ECMEA December 2016 by GEC Media Group

U N LEASH I NG TH E POTE NTIALS OF B LOCKCHAI N /22

PA G E S 5 2 VOLUME O4 | ISSUE 05 DECEMBER 2016 WWW.ENTERPRISECHANNELSMEA.COM

AL FARA’A BUILDS A NICHE INFRASTRUCTURE WITH EMITAC

INDIAECM112015

MOHAMMED IMADUDDIN, GROUP CIO OF AL FARA’A GROUP

By providing a scalable and centralized virtual platform for Al Fara’a, Emitacunderstood the nerve of the construction leader’s infrastructure requirement. /32

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EDITORIAL

Farewell 2016

S A N J AY M O H A PAT R A S A N J AY @ A C C E N T I N F O M E D I A . C O M

Yet another year is set to sign off! 2016 was indeed an adventurous year for the world. From UK’s withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit) to rethinking trade policy and protectionism in Donald Trump’s time; from African Union’s Agenda 2063 to MENA’s economic monitor ‘Spring 2016’ that outlined the growth aspects of the GCC countries for 2016— there has been some astronomical milestones that the world covered. All these showcased how the entire ecosystem is connected and how, in today’s world, one cannot separate a sector from a sector. While Africa’s Agenda 2063 laid the roadmap for cross-border connectivity and communication that would harness sustainable trade and investment to the region, Brexit led to an increased interventionist posture in Middle Eastern businesses by the UK, mainly becausethe Middle East, especially the GCC, remains a focal point for foreign investment, especially in the real estate and construction sector. Talking about the technology ecosystem, Dell EMC merger was the most astronomical event that the world witnessed. The deal came at a time when IT spending in the Middle East was growing, with a forecast increase this year of 3.7 per cent to $212.9bn – rising to $242bn by 2019, according to Gartner. In 2016, it was very interesting to see how the role of CIOs emerged. From techies to financial brain-stormers, they shouldered a significant decision making. As price crunches and budget restraints followed the above economic doldrums, the CIOs had a tough time in taking up new projects and signing new vendors. The trust in ‘Cloud’ also went up in 2016 with reports stating the Public Cloud Market to be worth $208 billion by end of 2016. Infrastructure was undoubtedly the focal point for all the organizations. With Expo 2020 knocking at the doors, modernizing the infrastructure became a shared responsibility for the government and private sectors alike. We saw major revamps in the GCC government sectors smart services, especially in the UAE with various online service, ease of business and smart technologies like 4G LTE and connected transportation coming to the surface. In spite of all this, 2016 was a great year for start-ups. GCC saw the advent of many new and innovative companies marking their presence in the tech market space. Space would not suffice to describe 2016 and the major strides that the year witnessed. So, its time to welcome 2017— a year that is predicted to be a game changer in the global economy. It is now time to remove the ‘Sector’ barriers and rethink the economy on a unified and synchronized platform. Technology would undoubtedly be the spine of modernization and infrastructure would be its lavish playground. Wishing all readers a Happy New Year in advance! ë

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2016 CONTENTS

VOLUME 04 ISSUE 05 DECEMBER 2016 W W W. E N T E R P R I S E C H A N N E L S M E A . C O M

COVER STORY

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE ENDLESS TECH TUNNELS Transportation and Logistics is the backbone of the supply chain. With the advent of sensors, applications, FMS, beacons, warehousing solutions, payment systems, inventory optimization etc. /24

MY VIEWS /22

UNLEASHING THE POTENTIALS OF BLOCKCHAIN DR. NAJWA AARAJ SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT – SPECIAL PROJECTS AT DARKMATTER MY VIEWS /36

RIVERBED ROUNDUP OF IT TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR 2017

INNOVATIONS /49

HP Z2 MINI WORKSTATION

SPECIAL STORY Knock Knock! You Have a Shipment /38

HP Inc. has unveiled mini workstation designed for users in CAD and other compute-intensive industries.

TAJ EL KHAYAT, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA AT RIVERBED TECHNOLOGY

GUEST ARTICLE /38

SHARING CYBERSECURITY THREAT INTELLIGENCE IS THE ONLY WAY WE WIN

EDITORIAL::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 04 CHANNEL STREET : ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 06 FOCUS IRAN ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 46 INNOVATIONS : ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 49

MATTHEW ROSENQUIST, CYBERSECURITY STRATEGIST, INTEL SECURITY GROUP ADVERTISER INDEX: PURESTORAGE 02, DARKMATTER 03, OMA EMIRATES 07, RITTAL 09, STORIT 11, CIF 13, BITDIFERENDER 15, FINESSE 17, NEXANS 19, CATALYSTS 21, CES 23, GENETEC 29, FITS 31, GEC OPEN 37, MINDWARE -DELL 39, GENOME 43, VEEAM 51, DELLEMC 52

D E C E M B E R 2 016

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CHANNEL

STREET PURE STORAGE EXPANDS COLLABORATION WITH CISCO

Pure Storage revealed that the company is expanding its FlashStack Converged Infrastructure Solution with Cisco, which makes it easier for customers to deploy, expand and maintain FlashStack solutions. With thousands of deployments in over 30 countries around the world, this proven solution continues to see triple digit growth year over year. “As data centers become more complex, enterprises and service providers need to simplify IT with converged solutions,” said Michael Sotnick, Vice President, Global Channels and Alliances, Pure Storage. “FlashStack enables IT organizations to work with top partners like Cisco and Pure Storage through our mutual channel to achieve tangible, lasting business transformation they never thought possible.” Pure and Cisco continue to collaborate on FlashStack go-to-market strategies,

Dell EMC makes new additions to their all-flash portfolio Dell EMC introduced multiple new additions and updates to their all-flash storage portfolio designed to support and accelerate customer’s storage transformation initiatives. New offerings include the new VMAX 250F all-flash storage, Data Domain protection storage systems with Cloud Tier software and updates to the Dell EMC Unity family of storage systems. The new generation of Dell EMC Data Domain protection storage systems with Cloud Tier software is able to deliver speed and scalability as well as enhanced protection for virtual environments

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FAISAL AL BANNAI, FOUNDER AN D CEO, DARKMATTER

DarkMatter Marks a Year of Success DarkMatter marked one year since it began communicating and showcasing its expertise to the public with a major presence at the RSA Conference Abu Dhabi 2016. Over the last 12 months the firm has seen its staff numbers increase tenfold to over 500, with its geographic presence expanding to markets including Canada, Belarus, Finland and China. Over the last 12 months, DarkMatter has been dedicated to supporting its clients in the development of cyber resilience solutions aimed at safeguarding their highly-prized digital information and environments.Commenting on achieving this milestone, Faisal Al Bannai, DarkMatter Founder and Chief Executive Officer said, “We believe we are at the intersection of the correct time, correct geography, and correct outlook to be able to effect real change in cyber security. Throughout

the course of the last 12 months we have said the security approach for the IT sector is outdated and vulnerable in light of digital transformation. As such, as a society we need to recalibrate our approach and implementation of cyber security within digital environments in order to sustain our modern way of life.” Major developments at DarkMatter during the course of the last 12 months include: The development and delivery of a secure communications application used by governments; the extension of the firm’s already formidable service portfolio to include a blockchain software development kit, big data and analytics, test and validation labs, and Cyber Resilience Platform; and the selection of DarkMatter as one of only 30 companies included from over 2,200 around the world to participate in the Dubai Future Accelerators initiative.

CHANNEL STREET

Acronis & Scuderia Toro Rosso enter Next Stage of Partnership

SERGUEI BELOUSSOV, ACRONIS’ FOUNDER AND CEO

“Acronis is delighted so far with the results that the Toro Rosso partnership has generated — it is becoming a win-win situation for both sides. Racing teams are extremely efficient in using the collected data for rapid innovation and developing new technology. Here at Acronis we do the same. This partnership has created a synergy that is beneficial not only for the racing industry, but for the entire business world that depends on data,” said Serguei Beloussov, Acronis’ Founder and CEO. The partnership also promotes innovation and the delivery of new technologies through Acronis R&D centers in the U.S., Singapore, and Russia.

DUBAI CUSTOMS REINFORCES ITS ETRANSFORMATION STRATEGY WITH NEXTHINK With Nexthink, Dubai Customs now has real-time visibility of how its IT infrastructure is functioning from an end-user (employee) perspective; giving the IT team meaningful insights on how to resolve issues quickly – ensuring reliable, secure and speedy access for all end-users and customers; and to showcase Dubai as a leading partner in worldwide free trade. Khalid Sulaiman, Manager Solution Support, at Dubai Customs said, “We searched extensively for an IT Analytics solution to help us better manage our comprehensive IT Infrastructure. The Nexthink platform provides meaningful insights by offering real-time alerts and notifications of any emerging problems.”

AL ZAHRA HOSPITAL DEPLOYS ARUBA WI-FI NETWORK Al Zahra Hospital Dubai has implemented a highdensity, Gigabit wireless network from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, across the entire hospital. The infrastructure based on the latest 802.11 ac wireless standard has resulted in a 50% increase

in staff productivity relating to information access and enhanced patient experience as the platform has enabled the delivery of new services. “We extend Wi-Fi access to our guests and community-based doctors, as well as patients and

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their families. The Internet is now part of Dubai’s Smart City initiative – it’s everywhere from airports to cafes to restaurants, so now it’s also part of our information processes as a smart hospital,” said Mr. Arjiel Guevarra, Network Engineer at AZHD.

