasing focus on hyperscalers both internationally and regionally. The government’s emphasis on data sovereignty provides Spire Solutions with an opportunity to support clients in making their data sovereign.

However, the challenge lies in evolving beyond a typical distribution model,

especially with the potential impact of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions.

Spire Solutions aims to address this challenge by empowering partners to add value through expertise and services. This strategic move ensures the company’s continued relevance and effectiveness in the evolving landscape of channel leadership.

Sustaining Positive Impact To sustain and expand a positive impact in the channel community, he emphasized the importance of reading market trends, making informed decisions, and building expertise. The focus is on specialisation over generalisation, advocating for continuous learning and specialisation among channel partners. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and specialisation, Spire Solutions aims to contribute significantly to the growth and positive evolution of the broader channel industry.

Advice to Emerging Leaders His advice to emerging leaders in the channel sector centres around prioritising trust over quick profits.

Establishing a foundation of trust with customers and channel partners is crucial for long-term success. The emphasis on a customer-centric approach and sustained relationships builds confidence in the market and contributes to the industry’s positive reputation.

Additionally, he recommended maintaining a lower sales approach and avoiding quick money schemes, ensuring stability and fostering lasting success.

By keeping activities customer-focused, emerging leaders can navigate the dynamic channel sector with resilience and integrity.

Walia’s journey and insights showcase Spire Solutions’ commitment to excellence, innovation, and customercentricity in navigating the dynamic channel industry. Emerging leaders can draw inspiration and guidance from these experiences as they navigate their paths to success. Through strategic pivots, commitment to service excellence, and forward-thinking technology adoption, Spire Solutions stands as a testament to the enduring success possible in the dynamic channel landscape.

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INTERVIEW

SAFEGUARDING THE DIGITAL REALM Emad Fahmy, Systems Engineering Manager, Middle East, NETSCOUT shares insights about their innovative solutions, strategic collaborations, and the evolving trends shaping the cybersecurity and network assurance landscape.

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hat unique challenges do businesses face concerning network security and how is NETSCOUT positioned to address these challenges?

The Middle East faces a cybersecurity crisis, with data breaches costing businesses an astounding $8 million on average, a 155.9% increase over a decade and a 15% surge in just three years, according to IBM Security’s Data Breach Report. This underscores the urgent need for robust network security solutions.

NETSCOUT understands this challenge. With security embedded in its DNA, the company offers a comprehensive suite of products and services that go beyond basic defenses.

The company’s real-time network visibility, advanced threat detection, and performance optimisation tools empower organisations to safeguard sensitive data, prioritise service delivery, and streamline security operations.

analytics and response platforms capable of protecting future digital infrastructures with unparalleled scale and consistency.

What notable trends have you observed in the cybersecurity and network assurance landscape across the regions?

2023 witnessed a surge in groundbreaking technologies, but only a select few revolutionised security. AI-powered automation, for instance, slashed data breach lifecycles in Middle Eastern firms by a staggering 134 days, with breaches now taking an average of 259 days compared to a hefty 393 days for those lagging behind. Meanwhile, robust data centres have become essential fortresses, safeguarding sensitive information as data volumes explode. And finally, cloud computing’s unstoppable ascent continues, fueled by enhanced threat

How does NETSCOUT collaborate with its clients to tailor solutions that align with their specific business objectives and security requirements?

While the cybersecurity landscape is flooded with products addressing diverse attack surfaces and use cases, businesses are increasingly seeking consolidation opportunities. However, true consolidation goes beyond simply buying more from a single vendor or dumping everything into a central data lake. Instead, the focus is shifting towards holistic workflows, unified agents, and cross-product synergies that unlock greater value.

Infinistream Next Generation (ISNG),

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NETSCOUT is known for its advanced network assurance solutions. Can you share some recent innovations or updates in NETSCOUT’s offerings?

We at NETSCOUT believe network visibility is foundational to cybersecurity because you can’t protect yourself from what you can’t see. The company’s “Visibility Without Borders” solutions, powered by their marketleading, patented technology, deliver a comprehensive network detection and response (NDR) platform called Omnis Cyber Intelligence. This scalable DPI-based solution grants you the industry’s most complete attack surface observability, providing continuous intelligence and real-time detection of all network activity. With Omnis, you can stop attackers in their tracks before they inflict damage.

is NETSCOUT’s leading appliance technology, which brings borderless enterprise visibility for managing business services across data centres, cloud, virtual environments, and colocation setups. ISNG consolidates multiple specialised analytics tools into a single unified platform, while simultaneously feeding a standardised set of metadata to various analytics stacks for comprehensive insights across service assurance, application performance management, cybersecurity, and business intelligence. This centralised approach leverages NETSCOUT’s renowned smart data technology, offering agentless and non-intrusive monitoring for unparalleled efficiency.

What is your vision for the future of NETSCOUT’s role in ensuring cybersecurity and network assurance, considering the evolving technological landscape and security threats?

In the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, one truth remains absolute: you can’t fight what you can’t see.

Comprehensive, packet-level network visibility is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for effective threat combat.

Perimeter-based defenses alone are inadequate, as stealthy attackers like phishing campaigns can bypass them with a single click.

The answer lies in pervasive, packetlevel network visibility like NETSCOUT’s Omnis CyberStream sensors, known for their scalability and versatility, can be deployed across your entire network landscape, granting you deep insights into both north-south and east-west traffic.

OPINION

2024 INSIGHTS:

PREDICTIONS DRIVING CHANNEL PARTNERS AND THEIR CUSTOMERS Geoff Greenlaw, VP EMEA & LATAM Channel at Pure Storage, highlights four pivotal trends demanding the attention of IT channel players in 2024.

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hen it comes to adaptability, few can rival the IT channel.

When customers began to expect advice as well as fulfilment, partners elevated themselves to the position of trusted advisors. When mounting budgetary pressures made enterprises question large upfront capital expenses, the channel saw the potential of these groundbreaking ideas and adapted with cloud and managed services-led offerings. Now as the pace of digital transformation further accelerates, partners are stepping up

to champion innovation and empower enterprises with a digital edge.

