Bas Wijne, director of information services, Orbit Showtime Network, NME Networking Professional of the Year.
An ITP Technology Publication Licensed by Dubai Media City
IP SURVEILLANCE
The potential of IP-based surveillance systems
DATA WAREHOUSING
Key considerations for data warehouse deployments
REVEALING THE WINNERS Network Middle East Innovation Awards 2010
JUNE 2010 VOLUME 16 ISSUE 06
0U]LU[VY` ^VUÂť[ THRL H TV]L ^P[OV\[ Ă„YZ[ ILPUN
J SLHYS` YLJVYKLK
>+ :\Y]LPSSHUJL :[VYHNL :VS\[PVUZ Keeping clear records of your inventory is now easy with WD AV-GP hard drives. Capture up to 2 TB of high resolution surveillance data that clearly identiďŹ es every move (and mover) in and around your business. Features include a 32 MB cache, plus best-in-class vibration tolerance and power consumption — making them ideal for 24x7 surveillance systems. And, with our exclusive WD GreenPower Technology,™ you’ll save energy and lower operating costs at the same time. WD AV-GP hard drives. When inventory makes a move there, you’ll be sure to see it recorded here. Clearly.
>+ (= .7
(= /H YK +YP]LZ
>LZ[LYU +PNP[HS >+ [OL >+ SVNV HUK 7\[ @V\Y 3PML 6U 0[ HYL YLNPZ[LYLK [YHKLTHYRZ PU [OL < : HUK V[OLY JV\U[YPLZ" >+ .YLLU7V^LY ;LJOUVSVN` PZ H [YHKLTHYR VM >LZ[LYU +PNP[HS ;LJOUVSVNPLZ 0UJ 6[OLY THYRZ TH` IL TLU[PVULK OLYLPU [OH[ ILSVUN [V V[OLY JVTWHUPLZ 7YVK\J[ ZWLJPĂ&#x201E;JH[PVUZ Z\IQLJ[ [V JOHUNL ^P[OV\[ UV[PJL Â? >LZ[LYU +PNP[HS ;LJOUVSVNPLZ 0UJ (SS YPNO[Z YLZLY]LK 6UL NPNHI`[L .) $ VUL IPSSPVU I`[LZ 6UL [LYHI`[L ;) $ [YPSSPVU I`[LZ ;V[HS HJJLZZPISL JHWHJP[` ]HYPLZ KLWLUKPUN VU VWLYH[PUN LU]PYVUTLU[
:' &O
O 5
G G
L GG
$0
In brief 2 The latest news from the IT infrastructure sector, including Juniper’s CEO on Cisco, American University of Sharjah video deployment, Cisco Capital deal, EMC VPLEX, Aruba buys Azalea, HP on Innovation Gridlock
NME Innovation Awards 20
The sixth annual Network Middle East Innovation Awards recognized the leading projects, people and companies in the regional ICT infrastructure sector.
In depth: Intergence 13 Peter Job, CEO of Intergence Systems explains how the company is helping customers to get the most from their infrastructure.
In depth: Juniper 17 The march to virtualisation brings with it its own security challenges, says Juniper’s EMEA Network Strategist Trevor Dearing.
Expert’s Column 35 Cloud computing places certain requirements on corporate networks, says Lionel Reina of Orange Business Services.
38 Abhijit Pendse of Cedar Management Consulting International discusses key strategies for data warehouse implementations.
Contents
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
1
I Spy IP Surveillance 28
The uptake of IP-based surveillance systems is growing in the region, bringing both new applications and demands on the network.
AUS rolls out video services Implementation
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
In brief
2
Sindhu says that customers are afraid of getting locked in to Cisco solutions.
Juniper CEO questions Cisco UCS strategy Industry The founder of Juniper has lashed out at arch-rival Cisco at its EMEA press summit, claiming that Cisco’s Unified Computing System initiative is too ambitious to achieve. Pradeep Sindhu, director, founder, and vice chairman of the board, also believes customers are rejecting the technology, preferring to stay vendor neutral. Juniper is still hard at work on its own multi-year Stratus Project, which aims to ‘flatten’ datacentre networking into a single layer, making infrastructure less complex to administrate and implement. Sindhu says planning for the project started as far back as 2006. “We started the conception of the Stratus project in 2006 and started earnestly the design work in 2008. It took us two long years of trying to understand the
problem, figure out what role Juniper could play. Juniper is a pure-play networking company we don’t want to build computers and storage devices,” he declared. For Sindhu, Cisco’s solution of building its own servers in addition to its current range of networking gear is an unwieldy solution: “This problem is insanely complicated, and for any company to think that they can solve the problems in computing and storage as well as people who specialise in the [individual technologies] is a tall order. They’re trying to bite off more than they can chew – there’s no question in my mind. “You’ll end up with average solutions. If you look at UCS for example, it completely misses the problem of large-scale organizations. It’s a solution
which is intended to solve Cisco’s problem, which is: how do you increase your revenues? It doesn’t solve the customer’s problem, it forces the customer to get locked into Cisco solutions,” he added. Sindhu says his customers have not expressed an interest in UCS. “My discussions with customers is that they want to run away as fast as possible. There is one attraction [of UCS]: you have a one-stop shop. But the opposite of attraction is really the fear that they’re going to get completely locked into a proprietary and old solution. That’s the fear that’s being realized as we speak,” he said. Juniper execs at the event declined to set a date for when products and services based on Stratus would be available, beyond general availability in 2011.
NME Awards recognize industry leaders Industry The leading individuals and companies from the Middle East IT networking sector have been honour at the Network Middle East Innovation Awards 2010. Nearly 200 IT managers, vendors, channel partners and service providers attended the awards, which recognized the best projects, individuals and
companies operating in the IT infrastructure sector in the region. The awards, which are now in their sixth year, were presented at a gala dinner, held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Dubai. “The NME Innovation awards are the longest running awards for the networking sector in the Middle East, and they represent
the very best that the region has to offer. The quality of the projects that were nominated, and of the companies and individuals, stand as proof of the levels of expertise and professional standards that are to be found in the industry in the region today,” said Natasha Pendleton, publisher of ITP Technology group.
The American University of Sharjah (AUS) has introduced a range of new video services for teaching and information, with the deployment of the Cisco Digital Media Suite (DMS). The University, which is the first in the UAE to roll out DMS, is using the system to distribute lesson content, to provide visual networking and to deploy campus-wide digital signage. The DMS platform, which utilizes video, IPTV and digital signage, allows AUS to deliver a range of live and on-demand lectures and other educational content to students, anywhere on campus, and also enables video collaboration and the delivery of richer lesson content. AUS is also the first university in the Gulf to use Cisco Show and Share social video system, which enables ‘visual networking’ whereby students and teachers have access to a library of video content, which can be shared, to complement lessons. Students will also be able to create content using the Cisco MXE 3000 Media Experience Engine. George J. DeBin, vice chancellor for finance and administration, American University of Sharjah commented: “Today, video is increasingly becoming one of the most important forms of communication and entertainment both in the UAE and globally. At AUS we realize the benefits of bringing digital media into the classroom and the campus environment and Cisco’s Digital Media Suite will provide the university with the capability to utilize video communications in order to greatly enhance our students’ experiences as well as accelerate their learning.” DMS also enables AUS to replace traditional signage and bulletins, with video services to deliver schedules, news, emergency messaging and other information around the campus. Wayne Hull, general manager, Cisco, UAE said: “The Cisco Digital Media Suite at the American University of Sharjah is the first step towards helping transform how students learn, grow, communicate, and collaborate.”
7HY $OES "END -ATTER
Smarter. Faster. Easier. Greener. Cooler. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve invested a lot in your enterprise network. Future proof it with Corning ClearCurve OM3/OM4 multimode ďŹ ber. Its increased bend resistance handles the right angles, tightbends and small spaces common in telecommunications closets and data center racks. Fiber that handles like copper. Fiber to the hard to reach places. Finally, ďŹ ber that adapts to the real world. www.corning.com/clearcurve/multimode
Â&#x2C6; #ORNING )NCORPORATED !LL RIGHTS RESERVED #ORNING AND #LEAR #URVE ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF #ORNING )NCORPORATED
#LEAR#URVEÂ&#x2021;
CorningÂŽ ClearCurveÂŽ Multimode Optical Fiber
SAP goes mobile with Sybase deal Industry
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
In brief
4
Emirates has signed a three year deal for a range of Cisco services
Cisco Capital funds first UAE deal Services Cisco Capital, the financing arm of Cisco, has announced its first ever deal in the UAE, which has been done with airline and travel specialists Emirates Group. The Emirates Group has signed a three-year contract, financed by Cisco Capital, to purchase Cisco SMARTnet support services, and network optimisation services. The deal is intended to provide flexible financing to the group, to develop its network infrastructure as necessary. The services will be provided by Cisco Gold partner Gulf Business Machines, as well as Cisco itself. The deal is the first since Cisco
Capital was established in the UAE in July last year, although Cisco Capital was first announced for the MEA region at the start of 2008. Patrick Naef, divisional senior vice president IT, Emirates Group commented: “The Emirates Group is always looking to expand its portfolio with strategic ventures that will enhance its commercial proposition, revenues and reputation. The financing through Cisco Capital will help us to continuously deliver the necessary financial enhancements to our information technology
infrastructure to service our ever growing customer needs and maintain a competitive edge.” “The Cisco Capital financing for Emirates Group marks a major step forward in the way Cisco does business with organisations in the U.A.E. as we increasingly seek innovative new business solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. As a result of this we will be able to build on the existing agreement for future projects and solutions, enabling the Emirates Group to proceed with future projects jointly with Cisco,” said Wayne Hull, general manager, Cisco, UAE.
