Titans october issue 2017

OCTOBER 2017 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3

THE CHANGE-SPOTTERS AND CHANGE-MAKERS

MR. ESAM KHAMIS ALFALASI, DIRECTOR OF IT, MINISTRY OF ECONOMY, UAE

PURSUIT OF A DIGITAL DREAM

Being the Ministry of Economy of any country is similar to being the epicenter of change. An up and close tête-à-tête with Mr. Esam Khamis AlFalasi, Director of IT, Ministry of Economy, UAE on his Digital dream. /18 BROUGHT BY

THE CRITICAL

INFRASTRUCTURE FORUM 2017 28TH NOV 2017

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

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OCTOBER 2017 | VOL 2 ISSUE 3

THE CHANGE-SPOTTERS AND CHANGE-MAKERS

HATEM HARIRI, GENERAL MANAGER, JUNIPER NETWORKS MEA

COHESIVE FUTURE IS JUST A

‘JUNIPER’ AWAY

Juniper Networks is ushering in a new reality in security, a new frontier for business— which they call as ‘Digital Cohesion’. /24

BROUGHT BY

EDITORIAL

A WALK OUT OF THE BOARDROOM

ANUSHREE DIXIT ASSISTANT EDITOR anushree@gecmediagroup.com

Boardroom discussions are no more what it used to be. The CIO need not bring the topic of security into the boardroom— it is a mandate. So is digitization.

Board meetings for discussing targets, revenues and milestones are so intertwined with digitization that the CIO has seen himself/herself shifting some important chairs.

As customer centricity takes lead, in later 2016 and all through 2017, we could see a majority of CIOs focusing on go-to-market applications that were all tailored to draw in more customers through various medium of mobile, social and commercial media. As more and more business became information-centric or rather data driven there was a rise in the need for improved data storage and disaster recovery models. We saw a great number of BaaS and DRaaS gaining momentum as business took to cloud. The value of cloud has been realized and now the focus in on the emerging realities. The government sector is increasingly going digital. Our exclusive story with the Ministry of Economy is a testament to that drive.

Similarly, focusing on future-ready technologies, our exclusive story with Juniper focuses on the company’s vision to usher in self-driven networks for a digitally cohesive era.

We are also showcasing the mindset and perspectives of some leading CIOs in the town on what digitization means for them and what they expect from solution providers. The inputs definitely convey that the clichés have died and the CIOs are ready to take the discussions out of the boardroom and usher ‘Change’.

Happy reading!

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OCTOBER 2017

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CONTENTS

SPECIAL STORY

10

TRANSCEND STRATEGICALLY, TRANSFORM HAPPILY! Exponential technologies continued to transform the enterprises in 2017. A new generation of workforce is coming in and there is a huge responsibility on the senior management to make space for a new set of ideas as well as some new technologies. So go ahead, and make the change.

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TOP WOMAN LEADER

TOP WOMAN LEADER

TOP WOMAN LEADER

TOP CIO

‘SHARJAH LAND’ CREATED AND NURTURED BY WOMAN’S TOUCH

DR.REEM OSMAN

AYNUR KALAKAN

ABHINAV MITTAL

OCTOBER 2017

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TOP WOMAN LEADER

NOOR AL NOMAN, DIRECTOR OF SHARJAH’S DEPARTMENT OF EGOVERNMENT

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TOP WOMAN LEADER

‘SHARJAH LAND’ CREATED AND NURTURED BY WOMAN’S TOUCH

Noor Al Noman, Director of Sharjah’s Department of eGovernment, is the architect of an inspirational game that engages with the emirate’s youngest stakeholders

There is no disputing that Emirati women are increasingly providing inspirational direction in government departments in the UAE. Figures reveal that female nationals now occupy 66 per cent of government jobs, with 30 per cent holding senior decision-making positions and 15 per cent in place in specialised academic posts.

One such woman leading the way in the UAE’s local government sector is Noor Ali Al Noman, Director of Sharjah’s Department of eGovernment (DeG).

An experienced and accomplished IT management professional, Al Noman has the responsibility of ensuring that DeG meets its remit in the creation of a technology network that facilitates the building of a digitally integrated society. Founded in 2009, DeG is tasked with ensuring the facilitation of the very best information transferal systems for the emirate of Sharjah, including data management and cyber-security in all sectors.

Appointed to her role in January 2014, Al Noman came from a successful background of government IT and consumer interfacing roles, having been Managing Director of IT at Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) from 2008–2012 and Managing Director of Customer Care at DeG from 20122013. Her previous positions saw her implement an array of service initiatives, including setting up a Tier III Modular Mobile Data Centre for the Sharjah Government, implementing a portal that facilitates the easy offering of DeG’s services to Sharjah government entities,

and commencing a community cloud project for improved data storage and retrieval.

Al Noman’s ambitions and experiences have really shone her ability to engage with the very youngest of DeG’s stakeholders – something she has achieved through her development of a unique game ‘Sharjah Land.’ Designed to connect Sharjah’s youth with the principles and social mores of the UAE’s third largest emirate, Sharjah Land is a downloadable game conceived and conceptually overseen by Al Noman to help inculcate the principles of good citizenship in Sharjah’s youth. Initially launched at GITEX in 2016, the game was updated and a new edition unveiled in May this year at University of Sharjah.

“We were being highly effective as an organisation in engaging with other government departments and with adult service users in Sharjah, which inspired us to pursue the mission to connecting these values with the youngest of the emirate’s citizens.” said Al Noman.

Sharjah Land features the personalities Viro, Tina, Unity Captain and Noman – the latter character named in honour after the game’s creator – who live in an interactive digital environment based on the Emirate of Sharjah. The virtual reality world possesses the same contours and features as Sharjah and each of the characters has to use their unique set of powers to stop the influence of a robot that was designed in the 1950s. Stuck in the past, the mechanical throwback tries to stop the land developing and

moving forwards. Working to overcome the negative attitude of robot, Viro is responsible for culture, history and the environment in Sharjah Land; Tina enhances connectivity between its residents; Noman seeks to achieve growth in its vital sectors and Unitiy strives to create for it the best models of education, health, and social services.

With Captain responsible for law and order, the quintet collaborate to build a bright, digitally integrated and sustainable future for their world.

Far from resting on her laurels, Al Noman is busy driving DeG’s agenda of building a comprehensive communication network that efficiently links local government departments for the seamless transfer of electronic information. She is also planning the next edition of Sharjah Land, which promises an array of exciting new features and even greater user interactivity. Although technology inevitably forces updates to the programme, the architect of the game says that its core message will always remain the same.