This adaptability is underpinned by foresight. After all, channel players know that if they act only when change is inescapable, it will already be too late. In the region’s hypercompetitive ecosystem, those who stand by the sidelines will soon be rendered redundant. For channel players therefore, keeping their finger on the pulse of the market isn’t an option, it’s an imperative. So, with the new year on the horizon, they must remain keenly aware of how the market is once again

shifting, and what they will need to do to stay ahead. Here are four predictions on what will drive channel partners and their customers in 2024: Strong demand for subscription services We’ll see strong, continued growth in demand for subscription services in 2024, as the move from Capex to Opex gains momentum. A key driver for this is the current economic conditions we’re seeing, which are some of the tightest the industry has experienced since the recession of 2008.

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OPINION

Geoff Greenlaw, Pure Storage

At present, it’s common for companies operating in the channel to be asked for letters of credit or bank guarantees when transacting business, which demonstrates the very real pressure on cash in the system — a situation which will continue into 2024 and even 2025. Moving to Opex via subscription services makes a lot of sense and provides an instant remedy to cash flow issues in the channel. Channel partners that embrace this trend will be the ones that see the most success.

However, there is a big caveat here.

Subscription services will only do well if they are properly supported by a robust set of relevant SLAs and guarantees. In fact, we’re now entering a new phase in technology procurement where SLAs are becoming differentiators and, in many cases, the ultimate decider in purchasing decisions. Companies that are leaders in their sectors are recognising this shift and making innovative leaps forward by ensuring that their SLAs are tied directly to customers’ C-level priorities. For example, in the data storage space, SLAs covering energy-efficiency, capacity density, and data loss protection are now crucial factors in subscription adoption, and this trend will continue in 2024 and beyond.

Technology skills shortage will worsen The tech sector skills shortage will worsen in 2024, driven by increased demand and competition for technology specialists, resulting in demand for higher wages. This will put further pressure on businesses, creating a situation where they must pay over the odds to secure the skilled labour they need. As a result of this wage driven skills shortage, there will be increased 24

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demand for managed services in order to ensure efficient, SLA guaranteed operations, despite labour shortages.

The skills shortage will also impact on how the channel embraces AI for their own business as well as selling AI technologies to customers. Customers want to engage with AI services but many don’t currently have the data scientists to make those investments.

The channel needs to better establish what their value proposition is around AI and what AI actually means to potential customers. In 2024 I believe we will see more emphasis on the channel investing in AI training and education, in order to bridge the skills gap through consultancy. Provided they are willing to invest and learn, channel partners can ride the AI wave, rather than be left behind.

The impact of the skills shortage will also be felt in containerisation in the coming year — an area that continues to see strong growth. The skill sets around Kubernetes are very specialised and, in the channel, it’s an area that is dominated by boutique partners, rather than larger VARs. This is an area that is primed for further growth and there’s a real need for more channel partners to develop Kubernetes skills and take advantage of this opportunity. We may also see those skills being secured by the larger VARs through acquisitions.

Sustainability to remain a key priority Despite the current economic climate, sustainability will remain a key priority in 2024 and is now firmly on CEO agendas. It’s one of the top three requirements in all tenders we see.

However, the market is looking for sustainable end-to-end solutions that aren’t just focused on cost, or even a single vendor, but rather a holistic view of sustainability across the data centre.

The energy crisis, carbon neutral pledges, compliance with Scope 1 and 2 emissions as well as a host of other standards is driving the sustainability agenda. Ultimately, being more sustainable is important for people and the planet and essential for organisations to adopt greener practices.

Now more than ever there’s an opportunity for channel partners to play a key role in sustainability efforts,

by leveraging their relationships as trusted advisors to their customers. In fact, we’re now seeing more and more partners with a sustainability division within their business. Channel partners are ideally placed to help educate customers on what technologies will make a meaningful impact on their carbon emissions, help them cut through the greenwashing of inefficient solutions, and even persuade relevant stakeholders within the business by presenting key data. Educating and helping customers choose and implement technologies that drive energy and power efficiency throughout the whole IT stack is key to sustained success in 2024.

2024 will see further consolidation in the channel This year, we saw consolidation in the MSP and VAR spaces and that is likely to continue in 2024, as bigger companies that are cash rich are able to make acquisitions.

A key driver of these acquisitions is the need to secure top talent, and a skilled digital workforce. The skills shortage means that this talent is not readily available to recruit, and training the skills into an existing workforce can take a lot of time. Securing skills such as AI expertise will open up a bigger total addressable market (TAM) for new customer acquisition. Consolidation can be positive for the channel as it generally results in fewer companies that can offer more diversified services.

At the same time, channel companies based in the UK and across Europe are looking further afield for growth opportunities — specifically the Middle East. We’ll see more partnerships and acquisitions in 2024 as that market continues to grow.

Don’t react, act To partners that are afraid to act, these trends will present themselves as challenges. But for those that are ready to adapt once again, it is an unmissable opportunity to elevate their value proposition and set themselves even further ahead of the pack. Change is an evitability for all, but success — that will depend entirely on the mindset and actions of partners as they head into the new year.

INTERVIEW

REVOLUTIONISING DATA WITH AI Haidar Aziz, Managing Director META at VAST Data explores how their innovative AI-driven solutions are reshaping the future of data storage in the META region, addressing unique challenges, promoting sustainability, and staying at the forefront of technological advancements.

in this dynamic data management ecosystem, offering a platform that efficiently manages massive amounts of data, integrates seamlessly across diverse environments, and prioritizes sustainability. As AI continues to transform the tech landscape, data platforms will be pivotal players in unlocking their true potential of AI and driving innovation across the META region and beyond.

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ould you provide insights into the current market landscape for AI data platform solutions in the META region? What notable trends are shaping the industry?

The AI data platform market in the META region is exploding, driven by the increasing need to handle unstructured

data, embracing hybrid and multicloud strategies, and leveraging the power of generative AI applications and large language models. Organisations are seeking adaptable platforms that can navigate diverse environments and maximise performance while minimising their environmental impact. VAST Data is at the forefront

What sets VAST Data apart from other solutions in the market, and how does it address the unique needs of businesses in the region?