BULWARK & SYNCPLICITY COLLABORATE TO SECURE CUSTOMERS IN THE ME REGION Syncplicity has signed a distribution agreement with Bulwark Technologies. Under this agreement, Bulwark’s channel partners will offer Syncplicity’s EFSS solutions to enterprise customers across the Middle East region.Combining forces, Bulwark will support Syncplicity in building and growing successful EFSS deployments, leveraging Bulwark’s exceptional channel network, deep regional roots & uncompromising focus on partner enablement. Bulwark would also provide technical support to the channel community through its team of technical experts. ‘’Bulwark is a leading and specialized distributor in the cybersecurity area and we are delighted to partner with them in the region,” commented Jan Jensen, Executive Vice President Worldwide Sales, Syncplicity.. “ Together with Bulwark, we are able to further extend our reach to enterprises delivering a complete file sync and share solution package to customers for long-term business success.’’ Mr. Jose Thomas Menacherry commented, ‘’Our extensive network of partners and customers in the region along with an extensive expertise and industry knowledge resonates with Syncplicity’s drive to secure businesses in the region. With its market leading Enterprise File Sync and Share solution, the partnership between Bulwark & Syncplicity would enable businesses to secure themselves through significant cost & efficiency benefits.’’

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CHANNEL STREET IN PUBLIC

“Our youth are the leaders of tomorrow, and YouthConnect is a valuable platform to engage with them and listen to the new ideas and solutions they have for our region.” HER EXCELLENCY SHAMMA AL MAZRUI, THE UAE’S MINISTER OF STATE FOR YOUTH AFFAIRS

SECONDS

ETISALAT DIGITAL COLLABORATES WITH TELEFONICA Telefónica and Etisalat Digital extended their

OMA Emirates gives Bank Sohar Advanced POS Terminal

existing agreement for Security Services which aims to conduct extensive research in monitoring and analysing mobile threats for applications and devices.Francisco Salcedo, Senior Vice President, Etisalat Digital said “This announcement is significant as mobility has moved beyond devices, apps and online transactions to a

OMA Emirates Group revealed that they will provide Point of Sales (POS) solution to Bank Sohar in the Sultanate of Oman. The deployment of the payment terminal from Ingenico provides the Bank with multiple benefits including a boost to customer experiences and a strong platform through which it can introduce value added services in a highly secure transaction system. “While we are working closely with Bank Sohar to have the latest Ingenico terminal, we are in a strong position to support the hardware with our in-house software solutions. These solutions are developed to ensure that we can customise them to meet the Bank’s current needs, as well as be in a position to help them scale for future requirements,” said Niranj Sangal, Group CEO, OMA Emirates Group. “The entire POS solution provided by OMA Emirates will not only help us enhance our customer experience, but we are certain that solution applications will also help us in strengthening our business streams.” said Mustafa Ali Mukhtar, DGM & Acting Head Wholesale Banking, Bank Sohar.

connected ecosystem.” SMART DUBAI DELEGATION AT SMART CITIES EXPO AND WORLD CONGRESS A delegation led by the Smart Dubai Office has returned to Dubai after a successful visit to Barcelona, Spain to showcase achievements in Dubai’s ongoing smart transformation during the annual Smart Cities Expo and World Congress there, and to share best practices from Dubai with the global audience.The delegation of 14 strategic partners in Dubai’s smart transformation and the Smart Dubai Office represented the leaders of the Dubai’s comprehensive smart city initiative. CISCO TO PARTICIPATE AT EGOV4 Cisco will use this platform to showcase why it’s important that organizations stop thinking about security as a defense-centric approach that is sold by fear, uncertainty, and doubt but rather start thinking of it as an enabler that supports innovation and helps the business go forward. “With digital transformation, students can learn more and faculty can research in new ways, in new places, with new connections to resources around the world,” said Samer Al-Lahham, General Manager, Cisco Kuwait.

EMIRATES NBD LAUNCHES CARDLESS CASH WITHDRAWAL VIA MOBILE APP

AXILSPOT EXPANDS OPERATIONS TO MEA AXILSPOT launched of its operations in the Middle East and Africa region. As part of its

Emirates NBD upgraded its widely used ‘mePay’ service by enabling cash transfers to recipients who are not Emirates NBD customers or do not have a bank account. Via any Emirates NBD ATM or their mobile banking app, customers can now transfer cash to anyone in the UAE using only the recipient’s mobile number. Beneficiaries will receive a SMS with a one-time PIN to withdraw the amount transferred from the closest Emirates NBD ATM. “Our enhanced mePAY service is truly reflective of Emirates NBD’s customer-centric innovation led strategy and is unlike any other cash transfer service in the UAE,” said Suvo Sarkar, Senior EVP & Group Head – Retail Banking & Wealth Management at Emirates NBD. The new mePAY service makes cash transfers quick, easy and intuitive especially while making small payments to friends or colleagues as it replaces a bank account number with a mobile number

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regional expansion plans, the company will appoint reputed distributors and strengthen its channel network by onboarding partners across the region. “Rscan, the AXILSPOT patented antenna array technology, fitted into all of our products, allows end users to experience the fastest wireless networking transmission speeds with minimum drop outs and line of sight interference,” said Bruce Zhou, CEO, AXILSPOT.

IMAGINE

POSSIBILITIES VISIT US @ GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2016 HALL 6 STAND CLD-19

AUTHORIZED VALUE ADDED DISTRIBUTOR

StorIT Distribution fzco P.O.Box 17417 Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 881 9690 | Fax: +971 4 887 1637 Email: info@storit.ae

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Tel: +966.1.276.8014 | Email: ksa@storit.ae www.storit.ae

CHANNEL STREET

HID Global collaborates with Honeywell

Harm Radstaak, Vice President and Managing Director of the Physical Access Control Solutions business with HID Global

HID Global revealed that Honeywell Building Solutions has integrated HID technology into its new Honeywell Vector Occupant App to transform the work environment, giving building occupants convenient, connected experiences in facilities. With mobile access as one of its key features, the new Honeywell Vector Occupant App makes it possible for building occupants to use their mobile devices for card-free secure access to a single area of a building, an entire facility or multiple locations around the globe. “HID Global shares a commitment with Honeywell to deliver a more satisfying, mobilecentric experience in smart buildings,” said Harm Radstaak, Vice President and Managing Director of the Physical Access Control Solutions business with HID Global. “We look forward to exploring opportunities with Hon-

eywell to extend the benefits of using trusted identities on mobile devices for a variety of building services and applications.” Honeywell utilized tailored integration workshops and testing offered through HID Professional Services, along with the HID Seos credential technology and app SDKs, to create the customized mobile access solution for its occupant app. The solution features HID Global’s patented “Twist and Go” gesture technology to open doors from a distance using a smartphone. Working independently of underlying building systems, the app also includes HID Global’s mobile access system to streamline the management of trusted IDs for building administrators. The technology in the app supports mobile credentials, providing building managers more control over credential transactions.

EVERSTYLE SELECTS EPICOR ERP TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS Epicor Software Corporation revealed that EverStyle has selected the Epicor ERP solution to streamline and automate sales and finance processes, and realise significant operational efficiencies. Harish Wanchoo, GM for EverStyle said, “At EverStyle we offer a wide range of products from leading hospitality and kitchen brands; everything from chinaware and glassware, to table lamps and linens. So while we did have an ERP system in place, it was very basic and as our product portfolio kept growing, inventory management, capacity planning and ensuring on time delivery became quite a challenge. In addition to our operational challenges, most of our sales and finance processes were still manual, which was not only a drain on our resources but, more importantly, impacted our customer service negatively.”Supported by Index InfoTech, EverStyle will implement four core ERP modules — supply chain management, financial management, customer relationship management and sales management — at their facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. “Epicor ERP was designed to address the needs of organisations like EverStyle,” said Hesham El Komy, Senior Director, International Channels at Epicor. “Agility, flexibility and scalability are key success factors for organisations that want to grow in a hyper-competitive environment. I am confident that by implementing Epicor ERP, EverStyle will realise the operational improvements.”

DELL EMC DOCUMENTUM PLATFORM ENABLES SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS FOR ECM The Dell EMC unveiled the latest version of Dell EMC Documentum Platform. The latest version, Documentum 7.3, significantly reduces total cost of ownership and time associate with upgrades by creating easier delivery and deployment of new applications and enabling a cloud-first strategy, both of which address

the demands of existing customers and the broader content management community.“Today, nearly all enterprise organizations take a ‘virtualized-server-only’ approach to new applications in their datacenter,” said Mark Arbour, Head of Product Management for Documentum Products, Dell EMC Enterprise

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Content Division. “This push toward virtualization and cost reduction has driven adoption of the ‘software-defined datacenter’ worldwide as IT faces pressures to compete with external commercial services. With today’s announcement, we are well positioned to provide unprecedented agility and efficiency to help

customers deliver applications at the speed of business.” Documentum 7.3’s database and operating system enhancements power 60 to 80 percent cost savings. Documentum 7.3 also offers customers potential time savings of up to 75 percent with continuous deployment and integration functionality.

THE CRITICAL

INFRASTRUCTURE FORUM 2016 13 DEC 2016 | BURJ AL ARAB HOTEL, DUBAI, UAE

THE NEXUS OF GCC COUNTRIES FOR FUTURE ECONOMY Unveiling the investments, roadmap, technolgies and key infrastructure pillars that put GCC on the map of global competitiveness ORGANISED BY

SECTORS IN FOCUS

BROUGHT BY

Sustainable Energy

Healthcare

Financial Services

http://gec360.org/TCI2016/

Transportation and Logistics

Telecom

CHANNEL STREET

ME banks swap physical IT for big data analytics Middle East banking and finance organizations will drive competitiveness by swapping physical IT for Big Data customer analytics, experts revealed at the recent IDC UAE Banking and Finance Congress 2016. “With expanding capacity and real-time analytics, data generated will only accelerate and not slow down. You need to do something with the data, otherwise costs go out of control and there is no business benefit. This comes down to data availability. In ten years, no customer will own their own IT assets,” said Bob Plumridge, CTO – EMEA at Hitachi Data Systems on stage during his keynote.