“Sharjah Land will certainly evolve over the coming years as technology advances, but this will only bring the children who play the game closer to the emirate’s core values. As long as it continues to do this, then we are on the right path,” said Al Noman. With such dedicated heads of government who are committed to engaging with the decision makers of tomorrow, we can be sure that the UAE’s future is in safe hands.

OCTOBER 2017

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TOP WOMAN LEADER

AYNUR KALAKAN IT MANAGER, OEDAS

ORGANIZATION

There are 21 Electricity Distribution Companies in Turkey, we are one of them, for the time being there are 12 IT employees in our team. However, since we are energy companies, we are working with electrical engineers in every unit, and they have to have knowledge as well as IT staff.

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE

I graduated from Marmara University Physics Department in 1989 and then studied computer at Boğaziçi University for 1 year. I have about 28 years of IT career with many different business experiences in different sectors. Prior to my current position, I worked in management positions at IT departments of companies, such asCarrefoursa,KilerHolding,PepsiCOandToprak Holding. Lastly, I work as an IT manager in the Electricity Distribution Company.

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

I see very clearly that technology and the world change rapidly in this sector, which I joined in the early 90’s, and client-server technologies have left their place to cloud technologies and service-oriented architectures. The resistance to the changes still is the same as we used to be in the past. The other important issue is that, there is a male domination in the technology world, especially in the energy sector, as it is in many sectors. But in Turkey and in the world I see a significant increase in the number of IT women executives who have been deciding in the last decade. Overtime, I think that prejudices against women managers in the IT world will be broken and that the numberoffemale managers in decision making positions in the IT world will increase. I think it’s a great advantage in the IT world and in the decision phase that women have more to lean, more on details, and more empathy-driven viewpoints.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS? :

Being an IT manager is not just a technical task. While managing your IT department, you should have knowledge and experience in many areas such as human management, financial management, technology management, IT architecture. But the main

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OCTOBER 2017

point is the technology and to use it! It is very important to act in almost every unit with the latest technology. I believe that those who with a strong technology background and knowledge can manage such a responsibility.

Therearemanychallengesaheadandthebiggest challenge I see is the technology that is rapidly

changing and growing technology.Technology is developing and changing so rapidly and we notice that it is not so mature as it is told us in presentations. Technology implementations is notalwaysservice-orientedaswewant.That’sthe hardestpart.Wemustensurethatthetechnology strategyand the business strategyare aligned in harmony.

YOUR MARKET VERDICT: As world population and economic growth get largerand larger, Energy sectorwillbecome more important as did in the past 150years.Today’s difference is the diversityof sector. New Energysources coming into the market.And newregulations about the energyproduction also new issues to be taken into account. Today IT sector crossing all the business sectors.

There is no sector that can operate efficientlywithout ITapplications. So Energyand the ITis and continue to be as leading business sectors in the future.

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08-12 OCT 2017 | DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

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SPECIAL STORY

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SPECIAL STORY

TRANSCEND STRATEGICALLY,

TRANSFORM HAPPILY! Exponential technologies continued to transform the enterprises in 2017. A new generation of workforce is coming in and there is a huge responsibility on the senior management to make space for a new set of ideas as well as some new technologies. So go ahead, and make the change.

WORDS BY ANUSHREE DIXIT

With several noticeable ups and downs in the IT industry this year, we are all set to bid farewell to 2017 in just a couple of months. Though 2017 has been the victim of the worst cyber attacks one cannot ignore the fact that 2017 also witnessed a number of unimaginable technologies coming to the surface Emerging and exponential technologies continues to shape the world around us in evermore interesting and sometimes unsettling ways.

According to a leading report, with the groundwork of cloud, mobility, data and connectivity laid, the year ahead will see evolutionary advances on many fronts. Digital business transformation remains a driving force for small and large enterprises alike. Those playing catch-up will face growing and potentially new forms of competitive pressures, while those on the right path will have the opportunity to explore advances in areas such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, the internet of things, and inevitably, a few unexpected breakthroughs.

The global IT industry surpassed $3.4 trillion in 2016, according to the

OCTOBER 2017   

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SPECIAL STORY

KEY GITEX THEMES TO LOOK AHEAD FOR The value of the Middle East & Africa AR & VR market is expected to grow from $181m in 2016 to $6bn by 2020 & these transformative technologies are being widely adopted across key industries.

Spending by national, federal and local governments worldwide on technology products and services is forecast to grow from $430.1B in 2016 to $476.1B by 2020

$430.1B

$181m

GLOBAL SMART CITIES TECHNOLOGY

AR & VR

IOT

$6tn

USD 7.8bn SMART MANUFACTURING

The adoption of Industrial IoT solutions in Manufacturing plants regionally using process automation, motion controls, unmanned systems, M2M technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning is the result of a USD 7.8 billion investment in IoT across Middle East and Africa.

Nearly $6 trillion will be spent on IoT solutions over the next five years.

research consultancy IDC. If growth expectations materialize, the industry will push past the $3.5 trillion mark in the year ahead. Robotics, virtual and augmented reality (VR) (AR), 3-D

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printing, and artificial intelligence (AI) are all set to redefine business models. Cognitive technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and speech and pattern

recognition are being embedded in software applications, imbuing big data with superior capabilities. Blockchain, the foundation for the digital currency bitcoin, has enormous implications not

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collaborative workplace. Within the tech industry employment category, IT and software services is the larger employer, accounting for 2.6 million jobs. Telecommunications is the second largest employer at 1.6 million, with tech manufacturing holding the third slot at 1.1 million jobs.

SHAILESH MANI,

SOHEYL KADJANI,

General Manager – Information Systems, Flemingo International.

Head of IT PMO, Al Tayer Group

“From Gitex -2017, Looking for exciting new industrial revolutions and detailed live domos in IT world. Gitex will be an open-ended platform with rapid technological advancements and the new digitisation process which will be open to a new era business process transformation. It is also expected in Gitex to have established and trusted vendors and change instigators who can express their operational excellence and capability to support the business transformations. The experience on latest IT trends and technologies from Gitex will be a great advantage for business heads/technology heads in their future assignments”

only for the financial services industry, but for any company that manages a large amount of transaction data.

BORN AS A MILLENIAL, BORN IN THE CLOUD Workplace technology is a key area of any business today. A workforce survey stated that a vast majority of recruitment heads are finding it hard to attract and retain millennial talent in modern workforce. Millennials have grown up amidst a breathing technology environment and expect the same from their employer and their workplace. Therefore it is very important for the senior generation to

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“We are living in an exciting age within human history. Technology is moving forward faster than ever. There are already a number of disruptive and innovative technological ideas in the marketplace, these are deemed to change the way we will work, do business and live. In my opinion, the hottest disrupters will be big data / data lakes, artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning, and IoT. These trends will impact almost all industries. Therefore, I am looking forward to seeing the latest developments in these areas this coming GITEX”

create a welcoming and secure digital workplace for the millennials to come in.