The VAST Data Platform unifies storage, database, and containerised compute engine services into a single, scalable software platform architected from the ground up to power AI and GPU-accelerated tools in modern data centres and clouds. The platform uniquely enables organisations to understand all data, both structured and unstructured as it exists in the natural world, to generate superior insights and unlock new value.

VAST’s recent partnership with G42 Cloud (Core42) aligns perfectly with the UAE’s visionary AI strategy, empowering businesses in the MENA region to leverage a highly performant and scalable platform, exploit data’s full potential, catalyse innovation, and drive global impact. We’re not just about storage; we’re about reshaping data systems, empowering businesses, and driving a transformative shift in AI computing.

What are the primary data storage challenges that organisations in the META region face, and how does VAST Data contribute to overcoming these challenges?

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INTERVIEW

and globally grapple with escalating data volumes and sustainability targets. VAST Data addresses these challenges through innovative solutions. The VAST DataStore, as outlined in the 2022 Sustainability Report, can potentially cut customers’ energy costs by up to 90% over a decade, resulting in substantial CO2 emission reductions. This achievement stems from a fusion of global data algorithms and cuttingedge technology, encompassing hyperscale flash, efficient erasure codes, reduced compute power, and global data reduction through VAST’s Similarity, which detects data blocks that are similar yet not identical and uses that similarity to store newly written data such that only the change between the older similar blocks are stored. In essence, VAST’s data platform offers a compelling solution for energy efficiency, aiding data centres in saving costs and minimising environmental impact.

With the rise of technologies like AI and IoT, how is VAST Data adapting its solutions to support the growing demands for scalable and highperformance data platform?

VAST Data is strategically adapting its solutions amid the AI and IoT surge.

With a keen focus on analytics and AI workloads, VAST’s DataStore offering has evolved into the VAST Data Platform. This transition seamlessly integrates storage, database management, and analytics without altering the pricing of their pure storage offering. The platform’s new features, including SQL queries on file and object metadata, facilitate faster analysis of unstructured data crucial for AI workloads. VAST’s expansion addresses the growing complexity of analytics stacks and simplifies data management, aligning with the evolving needs of organisations in the face of advancing AI technologies.

Can you share any notable success stories or case studies where VAST Data’s platform have made a significant impact on businesses?

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each faces unique challenges in infrastructure and data management.

The VAST Data Platform simplifies these complexities by eliminating bespoke hardware needs and streamlining data access across diverse environments. For instance, VAST Data’s partnership with Lambda, empowers businesses to deploy AI at scale across hybrid cloud environments with greater ease, improved performance, and lower costs. The outcome? Businesses like leading investment banks, research institutes, and major retailers are leveraging VAST Data to accelerate risk analysis, develop life-saving treatments, personalise customer experiences, etc. VAST Data is unlocking the power of AI and driving meaningful business impact for today’s modern enterprise.

How does VAST Data collaborate with clients and partners to ensure the seamless integration and optimisation of its data platforms within diverse technological ecosystems?

By eliminating data silos, simplifying infrastructure management, and spanning the data landscape across cloud and edge deployments with the VAST DataSpace, VAST offers an agnostic, unified platform, including that tamps down complexity, unleashes performance, and optimizes costs. This collaborative approach empowers businesses to unlock the full potential of their data and achieve sustainable success, while also promoting energy efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint.

In addition to that, VAST Data leverages flash-based storage, advanced data reduction techniques, and a disaggregated architecture to minimise energy consumption and resource usage. This commitment to sustainability ensures that businesses can achieve their datadriven goals while making a positive impact on the environment.

What is your vision for the future of data storage in the META region, and how does VAST Data plan to stay at the

VAST’s recent partnership with G42 Cloud (Core42) aligns perfectly with the UAE’s visionary AI strategy, empowering businesses in the MENA region to leverage a highly performant and scalable platform, exploit data’s full potential, catalyse innovation, and drive global impact.”

forefront of technological advancements and industry evolution?

The future of data storage in the META region is brimming with potential, driven by the increasing demand for real-time data access and the emergence of groundbreaking AI applications. VAST Data, with its unique architecture and platform designed to deliver exceptional scale, performance, and resilience, stands at the forefront of this revolution.

The company’s vision is clear: to empower organisations to unlock the full potential of their data.

VAST Data’s success is built upon a foundation of unwavering customer focus and a relentless pursuit of innovation. VAST’s commitment to staying ahead of the curve ensures that customers always have access to the most advanced data storage, analytics and management solutions available. As the META region embraces the transformative potential of AI and other data-driven technologies, VAST Data is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping a brighter future. VAST’s dedication to excellence and unwavering commitment to customer success makes it a leading force in the broader data management industry, empowering businesses to unlock the full potential of their data and achieve extraordinary results.

AWARDS

CELEBRATING CHANNEL EXCELLENCE The Champions of the Channel Awards’ second edition highlighted the indispensable role of channel partners in driving innovation, excellence, and scalable growth, recognizing key players for their commitment to navigating the dynamic realm of digital transformation.

In the Middle East’s dynamic and fiercely competitive IT landscape, effective channel utilisation is no longer an option but is necessary for businesses seeking to expand their market influence and achieve scalable growth.

Recognising this strategic imperative, vendors exploring opportunities in this region are increasingly focusing on empowering their channel partners.

The advent of digital transformation has amplified the Channel’s significance in response to the evolving IT landscape. This transformation equips channel partners with the means to expand their horizons and introduce innovative solutions and services to their valued clientele. Channel partners are now encouraged to specialise, whether by industry, technology, or business models, to position themselves as trusted advisors to enterprise customers in this thriving region.

Our second edition of The Champions of the Channel Awards acknowledged the ever-evolving dynamics of the regional channel business. Last evening at the awards ceremony, we celebrated the remarkable achievements of key players and the individuals whose contributions have been instrumental in their success.

The evening was dedicated to the exhibition of innovation and excellence within the entire channel ecosystem.