Region lags behind on project management Industry Companies in the region are lagging behind on the use of proper project management tools and expertise, according to project management specialists Collaboration, Management and Control Solutions (CMCS). The company recently completed a Middle East survey which highlighted a wide range of reasons for project failure, with improper planning and methodology cited as the leading cause of failure, with 78% of respondents saying it is an issue. Other causes of project failure included lack of communication (75%), and unrealistic target
completion dates (67%), identified inadequate commitment and involvement from senior management (59%), insufficient budgets and resources (56%), too many assumptions and unknowns (51%), project politics and conflicts (38%), lack of set targets or measurable results (45%), and wrong project teams (27%). CMCS said that the results reflect a region-wide under-investment in project management tools and a lack of skills and training. “The downturn revealed a lot of flaws in the way the region manages its projects. By this time project-based businesses should
have already learned their lessons, and yet our survey results show that many still adhere to poor practices and either delay or avoid key project management investments,” said Bassam Samman, CEO and founder, CMCS. Other factors identified as causing problems were lack of motivation and control of the project team, insufficient risk analysis, weak IT infrastructure, slow decision making, lack of alignment with strategic goals, delays in engineering and procurement, wrong choice of contractors, design changes, and economic instability.
SAP has announced its intention to buy database and business software company Sybase, for $5.8 billion in cash and stock. SAP stated that the main benefits of the deal will be in using Sybase mobility solutions and expertise to deliver SAP applications to mobile devices. “With this transaction, SAP will dramatically expand its addressable market by making available its market-leading solutions to hundreds of millions of mobile users, combining the world’s best business software with the world’s most powerful mobile infrastructure platform,” commented Bill McDermott, co-CEO of SAP and member of the SAP Executive Board. The deal will see Sybase continue as a standalone business unit, retaining the Sybase name and the company’s management. Product roadmaps for both companies will continue as planned, and both companies’ R&D teams will remain intact. Sybase has a portfolio of access, management, development and security tools as well as a variety of mobile messaging service, focused on the enterprise. SAP says that it will use this portfolio to extend the reach of its applications, driving further adoption of SAP applications and adding value to existing users. Sybase mobile platform is also able to deliver a range of other business applications to mobile devices, and its messaging network connects to four billion mobile subscribers through over 850 operator relationships around the world. Sybase also brings greater expertise in analytic, primarily for the financial sector, which can be extended to SAP applications. The deal will also give Sybase access to SAP’s in-memory database technology, which uses main memory for computer data storage rather than disk storage mechanism, for faster performance, to enhance Sybase’s core database business. Analyst response to the deal was broadly positive, with most seeing good synergies in the technologies held by both companies.
eToken PRO Anywhere is an industry ďŹ rst, delivering:
Achieve what you never thought was possible with SafeNet eToken PRO Anywhere. Expand online services for your customers, provide secure access to partners and suppliers, and enable your mobile workforce with strong certiďŹ cate-based authentication combined with simplicity and ease of use for your users. To learn more, visit www.safenet-inc.com/demoanywhere
t Strong USB smartcard-based security t Plug-and-play simplicity t No software for users to install t Technology that never expires Just imagine the possibilities with eToken PRO Anywhere. Open new market opportunities, conduct business securely, and give your users an easy, intuitive authentication experience. eToken PRO Anywhere. With strong and simple, anythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible.
130, 6WA Bldg Dubai Airport Free Zone 1I t 'BY Email: uae-sales@vistawiz.com Web: www.vistawiz.com
Greenpacket unveils PAN Infrastructure
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
In brief
6
EMC VPLEX will help with the move to the private cloud, says Gelsinger.
EMC VPLEX extends virtual storage Infrastructure EMC has launched a new technology that it says will enable virtual storage to be extended over long distances, to allow new models of distributed data centres and cloud computing. The VPLEX technology will allow companies to non-disruptively move thousands of virtual machines and large volumes of data over distances of thousands of miles, allowing companies to use computer facilities in more cost effective, or disaster resilient locations, and to pool the capacity of multiple data centres. The company says that VPLEX will enable the movement
and processing of data on an intercontinental basis, with implications for cloud computing. “VPLEX is groundbreaking technology and that will change the way data centres are designed and managed. The ability to share, move and access large amounts of data regardless of location is a key element of the journey to the private cloud,” said Patrick Gelsinger, president and COO, EMC Information Infrastructure Products. A key component of VPLEX is the federation of distributed storage arrays, which transparently pools the resources of multiple storage systems, locally and over
distance, and allows them to work together. Federated storage is not only more efficient than its physical predecessors; it also allows IT organizations to aggregate separate data centres and service providers into a single virtual data centre, with federation of compute and storage resources together, manageable as a single resource. The first products to use VPLEX are EMC’s VPLEX Local and VPLEX Metro which are designed to operate within a single site or data centre, and on multiple sites up to 100km apart respectively. Solutions for multiple worldwide sites are planned for 2011.
Juniper aims for data centre simplicity Solutions Juniper Networks has unveiled a new set of software, services and solutions, which it says will enable companies to improve data centre performance, without adding complexity or additional layers to the infrastructure. The new solutions are based around innovations in automation, virtualization and fabric technologies, which Juniper says can cut time to operation by up to a half, and eliminate up to 35% of data centre networking capital expenditure. The company also announced new 10 gigabit Ethernet switches and routers that yield up to a five-
fold and eight-fold improvement in network performance, respectively Juniper aims to allow companies to simplify legacy data centre infrastructure, using its Virtual Chassis fabric, to reduce from three layers to two at present, and in future to reduce to one layer with its Project Stratus fabric. Juniper also introduced four new applications to automate data centre networks. The applications are based on Juniper’s Junos Space software platform, and include Virtual Control software to manage physical and virtual systems from a common orchestration platform; Ethernet Design and Security
Design software to enable rapid configuration and deployment of data centre networks and security policies; and Service Now with Service Insight to enable fast and proactive detection, diagnosis and resolution of network issues. The company has also announced a new partnership with VMware, to use its open APIs for Virtual Control. Juniper also released its new AppTrack software, which has been designed to provide application and user visibility. to better manage data flows and pinpoint bottlenecks, and Juniper Care Plus services portfolio.
Mobile broadband specialist Greenpacket has launched Interact Collabright, a new personal area network (PAN) technology. Built on Intel’s My WiFi Technology, the Interact Collabright will allow users to set up a secure device-to-device network, without the need for network infrastructure. The application allows multiple users to share documents and audio-visual files, chat and share screens for presentations and whiteboard applications. Kelvin Lee, senior general manager of Greenpacket said that advances in wireless technology have made Collabright possible. “Interact Collabright, in combination with Intel My WiFi Technology, innovates information sharing without the need for conventional network infrastructure or expensive AV equipment. With the rapid increase in data transfer, this application which makes sharing easy will be welcomed by users today. Collabright is like a big meeting room connecting people beyond four walls.” he said.
STME bought by Saudi’s MIC Industry Systems integrator STME has been acquired by Saudi investment group MIC. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. STME was founded in 1982 and has a base of over 400 customers across the Middle East and Pakistan. Salah Abu Shaar, who has been appointed as new CEO of STME commented: “The acquisition will strengthen STME’s position in the regional IT sector as we can effectively leverage advanced, well- established and industryproofed solutions. Our role is to help businesses of all sizes to manage, store and protect data effectively and cost-efficiently. We continually assess new technologies and bring them to the region to enhance our portfolio and offer our customers value added services.”
Gartner CIO Academy in collaboration with the University of Oxford
Strategy and Leadership in Turbulent Times 26 – 29 September 2010 Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
Register now—space is limited.
Envision a select group of CIOs … For four days in an
Groups are kept small to ensure
exclusive learning environment with Gartner faculty and
exclusivity and the best possible
University of Oxford thought leaders.
interaction and networking. Go to gartner.com/cioacademy to learn more and apply.
The goals: Share your challenges, elevate your thinking— and return to your enterprise with a renewed perspective and a tailored action plan for success.
gartner.com/cioacademy
© 2010 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Gartner is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. or its affiliates. For more information, e-mail info@gartner.com or visit gartner.com.
Aruba buys China’s Azalea Industry
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
In brief
8
The new solutions are intended to meet the demands of specific applications and businesses, says Kennedy.
Avaya launches ‘fit for purpose’ systems Solutions Avaya has unveiled a new range of solutions which are tailored to meet the demands of modern unified communication systems. The new products are intended to deliver better performance for specific UC applications, with a ‘Fit for Purpose’ approach with systems designed for certain applications and business requirements. Kevin Kennedy, president and CEO, Avaya commented: “The days of the ‘one size fits all’ network solutions are over. The Avaya Data Solutions business is positioned to play a critical role in Avaya’s growth as we lead the industry to ‘Fit for Purpose’ data and SIP-based communications technologies that will redefine the IT value proposition and offer the best
return on investment for business communications.” The new solutions include Avaya Ethernet Routing Switch 8800, which has been designed to help enterprise campuses and data centres to boost capacity to handle UC, wireless and virtualisation solutions; Avaya Wireless LAN 8100 Series 802.11n wireless solution to deliver UC applications to mobile users and the Avaya Advanced Gateway 2330, a flexible SIP gateway to provide voice services for branch locations. Avaya also launched the Avaya Unified Communications Management (UCM), Configuration and Orchestration Manager (COM), a high-density, high-performance and resilient network management application
that is part of the Unified Communications Management (UCM) solution that can more effectively manage multi-user configuration, provisioning and troubleshooting for a wide range of enterprise technologies. Joel Hackney, president of Avaya Data Solutions said: “With the introduction of Avaya’s data solutions, we can help enterprises more easily adapt to business needs by delivering immediate and long term value. With solutions that provide seven times more resiliency, 20 times better performance, 40% more energy efficiency and approximately 50% better total cost of ownership, customers can count on us to improve the value they derive from their technology investments.”