WEB CLIPS EMIRATES DATA CLEARING HOUSE AND TATA COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER Tata Communications and Emirates Data Clearing House entered a bilateral partnership for mutual business cooperation in their data and financial clearing forte offerings to mobile network operators across the globe. The partnership will enable Tata Communications to provide a more robust portfolio of solutions as an integrated mobility service provider with its existing range of innovative solutions. .

BOB PLUMRIDGE, CTO-EMEA, HDS

BT ACCELERATES GLOBAL INVESTMENT IN DYNAMIC NETWORK SERVICES BT is accelerating its investment in dynamic

HUGHES SYSTIQUE CORPORATION ENHANCES BUSINESS PERFORMANCE WITH VEEAM

network services by integrating a range of

Veeam Software revealed that Hughes Systique Corporation chose Veeam to enable availability for accelerating business performance. With this implementation, HSC saves $100,000 each year with Veeam and reduces RTO by 88% and RPO by 50% Veeam partnered with HSC to accomplish the most critical business goals: to improve business response time with availability and deliver Service Level Agreements to make the internal IT team capable to equip internal users to meet the customer SLAs of on-time project delivery.

model and succeed in their ambitious digital

new technologies that will make it easier, faster and safer for organisations to move towards a cloud-based IT consumption transformation journeys. Those services will leverage technology, systems and tools from BT and its ecosystem of partners. SONICWALL LAUNCHES SECURE MOBILE ACCESS 1000 SERIES OS 12.0 SonicWall is making significant enhancements to its Secure Mobile Access solution

MOVEMENTS SAMEH HASSAN is Country Manager KSA for HDS

Nexthink has appointed KEVIN TUMULTY as CFO

CHRIS GROVIER is the new GM at Xerox Emirates

NUMBER GAME

3.6% ICT market to grow 3.6% year on year in 2017 according to IDC

providing even greater security to customers in an ever-growing world of everywhere access and BYOD. In SonicWall’s first product enhancement since beginning independent operations earlier this month, the new SonicWall SMA 1000 Series OS 12.0 provides policy enforced secure access to authorized remote and mobile users for all data types across any device. CITRIX SHAREFILE COMES TO CUSTOMER RESCUE Citrix has revealed new capabilities in ShareFile, its enterprise file sync and share offering, which enables customers to manage document workflows, increase productivity, and more collaboration across teams and customers. The high level of customization and industry knowledge that ShareFile provides enables customers to have workflows and peace of mind that is tailored to their individual needs.

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CHANNEL STREET

Etisalat Group and Cisco gear up for the IoT era

HATEM BAMATRA, CTO, ETISALAT GROUP INTERNATIONAL

Etisalat Group, in collaboration with Cisco, has unveiled a White Paper outlining its vision for the

development of the Internet of Things. The White Paper – ‘Evolving the Service Provider Architecture for the IoT Era’ – provides a road map for how the service provider network will need to evolve to meet customers’ needs and adapt to the growing IoT market and maintain.“We believe that the IoT is vital for regional development and have made a commitment to build bestin-class IoT capabilities to bring to the market. The whitepaper in collaboration with Cisco is an initiative that is aligned with Etisalat’s 2020 technology vision,” said Hatem Bamatraf, CTO, Etisalat Group International. “Our shared vision identifies IoT as a key priority for Etisalat Group, to maintain its position as a leader in delivering next-generation platforms and services to the market.” “Etisalat Group has been working closely with Cisco to bring IoT-based solutions and the unprecedented opportunities they present to the markets in which it operates,” said Abdelrahman Ibrahim, CTO of Global Service Provider, Cisco Middle East

DRIVERLESS ELECTRIC VEHICLE FEATURED AT 2016 FUTURE MOBILITY CONFERENCE NERVE is causing a stir at this year’s 2nd International Conference on Future Mobility. Taking part as Gold Sponsors, they are showcasing some of the company’s very latest in electric and driverless vehicle technology, set to completely disrupt urban transportation models the world over. NERVE’s Smart Cruiser is a next-generation and multifunctional public transport solution.. Smart, green and multifunctional, it is an intelligent electric vehicle with flawless suspension and robot technology, giving it unmatched high-speed, all-terrain capability

POLYCOM’S SURVEY STATES ONLINE LEARNING TO LEAD EDUCATION BY 2025 Education professionals across Europe, the Middle East and Africa demand ‘accessibility for all’, but feel academic institutions are currently failing to maximise the potential of the technology available today, according to Polycom’s ‘Education in 2025 – Technology Innovation’ survey. When faced with a list of priorities for the near future, the majority of education professionals feel the primary focus should be on improving the quality of teacher-learning (34%). Other factors that respondents feel need attention are personalising the student-learning experience (17%) and taking advantage of new technology (13%). Andrew Graley, Polycom’s Director of Healthcare, Education and Government for EMEA, says “By allowing an engaging, accessible, and cost-effective approach to education, technology opens up the prospect of higher education, personalised courses, and teacher-training to a much broader population.” 64% of respondents believe students in 2015 primarily engage with content in the classroom, but only 25% predict it will still be the leading way for learning in 2025. Alongside this, the use of remote learning technologies in teaching is expected to rise significantly: 53% of education professionals believe real-time video collaboration and mobile devices will be the primary way students engage with content by 2025.

INTERACTIVE INTELLIGENCE & SALESFORCE TO PARTICIPATE AT DREAMFORCE DUBAI 2016 Interactive Intelligence Group is participating at Dreamforce conference hosted by Salesforce, taking place in Dubai on 28 November, 2016. As a Gold Sponsor of the event, the company will conduct live demonstration of PureCloud, its cloud-based collaboration, communications and customer

engagement platform that takes full advantage of the distributed nature of the cloud.Interactive Intelligence intends to showcase the benefits offered by the tight integration between PureCloud and the Salesforce platform. Commenting on the synergy between the companies, Shaheen Haque, Terri-

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tory Manager for Middle East and Turkey at Interactive Intelligence said, “The relevance of the event is tremendous, as Salesforce and Interactive Intelligence are both leaders in their respective market quadrants and as such, can leverage and complement each other’s solutions, customers and partners,

both here in the Middle East as well as globally. We are looking to WOW Dreamforce attendees with our ability to integrate and add amazing value for Salesforce customers and prospects.” These integrations enable user teams to make and manage calls from within Salesforce.

CHANNEL STREET

Ingram Micro’s cloud event in META Aptec, an Ingram Micro company is all set to host its inaugural Cloud Summit 2016 event for channel partners and prospects across the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey region. Ingram Micro Cloud Summit META is the company’s first channel-focused event in the area and is expected to attract hundreds of the region’s top industry solution providers, cloud service providers, cloud vendors, telcos, hosters, ISVs, and other cloud visionaries. Event sponsors include Microsoft, Dropbox, Cloud4C, Oracle, and eleven other cloud industry leaders. Themed “Where Rainmakers Thrive,” the three-day conference will showcase the latest cloud-based tools and technology and deliver valuable best practices for marketing, selling, and supporting cloud services to meet companies’ needs at any stage of their journey. Attendees will learn from cloud solution experts and network with influential voices in the cloud industry while attending sessions focused on building and growing a successful cloud business. The event will also see the META launch of Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace, a fully automated portal for resellers to order, provision, manage, and bill cloud services from multiple vendors in a single place.

KOCH AGREES TO INVEST OVER $2 BILLION IN INFOR Infor has reached a definitive agreement in which Koch Equity Development LLC has agreed to make an investment of more than $2 billion in the company. The investment will provide Infor access to additional growth capital to accelerate innovation, expand distribution, and continue disrupting the enterprise applications industry. “Koch is one of the largest private companies in the world with diversified holdings and immense resources to support the next exciting phase of growth at Infor and we are thrilled to have their support,” said Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor. “Some of the largest companies in the world have approached Infor looking for a modern alternative to the legacy options available for mission critical business applications. Infor has the scale and capital to provide a digital platform for the Global 5000.” “Infor’s demonstrated capability to help companies across a wide spectrum of industries automate and improve efficiency is relevant to our broad portfolio of invested companies and we look forward to exploring co-innovation opportunities,” said Brett Watson, Senior Managing Director of KED. Infor’s existing shareholders, including Golden Gate Capital, Summit Partners, and Management will maintain control of the company. KED will have the right to appoint four of nine directors on the board of Infor’s parent company.

MCAFEE LABS THREATS PREDICTIONS PREVIEW CYBER THREATS FOR 2017 IIntel® Security released its McAfee Labs 2017 Threats Predictions Report, which identifies 14 threat trends to watch in 2017, the most critical developments to watch for in cloud security and the Internet of Things (IoT) security, and the six most difficult-tosolve challenges facing the cybersecurity industry. The report reflects the informed opinions of 31 Intel Security thought leaders. It examines current trends in cybercrime and makes predictions about what the future may hold for organizations working to take advantage of new technologies to both advance their businesses and provide better security protection. “To change the rules of the game between attackers and defenders, we need to neutralize our adversaries’ greatest advantages,” said Vincent Weafer, VP of Intel Security’s McAfee Labs. “To overcome the designs of our adversaries, we need to go beyond understanding the threat landscape to changing the defender-attacker dynamics in six key areas: information asymmetry, making attacks more expensive, improving visibility, better identifying exploitation of legitimacy, improving protection for decentralized data, and detecting and protecting in agentless environments.” The 2017 threats predictions run the gamut, including threats around ransomware, sophisticated hardware and firmware attacks, attacks on “smart home” IoT devices, the use of machine learning to enhance social engineering attacks, and an increase in cooperation between industry and law enforcement:

INTERTEC SYSTEMS’ CXO SUMMIT 2016 Intertec Systems recently hosted CXO Summit 2016, an event that was especially targeted for the C-level executives from different Organizations, both private & government. The event also featured guest speakers, CFO’s from large corporates as well as well as SMB segment.