The awards symbolised our deep appreciation for the collective effort that fuels our industry’s prosperity where each winner represents a unique narrative of commitment, innovation, and achievement.

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CHANNEL PARTNER AWARDS

AMPCONNECT

STARLINK

Technical Excellence in Distribution Award

Cybersecurity VAD of the Year Award

INGRAM MICRO

Best Partner Programme by a Distributor Award

FVC

Emerging Cybersecurity Distributor Award

SYSCOM DISTRIBUTION

Innovative Solutions Integrator of the Year Award

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AWARDS

GRAND PCD GROUP OF COMPANIES IT and Network Product Reseller of the Year Award

NEW TREND COMPUTER NETWORKS Innovation in Reselling Award

BULWARK TECHNOLOGIES

Channel Partner Empowerment Award

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DSR TECH COMPUTER TRADING Value-Added Reseller Excellence Award

TRIGON

Retail Distribution Excellence Award

STORIT

Data Solutions Distributor of the Year Award

EMT DISTRIBUTION

SPIRE SOLUTIONS

Strategic Partnership Pioneer Award

Innovative Cybersecurity Distributor Award

LOGICOM

SPECTRUM NETWORKS

Outstanding Partner Support Award

EXCLUSIVE NETWORKS Cybersecurity Portfolio Excellence Award

IT Training Provider of the Year Award

REDINGTON

Disruptive Channel Marketing Award

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AWARDS

REAL SECURE IT INFRASTRUCTURE Excellence in Managed IT Services Award

VISIONTECH SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL System Integrator of the Year Award

CLOUD BOX TECHNOLOGIES Digital Transformation Partner of the Year Award

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SECURETECH

Cyber Resilience Partner of the Year Award

ELITSER

IT Solutions Provider of the Year Award

TEKSALAH

Excellence in IT Project Delivery Award

CHANNEL MARKETING INNOVATOR AWARDS

MAYJA MARY VARGHESE

SONALI BASU

AMPConnect

Bulwark Technologies

RESHMA YESODARAN emt Distribution

AKSHAT GAUR

Exclusive Networks

FRANCEA LOBO Finesse

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AWARDS

RIJU JOSE

DOMINI SOMOZA

Spectrum Networks

MDS System Integration

SHAED KHADER Logicom

KENNETH DENIS D’SOUZA Spire Solutions

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ZAINAB YUSUF StorIT

SUBEESH SUKUMARAN

MEENAKSHI VASHISHT

Syscom Distribution

Visiontech Systems International

ABIGAIL PAUL FVC

SOUMYA PRAJNA Help AG

KIARA ISRANI Secureworks

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AWARDS

VENDOR AWARDS

CHECKMARX

D-LINK MIDDLE EAST

Innovative Channel Engagement Award

Innovative Channel Marketing Award

PAESSLER

Channel Partner Enablement Champion Award

SECUREWORKS

Channel Growth Acceleration Award

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WESTERN DIGITAL Excellence in Channel Partnership Award

OPINION

COMBATING PHISHING WITH ZERO TRUST Rohan Ramesh, Director of Product Marketing – Identity and Access Management at Entrust delves into the strategy of establishing a resilient defense against phishing attacks by implementing a zero-trust approach.

H

ave you ever seen an email from your CEO asking you to redeem a voucher worth AED 3,000 or to share your login details for an urgent IT-related problem?

Or was it an email asking you to urgently help to access a website link to fill out a form? As it turns out, you’ve been phished.

Phishing attacks – known as deceptive emails aimed at tricking users into divulging sensitive information or spreading malware – represent a perpetual menace to

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organisations and individuals alike.

Today, phishing attacks are becoming more advanced and difficult to identify than ever before, with a little help from Artificial Intelligence (AI).

A Looming Concern Recent data from the UAE underlines the urgency of the matter: the majority of organisations have fallen victim to email-based phishing attacks.

A staggering 86 percent have encountered attacks which have unfortunately been successful

at obtaining access to their data, with nearly half of these incidents resulting in direct financial losses.

These sobering statistics highlight the critical need for strategies that not only address the vulnerability of contemporary IT infrastructures but also proactively deter these malicious attempts.

The sheer ubiquity of phishing attacks cannot be understated. It is estimated that globally a staggering 1 in every 100 emails harbors malicious intent, with an estimated 3.4 billion spam emails sent every day. This sobering reality amplifies the urgency of the situation. Organisations must embrace a paradigm shift to combat phishing effectively, transcending traditional security measures that are increasingly rendered obsolete by the rapidly evolving tactics of cybercriminals.

The AI Factor: Reinventing cyber attacks We know that threat actors are getting better at disguising phishing attacks, with entire criminal organisations dedicated to building

services like phishing-as-a-service for other cybercriminals to use in their targeted phishing campaigns.

One of the ways in with these threat actors are becoming more advanced is by adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to aid in the development of cyberattack campaigns, with services like WormGPT (a generative AI tool for bad actors similar to ChatGPT) that allow adversaries to launch sophisticated phishing and business email compromise attacks with relative ease.

These malicious AI tools use the latest marketing and branding from your websites and learn from previously successful phishing campaigns to create highly accurate phishing campaigns that can evade even the most trained eye from identifying the phishing email.

It is well noted amongst security professionals that AI-generated phishing emails have a higher opening rate than humanly drafted emails, as they’re more proficient with creating identical copies.

And when using ChatGPT, sensitive data is leaked due to employee unawareness and negligence inputting said data into the models to generate content, aiding the phishing attacks to be more customised. Earlier this year, Samsung joined a growing list of tech companies that are banning the use of Generative AI, most prominently ChatGPT, amongst their employees. This is fueled by the tracked data leaks noticed by their IT teams. While other giants, like Amazon, are warning staff to be more vigilant with the type of data shared with these open GPT models.

Reinforcing the Resilience with Zero Trust’s Ascendancy As technology’s inexorable march continues, the synergy between innovation and vulnerability persists. In this era of escalating cyber threats, the approach to cybersecurity must evolve with equal fervor. Pausing the use of Generative AI technology can only be considered a temporary solution, seeing as the popularity of AI is only going up from here. Many experts are still holding AI as being the leader of technological evolution in the coming decade.