Kuwait ministry switches to Red Hat Implementation Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW) has announced plans to switch its data centre Linux deployment, with a move from Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. MEW will migrate mission critical systems running its Automated Meter Infrastructure and Geographic Information System,
along with HR, business intelligence and CRM applications. The utility, which serves more than 800,000 customers, cited the lower TCO of Red Hat, and its ability to keep infrastructure stable and secure and running to key service levels, as reasons for the switch. Ali AlWazzan, undersecretary for IT at MEW said: “With Red Hat
Enterprise Linux, we’re offered a valuable subscription model, a robust certified ecosystem and high-performance technology to fit our business needs. With a strong Red Hat Linux base, we will additionally be able to investigate future plans to utilize virtualization and cloud computing technologies in our IT infrastructure.”
Aruba Networks has announced the acquisition of outdoor mesh network provider, Azalea Networks, for $40 million. Aruba will pay stock and cash to gain Azalea’s expertise in mesh networks for vertical sectors with outdoor, industrial operations. The deal will include Azalea’s operations centre in Beijing. Azalea’s technology utilises mesh networks, where data packets hop wirelessly from radio to radio, to provide solutions tailored to industries including oil and gas, logistics, manufacturing, mining, petrochemical, public safety, smart grid, and transportation sectors. Hitesh Sheth, COO of Aruba said: “This acquisition brings our customers and prospects innovative new solutions for real-time outdoor applications like video surveillance. Enterprises need a secure, reliable link between their assets and the people who use them, wherever they work or roam. Outdoor networks need to cope with a wide range of environmental factors, and this challenge is compounded when video and voice need to be sent over long distances in real-time. Azalea has made outdoor mesh work in industrial enterprise applications that cut across a wide range of vertical sectors.” Azalea has developed mesh technology to handle video and voice with full fidelity over long distances. The company provided a network of 600 mesh nodes for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, enabling voice, video and wi-fi access over a 19 square mile area. “Joining Aruba opens Azalea’s unique mesh solutions to a broad new set of markets that are underserved by traditional mesh vendors,” said Frank Wang, Azalea’s cofounder and Co-CEO. “It also provides continuity to our existing customers, who are assured of uninterrupted support from Aruba’s award-winning customer care. A tradition of innovation drives both Azalea and Aruba, and this is reflected in the highly differentiated, customer-focused products we build. All of us at Azalea are delighted to be part of Aruba Networks.”
Extreme gets 40 gigabit Ethernet Infrastructure
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
In brief
10
Companies are using budget just to maintain legacy systems,leading to ‘Innovation Gridliock’ says HP.
Innovation Gridlock cripples companies Industry Almost half of all companies are unable to innovate in IT because funding and resources is tied up in servicing legacy systems, according to new research carried out for HP. The worldwide survey of 560 business and technology executives found that 46% of respondents said their organisations suffered from ‘Innovation Gridlock’ – where the business in blocked from driving innovation as the majority of funding is consumed to maintain the existing infrastructure. The companies surveyed on average spent just 30% of their budget on new initiatives, versus 40% on mission critical systems, 30% legacy systems. Half of respondents said that too much budget went to spending on maintain operations to prevent investment in IT innovation, although fears about the economy (53%) was an equally significant factor in not investing. Innovation gridlock cost almost all of those surveyed in terms of lost opportunities, lost time and lost effort from resources. In specific areas, 70% said gridlock stops them from investing in new technologies to meet changing business needs, 64% said it prevented them from creating flexibility in operations, and 58% said it stops them from keeping up with competition. Just under half said that innovation gridlock also stops them from meeting
compliance and regulation requirement or generating rapid change to meet changing business needs. John Hoonhout, managing director of HP Middle East said: “We sampled 560 executives globally, including some in the UAE, and the main finding is that companies are suffering from something we have termed ‘innovation gridlock’, where IT organisations are struggling to introduce innovation, because the majority of their funding, and the majority of their resources are consumed by running their existing environment. “Almost one in two respondents say that innovation gridlock is preventing them from keeping up with the competition, 95% of respondents said that it was causing lost opportunity. Innovation gridlock is real, and it is effecting a big proportion of the industry,” he added. Hoonhout said that HP was looking to address the situation by giving organisations tools and services to create selffunded projects – essentially removing unnecessary costs or resource burdens from existing IT applications and infrastructure, and then using those cost savings to fund innovation projects, without the need to increase current IT budget. “We can help the customer to look at the opportunities to improve their applications,
make their infrastructure more efficient and focus on re-directing investment into innovation areas,” Hoonhout said. To tackle innovation gridlock HP is offering an Applications Modernisation Transformation Experience session, a hands-on service which will show customers how they can modernise, or replace their legacy applications to reduce complexity in their IT environments. HP is offering the first 25 customers who respond the chance to get this assessment for free, while other companies will also be able to access HP’s full services portfolio. Also in services, HP has launched a new Cloud Service Automation software and services solution, which is intended to help clients to assess and plan how they can use public or private cloud computing for greater efficiency. HP is in the process of introducing financial services for the Middle East region, which will provide HP Modernisation Funding Options, to help customers to fund investment in new technology. The initiative also includes the launch of two new HP ProLiant servers, the DL360G7 and DL380G7, which have been designed to increase efficiency and cut costs. HP is further improving server performance through improvements to its HP Insight Control server management software.
Extreme Networks has announced the introduction of 40 gigabit Ethernet (40 GbE) networking solutions to its infrastructure range. The company has launched the VIM3-40G4X, an upgrade which will bring 40 GbE capability to its Summit range of stackable data centre switches. The new introduction is intended to allow customers to access the emerging 40 GbE standard while maintaining their existing infrastructure. Extreme says 40 GbE serves as an aggregation technology, to allow for a smooth upgrade to the greatly increased demands of data centres server performance for virtualisation, storage and other high performance tasks. The VIM3-40G4X will add four 40 GbE connections to Extreme’s Summit X650 Top-of-Rack stackable switches for $3,995, or less than $1,000 per port. The module will bring 40 GbE speeds to all of the features of the Extreme XOS operating system, including Layer 2/Layer 3 forwarding, redundancy and resiliency features such as EAPS.
Brocade focus on vertical sectors Industry Brocade is increasing its focus on key vertical sectors, with new dedicated channel programs for major sectors. The new programs, open to all members of the Brocade Alliance Partner Network (APN), has been designed to help partners to better target major verticals, and to differentiate themselves in competitive markets. The program, which targets verticals including healthcare, higher education, public sector and financial markets, will included end-to-end marketing communications campaigns, special discounts and extended support from Brocade’s channel sales teams, and an incremental deal registration program that provides deal protection for projects that partners bring in.
Celebrating
Years
I N
T O U C H
W I T H
E N T E R P R I S E
A Decade Of Success “Delivering Technology That Builds Business”
www.techaccess.com
Office G01-G03, Building No.1, Dubai, UAE, Ph: +971 4391 - 1820, Fax: +971 4391 - 8875
ITP TECHNOLOGY PUBLISHING June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
Editor’s comment
12
Proving value NME Awards winners represent the best In this issue, you’ll find full coverage of our NME Innovation Awards 2010. In the process of compiling the nominations for the awards, one thing stood out for me while the region still has some high profile greenfield deployments, after 18 months of
organisations have worked in partnership with vendors and systems integrators to get the most out of what they have, or to align a new project with the most pressing needs of their business. Spending trends have affected product development too. Vendors are creating solutions that offer better power management, more automation, better bandwidth usage, or offering add-on services and financing options to their customers. Channel partners are looking at new models of delivery for services, such as cloud computing. For IT managers and CIOs, these offerings are helping them to deliver the systems to deliver best practice and meet business needs, without breaking the bank. It is this sort of value and contribution to their organisations, and to the industry as a whole, that we aimed to recognize with the awards, and I believe that our winners, both for the projects and the vendors, represent those that have achieved this the best. I’d also like to use this space to announce that Network Middle East magazine has a new editor, Imthishan Giado, who takes on the role from June, I’d like wish him well with the new position.
CIOs must deliver systems to meet business needs, without breaking the bank recession, almost every project nomination highlighted the value of their IT systems to the organisation, in terms of productivity gains, new revenue generating services or cutting costs. It is the same story with the vendors - almost every message now is around value, whether it’s a major server vendor, a specialist consultant or a cabling manufacturer, everyone is really talking about solutions which offer real business value or help to manage costs. There may be some vendors who haven’t adjusted their licencing schemes or that want to sell an entire new infrastructure when an upgrade will do, but the most interesting stories of the past twelve months, for me, are those where end user
Mark Sutton Group Editor, ITP Technology
The Middle East’s Leading IT Magazines are read by The Region’s Most Important IT Leaders….. To have your copy delivered directly to your doorstep, SUBSCRIBE online by logging onto http://www.itp.com/subscriptions/
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
In depth
13
Optimal Performance
Fine tuning an existing infrastructure is more technically demanding than a new data centre build out, says Job.
Peter Job, CEO of Intergence Systems explains how the company is helping companies in the region to get the most from their existing infrastructure NME: Intergence have made some in-roads into the region, what is next from you? Peter Job (PJ): This year is an exciting year for us, we have got good growth in the business, there are new products coming out through to October and beyond, and there are lots of other products in the pipeline as well as around cloud computing. We are seeing 2010 as pretty positive, despite some of the gloomy predictions. We are building our own product, that we are launching at Gitex. That has been a two and a half, three year development program. The reason we have done it is because as we were going out, talking to clients about optimizing their infrastructure, we were using our own tools and processes to do that, using best of breed tools, and there were some gaps, where we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really do the job as well as we wanted to, so we were having to do a lot of manual work. Essentially what this does is automates the whole process of optimizing your infrastructure. It covers networks, data centres, security, it allows you to see the whole infrastructure in one place in real time. That will have a green part
to it, if you have things like CPU usage, areas where you might have overlaid applications that are running across the network inefficiently, or if you have bandwidth constraints, which we tend to see across the region, then this will enable you to plan effectively and troubleshoot.