“Today’s CFOs spend more time on building plans to save their operational cost than ever. The market is highly competitive and making profit is really a tough job now. Forward looking organizations have realized that a lot can be saved through Managed IT Services & Business Process Automation.

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With proper planning and execution, the organizations can not only reduce operating costs but also essentially the business risks. The whole thought process behind this summit was to bring the C-level professionals together in a room and have open discussions on transformation including shared

services, managed services and process automation. The executives also discussed on how an efficient account payable solution can help reduce the overall operational cost and increase accounts payable department’s efficiency.,” said Naresh Kothari, MD and President, Intertec Systems.

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DEWA’s 6th Creativity & Innovation Conference

H.E SAEED MOHAMMED AL TAYER, MD& CEO OF DEWA

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority organised the 6th Creativity and Innovation Conference as part of DEWA Innovation Week. This takes place in conjunction with the 2nd UAE Innovation Week, which is organised annually in adherence with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to celebrate innovators in the UAE. The conference was attended by H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, Executive Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, and a large number of DEWA’s employees. The conference discussed a number of key issues related to motivating innovation in different areas, with a focus on renewable energy and water.

IMDAAD AT BIG 5 2016 IN DUBAI Jamal Abdullah Lootah, CEO, Imdaad, said: “Through this platform, we hope to increase awareness on the impact of IoT on facilities management. The Imtedaad system perfectly demonstrates how vital interconnectedness is in monitoring and sustaining the performance of any asset at any given time. With its next-generation features, this highly valuable system delivers optimal workflow and productivity across the supply chain. We recently enhanced the system further to reflect the latest global trends in the FM market and to be of service to our clients more in line with our mission and core values.”

GENETEC REINFORCES ITS PRESENCE IN MIDDLE EAST Genetec Inc is looking towards consolidating its market presence in the Middle East region with the opening of its new offices in Dubai. Strategically located in Dubai Airport Free Zone, the new offices were opened with an inaugural ceremony led by Firas Jadalla, Regional Director for Middle East and Africa and attended by Georges Karam, Chief Commercial Officer, Genetec; Ted Ghali, VP Strategic Accounts, Genetec and Jos Beernink, VP Sales EMEA, Genetec. The new offices fall in line with the company’s expansion strategy—further complementing Genetec’s efforts to support market growth while also enhancing its customer support services for the GCC and Africa regions. The company has also expressed its move to improve accessibility and service to local partners and end users and provide a more dynamic work environment for its growing workforce.“The opening of our new offices proves to be both timely and strategic—right in the midst of continuing regional demand for IP video surveillance, access control and license plate recognition services,” said Firas Jadalla, Regional Director – Middle East and Africa, Genetec. “Our new office is expected to help strengthen our local support, but we also want this office to become a tool that our integrators and consultants can use to have their customers experience our latest innovations, without having to travel too far.

INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL INDUSTRY LEADERS COLLABORATE AT INNOVATION LIVE! Key global and regional industry leaders came together to share insights and best practise to drive innovation in the UAE. Her Excellency Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation; Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau stated: “His Highness

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai launched our new National Innovation Strategy in September 2014. The overall aim was simply stated, to make the UAE into one of the world’s most notable innovation leaders by the time of our golden

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jubilee.” The event was opened by H.E. Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “As a representative of the private sector, Dubai Chamber has launched several initiatives to put businesses on the right track to developing their own innovation strategies

including the Innovation Index to stimulate innovation and global practices within the local business community as well as the Dubai Chamber Innovation Lab and the DubaiStartupHub, both of which have been essential to supporting and growing the local entrepreneurial and SME ecosystem.”

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exploits including distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, ransomware, identity theft and phishing, which are all having a marked impact in the region, as well as across the globe. How has Blockchain redefined the financial landscape and what ease has it brought to the business processes? For enterprise and commercial entities, blockchain allows them to trust that transactions will be executed exactly as the protocol commands removing the need for a trusted third-party. By eliminating third-party intermediaries and overhead costs for exchanging assets, blockchains have the potential to greatly reduce transaction fees. How has the effectiveness of the Blockchain solutions been in the UAE so far and how well received was this? Earlier this year, the Dubai Government announced it would become paperless by shifting all transactions to blockchain by 2020. We have also seen institutions such as Emirates NBD bank announce trials of blockchain technology and these kinds of developments are giving real impetus for its uptake in the country, across sectors.

DR. NAJWA AARAJ

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT – SPECIAL PROJECTS AT DARKMATTER

Unleashing the Potentials of Blockchain AS A DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY, BLOCKCHAIN HAS BEEN TOPPING THE INTEREST LIST OF VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AND FINANCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. DARKMATTER IS BRINGING ITS EXPERTISE IN ADVANCED CRYPTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TO HELP GOVERNMENTS AND LARGE ENTERPRISES IMPLEMENT BLOCKCHAIN SOLUTIONS.

Which technologies or trends have been on the rise in 2016? And Why? We have recently seen some concerning industry reports that points to the growing financial impact cyber security incidents have in the UAE and across the Middle East as compared to the rest of the world. A recent industry report estimated that the financial cost of cyber crime to the UAE alone has reached US$1.4 billion to date this year, an

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increase of 4.9 per cent year-on-year. Globally, the financial cost decreased by 16 per cent to US$125.9 billion during the same period, according to the report, highlighting that in the UAE, and indeed other markets across the region, entities need to take pro-active steps to defend and secure their digital assets from internal and external cyber threats. The rise of the Internet of Things, has resulted in the development of connectivity-based

As you have been working closely with the government organisations for the solution, what were the key parameters that you had to keep in mind as there are many confidentialities and security concerns that needs to be addressed? Blockchain is all about the establishment and maintenance of public trust in the system. We hope to be able to support the Dubai Government in achieving its ambitious blokchain-related targets, having already been selected to be part of the elite Dubai Future Accelerators programme in September 2016, which is designed to help various government entities overcome real-life challenges through the use of technology. How is blockchain empowering the ‘Knowledge based economy’? Through developments such as the Dubai Blockchain strategy the emirate is looking to achieve a high degree of efficiency in government departments and is based on three themes — efficiency, creating new specialised sectors and achieving global knowledge development and leadership. ë

Your brain might need a second to catch up.

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COVER STORY

D E C E M B E R 2016

COVER STORY

TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS

A journey through the endless

tech tunnels Transportation and Logistics is the backbone of the supply chain. With the advent of sensors, applications, FMS, beacons, warehousing solutions, payment systems, inventory optimization etc. the sector no longer can be associated with the legacy models. Bolstering investments and pro-active government initiatives make it the most progressive and dynamic sector. n B Y: S O N A L L U N A W AT < S O N A L @ A C C E N T I N F O M E D I A . C O M > n P H O T O : S H U T T E R S T O C K

istance is just a number and speed is just a measurement’, this holds true for the transportation and logistics sector. Combining and curating advanced technology with a superior customer experience is what the consumers want. A well-plannedroadmap to develop transportation facilities blended with more matured logistics goalsthriving on a systematic and contemporary IT use tops the list of Middle East countries for the coming years. Middle East will lead global air cargo growth by 2018 with the UAE set to become the thirdlargest market worldwide as per International Air Transport Association.Gone are the days when travel was a matter of anxiety and where tracking your goods was a hassle, latest ways to cater to the customers and service providers keeps the vendors on their toes. Transportation, supply chain management and logistics is intertwined, technology has evolved

over 3 decades making accountable changes in the way operations are carried out. Transport infrastructure investment is projected to increase at an average annual rate of about 5% worldwide between 2014 and 2025, according to an analysis released by PwC.

SPEEDING UP TO MATCH THE ‘PACE’ Transportation is an essential service for all the other sectors in the economy and therefore it’s upgradation will surely boost up the overall growth. Innovative techniques are implemented by the organizations to achieve results eg: The entire Uberization trend was a great success which led to a creation of a similar model for local truck services and less than truck load long distance service. In the last two decades Middle East has been successful in attracting tourism, one of the main reason being the highly convenient and advanced transport system.

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BASSAM ALKASSAR, CEO AT FMS TECH

SEBASTIAN STEFAN, CEO, LOADME

“IoT is certainly going to play a big part in the evolution of this sector in the upcoming period. This is because connected devices and automated solutions will greatly reduce the resources required to fulfill a task.” systems.”

“We’ve reached the conclusion that in 2017, the Middle East land transportation market is going to surpass 9 billion USD with UAE accounting for more than half of this.”

The trend toward automation has gathered pace, especially in the Gulf region, as investment in technology is viewed as a long-term benefit in uncertain times. It’s great to see that providers are quite open to innovative technologies and automated solutions, expressed Frédéric Zielinski, General Manager Swisslog Middle East. The foreword looking visionary plans of the governments across GCC are based on reviving the old, maintaining the current and planning for more advanced modes for the future. Sebastian Stefan CEO of LoadME is quite optimistic about this sector, he says, “The industry as a whole will be an essential contributor to the growth of the economy as more and more transport of goods will happen much faster. More opportunities will appear at the micro level that will impact the economy at the macro level.” “Transportation and Logistics are constantly evolving to fulfill the growing need in the global market in general and the GCC specifically, which is fueled by the increase of shipping and increase

of expats which in turn increased consumption. This is evident in how active ports have become as well as the opening of new aerial and sea routes in addition to the expansion of many airports in the area,” stated Bassam Alkassar, CEO at FMS Tech When the future lays down promises of highly integrated and advanced mechanisms of transport and logistics systems, what are the players doing to enhance the customer experience?