Gone are the days when finding a job was limited to a fixed salary being credited to your account per month. Today, the new generation who will be entering the workforce in the next 2-3 years are demanding much more. Organization’s brand and reputation, strong career growth and a connected and flexible working environement topped the charts as the most wanted attributes for Gen Z while looking towards working in an organization followed by excellent training programs and a smart and

CREATE YOUR OWN COLLABORATIONS A digital enterprise is an amalgamation of smart technologies, flexible work atmosphere and an equally thriving, transformative and ‘aware’ workforce that not only demands the freedom of choice in regulating their own work environments, but also possess the consciousness to fortify their perimeters of security to evade any unknown threats or malicious behavior.

Let us take a close look into how GITEX 2017 will lay emphasis on some of the key themes that will redefine the way business is working and will work.

SHORT TERM ROLES, LONG TERM RISKS According to recent news, a lot of public and private sectors are considering hiring short term employees to meet the overriding demands of Expo 2020. This raises some serious concerns. First, will the employees coming in be able to adjust to the preset digital environment of the organization? The second question that would arise is, given the fact that the employees know that the tenure is short, will they be cooperative enough to gel with the ideals of the enterprises?

This will also create additional challenges for the senior management to adjust the existing framework to suit these new requirements.

FINALLY We encourage open discussions.

Problems cannot be solved in isolation; be it security, collaborations or welcoming a new generation to the workforce.

Have the will to transform, technologies will gradually find their way.

CASE STUDY

CONNECTIVITY

FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST AIRPORT IN ISTANBUL R&M’s innovative cabling infrastructure will serve as reliable high-performance platform for new airport’s mission-critical IT systems

R&MtheglobalSwissdeveloperandprovider of cabling systems forhigh-qualitynetwork infrastructures, has successfullystarted the delivery and implementation of a cuttingedge network cabling infrastructure for İstanbul New Airport. İstanbul New Airport will be constructed over an area 76.5 million square meters to the north of Istanbul which will be completed in four phases. The first phase will be finalized in 2018 with the opening of two runways and a terminal with 90 million passenger capacity.

Once complete, the new airport will host flying to more than 350 destinations with an annual passenger capacity up to 200 million. On completion of all four phases, İstanbul New Airport will have six active runways, 250 aircraft and parking facilities for 18,000 cars.

With the increased utilization and dependence on IT systems in modern air travel, a high-performance cabling network is the critical platform for airport’s entire internal and external telecommunications plus other operational applications and services.

Michel Riva, CEO of R&M, states that İstanbul New Airport is their biggest project in Turkey and one of thelargest

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globally.

On completion of the first phase, R&M will have supplied a total length of 4,500kms of copper and over 1,600kms of fiber-optic cables.

Leveraging its extensive expertise in large-scale projects for the aviation sector, the manufacturer aims to finish the installation of the cabling infrastructure by first quarter of 2018. This high-performance cabling network will connect and support the key airport systems including its ICT infrastructure for security, police and customs. Each of these systems has required customization of the cabling including specific color coding. In total, the number of installedRJ45 ports will exceed already 90,000 in the first phase of the project, İGA, the company building the new airport, has designed its mission-critical data center infrastructure with R&M’s latest and most innovative products including Netscale, the world’s highestdensity fiber cable management solution. Given the immense scale of the airport, R&M has also supplied its flagship automated infrastructure

management solution, R&MinteliPhy, which centralizes and automates the entire cabling infrastructure. This greatly simplifies management and will allow İGA’s IT team to rapidly and conveniently scale the network as needed.

R&M is at the forefront of innovation in the structured cabling industry and invests approximately 5% of its yearly revenue in R&D. This, combined with the company’s ability to highly customize its extensive product range, has proved to be a decisive factor in the success of the project. Mr. Riva commented that İstanbul New Airport has given the company a tremendous opportunity to deliver their innovative solutions.

In total, 45 different R&M products were selected for this project. R&M assigned a dedicated specialist team to be present on-site throughout the deployment of the solutions.“We have more than 50 years of experience in the ICT market. Mega-projects such as at the İstanbul New Airport give us the opportunity to create real added value by developingcustomized products meeting the specific needs of the customer” he said. “We are committed to deliver the highest Swiss quality.

CASE STUDY

THE NEW ISTANBUL AIRPORT

Ersin İnankul, CIO, İGA and Michel Riva, CEO, R&M Cabling infrastructure typically features 20year refresh cycles, so the reliability of the network is extremely dependent on quality tested products. For a 24-hours business as the Istanbul airport highest reliability is essential as any downtime can significantly impact operations and passengers.” As a testimony to this quality, R&M will offer its 25-year R&Mfreenet systems warranty on the cabling infrastructure deployed at the new airport.

Through its participation in massive projects such as the İstanbul New Airport, R&M is rapidly solidifying its position as a leading cabling provider in the Turkish market. Mr. Riva believes the company’s rich history, impressive customer base and strength across multiple industry verticals will help set new standards for the cabling industry in the country.

Key Selection Criteria for Cabling Partner Explaining his decision to select R&M for the project, Ersinİnankul, CIO at İGA, underlines that İstanbul New Airport will be the largest on the world. The new airport will be the first TIER 3 certificated and completely digitalfirst airport of the world. “We are developing lots of innovative solutions and our airport will be a technological benchmark. We started our work with the cabling as it is the basis for all the running infrastructure. The announcement system, fire alarms, cameras, card access systems, flight management, ATC systems will run on R&M’s fire-resistant copper cables.

Mr. İnankul mentioned that the elimination of signal interference through the transmission and high-performance of the cabling are critical areas wherein the quality of R&M’s cabling is a key benefit. “We didn’t have any problems at the tests we had done at R&M’s

labs at its headquarters in Switzerland, or in our tests in the field. We can therefore run 9,000 CCTV cameras and 3,000 card access sockets on R&M’s cabling system in real-time with confidence that they will be protected against any transmission interference or loss.”

The CIO of İGA also appreciates the incredible support he and his team received from R&M through the entire engagement saying, “They understood our needs and customized their solution according to these. This is the biggest advantage for us as it separates them from the other cabling vendors. Availability, security, modularity, flexibility, capacity and cost-effectiveness have also all been key reasons why our project team choose R&M’s solutions for the project.”

OCTOBER 2017

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COVER FEATURE

PURSUIT OF A DIGITAL DREAM

Being the Ministry of Economy of any country is similar to being the epicenter of change. An up and close tête-à-tête with Mr. Esam Khamis AlFalasi, Director of IT, Ministry of Economy, UAE on his Digital dream.