We have ten development partners already, two of which are based in the Middle East, so our commitment to the Middle East is pretty large. The great thing about the product is that it covers any sector, public, private, any types of business that has a reasonable sized IT estate, between 1,500 nodes upwards, that has an expanding infrastructure, across multiple sites as well.
NME: Will this new product be standalone software, or appliance based? PJ: It is appliance based, the research we have done with our clients is that they tend to prefer an appliance. As we move through the cycle, it may well be that people want some flexibility to be able to procure some of the services across the internet, or just download it, but certainly at the moment our view is that customers want an appliance, they want to be able to see it in their data centre, and they want to be able to manage it from that central appliance.
NME: What resources are you putting in to serve the Middle East? PJ: We are up to 14 of us now, a reasonable sized business. We like to think that had the downturn not been quite as severe, we would have been 20 plus now, but we are still quite pleased with the way things are going. We complement that with local people based here, and also we have specific resources that we can get from other parts of the region or the UK.
NME: How will you take that to market? PJ: We are going to be using a number of indirect channels, obviously we have a lot of expertise ourselves, so we will be one of the channels to market.
NME: Are you gaining local customers, or is it still mainly international companies with branches here? PJ: We have been quite pleasantly surprised. We have got the usual suspects, the big
global players, including BT, Cable & Wireless, Reuters, Vodafone, but we have also a number of local organizations that we have signed up. NME: Is it still typically big companies looking at region or international connection? PJ: They are mainly UAE based, mixed with the more international ones. NME: Does that make a difference to what you do for them? PJ: I think that the problems that all of the clients have, whether they are based in Europe, or here, are quite similar, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not an awful lot of difference. They are still looking at things like skill shortages, still looking at areas around data centres, networks and security. Those are the areas where people tell us they are struggling to get good solutions. The optimisation products we have seem to be quite unique, there are lots of traditional systems integrators that would probably do an infrastructure build, but when it comes to actually tuning an existing infrastructure, that is where you start to have to have real specialist expertise.
That expertise can only really come from working in some really exacting environments, whether they be big international service providers like BT or Cable & Wireless, or the big banks, they really want quite stringent processes and procedures in place. NME: Is Intergence mainly involved in existing sites, or are you working on new deployments too – and would you have been able to grow the business if companies weren’t having to make the most of existing IT due to budget constraints? PJ: Even in those areas where there has historically been money to spend, such as new data centre builds, there is still a requirement for the type of services we offer. One particular example is voice readiness assessments, people looking to put in new converged networks. The problem is, even if you go into a new site, very often actually having the know-how to work out if you are going to get good quality voice across your new infrastructure is actually quite difficult to work out. NME: Do you face particular challenges with regional customers? PJ: I think bandwidth is probably number one, followed closely by process. There have been some good moves afoot in the last couple of years to improve good IT process, we are starting to hear more people talk about ITIL, eTOM from a service provider perspective, but I think there is a lot more to do on that, and it is
14 June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
having the expertise of people who have worked in those rigorous environments and are comfortable doing that. Because the region is still very much maturing, some of the resources don’t have that expertise or skills, and that is really where we can add a lot of value in terms not just of the technology, but the processes around best practice and how you implement that technology. NME: Are you providing knowledge transfer to your customers or do you go in, optimise, and then leave them to it? PJ: Knowledge transfer is something which we are very keen on, in terms of how we add value to our clients. Most of our engagements, we don’t want to be saying ‘thanks very much’ and that’s the end of the engagement, we want to be explaining to people how they can get ongoing value from the money they have already invested with us. We had one example recently where a customer was really struggling with his bandwidth, and it turned out that when we went in and put our particular tools and processes into place, the real problem was the number of clients using Facebook, which was slowing down the application. We explained that we could put processes in place that only allowed access at certain times
of day, so it doesn’t then impact the own business. We have shown them how they can keep that upto-date in terms of only allowing access at certain times. NME: Are you finding people in the Middle East to help build your local skills base? PJ: We are finding some good people, but it is a struggle, but that is also the case in Europe, it is no easier. If you look at the bench mark we are setting, it is usually ten to fifteen years experience of designing and building big infrastructure projects. Those sorts of people are difficult to find anywhere. One of the things we are looking at is what can we do with Emiratisation, we are looking
stronger, although I think you will tend to see that same drive for green process change will start to happen here. Wherever you are in the world, there is a move to more effective energy consumption. That will be driven by cost. We are looking at some fairly smart green metering solutions, which will integrate into the new product, to give you real time power output monitoring. NME: Are customers looking to get their infrastructure to certain compliance standards themselves, or do you have to lead them to standards? PJ: Just taking data centre standards, I think lots of people
Having the know-how to work out if you are going to get good quality voice across your new infrastructure is actually quite difficult to work out at the moment to see where that could be used with the product we are developing in the UK. NME: You mentioned the ‘green’ impact of your services, is that in demand here? PJ: It is probably early days here, there is a green awareness, but one of the differences in the drivers between here and Europe is that the costing structures around energy consumption are somewhat different here. The drivers in Europe are much
are aware of the tiering standards in data centres, what we tend to find is somebody here will say they need a tier 3 or tier 4 data centre, but if you were to compare them to European standards, they still have got a way to go, and that is where we can bring our own expertise, and really get them up to the next level. I think there is a willingness to get there, and an awareness of the standards, but it’s not always completely clear how those standards will be implemented.
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
In depth
17
Securing the virtualised environment
Protecting a virtualised environment requires security to be virtualised too, says Dearing.
Companies looking to virtualisation need to consider the security angle, Trevor Dearing, EMEA Network Strategist, Juniper Networks, tells NME. NME: The industry has been very keen to promote virtualisation, but you have been speaking about some of the security concerns – what are those? Trevor Dearing: The cost benefits of virtualising servers is fairly obvious and people are becoming very enthusiastic about that, but some of the challenges are the effect that then has on everything else that you do. Historically, when you created a security policy you would deploy a firewall, and control the flow from this IP address which is that physical device to this IP address which is that user on that physical device. In the virtual space, that goes away and that IP address can be move around, it can appear and disappear; the applications can move, the users can move, things like this. The result of that is you have to do things differently with your security; you have to virtualise the security, and you have to almost turn security into a service. You have to manage flows of data, protect the application, you have to protect the virtual machines,
the hypervisor and things like that and you have to automate the process. So the thrust or the message to the CIO is really before you go rushing down the track of virtualisation, make sure you take the security with you. If you don’t, you could end up in some real problems. The same is true of the physical network infrastructures as well, because if you don’t apply a level of virtualisation to that you end up with just a big mess that’s unmanageable. You need to simplify the hardware as much as possible and make a lot of it more software controlled, so eventually, what you actually want is just a completely simple flat network infrastructure that you can then lay over the top of that, virtual flows based on applications and where users are and things like this. NME: Is Juniper helping companies to realise that? TD: We are making some very powerful hardware that can be virtualised to a huge extent from both security aspects and the network aspect. Also what we have done is open up our
operating system to third party developers and we have done that at several levels, it’s either directly on the box, either directly on the client side and also Web 2.0 interface platform, That means that companies can develop automation software, they can develop provisioning software, they can develop all sorts of applications to make the whole thing work better together. The result of all of this is that all those things that we are doing are driving support for virtualisation, and ultimately cloud. NME: Have companies already made the mistakes of virtualisation or is it a realisation that there could be problems in future? TD: There is a bit of both. People claim that 30% of all new servers are virtualised - I would have thought it would be more than that. To a certain extent I think people have done it in a low risk environment so far, and I think they have done it in a very quite a simplistic way and they have hand cranked a lot of the security stuff. The scalability will grow and
also there is the internal issue if you are virtualising everything, of who owns the storage, who owns the application, who owns the servers? Is it the people that own the server own the virtual machine? The other part that’s next to that is the cloud is a virtual world and there have been some issues, where people have put information into the cloud and the provider they have done it with has gone broke. There is the whole responsibility and the compliance issues around who owns the data, where is the data, how you control it, those things that are going to be important. Hopefully we are early enough in the cycle that people will worry about security, over the last six months I have seen it move up the scale of people’s concerns. NME: Are you seeing a difference between Europe and Middle East, Africa on that awareness? TD: There is very little difference between various parts across the whole Europe, Middle East, Africa region. My personal view
would be that Middle East may be actually a bit ahead because there is not so much legacy infrastructure. We are having the same conversations with CIOs here as we have the CIO as anywhere else. NME: Are the CIOs in the region listening to the message? TD: A lot of CIOs we talk to here are much more hands-on and technically aware of all the issues probably more so than in some of the bigger, multinational organisations, and obviously it is an issue that people are aware of and are concerned about. NME: And what sort of questions are CIOs asking you about this topic? TD: A lot of the questions are about what other people are doing, what skills do I need, and how easy is this to do. It’s very easy to do virtualisation of a server, but the other thing they are interested in, is moving to virtualisation in the network, and whether security will cost more than what they are doing in network and security now. The reality is that the benefits of virtualising security in the network are the same as the benefits of virtualising a server. You end up with less devices to manage, so you are taking cost out the network. NME: We are seeing a few hosted service providers
18 June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
coming through in this region, what does the CIO or IT manager need to be doing to prepare their infrastructure to work with a third party like that? TD: It depends on what sort of service, whether it’s hosted, whether it’s co-lo, whether it’s software as a service, application as a service, platform as a service. If it’s purely hosting where you are using the space, you are extending your domain space into someone else’s building then it’s very easy, you just put your stuff and your policy on that. If they are providing an application, so platform as a service and also you are taking maybe storage, like the Amazon model, then to a certain extent you have the capability to extend your security policy across to them. If you are almost taking it as a piece of wire, the processing is done by someone else, you require a stringent security policy. The challenge with that is historically you would have sort of one point in, one point out of your network and you would stick a firewall and intrusion prevention there and away you go. But because the newer model is to the multiple access points to that it means you have to distribute that intelligence around a lot more,
which sort of means you need to have more intrusion prevention, more powerful firewalls and data leakage protection and all of these sort of software-driven type things. You need to have and manage a consistent policy across that, which might have a cost implication there. Also, while you can outsource
the application, and as long as you can identify those things it becomes easy to define policy. Execution and enforcement of security will happen in more points, so every device will need to be secure, everything will need to be much more tied to tracking the identity of the applications and the users.