So, how can organisations use AI to their advantage? The concept of ‘Zero Trust’ holds the solution to these concerns. Zero Trust advocates for the

continuous verification of users and devices, challenging the traditional notion of implicit trust within networks.

This proactive approach has become increasingly vital as organisations face a persistent menace: phishing attacks.

Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI), organisations can further enhance their Zero Trust frameworks against these evolving threats in several ways. Organisations can leverage AI to their advantage, using AI models to detect anomalies within their identities (oversubscribed users / endpoints, continuously out of compliance devices and users that trigger risk thresholds on a continuous basis) and automatically change access for those users or devices, restricting access to an isolated network segment or to quarantine them with limited to no access to resources and data until remediation actions are taken.

In addition, AI can help with identifying anomalies in contextual information such as behavioral biometrics, velocity, time-of-day/ day-of-week and other inputs during authentication and authorisation to continuously evaluate the risk level of every single identity that is accessing resources and data, while taking the necessary action of enforcing step-up authentication requiring the user to authenticate using a different twofactor authentication mechanism or to block the user/device from accessing any resources until corrective action is taken.

AI driven real-time threat mitigation, data encryption, adaptive security policy and risk based engines, real time threat intelligence, further enhance organisations’ ability to combat threats such as phishing effectively.

Protecting against the threat: Organisational awareness A holistic approach calls for human expertise at the centre of it all, meaning organisations need to weaponise their IT teams with topgrade tools. Out of many such tools, Phishing-resistant MFA involves high assurance authentication with the use of cryptographic keys and digital certificates, as well as requiring the physical proximity of the user to the device from which they are

Rohan Ramesh, Entrust

requesting access to a resource. There are a few passwordless MFA options that offer phishing-resistance, namely FIDO2 keys, passkeys, and certificatebased authentication with Bluetooth proximity detection.

Certificate-based authentication (CBA) is considered the highest assurance of these options. It involves the use of verified digital certificates assigned to a user and devices from which a user authenticates themselves, along with a Bluetooth proximity requirement. This ensures the user is in close physical proximity to the device from which they are accessing a resource and that the device itself is also a trusted device with a known valid digital certificate assigned to it by a certificate authority.

In conclusion, the intertwining of phishing attacks and AI that can be used in nefarious ways underscores the pressing need for innovative strategies to combat cyber threats. As organisations grapple with the aftermath of successful phishing attacks, it becomes evident that traditional security paradigms fall short.

Zero Trust offers a compelling solution by challenging assumptions, leveraging advanced technologies, and presenting a holistic blueprint for defense.

By adopting a proactive stance that embraces continuous verification, adaptive policies, and AI-driven insights, organisations can emerge from the fray with enhanced resilience and security, effectively countering the menace of phishing attacks. In this dynamic landscape, where adversaries are quick to adapt, the Zero Trust approach stands as a sentinel, vigilantly guarding against the tides of digital malevolence.

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APPOINTMENTS

BURCAK SOYDAN APPOINTED MANAGING EXECUTIVE TO LEAD DIMENSION DATA IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Burcak Soydan, Dimension Data

Dimension Data has announced Burcak Soydan as the Managing Executive for the Middle East region. Reporting to Alan Turnley-Jones, CEO of Dimension Data, Burcak comes with deep knowledge of the IT sector in the Middle East region that he will leverage to drive rapid growth for the company. Burcak will lead the integration of Dimension Data and NTT data in the ME region.

“The Middle East market forms a significant part of NTT’s growth strategy as we continue to support digital transformation for our customers across the region. According to IDC’s forecast, the MEA market is expected to reach $38.1 billion in 2027. Burcak brings a wealth of invaluable experience and knowledge on the dynamics of the ME market and is well-positioned to lead our business for a phenomenal growth in the region, “said, Alan Turnley-Jones, CEO of Dimension Data Burcak brings more than 20 years of experience in the ICT industry in the Middle East region, and joins Dimension Data from Kyndryl, where he served as the Managing Director for the Gulf and Levant region. He is a seasoned executive with vast experience in sales and delivering large complex ICT projects in the Middle East region. Prior to Kyndryl, Burcak was with IBM for over 18 years,

ANGELA HEINDL-SCHOBER APPOINTED AS SENIOR VP GLOBAL MARKETING AT HYCU

Angela Heindl-Schober, HYCU

HYCU is proud to announce the appointment of Angela Heindl-Schober as the new Senior Vice President, Global Marketing. With a proven track record spanning over 28 years in global marketing roles, Angela’s expertise will be instrumental in driving HYCU’s marketing strategy and consolidating its position as a thought leader in the SaaS data protection market.

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In her new role, Angela will focus on aligning go-to-market strategies, fostering team collaboration, speeding up digital expansion, brand awareness, and enhancing partner and customer loyalty. Her remarkable career includes significant contributions to global technology companies such as Vectra AI, Riverbed Technology, Infor, and Electronic Data Systems (now part of HPE). Most recently at Vectra AI, over her eight-year tenure, Angela’s marketing leadership and contributions were integral to driving Vectra AI’s remarkable growth.

Simon Taylor, Founder and CEO, HYCU, shared his enthusiasm, “We are thrilled to welcome Angela to our executive leadership team. Her arrival marks a significant milestone as we build on our most successful year. Angela’s expertise in strategic positioning, messaging, and digital

holding various senior country and regional director roles.

“I am excited to join Dimension Data at a pivotal time when the company is transitioning to become a part of NTT Data. I am looking forward to leading this transition in this dynamic Middle East market,” said Burcak Soydan.

“Dimension Data has been delivering advanced products and services to help our clients in their digital transformation journey. Our focus in the region will be to build a strong foundation and accelerate growth with a diverse portfolio and providing advanced solutions across Applications, Network Integration, Cybersecurity (OT & IT), Cloud, Edge Computing, and IoT. With the support of our customers, partners and our talented of professionals, we will continue to deliver innovative solutions leveraging latest technologies across all the industry verticals in the region.”

marketing will be key as we pursue our ambitious corporate objectives.