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COVER FEATURE

MR. ESAM KHAMIS ALFALASI, DIRECTOR OF IT, MINISTRY OF ECONOMY, UAE

“We never say we are close to the vision, because a true vision is one that always evolves. Hence we say that we are aligned to the vision.”

WORDS BY ANUSHREE DIXIT As you walk into the bright room of Mr. Esam Khamis AlFalasi, Director of IT, Ministry of Economy, you cannot help but notice a number of diagrams, plans, charts and flowcharts that boasts of how a highly intricate and well-planned organizational structure should look like.

From vision to roadmaps, from priorities to procedures, the desk of the always elated Director of IT is quite symbolic to the digitization journey that the ministry has embarked on.

Being the Ministry of Economy of any country is similar to being the epicenter of change. Be it breathing ease into the investment patterns, modernizing the economic legislations, regulating the rights of the intellectual property or popularizing the country as a tourist destination, the ministry shoulders a great responsibility to be the trendsetter.

With a cup of Esam’s trademark (which he calls ‘personalized’) ginger lemon green tea, we sit down to discuss the tale

OCTOBER 2017

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COVER FEATURE

To enable clients to submit applications, pay for them, track their application status, get notifications from the employees and receive the trademark registration certificate, we had to develop a smart system that will provide these functionalities but dealing with the limited capabilities IPAS system at the same time, so we had to implement data storing in multiple databases and deal with lots of mappings.

n

n

RECENT PROJECTS

IPAS system needed a smart workflow that makes it easy to change the process with minimal changes from developers. n Needed a strategy to identify changes or actions which were applied to applications on IPAS, and send notifications to the users accordingly. n IPAS web services documentation was poor, with no sufficient examples n IPAS was used in a way that caused agents information to be redundant Could not receive users attachments, so they were all stored manually in papers.

n n n

The clients are no longer required to visit the ministry offices, specially agents, who used to bring a big trolley of paper files and sit at the counter all day long Ministry is no longer required to have storage space for the increasing number of paper attachments Clients can apply from anywhere, using many types of smartphones and other devices n Process the application to the end without the need to contact the ministry personnel

of Esam’s digital dream— A dream that has formed its wings and just needs to take the plunge down the hill to take that flight.

FORTYFYING THE PILLARS Innovation, sustainability and competitiveness comprise some of the key pillars on which the Ministry stands and sustains. “Innovation is at the core of all our services. If we do not innovate, we cannot be competitive and if we are not competitive, we cannot sustain. So everything is connected,” says Esam.

According to Esam, Bitcoin is a technology that will find a firm place in the region to settle, although it is in its very early stages of adoption.

“Cash flow is a very important factor for us. If the cash flows, it means that the economy is doing good. So any technology that can bring ease into the currency models would be exciting for us. A majority of the new generation are inclined towards working in an IT environment, so Bitcoin would definitely fascinate them. We are still in the early

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stage as people have to learn more about it.”

He elaborates on how a report that he received from the cabinet ministry a few days back reflected the unwillingness of people to pay by credit card, instead they wanted to come to the office and pay. “Hence it is very important to set the foundation before ushering any new technology. We have over 140 services in the ministry and I wish to see Bitcoin as a leading one amongst them that can aid the foreign companies looking to come to UAE and opening their branch here.” he adds.

DESTINATION SMART GOVERNMENT, SMART COUNTRY! Yes, you read it right. Smart Country it is!

While we have been surrounded by the buzz around smart city since the past few years, it is very interesting when someone talks about building a smart country. “We are definitely working towards making the cities or the emirates of the UAE smarter, but I

Eservices ProjectTrade Marks

Challenge

Benefits

do not want to look into the concept in isolation. We are a nation and we stand together, hence Smart Country. All our plans and process are aimed in that direction.”

Esam says that moving all the existing services to become smart services would be the most important step towards that. “We are in the process of reviewing all the process to integrate with ‘A,B,C’ organizations. By 2018, we should be in a good position to align all these services with the vision of smart city.”

SPREADING THE RED CARPET OF SERVICE Giving Red Carpet services for everyone is the ministry’s vision.

“Regardless of who the customer is, he/she will be treated as a VIP. As the IT department, this is our aim.”

While talking about the difference between a digital government and a smart government, Esam tells us that, a smart government is one that relates to customer satisfaction. A digital

COVER FEATURE

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government brings in the stakeholders along with the customers. “A great example of this can be seen in our foreign trade and tourism policy.”

When a tourist comes to this country, what is important to you? Esam asks.

“You not only want the tourist to spend money, but also to be compelled to come back and set up his business here. So being the Ministry of Economy, how can we enable this? Hence our vision here is to give them a portal that is easy and comprehensive to be used by people residing outside this country where they can apply for the trade license, choose which zone he wants to live, which school his kids can go to…etc.

By the time he comes here everything is ready.”

He adds that there is a lot of integration that goes into it but the most important thing is that, everything is ready before you come, and this is Digital Economy.

“We will have some reports of the investors as well. It is about reading your mind before you can think and then putting all the formulas together.”

Easy to manage

EXPECTATION FROM THE SOLUTION PROVIDERS There are some intense projects that the Ministry is working upon and they have been approached by a lot of vendors and service providers. “Yes, we have been approached by various solution provider. We are all trying to bring in the paperless environment which means data is the most important thing for me now. At the same time there are also a number of attacks happening. So we have been approached by many vendors who are focusing more on open data, smart depot and security.”

“Most of the companies are offering cloud services but they are missing out on the golden rule here; I cannot put everything on the cloud. So they have to think about the private cloud from the policy perspective. When I ask them where the data would be hosted, the answer is mostly US or some other region. My answer to them is no. We need localized service providers.”

According to Esam, there may not be

High availability

many vendors who can meet their requirements. “Here at the Ministry we are working on some formulas that are all directed towards 2020. Our initiatives are clear and we expect the same clarity from the vendors. Rather than just selling the solutions, they should come and brainstorm with us on the offerings and how we can align them.

We wish to see more roundtables happening in light of this. I would also advice the vendors to go back to the basics and check the visions of the UAE. Rather than focusing on multiple verticals, they should choose one sector and provide solutions tailored for that sector.”

PURSUIT OF THE DIGITAL DREAM For Mr. Esam and the ministry, the agenda is clear. ‘Smart’ is the road and ‘Digital’ is the destination. The one thing that would be worth waiting for would be how 2020 will polish the wings and what table turning growth we will witness in the couple of years left.

OCTOBER 2017

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INTERVIEW

DESIGNED FOR ULTIMATE CONTENT CONTROL

Accellion’s secure content collaboration platform, kiteworks, provides a secure governance perimeter around an organization’s most sensitive content, whether it resides on-premises or in the cloud. Easily accessible from email, the web, or a mobile device, kiteworks integrates with an organization’s existing security infrastructure, applications and workflows, to safely deliver content quickly and efficiently.