A lot of CIOs we talk to here are much more hands-on and technically aware of all the issues, probably more so than in some of the bigger multinationals. IT is an issue that people are aware of. your processing, you can’t outsource your risk, the risk is still yours and you’ve got to guard against that, so you do have to be careful what information you are letting out. NME: In terms of the next trends of virtualization and securing that, how are you aligning to take companies to massive use of the cloud and the more extreme ends of things? TD: I think the key thing is we are providing security and infrastructure. Whatever you are doing, there are three things you need to know: you need to know the identity of the user, the location of the user and
The collation of all that information into some sort of automation process is going to be the key, so, again, we are opening up our operating system for third party development, which will just accelerate the capability to do that. We are doing that not only with our enterprise Ethernet switching but also within the service provider. Technically you could define a policy that goes right across the service provider network as well. I think it will just become a lot more automated so that ultimately whatever device you pick up, wherever you are you have got that secure, reliable access.
,W·V QRW MXVW DERXW ORDG EDODQFLQJ 6XUH \RX QHHG ORDG EDODQFLQJ %XW LW WDNHV D ORW PRUH WKDQ WKDW WR NHHS \RXU EXVLQHVV KXPPLQJ $SSOLFDWLRQ SHUIRUPDQFH $YDLODELOLW\ 6HFXULW\ $UH \RX LJQRULQJ \RXU PRVW FULWLFDO DSSOLFDWLRQ DQG GDWD GHOLYHU\ LVVXHV"
Contact information for F5:
www.f5.com/about/contact
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
NME Awards 2010
20
The winning line up The 2010 Network Middle East Innovation awards brought together some of the leading players in the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ICT infrastructure sector to honour the innovation, technological leadership and commitment to the highest of standards in projects and solutions across the region This year marked the sixth year of the Network Middle East Innovation awards, held to recognize the very best in the network and IT infrastructure sector in the region, and once again, the standards of entrants was very high, reflecting the expertise of the region to deliver world class projects, even in tough economic conditions. Seventeen awards, were presented, split between project awards, for the best deployments in the region; product awards, for the best vendor offerings available in the Middle East; awards for networking channel
players, individual awards for the best networking professional in the region, and the overall best networking vendor in the region. In a close decision, HP was selected as the Networking Vendor of the Year, while Basj Wijne of OSN won the Networking Professional of the Year. An honourable mention also goes to the Department of Finance, Abu Dhabi Government, which won the award for Best Data Centre Deployment, with its project to deliver a high level, multi vendor project to create the infrastructure to store and protect critical data.
Nokia Siemens Networks was responsible for implementing this wireless network, to connect 15 sites across Abu Dhabi’s new F1 circuit, completing the project in a very short time frame, to deliver connectivity across the whole of the circuit. NSN worked closely with telecoms operator du to connect the island circuit to du’s countrywide network.
Best fixed network implementation
Winner: Yas Marina Circuit
Winner: ITE Distribution
This Cyberoam appliance deployment helped ITE Distribution tackle the challenges of managing remote offices and mobile users, cutting spam, boosting network security and improving corporate policy enforcement all while simplifying its security infrastructure at its Jebel Ali HQ and other UAE sites. Pictured: Surender Kumar Bishnoi, regional manager - sales, ME, Cyberoam.
Winner: Roads & Transport Authority
The Government of Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority took home this award, for their new headquarters project, which included taking an existing multi-tennant premises, and creating a large-scale structured cabling network, active network implementation, wireless and voice services, all executed with strong eye for process and procedure. Pictured: Abdulla Ali Abdul Razak Al Madani, CEO corporate technical support services and the RTA team.
Networking professional of the year
Pictured: Kalle Autto, KT Head, du, Khaled W. Saif, Senior manager IBS Implementation technology, du.
Best security implementation
Best wireless networking implementation
Deployment Awards
Winner: Bas Wijne, Orbit Showtime Network
The winner of this award showed both a good range of technical skills and strategic ability to steer the IT side of the merger of Orbit and Showtime, with the seamless migration of both customer databases, customer services centres and back office operation, without losing customer focus. Pictured: Bas Wijne, director of information services, OSN
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6 21
Best wireless solutions range Winner: Meru Networks
Alcatel-Lucent impressed with its wide range of solutions and its strong pedigree in the sector, along with its commitment to technological innovation and R&D at the highest end of the spectrum, and its impressive green credentials. The company also showed growing market and customer traction in the Middle East, and strategic channel development.
Meru Networks took the award for best wireless solutions range, for showing consistent technology leadership in key areas like 802.11n and virtualisation, along with a comprehensive range of solutions and strong placing in key market analytics.
Pictured: Baher Ezzat, head of account sales, Alcatel Lucent
Pictured: Zakir Lokare, regional sales director, ME and Africa, Meru Networks
Best cabling solution range
Winner: Alcatel-Lucent
Best storage solution range
Best fixed network solution range
Company Awards
Winner: EMC
Winner: Leviton
EMC won the award for storage solution range, in recognition of its continued dominance in the storage sector, with depth of range, excellent technological innovation, commitment to industry initiatives, diversity of portfolio and a customer list that represents some of the biggest names in the Middle East across many diďŹ&#x20AC;erent sectors.
In a close field, Leviton stood out with a very broad range of copper, fibre and power solutions, and a strong commitment to technology innovation, holding a number of patents in emerging product segments. The company also shone through with strong local customer testimonials, proving its dedication to meeting customer needs.
Pictured: Said Akar, district manager - South Gulf, EMC
Pictured: Arafat Hasan, Area Sales Manager, Leviton ME
22 June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
Best data centre security range
Winner: Avaya
Winner: Cisco Systems
Avaya won out in a close decision, with the award presented based on the strength of product portfolio, including the recent acquisition of Nortel EBS, diversity of range and vertical expertise. Avaya was also notable for its strength of operations and customer base in the region.
In another closely contest sector, Ciscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market leadership and comprehensive portfolio of solutions, particularly in secure borderless network architecture, saw the company take home the trophy. Cisco also stood out for proven leadership in key market analytic matrices.
Pictured: Roger El Tawil, managing director for the Gulf and Pakistan, Avaya
Pictured: Rabih Dabboussi, systems engineering director, Cisco Systems
Best security appliance range
Best security application range
Best enterprise telephony range
Company Awards
Winner: Kaspersky Lab
Winner: Cyberoam
Kaspersky Lab won the award for best security application range, based on its range of end point protection and wide range of platform compatibility, along with its targeted business solutions to provide protection for specific components of a network.
With a strong, innovative product range, highly rated by analysts for vision, and a diverse Middle East customer base across a range of segments, the award for best security appliance range went to Cyberoam, making a double win for the company in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awards.
Pictured: Tarek Kuzbari, managing director, Kaspersky Lab Middle East
Pictured: Surender Kumar Bishnoi, regional manager - sales, ME, Cyberoam
24 June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
Symantecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong presence in key verticals such as finance, along with comprehensive integration across different network functions to manage business critical data gained it the award for best network and data management solutions range. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proven ability to support business critical infrastructures also counted in its favour.