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A SEAMLESS SILHOUETTE OF SOLUTIONS SAP’s Director of Extended Supply Chain Management – MENA, Kamel El Ghossaini feels that with the Middle East facing higher fuel costs and shipping rates, transport and logistics organizations across the region is facing increased pressure to reduce complexity, enhance costs, and drive innovation. He adds, “SAP is co-innovating with leading Middle East’s leading transportation and logistics players to implement the SAP Supply Chain Execution Platform to reduce costs and

KAMEL EL GHOSSAINI, DIRECTOR OF EXTENDED SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT – MENA, SAP

“Ports and logistics players need to be able to track shipments in realtime, know when it will arrive, and how much it will cost – these are core competencies for all of our customers.”

improve asset utilization – helping them do more with less.” Swisslog Middle East, integrates latest warehouse automation technologies withstate-ofartsoftware, as well as a variety of innovative services across all warehouse operations, Swisslog’s Industry 4.0 solutions is used for future-proofing warehouse automation. ‘Globalization’ has not just cut distance barriers but has also given a chance for the world to come closer with technology and ‘smart’ ways to relieve pinch points. A business can reach any pinnacle of triumph if it finds the right partner, LoadMe has addressed this important aspect and is automatically matching new load or truck owners with their most relevant counterparts to an efficient radius and corridor search. In 2017, the platform is going to feature ratings, a bidding and a transactions system. LoadMe is also launching a mobile app in 2017 along with versions of the platform in Arabic and Urdu.

COVER STORY

THE CIO

VERDICT

FRÉDÉRIC ZIELINSKI, GENERAL MANAGER SWISSLOG MIDDLE EAST

“The trend toward automation has gathered pace, especially in the Gulf region, as investment in technology is viewed as a long-term benefit in uncertain times.”

CHALLENGES

DR. JASSIM HAJI,

IT DIRECTOR, GULF AIR

“Drones is gaining very strong popularity and they will undoubtedly revolutionize the entire sector. Having an affordable, quick and efficient delivery mechanism without any humans opens wide doors for potential benefits and new operations. Moreover, robots are no longer a sci-fi concept, as many big resellers have moved toward robots to automate and improve the handling of logistics and inventory, and their usage will only expand to reach other areas including dealing directly with the customers. IoT will become the eye that can see and sense everything with, and it will become the remote hands that take any action required in real-time without relying on slow and costly human intervention.”

2017 SOLUTION MARKET PROJECTION Wireless black boxes (GPRS/3G/4G or LTE, and/or Satellite, and GPS)

Embedded sensors

Business Intelligence

Integrated technologies including RFID, Wi-fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth

Focus on lowering carbon emissions Enhancing energy efficiency Upskilling local talent Obsolete and legacy IT setup and infrastructure l Costly to move away from legacy l Integration between different and diverse technologies l Competition between different modes of transport l l l l

Supply chain management

In vehicle monitoring system

Drones

Mobile Applications

Robotics for automation

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COVER STORY

TOP TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS PROJECTS IN PIPELINE FOR GCC BAHRAIN

KSA- (RIYADH)

UAE (DUBAI-ABU DHABI)

QATAR OMAN KUWAIT PROJECT

Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Causeway PROJECT

PROJECT

The Hyperloop One transport link

17.62bn

AED

EXPECTED BY

2020

Riyadh Metro

23bn

EXPECTED BY

2019

PROJECT

The Qatar Expressway Programme

16bn

EXPECTED BY

2017

Upgrade of Bahrain International Airport

$ M EXPECTED BY

815M

EXPECTED BY

2018

GREEN ALL THE WAY The term ‘green logistics’ has gained widespread popularity, reporting greenhouse emissions and carbon footprints to optimizing supply chain to waste management is contributing to green logistics. Most vendors are concentrating on providing solutions which focus on sustainability with cost effectiveness. The government organizations have taken this green initiative quite seriously owing to the ‘smart city initiatives.’ The trend to use electricity and natural gas to fuel public transportation is also evolving.

Security is the heart of every operation, FMS Tech’s CEO, Bassam Alkassar reveals about his company’s security portfolio and says, “We provide high quality security solutions based on the latest carrier security technology which includes devices that operate via fiber optics, satellites and Wi-Fi connections at low frequencies to seal containers and track them 24/7, as well as track the truck’s position and suggest the best route, and provide full transparent information about every trip to improve the driver’s behavior and performance which saves time and money. As for sea transportation, our solutions provide security and full tracking of containers by using the latest tracking technology along with satellite data transfer.”

INTERNET OF ‘TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS’ IoT has impacted the transportation and logistics

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sector immensely, with the aspect of connected vehicles and automation taking front seat. Dr Jassim Haji, IT Director, Gulf Air, rightly calls IoT as the ‘nervous’ system of transportation and logistics. He feels IoT will become the eye that can see and sense everything with, and it will become the remote hands that take any action required in real-time without relying on slow and costly human intervention. IoT makes critical decisions easier, thanks to the real-time visualization of transport fleet and operations. IoT will also lead to reduction of labor costs and effective time management since routine work can be carried out through automation.“In recent years, the Internet of Things has become more meaningful in industrial processes leading to the wide adoption of terminology like Industry 4.0 and Advanced Manufacturing. The underlying idea is the end-to-end digitalization of intralogistics and production,”

2019

Batinah Expressway Construction Project

15.5bn

EXPECTED BY

2018

explained Frédéric Zielinski. One of the best example for IoT changing the face of transportation is when His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai had launched the Dubai Autonomous Transformation Strategy, which aims that by 2030, 25% of all trips in Dubai will be driverless. This indeed will change the face of Dubai’s transportation, the research and development lab for this driverless transportation. According to Bassam Alkassar, the more devices connected to a network the lower the margin of error is as well as a significant reduction of resources required, which also means that less employees and managers will be needed to complete a job.

FINALLY Major investment will be seen in the transportation and logistics market owing to the goals and visions established by government which mainly includes projects for metros, ports, airports, expressways and bringing a progressive infrastructure to lay the foundation of seamless transit of people and commodities. Barring few challenges faced by this sector, the future undoubtedly will accelerate for transportation and logistics. ë

Nothing happened today In a perfect world, no one thinks about access control except you. The hundreds of people coming and going don’t think about you, or what a good job you’re doing, or how they always manage to get seamlessly where they need to go. Because you chose Synergis access control, it was another great day.

genetec.com/synergis

GUEST ARTICLE

Next-Gen Endpoint Security Protects Organizationsfrom Cyber Attacks Information security specialists from around the world have taken note of the increased amount of risks,threats, high-profile attacks and the growing ineffectiveness of commonly used security software. Hence, the emergence of Next-Generation Endpoint Security(NGES) - a security model aimed at protecting ever-evolving endpoints to address the challenges of continuously evolving cyber threats.

n M O H A M M A D A Q U I B A F TA B , R E G I O N A L D I R E C T O R O F T H E M I D D L E E A S T, T U R K E Y A N D A F R I C A , C A R B O N B L A C K .

To ensure protectionagainst highly advanced threats, endpoint security solutions should be agile, strongly flexible and deeply integrated, according to Carbon Black, the leader in NGES. NGES solutions should have advanced detection of modern threats. Once the threat is detected, the NGES solution should have key response capabilities such as validation, containment and remediation to determine if an endpoint is experiencing a threat. If a threat is confirmed, the solution should be capable ofhelping the security team contain the threat before any lasting damage is done.Designated security teams should also have proactive and adaptive

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investigative capabilities in responding to threats. NGES solutions should also employ highly dependable, real-time threat intelligence feeds from cloud and network-intelligence sources. These data should be garnered from millions of endpointsworldwide and from investigations of large-scale intrusions to help organizations defend against the tools, tactics, and procedures used by advanced threats groups. One important point to remember, as shared by the experts from Carbon Black, is that utilizing a unified cyber-security solution architecture with a diverse range of capabilities is essential and highly critical, especially in helping security

teams to detect, protect, analyze and respond to cyber threats and attacks. Help AG has joined the “Carbon Black Connect” Alliance Program as a managed security services provider (MSSP) partner. As a “Connect” IR partner, Help AG uses Carbon Black’s leading security solution, Cb Enterprise Response, to help its customers remediate cyber-attacks and breaches. As the Help AG team identifies malicious files used to execute an attack, they use Cb Enterprise Response to pinpoint each endpoint and server on which malware has landed and reveal the entire “kill chain” of the attack. This enables responders to identify where and how the attack started quickly and efficiently, and enables Help AG to contain attacks rapidly and accelerate remediation efforts. The “Carbon Black Connect” Alliance Partner Program integrates the leading endpoint and server security solution from Carbon Black with solutions from top companies in four categories: l Incident response l Managed security services l Threat intelligence l Network security, analytics and SIEM This enables enterprises to create a unified defense against cyber threats. Enterprises that deploy the Carbon Black Security Platform with certified alliance partners’ offerings experience a fully integrated strengthening of their security posture, a decrease in their total cost of ownership, achievement of faster deployment times, and gain increased value from their integrated solutions. ë

HARNESS THE CLOUD POWER FUTURE IT

SUMMIT 2017 CATCH THE TREND

PUTS CLOUD ON ‘CLOUD 9’ IN DISCUSSION:

JOURNEY OF THE CLOUD IN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR ENTRENCHING ‘CLOUDS’ OF SECURITY MORE THAN STORAGE, MORE THAN CLOUD JOURNEY OF THE CLOUD IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THE CLOUD CLOUD AND VIRTUALIZATION: DAWN OF A CONNECTED AND VIRTUAL ERA CLOUD OUT LOUD’: HOW FAR HAVE WE CAME, HOW FAR WILL WE GO? CLOUD NETWORKING: THE ROAD AHEAD TO IOT

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COVER FEATURE

AL FARA’A GROUP

AL FARA’A BUILDS A NICHE INFRASTRUCTURE WITH EMITAC

By providing a scalable and centralized virtual platform for Al Fara’a, Emitac understood the nerve of the construction leader’s infrastructure requirement. What followed was a massive reduction of cost, 100% profit and a cutting edge virtual environment. As Emitac Enterprise Solutions marks its 40th anniversary in 2016, it has yet another feather to add to its crown.

n WORDS: ANUSHREE DIXIT <ANUSHREE@ACCENTINFOMEDIA.COM>

avid Allan Coe had once said, “It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.” The beauty and success of a physical infrastructure or the virtual infrastructure, it all lies in the foundation; For Al Fara’a Group, a regional leader in the construction industry, this was a key success ingredient.