Accellion’s secure content collaboration platform, kiteworks, provides a secure governance perimeter around an organization’s most sensitive content, whether it resides on-premises or in the cloud. Easily accessible from email, the web, or a mobile device, kiteworks integrates with an organization’s existing security infrastructure, applications and workflows, to safely deliver content quickly and efficiently.

With Accellion kiteworks, organizations can meet their most critical governance requirements, both through certified compliance with standards like FIPS 140-2 and FedRAMP; as well as by providing detailed audit logs to demonstrate compliance with regulations like HIPAA, FISMA and SOX. Policy controls provide granular access privileges, segregation of duties and the ability to meet data sovereignty requirements for regulations like GDPR. A CISO dashboard and detailed reporting provide organizations visibility into

SAPAN AGARWAL, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, ME AT ACCELLION

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OCTOBER 2017

where data is stored, who’s accessing it and what’s being done with it.

Designed from the outset to provide the highest levels of content protection, kiteworks is a hardened virtual appliance that can be deployed on premises, in a hosted private cloud, or in a hybrid cloud model. Customers have full control of their encryption keys, and therefore full control of their data. Integrations with security technologies like Single Sign-On and 2- or Multi-Factor Authentication; Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Advanced Threat Protection (ATP); Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and log analysis tools, allow organizations to leverage investments in their security infrastructure.

Accellion’s solutions are used by more than 15 million users and 2,500 of the world’s leading corporations and government agencies.

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COVER STORY

HATEM HARIRI, GENERAL MANAGER, JUNIPER NETWORKS MEA

24

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COVER STORY

COHESIVE FUTURE IS JUST A

‘JUNIPER’ AWAY

Juniper Networks is ushering in a new reality in security, a new frontier for business— which they call as ‘Digital Cohesion’. In Juniper’s words, an era where multiple applications self-assemble to deliver new, predictive services that continuously adapt to your behavior, enabling better decision-making and enriching our personal and business lives.

WORDS BY ANUSHREE DIXIT

Security re-invents itself in numerous ways. Organizations need a vision to look up to; they need mandates to follow; they need protocols to be set. Security, as we all know, cannot exist in isolation.

Cognitive technologies like machine learning and emerging realities in artificial intelligence and autonomous applications heavily governed by business intelligence are creating an environment of its own where security will no longer be a solution to be deployed. Security will coexist. Juniper Networks is ushering in a new reality in security, a new frontier for business— which they call as ‘Digital Cohesion’. In Juniper’s words, an era where multiple applications self-assemble to deliver new, predictive services that continuously adapt to your behavior, enabling better decision-making and enriching our personal and business lives.

SECURITY IN SYNC Juniper Networks in envisioning a future with self-driving networks.

The threat landscape is evolving at a magnanimous scale. Networkvectors are at constant threat. Sowhat canwe sayabout self-driving networks. I threwthis question across to some CIOs to see what their expectation or understanding ofthis conceptwould be like. From alltheirresponses, one thingwas evident-Affirmity. Though 4 out of the 5 believed the concept is still in its very early phase, they could see it becoming a favourable reality in the next 2 to 3 years.

According to them, this technologywould be a bit complex to be deployed on the existing architecture , but will be a great advantage for new data centers.

“IT security is intimately tied to the network, as much as the network is intimatelytiedtobusinesstransformation,”saysHatemHariri,GeneralManager atJuniperNetworks.“Thebiggestchallengesfacedbyenterprisesinthisspace are the evolving nature ofattacks, the threat surface expanding exponentially

OCTOBER 2017

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COVER STORY

The new Junos Node Slicing servicemodel,partofJuniper’s platform-first approach to networking,enablesoperators to run multiple services or instances on the same router, each of which has a separate administrative domain. This vastlyreducestheoperational complexity of managing end users’ diverse application needs by as much as 60 percent.Additionally,Juniper’s newUniversalChassisfurthers the company’s leadership in disaggregating the network so operators can standardize all routing and switching deployments across data center and the wide area network in a unified platform.

Juniper Networks expects revenue growth for 2017 to be near the midpoint of its long-term model range of 3 to 6%

Juniper’s CloudGrade Networking comprises 4 principles: a platform-first approach, disaggregation, a Self-Driving Network, and pervasive software-defined security

and lastly, that companies are struggling to keep up. Building automated security into thenetworkfabricprovidesenterpriseswith exceptional performance, reliability and intelligence to thwart attacks and minimize

26

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The companies joining Juniper’s existing alliances include market leaders Carbon Black, Netskope, CipherCloud, ForeScout and Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company

the disruption of services.”

With a Software-Defined Secure Network (SDSN)fromJuniperNetworks,poweredby virtualized routing and security elements, automated remediation, real-time

intelligencesharedacrossorganizationsvia thecloud,andmachinelearning,enterprise networks will know when and how to defend valuable data, and infrastructure.

This gives organizations an edge when defendingassetsfromunknownorhard-todetect malware such as ransomware that often leverage automation to proliferate rapidly.

FLYING THE CIOs TO THE CLOUD Cloud has highly powered the digitization journey of the CIOs. It has also forced the CIOs to rethink the way the business, applications and networks behaved and how to churn out success from those.

Juniper’s Cloud-Grade Networking encapsulates the key tenets that organizations need to follow in order to reimagine hownetworks ultimatelyenable them to drive business success. “As the region is quickly being ushered into an era wheredigitalcohesionisparamount,weare keen to offera newapproach that simplifies the ITburden ofoperating a network.Whilst additionally helps our customers find new efficiencies for the cloud era and enables excitingnewapplicationsandservicestobe imagined,” says Hatem.

COVER STORY

CLOUD-GRADE NETWORKING PLATFORMS NorthStar Controller Enhancements: Supports real-time stream telemetry via the Junos Telemetry Interface (JIT) and offer real-time traffic visualization, trending and optimizing at the click of a button.

Junos Node Slicing: Junos OS now supports the convergence of multiple concurrent network functions on the same physical routing infrastructure.

Universal Chassis: This is the first modern cloud-grade chassis that will allow customers to standardize on a hardware platform across their data center, core and network edge.

DRIVING TRANSFORMATION WITH THE PARTNERS “Channel and customer training is one of the key focus pillars for us at Juniper Networks, to add further value to our solutions and product sets, and ensure that partners are equipped with the right expertise before facing customers. Juniper invests heavily in training our channel partners through 1:1 workshops led by distributors or Juniper systems engineers, webinars, online certifications, and certified courses led by accredited third party training centers. On a quarterly basis, we also run training sessions across the region in markets such as Egypt, Kuwait, Kenya, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa and the UAE. This allows us to focus on continuous channel development and enable select partners with detailed knowledge of products and solutions that align with their business strategy by region.”