Best networking systems integrator
Winner: Symantec
Westcon took the award for best networking distributor in the Middle East, based on its focus on understanding and serving the needs of the ďŹ nal end customer, alongside the breadth of its services and solutions to support its partners and a broad portfolio of industry leading vendors. Pictured: Venu Menon, sales and marketing director, WestconME
26 June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
Networking vendor of the year
Winner: Westcon Middle East
Winner: Alpha Data
Alpha Data clinched the trophy, based on the strength and depth of its expertise, particularly in diverse vertical segments, involvement in many top level deployments across the Middle East, and its commitment to delivering new services to its customers across the region. Pictured: Michel F. Harb, business development manager airport systems, Sandeep Nair, networks and telecom sales manager - hospitality, Alpha Data
Pictured: Peter Rae, corporate communications manager, Symantec
Best networking distributor
Best network & data management range
Company Awards
Winner: HP Networking
HP has already made its mark in the networking environment, but with an expanded product range, a growing customer base and strong roadmap for innovative, cost effective technology, not to mention a major merger under its belt, this vendor stood out as the best networking vendor in the region. Pictured: : Gautham Raj, sales manager ME and Africa, HP Networking
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
Up close
28
I spy IP surveillance The switch from analogue surveillance systems to IP-based systems has brought new capabilities to the IT organisation, but IT managers need to understand the requirements of this technology too, writes Piers Ford. The Middle East’s IP surveillance market is booming as businesses rush to take advantage of evolving compression standards that allow them to operate HDTV-based technology across their networks effectively for the first time. One of the region’s main players, Sony Professional Solutions, predicts the Gulf market will break the $100 million barrier by the end of the year. Projects like Aqaba Logistics Village’s recent investment in an IndigoVision HD IP solution to protect its tax-free hub in Jordan are leading the way as organisations exploit the distributed architectures, ease of integration and scalability of a
new generation of IP surveillance platforms. But all this good news for the security manager poses a challenge for network professionals who must accommodate the extra data streams that are heading rapidly for their infrastructures. Many industry watchers say the time has come to let the network manager in on the act as far as commissioning surveillance systems is concerned – and for network managers to ease up on their reluctance to get involved. “Historically, network managers have been typically reluctant to allow video onto their networks,” says Peter Stanton, CCTV specialist
at security product vendor ADT. “This is born out of a huge void in the embryonic stages of IP CCTV between the bandwidth required and the expectations of available resource from the organisation’s network manager. In recent years, the introduction of new, more efficient coding technologies such as H.264, have put this issue to bed, as higher quality video is now achievable with a minimum of bandwidth.” Stanton says working closely with the network manager on surveillance system projects is essential. Whether to operate the system across the corporate network or give it its own private network, how the data is
transported and which network switches are implemented, are all issues central to understanding which infrastructure will suit the network and maximise the performance of the proposed system. “The input of the network manager in the whole process, from design to implementation, is absolutely paramount, as it makes for smoother installation and commissioning, and ensures that they are comfortable with the proposed system,” he says. But as responsibility for the surveillance network shifts into the network manager’s territory, it brings with it a host of additional responsibilities. Brian Sims,
an international surveillance technology expert and editor of the journal, Security Management Today, says the $64,000 question is, how can security professionals ensure that IT practitioners’ concerns are also addressed when positioning IP video surveillance solutions? “Capacity and storage are probably the two major concerns of the network manager,” he says. “How will they deal with increased data over their network? What are the storage implications of video and audio created by surveillance systems? And without doubt, there will be network security questions surrounding the transmission and storage of IP video images on the corporate network, and to remote sites. Sims says compression technology should reassure resistant network managers, simply because they allow such a significant reduction in file and data stream size, and video files can now be shared across the network without impacting on capacity or compromising image quality. The latest standard - H.264 - can reduce bandwidth and storage requirements by up to 80% compared with Motion JPEG format, and up to 50% compared with MPEG-4. “When calculating bandwidth and storage requirements, it’s important to consider the number of cameras, the number of hours recording per day, the length of time the data must be stored and whether triggered events, for instance, using built-in motion detection only or continual recording is required,” he says, adding that there are plenty of readily available and easy-touse tools that take all of these parameters into account. “When it comes to putting network managers’ minds at rest, you can liken network video to VoIP,” says Sims. “Initially, there
were concerns around security and quality of service. But over time, the technology has proved itself and integrators and end-users have been widely specifying IP solutions for a number of years.” And as ADT’s Stanton explains, most modern IP video products implement functionality like SNMP that is comfortingly familiar to network managers. This brings additional benefits for them, as well as the business. “Dispersed analogue CCTV systems could go for months without operating correctly, either by unwitting or deliberate actions, until an incident occurs and the user discovers their site is unprotected,” he says. “This simply isn’t the case with IP CCTV: it is just another device on a network managed almost identically to their other servers and devices. Centralising control and administration of dispersed CCTV systems can also realise resource savings. “Capital investment may be reduced where the IP system can provide economise at the initial deployment in reduced cabling, and where Power over Ethernet reduces the need for bespoke CCTV power supplies. At a system level, effectiveness can be measured by improvements in overall system up-time and more effective use and control of the images being captured.” Takashi Miura, general manager, Sony Professional Solutions MEA FZ LCC, points out that by integrating IP video surveillance with the network, it becomes much easier to monitor or automate functions from any access point, increasing efficiency for multi-site businesses which might have thousands of cameras
IP surveillance systems make better use of bandwidth than earlier generations, says Stanton, but network managers must still be involved in their design.
and a software-supported monitoring process. “Top of the line IP cameras are equipped with innovative features and functions like intelligent motion and object detection,” he says. “This opens up a new world of capabilities where these functions can combine video analytical software to the degree of sophisticated algorithms, with computers that can read video
- to start from scratch in new facilities. According to Miura, the reduced cost-of-ownership benefits of IP-based surveillance could eventually pay off the initial investment. “Other cost effective advantages of IP systems are their ability to work on the same, standard IT infrastructure as the rest of the company,” he says. “There is no need for closed circuit systems
One of the biggest advantages of IP systems are their diverse connectivity and the possibility to run on cost effective hybrid solutions, allowing you to keep original analogue equipment. output and automatically send alerts when abnormal behaviour is detected. “With these features, IP systems can enable you to run business intelligence applications, including functions like measurement of customer traffic or analysis of customer behaviour.” One potential hurdle for incumbent network managers, however, could be backengineering their infrastructure to meet the IP standards required for state of the art surveillance. Ironically, it is probably less costly – and certainly less complicated
or additional appliances because cameras running IP over Ethernet have data and power going through the same Ethernet cable. “One of the biggest advantages of IP systems are their diverse connectivity and the possibility to run on cost effective hybrid solutions, thus allowing you to keep various parts of your original analogue equipment and include them in your new IP-based system,” he continues. “This allows the servers to record and integrate a wide range of camera formats, from modern IP and megapixel cameras to more June 2010 Vol.16 No.6 29
traditional analogue cameras. With a slightly bigger budget, intelligent encoders could be added which would convert the analogue picture into a digital signal, allowing you to record on higher frame rates as well as update your current system with functions of intelligent video analysis.” Brian Sims says the strategic deployment of encoders can often enable a more cost effective hybrid solution than the wholesale investment in a new Ethernet infrastructure just to accommodate IP surveillance – a hard sell to the CFO in more austere times. “It isn’t always necessary to install a whole new surveillance system if the end-user wants to make the move to IP,” he says. “In many instances, the introduction of an encoder – either per camera channel or as a server rack solution – can create what is referred to as a hybrid system, making use of the existing analogue investment while reaping the many benefits of network-based video. Such an encoder solution can be located either at the edge of the surveillance network close to the camera, or centrally, in a monitoring or recording location.” Sony’s Miura says this hybrid approach is currently “the industry’s best kept secret” but it is surely the answer to any corporate reluctance to commit to an investment in an IP network where the necessary IT infrastructure isn’t
30 June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
already in place. According to Sims, vendors are clearly striving to provide strong integration capability, linking lowend access control software with entry level digital video recorders to give end users ‘one seat’ control of their specified access and CCTV systems. “Integrating two or more security systems across the IP network provides the end-user with far greater benefits than could be achieved from the individual, standalone system,” he says. “Add this to the already long list of advantages a distributed IP video system delivers and the end result is a very compelling argument for integration. “The ability to pass alarms and events between each system across the network is the key to the power of integration. Any alarm in one system can trigger a number of events in another.” Network managers could find that by embracing IP surveillance, they are able to extend their influence into unexpected new strategic areas of the business. The technology can be used for much more than managing CCTV cameras, particularly in the retail sector, for example, where monitoring footfall and ensuring sufficient staff are on duty are so important. Ultimately, Sims suggests, the march of IP surveillance will echo the progress of IP telephony. “IP-based telephony solutions are now commonly at home and in
Storage for Surveillance
Hybrid systems can prove cost effective for companies with existing analogue recording set ups, says Sims.
Storage for IP-based surveillance brings its own challenges to the network manager, both in terms of the sheer volumes of data that need to be stored, and other factors beside. “IP based systems have enabled many complementary technologies within the surveillance system like software aided recording and analysis of high resolution images, networking systems to more efficiently mirror and archive, or burgeoning technologies such as smart sensors and biometrics. Such advanced systems require higher capacity storage, high performing recording, faster archive and retrieval thus automatically increasing demand for high performance, reliable hard drives,” says Khwaja Saifuddin Ahmad, director of sales for Middle East, Africa & South Asia, Western Digital. “When we are talking about 24X 7 applications like video surveillance in environments like banking, retail, commercial, corporate, government, or law enforcement, these environments require demanding features which include universal compatibility, low power consumption, high reliability and the ability to simultaneously record multiple audio and/or highdefinition video streams,” he adds. The company has developed a dedicated range of storage solutions for digital video surveillance that takes these operational factors into account, Ahmad expains, with features such as the first 2TB drive which enables surveillance systems with two or more cameras to record high levels of clarity, up to 30 frames per second, at a broad range of resolution settings, while enabling storage of up to 30 days or more of video footage. Drives need to be able to handle up to 10 simultaneous audio-video streams for multiple cameras. Environment also plays a factor in drive design, with some drives needing to function in environments with lots of vibration in some cases, or in environments that require quieter operations. The drive range also features reduced power consumption, through WD GreenPower Technology, for more cost effective operations, and a one million hours Mean Time To Failure (MTTF), which the company says is a 60% improvement over standard desktop drives.
the workplace,” he says. “This is primarily a result of Network and IT managers understanding the benefits of the technology and how it can be easily and securely managed.
“At the end of the day, video and voice is just data running over a data network. I suspect it will only be a matter of time before IP surveillance becomes commonplace.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS! WINNERS
AWARD CATEGORIES
Best Wireless Implementation Yas Marina Circuit du network, implemented by Nokia Siemens Networks Best Fixed Network Implementation Best Data Centre/Storage Deployment Best Security Implementation
Roads & Transport Authority
Department of Finance, Abu Dhabi Government
ITE Distribution, Cyberoam appliance deployment Alcatel-Lucent
Best Fixed Networking Solution Range Best Wireless Solution Range
Meru Networks EMC
Best Storage Solution Range
Leviton
Best Cabling Solution Range
Avaya
Best Enterprise Telephony Range Best Data Centre Security Range Best Security Appliance Range Best Security Application Range
Cisco Systems Cyberoam Kaspersky Lab
Best Network/Data Management Solution Range Best Systems Integrator in the Middle East Best Networking Distributor in the Middle East Networking Professional of the Year
Symantec
Alpha Data Westcon Middle East
Bas Wijne, OSN
Best Networking Vendor of the Year
HP
FOR AWARDS COVERAGE PLEASE VISIT WWW.ITP.NET/EVENTS/NMEAWARDS2010
THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS PLATINUM SPONSOR
GOLD EVENT SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES FOR THE 2011 AWARDS PLEASE CONTACT Natasha Pendleton Publisher, ITP Technology T: +971 50 558 3744 E: natasha.pendleton@itp.com
Bosch aids IP security
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
Security focus
32
Jacky's saw improvements in bandwidth usage and policy implementation following the roll out, said Panjabi.
Jacky's deploys SonicWall UTM Retailer Jacky’s Electronics has deployed SonicWall’s unified threat management (UTM) solutions to improve connectivity and bandwidth usage to its stores and warehouses in the UAE. The company has installed a SonicWall NSA 4500 appliance at its head office, with TZ180 appliances at 12 retail stores and several warehouses across the country, to optimize performance and security, and control usage of bandwidth at remote sites. The company reports that it saw immediate ROI from the UTM deployment.