WHEN TECHNOLOGY MADE ITS WAY THROUGH Al Fara’a Group has been in the face of the region for over 4 decades now and have been delivering comprehensive array of capabilities in building, civil engineering, MEP and contracting-related specialities that included ground technologies, structures, airports, healthcare, hospitality, education, defence, oil and gas etc. When Mohammed Imaduddin, Group CIO of Al Fara’a group joined the organization eight years ago, technology in Al Fara’a was bounded to a telephone, a computer and a printer. The management reflected, that was all that a construction company needed in

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technology. “It was a challenge for me to put forward the benefits of technology in a strategic way to the management. But then gradually things happened and we successfully integrated a good number of our operations with newer technologies and today we are one of the leading construction companies where technology leads our operations. Right from various audio and video conferring solution to Al Fara’a Cloud to vehicles with sensors that monitor the temperature of the cement mix that go to the site, everything is monitored and closely knit with cutting edge technologies.” Today, as Imaduddin puts it across, the company doesn’t take a step forward without technology. The Al Fara’a Cloud was also a revolutionary step that redefined the operations of the entire group, the employee dashboards, business process and the entire infrastructure at Al Fara’a.

THE MARRIAGE WITH EMITAC ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS The group has widespread operations in the region with around 85

COVER FEATURE

MOHAMMED IMADUDDIN, GROUP CIO OF AL FARAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;A GROUP

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COVER FEATURE

“Principles, Transparancy and Ethics are the greatest attributes that sets Emitac Enterprise Solutions a class apart from the other SIs. ” offices. The need arose for a centralized platform to manage the offices and the business process. “Construction industry is the most unorganized sector in the whole industry, not because of the people, but because of a lot of uncertainties that cling on to the daily operations. Right from managing the work hours and productivity of the labors to monitoring the construction vehicles that operate on ground, we needed a platform that could centralize all these operations and at the same time save our time and money. Our search ended with Emitac Enterprise Solutions.” Imaduddin adds, “This was 3-4 years back. At that time all our servers were decentralized. Though all had backups there wasn’t a proper system. The Emitac Team and Al Fara’a brainstormed for a month on the design structure and finally came up with the concept of a centralized data center. People have been talking about cloud recently, but at Al Fara’a we had implemented it long back.We planned to build the Al Fara’a cloud where everything was synced in one platform. We brought the required hardware from Emitac and we built our data center. We brought a space in Etisalat. After building this data center set up, we virtualized all the servers into one centralized and unified platform with three to four racks. So all the companies across the region came under one system…all the ERPs, file sharing, dashboard etc. were synchronized into one single platform. That step was a big game changer for Al Fara’a and we had major cost saving.”

MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE REVISED WITH EMITAC Times changed, old technologies made way for new ones and hardware made way for virtual platforms. Al Fara’a too recognized the need for an infrastructure overhaul. Server and storage infrastructure was required to support growth and the changing new business requirement. Each server hosted an application

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COVER FEATURE

A GLIMPSE OF THE PROJECT The Virtualized Platform— MS Platform using Hyper V. Hardware— HP Blade Infrastructure with HP 3PAR storage

THE BENEFITS

Eliminate SAN fabric

Simplify SAN management

AIM Reduce power consumption by directly cousnnecting the HP Virtual Connect FlexFabric modules with HP 3PAR StoreServ system

and backup consumed a lot of time - more than 24 hours. Additionally, they also wanted to control and minimize spam mails. Al Faraa was therefore looking for a solution with fresh new scalable hardware that would cater to their needs for next 5 years, reduce hosting and hardware foot print costs and control spams. “Emitac came up with a good strategy. The strategy helped me in splitting my cost into monthly payments. The strategy and plan was studied in its entirety. So what we did was, we took the whole cost of the AMC to renew, because it is my own data center. We studied which hardware needs to be eradicated and where change has to be injected. “

FROM 3 RACKS TO 1 RACK— JOURNEY MADE EASY Consuming a major part of the budget was the 3 racks. After doing a thorough calcula-

Increased storage capacity by 40% n Reduces rack space requirements by 50% n Reduced complexity and latency with HP Flat SAN direct connectivity technology n High speed uplink is achieved with HP Virtual Connect FlexFabric module n Considerable savings on switching, storage, simplified configuration and support. n

Lower network latency

tion of the entire situation, EES proposed a plan to cut down the racks to 1. “It was something that was good to hear but not easy to achieve. Going from 3 racks to 1 rack involved a lot of risk. The data center hosted the data of the entire group, so just one flaw was enough for the entire system to crash. We also could not afford to have a downtime as it meant worse to my business. But thanks to the careful and mindful planning of Emitac, we are through it and the entire project was completed very professionally. The EES team did a great job in implementing the project and at the same time made sure that the business dint suffer. So the result today is; l Zero Month ROI l 100% Profit l A Completely New Hardware l Rental Cost Reduced Drastically l And an Edge on Technology

WHY EMITAC WAS THE PERFECT CHOICE After a good half an hour of technical conversations, the Group CIO has a smile on his face when I asked him about one distinctive factor that sets Emitac a class apart as a SI. Principles, Ethics and Transparency—these are the golden words that come to Imaduddin’s mind while answering why Emitac was the perfect partner for them. Emitac Enterprise Solutions has a ‘Code of Business Ethics’ book that every employees have to sign. From a vendor-client relationship to each and every aspect of rendering a project successfully, certain norms have to be followed. There is penalties for those who fail to. “One of the biggest factors that makes Emitac stand apart from the other SIs is that they are very straight and transparent when it comes to business. It has been a long standing relationship with them and we are set to maintain this for years to come.”. ë

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MY OPINION

Riverbed Roundup of IT Trends and Predictions for 2017 Now as the digital transformation continues to steam head in 2017,Riverbed Technology provides the following list of trends and predictions to help organizations better plan their IT strategies for the year ahead.

ultimately creates complexities tied to application planning, performance monitoring and final migration to the cloud. Prediction:Digital transformation isn’t a fad and we expect to see the migration of critical applications to the cloud increase in 2017 across all markets. Large enterprise clouds are now being adopted beyond just customer-facing resources like eCommerce websites.

TAJ EL KHAYAT,

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA AT RIVERBED TECHNOLOGY

ENTERPRISES MOVE TOWARD A STRATEGIC ARCHITECTURE FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Less-mature digital companies tend to take a tactical, piecemeal approach as they solve discrete business problems with individual digital technologies. As a result, they don’t fully integrate digital technologies with their business operations, don’t solve the underlying infrastructure problems that cause frequent application performance issues across the enterprise, and fail to deliver the required technical capabilities at scale. Prediction: Enterprises will realize that, for application, compute, storage, and networking infrastructure to work optimally, it all must work together, seamlessly, as a system. Any point of weakness or failure anywhere in the infrastructure can make the whole system fail. Thus, a strategic architecture must extend across the enterprise and unite all the components into a seamless, software-defined system delivering

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high-performing applications, data, and services. EVERYTHING BECOMES SOFTWARE-DEFINED Whether it is compute, storage or networking, you can see increased impact and adoption of software-defined everything. Prediction:Enterprise organizations will implement technologies that ensure agility, visibility and performance in order to transition more and more to a software-defined enterprise. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION DRIVES NEXT WAVE OF CLOUD Enterprise-level internal resources including business-critical applications are now being moved to the cloud. This is a new development as internal-facing applications are traditionally kept internal. The challenge with migrating old systems and applications to a newer encrypted approach is that the network capabilities can be stretched thin or become too fragile. This

VISIBILITY CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR THE HYBRID ENTERPRISE After deploying a hybrid environment, which can be complex and difficult to manage, the work is just beginning for the enterprise. The process continues as application requirements and business needs evolve. So, to increase agility, IT is always evaluating and adopting cloud services and related technologies like PaaS, containers and micro-services to deliver applications faster. Prediction:We expect to see greater adoption of application and network management functionality to ensure visibility into the hybrid cloud creating more trust in IT and alignment to business objectives. CLOUD VISIBILITY BECOMES CRITICAL TO SUCCESS OF DEVOPS APPROACH TO DIGITAL SERVICES DevOps teams are increasingly using the cloud’s PaaS capabilities together with third-party components to develop composite applications faster. Current monitoring for components traces app transactions through server interactions, which obscures dependencies within the app layer. Prediction:Enterprises will seek new solutions that provide clear visibility into the behavior and interaction of third-party components and platforms in cloud-based environments in order to accelerate development of apps and digital services in the cloud, proactively prevent performance issues, and improve performance of cloud-based apps. ë