CONTRAIL SECURITY

2 Professional Services: Continuous network infrastructure integration to make it possible to evaluate new network changes within hours, as opposed to months. Moves network automation from being humandriven to event-driven, enabling network workflows to seamlessly merge with the rest of IT workflows.

Contrail Security is a new microsegmentation solution specifically designed to allow enterprises and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud providersto protect applications running in multiple cloud environments. As organizations continue to leverage the cost and scale benefits of a cloud environment and more businesses build and deploy cloud native applications Contrail Security enables visibility and control with simplified operations driven by consistent, intent-driven security policies that seamlessly interoperate with existing security controls and virtual environments.

Cohesion,wherecompellingmega-services self-assemble to anticipate users’ needs and interoperate seamlessly. In the Middle East, we are already witnessing this vision become more of a reality, with a heavy push towards digital transformation, AI poweredbotsandapplicationstotransform businessoperationsandenhancecustomer experience. It is now more evident than ever that everything is shifting to the cloud.

Enterprise IT is moving apps and data to public, private and hybrid clouds. Service providers are building distributed telco clouds to drive down operational costs and increase agility to better serve their customers,” says Hatem.

THE DIGITAL COHESION MODEL From smarter living, to digital enterprise, cohesion is all about the crucial role that any network would play in defining tomorrow. Keeping the Happiness factor intact along with the complex networks is responsibility that the Digital cohesion shoulders.“AtJuniperNetworks,webelieve in an exciting future era that we call Digital

FINALLY Every reality was once a vision. Juniper’s self-driving networks may be in a very early stage now but the future is definitely bright. The decision makers are ready for the shift and it is only about a matter in time that it catches the pace.

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TOP CIO

VIMAL MANI CISO, BANK OF SHARJAH THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

Protecting the Bank from very dynamically emerging Cyber-attacks targeting GCC Region with focus, which needs continuous forward thinking.

Also the new digitization efforts have brought in its own piece of threats to Banking Industry which is real challenge to address and manage.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Delivering much improved end to end digitized Banking Services for our customers.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS?

We will be looking forward to explore new age disruptive technologies such as Blockchain Technology, Internet of Things (IoT), Data Science, Robotics Process Automation (RPA) etc for improving our ongoing Banking Operations and its security posture.

YOUR MARKET VERDICT

New technology trends in market are really proliferating in a supersonic speed. The combination of new age technologies such as Blockchain and IoT Technologies is being recognized as a winning adoption by many of the global organizations such as Boeing which is leading an aviation sector business house. Adoption of these new age technologies will for sure improve decision making and transform the way how business is being run till now. For example Blockchain Technology is expected to transform the entire Banking & Financial Services by bringing in huge changes in critical banking processes such as Trade Finance, Settlements, and Customer Services etc. Data Science and Analytics Technologies will help the CXOs in taking mere accurate business decisions based on which new investments can be effectively planned.Overall the newly emerging technologies in market will streamline/ transform the business operations and give a much improved customer experience which is critical for sustaining the business with profits.

THE TITANS 

  OCTOBER 2017

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NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE 12 Years

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN

Managing people, their expectations and response while rolling out new technology. Here one needs to be transparent with outcomes, present disruptionaspositive,andeducatethe stake holders and business drivers.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Embracing & appreciating technological shift by leadership first and then it flows to the rest of the organization.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS?

Customer journey should be addressed,supportedandserved.This starts from the face of the business which starts from Business Portals, CustomerSupportCenterorEmployee soft skills attending customers’ requests, that’s makes this whole journeytoanexperiencetoremember and cherish.

YOUR MARKET VERDICT

More than technology I would like to see people appreciating and making a positive use of technology.

We already have very powerful disruptive technologies in the market, businesses & leaders need to utilize them effectively to bring business insights.

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OCTOBER 2017

TOP WOMAN LEADER

LUMA BOURISLY

GENERAL SECRETARY & FOUNDING MEMBER, KUWAIT BUSINESS COUNCIL/ FOUNDER & CREATOR OF KOOT.COM

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE 27 Years

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN Every phase in a business lifespan has its own challenges. In the earliest days of building a business one starts putting all thoughts on a drawing board. Then comes testing every part of this business plan, changing, improving and sometimes replacing. Once the target audience, the need, the product and service mechanism is identified, then a target becomes clear and the ship sails. I don’t believe there is a point where all challenges disappear.

But with a strong believe in the business model, a dedicated experienced team and a great amount of flexibility, the journey can become much more enjoyable.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Digitization is the translation of offline text, images, or sound into digital form. As an e-commerce business, it’s essential that we make the digital shopping experience even more seamless and pleasant than the offline one. This doesn’t just mean doing the same things online as we do offline. It means going above and beyond in providing content catered to the audience.

It means using data to find the best moment and method to touch base with a customer.

Although the digital is a huge part of it, we also make sure the offline is enjoyable, and enrich all the senses when we can.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS?

Data and data analysis are key to providing an experience tailored to each individual.

Accessible data analysis tools that bring together online and offline behavior would be of great benefit to e-commerce businesses.

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OCTOBER 2017

YOUR MARKET VERDICT

We’ve witnessed a clear shift in the market’s foundation as a result of the change in customer’s shopping behavior especially with the widespread of smartphones over the past 5 years across the world. Mobility has become a preference for all customers.

This has lead businesses, especially in the retail and services sector to change its core business models to accommodate this behavior shift. With this shift, we’ve observed once known as retail giants experiencing real challenges to survive. While other businesses, which invested in R&D and were more flexible in accommodating digital transformation, survive and thrive. Sometimes, it’s difficult for a successful business who saw the glory of year on year growth and profits to change its business model.

After all, if something is working, why change! This is the very mistake that made some brands such as Fuji and Nokia vanish. Needless to say, we’re observing a big retail melt down and were shocked with Payless, J.C. Penney, RadioShack, Macy’s, and Sears outlets closing down due to huge losses. What did these giants do wrong? Well they kept a blind eye to what’s really going on: people are simply preferring buying online.

Being in the online shopping space will not automatically promise glory. There’s a lot of dynamic factors that need to work well and work together seamlessly. If the business is not sensitive to customers’ lifestyle, needs and behavior, it too is doomed to fail. Online shopping needs to maintain happy customers. How? With a simple and fast online shopping journey. With several options of payment. With a fast and efficient delivery service. With a personalized relation with the customer online and offline. After all, the business should not talk and behave like a business, it needs to be a close friend that is eager to offer the best deal and a unique product.

Get the competitive advantage.