Her appointment underscores our commitment to exceed expectations and we are confident she will play a crucial role in our continued success.”

In 2023, HYCU introduced R-Cloud, the first data protection development platform for SaaS, setting a new industry benchmark with its comprehensive and integrated platform. The company’s recent announcement of its 50th SaaS integration further cements its position as an innovator in the field.

“I am excited to join the HYCU family and to be a part of its visionary journey,” said Angela HeindlSchober. “HYCU’s unique market position, coupled with an industryleading NPS score, recognised as a Visionary in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup and Recovery Software Solutions, and a passionate leadership team, presents a rare opportunity to contribute to a company poised for significant growth and impact.”

ALGBRA ANNOUNCES NEW WORLD GROUP’S ADAM SADIQ TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adam Sadiq, Algbra

Algbra, the UK FCA licensed fintech and global digital financial infrastructure company that offers its full-stack proprietary technology internationally as a Fintech as a Service (‘FaaS’) solution and operates an ESG-focused and Sharia-compliant B2C platform, has announced the appointment of Adam Sadiq onto its Board of Directors.

Adam, a financial entrepreneur and Co-Founder and CEO of New World Group (NWG) – a diversified investment company across financial services, technology, and asset management – was part of the founding team of Algbra in 2020 and led NWG’s investment into the company alongside British Business Investments, Saphira Group, Kasikornbank’s Beacon Venture Capital and others.

Using his deep knowledge and experience of founding new businesses with global footprints and institutional and sovereign investors – as well as currently serving on the boards of Luxury Promise and The Valesco Group – Adam will bring his vast expertise to the Algbra Board and Executive Committee to lead its international growth strategy, particularly across Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Algbra also benefits from Adam’s extensive background in financial

UIPATH APPOINTS ZAKARIA HALTOUT AS AREA VICE PRESIDENT FOR MENA REGION

Zakaria Haltout, UiPath

UiPath announced the appointment of Zakaria Haltout as Area Vice President for the Middle East and Africa regions. The move is designed to consolidate the Company’s leadership capabilities in two regions that are believed to hold tremendous potential for accelerated adoption of automation and Artificial Intelligence

and offer UiPath customers and partners in the region unmitigated support. Haltout will report to Mark Gibbs, President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions at UiPath.

“I am excited to join UiPath at a time of tremendous growth for the company and amid a growing appetite from organisations in the region to leverage the transformative power of AI-powered automation. As proven by the accelerated adoption of cloud computing services, the MEA region is poised to deliver some of the most advanced digital leaders globally. I’m confident that AIpowered automation will play a key role in the digital transformation of every organisation in the MEA that is committed to enabling citizens, customers, and workers to experience the power of AI at work” – Zakaria

services including Société Générale, Western Asset (now Franklin Templeton), State Street Global Advisors and BGC Partners.

Commenting on his appointment, NWG CEO Adam Sadiq said: “I’m excited to be joining Algbra’s Board at this exciting time in the company’s journey. The Algbra team, led by Zeiad, have done a phenomenal job to build and launch an exceptional platform in the UK and I look forward to working with them to achieve the next significant milestones for investment and growth internationally.”

Algbra CEO, Zeiad Idris, added: “Adam has been a core part of Algbra’s founding journey over the past three years, so as we now embark on our exciting international growth and expansion, I can’t think of a better time to formally welcome Adam to the Algbra Board. The company will benefit tremendously from Adam’s deep experience working with institutions and investors, particularly across our future target markets and jurisdictions”.

Haltout, AVP MEA at UiPath.

“Thanks to the accelerated pace of digital transformation in the region, the MEA automation ecosystem holds endless potential for automation-fueled innovation.

As a global leader in the automation and AI space, UiPath has been continuously refining its offering to enable every organisation to reap the benefits of introducing AI to the workplace. As such, the UiPath Business Automation Platform is best positioned to support local organisations to meet their business goals and remain agile and resilient in the face of challenges” – Mark Gibbs, President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions at UiPath.

Zakaria Haltout brings more than 20 years of experience as a business leader and tech executive and a deep understanding of the Middle East and Africa markets, where he has successfully delivered growth and value through fostering strategic business relationships.

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PRODUCTS

LG Electronics Unveils Must-Have Gifts For Gamers This Winter Break

LG Electronics (LG) is here to enhance endof-year gifts for the game lovers closest to you and give you the opportunity to spread a little festive joy through incredible clarity and brilliant vibrancy.

With a focus on boosting the gaming and entertainment experience, LG presents the latest additions to its lineup, from the 32- and 27-inch LG SMART Monitors, to the magnificent CineBeam laser projectors like the compact PF510Q Smart portable device with remote control.

Gift-giving is an opportunity to bring happiness to those closest to us, nurturing the ‘Life’s Good’ spirit of family, friendship, and celebration through a simple act. As the winter break approaches, LG is thrilled to present our latest innovations tailored for gamers and entertainment enthusiasts, including the LG Smart Monitors and

CineBeam 4K laser projectors which provide an unparalleled level of immersion, allowing users to truly experience the onscreen action.

The new LG SMART Monitors, available in 31.5- and 27-inch models, redefine the gaming and productivity landscape.

Unlike traditional monitors, these cuttingedge displays don’t require any PC connection, making them ideal for a versatile range of applications. Boasting advanced IPS displays that deliver trueto-life colors and strong contrast, LG Smart Monitors feature the innovative LG webOS 23 platform, offering enhanced convenience for remote operation and seamless streaming, elevating productivity as well as gaming.

Designed for entertainment enthusiasts, LG Smart Monitors support HDR 10, providing a high-performance IPS display that delivers vibrant, accurate images for an immersive visual journey. The 27inch model, with its three-sided virtually borderless design, adds a touch of sleek minimalism to any space, elevating the user’s sense of immersion.