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GUEST ARTICLE

Sharing Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence is the Only Way We Win Security organizations must leverage each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information in order to better predict, prevent, detect, and respond to threats their customers and organizations face

n M AT T H E W R O S E N Q U I S T, C Y B E R S E C U R I T Y S T R AT E G I S T, I N T E L S E C U R I T Y G R O U P

Cybersecurity is a team sport. The bad guys share information, expertise, code, and help one another. The good guys must do the same to keep pace. Sharing threat intelligence is a key aspect where knowledge gained by owners of sensor networks can share data in a collective way to the security analysis community. This give the necessary breadth of data to understand trends, new infections, how botnets are communicating, if directed targeting is occurring, and even if

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different attackers are collaborating. Sadly, this is not the norm. Many security companies look at this data as a competitive advantage to sell their products and services. They keep it to themselves in hopes they can find a nugget and market it in a way to win over new customers. But the cost is losing the bigger picture of overall effectiveness. This is slowly changing. Some security firms are stepping up and sharing more and more

data that is redacted of personal information and contains only attack characteristics. The combined aspects are like pieces to a massive puzzle for analysts looking for trends. It is hugely important to everyone. I am glad to see major security vendors and researchers beginning to share insights and data. Consortiums such as the Cyber Threat Alliance and sites such as VirusTotal are leading the way. The Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO), established as part of a US presidential order in 2015, is developing voluntary standards for private and public data sharing. But more sharing must happen. Attacks are occurring at a phenomenal rate. Malware alone is out of control, with about 44,000 new unique samples being discovered every day. Security organizations must leverage each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s information in order to better predict, prevent, detect, and respond to threats their customers and organizations face. The battle that should be fought is not between security vendors, but rather between the threats and collective defensive organizations that stand between these threats and their victims. We must work together to stem the tide of cyberattacks. Public sentiment is important. If we desire our technology to be safe, we must send a clear message to our security vendors: Share threat data or we will patronize a different supplier of security products and services. We have a voice and a vote (with our wallets). ĂŤ

SPECIAL STORY

Knock Knock!

You Have a Shipment As every nine out of ten reports state, a highly shopping savvy young population and the widespread penetration of smart phones have given rise to a dynamic mCommerce market in the Middle East. The question is, as we eagerly click and shop, what security assets are we putting on stake? And how businesses are making sure that your information is ‘Your’ information. Big Data, IoT, M2M conversations, business downtimes, loyalty suites, online payments….. a close look at all the aspects that cling on to the ‘Box’ that is delivered to your doorstep! 40

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SPECIAL STORY

n WORDS: ANUSHREE DIXIT <ANUSHREE@ACCENTINFOMEDIA.COM>

lame the busy life or bless the busy life, mCommerce has never seen the surge that it has seen in the last 3 to 4 years. Especially in the Middle East region where internet penetration and smart phones have changed the emerging realities. As reports claim, The Middle East region is on the cusp of a major e-commerce growth spurt. More people than ever are shopping online, and e-commerce is transforming how we interact with brands.

MCOMMERCE GLOBAL TRENDS Omni channel payment gateway is yet another channel that has redefined the way customers shop. The proliferation of mobile devices have opened new horizons of shopping behavior that is seamless and unstoppable. It is no longer about consumers purchasing from one device but four in 10 purchases occur across multiple devices or channels globally, according to Criteo’s ‘State of Mobile Commerce’ report. Of that figure, close to one-third are completed on mobile devices, indicating that consumers are using numerous devices along their path to purchase and are regularly buying on mobile.

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SPECIAL STORY

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A Miller Heiman Group Distribution Partner

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SPECIAL STORY

4.9bn

Middle East eCommerce market is valued at $4.9 billion and is expected to expand to $10 billion by 2018

SAVITAR JAGTIANI

BUSINESS HEAD, E-COMMERCE, LANDMARK GROUP

“In terms of shopping online in this region we have found that consumer confidence has risen over time. In 2012 we saw that 70% of our customers preferred to pay by cash on delivery and 30% were comfortable with making transactions online. In 2015 the ratio changed to 50-50. Lately, we are even seeing this ratio change to 55-45 in favour of credit card purchases over cash on delivery.”

RONALDO MOUCHAWAR CEO & CO-FOUNDER, SOUQ.COM

“ UAE is rated the highest in the region with a smartphone penetration rate of 90%. This highlights a huge opportunity for SOUQ.com particularly with our mobile app, which has been gaining phenomenal popularity. We just concluded White Friday 2016 and 50% of our sales (1.2 items sold) came from mobile app alone.”

MCOMMERCE RANKING (AS PER MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS)

UAE leads share of B2C E-Commerce on total retail sales of goods that is forecasted to triple between 2014 and 2019.

Saudi Arabia is the second largest B2C E-Commerce with more than two-thirds of online shoppers making their latest online purchase via smartphones.

Israel shows high potential for online retail growth with both Internet and online shopper penetration growing

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Qatar, the country with the third highest per capita GDP worldwide, less than 20% of Internet users made purchases online Bahrain stood out as the fastest growing B2C E-Commerce market

7.7%

The growth in the Middle East’s retail market between 2015 and 2020 is 7.7 per cent CAGR

35.9%

In the GCC, the share of mobile transactions made up more than one-third of online purchases, at 35.9 percent for Q4 2015.

7.3%

GCC sales are predicted to grow at a CAGR of 7.3 per cent between 2013 and 2018, reaching $284.5 billion

Ambient user experience, on the other hand tops the Gartners’ list of technologies to look for in 2017.

CHOOSE, SHOP, CLICK, PAY The dynamic revolution in the payment industry has been one of the greatest driving forces in driving the demand for new services leading to multichannel commerce. Mobile point of sale, contactless payment, NGC and wearables have increased the proliferation of omni channel experiences and timeless shopping. mWallets and modern applications like Beam have paved the way for future payments and have taken online and virtual shopping to further extents. This has also opened an entirely new platform for the payment solution providers to penetrate the interests of the shoppers and aid business dealing with their downtimes and secure payment models.

FINALLY Given the fact that smart technologies have just begun to take shape, the future and reach of eCommerce and mCommerce in the Middle East would be massive, without a doubt. Competition is tough as more and more international brands make way into the mainstream regional market. It would be good to see how the regional marketplace would accept the same at the same time give a tough competition. ë

MY OPINION

Cyber Threat Intelligence and the Market of One Expanding Beyond Generic Threat Intelligence to Cyber Situational Awareness Empowers Organizations to Make More Informed Security Decisions

ALASTAIR PATERSON

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF DIGITAL SHADOWS

he shift away from one-size-fitsall to viewing every individual customer as a “market of one” was pioneered by companies like Levi’s, Dell and Amazon. Jeans that fit you exactly, PCs made to order and products recommended to you based on previous purchases, all exemplify the move from delivering standardized value through mass production to creating customer-unique value through mass customization. This method for approaching markets is now widely embraced. Customers benefit by getting precisely what they want and need while companies, with a better understanding of their customer base, can deliver tailored products and

services that provide more value. It’s time to apply this way of thinking to security, specifically cyber threat intelligence. Attackers never rest and neither can organizations in their quest for better threat protection and risk mitigation. While cyber threat intelligence (CTI) has helped evolve the effectiveness of our defenses by providing greater insights into threats and threat actors, we need to do more. Data feeds, vulnerability feeds, indicators of compromise (IOCs) and profiles of threats and research reports will continue to be pertinent. Indeed, CTI provides a solid foundation to understand threats. But what’s lacking is cyber situational awareness that provides a more holis-

tic and specific view of threats and vulnerabilities relevant to an organization. Cyber situational awareness shifts from only delivering generic threat intelligence that informs, to also delivering specific information to defend against adversaries launching targeted attacks against an organization or individual(s) within an organization. Cyber situational awareness brings together all the information that an organization possesses about itself such as its people, risk posture, attack surface, entire digital footprint and digital shadow (a subset of a digital footprint that consists of exposed personal, technical or organizational information that is often highly confidential, sensitive or proprietary). Information is gathered by examining millions of social sites, cloud-based file sharing sites and other points of compromise across a multi-lingual, global environment spanning the visible, dark and deep web. Perhaps even more important, cyber situational awareness is designed to generate forward-looking assessments—tactical, operational and strategic. This helps organizations to understand what they need to do right now to stop attacks and mitigate risk, as well as how make the right investments to align their security postures in the longer term for more effective defenses. Taking this approach provides a more holistic understanding of the security issues surrounding the organization. Expanding beyond generic threat intelligence to cyber situational awareness empowers organizations to make much more informed security decisions based on a truly comprehensive view of their potential threats, attack vectors, brand risks, data loss risks and profile of their attackers. By applying the proven market of one approach to threat intelligence, security professionals get exactly what they want – and need – unique insights that allow them to protect against threats that are most relevant and present the greatest risk. ë

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FEATURE

FOCUS IRAN

The Revival of Islamic Republic of Iran 2016 brought with it a new ray of hope for the country Iran, with the lifting of sanctions and new developments picking pace under the leadership of President Hassan Rouhani, the Persian land is sure to bloom not just economically but also technologically.

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FEATURE

n B Y: S O N A L L U N A W AT < S O N A L @ A C C E N T I N F O M E D I A . C O M > n P H O T O : S H U T T E R S T O C K

he diversity and challenges of the various regions of Africa acts as both a adding and subtracting point for the technology providers and investors alike. On one hand, the penetration of smart phones have played a pivotal role in putting the continent at a very advanced stage in digitalization, on the other hand lack of proper, stable and a mature infrastructure have been slowing down the process. The Islamic Republic of Iran on the Persian Gulf is glorified for itsdeep-rooted history of the Persian Empire. Brewing geo-political tensions, the fluctuating oil prices, the inflation rates, emigrate issues etc. have constantly been a topic of international debate for global analysts. The upliftment of sanctions has opened the doors of Iran to the investors and foreign markets creating a promising opportunity for the world to partner with the oil-rich nation.Goldman Sachs has included Iran as one of the ‘Next Eleven for promising future economic growth’.