Align your business goals with Digital Transformation

Meet us at Gitex 2017 Transcend your Digital Transformation Journey 8th - 12th October 2017 #704, Hall - 7, Dubai World Trade Center Arena, Dubai, U.A.E. 300+ Professional Team | 200+ Enterprise Clients | 30+ International Awards 20+ Nationalities | 10+ Global Locations

TOP CIO

RAMKUMAR VALLIAPPAN SENIOR IT MANAGER, DUBAI OPERA LLC

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE

More than 10 Years in IT Industry

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

Coming out of comfort zone: Opera concept is bit new to this UAE region. To maintain high standard customers service is quiet challenging. This can be achieved with a constant challenging of our own comfort zone and delivering new things.

IdeatoExecution:Ideascanbecome successful, if they get executed as they are born. Execution of these innovative ideas needs highly intellectual teams.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Digitalization should have solid focus on Customer journey and simple just as simple as a click of button; Digitalization should have strong back end or brain that then helps to analyze and get detail business insight to an operation team.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS?

Technologies that focuses on following 3 main business pillars 1. Customer services (kiosk / touch screens/web journey) 2. Marketing(e-commerce), and 3. Productivity (BI tools)

THE TITANS

EXPECTATION FROM SOLUTION PROVIDERS

To be a perfect Business driven technology partner who can understand both business needs and IT Gig talks, and who is able to build customized business solutions that can ease operation challenges enabling stake holders have value added returns.

OCTOBER 2017

Discover it – the new world of IT solutions.

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SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT

NIGEL TOZER

SOLUTIONS MARKETING DIRECTOR, COMMVAULT.

HOW SHOULD A 2017 CIO DESIGN OR DEPLOY HIS BACKUP AND RECOVERY ARCHITECTURE?

When deploying a backup and recovery architecture, a CIO needs should consider a comprehensive data platform from a single vendor as opposed to a multi-product/vendor approach which limits agility and potentially increases unplanned downtime. The more products involved in backup and recovery, the slower and less agile the system becomes. A 2016 IDC worldwide survey titled ‘Quantifying the Business Value of Commvault Software: Worldwide CustomerSurveyAnalysis’revealed that enterprises employing a single platform approachtobackupandrecoveryexperiencedup to 55% less downtime than those making use of multiple products/vendors.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW VM BACKUP AND RECOVERY SOLUTION AND HOW IT IS IDEALLY CRAFTED FOR THE MODERN ENTERPRISES? Commvault’s VM backup and recovery solution is ideal for the modern enterprise because it provides end-to-end VM backup, recovery and cloud management and creates a significantly better way to build, protect and optimize VMs throughout their lifecycle. Commvault’s single software solution takes the complexity out of managing VMs and provides an array of benefits including, VM recovery with live recovery options, backup to and in the cloud, custom-fit data protection for every SLA, the broadest hardware snapshot management, and workload portability across physical, virtual and cloud platforms.

Modern businesses need predictable and scalable recovery systems, that will protect their applications and data regardless of the infrastructure they run on.

HOW DOES YOUR RPO/ RTO COMPETE WITH OTHER SOLUTIONS IN THE MARKET?

Commvault is able to provide the RPO/RTO businesses require in a numberofways, eitherby leveraging array snapshots or by using blockcapture with an almost unlimited number of recoverypoints, and even super-smart synthetic backup technology. In the event of a failure,VMs

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OCTOBER 2017

can be reverted instantly to a working state, or in the event of a more serious failure can be started inside the dedupe backup store while they are being recovered. Additionallywith Commvault,

organisationscanensuretheirdataisrecoverable andaccessiblefromanyon-site,datacentre,cloud or end point location, minimising data recovery costs.

WHAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY OR PARTNER INTEGRATION HAVE YOU EMBARKED UPON TO MAKE YOUR SOLUTIONS CUSTOMIZED FOR THE CUSTOMERS?

Commvault has a vast array of partners and offers numerous customized solutions to its customers. Just to name a few, Commvault has well over 50 cloud storage platforms certified, more than 100 array models, support for over a dozen VM and container systems, and public cloud and SaaS integration in addition to support for most applications and operating systems.

Commvault supports the latest flash, HCI, public cloud technologies, and has partnershipswith vendors such as HDS, Pure, Nutanix, Cisco, Fujitsu, NetApp and HPE on the hardware front and, Amazon, Microsoft and Oracle (plus SaaS) on the cloud front.

REGISTER FOR A MEETING ON

TOP CIO

WAEL OTHMAN

CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF IT & BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, ROTANA HOTELS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION PJSC

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE

22 Year of Experience in Hospitality Industry Over Middle East, Europe & Africa.

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

Cloud TechnologyTransformation is a very challenging phase, as businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the multiple benefits cloud computing can have in terms of efficiency and profitability.

Whether it’s private, public, hybrid or a mix of various cloud computing models, the cloud technology is now used by at least 70% of Hospitality Organizations, according to IDG Enterprise’s 2016 Cloud Computing Executive summary. The figure is expected to grow further.On the Corporate level,In Rotana, we are carefully weighing the pros and cons of the said transformation phase, some challenges rise before, during and after the transformation process, i.e. n INTEGRATING ESTABLISHED SYSTEMS n CHANGING THE COMPANY CULTURE n CHOOSING THE RIGHT CLOUD VENDOR n AVOIDING VENDOR LOCK-IN n IMPROVING CLOUD SECURITY n LIFECYCLE AUTOMATION AND KNOWLEGD MANAGEMENT n FIXED vs. VARIABLE COSTS n CONTROL SENSETIVE AND PROPRIETARY DATA ON EXTRENAL ENVIRONMENT

Our expectations are evolving a rapid pace of using digital technology and enable the customers to be more connected, more informed and more immediate in acting.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR WHAT TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION MEANS: OR SOLUTION WOULD As known, Digitization is a step change YOU BE LOOKING INTO even greater than the internet. Exponential TO IMPROVE YOUR technology advances, greater customer power and increased competition mean BUSINESSOPERATIONS? all hospitality industries face the threat of commoditisation. The winners will act now, and build a strategic advantage that leaves their counterparts wondering what happened !

Digitization in my organization means the importance and impact of digital technology to reduce transactional friction to increase the level of competition, exerting downward pressures on revenue and profit. Digital penetration currently stands at 44% for the travel industry, behind healthcare, high-tech, retail and media.

Rotana Hotels Management “Progression Plan of Digital Technology” continues to raise expectations and alter customer behaviors. Customers are becoming increasingly empowered and discerning with the wealth of information available online.

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OCTOBER 2017

BI Solutions, Rotana Hotels Management is embracing business intelligence (BI) and, by doing so, reaping many benefits. By using analytics and big data, at both Corporate & Hotels Levels we are able to better analyze booking patterns, performance of

YOUR MARKET VERDICT

promotions and advertising, and measure customers satisfaction.