LG’s HU715Q and HU710P CineBeam 4K laser projectors redefine the home cinema experience. The HU715Q Ultra Short Throw

(UST) projector features sophisticated technologies, including auto brightness and the ability to create a 100-inch image when placed only 21.7 centimeters from the wall, delivering stellar picture quality in a flexible, space-conscious design. The HU710P projector delivers brighter images and deeper blacks, thanks to its wheel-less hybrid laser technology.

For gaming on the go, without the demise of screen size, the lightweight and compact CineBeam PF510Q Smart portable projector with remote control is the zenith of convenience, letting gamers transform any space into a big screen experience, even allowing screen mirroring from a smartphone, boosting display to between 30- and 120-inches, and automatically correcting a trapezoidal screen This winter, dive into the depths of dazzling displays with the gamer in your life by gifting LG and its innovative and technologically advanced products that meet the needs of a rapidly advancing world of graphics and gameplay. Deliver a dynamic “Life’s Good” reward of ‘Humancentered Innovation’ and the ‘Warmth to Power a Smile’.

Learn more about LG’s monitors and projectors, please visit: https://www.lg.com/ae/projectors/lgpf510q https://www.lg.com/ae/consumermonitors/lg-32sr50f-w https://www.lg.com/ae/consumermonitors/lg-27sr50f-w

Belkin Underscores Design Excellence With New BoostCharge Pro 2-In-1 Dock For IPhone And Apple Watch Belkin announced the BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock with MagSafe, an elegant charging solution for iPhone and Apple Watch.

Engineered with official MagSafe technology, fast-charging capabilities for Apple Watch, and adjustable iPhone viewing angles from 0 to 70 degrees, the BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock delivers versatile form and premium-quality function. Its aesthetically elevated design incorporates post-consumer recycled materials and features soft edges and an effortlessly stylish shape to perfectly complement a thoughtfully curated space.

Modern Design Introducing two neutral colorways – sand and charcoal – and 42

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color-matched chrome finishes, the dock achieves a stunning stone-like appearance, blending seamlessly into its environment whether it’s placed on a nightstand, kitchen counter or desk.

Compact in size with an adjustable MagSafe dock from 0 to 70 degrees, the BoostCharge Pro dock elegantly showcases the iPhone display making it the perfect accessory for FaceTime or StandBy. In each location where the iPhone is placed on the BoostCharge Pro dock, StandBy will remember the user’s preferred view, whether that’s a clock, photos, or widgets.

Faster Wireless Charging for iPhone and Apple Watch The dock is Made for MagSafe, delivering the fastest possible wireless charge for iPhone 12 models and later, at up to 15W. It can fully charge Apple Watch Series 7 and later from 0% to 80% in about 45 minutes, and Apple Watch Ultra models from 0% to 80% in about an hour. It ships with a 30W USB-C PD power supply.

Better for the Planet Reinforcing Belkin’s ongoing commitment to build products more responsibly, the BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock utilizes a minimum of 60% post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) in its product housing, and outer packaging that is 100% plastic-free and made with forest-certified paper.

Pricing and Availability The BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock with MagSafe will be available to order beginning November 7 for 499 AED on apple.com and coming soon to select retailers worldwide.

Samsung Launches Galaxy Tab A9 And Galaxy Tab A9+ In The UAE Tab A9+. The offer will be valid on Samsung. com as well as Samsung stores and retailers.

Engineered For Pure Viewing Pleasure The Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ offer the largest screens of any Galaxy A series tablet yet, with 8.7 and 11-inch displays, respectively, that immerse users in their favorite movies, shows, or games.

Galaxy Tab A9+ users can get lost in cinematic experiences, thanks to a 90Hz refresh rate — for lag free gaming or scrolling — and enjoy immersive sound with Quad speakers, powered by Dolby Atmos. With hyper-fast 5G connectivity, there’s no need to worry about interrupted streaming when you’re on the go.

Galaxy Tab A9 features Dual speakers and LTE connectivity. Both tablets feature sleek, unibody designs with a soft-texture back cover, making them easy to handle.

Samsung Gulf Electronics has announced its new Galaxy Tab A9 series, delivering Samsung Galaxy’s awesome tablet experiences at great value in the UAE. Available in two sizes, the series combines immersive video and audio with hyperfast connectivity — supporting everyday entertainment and productivity needs in a portable package. The Galaxy Tab A9 and Galaxy Tab A9+ exemplify the Galaxy connected ecosystem, offering a continuous experience across multiple devices, as well as innovative ways for users and their loved ones to safely navigate the digital realm.

Fadi Abu Shamat, Head of Mobile eXperience Division, at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said, “We are thrilled to introduce the Galaxy Tab A9 Series, which delivers Samsung Galaxy’s cutting-edge tablet experiences at a great value. With immersive entertainment, seamless connectivity and enhanced productivity, the Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ have something for everyone. Our engineers have combined stunning displays, powerful performance, and innovative features to transform the Galaxy Tab A9 series into the ultimate companion for your everyday needs.”

As a part of the launch offer, consumers across the UAE can avail of a free Smart Book Cover upon the purchase of Galaxy

Awesome Performance Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ provide exceptional performance and speed that empower users to accomplish more. With the largest memory and storage available on a Galaxy Tab A series, there is plenty of room to store and save documents, sources of inspiration and more.

Engineered to enhance productivity and the ability to learn, the Galaxy Tab A9+ brings PC-level multitasking to the tablet with Samsung DeX and the multi-active window allows up to three split-screens to maximise the ability to do more at once. Galaxy Tab A series users can now record their screen with Screen Recorder, so it’s easy to refer back to information or inspiration later.

Availability The Galaxy Tab A9 series is available on Samsung.com, Samsung brand stores and major retailers in the UAE. The series comes in five refined and modern colors, the Galaxy Tab A9 is available in Navy, Graphite, Silver, while the Galaxy Tab A9+ is available in Dark Blue and Gray.

Model Tab A9 Wi-Fi 64GB Tab A9 LTE 64GB Tab A9+ Wi-Fi 64GB Tab A9+ 5G 64GB

Price AED 549 AED 699 AED 849 AED 999

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23-25 APR 2024 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

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MARKETING

MARKETING MINDS How does your marketing strategy prioritise personalisation to meet the diverse needs and preferences of the customers?