“In the first year of operation, SonicWALL’s solution gained us an ROI of 15%, if the initial outlay is considered. Looking at the long term, the solution will offer an ROI of approximately 60% on savings experienced from the cost of data lines alone,” said Ashish Panjabi, chief operating officer of Jacky’s Electronics. The project was initiated with a prototype network environment installed at the company’s Sharjah City Centre outlet, which mirrored Jacky’s infrastructure. The proof of concept showed a high degree of bandwidth optimization with minimal disruption, leading to live roll
outs, beginning with smaller stores before progressing to major retail outlets. Jacky’s also said that it has been able to use the SonicWall application firewall to develop usage policies, to block inappropriate sites, which resulted in better use of bandwidth and less virus and malware intrusion. “We look forward to developing a stronger relationship with Jacky’s, which is one of the leading visionary retail companies in the region,” said Shahnawaz Sheikh, SonicWall regional sales manager for MEA.
Companies not taking care of old data Organisations in the Middle East are not taking enough care to protect their data at the end of the hardware lifecycle, according to data erasure specialist Blancco. The Finnish company says that many organisations in the region are disposing of old hardware, without ensuring that data is properly wiped from drives. Sami Saarinen, regional sales manager for the Middle East said: "Companies spend an amazing amount of money on AV, firewalls, encryption and so on, but at the end of the lifecycle, they are really giving a computer full of data to someone - all their investment in IT
security is useless. It happens due to ignorance." Saarinen says that Blancco is looking to educate regional organisations about its data erasure software, which can provides certifiable erasure of data from IT assets at end of lifecycle, or when assets are being reassigned within an organisation. Blancco's solutions are in use with many government organisations around the world, including NATO, US Department of Defense, National Security Testing Lab and meets military and intelligence grade standards, along with standards from programs including
Japan's Refurbished Information Technology Equipment Association (REUSE). The software scales up to data centre level, and is capable of handling multiple drives of all types. The company also has a solution for mobile phones. The software creates detailed, authenticated reports to prove erasue of data, a requirement that is being added to several compliance standards, Saarinen said. Blanco is looking to raise awareness of the issue in the region, and to possible partnerships with IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) companies and reseller in the region.
Bosch Security Systems has a launched a new web site to help companies manage compatibility of IP video security systems. The IP Video Compatibility Zone details a wide range of IP video devices, firmware versions and features supported by a variety of software offerings from Bosch and third party suppliers, to enable companies to create best of breed IP security systems, along with planning tools. "Seamless integration is just one step in Bosch’s efforts to advance the science of surveillance, which focuses on image usability,” said Dieter Jöcker, senior product manager for IP products, Bosch Security Systems.
STC secures mobiles Saudi Telecom Company has done a deal with Kaspersky Lab to provide security services to its mobile phone subscribers. The agreement, which has the potential to reach millions of subscribers in the Kingdom, will offer customers a fully Arabised version of Kaspersky Mobile Security (KMS). The service will be offered as a monthly subscription for SR 12 ($3). Kaspersky Lab's Saudi partners iAxcess and NOMD are in charge of the implementation process and will also handle technical support enquiries from customers. "In response to the rapid growth in subscriber services and the increasing popularity of mobile-based Internet, as well as the ever-increasing range of sophisticated mobile devices for transferring data, STC has made security and convenient subscriber services a priority addressing a growing need in an environment where data communication is becoming the core of most customers' transactions," said Abdulla Al Kanhal, service development director at STC.
Trend Micro has launched a new dedicated security solution for netbooks. Trend Micro Titanium Security for Netbooks has been designed to provide protection from malware without taking up too much hard drive space or processing power. The new software includes anti-virus, anti-spyware and web threat protection, with automatic removal of harmful files and an easy to use security widget to control the software. In order to minimize the footprint of the software on the client device, and to provide real time protection, the solution uses Trend’s Smart Protection Network, a cloud-based security service that uses reputation technology, feedback loops, and TrendLabsSM researchers to provide a constant watch for emerging threats. The software has already been endorsed by Asus, which will ship Titanium with it eeePC netbooks.
ESET buys COMDOM Security solution provider ESET has increased its anti-spam capabilities, with the acquisition of anti-spam specialist COMDOM Software. ESET will add the expertise of Slovak company COMDOM to its existing range of anti-virus, antimalware, anti-spam and personal firewall solutions. Miroslav Trnka, ESET CEO "ESET is a research and developmentoriented company that is going to benefit from this merger by tapping into the potential of this manufacturer of advanced anti-spam solutions. Building on the team of skilled programmers and researchers, we envision introducing new activities, along with injecting new potential into the development of security software.“ Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is ESET’s second in recent years, following the purchase of Czech-based information security services company Setrnet.
June 2010 Vol.16 No.6
Trend looks to netbooks
Security focus
33
Premchand Kurup of Paramount (l) and Salah Jaidah of QIB.
QIB gets ISO for electronic banking Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), the first Islamic bank in Qatar, has qualified for ISO 27001:2005 certification relating to its electronic banking. Salah Jaidah, CEO of QIB said that the ISO standard was a logical step to build on three years of investment by QIB in new banking systems and technology. “Receiving this ISO certification ensures that the development of QIB’s banking techniques and constant upgradation of information technology, which is the backbone of the bank’s services and administration, becomes our strategic priority," said Jaidah. QIB worked with strategic security partner, Paramount Computer Systems to conduct a
detailed risk assessment before ISO testing, with elements such as intrusion testing and simulated hacking attempts, and studies of how employees across differenent sites had access to physical locations such as the main IT centre and back up locations, as well as access to core systems. Paramount then developed and enhanced the bank's policies and procedures to improve security. Hammad Al Zamli, assistant general manager, Operations and IT group commented,“The ISO 27001 certification is the result of establishing the Information Systems and Technology Center in 2008, which is equipped with all high-end technical specifications
such as operating systems, surveillance systems, security and protection systems. All this provides high performance and capabilities with non-stop, continuous operations”. The bank was awarded the certification after assessment by TUV, which examined standards, procedures and compliance. Premchand Kurup, CEO Paramount Computer Systems said:“The ISO 27001 certification assures QIB’s customers, associates and stakeholders that it now owns very high-end technical systems and an excellent IT environment that provides the highest level of banking information security as well as enhanced banking services."
Symantec buys Verisign's security arm Symantec is buying out VeriSign's security business for about $1.28 billion in a deal that's expected to close this September. The acquisition will see Symantec take over the division of VeriSign that sells security technology to websites including the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate Services, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Services, VeriSign Trust Services and VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service. Symantec's security solutions protect more than one billion systems around the world
and the VeriSign deal will see them helping companies incorporate identity security into their framework so that new computing models such as cloud computing, social networking and mobile computing can be adopted securely. "With the combined products and reach from Symantec and VeriSign, we are poised to drive the adoption of identity security as the means to provide simple and secure access to anything from anywhere, to prevent identity fraud and to make online experiences more user-friendly
and hassle-free," said Enrique Salem, president and CEO, Symantec. The VeriSign check mark is a recognised symbol of trust online with more than 175 million impressions every day on more than 90,000 websites in 160 countries. Symantec will be adding the VeriSign check mark in a new Symantec logo once the transaction has closed ‘to convey to users that it is safe to communicate, transact commerce and exchange information online'.
Expert’s Column
June 2010 Vol.16 No.06
35
Network automation is needed to create dynamic infrastructure that avoids bottle necks, says Reina.
Cloud-ready networking The effects of cloud computing on networks Lionel Reina, VP EEMEA, Orange Business Services, discusses the requirements and challenges posed to corporate networks by cloud computing Cloud computing is currently without doubt one of the hottest topics in IT. For many companies, especially those with highly variable IT needs, flexible, virtualised clouds offer a lowcost alternative to conventional IT resources. The cloud and the way it is accessed can take many different forms: with the public cloud, customers access a cloud provider’s applications on the web; in this case, the resources
are shared between the multiple customers of the provider. Via a ‘shared’ private cloud, a limited number of companies share resources that are held by one company or by a service provider. In private clouds operated by larger companies, the cloud resources are dedicated to one company and stored in the company’s or a service provider’s data centre. The cloud is then accessed via the Internet
or preferably a VPN to maximize security and performance. Many different applications, such as online trading, customer support, data analysis and monitoring, transaction processing and so on, are nowadays handled in clouds. One thing is for sure: without a network, no user can access the cloud. To ensure that cloud computing actually works, the connections to it need to be
readily available, easy to manage and be fast, secure and flexible. Cloud computing is inconceivable without network and service providers that satisfy these prerequisites. Issues such as quality of service with end-toend service level agreements, 24 x 7 managed service, usagebased billing, end user service management and compliance are therefore key areas of focus for customers.
Service level agreements for cloud computing Just how cloud computing impacts on networks depends primarily on three key factors: where the source data is kept, how the source data is updated and secured by back-ups, and how geographically distributed are the users who are accessing the cloud and its data. If the data is stored in the public cloud, customers incur more than just costs. Many companies also have concerns regarding security and data protection. The alternative – namely of keeping data in the company’s own data centre – is however also associated with costs, and they can be more difficult to calculate. No matter where the data is stored, though, short response times, regardless of the volume of data involved, have a crucial role to play. Ultimately, people require a very fast, high-availability network with an excellent quality of service (QoS) and end-to-end service level agreements (SLAs) to link applications and data or to use them on a shared basis. The Internet, however, is not capable of supporting end-toend SLAs because its availability, response times and speed are extremely variable. If end-to-end SLAs are wanted, a dedicated infrastructure needs to be established via a service provider or a private cloud.
36 June 2010 Vol.16 No.06
The entire system becomes even more complex if the data sources for the cloud are highly dynamic or need to be connected to the company’s other data sources. In this case, the connection needs to be extremely efficient and dynamic.