They say with time comes wisdom and with wisdom comes vision, this holds true for the country Iran as the nation laid down its ‘Vision 2025’ with plans to acquire a prominent position in the global map through economical, scientific, technological and development initiatives.Iran’s parliament approved a $97 billion budget for the year 2016. Apart from having a large fossil fuel reserve and being the fourth in the world for oil reserves, will Iran also emerge as the next techsavvy nation? Will the sanction upliftment pave a way for the economy to enjoy a more liberal IT atmosphere?

CURRENT TIDE 60% population in Iran is below the age of 30, this makes Iran a young and dynamic country. However, the country has imposed strict regulations when it comes to internet usage. Though the penetration of smart phones has increased but the internet policies restrict the usage of social media. The speed provided by the internet is

also slow. These restrictions cause a problem for cloud penetration and global service providers to make way to the region. The current president has assured that there sure will be developments pertaining to this aspect of internet regulation. The most recent update on this has been MTN’s expansion plans in Iran. As per the government plan the lowest peak average internet connection is expected to increase 8 folds by 2017. The telecom and IT market of Iran is worth 270 trillion rials and has a high growth potential. The government claims more than 21,000 villages have been connected to the internet. The government is encouraging private and public investment in Information Technology and in future one can expect IT firms to have their regional presence in Iran and work closely with SMBs and governments. There has been a growth in funding and incubation of startups and promotion of entrepreneur spirit in young talent to battle the emigrate issue. 100 startup weekends is another exciting plan initiated by Iran which

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FEATURE

VISION 2025 (ICT)

IRAN IT MARKET GROWTH (2014-2020) (USD Bn) IT Services 2.3

Software 12.7%

Hardware

2.0 1.9

1.8

3.7tn

Launched in 2010, the plan has set an investment target of $3.7 trillion for the coming 20 years, $1.3 trillion of which should take the form of FDI. TO REACH THIS VISION THE FOLLOWING MAIN OBJECTIVES IN THE ICT FIELD ARE TARGETED: n Promoting the level of required knowledge and skills for IT and developing human resources to achieve the knowledge-based society Attaining the Information Technovation system at the superior level of region, and continuous and proper increasing of the research and development shares from out of Gross National Product n

n Achieving the predominant industry of IT in order to gain the main shares of the regional market and to satisfy the need of country by active presence at the international arena

Promoting the national productivity level and enjoying the supranational opportunities which are accompanied with making the economical active people agile based on IT, in order to gain the first place in the region economy n

Preparing the secure and safe (soft and hard) infrastructures and the institutional regulations at the universal standard level, in order to achieve the e-government and the realization of the knowledge-based society n

n Improvement and development of the regional and international communications at different IT domains

has seen participation of both men and women who suggest and portray ideas for their new startup plans. The government has signaled technological development as one of the top three national priorities between 2016- 2021. The budget allo-

1.6

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1.4 1.2 1.1

1.7 1.5

1.3 1.2

6.2

1.0

4.9

0.9

5.5

4.4 3.9 3.5

3.1

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Source: Frost And Sullivan Analysis cated for R&D has been marked for an increase by 400% by 2030, reaching 4% of GDP. If these are implemented and achieved in reality then Iran undoubtedly can emerge as a regional leader in commercial technology across sectors. The trend of outsourcing hasn’t really picked up in Iran since businesses prefer buying solutions only from a trusted service provider. The data center landscape is restricted mostly to private cloud within the company premises. With the hardware and software market in place, the attention is being shifted to the services market. Will the services market contribute to faster growth of the ICT landscape?

two additional mobile broadband companies. This has turned the heads of foreign investors to take interest in these segments. Since the upliftment of sanctions, it has become much easier for companies to establish business relationships with Iran.The government has developed an e-commerce board called eNamad to protect Iranians from cyber criminals. The government is also trying to match pace with its neighboring countries by taking a route to digitalization. Services like e-government, e-payment, e-health and e-welfare are being provided by the government to ensure convenience to its citizens.

‘SERVICES’ MARKET

FINALLY

The Iranian IT services market saw a gradual decline between 2010-2013 due to the sanctions imposed which led to too many restrictions and protocols. The recent years has seen developments in IT captive management services and application software services. The government plans have also laid emphasis on development of IT parks in order to address the growing IT services market. There has been a growth in the e-commerce and m-commerce market in Iran due to the increase penetration of mobile phones and the government’s decision to grant 3G/4G license to

Where there is a will there is way! The government’s innovative plans and attempts to change the face of Iran will contribute to the overall development of the country not just economically and technologically but also in social, political and scientific aspects. Privatization of some industries and removal of certain uneconomic subsidies will work in the country’s favor. If the oil market continues to be wobbly the economy will shift focus on the other non-oil industries. It is just the rise of a new chapter for Iran post the sanction, how well the country materializes the opportunities available, only time will tell. ë

INNOVATIONS

KEY CAPABILITIES n The workstation comes equipped with next generation Intel Xeon processors 5 , NVIDIA professional graphics and the availability of HP Z Turbo Drive for handling large files remarkably fast n Delivers breakthrough power and versatility in a small, iconic design n Incorporates HP Z DNA throughout the product n Includes extensive ISV certification and 368,000 hours of quality testing. n Provides users with numerous versatility options: on/ under the desk, behind an HP Z display, or on a wall n Custom designed fans and a cooling system for whisperquiet acoustics

HP Z2 Mini Workstation HP Inc. has unveiled mini workstation designed for users in CAD and other compute-intensive industries. The stylish, new HP Z2 Mini Workstation delivers breakthrough power and versatility and at only 2.3” (5.8cm) high is 90% smaller than a traditional businessclass tower. Building off the success of the HP Z240 SFF, the HP Z2 Mini Workstation is twice as powerful as any commercial mini PC on the market today and has the ability

to support six displays right out of the box. The HP Z2 Mini was designed for the millions of CAD users demanding smaller hardware without compromising acoustics and performance and mission-critical reliability.. The new HP Z2 Mini Workstation is capable of designing anything from electronics to home and office buildings. The new HP Z2 Mini Workstation is capable of designing anything from state-of- the-art electronics to home and office buildings. PLEASE SEND YOUR FEEDBACK AT INFO@ ACCENTINFOMEDIA.COM

EPSON PRINT ADMIN Epson reveals it’s stepping into the world of print management software with Epson Print Admin. This server-based solution allows SMEs and large enterprises to strengthen document security with user authentication on devices and to take control of their printing and scanning costs. Epson Print Admin is intuitive to use and designed for easy remote management, integrating with existing architecture and devices smoothly so compatibility is assured. Any customer can evaluate this innovative solution at no licence cost for up to two devices. Additional licences are available for one, five, 20 or 50 devices for maximum flexibility. KEY CAPABILITIES n Allows users to leverage the benefits of Epson’s business inkjet technology, which is designed to help businesses cut their waste, energy consumption, CO 2 and ozone emissions. n User profile authentication protects against unauthorised use of devices n Built-in cost-saving rules and personalised scan workflows at a touch of a button n Ability to allocate billing codes and match print usage to cost-centres ensures easy budget management

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INNOVATIONS

Siemon’s RS series value rack

F5 BIG-IP iSeries

Siemon has expanded its RS series of equipment racks in the Middle East with a new cost-effective Value Rack. This sturdy 2-post open rack for mounting and securing IT equipment in a variety of telecommunications spaces saves time, money and valuable floor space. It features EIA-310-D 19-inch universal rail spacing with mounting holes in 3 in (76mm) deep channels and 1.75 in (44.5mm) marked and numbered U spaces. The new Value Rack offers 45U of space and is fully compatible with Siemon’s wide range of vertical and horizontal cable managers and accessories that allow for customisation of a complete racking solution. These include cable hangers, front mount panel and multi-access horizontal cable managers as well as vertical cable management and patching channels.

F5 expanded its BIG-IP offerings with the iSeries. The new hardware platforms incorporates programmability with support for node. js via iRules LX, enabling customers to tailor their systems for evolving infrastructure needs. Unique to the iSeries, F5’s TurboFlex technology enables selectable performance profiles to maximize investment protection and deliver dedicated cloud, security, and app delivery optimizations. Similarly, iSeries platforms can be specifically configured to support enhanced DDoS protection, as well as private cloud and SDN technologies from organizations such as OpenStack, Cisco, and VMware.

KEY CAPABILITIES n Easy to assemble with standard hand tools and mounting holes for anchoring to the floor n Its heavy duty construction offers a 1200 lb (544 kg) eight capacity n The rack features an integrated ground path with bonded assembly and ground studs n Value Rack is compatible with Siemon’s full range of cable management solutions n Having U space markings that remains visible with equipment installed helps to facilitate moves, adds and changes.

KEY CAPABILITIES n The FPGA successfully balances hardware performance with the potential for flexibility and innovation n Dedicates more capacity on the FPGA to DDoS mitigation; deployed in a private cloud – the FPGA switches capacity towards network overlay processing n Hardware platform that can maximize capacity for your expected workloads n Throughput and connection rates at both Layer 4 and Layer 7, and unmatched SSL ECC price/performance—up to 5x n The hardware-accelerated support for ECC ciphers across the iSeries lineup provides a cost effective way to ensure privacy today, and in the future

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