Ampconnect prioritizes personalization in its marketing strategy, recognizing each customer’s unique needs. Using advanced data analytics, the team gathers insights into customer behavior, preferences, and demographics. This enables the creation of detailed customer profiles, facilitating a tailored approach in crafting marketing messages, content, and offers that resonate with specific audience segments.

MAYJA MARY VARGHESE Marketing Manager, Ampconnect

How do you leverage technology and data insights to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns for your products or services?

Our marketing strategy hinges on technology and data analytics for an in-depth understanding of the IT landscape, customer behavior, and market trends. Data segmentation identifies distinct customer segments, enabling tailored messages. Predictive analytics anticipates behaviors, ensuring foresight. Automation streamlines workflows for personalized communication, while real-time analytics facilitates data-driven adjustments. This dynamic approach ensures technologically robust, precisely targeted campaigns in a rapidly evolving market.

With the ever-changing dynamics of the market, how important is it for your marketing team to stay agile and adapt strategies to ensure a consistent and personalised experience?

In the dynamic landscape of today’s market, adaptability and agility are paramount for the success of our marketing team. The ever-changing dynamics necessitate a proactive and responsive approach to ensure a consistent and personalised experience for our customers.

Staying agile allows us to swiftly respond to emerging trends, shifts in consumer behaviours, and changes in the competitive landscape. By doing so, we can seize opportunities and address challenges promptly, ensuring that our marketing strategies remain relevant and effective.

SONALI BASU

Marketing Manager, Bulwark Technologies

How does your marketing strategy prioritise personalisation to meet the diverse needs and preferences of the customers?

A robust marketing strategy entails segmenting the customer base based on demographic data, purchase history, and behavior. This allows tailored messages to specific segments, meeting unique needs. With a planned approach, optimal resource utilization, and strategic targeting, I achieved desired results in marketing campaigns, effectively addressing diverse customer preferences with limited resources.

How do you leverage technology and data insights to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns for your products or services?

We leverage Technology and Data Insights to refine marketing precision. Understanding customer preferences and market trends enables agile alignment of products and services. Our strategic marketing draws from identified trends, staying responsive in a dynamic landscape. User Behavior Analysis provides insights for refining campaigns, ensuring optimal engagement and impact.

ISSUE 8 / 2023 | CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST

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MARKETING

With the ever-changing dynamics of the market, how important is it for your marketing team to stay agile and adapt strategies to ensure a consistent and personalised experience?

Adapting to evolving marketing trends is crucial for business success. A versatile strategy ensures alignment with customer needs, product development, and effective communication. Without a defined strategy, understanding customers and achieving ROI becomes challenging. Staying agile and adapting strategies is essential for a consistent and personalized customer experience.

How does your marketing strategy prioritise personalisation to meet the diverse needs and preferences of the customers?

Bitdefender’s marketing strategy prioritizes personalization through targeted messaging and customized offerings. Collaboration with channel partners provides insights, while data-driven analytics refine real-time strategies. Additionally, Bitdefender emphasizes continuous adaptation to evolving market dynamics, ensuring their marketing strategies stay relevant and effective for a diverse customer base.

LUCIAN LUPASCU

Field & Channel Marketing Manager, Bitdefender

How do you leverage technology and data insights to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns for your products or services?

Bitdefender maximizes marketing impact through technology and data insights. Meticulous customer segmentation enables tailored campaigns, while personalized messaging resonates with each segment.

Marketing automation scales personalization, aligning with customer behavior. A/B testing optimizes strategies. Seamlessly integrating technology and data analytics, Bitdefender navigates the marketing landscape, delivering finely tuned campaigns to meet diverse customer expectations.

With the ever-changing dynamics of the market, how important is it for your marketing team to stay agile and adapt strategies to ensure a consistent and personalised experience?

Bitdefender’s marketing prioritizes agility for a dynamic and personalized customer experience.

Adapting swiftly to emerging technologies, competitors, and customer preferences, Bitdefender remains competitive and leads industry trends. This agility, coupled with close collaboration with channel partners, ensures seamless customer journeys. Rigorous measurement, feedback analysis, and data-driven decision-making guarantee consistent refinement of strategies, providing an optimal, personalized experience aligned with ever-changing market dynamics.

RIMA BEN SALAH

Sr. Marketing Director META, CrowdStrike

How does your marketing strategy prioritise personalisation to meet the diverse needs and preferences of the customers?

In our marketing strategy, we ensure to have a deep understanding of the diverse and everchanging landscape of our targeted customers: Putting them at the center of our focus will solidify our reputation.

There are several ways to go about, but mainly to obtain the most information on the segments they fall under and to be able to really narrow down a messaging that will speak to them. By leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms, we can segment them into personas including demographics, behaviors, and past actions profiling. We then can target our campaigns in a most personalised way to resonate on a personal level; Our marketing strategy is to always ensure that process.

How do you leverage technology and data insights to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns for your products or services?

The way we leverage technology with data insights is by harnessing the power of big data and analytics; Because we are able to gain a better understanding of behaviors, preferences and patterns, they help us target better our next steps. Predictive modeling is also effective to identifying the most active marketing channels and optimising messaging to reach better engagements and conversion rates. Marketing automation platforms help streamline process and support in delivering tailored and timely content that increases our results and keep us ahead of competition to drive better results for our products and services.

With the ever-changing dynamics of the market, how important is it for your marketing team to stay agile and adapt strategies to ensure a consistent and personalised experience?

The word AGILE is pre-dominant, crucial and a must in the marketing industry nowadays to ensure we have collaboration, continuous improvements, marketing dynamics and to be able to pivot rapidly to address changing circumstances with our customer needs. We must constantly stay refined, to remain effective and relevant. Personalisation has become a key differentiator in the modern marketing landscape, so there is no question in tailoring our messages, our content, and our interactions to the individual preferences, we base it off on their behaviors to get better engagements and higher conversion.

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CHANNEL INSIGHTS MIDDLE EAST | ISSUE 8 / 2023

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