While servers and terminals are becoming more powerful, more dynamic, more mobile and more automated, innovation in the network sector so far has primarily focused on speed and transfer rates.
Network bottlenecks It may be easy nowadays to generate, move and automate server provisioning for a cloud application using virtualisation, but the actual bottleneck comes from the networks. They are still poorly automated and often are still being adapted manually to more complex demands. While servers and terminals are becoming more powerful, more dynamic, more mobile and more automated, innovation in the network sector so far has primarily focused on speed and transfer rates. The automation of servers and desktop now needs to be followed by the automation of networks, with the ultimate goal of creating a dynamic infrastructure. If the performance of a
connection to the cloud is inadequate, it affects more than just the application. Much rather, the synchronisation of the data between the cloud and the company’s own storage system could be impaired and, in certain circumstances, this could necessitate expensive, complex restructuring. For this reason, a private, dedicated data connection to the cloud is the best solution in this case.
Open stage for providers The networks are the network providers’ responsibility. And therefore, telecom operators are ideally positioned to provide secure and resilient cloud services answering enterprises’ need for pervasive connectivity to virtualized assets, backed with robust performance guarantees and transparent monitoring tools.
Companies such as Orange Business Services have already geared their network towards the cloud concept. A ready infrastructure and application as a service with improved security and performance are the result of the work put into cloud-ready networking. Orange Business Services will also improve its infrastructure’s VPN functionality. With VPN Gallery, a new gateway, the company will be able to integrate cloud computing providers into customers’ private networks. The strategic ports package, comprising VPN Gallery, shared Ethernet access, application performance management and burst options, will be the next step to significantly improve the security, performance and flexibility of cloud computing.
June 2010 Vol.16 No.06
Expertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Column
38
A true enterprise data warehouse deployment requires careful consideration, says Pendse.
Data Warehouse: Key Considerations Understanding the requirements and strategies of data warehousing is the key to a successful deployment, according to Abhijit Pendse, Senior Engagement Manager, Cedar Management Consulting International Business Intelligence has been a popular buzzword among the C-Suite executives in the past couple of decades. The business folks always look towards it as a panacea for all analytics, but for the CIOs it has been a perennial headache. Balancing the business expectations and the technology possibilities within an acceptable timeframe is a game which not many CIOs
have won in the complex maze of dimensions and cubes of data warehouses. Data Warehouse (DW) projects are huge and typically the implementations run over a couple of years costing 5-10 million dollars. However these projects also have a very high failure rate. As a result choosing the right architecture and the implementation approach
becomes critical before venturing into a DW project. Even before start of the project, the first decision the CIOs have to take is whether to implement an enterprise data warehouse (EDW) or to go with a tactical solution. The business requirements and the existing technology architecture play an important part in this decision. If the business requirements
are operational in nature, then in majority of the cases, a tactical solution with a Business Intelligence tool deployed on top of an operational database should suffice. However if such a tactical solution is not going to serve the purpose and an enterprise data warehouse has to be implemented, then a completely new set
of attributes have to be considered.
DW Design Attributes The first critical attribute in the design of a DW is the architecture. In a distributed architecture, the data is stored between diverse, heterogeneous and loosely related data stores. In a centralized architecture, data is stored centrally in a hub and spoke model. A centralized architecture is the preferred choice of the majority due to ease of maintenance, data consistency and optimized interfaces. The second attribute is the design methodology. In the Bill Inmon ‘top down’ design approach, the EDW is created first and the dimensional data marts are carved out of the EDW. The ‘bottom up’ approach proposed by Ralph Kimball recommends creating the data marts firsts which are later joined to create the EDW. While there are pros and cons associated with both the approaches, the majority of implementations have used the Inmon top down approach. Third attribute is deciding the refresh rate. The first generation data warehouses of the 1990’s usually had a monthly refresh rate. Over the years, there has been a gradual shift from monthly to a daily refresh. With new requirements like fraud detection, risk management and dynamic dashboards
taking business priority, the need has arisen for real time or near real time refresh. A real time refresh requires higher storage, bandwidth and faster server infrastructure. While the industry standard at this moment is the daily refresh, a real time refresh rate is worth considering as the analytical possibilities and applications are endless in this option. The fourth key attribute is the data model. Custom build data models have been the preferred choice. Most CIO’s believe that their organization is unique and hence a pre-built off the shelf model will not serve their purpose. However this belief may not be true. Also the pre-built models have matured over a period of time, are faster to implement and are regularly upgraded by the DW vendors.
planned intelligently. Information Quality - Root causes of bad information quality are invalid, incomplete and incorrect data. Lack of attention to data quality issues in the source systems can
to retain their interest and confidence through the project. One way of achieving it is using the iterative approach to the implementation instead of the traditional waterfall. In this approach, by delivering
A real time refresh requires higher storage, bandwidth and faster server infrastructure... a real time refresh rate is worth considering as the analytical possibilities and applications are endless in this option.
Implementation Considerations Choosing the right DW design is half the battle won. While it is a prerequisite to the success of the DW project, it needs to be appreciated that DW implementations are different from the regular IT projects and some key areas need to be
result in an outright failure of the project. A data cleansing exercise must be a part of the implementation exercise and has to be planned tracked. Subject Areas Prioritization - When subject areas are prioritized, high value ones (avoiding the complex ones) need to be chosen in the initial implementation phases. Once a subject area is chosen, KPI’s that are essential to operate the business need to be picked and the standards and governance should be build keeping them in mind. Quick Wins- In the lengthy process of DW implementation, quick wins and tangible benefits have to be constantly shown to the project sponsors
functionality and business value with each iteration, one can integrate data, create reports, train users and built up on the lessons learned. The other way of achieving it is by temporarily creating a quick data mart in a couple of months and allowing the users to explore it. This has two benefits - the users can immediately get some reports from the system and more importantly it will train the users and bring them up the learning curve on the DW project. The key design and implementation considerations outlined above if handled properly, will ensure a smooth and successful DW implementation. June 2010 Vol.16 No.06 39
NEXT ISSUE July 2010 volume 16 issue 7
Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 210 8000 Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080
Web: www.itp.com
June 2010 Vol 16 No.6
Next issue
40
VIRTUALISATION TRENDS Understanding the next steps Virtualisation has made a major impact on many businesses, but so far, uptake has often been limited to some small scale server virtualisation. With networking experts predicting a lot more to come from this game-changing technology, we take a look at what comes next for virtualisation.
Offices in Dubai and London
ITP Technology Publishing CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Managing Director Karam Awad General Manager Peter Conmy Publisher Natasha Pendleton Editorial Group Editor Mark Sutton Tel: +971 4 2108225 email: mark.sutton@itp.com
Contributors Piers Ford, Vineetha Menon
SMART CITIES Connected construction
How subscribe to subscribe How to
The Middle East has seen the announcement of several large real estate developments that promise to deliver on a vision of ‘smart cities’ and ‘intelligent buildings’ but what technology is really going into new construction, and how much of a difference can these solutions make to the companies that operate out of smart offices and intelligent premises?
Making sure you receive Network Middle East every month To subscribe please visit www.itp.net/subscriptions 1) Select the magazine you would like to subscribe to from the list at the bottom of the web page and click the SUBSCRIBE NOW button. 2) If you have not previously registered for ITP.net, you will need to SIGN UP and register your contact details including your postal address. You will need a unique e-mail address to complete the online registration process. Please note that you do not need to re-register if you have previously registered to enter a competition online. Simply enter the User Name and Password that were e-mailed to you when you registered in the LOGIN section on the left hand side of the screen. If you have forgotten your Password, please use the link provided and we will email it to you again. 3) To SIGN UP: enter your e-mail address and select the country in which you reside, in the space provided on the right hand side of the screen, and click SIGN UP. 4) Please complete the online Registration Form. This should not take more than five minutes of your time. 5) You will now be invited to check that the delivery details are correct before completing your online application by clicking SUBMIT. 6) Your application will be sent to ITP’s circulation department for processing. You will be sent an e-mail within 72 hours of its arrival confirming whether your free application has been accepted/when your subscription will begin.
Advertising Advertising Manager Sean Rutherford Tel: +971 4 2108482 email: sean.rutherford@itp.com
Studio Senior Designer Michel Al Asmar Photography Department of ITP Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Chief Photographer Khatuna Khutsishvili Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Thanos Lazopoulos, G-nie Arambulo Staff Photographers Jovana Obradovic, Isidora Bojovic, Rajesh Raghav, Ruel Pableo, Lyubov Galushko, George Dipin Production & Distribution Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Ali Fahmi Production Coordinator Ranjith Kumar Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami Circulation Head of Circulation and Database Gaurav Gulati Marketing Marketing Executive Martin Chambeers Event Manager Preeta Panicker ITP Digital Group Sales Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 210 8549 email: ahmad.bashour@itp.com
Senior Sales Manager Nathalie Akl Tel: +971 4 210 8520 email: nathalie.akl@itp.com
Internet Development Manager Mohammed Affan Content Manager Asad Azizi Web Advertising Manager Meghna Jalnawalla Creative Director Craig Willers ITP Group Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Neil Davies, Walid Akawi, Mary Serafin, Rob Corder.
Registration creates a personal account where we record details of your postal address and any subscriptions you have applied for. This account can be accessed at any time using the unique User Name (the e-mail you used when you signed up) and a Password (the password is auto-generated, but you have the option to change this password at any time). This account will enable you to check when your subscription(s) expire and change your delivery address at any time. Details of your User Name and Password will be e-mailed to you after you have registered. We will also send you a reminder to renew when your subscription is about to expire, to ensure that you received continuous receipt of the magazine.
Customer Service Tel:+971 4 286 8559 Printed by Color Lines Controlled Distribution by Blue Truck Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions
The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader's particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.
Published by and © 2010 ITP Technology Publishing, a division of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company Number 1402846.