BI Analytics has revolutionised the way Hotels around the world optimise their revenues. And by doing so, they not only increase revenues but also significantly enhance relationships within the entire chain.

The potential impact of analytics on other aspects of the hospitality industry is also enormous.

The ultimate goal of Business Intelligence deployment. Besides the revenue optimisation, every other function should be armed with analytics capability. Marketing, Operations, Investment, or CRM can all benefit from a fully-embedded Business Intelligence system.

2018 should be the year hotel companies think beyond the “what” of technology innovation and proliferationthe shiny devices, applications, and capabilities, and understand what technologies customers are ready to adopt, and what experiences will drive to real value.

Hotel companies must envision the customer experience they want to deliver. Then, they can explore the technology options best suited to support their goals. Should companies resist the urge to invest in new technology simply because it seems innovative?

Stop the Most Attacks CARBON BLACK.COM

MY OPINION

‘BANKING’ ON IOT “Customersexpect highest levels of digital security from their bank, with any possibility data breach or security threat posing a major problem to banks in the IoT era. It is a trust issue.”

influence that machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity is going to have on our society, culture and business.

Banks/ FI’s will have to embrace these new IoT-generated data streams to make vital decisions on business lending tostay ahead of the curve.

WHAT DOESA CUSTOMER WANT FROM THEIR BANK? Today’s customers demand focus on convenience and a personalized service whenever possible, evidentfrom mass adoption of online banking, mobile banking apps and, most recently, contactless payment technologies. Service is important to the consumer, and so isinformation security needs. They expect highest levels of digital security from their bank, with any possibility data breach or security threat posing a major problem to banks in the IoT era. It is a trust issue.

IoT has a huge potential in both retail banking and capital markets.

HOW SO?

NITIN BHARGAVA, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER- BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MASHREQ BANK

IOT IMPACT ON BANKING SECTOR

IoT era is expected to disrupt and reshape the world’s economyby integration of technologies leading to time saving, smarter

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OCTOBER 2017

working, healthier and more active lifestyle.

Analysts at Gartner predict there will be 25 billion smartphones, smartwatches, wearables, connected cars and other connected devices by 2020. An amazing forecast which, strongly indicates the

In fast approaching technology disruption, banks will start adopting IoT technologies to create instant service, more engaging and context-aware customer rewards, or generate more intelligent and personalized customer cross-sell opportunities, for example. And IoT will help banks to innovate and devise better ways to improve risk management, reduce costs and improve overall operational efficiency.

Access to data for risk management and credit analysis is the primary need for banks. Deployment of sensors and M2M communication represent a new array of data sources that will be potentially utilized in a banking context. These are the few use cases to assert that we are on brink of digital transformation where in IoT is one of the foundational requirement.

To summarize, words of wisdom from Machiavelli, “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” This time is nigh.

@gitextechweek

gitex.com

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AL MASAH TAKES BIG STRIDES TOWARDS DIGITIZATION Ashith Piriyattiath, Group Head- Information Technology, Al Masah Capital Management Ltd on how 2017 served as a catalyst year for the group to get a step closer to digital transformation and his verdict for the 2018 market. the initial 2017.Now towards the last quarter of 2017 there is a new hope with banks investing in block chain investing and crypto currencies, even some of the real estates agencies started accepting payments in the form of particular crypto currencies, few crypto currency exchanges have opened up in the region.

The reliability of IoT information was also a question during the initial 2017 but now arose the new trend.

I hope 2018 will be the year of clarity on certain aspects of digital transformation with the help of proper guidelines, framework, international players data centers in the region etc. This will attract more and more organizations to utilize the benefit of technology trends.

ASHITH PIRIYATTIATH, GROUP HEADINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AL MASAH CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LTD. 2017- A YEAR OF INITIATION OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Beginning of 2016 apprehended with new terms like digital transformation, IOT (Internet Of Things),Cloud, Crypto currency, digital money etc. By 2017, it became the visionary of transformation to reality in the middle east region. Most of the organizations were discovering the possibilities of these transformations into their world of business enhancement. By the second half of the year most of the organizations decided to intercede digital transformation. While the end of 2017 most of the organizations in the region tasted the success.

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OCTOBER 2017

Even though there has been a lot of transitions happening across there happened to be a lack of proper legislative guidelines and framework that made people confused in utilizing these technology to the core. especially when it comes to cloud data centers which is stationed outside the country is feasible for specific segments like healthcare ,banking and academic sectors etc. Most of the big players in the cloud technology do not possess the data centers in the region. This deepened the bizarreness.

Similarly when it comes to crypto currencies and block chain technology, most of the financial organizations in the region are still confused about the legal terms of usage and hence hesitate to enter in to this during

For Al masah Capital Managemnt,2017 was a year of decision making to move towards digital transformation across the group and subsidiaries in line with the vision of utilization of digital transformation the group heavily migrated to cloud platform for data centers, disaster recovery sites.

Also the group started benefiting from the opportunities of online reputation management, digital marketing etc… to enhance the business.

2018 is going to be an year of completion of digital transformation projects and to review the benefits of the same. By the end of 2018 we should in a good position to measure the ROI of all the efforts put in towards the latest trends inn technology. As we have plans to enter into new platforms, eagerly waiting to explore the technology trends to enhance and speed up the business activities and opportunities..

GITEX 2017

When it comes to the region’s largest exhibition GITEX 2017,I am looking to team up with international and local vendors and service providers to enhance our groups digital transformation in the best possible way. Mainly focusing on to cloud platforms , mobility platforms, and utilization of IoT in banking, health care and education verticals.

Keen to understand the international player’s plans in terms of bringing cloud data centers inside the region. Similarly GITEX 2017 can provide more clarity which inturn will help us plan the long term strategy in terms of Digital Transformation.

08 ~ 12 OCT 2017

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

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Visit us at: GITEX Technology Week 2017 Hall # 6 Booth # CLD08

BUILD MORE THAN A NETWORK.

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DR.REEM OSMAN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SAUDI GERMAN HOSPITAL GROUP - UAE

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE 15 Years

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

The most challenging phase in our business is the hospital start up; As a CEO I’ll make sure that our Hospital has a healthy startup, since it will reflect in the whole aspect of the hospital growth including digitization.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Digitization for our organization means friendly user, faster and more efficient completion of daily process that we have.

We give equal focus to technology inventions that have a meaningful and continuous improvement as part of SGH digitization road map.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS? A Smart Dashboard of reliable information to managers and subordinates that will help them ineffective decision-making.

YOUR MARKET VERDICT: Technology will continue to play an important role in making business more efficient along with service reachability to customers. The dependency on technology will be challenging but interesting at the same time.

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OCTOBER 2017

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